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        New Message Board Archives >> 2007 General Board Posts >> TV + PC tech question
        
(Message started by: UN solved on Sep 21^st, 2007, 2:21am)

Title: TV + PC tech question
Post by UN solved on Sep 21^st, 2007, 2:21am

I'm thinking of purchasing a rather larger, flat panet HD TV. I also want to be able to connect my laptop and view it on the large screen TV (music, videos, files and folders, surfing the net, etc. I want my TV to be an extra monitor.

I shouldn't have to have a TV tuner card on my PC, should I? I don't care about watching TV on my comp, I care about watching my comp play through my large TV.

What connections or TV system requirments should I need to hook up? My new laptop already had an 'extra monitor' plug in on the side and is (software) ready to handle the second monitor. Looks like a standard monitor plug in on the laptop. What does the TV need to hook into this ? Will Vista Premium work with these TV systems?

Any other advice appreciated ! :)

Thanks in advanced

UNsolved

Title: Re: TV + PC tech question
Post by Brewcrew on Sep 21^st, 2007, 11:13am

Mike - I think most of these newer flat screens have a USB interface, so I don't think you'll need the TV tuner card. I know ours does, but I've never tried it as a monitor.

Title: Re: TV + PC tech question
Post by Rosybabe on Sep 21^st, 2007, 12:06pm

Tyler (MvT) can help you with that. He builds computers :). Maybe he will come over later.

Title: Re: TV + PC tech question
Post by JenniferD on Sep 21^st, 2007, 1:06pm

this is from my son Harry:

Most new tvs have a VGA hookup, thats the standard monitor cable. Some will have DVI and if you want to hook to those, you need a VGA to DVI converter. That should be all you need.

It should work in vista. I know how to do it in XP, but Vista is crap.

Title: Re: TV + PC tech question
Post by Paul98 on Sep 21^st, 2007, 1:17pm

If your new TV has DVI hookup and have the cable you can just hook the video output on the laptop to the TV. Remember to set the puter display to external.

-P.

Title: Re: TV + PC tech question
Post by Kirk on Sep 21^st, 2007, 1:38pm

Most of your new TVs come with a DVI, S-Video, SVGA plug in. Or both.
Thats how last nite Chris,used a S-Video cable from her Vista laptop to the LCD Hi-Def TV to watch the movie 3:10 to Yuma. That she was streaming over the Wi-Fi connection from my Fedora 7 Linux computer at the other end of the house.
Just plug-n-play. [smiley=smokin.gif]

Title: Re: TV + PC tech question
Post by fubar on Sep 21^st, 2007, 2:53pm

The most critical thing to look at when you want to try doing this is native resolution on the tv. Even HD is less resolution that a typical computer monitor, so you'll have to see what that screen looks like in native mode (1280x720 is native HD). You may not like the way your applications look on such an unfamiliar layout. They can 'display' other resolutions, but the effect on fonts is terrible... see if you can get a look at it before you buy (hooked up to a computer, that is)

No modern sets don't have some kind of computer imput now, VGA is common, DVI, HDMI... just make sure you have something the same on both the computer and tv, or you'll need a special adapter (no big deal)

-Fu

Title: Re: TV + PC tech question
Post by UN solved on Sep 21^st, 2007, 4:25pm

I'm hoping for an easy connect, plug-n-play process. VGA sounds the easiest since my laptop already has a VGA jack on it.

As far as setting my comp to external display, I don't think I need to ?? Vista Premium has an option for an additional monitor. I should be able to use both as monitors at the same time, not just one or the other.

And as far as Vista being 'crap', that's some peoples opions. (Like a holes, everyone's got one) I do like Vista much better than XP (which I had for years). Vista is much more reliable for me. It looks much better. It's more user friendly. It has lots of options that XP doesn't have. Plus, I moved up to dual processors with more RAM !! ;) I like it ! You can keep your XP. Have fun with it ! [smiley=laugh.gif]

Thanks everyone. I have more questions to ask the salesman now. I can go in acting like I may know a little bit about it now. lol

PF Wishes
UNsolved