I have an older HP N5420 laptop computer with a TV out jack (RCA). It has been upgraded to Windows XP. My problem is that I can play DVDs on the laptop screen, but can not get an output from the TV jack. When I look at Control Panel>System>Hardware>Device Manager, it shows a "Generic" TV, but I can't switch to it. Also, in Control Panel>Display>Settings>Advanced, it shows 2 screens, but both show up as the LCD panel ..... NO TV. According to the manual, the TV switch should show up in the system tray, but it does not. Any insight would be appreciated.
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HP Laptop TV Out
(5 posts)
this is a normal operation feature designed to help with copyrighted material. if you can get your computer to have all the video go out through the rca jack and have nothing show on the LCD then the DVD should play. On my laptop, hitting Fn+F4 (the function key and F4) at the same time, will change the video mode so that both the LCD and S-video will output video, but when like this, no dvd video will come through. however if i hit the buttons again, the LCD turns off, and only the S-video outputs, and i can see my DVD video.
you are probably going to have to do the same thing.
edit: if i am reading this right (after reading it again LOL) the system is not even seeing the RCA output at all, it that right?
You are right; the system does not seem to recognize the RCA output. I went to the HP site and downloaded the manual for the N5400 series and it indicated that a TV icon should show up in the systray. On my unit there is nothing in the tray. I can also pull up a "TV" folder, but there is nothing there. This computer was upgraded from Windows ME to XP. Do you think that might be the problem? Maybe TV out was a ME innovation. By the way, a TV enable shows up in the BIOS, but it doesn't help. FYI, the DVD I am playing is one I made from home videos. It is not copyrighted (LOL).
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