tv as a computer monitor with s-video cable?

Question

I want to set up my pc as a media center. I want to use my tv as the monitor. I'm trying to connect them with a s-video cable since both the pc and the tv has the connector.

However, the pc's connector is 7pins and the tv connector is 4pin. So I was wondering will this work? And are there cables that one end is 4pin and the other is 7pin?

Answer 1

Hi. S-video is a standard. One of your connections sounds like a DIN connector. An S-video has four pins only. http://www.answers.com/topic/s-video-1?cat=technology?ff=1 and the DIN has six (plus a clocking plug). http://www.answers.com/topic/din-connector?cat=technology

Answer 2

Technically, yes you can use the 4-pin wire in the 7-pin port. I have done it before, to do something very similar to what you are planning. Once set up, you will most likely have to adjust your hardware settings to have the s-video port set up as your main display, but I'm sure you can figure that out.

However, as said in one of the previous answers, if you choose to do this you will need something other than a traditional tube television. Anything else should work, but on a tube the picture will be horrible, and impossible to define text or anything fine.

Secondly, you will have to connect the sound through a completely different set of wires, as the s-video/DIN port does not carry sound.

Answer 3

I think there are cables that are diff at the two ends but i would'nt recommend doing this unless you are only going to be using it watch movies. If you are going to use it to do any browsing or writing it will be hard to see anything on the screen b/c of the TV. If you have a LCD screen then it might work but if u just have a tube TV then it wont work. I am talking from experience.

Answer 4

Just a comment, you can use serial connectors if you have one on your tv. One would be male and one would be female, I had to actually purchase two differnt and connect the cables end to end.