using a hdtv as a monitor

[stewartlittle85]

hi there, i was just wondering if anybody could help me out with this question i have been asking around? Can i connect my PC to my TV and use it as a monitor? i have a geforce 4 4200 and it has a dvi out on it and i recently purchased a sony kv 32hv600 tv and it has a dvi in. now this is sonys official answer to my question.

"Joel Stewart,

Thank you for contacting SONY Online Support.

The SONY KV-32HV600 Television offers the Digital Visual Interface
(DVI) feature which can accommodate a copy-protected digital connection
(HDCP*) to other devices (such as digital set-top boxes) that have
compatible interfaces. The DVI HDTV input terminal is compliant with the
EIA-861 standard and is not intended for use with personal computers.

*High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection.

SONY TV'S are not designed to be used as PC monitors. A TV'S
resolution is set between 800*600 to 640*480. Standard video output
aspect ratio of a TV is 4:3. 16:9 is the industry standard aspect ratio
for digital video output.

When video is output from a PC, or ANY digital source, to a
standard, non-digital TV, viewed at a resolution of 800x600, there will
be black bands at the top and bottom of the display. When viewed at a
resolution of 640x480 the TV screen will be too small to allow the
entire display to be viewed.

Since the hardware and software in the PC systems is designed
primarily for Digital video input and output, the only way to have
completely viewable video output to a standard TV at 640x480 resolution
would be to replace the digital video card in the PC system with an
analog video output card or to convert the digital video output signal
to analog.

This would correct any Bands, however this would not solve any
resolution issues. A card that is designed for TV to a PC hook-up for
laptops and computer aided presentations would be the only solution.
Sony does not manufacture such a card. Please visit your local computer
store or contact the manufacture of your PC for product information.

Thank you for the opportunity to be of assistance"

sorry i know that is kind of long but can anybody give me any help with my delima. thanks for the help.

 

[phsstpok]

Supposedly ATI video cards can do HDTV resolutions, at least the 480p, 720p, and 1024i resolutions. However, you need a special adapter (available from ATI). There's both DVI and SVGA versions but this is for the PC side. On the TV side the connection is component video not DVI.

<b>99% is great, unless you are talking about system stability</b>

 

[Crashman]

I was looking at an HDTV a year ago that had a 15-pin VGA connection capable of displaying 1024x768 resolution. Of course you would need a card that allows you to set the screensize in the driver (My ATI cards do this).

So far as I'm reading, they don't say anything will be wrong with it, except for getting the right picture size to display. As such, you should easily be able to use an ATI video card and make the adjustments in the driver as necessary, because ATI provides many display modes. But this WILL require some fussing around with resolution and advanced display settings, so I can see where Sony would just advise against it (typical consumers don't know how to do these things).

BTW, DVI? Weird.

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[phsstpok]

That's cool. I would think if the HDTV you spoke of has a VGA connection then it should provide the plug 'n play information for determining valid resolutions but maybe that's too logical.

I know the ATI HDTV dongle has these silly jumpers for reporting one HDTV resolution at a time (but it can be overriden in the display drivers).

Now that I think about it Powerstrip can do custom resolutions. I know I've seen HDTV resolutions with my Radeon 8500 but I wonder if the options are available for a
a nVidia card.

As for DVI, there once was talk of standardizing with DVI, even for CRTs. That was a couple of years ago. I haven't heard anything of this since.

<b>99% is great, unless you are talking about system stability</b>

 

[Crashman]

I'm also seeing most DFP TV's comming with 15-pin VGA inputs, and they say "TV-Monitor". Hmm. These are in the electronics departments of department stores, with the rest of the TV's.

One thing I've noticed is that TV's with RGB inputs don't have a sync input, perhaps this is because they all run the same refresh rate?

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[phsstpok]

Sorry, I'm a little confused. I always thought RGB generally synchronizes on green.

I think it's high time that TV's have rudimentary monitor capability. I also think monitors should have support for S-Video. It's time for some flexibility.

Both monitors and TVs are getting less and less expensive but they are also getting larger and larger. Who has room for multiple video displays?

I wonder if plasma technology will ever become cheap? Now that would be nice.

<b>99% is great, unless you are talking about system stability</b>

 

[Crashman]

Hmm, yes, sync on green, I remeber that one. I also remember all my VGA to RGB cables comming with a VSync output.

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[phsstpok]

That's right. VGA has a separate Sync signal. Much easier to keep it separate with RGB.

Hmmm, now I remember. BNC monitors always had a separate sync as well. I completely forgot this earlier.


<b>99% is great, unless you are talking about system stability</b>

 

[buzzyboy]

You have to use the component video inputs on your HDTV. The ATI 9700 All In Wonder card has component video out. As I know it, no Nvidia cards have component out, thus the current problem with the Windows Media Pcs..no component out because they are using Nvidia cards.

 

[Mavicator]

You can also use a VGA to Component adapter. I'm hooking one up this week to a 36" Sony XBR CRT TV.

-- Ah sh*t! sys64738 --

 

[tkok2]

I would stick with the s-video out if you don't have a 16:9 HDTV. This would end up filling a 4:3 screen at 640x480, 800x600 and 1024x768 without scrolling the desktop. The quality of the picture won't be great though.
I used the DVI to component adapter from ATI and connected it to my 9700 Pro's DVI out to my HDTV component in. The picture quality is much better but there are only (if i remember correctly) 3 resolutions to choose from. Two of which are kinda low for a 50" screen and the highest being too much for the video card. The highest res was equivalent to 1080i, I forget the actual resolution but it was 1740somethingx1000. Current games ran kinda slow at that resolution and it was neat to see PC games on a big screen but I shortly moved my PC back where it belongs. Also, the game you are playing needs to be able to run at one of those resolutions...I ran into problems playing BF1942 being forced to use one of the lower resolutions because it skips a few in video options.

 

[COMPUAV]

What is happening if you, let's say, play WarCraftIII and set the in-game resolution to 1600x1200 and you use your 50" HDTV as the monitor, which is connected with your PC tower by component cable? Does your HDTV actually display the same as what you see on the screen of a monitor or the in-game resolutions won't work and you have to go with one of the three resolution settings of the HDTV?

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by COMPUAV on 01/14/03 10:00 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Crashman]

Oh, ATI drivers have a TV mode! Yes, they have a special resolution for televisions, I've used it before, I think it's something like 878x762 or something, can't remember exactly, but it works, you should have no problems with that settup. And it should provide a better picture than with the S-Video to RGB input.

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[tkok2]

It will work at 1600x1200, the problem is that it will display an image too big for my HDTV (16:9) or not the right dimensions. It will fill the whole screen but you will not be able to see some of the image at the bottom and right sides. I'll post the 3 resolutions I was talking about after I mess with it tonight.

 

[svenborg]

I have a 50" Toshiba HDTV and I really want to set up a pc to use on this system. My problem is finding any kind of info on what I can expect to have in picture quality both from DVD ROM and while using it as a monitor while surfing the net. I intend to use either a ATI 7500 or 8500 DV with the component dongle. Are we in the twilight zone here or is this just that obscure a concept that no one...not even so called store experts can help with this. I have been all over this town I live in and get only vacant stares from anyone I talk to about this. I sure hope that you...or anyone can shed some more light on this....or at least point me in the direction of any other forums or web pages that have more info on this.

 

[tkok2]

I'm assuming you mean this as the "component dongle"? http://www.ati.com/shopati/promotions/hdtv.html
The picture quality was much better than the s-video out. I noticed some flicker at the edges of windows at the highest resolution of 1774x1000 (this is the resolution used equivalent to 1080i according to ATI's display tab on the control panel) other than that, text was somewhat readable without changing the size of the font. DVDs looked nice (no lines) at that res but I would still stick to a real DVD player. Colors looked pixelated or just didn't seem right. If you are looking for a better picture or to take advantage of HDTV's higher resolutions then wait for HDDVD players, otherwise just settle for progressive scan
Picture quality could be different with a Toshiba HDTV though, let me know what you get.

 

[svenborg]

Thanks for the reply. Yes I did mean the ati component out adapter...it kinda looks dongleish...8). Well that is interesting....now im kinda unsure if i will proceed..as I do not want to spend cashola on a system that may be less in quality on the dvd playback. Progressive scan DVD players are dropping in price every day....and will cost no where near what it will take to build this system....but I like the idea of being able to use the TV for more than just watching moives....and hockey games...hehe. Well thanks again....and if I forge ahead with this....I will post all the things that I find out about settings, picture quality etc. Now... I just need to find a sponser...=).