Using an old LCD monitor as a TV

[Yeargdribble]

My wife has an old 17" LCD monitor. We'd considered trying to run one of our Direct TV boxes into it via a RCA-VGA cable.

Now I've seen several cables of this sort on Amazon. I was planning to pick up one that had RGB-VGA and one that had S-Video/RCA-VGA. The reviews are universally negative with people saying they don't work to run their computers out to their TVs. I assume they are being ignorant and not only misusing the cable but ignoring software requirements.

That aside, is running a TV tuner to an LCD monitor via such a cable a doable thing? My monitors have HDMI inputs and I've easily connected things to them, but they have a switch between inputs. Hers only has a VGA port, but I assume the principle applies that I can run signal from a source to the monitor via these cables, yes?

 

[DarthTengil]

A LCD PC monitor is a TFT-LCD monitor, using a DVI cable from the graphic card into the monitor. A LCD/Plasma/LED HDTV uses HDMI cables from i.e. a Digital-TV box, BlueRay box and PS3 box which in most case having a HDMI (not DVI) outport. All modern PC graphic card whos using DVI ouports and have a TV-out port uses a round S-Video cable you connect into the TVs S-Video intake. The problem is that many LCD/Plasma/LED HDTVs may have a VGA port (that big one who you use to a old CRT PC monitor) but not a DVI port. Your wifes monitor with VGA port cant as I see it support your Digital box/TV Tuner if that one have a HDMI outtake. If you are looking for a cable with in one end having a HDMI port (from Digital box/TV Turner) and in the other a VGA port (to the PC monitor), I dont think it exist such a cable. Thus your monitor with (I suppose) both DVI and HDMI intakes/ports should be perfekt as a TV. Why not by a new LCD Full HDTV (1920x1080p) instead, and at least go for 25"? Would be much easyer I think.