VGA to S-Video/composite video cables are scams that don't work, and they're eveywhere

 

[caption id="attachment_8" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="VGA to S-Video and composite video (and RCA stereo audio??!?!) cable. It uses magic to work."][/caption]

While it's less of an issue now that new TVs can generally accept VGA input, getting a computer's video onto a TV wasn't always easy.  While some video cards (both on desktops and more commonly on higher end notebooks) did have composite or S-Video output to use with a TV (in addition to the standard VGA for monitors), most didn't.  To get from VGA to composite video or S-Video, you need a scan converter to convert the scan frequency to PAL (for Europe, Australia, etc.) or NTSC (for North America, Japan, etc.) video for a TV.

Scan converters used to be a lot more obscure and more expensive.  The most well-known is/was probably the AVerKey line from AVerMedia, which is designed for presentations.   Nowadays they run for around $100 new, the same price as the GrandTec branded scan converter available at Radio Shack (which also converts to component video).  You can actually get pretty decent no-name scan converters for around $20-$30 from a variety of places online.  Generally, they all appear to be the same modeling, sometimes with different branding and/or coloring.  A dark greyish blue one appears to be the most common, like this one at Amazon which you can get for around $20 shipped depending on the seller and if you have Amazon Prime.  I have one and it does a decent enough job.

But most people don't know that.



They'll search for "PC to TV" and go with the cheapest thing that comes up, which is almost always a VGA to composite and/or S-Video cable.   Now, after reading the rest, clearly this doesn't work.  You're mostly right.  Some video cards in the past were built to pass along a composite signal over the VGA output for use with such cables, but they haven't been around in at least a decade, were obscure when they were around (I've seen mentions of a Matrox cards that could do it).  Yet they're still all over the place in massive quantities, even at usually reliable and awesome sites like Monoprice.  Sometimes, (like in the case of the cable pictured that I saw on Buy.com), they'll even throw in some RCA stereo audio, which is just beyond impossible.  Monoprice, usually being the good guys, do at least use their product description as a massive disclaimer explaining that this is a VERY niche item in spite of how widely available it is:

IMPORTANT, Please READ!   Before Buying.

This item is a VGA VIDEO Card to S. Video or Composite TV  Adapter Cable.

Use it to connect the video card on your computer to a TV input. Your  video card MUST be able to support s-Video or Composite out through it's VGA port. This is known as a TV out function. If you don't know if your video card can do this, then call the card manufacturer and ask them "Does my video card support S-Video or Composite Video out through its VGA port?"  If it does, then buy this adapter. If not, then use Product # 4724 http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?keyword=4724

Connector: VGA(HD15) Male to S-Video Female and RCA(Composite) Jack
Cable: UL 2919 Coaxial Low Voltage Cable 

It will work with VGA cards that have TV-Out function capability through the VGA connector.
Check your Video Card manual or manufacturer to make sure that your VGA card has TV-Out function capability.

IMPORTANT:

• THIS ADAPTER WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT CONVERT AN S-VIDEO OR COMPOSITE VIDEO SIGNAL TO VGA.  IT WILL NOT WORK BACKWARDS.


• YOU CAN NOT USE IT TO DRIVE A VGA COMPUTER MONITOR WITH A CONSUMER ELECTRONICS DEVICE SUCH AS A DVD PLAYER OR VCR.


• IT IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH NETBOOKS OR ANY CURRENT GRAPHIC CHIPSET.

Amazing, isn't it?  This cable is, in reality, a niche item, one that "IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH NETBOOKS OR ANY CURRENT GRAPHIC CHIPSET."  Monoprice even tells you that you'll probably need a scan converter instead of this useless thing that manufacturers are pouring out for the sole purpose of scamming people.  Yet they sell it, as do many other cable vendors online, many of which don't provide disclaimers.  Kids, don't but these unless you happen to have the few obscure old video cards that they work with.