How can I use a salvaged LCD screen to make a second monitor for my laptop?

Q. The motherboard on my old laptop crashed a few years back and I have recently salvaged the old LCD monitor from the assembly. I was wondering if there was a relatively cheap way to add a power source and monitor cable to attach it back to my current machine. Again, the old motherboard is shot so I can't really use it to create the new monitor system. Any help would be great!

Cheers.

A. There is a way to hack a laptop so its screen is used as an extra monitor. Not for the unskilled in wiring. http://www.slashgear.com/hack-your-laptop-to-make-an-extra-monitor-for-your-desktop-275957/
But the motherboard needs to operate, as it has the GPU chipset and interface chipset to run the screen. Not for you. A screen by itself has no electronics to decode the VGA signal into a display format. You have to have a lot of electronics. You can buy up to 23 inch LCD screens new for under $110 on sale at some places. Seems like a lot less trouble.

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What do I need to hook up an LCD monitor to my computer and to my VCR and to my DVD player?

Q. I want to buy my boyfriend and awesome monitor that he can use to watch movies and for work. Is this possible? Please give me a step by step process. I'm not high-tech and need all the coaching I can get.

A. VCRs and DVDs players output a video signal that is different from the video display output of a computer. If you want to use a LCD monitor with a computer and a DVD player, it's easier to just connect a DVD drive to the computer so the computer can also play DVDs. If you also want to hook up a VCR, you could get a video capture card for the computer that will digitize the video signal from the VCR and allow it to be played on the computer using the LCD monitor. It's usually possible to find a basic video capture card (either PCI or USB interface) on sale for $10-30.

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