CompTIA A_ Certification All-In-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition - Michael Meyers [332]
Figure 19-47 S-video and proprietary round connectors
A composite connector provides a video signal through a single cable, whereas a component adapter provides a split signal: red, green, and blue. Figure 19-48 shows the two connector dongles.
Figure 19-48 Composite and component connection options
The best connections for outputting to television are the High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connectors. Although a few devices offer HDMI output directly (such as the portable pictured in Figure 19-49), most video cards support HDMI through a special cable that connects to a dual-link DVI port. Figure 19-50 shows an example of such a cable.
Figure 19-49 HDMI port on Lenovo laptop
Figure 19-50 DVI to HDMI cable
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NOTE Some video cards with built-in television tuners that enable the PC to be a television as well as a computer have a standard coaxial jack for connecting a cable or antenna. See Chapter 20, “Multimedia,” for the scoop on TV tuners.
Installing and Configuring Video
Once you’ve decided on the features and price for your new video card or monitor, you need to install them into your system. As long as you have the right connection to your video card, installing a monitor is straightforward. The challenge comes when installing the video card.
During the physical installation of a video card, watch out for two possible issues: long cards and proximity of the nearest PCI card. Some high-end video cards simply won’t fit in certain cases or block access to needed motherboard connectors such as the IDE sockets. There’s no clean fix for such a problem—you simply have to change at least one of the components (video card, motherboard, or case). Because high-end video cards run very hot, you don’t want them sitting right next to another card; make sure the fan on the video card has plenty of ventilation space. A good practice is to leave the slot next to the video card empty to allow better airflow (Figure 19-51).
Figure 19-51 Installing a video card
Once you’ve properly installed the video card and connected it to the monitor, you’ve conquered half the territory for making the video process work properly. You’re ready to tackle the drivers and tweak the operating system, so let’s go!
Software
Configuring your video software is usually a two-step process. First you need to load drivers for the video card. Then you need to open the Control Panel and go to the Display applet (Windows 2000/XP) or Personalization applet (Windows Vista/7) to make your adjustments. Let’s explore how to make the video card and monitor work in Windows.
Drivers
Just like any other piece of hardware, your video card needs a driver to function. Video card drivers install pretty much the same way as all of the other drivers we’ve discussed thus far: Either the driver is already built into Windows or you must use the installation CD that comes with the video card.
Video card makers are constantly updating their drivers. Odds are good that any video card more than a few months old has at least one driver update. If possible, check the manufacturer’s Web site and use the driver located there if there is one. If the Web site doesn’t offer a driver, it’s usually best to use the installation CD. Always avoid using the built-in Windows driver as it tends to be the most dated.
We’ll explore driver issues in more detail after we discuss the Display applet. Like so many things about video, you can’t fully understand one topic without understanding at least one other!
Using the Display/Personalization Applet
With the driver installed, you’re ready to configure your display settings. The Display applet or Personalization applet on the Control Panel is your next stop. The Display applet and Personalization applet provide convenient, central locations for all of your display settings, including resolution, refresh rate, driver information,