Thinkpads Forum

Has anybody with a T60/p tried using one of the simple VGA to S-Video converters that just maps some pins from one to the other? It would require support from the video card and the VGA port wiring, but maybe we got lucky and it's there but undocumented?

No go. Had my hopes up too. Anyone gutsy enough to see if s-video can be jury-rigged to the vga port somehow since the vid card does support it. $1300 and no vid-out!

I bought this item. sadly it doesnt work

I tried a VGA to S-video adapter that was made for an Apple Powerbook. It didn't work.

What's wrong with a VGA to DVI adapter. Works for me. Isn't DVI better than S video?

movado wrote:What's wrong with a VGA to DVI adapter. Works for me. Isn't DVI better than S video?

Oh yeah, it is. DVI is a digital interface, whereas VGA ans SVideo are analog. Dont get me wrong though, VGA is good. It goes in this order:

Composite RGA (That little yellow cable): Lowest quality. Only really used for VGA and lower quality video.

S-Video: Has different wires for the actual picture and the color, so better than RGA, but not in any way great.

VGA: Has been the standard computer video cable for a long while now. It can actually go to a fairly high resolution. At least past 1600x1200, but it is analog, so the picture isnt perfect, but its as good as MOST people need.

DVI: This is a digital format. In its Dual link form it can handle really really high resolution video. The transmission technically should end up in a perfectly recreated picture.

HDMI: Mostly used for home theater now. It transmits the same way as DVI, but also carries audio, and has a smaller connector.

For high end computing (workstation w/ CAD type apps) with really big screens, DVI is the only way to go, but for the average computer user VGA is usually fine. Whatever desktop computer you have probably uses a VGA, and ill bet you have no problem with the picture.

To answer the original question, you would use an S-Video connector to hookup to a TV (most smaller/low end TVs dont have DVI or HDMI), whereas a VGA to DVI would be better if you were connecting to a projector or high end computer screen.

"whereas a VGA to DVI would be better if you were connecting to a projector or high end computer screen"

That is exactly how I use my T60p and IBM C400 projector.

movado wrote:"whereas a VGA to DVI would be better if you were connecting to a projector or high end computer screen"

That is exactly how I use my T60p and IBM C400 projector.

Then you are set! Unfortunately, we still havent figured out how to get connected to a regular TV

Guys,
Has anybody tried the Grandtech PC to TV Converter? I saw one yesterday at Radio Shack and it looked like a possible solution. The salesperson didn't know how well it worked but said they had sold a few. I'm interested in this if anyone knows it does or doesn't work.
thanks,
DenTP4rm

DenTP4rm wrote:Guys,
Has anybody tried the Grandtech PC to TV Converter? I saw one yesterday at Radio Shack and it looked like a possible solution. The salesperson didn't know how well it worked but said they had sold a few. I'm interested in this if anyone knows it does or doesn't work.
thanks,
DenTP4rm

The Grandtec converters should work, since they actually convert the signal themselves, and dont leave it to the computer to do. Anyone looking into this should take a look on their site www.grandtec.com

The radioshack listing for this product is here.