Tech Olive

One weekend project I had recently completed was connecting a family member’s computer to a television in another room. While this sounds dead easy at first, there were some problems with the particular setup that I was dealing with. First and foremost, this is a standard-def television that has limited connections and the PC doesn’t have S-Video, so it’s not as easy as just slapping on an S-Video cable and calling it a day. Also, the setup that I use must be simple. While I’m technically capable, said family member is not. So, I can’t do anything too complex. Join me after the break for a quick tutorial on getting your computer connected to a TV, despite there being several blocks in the road.

While there were a few setbacks, one thing I was granted with was that the quality didn’t need to be crystal. So long as a picture is there, the family member is happy. Thus, I was able to accomplish the task relatively cheaply and easily. Sadly though, if you want crystal-clear picture and sound, you’re better off purchasing a HDTV.

Setting out, you’ll need only a couple of parts:

- VGA to TV converter
- Extra VGA cable
- RCA cable
- 3.5mm to RCA converter/splitter

The setup is quick and easy. You’ll need to first disconnect the VGA cable from your computer monitor and plug it into the VGA to TV converter, leaving the other end plugged into the computer. Connect the extra VGA cable to your computer monitor and then the other end to the converter. This way you can use your TV and monitor both.

Next, add the Yellow RCA cable to the converter and power it up. Take the other end of the Yellow RCA cable and plug it into your TV. Change input and check for a signal. Everything with video should now be set.

For audio, plug the 3.5mm splitter into your PC, one end of the split connects to your computer speakers. The other goes to the 3.5mm to RCA white/red converter. Connect the white/red RCA cables into the RCA converter, and the other end into your TV. Check for sound.

Congrats, both video and audio should now be working. You’re well on your way to setting up an HTPC. Some future recommendations would be to utilize a remote or wireless keyboard/mouse, and connect your PC to the internet (most likely it already is) to stream movies, music, television shows, etc. If you’re experiencing any problems, please let me know in the comments and I will do my best to respond!

Jakob Griffith writes for the popular hacking blog HackADay.com and also stops by Tech Olive every now and then to help out and write DIY and how-to articles. You can visit his personal development blog at kobaj.net.