Hack to enable TV Out function

[GustavoNP]

Hello guys,

I'm from Brazil, recently I've bought a IBM Lenovo Thinkpad T61. This is not my first notebook (actually the 4th), but in this case I forgot to check the availability of S-Video output (for me its almost a series feature of 99% of the notebooks currently in the brazillian market).

The fact is that this model (T61) doesn't have S-Video. I know that if I buy a VGA->SVideo/RCA/Component conversor (around US$70 here) it will work fine even without TV Out functionality.

But what I would like to use is this (I already have 1 of this and another of VGA->Component):

http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-808...ideo-rca-tv-_JM

None of them works (scrambled image, out of sync, etc etc), as you supposed it would be.

As far as I know (and readed in a lot of posts) the scrambled out of sync image is due to the fact that my notebook video model support only the "Video Out" function, instead of "TV out" function. The second one is supposed to enable functions to select lower resolutions, video mode (NTSC, Pal-M) and lower refresh rates.

There is any possibility to create a hack or mod to the driver of my notebook video's card?

He is equipped with a NVidia Quadro NVS 140M.

I'm currently using the standard driver from my manufacturer (IBM) - from de recover cd/dvd. In a Windows Vista 32bits Home Basic environment.

Thanks for any help in advance!

[Bill]

The only thing I can think of is that that card probably supports TV out, but its not hooked up.

If you have mad soldering skills and its a MXM card you would only need to solder like 3 or 4 wires for S-video.

I don't think any nvidia card has ever supported component output from the VGA port with an adapter, and I assume s-video as well.

It appears the graphics card in that may be integrated. The good news is I think you can try this.

http://www.lenovo.com/shop/americas/conten...allery/t-3l.jpg

If you can find the pinout on the dock, then you don't need to buy it.

[GustavoNP]

Hmmm, yes the dock station has the s-video but I suppose that has some conversor, what do you think?

A few days ago I found this link:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-58625.html

As you can see, the driver that they're using there shows some difference between "monitor out" and "tv out". That's why I thought a mod on the driver could solve the problem.

What do you mean by MXM card? I can find someone with good soldering skill, but I don't know what to do exactly to have this S-Video out.

[Bill]

If your graphics card was a module, and the TV out wasn't hooked into the laptop's motherboard, theoretically you could solder a S-video plug onto the graphics card's connector.

My laptop has a second graphics card that doesn't have any monitor connections attached to it. I would have to solder wires to it if I wanted to plug up a 3rd or 4th monitor.

The pins are so close together though I doubt I would ever get to do that though.

You have a docking connector though, so I bet if you can find the pin out of the connector, all you have to do is stick 3 or 4 wires into it and solder those onto an s-video plug.

If you can't get the pinout information of the docking connector from IBM I would return the laptop and not do business with them anymore.

If you find it, just post it and buy an extra svideo cable (you will chop one end off) and I can tell you which wires to hook where. No soldering required.

If your soldering capable friend is really good he could solder a wire into the docking connector's board trace internally and you wouldn't have to stick wires into the docking connector.