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Using Your TV as a Monitor?

Posted by Cliff on from the next-point-of-convergence dept.

bpm140 asks: "I'm interested in turning my spare PC into an MP3 server, but unless I can hook it up to my home theater system, it's not really worth the effort. My biggest requirement is that I can view the desktop on my TV. Right now I'm limited to S-video, but in the future I plan on upgrading to HDTV. What are my options for getting legible text on my current TV? Any specific video card I should look at?" Are there any HDTV units in the pipe that may make this easier than it is now with current TVs? I've seen televisions with VGA inputs, before, but for the life of me, I can't remember who makes them.

3 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. HD15 (PC VGA) to Component Video Converter by MonMotha · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Get yourself a converter to turn your VGA signal into a Component signal. Component video is a common method of analog interconnection between DVD players and other high resolution devices to HDTVs that utilizes three separate coax cables (usually with RCA connectors at each end).

    I can't seem to find any right now, but I know I've seen them before on pricewatch. Make sure your video card can output a mode compatible with HDTV (the converters I saw usually did 1024x768).

    A converter like this will allow you to run at significantly higher resolutions than your average S-Video cable can seem to provide.

    --MonMotha

  2. I've been doing this... by benjamindees · · Score: 2, Insightful

    for a while now. I have an ATI All-in-Wonder 128; and I don't notice any difference between S-video and regular RCA video. I'm using RCA right now and the text is readable (although somewhat annoying) at 640x480 resolution. Hope that helps.

    --
    "I assumed blithely that there were no elves out there in the darkness"
  3. Don't go for small fonts by AltaMannen · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Unless you have something like an HDTV already, you just won't get a decent picture.. And how much text do you need to display for a music station anyway? Set up your computer so that the fonts are easily readable on the TV instead of trying to make the pc picture look good on the TV... Any old TV card should do for that purpose.

    I wouldn't recommend playing PC games on a TV though (which might be tempting if you already have the PC hooked up) unless you have a much better TV card than me.