I'm not entirely sure if this is the place to post this, but im having trouble connecting my DELL laptop (running the latest version of Ubuntu)to a SHARP HD TV, via. HDMI cable. Is it possible to do this?

You really need to give us more info if you want to get constructive help.
Please tell us:
1. What are the hardware specs of the laptop? Specifically, what graphics card does the laptop have?
2. I assume you are connecting the laptop to the TV from a hdmi output on the laptop to a hdmi input on the TV with a hdmi cable. Is that correct?
3. What specifically is the trouble you are having?

Do you get any picture on the TV at all? If not, then what exactly happens?
Do the screen on the laptop work normally when you boot Ubuntu without hooking it up to the TV?

Please try to provide as much detail as you can.

And welcome to the LQ forums!

[QUOTE=tommcd;4813636]

2. I assume you are connecting the laptop to the TV from a hdmi output on the laptop to a hdmi input on the TV with a hdmi cable. Is that correct?

Correct indeed, also, I can't figure out how to veiw my hardware specs(such as graphical cards and ram). Any tips here?

Run this command in the terminal and post the output of it here:
The lspci command will list all pci devices (i.e., your hardware) and the -k option will list the kernel modules in use for each piece of hardware.
The part of the output that specicically pertains to your graphics card will start with VGA compatible controller or something similar. For example, on my system When I run lspci -k I see this near the end:
As you can see there, I have a nvidia GForce 8400GS graphics card, and the Kernel driver in use: nvidia line tells me that I am using the nvidia proprietary driver.

Also, do you get any picture on the TV when you hook it up to the laptop via the hdmi cable? What exactly happens here?
I have no experience with hooking a laptop up to a TV via hdmi, but if you can provide the info I have asked here, perhaps someone who has done this will be able to guide you.

davidpike@ubuntu:~$ lspci -k
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor DRAM Controller (rev 18)
Subsystem: Dell Device 0447
Kernel driver in use: agpgart-intel
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 18)
Subsystem: Dell Device 0447
Kernel driver in use: i915
Kernel modules: i915
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset HECI Controller (rev 06)
Subsystem: Dell Device 0447
Kernel driver in use: mei
Kernel modules: mei
00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller (rev 06)
Subsystem: Dell Device 0447
Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset High Definition Audio (rev 06)
Subsystem: Dell Device 0447
Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
Kernel modules: snd-hda-intel
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev 06)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 2 (rev 06)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 3 (rev 06)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 5 (rev 06)
Kernel driver in use: pcieport
Kernel modules: shpchp
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller (rev 06)
Subsystem: Dell Device 0447
Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev a6)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 5 Series Chipset LPC Interface Controller (rev 06)
Subsystem: Dell Device 0447
Kernel modules: iTCO_wdt
00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 6 port SATA AHCI Controller (rev 06)
Subsystem: Dell Device 0447
Kernel driver in use: ahci
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset SMBus Controller (rev 06)
Subsystem: Dell Device 0447
Kernel modules: i2c-i801
00:1f.6 Signal processing controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset Thermal Subsystem (rev 06)
Subsystem: Dell Device 0447
Kernel driver in use: intel ips
Kernel modules: intel_ips
12:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4313 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN Controller (rev 01)
Subsystem: Dell Inspiron M5010 / XPS 8300
Kernel driver in use: brcmsmac
Kernel modules: bcma, brcmsmac
13:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller (rev 02)
Subsystem: Dell Device 0447
Kernel driver in use: r8169
Kernel modules: r8169
ff:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor QuickPath Architecture Generic Non-core Registers (rev 05)
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device 8086
ff:00.1 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor QuickPath Architecture System Address Decoder (rev 05)
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device 8086
ff:02.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor QPI Link 0 (rev 05)
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device 8086
ff:02.1 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor QPI Physical 0 (rev 05)
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device 8086
ff:02.2 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor Reserved (rev 05)
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device 8086
ff:02.3 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor Reserved (rev 05)
Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device 8086

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The TV doesn't change at all, whereas my laptop seems to freeze for a second or so... then black for the flash of a second, then back to normal. There's no sound transfer either.