VGA to RCA

So you want to connect your computer to your television? You're not alone - whether it's a laptop or a desktop, a Windows machine or a Mac, making this connection work is simple.

Your computer's port

First of all, you need to determine what the video-out port on your computer is. It is probably VGA - a 15-pin display port that is very common on computer's today. It is also possible that you have a DVI or HDMI port - these are digital signals and will make connecting your computer to your TV as simple as buying the proper cable (no adapter needed) if you have a newer HDTV (which should have either DVI or HDMI ports available). Note that while DVI and HDMI ports look very different, the video signal they carry is identical (HDMI has the added benefit of passing the audio also).

Your TV's input port

Now you need to determine what type of port is available on your TV. As mentioned above, if you have a newer TV you probably have a digital port available. In addition to these ports, you should also have an RCA connection (yellow video cable which usually works with a red-white/left-right stereo audio cable).

What are your quality requirements?

Now that you know what types of ports you have available, you need to ask yourself what type of video quality you need. Let's assume for a second that you only have a VGA port available on your laptop (or desktop) and that your TV allows you to either hook it up with an HDMI port or an RCA port.

Either way you are going to need an active converter because the signal outputted from your computer will not easily connect to either of these ports. You have 2 options - high definition and standard definition. To determine which one is more important to you, just ask this question - what will you be using the connection for?

If you plan to use your TV as a monitor - for instance, reading text, browsing the web, editing word documents, etc. - you want a VGA to HDMI converter. This will give you a full, high-definition signal. The other benefit is any high definition videos will play as if you were watching them on your monitor. The only drawback really is the price - they have come down over the past year and are now under $100, but they can still be pricey compared to the alternative.

If video quality is not a huge deal to you (for instance, say you want to mostly watch Hulu and Youtube videos), your best option is a VGA to RCA converter. These are inexpensive (~$30) and make hooking your computer up to your TV simple. The quality is comparable to standard definition (if you have an HDTV but have ever watched a non-HD channel that is standard definition).