play dvds on a computer monitor?

[pastimperfect]

Hello. Never liked TV, so for the last decade we used a NextVision N4 box to play DVDs on a computer monitor while running the audio through our home stereo system. The N4 finally bit the dust and I am wondering if you mighty tech folk can help me.

My current monitor is the Samsung 2494SW 24in LCD display. It has a DVI input and 1080p.

My current DVD player is a nothing fancy Sony model with no DVI or HDMI output.

I know I could replace the N4, but am wondering if I can do something more elegant:
1. Purchase an inexpensive BluRay player with HDMI output and connect it directly to the monitor using a HDMI to DVI cable?
2. Find a DVD or BluRay player with DVI output, but these seem scarce.
3. Purchase a S-Video to DVI-D video converter to connect my current dvd player and monitor, but I presume picture quality would suffer.

Either way, we would continue to run the audio through our home speaker system's amplifier.

Any advice is welcome.

Thanks!

[johns0]

pastimperfect-Please do not cross post,one thread is enough,i deleted your other post.

[Baldrick]

1 would be best. A hdmi to dvi converter is cheap and you wont lose any video quality.

[Hoser Rob]

I'd agree with that ... just make sure the dvi input is dvi-d and not dvd-a.

I'd also go for an hdmi cable and a separate hdmi to dvi adapter plug over an hdmi to dvi cable.

[pastimperfect]

Thanks; this is helpful.

I purchased a HDMI->DVI cable and a blu-ray player.

For now, I will run audion through the RCA cables, but may convert to digital at some point.

[usually_quiet]

I do not believe that connecting a Blu-Ray player to a typical computer monitor like the Samsung 2494SW will work. TVs can can accept video input with more frame rates, resolutions, and color systems than a typical consumer LCD monitor. The Samsung 2494SW is HDCP compliant, as is required for commercial Blu-Ray discs, but 1920x1080 progressive output at 60 Hz is required for your monitor to display the video properly using a DVI-D input.

DVD and Blu-ray video support frame rates that your monitor can't handle. While a Blu-ray player can be set up to output everything at 1080p, I do not believe a Blu-Ray player can automatically convert video to 60 frames per second to be monitor-friendly.

The NextVision N4 converted video to monitor-friendly 75Hz or 60Hz.

[Edit]Not having a Blu-Ray player yet, I did not know that they can be set to output 24Hz or 60Hz. I just found out. With 1080p, 60Hz selected for output, a Blu-Ray player should be OK for use with a LCD monitor.

[pastimperfect]

For the curious, it worked like a champ. Very easy to setup and the picture quality is terrific.

[edDV]

For the curious, it worked like a champ. Very easy to setup and the picture quality is terrific.

One possible problem you may encounter, although the monitor is HDCP compliant, a Blu-ray author has the option to mute analog audio. Also computer monitors are more difficult to set proper black level. 16:10 monitors will show 16:9 as letterbox.

[yoda313]

For the curious, it worked like a champ. Very easy to setup and the picture quality is terrific.

One possible problem you may encounter, although the monitor is HDCP compliant, a Blu-ray author has the option to mute analog audio. Also computer monitors are more difficult to set proper black level. 16:10 monitors will show 16:9 as letterbox.

They make fiber optic to rca adapters. You can buy them on amazon and ebay. I don't have one so I can't comment on quality.

However for the price they come at (I think I've seen them in the 50.00 usd range) you might consider looking to get a used amp with a fiber optic input.

That is if you come across this issue eddv has pointed out.