getting something from a laptop to tv screen?

how do i go about getting something from my laptop on to a tv screen?

do i need software for it?
i want to stream multiple webcam feeds on to one screen is that possible?

any help is much appreciated.

to give a better idea i'm looking for the easiest/cheapest way tp get a poker match on the screen, having 4 cameras for the hands and one main camera for the playing area

The way i get my laptop screen on the TV is with a VGA cable connected from my laptop to the back of the tv. As VGA doesnt carry audio the audio will play thought the laptops speakers unless you get an audio cable an connect that to the tv an laptop.Not sure about how to do the rest of what you want though.

sound is not really an issue

BigChuck Wrote:sound is not really an issue

Wazo good advice
you need a cable "jack to rca"

It really all depends on the connectors on the TV as to what you need almost all laptops have an S-VIDEO out, the yellow one that looks a little like a PS2 mouse port. Here is a picture of one Almost all TVs in the last 15 years have the good old 'red white yellow' jacks . Cost about £5 - £25 depending on length etc.

4 webcams, hmmmm. Well such things are done in CCTV security systems, so I have had a look around. Multi-webcam software exists but I have no experience with it to advise on what to buy. Some vision mixing software could also do it but mixing is almost always done in hardware, of course now we are talking serious money, so I guess multi-webcam software of some description is the way to go.

SomeGeek Wrote:It really all depends on the connectors on the TV as to what you need almost all laptops have an S-VIDEO out, the yellow one that looks a little like a PS2 mouse port. Here is a picture of one Almost all TVs in the last 15 years have the good old 'red white yellow' jacks . Cost about £5 - £25 depending on length etc.

4 webcams, hmmmm. Well such things are done in CCTV security systems, so I have had a look around. Multi-webcam software exists but I have no experience with it to advise on what to buy. Some vision mixing software could also do it but mixing is almost always done in hardware, of course now we are talking serious money, so I guess multi-webcam software of some description is the way to go.

i've had a look, theres no s video output,

its got 3 usb ports, a hdmi port, an rj-45, an external monitor port, and an rj-11 jack.

can i use any of them?

i was planning on getting a usb thing that gives 4 extra slots for the other cams.

OK, well give us the make and model of the laptop and we can think again, there are adapters for HDMI to everything so you could be good to go there. Yeah, get a 4 port powered USB hub for the additional cams. **EDIT Actually a multi-port hub could be a problem because of the bandwidth requirements of the cams, it adds more ports but it is all going into one port on the laptop, this could get difficult.

its a compaq CQ60-100EM (its nothing special i know)

i could maybe get away with three cams, using the usbs, then use the HDMI port for the output, could that be done?

It really now depends on what inputs the TV accepts there are adapters for all sorts of combinations. I should of asked for TV make and model too .