Uses for an Old Laptop Monitor

[XerdoPwerko]

Greetings.

I ask you here because I really wouldn't know where to start asking for any info on this.

See, I've got this old laptop that no longer sends signal to the monitor - but I know the monitor, 800x600, is in perfect shape. Is there a way to use this monitor for something else? Say, for example, building it a power source and an AV-In port?
(The monitor is from a Compaq Presario 1252 built in around 1998, 99. )

Because that would make an excellent little screen to take to work (and my PS2, among other things, fits in my briefcase).

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[Borman]

If it doesnt have a video in port, the monitor is useless. You would need to buy a special controller board to get it to work, which can cost upwards of 200 bucks.

[XerdoPwerko]

... damn...

Well, thanks anyway.

Um... It seems I somehow placed this in "general discussión" and not "off topic".
My bad. Very sorry.

Can someone help me about that?

[madhatter256]

Are you talking about the LCD screen on the laptop or a monitor you hook your laptop to?

[Taemos]

I think he's referring to the LCD screen on the laptop. As Borman said, unless it has inputs you may as well just toss it out.

[madhatter256]

You can take it apart and look for a flat ribbon cable that goes from the LCD to the motherboard in the laptop. That right there is the VGA cable. You can go further and hunt down manuals, etc. to figure out the pinout of the ribbon cable to see which one is RGB, etc. Then do some modding of your own and turn and make a VGA DB-15 port, and you have a decent LCD monitor. But this is going to require a lot of work.

Or you could send the laptop to a recycling center or me :D.

[Zilog Jones]

Do laptop monitors use normal analogue RGB to connect to the PC's video output, though? I always thought it was some sort of digital connection, especially since they never seem to go out of phase, or have any phase/pixel clock adjustment settings like desktop LCD monitors with analogue inputs do.

[Borman]

VGA is analog, DVI is digital i believe

[Zilog Jones]

Erm, yes, but what does that have to do with this? We're talking about a laptop here, with an internally connected monitor, probably with some magical proprietary connection.

[Calpis]

Yup, it's digital, AFAIK they all are.

[Zilog Jones]

I wonder if they use the same kind of signals as used with DVI connections then? According to the Wikipedia, DVI mostly uses Transition Minimized Differential Signaling, whatever that is...

[madhatter256]

Do laptop monitors use normal analogue RGB to connect to the PC's video output, though? I always thought it was some sort of digital connection, especially since they never seem to go out of phase, or have any phase/pixel clock adjustment settings like desktop LCD monitors with analogue inputs do.


Recent ones are digital but old ones, especially xerdo's will use analog connection to where he can split up and find out which one is Red, Green, Blue, etc. Even the PSOne LCD screen uses such outputs. What I'm trying to say is, look for RGB signals.

[Zilog Jones]

The PSone LCD screen uses analogue inputs because the console only outputs analogue RGB, s-video and composite video, and nothing else - it was primary designed for analogue TV sets, not like a laptop which is designed for one integrated digital display*. I'd assume they'd keep things digital when possible - even the original Game Boy's LCD screen used digital signals!

*Yes, I know they usually have VGA outputs too, but only that would have to go through a DAC.

[JTI2K]

I did this the last year. After talking with a lot of DIY guys i find a way to use a LCD latop monitor with my PC (or a console with a VGA box). It was a newer version though, so it may not work with your older laptop.

Here are the step I took:

Step1: buy a precision soldering tool, a lot of electrical tape, some gloves, a can of compressed air and soldering metal

Step2: try to figure out which of those fucking cables go with the original imput and the VGA one.

Step3: get a garbage bin, trow all that shit in there, piss on it and then set the crap on fire. Then, buy a monitor

[LeGIt]

... damn...

Well, thanks anyway.

Um... It seems I somehow placed this in "general discussión" and not "off topic".
My bad. Very sorry.

Can someone help me about that?

Moved ;)

[PhreQuencYViii]

I did this the last year. After talking with a lot of DIY guys i find a way to use a LCD latop monitor with my PC (or a console with a VGA box). It was a newer version though, so it may not work with your older laptop.

Here are the step I took:

Step1: buy a precision soldering tool, a lot of electrical tape, some gloves, a can of compressed air and soldering metal

Step2: try to figure out which of those fucking cables go with the original imput and the VGA one.

Step3: get a garbage bin, trow all that shit in there, piss on it and then set the crap on fire. Then, buy a monitor

Wait do I pee before I ingulf it in flames?

[Tachikoma]

If your piss is combustible, I would say you have problems!

[JTI2K]

Wait do I pee before I ingulf it in flames?

Unless you want your little friend burn to death, then yes.

Na, I think youll need some gasoline to set the shit in fire. Flamable piss? youll need a lot of whiskey to do that :smt082

[XerdoPwerko]

Moved ;)


Arigatou Gozaimashita.

The problem is that it's the cable that takes the data and electricity is the thing that made the monitor useless on the computer.

Anyway, I'll have to just keep my laptop cadaver in a box, get a new little portable monitor... and/or figure out how to piss gasoline.

I Thank everyone for the research, though.

[Taemos]

Arigatou Gozaimashita.

The problem is that it's the cable that takes the data and electricity is the thing that made the monitor useless on the computer.

Anyway, I'll have to just keep my laptop cadaver in a box, get a new little portable monitor... and/or figure out how to piss gasoline.

I Thank everyone for the research, though.

Small LCD monitors with inputs are dirt cheap (around $50ish), if you want to try one of those. I don't remember where I saw that particular monitor, though - someone posted it on Xbox Scene.

[Zilog Jones]

The problem is that it's the cable that takes the data and electricity is the thing that made the monitor useless on the computer.

Have you tried looking for a replacement cable? I expect those ribbons to be one of the most common things that break in laptops. If it's the type of ribbon cable I'm thinking of (those really flat ones) it's pretty much impossible to repair itself.

[XerdoPwerko]

Yup, it's the little flat one. Thing is, I looked for it all over Mexico for about a year and a half. No joy. So that's why I kept the computer in the closet from then on.

Mind you, I already had a new one ; the cadaver is a 433 Mhz K6 machine, with 160 MB Ram (Yup, I upgraded it when I still used it, and it was a fuckload of RAM back then), and a 6 GB hard drive.

And it works if you plug it to any SVGA or superior monitor, so that'll be its use: My dad's typewriter.

Not a bad retirement plan for the old Compaq. Still, the monitor is useless now... What a waste.