How to Guide - Connecting Your Laptop to HDTV Or TV

I'm writing this guide after being asked a few times on ways to connect a laptop to a TV. People want to achieve this for several reasons. First, it's great for presentations at work, school, or home. It's also convenient for viewing pictures and videos to friends, watching DVDs, and it is now even being used for viewing Blu-ray and other high definition content on the HDTV.

First, we want to make sure you're getting the most out of your laptop when it comes to displaying it on the TV.

Apple Computer

If you have an HDTV with HDMI inputs, check if your laptop has an HDMI output. If it does, you're in luck! Your HDTV can display from your laptop in HD resolutions. All you need is an HDMI cable to connect them. If your HDTVs HDMI inputs are used up already. An HDMI switch would be the best solution for you. We supply switches that can connect up to 5 different HDMI sources to 1 HDMI input. If you don't have an HDMI output on the laptop, check if it has a DVI output. Some ASUS, and Dell laptops have them. If you do, you can connect your laptop to an HDTV with an HDMI to DVI cable. They are both digital cables so this will produce the same HD resolutions as a standard HDMI cable. If your laptop doesn't have HDMI or DVI out, it should have a VGA output. Connecting with VGA is capable of high resolutions. However, different TVs support different resolutions with VGA. You must check the maximum resolution your TV model supports with VGA. Pretty much all laptops come with an S-Video output. It's not going to be as great of a picture, but it will certainly do the job with an S-Video cable.

After you have connected your chosen cable, boot up your laptop and see if it has detected your TV. If not, you have to go into your display properties and look for the settings that will enable your TV to display from your laptop. Where to find the setting will vary depending on your graphics card (just look around). If you are having trouble getting your TV to show a picture, make sure you have updated the display drivers on your laptop. Now you're probably going to want sound from something other than your laptop speakers. So you can choose to output it to your TV, or blast it from your home theater audio receiver.

The best way to connect audio to your TV or receiver is through a digital audio cable. Both a digital coaxial cable or Toslink optical audio cable will work great for crisp high quality audio. Just make sure your laptop has either a digital coaxial or an optical audio output. Some laptops use the headphone jack to double as a digital coaxial (S/PDIF) output. If you use this method, your going to need a 3.5mm to RCA adapter with a digital coaxial cable. If your laptop has none of these outputs and you still really want that high quality sound. Don't worry! You can still get an external (USB) sound card that has digital coaxial out or optical out. I recommend the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 SB1090 with Toslink Optical audio out. Another way, which won't require any add-ons, is to use the headphone (3.5mm) jack on your laptop to the RCA (red and white) inputs on your TV or receiver. To do this, all you need is a 3.5mm to 2 RCA adapter with a 2 RCA audio cable.

I know all of these cables can seem confusing to you. If you're having trouble finding out what each cable looks like or find out more about a cable, check out the Cable Guide at CableTrain.com. All of these cables are available for you on our website as well. I hope you can now successfully connect your laptop to the TV in the best way possible!

How to Guide - Connecting Your Laptop to HDTV Or TV

The Best Laptop Computer For College Students

Laptops are now essential for college students as the books. Today many professors will assign online work and homework. Some colleges even now have online classes you can take. A common question from college students is "What is the best laptop computer for college students?" I want to say there is not exactly one laptop that is the best for all college students. There are a huge variety of laptops available to choose from. I am going to tell you what you should look for in a laptop and I provide a link to a recommendation where you can in my opinion buy the best laptop computer for college student.

Buy a laptop you can afford

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There are a lot of fancy laptops out there, but you do not need to buy the most expensive laptop. As a college student you already have tuition, books, school materials, and possible loans to pay for. Most laptops now today can do pretty much the same thing, and provide what is needed for school, such internet access, word processing, basic tasks, music, and even games that you may be interested in.

A light and thin laptop is best

A common reason people love laptops is because of their portability. As a college student you most likely will have to carry multiple books with you throughout the campus for your class. You do not need a heavy fat machine adding extra weight to drag you down. Many up-to-date lightweight laptops are now on the market, and will make your walk through the campus a lot easier.

Buying a laptop with wireless internet is important

Today most colleges provide wireless internet on their campus, and offer the service to their students. So it is important for you to buy a laptop with wireless internet access. A laptop with wireless internet access can connect to the school's wireless internet connection anywhere within the campus, regardless if you is outside or in one of the school's facilities. If your school do not have wireless internet, it most likely will soon, so it is still important to buy a laptop with wireless internet access.

Space and Speed

I would like to also mention that if you plan on storing music and games on your laptop, you should consider the speed and hard drive capacity when buying a laptop. You should buy a laptop with at least 60-70 GB (Gigabites) of hard drive capacity (hard drive stores information) and processor speed of at least 1.46GHz (determines speed of laptop)

The Best Laptop Computer For College Students

The Best Laptop Configuration

If you are in the bazaar for a new laptop, the processor, RAM, and harder drive aren't the alone specs you'll wish to consider. The affectation as well plays an important role. And we're not just talking about size. Resolution as well matters. Why? Because the amount of pixels a awning outputs determines how abundant detail you'll get from that LCD, whether you're alteration photos or arena the latest games. A beyond resolution as well agency that you'll accept added on-screen absolute estate, which is acceptable if you wish to accept two applications accessible ancillary by ancillary or you wish to abbreviate scrolling if Web surfing. You'll as well accept added pixels to plan with if outputting the affectation to an alien monitor.

Bigger isn't consistently better, however. Higher-resolution screens are not alone added expensive, they can accomplish icons and blazon arise too baby on Laptop, which can aftereffect in exceptionable squinting. And back we don't acclaim that users lower the built-in resolution on any laptop, as the consistent angel is about fuzzy, it's analytical that you accomplish the appropriate alarm the aboriginal time. So what resolution is appropriate for your next notebook? Use this as your guide.

Apple Computer

7 inches to 10 inches: Mini-Laptop

On mini-Laptop with a 7-inch display, you're bound to 800 x 480 pixels. This resolution makes icons and argument ample and simple to read, but in abounding cases you'll acquisition yourself accomplishing a fair bit of scrolling around. We acclaim spending a bit added for a archetypal with a 9- or 10-inch display, area the candied atom is 1024 x 600 pixels (such as on the new Acer Aspire one and the MSI Wind NB). You'll be able to see added of Web pages and abstracts and won't charge to annal as abundant up or down or from ancillary to side. The HP 2133 Mini-Note goes up to 1280 x 768 pixels, but some may acquisition that too top for such a baby display.

10 to 12.1 inches: Ultra Portable and Thin-and-Light Laptop

These Laptop are advised to go anywhere but action added application and appearance than mini-Laptop. Generally, 10-inch ultra portables are giving way to systems with 11-inch LCDs. Some of the a lot of accepted 11-inch systems cover the ASUS U2E, Lenovo IdeaPad U110, and Sony VAIO TZ series, which appear accepted with 1366 x 768 pixels and no added affectation option. This resolution offers a acceptable antithesis amid awning absolute acreage and the ad measurement of icons and text, but you'll pay a exceptional for the awning size. For continued accretion sessions, 12-inch screens are just added able than 11-inch options.

You'll acquisition a bit added array in the 12-inch range, but resolutions are abundantly bound to one best for any accustomed notebook. For a arrangement this size, 1024 x 768 pixels provides able resolution for basal productivity, which you'll acquisition on ultra portables such as the Lenovo Think Pad X61s. If you wish added resolution, footfall up to 1280 x 800 pixels, which is bigger for multimedia applications and accessible in high-end, failing machines including the ASUS Lamborghini VX3-A1 and Fujistu Life Book P8010.

13.3 to 15.4 inches: All-Purpose Laptop

In this chic of Laptop, resolutions ambit from 1280 x 800 up to high-definition 1920 x 1200 on high-end gaming systems. For accustomed accretion chores, 1280 x 800 pixels is fine, and you'll acquisition it on accepted 13.3-inch systems such as the Apple Mac Book, Dell XPS M1330, Sony VAIO CR, and Toshiba Satellite U405.

That aforementioned resolution is accepted as you move up to 14- and 15-inch Laptop, but there are some notable exceptions. For example, the 14.1-inch Dell Inspiron 1420 and the 15.4-inch Inspiron 1525 accept a advantage to advancement the console to 1440 x 900 or 1680 x 1050 pixels, respectively, which should accommodate added desktop absolute acreage and added data for tasks like photo editing, admitting with abate icons and text. The 15.4-inch Mac Book Pro has a 1440 x 900-pixel display, which is acceptable for artistic pros on the go.

As you move into 15-inch multimedia Laptop and gaming systems, such as the Alien ware Area-51 m15x and Dell XPS M1530, you'll see higher-resolution LCDs. In the case of Dell's M1530, affective up to 1440 x 900 pixels costs (plenty of eye bonbon for the latest 3D titles), and the high-definition 1920 x 1200-pixel affectation costs 0 more. Note that this resolution may be abstract accustomed the mid range 256MB Nvidia cartoon agenda and that you won't see the accurate account of the 0 Blu-ray Disc advantage on a 15.4-inch screen. On Alien ware's m15x, the added 0 will be able-bodied spent, abnormally if you opt for Nvidia's 8800M GTX graphics, complete with 512MB of video memory.

16 to 20.1 inches: Desktop Replacement Laptop

Most of the systems in this screen-size ambit are for multimedia tasks and gaming. You can get by with a 1440 x 900-pixel affectation if you won't be accomplishing abundant added than blockage e-mail and surfing the Web. For instance, the Toshiba Satellite L355 sports a 17-inch awning with this resolution and costs beneath than 0.

Are you into multitasking or gaming? You'll wish to footfall up to 1680 x 1050 pixels. In the case of HP's dv9700t, for example, advance from 1440 x 900 to 1680 x 1050 costs a bashful . which should enhance movies, photos, and gaming, as able-bodied as accommodate added absolute acreage so you can accept assorted applications accessible on the desktop

Only austere high-def cine fans, gamers, and artistic pros will wish to splurge for a 1920 x 1200-pixel awning (also accepted as 1080p). In the case of the Alien ware Area-51 m17x (starting at ,199), a 1920 x 1200-pixel LCD comes standard. The Gateway P-172X FX (starting at ,999) is yet addition 17-inch gaming rig with a 1080p screen. In the case of the 17-inch Mac Book Pro, jumping from 1680 x 1050 to 1920 x 1200 for alone 0 is a no-brainier, abnormally if you'll be outputting to an alien monitor.

The Best Laptop Configuration

Buy Qosmio X505-Q8100X 18.4-Inch Gaming Laptop (Omega Black)

Qosmio X505-Q8100X 18.4-Inch Gaming Laptop (Omega Black) Features

• Intel Core i5-2410M Processor 2.3 GHz (2.9 GHz with Turbo Boost Technology), 3MB Cache
• Configured with 4GB DDR3 1333MHz (max 8GB)
• 500GB (7200 RPM); Serial ATA hard disk drive with TOSHIBA Hard Drive Impact Sensor (3D sensor)
• 18.4" diagonal widescreen TruBrite TFT display at 1680 x 945 native resolution (HD+) with 16:9 Aspect Ratio
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit with a 12 cell/87Wh Lithium Ion battery pack; Battery Life (measured by MobileMark 2007): 3 hours; 32 minutes

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