I'm connecting my HP nx9010 laptop to my Samsung tv via an S-video to RCA cable. The problem I'm having is that movies tend to show in media player on the laptop but on the tv, while the media player window is visible, the movie isn't shown. It works if I use "Media Player Classic" but then the volume is usually too low. I find that in Media Player 9, sometimes the movie will be shown on the laptop if I turn the video acceleration (within Media Player 9) down to the minimum level. Problem is that then alt-enter doesn't work.
What kind of video card is in the laptop. Try and update the drivers. Then right-click on desktop, properties, settings, advanced and there should be some options in there about Video Mirror and Video Overlay.
Leave the accelaration all the way to the right, unless your getting playback issues. I know with my ATI 9600 that when displaying via the TV if you are cloning the display you need to make sure that the TV is set as a primary display or you wont get any playback via media player. What card you running?
I just had a look on my laptop which has a ATI card in it. So if you using a ATI card it would be Display settings --> advanced --> displays. At the bottom there are two blue buttons one with a dot on it and one with two rectangles on it. Click the one with the dot to set it to primary.
i have this same problem with a thinkpad t40 with a mobility radeon 7500 card in it, couldn't get windows media player to play on the tv output. will try it this evening and see if it works... cheers peeps!