Need guidance in hooking up notebook to hdtv

[pcgranny42]

Hello, I want to use my notebook to display movies from netflix on my hubby's tv. I am totally lost as to whether or not I can do this and if I can, what cable and/or adapter do I buy? I have found out the following information on hubby's tv, my notebook, and the video card.

LG 36' 32ld350-ub Flat screen tv specs:

1 x Headphones (Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm) - Side, 1 x USB 2.0 (4 pin USB Type A) - Side, 1 x HDMI (19 pin HDMI Type A) - Side, 1 x HDMI (19 pin HDMI Type A) - Rear, 1 x USB 2.0 (4 pin USB Type A) - Front, 1 x Component video input (RCA phono x 3) - Rear, 1 x Audio line-in (RCA phono x 2) - Rear, 1 x RGB input (15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15)) - Rear, 1 x Audio line-in (Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm) - Rear
Video interface
HDMI, Component
HDMI ports qty
2
PC interface
VGA (HD-15)

Windows 7 home premium
notebook ports
3 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0
1 Headphone out
1 microphone-in
1 VGA (15-pin)
1 RJ-11 (modem)
1 RJ -45 (LAN)

notebook video card information:
Name AMD M880G with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200
PNP Device ID PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_9712&SUBSYS_363F103C&REV_00\4&2B9676A9&0&2808
Adapter Type ATI display adapter (0x9712), ATI Technologies Inc. compatible
Adapter Description AMD M880G with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200
Adapter RAM 336.00 MB (352,321,536 bytes)
Installed Drivers atiumd64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atiumdag,atidxx32,atiumdva,atiumd6a.cap,atitmm64.dll
Driver Version 8.635.0.0
INF File oem2.inf (ati2mtag_RS880M section)
Color Planes Not Available
Color Table Entries 4294967296
Resolution 1366 x 768 x 60 hertz
Bits/Pixel 32
Memory Address 0xC0000000-0xF6FFFFFF
I/O Port 0x00003000-0x000030FF
Memory Address 0xD0300000-0xD030FFFF
Memory Address 0xD0200000-0xD02FFFFF
IRQ Channel IRQ 4294967294
I/O Port 0x000003B0-0x000003BB
I/O Port 0x000003C0-0x000003DF
Memory Address 0xA0000-0xBFFFF
Driver c:\windows\system32\drivers\atikmdag.sys (8.1.1.921, 5.76 MB (6,038,016 bytes), 8/5/2009 1:23 AM)

I would like to surprise him with netflix. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Wolfshadw]

Ok. Looks like your notebook doesn't have an HDMI output, but it does have a VGA output and the HDTV has a VGA input, so that's probably the best way to go.

You can use a VGA cable (like this one) to carry the video from the notebook to the HDTV. You'll need a 3.5mm Stereo mini-jack cable (like this one) to carry the audio over.

Connect the notebook to the HDTV using the VGA cable. On the notebook, open your display control panel (usually just right-click on the desktop and select graphic properties or something similar). You should find an option to enable a secondary display. This activates the VGA port on the back (or side) of the notebook. You should now be getting an image on the HDTV.

Connect the 3.5mm audio cable to the headphones output on the notebook and the Audio In (RGB/DVI) input on the HDTV. On the notebook, you may need to change the default audio device to headphones.

Lastly, you will probably need to swap displays; making the HDTV the primary display. You should be able to do this in the display control panel.

Hope this helps!

-Wolf sends

Edit: I should mention that all these cables should be available locally (Best Buy/Wal-Mart/Radio Shack). I just provided links so you could see what they look like.

 

[pcgranny42]

Thank you, Wolf, for your great explanation, I have netflix set up on the laptop, got it to play on the LG tv but I cannot get audio. I have plugged the audio cable, from my headphone port on the laptop, into every possible audio input port on the tv. But it doesn't seem to go in any further than the first mark on the male appendage of the plug. Could this be the issue?

According to the LG manual, the internal audio ports are 1/8" 0.32mm. Everything I read mentions 1/8" 0.35 mm.

I am not too sure of the size of my audio cable as the wrapping was pitched several years ago and I cannot find any identifying markings on the cable itself.

I have played around in sound on the laptop's sound controls and still have not gotten anywhere. I left the headphone port option to default as well as trying to set up some different headphone as default. I have searched online for hours and have found no different paths to take.

I love a challenge when it comes to computers, but when I'm ready to put the laptop through the tv screen I know I've reached my limit. Of course, there is always the option of Hubby watching movies on the laptop, but he's a funny duck. lol

Thanx for all your input.

 

[Wolfshadw]

Well, this should have worked. I'm glad you have the video portion working, but the audio cable you have *SHOULD* have worked as well. The fact that it doesn't fit into the audio port is probably the issue, but again, it *SHOULD* have.

The only thing I can suggest at this point is to contact LG Tech support. Give them the exact model of the HDTV you have and ask them what audio cable you need. If they say 3.5mm (or 3.2mm or 1/8th inch) cable, then they're probably just as stumped as I am as to why it's not fitting into the port.

Sorry I can't be of more help. The only other thing I can think of doing (if you can't get this working) is to purchase a set of 2.1 Computer Speakers for your laptop.

-Wolf sends

 

[pcgranny42]

I did purchase the Y Cable, Wolf. We ended up with either video or audio, not both. I called my USP, U-Verse, and found they do not support NetFlix. I wish their agent would have told me this three days ago when I called concerning my connection speed. :-(
I think my next step is possibly the Roku box, after I read reviews on it.
For now, we will watch Netflix on the tv by using wired headphones. Hubby can watch on tv and I am comfortable watching either on the desktop or the notebook.
Thank you for all your help. I remember when all we had to worry about was watching the wonderful picture box with 13 channels. lol

 

[pcgranny42]

Best answer selected by pcgranny42.