I was trying to hook up my laptop's Svideo connection to my TV for the first time the other day. I plugged everything in and the laptop detected that a analog TV was connected (25" GE, until I get a big screen later this year) however when I press the keys to switch to the TV instead of laptop screen, nothing comes up on the TV. It is an HP laptop, so I spent about an hour with them on the phone, but all they could come up with is that it is a compatibility issue. Basically, they didn't know why it wasn't working. I ended up just watching on the laptop instead of the TV, but obviously would like to be able to use the TV for this.
Any ideas?
Depending on the laptop, even after it detects the new video output option (your TV), you need to (for Windows based laptop) right click on the desktop somewhere and click PROPERTIES. Go to the SETTINGS tab, and you should see 2 (or more) boxes in the top part of the window. Box 1 is your laptop display, and box 2 represents your possible TV output. Click once on the box 2, and then look for a checkbox on the Display Properties window that says something like "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor." It the TV goes all grey, or blue (can't remember if it is just your background color), then you can drag and drop application windows from your laptop screen to the TV screen by dragging them to the right of your laptop screen and if you keep going right, they will start to show up on your TV.
Not the best option always, but I had a laptop that I had to do this with in order to get it to work.
I had the same issue with my wife's compaq LT tring to use the DVD player on my folks' TV. The laptop detects the monitor connected to the SV output, but doesn't display on it. What I was able to do was use the TV as a second monitor to extend the viewing area. If you go to display - settings you see the monitor layout in the window. In my case the second monitor automatically became active when the SV connection was made. I was able to initate an application on the LT display and then drag it to the TV and maximize to fill the TV screen.
It's a Mobile Intel 915GB/GMS,910GML Express Chipset family card, according the device manager. It is in a HP6120 laptop. I had already tried the extend my desktop checkbox, but I couldn't even see the mouse on the TV when I scrolled off of the laptop screen, and the TV never flickered or did anything to demonstrate that it was in use as a second display.
Were you able to see a mouse on the second screen before dragging something over if you just brought the mouse arrow there? I would think that you could.
Yes, you should be able to see the mouse. Move slowly though because the screen resolution on the TV is a lot lower than your laptop so your mouse would move faster while on the TV sometimes making it harder to see, but I think that there is some other problem at play here.
Yes. Once I moved off the LT screen, the mouse presented on the TV screen. The TV screen can logically be placed in any direction on the display-settings page. Have you tried to alter this arrangement?
Throwing on "Mouse Trails" or "Pointer Trails" in Control Panel, Mouse, Pointer Options may help you see the pointer if you can't.
Other than that, Zarak - you get NOTHING on the TV at all? Just black? Is there a setting for refresh & resolution, etc for the second display? If so, try changing it to something your TV will handle (labelled 640x480-60Hz or 720x486-60Hz)?
Bren R.
Nope...I got nothing. Maybe I'll try it again today if I'm up to it. I'm home sick today.