Thinkpads Forum

I have a X61, and was wondering what I can do to hook it up to my 1080p plasma HDTV.

My plasma HDTV does *not* have a VGA or RGB input. It has HDMI, composite, and component inputs.

Is there a USB or PCMCIA or some adapter I can buy to connect the X61 to the HDMI input of the tv?

What can I do to connect my X61 to my plasma HDTV?

scottkeen wrote:I have a X61, and was wondering what I can do to hook it up to my 1080p plasma HDTV.

My plasma HDTV does *not* have a VGA or RGB input. It has HDMI, composite, and component inputs.

Is there a USB or PCMCIA or some adapter I can buy to connect the X61 to the HDMI input of the tv?

What can I do to connect my X61 to my plasma HDTV?

While the integrated intel graphics chipset in the X61 is capable of outputting DVI, this does not seem to have been implemented by Lenovo in the X61-series. The docking base offers only standard VGA output (and no TV-out).

In other words, you will not find an easy way to connect your X61 to your HDTV. I see a few possibilities though:

1. Additional Graphics Card with proper output
There are a number of third-party solutions for the PC Card interface and for USB. These are essentially extra graphics cards that you connect to the X61. However, they are not inexpensive and quite a few suffer from performance and compatibility problems.

2. VGA-to-XXX Converters/Scalers
There are also external converter boxes available for converting VGA signal into e.g. DVI or something else. They are costly and I have no idea how good they are.

3. Matrox DualHead2Go (VGA to DVI edition)
Matrox is a reliable graphics brand. However, I have no idea if the DualHead2Go is compatible with the X61.

You just need the correct cable, here is one from Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/6ft-component-vid ... B000FM3EQ0

obpsym wrote:You just need the correct cable, here is one from Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/6ft-component-vid ... B000FM3EQ0

I believe you are mistaken. Unless the X61 outputs component over the VGA-interface (which i seriously doubt) that cable is useless for connecting the X61 to an HDTV that lacks VGA input.

Besides, the specs on the page you are linking to explicitly state:
"Note: This cable is NOT designed to work in anyway with a computer's input or output."

Maybe I'm confused but we have used 5 wire RGB cables to connect from VGA outputs to projectors and plasma TV's for years.

Looks like my link was for a 3 wire cable, if a separate H and V sync connector is not available on the display (5 wire) you can use this small adapter.

http://www.blackbox.co.uk/technical/man ... Manual.pdf

There are some relatively inexpensive (under $80) USB video cards with DVI output at dealextreme; you could try one of these and report back on how well it works.

As for trying to get digital output from a VGA port, it is only going to work if the video card supports passing a signal this way. Some ATI cards do so, but I am fairly certain that the integrated chipset in the X61 does not.

This is the crappiest move by lenovo on this series.
It is literally the only thing that bothers me with this laptop.

How stupid do you have to be, to not include another video output than an almost 50 year old technology

I can see why it would be cut on the laptop itself, for space considerations, but on the dock as well!!!!!!!

Now I have to constantly change the VGA cable between my external monitor and my LCD-TV, it SUCKS!

Sorry for my rant, I just had to get it off my chest

I also had to manually edit the graphics driver to allow the resolutions that I need for my external monitor and TV. because they, for some reason, doesn't send the EDID information over an analog connection.

Btw. I have been thinking that there might be a digtal video output in the connector for the Ultrabase, and the connector itself just didn't make it into the physical world I just don't know how I would test this

Or maybe "someone" could make a "GhettoMod" and add a DVI output connector directly to the Systemboard. I would pay good money for that

Regards
TJMacGyver

No DVI or HDMI output from an X61 - this is probably the largest weakness of this machine.

Check the setting on your TV. Many will accept RGB into the component inputs. If so - you can connect VGA with a cable. Otherwise, you need a converter (PM me - I have one) but is over $100.

EVGA has a new USB-DVI box that is pretty good - but it is limited to 1600x1200 - no 1080i or 1080p.

awolfe63 wrote: Otherwise, you need a converter (PM me - I have one) but is over $100.

What quality does one achieve with a converter? Is it possible to use 1080p with good quality?

TJMacGyver wrote:How stupid do you have to be, to not include another video output than an almost 50 year old technology

VGA is only 21 years old !!!

As it happens, my LCD monitor has DVI and VGA, I use DVI for the desktop and VGA when I want a big screen for the laptop (20" 1600x1200). So I'm glad Lenovo has a VGA connector

It is if you have a good cable. VGA on my T42s is weak at higher resolutions - but the X61 seems fine. I've used in on a 40" Samsung TV at 1080p with no problem.

adrianaitken: I was exaggerating on the age

But don't get me wrong I also need the VGA connector, I just cannot see how some technical designers have been able to rationalize not having some form of digital video output.

"Technical designers" looking at the specs of the x3100: "Digital video output, who will ever use that!?! Naahhh, lets just throw that one out, no one will ever miss it, we got the good old ANALOG"

The decision was probably rather done in the marketing/business department trying to save every penny in production, or whatever else decisions they make sometimes to cripple technology (not trying to sound too harsh, but of couse you also cant have everything in such a small package like the X61..).
But as the X61 probably is supposed to be a business travelers / lecturers notebook or similar, you mostly need VGA to hook up to some beamer, this is still true in 2011 by the way)

I know this is an old post, but about the "Ghetto Mod" .. I looked into this http://www.laptopdiagram.com/ibm-x61-schematic-diagram/ ... "TV-Out" (S-Video I guess) seems impossible as all pins are tied to GND. I am not quite sure about DVI as I am somehow not able to find it at the GPU (I am also not looking really close, I didn't look into any intel datasheet so far..). Maybe there are also different GPUs of that series by Intel, some which have DVI and some which have not,.. I dont know, ..

The docking connector also doesn't look so good to me .. so probably no luck there

Maybe someone else has more time to investigate this ...

I am still interested to keep this X61 and maybe modify it (LED backlight, 1400x1050 maybe, get a SSD for it, etc. etc.) as all newer notebooks dont make sense to me .. first 16:10 and now even 16:9 .. horrible!