Watching pc on your TV?

[mikehende]

What's the simplest thing you need to watch whatever's on your pc screen on your TV? I am being told that you could use a Tuner card or converter box but also someone told me I could use a simple cable like this one, is this true?

http://cgi.ebay.com/6FT-S-VideoSVHS-3-5mm-Audio-Video-PC-TO-TV-3-RCA-Cable_W0QQitemZ30...QQcmdZViewItem

[kschang]

Only if your video card has an S-VIDEO out port.

Tuner card is for the other way around.

[BJ_M]

you can do it with any 40$ (and up) video card that has a component or svideo out --

but dont expect it to look as good as on your pc ....

[yoda313]

but dont expect it to look as good as on your pc ....

Of course there are video cards with dvi outputs. You could hook those up if you have a newer hdtv with a dvi in. Then it would look very good once you calibrate it properly.

[edDV]

What's the simplest thing you need to watch whatever's on your pc screen on your TV? I am being told that you could use a Tuner card or converter box but also someone told me I could use a simple cable like this one, is this true?

http://cgi.ebay.com/6FT-S-VideoSVHS-3-5mm-Audio-Video-PC-TO-TV-3-RCA-Cable_W0QQitemZ30...QQcmdZViewItem

More info needed:

What is your display card and what is your TV? Model numbers please.

Don't expect it to look very good unless it's a HDTV and even then it depends.

[mikehende]

I didn't get a display card [yet] simply because I needed to know what's the cheapest good one I can get for this purpose as I will not be watching my pc on the tv regularly, only once in a while. As far as I understand now, I will need a card with an S-Video Output and also the proper cable to connect from the s-video out to the TV's RCA Input.

So can you guys recommend a cheap good card for this purpose? BTW, I have a Toshiba Flat Screen TV with built-in VHS and DVD.

[bendixG15]

FYI...
Here's the performance I got on a 27" CRT TV
with S video connection to a decent ATI video card.

When windows boots up, unable to easily read the Icons.
Text was very poor.

Try it yourself.......Good Luck

[mikehende]

Sorry I did not mention my purpose for wanting to watch the pc on the tv, this is only for video, my wife rents online movies and can only watch them on the pc for a limited time, it's difficult for us all to watch a movie on the pc so this is why I am thinking of tansferring the signal to the tv where it will be much more comfortable for all of us to watch the movies together on the tv, will this work?

[Bjs]

Problem is s-video cable's are not long ... kept short to prevent specific lose's .

I have an s-video to rca cable (came with card) ... then 20ft duel rca cable , connected to vcr in next room .
You also need 1 x stereo head phone jack to rca conversion cable (plug into line out on pc) ... and an rca double adapter (2 rca connection's on each end) .

You also need a long enough duel rca cable to meet you need's .

S-video (pc video output) to adapter to rca cable to vcr video input .
Stereo jack (pc audio out) to adapter to rca cable to vcr audio input .

Connect all when pc is OFF ... connecting while pc is on dosen't alway's work .

Turn pc on and duel screen option become's available (is not available otherwise)

You will need to make sceen size adjustment to suit tv type ... may never be perfect .

Depending on the driver package ... you may have the option to set the playback software to other screen ... allow's tv output for other's ... while you work on pc ... I do this all the time .

You will need to read the documentation that come's with graphic's adapter .

-------------------------------------

Ati produce a glassy , crisp picture on tv out .
Nvidia tend's to be a little blended ... washed out .

Of course graphic's card's and driver's have come along way since I made the comparison 2 years ago here on test system's .

Remmember ... cable's are the simple part ... the first place to start is with the graphic's slot available on pc ...

Check with you motherboard manual to confirm option's .

No agp ... then pci unit .
If agp ... is it 2x , 4x , 8x
Or pci-e , 16x

If older 2x , 4x ... do not install 8x , even if it say's it support's previous "x" ... can be dubious .

If buying adapter online ... ask seller , give video adapter supported info for motherboard so they can help you .
If buying in store , print the video supported info from motherboard manual , and take it with you .

Good cheap card , the fx5200 ... if bought via msi , it come's with 3 year's warrantee ... latest game's may lag ... may not be suitable for your pc ... you have not supplied "video slot option's" available on current pc .

[mikehende]

My pc does not have an AGP slot so what's a good cheap ATI card with s-video out for PCI?

[edDV]

Not many PCI video cards left.
Here are some. Look for S-Video out.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Order=PRICE&Page=1&Nty=1&N=2010380048+10...SubCategory=48

[handyguy]

s-video out is nice if you like watching silent tv.