Laptop display ribbon cable > HDMI/DVI

[bradicus]

I've been looking for a bit now, and while I can find some limited info on using laptop displays in other applications, I can hardly find any info on using the laptop base in other applications that don't involve just swapping in another laptop display.

Here's what I'm working on:

I've got a Toshiba Satellite with a broken screen that would do nicely as a networked media PC.
I've got a solid coffee table that is begging for a tech embed.
I've got a 32" 1080P LCD TV that would work fantastic as a monitor.

The idea is to embed the broken laptop in the coffee table, so that I open a hatch and there's the keyboard/trackpad, with an HDMI/DVI connection running to the TV as a display. The laptop does have an extra VGA out, and my TV a VGA in, but once you go digital analog just loses all flavor, and I don't mind getting my hands dirty if it nets me a crisp, clean, digital signal.

So what I need is some information on turning the ribbon cable in a laptop that is supposed to go to the LCD into a HDMI/DVI plug that I can plug another monitor into.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[r_manic]

I don't entirely understand your dilemma: is the VGA-out port of the laptop non-functional? If not, why not just use a VGA-HDMI adapter?

 

[bradicus]

That's still just pushing an analog signal down a digital pipe. I've tested with my desktop, which has VGA, DVI, and HDMI, in 1080p, and there is a noticeable difference between the digital and analog signals at that level. At least, there is to me.