Connecting a PC to a HD LCD TV

junipaire

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Hi I'm going to buy a new PC I think and want the nVidia GeForce 8800 GTX card with it but I think I would maybe not now although I'd like to but to fix my new pc to a HD LCD TV, to surf and use my new machine more of a media player and to scrap my benq 19" monitor. Does anyone know if this is advisable and if tvs are any good as monitors. Which brand also ? I like the price of the Samsung LE32R87 or 88.

Would I need speacial cables, would the graphics card work to its full potential on a tv ?

Thanks
Phil
 
This question is becoming the most popular one on this forrum. Many pple are wishing to go down the road you are suggesting, myself included. I've been researching the idea for a long time now and av forums will just confuse and befuddle. There are too many experts talking about their favorite subjects but nobody seem to have the definitive answer.
As to you graphics card question, yes. If not the one you mention then the top end 8800GTX with two dual dvi out will certainly do. Make sure that it (graphic card) is HDCP compliant and all your cables and connectors are of the same hdmi version, also hdcp compliant. Make sure the LCD can display 1080p or 720p and has at least two or more hdmi connections. You could check out the newer mobos with hdmi out.
confusing aint it:devil:
 
Maybe bruci, because every hd tv is not the same as the next one? To connect pc via hd tv, all it takes is a vga cable, most will run at 1366 x 768, now text might be good on a certain monitor, rubbish on another, you might be better to go dvi>hdmi, there may be problems with ghosting etc etc.

Personally speaking my AOC N32W551T through vga is superb, text is crips and clear, and I can actually game on it, pro evo 6 runs great, no blurring, ghosting. However it is a known issue with this panel that it defaults to 1280x768, I leave it at that as already, text, gaming, film is great. You may run into some problems with games and in-game resolution settings
 
absolutely vandiesil, but I thought the question was can an LCd be used as a monitor in addition to playing games and viewing Hd content either thru disc, internet, or OTA, In that case I would go for the ultimate resolution thru progressive scan which is 1080p. If the Lcd screen display is capable of handling high definition then I would use a graphics card that pushed it out. You say ur using a vga connect to your display, what graphics card are u using? do you think that u may see improvement if you had a hdmi/dvi connect?

Just wondering:confused:
 
I have been using a LCD TV as a monitor for 18months, first with a Sharpe LC32AG5E at 1366 x 768 over VGA and now with a Samsung 46" M87 at 1920 x 1080 with DVI (have used VGA but DVI is slightly crisper).

I also use it as my TV, with a freeview card in HTPC, play divx/xvid, downloaded 1080i MPEG/TS and HD-dvds and BluRay all with on board Nvidia 6150 graphics!

Although the HD-dvds and BluRay did need an upgrade to a AMD X2 4600+ to do the processing but the new geenration Nivida cards (8500/8600) off load the HD processing from the CPU so you power requiremens can be lower.

You do not need a HDCP compliant card if you use VGA but do need it with DVI/HDMI. If you use Any DVD-HD you do not need it for anything!!

PowerDVD Ultra 7.3 is the software to play HD-dvds, BluRay and backed up copies of these from your hard disk.
 
:clap:Hooray JayMZ. so ur all connected up via dvi/hdmi from your HTPC to a whopping big 1080p LCD. Is your desktop clear? (r u using XP? or vista or linux) you say you view TV with a freeview card.. what card is that then? (sorry, just took a peek at your sig. argh!)

as for HDCP it might not be flagged yet but come some time soon it will be. Also the new ver HDMI will carry much more data then the present ver. and for future proofing I'd reckon to get what can handle it.

You say "If you use Any DVD-HD you do not need it for anything!!" what precisely do you mean? only asking from my own ignorance:eek: Can you watch tv say in one window and browse the internet in another on the same LCD at the same time? because thats what I'm looking to do if possible..

Its just that this HDCp thingy is buggin me, as the general buzz seems that if the HDCP is not handshaked all through the system then the HD will only display at a lower res.

:suicide:
 
:clap:Hooray JayMZ. so ur all connected up via dvi/hdmi from your HTPC to a whopping big 1080p LCD. Is your desktop clear? (r u using XP? or vista or linux) you say you view TV with a freeview card.. what card is that then? (sorry, just took a peek at your sig. argh!)

as for HDCP it might not be flagged yet but come some time soon it will be. Also the new ver HDMI will carry much more data then the present ver. and for future proofing I'd reckon to get what can handle it.

You say "If you use Any DVD-HD you do not need it for anything!!" what precisely do you mean? only asking from my own ignorance:eek: Can you watch tv say in one window and browse the internet in another on the same LCD at the same time? because thats what I'm looking to do if possible..

Its just that this HDCp thingy is buggin me, as the general buzz seems that if the HDCP is not handshaked all through the system then the HD will only display at a lower res.

:suicide:

Yes desktop is very clear 1:1 pixel map (with XP MCE) and if i want to surf the Internet and watch TV you can just size the windows to suit. You can not watch the LCD TV at the same time as having it connected to your PC. I can only do both as i have TV card in my PC.

AFAIK the ony real need for HDMI v1.3 is to send the new HD audio formats e.g. TruHD but this is not needed if you use 6 x analogue connections - which i am in the process of sorting out.

HDCP is only used is you have a digital data chain, however WinDVD v8 (Japanese) does down scale the image to 1920 x 540 but that a software limitation and NOT HDCP. Therefore if you are connected via VGA, HDCP is not needed. My Samsung confirms that the image is 1920 x 1080 with PowerDVD 7.3 Ultra.

If you install AnyDVD-HD ALL AACS encryption (this system that enforces HDCP) is removed and you can back up your encrypted disk to your hard disk and the AACS encryption is removed.

I have had my 360 Xbox HD-dvd since Xmas '06 and watched the developments on Doom9 by Muslix64 with interest.
 
Yes desktop is very clear 1:1 pixel map (with XP MCE) and if i want to surf the Internet and watch TV you can just size the windows to suit. You can not watch the LCD TV at the same time as having it connected to your PC. I can only do both as i have TV card in my PC.

AFAIK the ony real need for HDMI v1.3 is to send the new HD audio formats e.g. TruHD but this is not needed if you use 6 x analogue connections - which i am in the process of sorting out.

HDCP is only used is you have a digital data chain, however WinDVD v8 (Japanese) does down scale the image to 1920 x 540 but that a software limitation and NOT HDCP. Therefore if you are connected via VGA, HDCP is not needed. My Samsung confirms that the image is 1920 x 1080 with PowerDVD 7.3 Ultra.

If you install AnyDVD-HD ALL AACS encryption (this system that enforces HDCP) is removed and you can back up your encrypted disk to your hard disk and the AACS encryption is removed.

I have had my 360 Xbox HD-dvd since Xmas '06 and watched the developments on Doom9 by Muslix64 with interest.

Hi, just wired my 360 drive through my pc, running the movies from my hard drive, I am delighted so far with the results, but now I would like to take advantage of HD audio, my ageing Yamaha DSPA1 has the 5.1 analogue inputs, is there any pointers on which cables I would need to get the HD sound from my sound card to my amp.
 
I have just plugged in my desktop to my 32" Samsung with a standard VGA cable and a pretty standard video card (couple of years old) and it looks superb, make sure you have the desktop resolution quite low before you first plug it in as I had it set to 1200x800 or thereabouts and the screen wouldnt recognize it.

I'm not too sure how to get the sound to work though can anyone help? Have tried plugging the audio cables in here and there but no joy, am I missing something obvious?
 
I have just plugged in my desktop to my 32" Samsung with a standard VGA cable and a pretty standard video card (couple of years old) and it looks superb, make sure you have the desktop resolution quite low before you first plug it in as I had it set to 1200x800 or thereabouts and the screen wouldnt recognize it.

I'm not too sure how to get the sound to work though can anyone help? Have tried plugging the audio cables in here and there but no joy, am I missing something obvious?
if you look next to the VGA on the Samsung there is a 3.5 input Jack, you will need a cable that has a 3.5 jack from the sound card, if it has RCA(phono) connections on the end you will need an adaptor.

Curly
 
Excellent thanks, sure I have a cable for that buried somewhere
 
Hi, just wired my 360 drive through my pc, running the movies from my hard drive, I am delighted so far with the results, but now I would like to take advantage of HD audio, my ageing Yamaha DSPA1 has the 5.1 analogue inputs, is there any pointers on which cables I would need to get the HD sound from my sound card to my amp.


You just need 3 x 3.5 mm to 2 RCA cables.
 
You just need 3 x 3.5 mm to 2 RCA cables.

Hi, can you tell me if the cable below, is the correct type that I would need, also how would I connect the 3 cables from my sound card to my amp :smashin:
 

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Hi, can you tell me if the cable below, is the correct type that I would need, also how would I connect the 3 cables from my sound card to my amp :smashin:

Cables are correct ones. As part of your sound cards configuration software there should be an option to set as follows;

R + L fronts
R + L surround
centre + sub

Plug the 3.5 mm jack into the appropriate coloured connector and 2 x RCA to correct ones labled on your amp.
 
Cables are correct ones. As part of your sound cards configuration software there should be an option to set as follows;

R + L fronts
R + L surround
centre + sub

Plug the 3.5 mm jack into the appropriate coloured connector and 2 x RCA to correct ones labled on your amp.

Thanx, I will give it a go:smashin:
 
Hope someone can help.

My brother in law has a Samsung LE40M87 that he's connected his PC to via VGA, but we can't get it to go up to 1920 x 1080.

Most of the other resolutions work, but when we try 1920 x 1080 the TV says "Auto Adjusting" then goes into standby.

I work in IT and am computer and gadget literate, but struggling to figure this one out. I've tried connecting 2 different PC's using 2 different VGA cables to eliminate the gfx card and the cable as the source of the problem.

The TV does seem to have older firmware v1000. Could this be the problem?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks,

NiVZ
 
@NiVZ: Even though the tv is 1080 does it do this over the VGA connection...perhaps you need to use the HDMI input to get the resolution you require, probably best to use DVI - HDMI to get the best results anyway.

Curly
 
The TV does seem to have older firmware v1000. Could this be the problem?

NiVZ

You are right - I have the same TV and same problem, it should take 1080 over VGA but the early ones don't.

Have a look in the LCD forum there is a long thread there with the details - some people have had their TVs updated, I just use HDMI
 
I have the 46" version of the TV and it does take 1920 x 1080 with VGA (1003 firmware). The only problem i had was with a VGA cable that had pin 9 missimg.

I found out that pin 9 is used for the ground on the VESA control to transmitt/recieve EDID data (what resolution the TV can accept). As soon as i replaced the cable with a fully wired one all was OK.
 
Thanks for the replies.

@Curly99 - The manual says it supports 1920x1080 @60Hz via VGA and others have posted saying it works. The PC only has VGA out - no DVI port :(

I had wondered about upgrading firmware and using a fully wired VGA cable. How can I tell if my VGA cables are fully wired?

Although I did find something else interesting. If I use my works laptop which has an ATI graphics card and I enable the Composite Sync option it works at 1920x1080. Unfortunately this doesn't help as his PC has an Intel graphics card which doesn't have that optoin.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

NiVZ
 
Thanks for the replies.

I had wondered about upgrading firmware and using a fully wired VGA cable. How can I tell if my VGA cables are fully wired?

Although I did find something else interesting. If I use my works laptop which has an ATI graphics card and I enable the Composite Sync option it works at 1920x1080. Unfortunately this doesn't help as his PC has an Intel graphics card which doesn't have that optoin.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

NiVZ

A fully wired VGA cables has 3 rows of 5 pins. If pin 9 is missing you will have 2 rows of 5 and 1 row of 4 pins.
 
Thanks. I've got a fully wired cable which I'll try tonight. If that doesn't work I'll get him to phone for a firmware update and failing that he'll just have to splash the cash and upgrade his graphics card :)

Thanks,

NiVZ
 
Well we tried the fully wired cable, but it's still the same. We see the picture exactly as it should be for a few seconds and then the TV goes into standby.

Contacted Samsung who are going to come out to upgrade the firmware. Hopefully that will sort things out.

Thanks,

NiVZ
 

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