Laptop Multimedia Ports Info
 

Component Video Out: Connects a TV or HDTV to your notebook so you can view high-quality, high-definition video streaming from the notebook. This three-piece connection (color-coded red, blue, and green) is the best method for sending video from your notebook to an HDTV or anything that receives component video. This connection allows the chrominance (color) and luminance (brightness) portions of a video signal to be processed separately, thus producing higher-quality video than an S-Video connection. S-Video works similarly, but component video improves color accuracy even further by splitting the chrominance signal into two portions.

Composite In/RCA:  Connects a gaming console or camcorder to your notebook, for viewing video or playing games on the notebook. Color-coded red, white, and yellow, composite video input uses standard RCA-style jacks to connect your notebook to receive video and audio signals from your TV, VCR, game consoles etc.

TV Tuner/75-Ohm Coaxial: Connects a cable box, TV, or VCR to your notebook, so you can watch and record TV content on the notebook. Sometimes called an Rf input, a 75-Ohm coaxial cable can carry video and stereo signals simultaneously. RF cable connectors (often called F-type connectors) screw onto the 75-ohm jack, are pushed onto it, or connect via a dongle that vendors usually supply.

S/Pdif/Dolby Ac3 Digital Out: Connects your notebook to speakers or a stereo receiver to play digital audio stored on the notebook. S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) is a standard audio-transfer file format, usually referred to as digital audio. This connection allows the transfer of audio without converting the signal to and from an analog format, which can degrade its quality. If you also have an S/PDIF In port, you can play digital music stored on an MP3 player through your notebook. The headphone jacks found on some notebooks double as S/PDIF Ports.

DVI: Connects a digital projector or LCD panel to your notebook to display in large format either video content or a PowerPoint presentation stored on the notebook. DVI (Digital Visual Interface) is a multipin connection used for passing standard-definition and high-definition digital video signals. It's found on HDTV tuners, a growing number of DVD players, HDTV-ready televisions, and some computer displays. DVI-D is the type of DVI connection found on most home video gear and carries digital-only signals. DVI-I is used with some computer video cards and can pass both digital and analog video signals. Some TVs have DVI-I inputs for greater hookup flexibility. DVI connections transfer video signals in pure digital form, which is especially beneficial if you're using a fixed-pixel display like a plasma, LCD, or DLP TV.

 

Firewire/ I.Link 400/ 1394: Connects a digital camcorder or external hard drive to transfer (but not display) large files, such as MPEG video, to your notebook. Also known as IEEE 1394, this is an extremely fast (commonly up to 400 megabits per second), two-way digital connection used for plugging in Your DV camera or other peripherals (such as an external hard drive or optical drive) to your notebook. It is used in digital camcorders because it is one of the few connections capable of quickly transferring full-motion video.

S-Video In: Connects a digital camcorder to your notebook to display video stored on the camera on your notebook's screen. Also, if your VCR has an S-Video Out port, you can transfer your VHS tapes to digital format. S-Video inputs use a four-pin jack to receive video signals from camcorders, gaming consoles, TV, or any device that has an S-Video out port. the S in S-Video stands for separate: S-Video connections transmit the chrominance (color) and luminance (brightness) portions of a video signal along different paths, allowing them to be processed separately, though S-Video does not produce as vivid an image as component video. This is a common way to display content from a digital camcorder or any device that has an S-Video Out port. (Firewire also transfers data files from your camcorder to your notebook, but it can't display video in real time on your notebook.)

S-Video Out: Connects a plasma or newer TV to your notebook to display video content streaming from the notebook. The most common way to connect a TV to a notebook, S-Video Out uses a four-pin jack to send signals from your notebook to your TV or anything that accepts S-Video In.

This Article from PC Mag by: Cisco Cheng and Erik Rhey