I have customer who wants to project his laptop display to a flat screen tv. can this be done?

I read if you have S video connector on your laptop and on the PC you can do this. is there a distance limitation?

You can make your own with db15 vga connectors and cat-5 cable if the distance is more than 50' or you can get video baluns for vga to run over cat-5 for longer runs.

depending on the connections available on the tv and laptop, you have a number of choices.

1. you can run vga direct from the laptop to the tv.
2. you can run component, svideo, or composite video from the laptop to the tv.
3. you can use a scan converter to convert vga to component, svideo, or composite video.

length limitations are dependent on the type of signal, type of cabling, and presence or absence of additional signal processing or amplification.

by the way, the vga connectors would be a DE15, not a DB15. (the second letter is connector shell size)

More and more of the new LCD and plasma sets have a VGA input on them. This would be the best way. You can purchase long VGA or extension VGA cables.

Some laptops have a S-Video output on them. I have used premade S-Video cables up to 50ft and have had no trouble with them.

If it's for a permanent install, use Cat5 for VGA or S-Video with audio (using baluns) or 2 RG6 coax cables for S-Video (using adapters).

First, isn't component video when you have the three RCA type connections (red, white and yellow)?

how do you get component video out of a PC, with some sort of VGA adapter?

component is R,G,B (RED, GREEN, BLUE)
composite is (red, white, yellow)

component is R,G,B (RED, GREEN, BLUE)
All 3 jacks contain different colors of Video, no audio

composite is (red, white, yellow)
Video on Yellow Jack, Left & Right Audio on Red and White jacks

Svideo is also video only

so composite is what you need if you want sound and video to come out of the TV screen.

thanks so much!

So I ran 1 Cat 5e from the laptop to the TV (25ft) and I will buy S-Video to IDC module (keystone jack) by ICC. I hope this will work and I'll let you know!

Tantivy, common nomenclature uses the term DB15 or DB15HD. DE15 is not usually used even if it is the accurate designation. Language gets abused and redefined all of time. That's why dictionaries are reprinted all the time. Do a search on DB15, you'll find what you’re looking for. Then do a search on DE15, you'll find mostly garbage. Not to rant, just thought I’d clarify my use of the term.

Now that I've got that off my chest; I do have a question that fits this topic.

Is there any simple and common way, to not just extend the computer screen to the VGA or Super-s port but to mirror the screen on typical XP PC notebook? My laptop has a very good and simple video graphics property that allows me to define different schemes. However, I’ve had calls from clients that don’t want to just extend their screen they want to use the VGA as a dual screen and they do not have the same graphics properties that I have, so I haven’t been able to talk them through it. Any ideas?

this is a real learning experience. I haven't tried it yet but the s-video connector on the PC is 7 pins (dell inspiron laptop) and the keystone connector I got is 4 pin. I don't own a tv with these connectors (VGA or S-Video)

But if the TV is also a 7 pin s-video will these 4 pin s-video keystone connectors work? will leaving out these 3 pins be a problem?