Monitors vs. TVs

Your computer probably has a "VGA monitor" that looks a lot like a TV but is smaller, has a lot more pixels and has a much crisper display. The CRT and electronics in a monitor are much more precise than is required in a TV; a computer monitor needs higher resolutions. In addition, the plug on a VGA monitor is not accepting a composite signal -- a VGA plug separates out all of the signals so they can be interpreted by the monitor more precisely. Here's a typical VGA pinout:
  • pin 1 - Red video
  • pin 2 - Green video
  • pin 3 - Blue video
  • pin 4 - Ground
  • pin 5 - Self test
  • pin 6 - Red ground
  • pin 7 - Green ground
  • pin 8 - Blue ground
  • pin 9 - No pin
  • pin 10 - Digital ground
  • pin 11 - Reserved
  • pin 12 - Reserved
  • pin 13 - Horizontal sync
  • pin 14 - Vertical sync
  • pin 15 - Reserved
This table makes the point that the signals for the three beams as well as both horizontal and vertical sync signals are all transmitted separately. See How Computer Monitors Work for details.

For more information on television, display types and related topics, check out the links on the next page.