VGA to S-Video adapter cable (PC to TV)

Trying to use the TV as an extra screen.
My laptop has only a VGA port. My TV only has component (RCA) and S-Video in.
I've heard about converter boxes, but I'd rather not spend more than I have to, picture quality isn't a huge issue.

eBay sells a VGA to TV S-Video adapter cable for less than $2. Has anyone used it and will what level of success? Is this the right application for it? and can you point me in a direction where I can learn more?

 

The cable wont work you need the adapter box, been quite a few threads on this same topic this week.

Best converter for the best price is at monoprice.com

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10114&cs_id=1011407&p_id=4724&seq=1&format=2

I was one of the first if not the first to try it out but now we have about 6 people on the forums with it and all of them like it.

I actually dont use mine anymore, id sell it if your interested as I could use the money to get something else.

 

Why don't you get a usb-> Dvi adapter. It's about $20 and it can output 720P videos and some can even do full 1080P.

 

1.) Expensive (near $100 I think they go for for a real one) I would like to see your $20 one and read its specs.
2.) Not needed in his case and if he wants s-video its means his tv probably doesnt even have dvi

 

Right, the TV doesn't have DVI, only RCA and S-video.

Is the USB -> DVI just an external video card?

That box looks like an ok option. Are there any other ideas?

 

Does your TV have HDMI? HDMI is essentially DVI + digital audio.
THe usb-> dvi adapter is basically an external video card, except it's not. It's a bit difficult to explain, but it does its job.

 

He already said no, just RCA & S-Video but I still want the link to your $20 DVI adapter, I'll get one for work so i can have dual monitors, but when I was looking at them they went for closer to $100 before they even became decent the $80 ones I found didnt support many resolutions and had bad feedback.


edit: Jack?? where is the link to a $20 usb --> dvi adapter? i want one and want to give you rep for sharing it with me.... I know you read this post by now, maybe it doesn't exist??? Well thats what I thought anyways but I was hoping to be proved wrong.

 

The sale for these adapter have ended and they're at regular price now. Couple weeks ago, I swear these were on sale for like $15CAD or $10USD.
EVGA UV Plus $35-40USD
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=30531&vpn=100-U2-UV12-A1&manufacture=eVGA
$~70USD
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=29798&vpn=100-U2-UV16-A1&manufacture=eVGA

Same ones from newegg, $30USD and $60USD for each model

Various docking station would also work just as well.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812797001
this comes with HDMI, DVI, VGA for $60.

 

well you still get some rep its cheaper than the ones i found.

Asus makes them, matrox makes them and both cost about $100 though I think theres have more features & resolutions.

Asus also makes monitors now that can be pluged in via usb but they are expensive.

edit: yeah more than one person on newegg said the $40 one cant even play fullscreen video without lag/tearing.

The more expensive ones handle the 2nd monitor just as good as if it was hooked to your video card except no 3d acceleration (aka no gaming) but I just want it for work to do 2 monitor spread sheets so it may work for me.

 

These "usb graphic card" are actually not graphic card, that's why I put them in quotes. All of the processing is done through the CPU thus there's no 3d acceleration. If your computer's CPU can handle full screen 720P videos with full software decoding, then full screen HD videos on these "video cards" should in theory work flawlessly. All this does is convert the 2D video signal to usb signal, compress them, transfer to adapter, decomrpess them, then convert the signal to dvi/vga.

 

Yeah but I still think there is a limit to the hardware, or they would not offere different color depths & resolution on them.

Also it seems too much a coincidence that the poeople that own the nicer more expensive ones have none of those issues.

the ultimatle solution is the matrox as it uses your video card out and just splices all the monitors together into one big monitor so it fools your computer and also lets you do 3d.

But even the DH2GO for 2 monitors is too expensive for me to ask for, but $40 I can pocket myself and then grab a cheap LCD from a yard sale or pawn shop.

Also back to the video he clearly stated it played fine windowed but not full screen, its the same cpu load basically just a higher bandwidth of data for the adatpter I am most postive this is a adapter limitation.