VGA to RCA adapater

[Djinni]

Ok so.... bought one of these on Amazon:

Product Description :
This cable will bring you high definition video performance
Work with laptops and desktops with VGA cards that has TV-Out function capability through the VGA connector, display your PC images on TV or projector
Playing PC games on big screen TV, recording PC image by Video recorder full enjoy yourself
Simply connect from computer Display Card to the TV, Projector or equipment with RCA in
Easy to install, plug and play
Most suitable for big screen to play your games and others
Applications: For LCD monitor, High Definition TV, Projectors, DVD and home theaters, etc
Connector: 3 RCA male connector and 15 pin male VGA connector
Length: 1.5m

Note:
3RCA connectors: red, green, blue.
If your jacks are red, white, yellow.
please plug them as follows: red to red, green to white, blue to yellow.
Package included :
1 x 15 pin VGA to 3 AV cable

The trouble is it doesn't really show anything, all I get on the TV when I plug it in (yes it's all plugged in properly, and I have tried every possible combination of the 3 jacks with the 3 sockets) All I can see on the screen is like a picture that needs fine tuning, except I have no way to tune it. The TV is an old CRT style screen. The PS2, Video Player and Digital Freeview Box all work perfectly with it, so there's nothing wrong with the TV.


Don't suppose anyone has any ideas?

[Skelly]

First of all, RCA is basically a form factor, not a specific type of cable.

Problem is, you don't have VGA to composite, you've got VGA to component.

Chances are what is in the back of your TV are composite input - Yellow (video), Red and White (Audio). The thing with Component cables - Red, Green and Blue - is that all three input are video. That's why you're getting some video, but not all of it.

[Djinni]

First of all, RCA is basically a form factor, not a specific type of cable.

Problem is, you don't have VGA to composite, you've got VGA to component.

Chances are what is in the back of your TV are composite input - Yellow (video), Red and White (Audio). The thing with Component cables - Red, Green and Blue - is that all three input are video. That's why you're getting some video, but not all of it.

Last I checked... VGA doesn't output audio anyway?
leaving the Red and White basically redundant. And yeah the TV input is Red White and Yellow. SO I wouldn't have bought the cable if not for this bit:

If your jacks are red, white, yellow.
please plug them as follows: red to red, green to white, blue to yellow.

[r80354]

What you have is VGA to Component Video: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video and unless your TV has a Component Input, you need a converter to go from Component to Composite (RCA red/white/yellow: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCA_connector) Here is a link to such a converter: http://www.amazon.com/Component-Comp.../dp/B003FJKHBU

[Skelly]

Yeahh.. I dunno whats up with that last line.. But basically what your adapter is doing is splitting the picture from the VGA cable into three different parts, corresponding the the Red, Green, Blue. The problem is your TV only has one video input - yellow. So you can only get 1/3 of the picture inputted into your TV. You need something that is VGA to yellow.

I may have mixed up composite and component, I don't really know, but I think you get the basic gist of it.

[r80354]

Rather than editing my previous post, here is a link to what you were trying to buy: http://www.amazon.com/VGA-Adapter-S-.../ref=pd_cp_e_3

[Djinni]

I had a computer with a RCA Video Out jack (yellow if you want to think of it in terms of the cables) on the video card. One day my trusty CRT monitor went out and i had to wait a few weeks before i was able to buy a new monitor. My only option was to use the video out on the card. What i found when i got it going was that the resolution and the Hz of the display settings really made the TV output look like ass... really. By adjusting to a smaller resolution it improved the picture, and changing the frequency helped to fine tune it a bit. My results were ok, nothing spectacular with the tube tv. Regular computer use, web browsing, desktop work, file management were a pain. Watching videos or playing games looked much better.

The thing that gets me with this thing you bought, is that in the red/white/yellow setup, the red and white are audio and the yellow is video. For a console game system or DVD/BRD player and the like, they have both video and sound coming out. VGA is only video, and should only need 1 cord connected if it is truly output to RCA (that would be the yellow).

What you have is VGA to Component Video: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video and unless your TV has a Component Input, you need a converter to go from Component to Composite (RCA red/white/yellow: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCA_connector) Here is a link to such a converter: http://www.amazon.com/Component-Comp.../dp/B003FJKHBU

Hmm.... ok thanks ;-) Shame the "converter" costs soo much... (I'd also need to find one in the UK)

---------- Post added 2011-07-30 at 09:10 AM ----------

Umm here's the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/1-8M-VGA-LEA...ref=pd_cp_ce_1

[r80354]

Hmm.... ok thanks ;-) Shame the "converter" costs soo much... (I'd also need to find one in the UK)

Ha, i wasnt fast enough. After seeing Skelly's reply i quick edited the top stuff as it wasnt really relevant anymore. Anyway, the next link i gave should do the trick and looks rather cheap. At that point you may run into the same problems i had with the TV looking like shit, but at least you got a pretty good idea of whats going on now.

Edit: Here is one for UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/VGA-to-S-Vid...bxgy_ce_text_c

[vesseblah]

Hmm.... ok thanks ;-) Shame the "converter" costs soo much... (I'd also need to find one in the UK)

TVs that accept component video input are really rare in europe, those connectors exist mostly in video projectors and old CRT TV's larger than 40". We (in Europe) used SCART cables in higher end AV products that can almost match component vidoe quality if it's used in RBG mode, but RGB SCART is not compatible with VGA in any way, and you again will need an active converter box like the one linked above.

[Cows For Life]

Component and composite are not the same thing.

VGA to component can work.

VGA to composite (yellow) will not work unless your video card specifically supports it as this functionality is non-standard. Otherwise you will need an active converter.

FYI yellow = video, red and white = audio.

You've been had.

[Djinni]

TVs that accept component video input are really rare in europe, those connectors exist mostly in video projectors and old CRT TV's larger than 40". We (in Europe) used SCART cables in higher end AV products that can almost match component vidoe quality if it's used in RBG mode, but RGB SCART is not compatible with VGA in any way, and you again will need an active converter box like the one linked above.

Wouldn't it be cheaper then to return the RCA cable and get:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/3-5mm-Phono-Stereo-Audio-Cable/dp/B000Q6LSVS/ref=pd_bxgy_ce_text_b
+
http://www.amazon.co.uk/VGA-to-S-Vid...bxgy_ce_text_c


Also what uses S-Video? I've seen an S-Video out on loads of stuff, but I've NEVER seen anything to plug it into....

[Cows For Life]

Wouldn't it be cheaper then to return the RCA cable and get:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/3-5mm-Phono-Stereo-Audio-Cable/dp/B000Q6LSVS/ref=pd_bxgy_ce_text_b
+
http://www.amazon.co.uk/VGA-to-S-Vid...bxgy_ce_text_c


Also what uses S-Video? I've seen an S-Video out on loads of stuff, but I've NEVER seen anything to plug it into....

A lot of higher end CRT TV's in the mid 90s had S-Video before component became common.

From that page: This cable does not add TV-output functionality. If your video card/controller doesn't already have this function, this cable WILL NOT WORK for connecting your VGA output to a TV input.

As stated, this stuff is proprietary to each video card. It is non-standard and will vary.

If you insist on using the old video card and old TV, you will have to get an active converter. A passive cable will not work unless your video card supported TV-out in the first place.

[Skelly]

I remember my 'huge' 34" CRT had S-video. It was kind of the baby step above composite video. I think component was better. I paid $20 to get an S-Video cable for my Gamecube.

Anyway.. S-video was a short-lived video format that no one uses.

[r80354]

VGA to composite (yellow) will not work unless your video card specifically supports it as this functionality is non-standard. Otherwise you will need an active converter.

Really? As far as i knew the only thing that mattered was the resolution and the frequency (Hz).

[vesseblah]

Wouldn't it be cheaper then to return the RCA cable and get:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/VGA-to-S-Vid...bxgy_ce_text_c

Also what uses S-Video? I've seen an S-Video out on loads of stuff, but I've NEVER seen anything to plug it into....

That adapter works if and only if your graphics card is meant to output composite and S-video out of the VGA port, not all cards do.

S-video was mostly used on LaserDisc players, high end video cassette players (ever heard of S-VHS?) and most mid to high range camcorders.

[Djinni]

*sigh*....

So... without it being more cost effective just to buy a new TV with HDMI in, how can I plug my Laptop into the TV and get at least Video onto the TV?

Laptops are:
Lenovo 3000N200
Acer Aspire 5738Z

Sound would be good too... but I have an external set of speakers I can use for that.

[Cows For Life]

*sigh*....

So... without it being more cost effective just to buy a new TV with HDMI in, how can I plug my Laptop into the TV and get at least Video onto the TV?

Laptops are:
Lenovo 3000N200
Acer Aspire 5738Z

Sound would be good too... but I have an external set of speakers I can use for that.

Buy an active converter box that converts the VGA signal to a composite (or whatever) signal that your TV supports. Unless you really needed it, it's probably not worth the expense.

[r80354]

*sigh*....

So... without it being more cost effective just to buy a new TV with HDMI in, how can I plug my Laptop into the TV and get at least Video onto the TV?

Laptops are:
Lenovo 3000N200
Acer Aspire 5738Z

Sound would be good too... but I have an external set of speakers I can use for that.

Sound is easy: http://www.amazon.co.uk/3-5mm-Phono-..._bxgy_ce_img_b

As far as the video goes, my understanding is that 640x480 @ 50Hz will run on PAL/SECAM and the previous mentioned adapter: http://www.amazon.co.uk/VGA-to-S-Vid...bxgy_ce_text_c should work if your laptops can output at those levels.

Edit: My current video card will not run that, but i am also in the US, so maybe that makes a difference? Lowest settings i can get are 800x600 @ 60Hz. In the US optimal for NTSC is 640x480 @ 60Hz.

[Djinni]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Composite-Converter-S-Video-Adapter-delivery/dp/B004TCXING/ref=pd_cp_ce_1
?

[Cows For Life]

That looks like it will work. Quality of course can't be assured until you actually try it.