My samsung monitor has vga and vdi ports but my new pc base unit (packard bell i1300) only has a vga port. Anything i can do about this?

Try connecting a standard PC monitor to the laptop via the VGA port. Do you still get the same problems on the external screen? If so, there is a motherboard fault relating to the Video output. If your laptop uses the NVidia chipset, this is probably the fault as some older laptops did suffer from this.
If you dont get the fault then its probably one of these:
1) Screen issue
2) The Screen cable that allows the video data to go from the motherboard to the screen

Hope this helps

Try lowering the resolution on TV and raising on PC. Your video card my not handle HD settings such as 1080 dpi or higher. Also use the best input available on your video card. It goes from VGA to DVI to HDMI.

Several styles of technology have been used, michealnorth;

1) VGA;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VGA_connector

2) DVI;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface

3) HDMI;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI

4) Mini Display-Port,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_DisplayPort

Let's say your computer has a DVI female connector on the back, but you have a VGA cable to your monitor. (With male VGA connector)
Use a VGA to DVI adapter,

http://www.directron.com/dvi.html

Other way around? DVI cable on monitor, but VGA port on back of computer?
Use a DVI to VGA adapter,

http://www.directron.com/dviadapter.html

[HD-15 is the proper name of a VGA connector ]

Same for HDMI, or Mini Display-Port.

On the back of your computer is the I/O area.
Input/Output area.
It has a rectangular thin metal shield around it, usually.
The I/O shield.

Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Audio {Sound} connectors, and USB ports, are in the I/O area.

There are horizontal slots at the back of the computer also.
These slots are used for expansion cards. A graphics/video card, is an expansion card.

If you have a graphics card in one of these horizontal slots, connect your monitor to it, and NOT to the I/O area.

Graphics comes from the graphics card now, and not from a VGA, or DVI port in the I/O area.

For additional questions please post in a Comment.
Regards,
joecoolvette

If you can see images faintly, or see the display perfectly well on an external monitor plugged into the laptops' vga port, then it is most likely a backlight/inverter failure. This can be replaced/repaired fairly easily.

If there is no light coming from your screen, but you can still see Windows displayed very faintly, then the backlight or inverter probably needs replacing! If you plug an external monitor into the VGA port & can see a normal picture, then it's usually a backlight/inverter problem.

This PC has a VGA and a DVI ports? Are both ports on the motherboard or a Video card? Or is the VGA onboard video and DVI is a Video card? You may have to disable the DVI port to get Video to vga or enable the vga port.

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/video/p56135/en/connect.htmhttp://support.dell.com/support/edocs/video/p56135/en/connect.htm
you Monitor uses the DVI-I Port this link will show you what it is. you will need a adapter that can connect to VGA port on your PC. unless your HP has a DVI port. You need a DVI-I to DVI-I connection to work if it has one
this link will explain the difference of the DVI ports...

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&taskId=120&prodSeriesId=51555&prodTypeId=329290&objectID=c01525281

the adapter you need is a DVI-I to vga ...

check the pins on both the pc and the adapter and monitor

if you want to set up a dual tv monitor system using via pc as a source you will need a VGA splitter usually 2 or more output. now how are you going to connect the 2 monitor and PC to the VGA splitter. first make sure your tv monitor is supported by service input for PC unit. then prepare the accessories needed. the VGA splitter and VGA cable. sample image for VGA splitter VGA cable or connector how are you going to hook up the splitter and VGA cable to the tv monitor and PC

• you need 3 vga connector and 1 splitter to connect a dual monitor system.
• connect one end of the vga connector to the pc unit and the other end to the input port of splitter.
• now the 2 remaining vga connector connect to the output of splitter either of the port, then the 2 end wire you must connect to the input port ( pc service port ) of the 2 tv monitor. make sure you set up the right input either with the remote or at the tv unit to recognized the pc source.
• you almost done the connections now at this point plug the tv monitors, plug the dc adapter supply of the vga splitter and lastly turn on the pc unit to view movies. i hope it will help you just ask me if you have further questions thanks for choosing the fixya.

There is not enough info here. Many things could be wrong. Are you actually plugging the VGA cable into the VGA port on the tv or computer? Does your tv even have a VGA input? Is your tbs input switched to the tv? Please contact me with questions.

If you cant get into the setup menu then I would think the monitor is defective,you did not state if you hooked up the monitor to a computer that has a vga port that works.