Connecting your Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) game console to a laptop monitor will open up a whole new world of gaming and movie-watching experiences, and will allow you to play your PS3 on the go and experience PS3’s high-definition capabilities without having to purchase an expensive HDTV set. Once you have the right equipment, the process takes only a few minutes.
Things You'll Need:
- Laptop Tv Tuner (Internal Or External)
- Ps3 Av Cables
Inspect the connection ports on your laptop. These may take one of many forms: HDMI, DVI, VGA, component, S-Video, composite and RF are the most popular. Do not mistake a video out port for a TV input port. If your laptop does not have a TV input interface, you will need to buy a laptop TV input/TV tuner card and connect it to your laptop. These cards can be found for as little as $5.
Connect your PS3 AV cables to your laptop’s TV input interface. Make sure that your AV cables match the type of input interface on your laptop. DVI and VGA cables look similar, as do component and composite cables, so be particularly careful when dealing with these connection types. If you are not sure about your cables, check the packaging or documentation for your cables to determine what they are.
Start the TV tuner software that came with your laptop or external TV tuner card. Follow the software’s instructions for selecting the connection type that corresponds to your PS3 AV cables.
Start your PS3 by pressing and holding the "Power" button located on the front of the machine. You should hear two beeps, the second of which will occur after holding the power button for approximately five to six seconds.
Follow the instructions displayed on your laptop monitor to configure your video settings. The PS3 will automatically detect your connection type, as well as the resolutions your laptop monitor and PS3 are capable of displaying.
Tip
To take advantage of PS3’s HD capabilities, connect to a laptop monitor using HDMI, DVI, VGA or component cables. You must also have a laptop monitor capable of displaying HD resolutions. To use HDMI cables, you must have an HDCP-compliant laptop monitor. If you don’t like the default TV tuner software on your computer, several third-party software programs are freely available online.
Warnings:
- Connecting a laptop monitor to a PS3 will only allow you to play video on the laptop. You will need to take separate steps in order to also get audio to play on the laptop.
Writer Bio
Daag Alemayehu is a professional Web developer and a Georgia-licensed attorney. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from Georgia Tech and a Juris Doctor from the Washington University in St. Louis Law School. He has been blogging and writing on the Internet for sites such as eHow for eight years.
Related Articles
