OT: hooking up video projector to various laptops

Every laptop I`ve ever had to connect (audio wise) to anything else, has had a 3.5 minijack. I always go via a di box in an attempt to eliminate psu noise.

I also carry around a USB to audio adaptor just like this:

Video feeds from computers are normally done using VGA cables, I dont recall seeing a projector which doesn't have a vga input, however there are plenty of adaptors available if yours isnt so equipped. You can get a USB to RGB and Composite + audio, for example.

Ron(UK)

from

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This 4 yearold projector has a pc standard looking monitor out but computery video input is this horrendously complicated 38 pin or whatever M1 connector that I've never seen on a pc, presumably it is from the HD TV world which I've never explored.

Do laptops not have a composite video out normally ?

They almost never do. I've never seen one with a composite video. Perhaps some multimedia sonys or hps might have it, but they are rare.

Composite video out on laptops is as rare as VGA inputs on CRT tv sets.

The Dell, Toshiba, HP and Asus lappys I've owned/own all had a d-sub video out. All the projectors I've used had that input. Never worried about audio just took it from the 3.5mm jack into the projector with an RCA adaptor.

It's a bit of a nightmare connecting computers to TV screens - unless the computer has TV picture standard outputs or the TV a computer standard input. I do have a convertor box which converts TV RGB (SCART) to VGA, etc, but it's not that good, and wasn't cheap. I bought a TV with a VGA input - and that works very well.

I'm sure you could buy a convertor from VGA to SCART, etc but I'd rather spend the money on a projector with a VGA input - VGA is pretty standard on most computers.

I have a Dell XP laptop that came with a cable for composite video output.

VGA to M1 leads seem to cost an arm and a leg. So far I've not found the pinning for M1 connectors, I'm assuming there is a standard, anyone have a pointer?

M1 pinning seems to be on ftp://ftp.csie.nctu.edu.tw/pub/X11/private/VeSaSpEcS/VESA_Document_Center_Pl ug_Display/M1.pdf when I get a chance of wading through it

On laptops, SVGA DB-15 subs are the most common, but I've seen S-Video & Composite (RCA).

No. It's quite rare.

Perhaps

S-vid jack right on the back of my Pavilion notebook. HDMI is the rage now, to patch into your HDTV big screen.

Yup. Look 6 lines up.