Folk,
This is an arcane question of application rather than repair but I don't know of a better place to ask.
I've connected the composite video output from a Compaq Armada e500 running Debian Squeeze, to a Panasonic LCD TV TC-20LA1. The display on the TV works for the COMPAQ logo, the BIOS, and the console startup messages. When X takes over, the TV appears to lose sync. Nothing helpful is evident in the BIOS of the Armada.
The Armada was donated without the original software. I'll guess that there was software designed to drive the composite video output, independently of the laptop screen.
I'm thinking of trying this in /etc/X11/xorg.conf. Section "Monitor" ... VertRefresh 60.0 EndSection
Can a setting in xorg.conf harm the laptop hardware? Any advice or comments or instructions to get a display on the TV suitable for watching a movie?
Thanks, ... Peter E.