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area 51 m5550 and vga cables... do i even have a vga output?

post #1 of 12
5/21/08 at 2:14am
Thread Starter 
After seeing beautiful resolution in my friend's hdtv, i decided to purchase the same cable. This is what i bought: http://www.amazon.com/Cables-Go-2801...1346388&sr=8-1

Heck, I don't think it's even compatible with my laptop.

Do you know what kind of cable i can get to hook up to my tv?
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post #2 of 12
5/21/08 at 3:47am
There's some kind of video output on the back of the m5550, I'd guess DVI or VGA.

Check the specs, I think the m5550 has S-video, and DVI. You may have received an S-video cable with the laptop in the accessories box. DVI cables are available and if your tv has a DVI input, you're good to go. DVI will be much better quality than S-video. Not sure if you'll also need to connect audio out to your tv.



I think this is an m5550. That's the S-video on the left, the DVI-D on the right.

Check what inputs your tv has. HDMI, DVI, DVI-D, VGA, RGB, S-video... all these are possible. Once you know the "ends" of the cables you need, you can get them at any computer or electronics store if you don't already have them.
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post #3 of 12
5/21/08 at 7:49am
HH is correct. The m5550 does not have VGA out. The picture above shows the m5550 video outputs. DVI (the one on the right) is better than S-video. If you have a DVI input on your television, great. You will still need to run an audio cable from the m5550 to the TV because DVI is digital video only, no audio.
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post #4 of 12
5/21/08 at 1:55pm
so based on the cable he bought, looks like he needs a dvi to vga adapter.
Not counting audio of course.
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post #5 of 12
5/21/08 at 2:07pm
Correct.
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post #6 of 12
5/22/08 at 2:38pm
Thread Starter 
I have a Samsung LNT3253H 32-Inch LCD HDTV.

I'm pretty sure it has a VGA input, but it's labeled as PC on top. However, it also has HDMI inputs. So does that mean i should buy a dvi-d to hdmi cable? Like this one perhaps?

http://www.amazon.com/Cables-Unlimit...1476427&sr=8-2
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post #7 of 12
5/22/08 at 3:46pm
That looks like it will work for the video side of it.
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post #8 of 12
5/22/08 at 4:22pm
Thread Starter 
is there anyway to get the audio as well?
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post #9 of 12
5/22/08 at 6:11pm
Unless you have an audio card, or a digital audio out, you are going to be stuck with the headphone jack. Which can be hooked up via mini stereo to rca jack adaptors.

FYI if you have never seen a pure DVI monitor, not to be confused with the HDMI, and you wear glasses, probably after watching 10 minutes of something on it, you wont need your glasses again, they will be corrected from what you have seen. Thats how powerful the picture is.
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post #10 of 12
5/23/08 at 1:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dudnaito View Post
is there anyway to get the audio as well?
YES!!!

It depends on what your gunna hook up to.
Do you have a reciever w/ an optical or coaxial SPDIF?
Do you have a reciever w/ 5.1 analog inputs?

If yes, you can get a variety of (usb/firewire/pcmcia/pcix)external sound cards that you plug into laptop that have connections for optical/coaxial SPDIF or 5.1-7.1 analog inputs!!!! That support DolbyDigital/DTS/DD2.0/Matrixed stero etc.

But if all ur gunna do is hook em up to the tv's speakers all u need is a minijack to rca cable.

Yeah the DVI-HDMI adapter is a better option as the signal remains digital.
But either dvi adapter will work.
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post #11 of 12
5/30/08 at 10:08pm
Thread Starter 
dang it... i got the dvi-d to hdmi cable and i don't know really know what to do next. My computer recognizes the cable, but what do i do with my tv? I press the source button, but it doesn't recognize it.
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post #12 of 12
5/31/08 at 9:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dudnaito View Post
dang it... i got the dvi-d to hdmi cable and i don't know really know what to do next. My computer recognizes the cable, but what do i do with my tv? I press the source button, but it doesn't recognize it.
most likely its a resolution issue, set your output res VERY low along w/ say 60 on ur refresh rate. My tv says "none or unrecognized signal" when I pump an unsupported res/refresh into it.

Then verify your actually outputting on your dviout.

Once you get any signal to it, then start bumping up through supported res's to find themax ur tv handles.
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