Heya My laptop is a Dell Inspiron 630m which has Intel integrated 915 graphics. There is a DB15HD VGA monitor output as well as the 7-pin variant of S-Video on this machine. I'm quite sure this option is not, by default, provided...I've looked everywhere. However, I'm looking to unconditionally force my Inspiron 630m to display video through either the S-Video or DB-15HD VGA output, or both. This would preferably be done with the internal LCD still on but I don't know if the hardware allows it. The problem is I am using "dumb" adapters to connect my RCA-only TV to the computer, and while hitting the Fn+F8 toggle keys makes the TV flash white, the laptop is not actually sending a signal and the (dell quickset application?) dialog which pops up says no external display is connected. I've tried adapters on both the VGA and S-Video connectors. Is there some way to skip this "connected display" check and just force it to display anyway? I would expect this to be software related since the hotkey does cause the TV to react, but it then detects "no display" being connected and prevents the signal being sent. Thanks

You can't connect the TV to the VGA port because it's not compatible with it's output. The "SVideo" jack on most computers and video cards is usually actually a port used for several things, via adapters - a SVideo (only) connection only requires 4 pins. The single RCA video in jack on an older TV, if that's all it has, will only work with your computer via the "SVideo" port connection in any case - the TV requires a different, older, inferior type of output from the computer - TV out. You could use the proper "SVideo" to composite (RCA) adapter to connect the monitor to the "SVideo" port (one may have come with the computer; otherwise the wiring of it may vary), but that's a TV out connection, not an external monitor connection; it's a display, but not an external display of the same type an external monitor is. Some newer TVs have a VGA port on them - they work fine connected to the external monitor port, as a monitor. In any case, you simply change the video source for the TV to other than TV (e.g. video, or video 1, or video 2, etc.) when you want to use the TV as a display. You probably have to set a setting for your video drivers or associated software that enables both the TV and the LCD display to display all the time - the TV out is often not enabled by default. E.g. for ATI video chipset software, you have to go there and enable the detection of whatever display is connected to the TV out port. There is no way I know of, of you having only a display on the TV, unless you unplug the LCD display inside the computer. If your laptop has HDTV out, not the older TV out, I don't think there's any way you can connect a TV to it unless you use the proper Svideo to HDTV adapter with 3 RCA jacks, and the TV has HD input - 3 RCA video jacks. Read up in the Help for your video chipset about how to use a TV out connection - e.g. you are restricted as to which resolutions will display on the TV - that may be only 640 X 480, and/or 1024 X 768, and/or 1280 X 1024, max - and as to which vertical refresh rate you can use - that's either 60Hz (e.g. north america), or 50HZ (most other places), depending on where you are. ..... Update.... Your "SVideo" jack has TV out capability, not HDTV out capability. Your TV should work fine, if you use the proper adapter, and have the resolution and vertical refresh rate set to something compatible with it. Pin assignments here: http://support.dell.com/support/edo... (Dell XPS M140 and Dell Inspiron 630m are identical)

Alright, thanks. Couple things already covered however. The video driver will not allow output to go to either VGA or SVideo if no display is detected being connected...I don't know how it detects, probably through resistance across two pins, but I do not know. I know how to activate a second display (be it SVideo or VGA); through radio buttons in the Intel software or through the keyboard shortcut key. I have two adapters: one is 7-pin SVideo to single female RCA, and the other is male VGA to two ends: female RCA and female SVideo. I understand that VGA and RCA connectors carry different signals, but, if not for this, what is the adapter for? Photos: overall view: http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/... male ends: http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/... female ends: http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/...

I had not seen 'update' before, I didn't know they allowed editing here...hmm. So, using the SVideo jack with the adapter pictured in my previous post, this SHOULD be working, correct? Perhaps there's a setting I'm missing because it doesn't.

Yes, you can edit your own posts, except for the first one in a subject (thread), by clicking on edit at the beginning of it. If it weren't for that, many of my posts would be a mess, or I would have to compose and correct them elsewhere then paste them here. The smaller adapter will work and allow the computer to detect the TV - if the way it's wired is compatible with what the "SVideo" port on the computer requires - see the link at the end of response 1. If it didn't come with the laptop, that may vary, and it may not be compatible. If you have an ohmmeter or can borrow one you can check which pins connect to the RCA jack. (NC is no connection). - if the TV is on - if the TV video source is set to other than TV, via a button on the TV, or via a setting on the remote for the TV You won't get a display on the TV unless the computer video settings for the resolution and vertical refresh rate are compatible with what the computer video chipset can display on the TV. (You can check what the vertical refresh rate is set to at Control Panel - Display - Settings - Advanced - Monitor, or similar) The VGA to whatever adapter may work for a monitor that has a composite (RCA) input, but it won't work for a TV video input, unless there are circuits built into the adapter - the monitor port signal must be processed through a circuit that converts the output to what a TV requires, in order for the TV to be able to use it. The TV video in RCA port, or SVideo port if it has one, works fine with a VCR because the VCR produces ouput compatible with the TV - it can only be connected to a computer via the "SVideo" port too. ....... According to info I found your computer should have come with XP MCE 2005. Is that what you had and and you later loaded Pro? If so, why? MCE is the same as Pro except it has a few features left out most people don't use, plus the Media Center group of applications and a lot more multimedia support. All MCE versions include SP2 updates. If you needed to install MCE and the other orgininal software again from scratch, you can probably buy a set of Recovery disks from Dell for your model, probably for a lot less than even a OEM XP Home CD costs.

Hmm...I do have a multimeter so I will test the adapter for correct pinout later on. Thanks for that, should have been the first thing I tried really. It did in fact not come with my laptop, it came with my friend's Acer. You'd expect some level of standardization but I guess maybe not. The COA on the bottom of the computer is for XP Professional, which is the OS I run. The Inspiron 630m came out of the business line as I recall so MCE would not be a popular choice in that line. The XPS variant may indeed have come with it though. Ah, the edit link...how did I miss it before.