VGA to TV Converter

[drstew]

Does anyone have experience with a VGA to S-Video or componet video converter for displaying PC video on a TV? How well is this likely to work for a HDTV card for viewing on a high-quality TV (I have a Sony KV-40XBR700)?

[edDV]

That is problably not the way to proceed. Describe your computer and video card. Does the computer have an AGP slot?

I can't find much info on that TV. Got a detailed link?
How old is it?

CRT 40"
analog tuner
YPbPr in (1080i) Is 720p supported?
S-video

Most current ATI and NVidea cards can be adapted to feed 1080i component video to that TV.

Figure it would look like a 800x600 computer monitor (1024x768 best) from 4 feet away. That would be fine for video playback but poor for computer display.

[edDV]

edit

[drstew]

I have an HP Pavilion S7410n Slimline Desktop with Windows XP, integrated graphics (no slot for another card), VGA output. I would like to use it with a DVICO FusionHDTV5 Lite HDTV half high card (the only one that will fit) to display HDTV on my Sony TV. The TV is reasonble high-end (5 years old, digitizes and interpolates to add more scan lines), but no longer made. If a VGA to componet (or possible S-video) converter has reasonable qulaity, it seesm like this should work. So I need to know how well a VGA to componet or S-video conveter works, and if anyone has had a good (or bad) experience with one. Two I spotted are:

ADS TV Elite XGA (XGA-128) http://www.adstech.com/products/TVEliteXGA/intro/XGA128intro.asp?pid=XGA-128

ITV-900 PC to TV Converter
http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=ITV-900

[jagabo]

VGA to s-video (or composite) will have less than 640x480 resolution on the TV regardless of the VGA resolution. You'll be able to watch your HDTV source on your TV but it will be SDTV resolution.

I'm pretty sure neither of the cards you linked to has component out. Something like this may give better results if your TV has some kind of HDTV inputs:

http://shop.pcmag.com/shop/product_specs/CTG+VGA+To+Component+Video+Converter+40226+Sc.../21913039.aspx
http://startech.com/Product/ItemDetail.aspx?productid=VGA2TV2WAY&c=US

[edDV]

Your computer is good for HDTV to the VGA computer monitor but very limited for getting HDTV or S-video (standard def) out in analog form. It also doesn't seem to have dual monitor support so that will be limiting. This Intel documentation describes your computer. 1.7GHz Celeron may prove weak for direct 1080i MPeg2_TS playback.
http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/915g/index.htm

If you could add a normal dual head ATI 9550 or Nvidia FX, you could operate to both the computer monitor VGA and the HDTV over YPbPr. This is all very standard with most computers.

To operate single monitor to the HDTV, you would need VGA input on the HDTV but I don't think it has one. If it did, the Intel GMA 900 graphics chipset might be able to output 1080i 60 Hz directly or more likely you would need to fake it with 540p 30Hz (single field 1080i) using Powerstrip software.

But I don't think you have VGA on the TV and the S7410n has no YpbPr analog out without a separate graphics card or a card that will adapt internal SDVO serial graphics (PCI bus) to YPbPr but I know of no such card that does this but it is possible to get to HDMI with this technology but it would need a slot or chips would need to be added to a HDTV tuner card. http://www.videsignline.com/products/181502586

New generation HDTV tuner cards might be able to add a HDMI or YPbPr output using SDVO serial graphics over PCI from the Intel GMA 900 graphics chipset but you are still stuck in a slot limited PC.

So your options.
1) Get a HDTV with VGA in. Such HDTV sets may support 1024x768, 1366x768 WXGA or other resolutions but usually not 1080i over VGA. These are usually LCD HDTV sets (1366x768 native resolution typ.). They will also support YPbPr and HDMI but your computer can't output those.

2) Trade in the computer for one with an AGP Graphics card slot and a slot for the tuner. Then add a ATI9550 (dual head w/HDTV YPbPr) or better.

3) An external VGA to VGA/YPbPr converter. This is a force fit but kludge boxes do exist like the one referenced by Jagabo. With that money you could build a proper computer with a proper graphics card or have a good down payment for a new LCD HDTV.

4) An SD option may be possible using the IEEE-1394 port out to a Canopus ADVC type box or just possibly using a HDV camcorder as a HDV to YPbPr 1080i transcoder but we are in need of software to convert a tuner input to HDV.

Lots of blind alleys caused by the lack of one AGP slot. Another idea. Use the available slot for a PCI express graphics card with YPbPr out and try to find a HDTV tuner that comes in over USB2 or IEEE-1394.