Plasma TV use as a computer screen.

[fLYtRap]

I'm looking to buy HDTV Plasma TV and I was wondering how this is going to work with my computer? Will I have black bars on the sides of the screen now?

[Xylob the Destroyer]

that all depends on your video card and the TV.
since you don't list one in your PC stats.
what kind of inputs are on the plasma that you want to buy?

we really can't help you unless you provide more detailed information.
you're being too vague...

[edDV]

You will find a tech...ish overview in this thread that hits many of the issues.
https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?p=1588503#1588503

[fLYtRap]

that all depends on your video card and the TV.
since you don't list one in your PC stats.
what kind of inputs are on the plasma that you want to buy?

we really can't help you unless you provide more detailed information.
you're being too vague...

My PC runs RADEON 9200 and currently I'm using Panasonic 27" TV as a screen. I want to sell this TV and get HDTV. I'm already using video card with TV OUT, so I know this part will work. What I'm concern about is how am I going to adjust pixels resoultion.

[edDV]

that all depends on your video card and the TV.
since you don't list one in your PC stats.
what kind of inputs are on the plasma that you want to buy?

we really can't help you unless you provide more detailed information.
you're being too vague...

My PC runs RADEON 9200 and currently I'm using Panasonic 27" TV as a screen. I want to sell this TV and get HDTV. I'm already using video card with TV OUT, so I know this part will work. What I'm concern about is how am I going to adjust pixels resoultion.

Give the model number of the HDTV. We need to know what inputs it has.

The 9200 is incapable of feeding YPbPr with the ATI HDTV adapter (method recommended by ATI). You need the 9550 or above for that.

[fLYtRap]

[quote="edDV"][quote="fLYtRap"]

Give the model number of the HDTV. We need to know what inputs it has.

The 9200 is incapable of feeding YPbPr with the ATI HDTV adapter (method recommended by ATI). You need the 9550 or above for that.

RCA L26W11

PRODUCT FEATURES:
Widescreen High Definition TV Monitor with 1366 x 768 High Resolution Panel and Lightning Fast 16ms Response Time
Comprehensive Connectivity Package: DVI, PC D-Sub (VGA) In, Component Video In, S-Video In, AV In (x3), Audio In for DVI (1), Component Video (1) & PC D-Sub (3.5mm)
Exceptional Contrast and Brightness Performance
High Performance Video Processing with Advanced De-Interlacing
5-Line Digital Comb Filter (Y/C Separation with Adjustable Vertical Peaking)
SRS WOW™
Standard Definition NTSC Integrated Tuner
Product Dimensions: 18.5" H x 31" W x 4" D
Weight: 46.3 Lbs

[TBoneit]

Check the manual and see what resolutions it supports on the VGA port.

However being that it has a VGA port it will support use as a Computer monitor with I'm guessing here 1366 by 768 as a max resolution since that is the panel resolution.

Are you sure it is a Plasma, I know that is a common LCD resolution that usually supports up to 1080i.

You might want to think about do you want HDMI as a input choice.

Other question is how do you plan to feed it for HDTV? Doesn't look like it has a tuner from what you posted. That would make it older stock.

Good Luck

Edit: I just checked the RCA site and it is a LCD panel not a Plasma.

From the RCA site again: Standard Definition NTSC Integrated Tuner. That means it can't tune OTA HDTV signals. Only SD signals. You might want to think about features for now and future. I've seen for example Westinghouse 32" LCDs with HDMI and VGA and 2 component + SD & HD tuner and S-video and composite inputs for $750

http://tv.rca.com/en-US/ModelDetail.html?PC=Bedroom&MN=L26W11

[fLYtRap]

Are you sure it is a Plasma, I know that is a common LCD resolution that usually supports up to 1080i.

You might want to think about do you want HDMI as a input choice.

Other question is how do you plan to feed it for HDTV? Doesn't look like it has a tuner from what you posted. That would make it older stock.

http://tv.rca.com/en-US/ModelDetail.html?PC=Bedroom&MN=L26W11

I didn't know whether it was Plasma or LCD (which I don't know the difference anyway).
I saw this model at Wal-mart and it has monitor in, so I thought it will work with a computer.
I was going to get it for 30 days to try and if I woudn't like it I would return it.

Now, what is that HDMI

Also that was my main concern, that I woudn't be able to feed to HDTV, it would propably left me with black bars on sides.

[TBoneit]

AFAIK HDMI is replacing DVI in. I could be wrong of course, I'm no HD expert. edDV knows a lot more than I and will prpbably chime in and help out.

However I do think I'd want with a tuner than can tune SD and HD.

Since you don't know Plasma from LCD, vs DLP etc. I think you need to do some research and figure out current and future needs. Pros and Cons. Might want to check http://www.avsforum.com/
they have lots of information. From very high end stuff on down. That is where I looked up my Westinghouse for feedback on the model I bought.

I am using 7 different feeds in my TV.

And I didn't even touch on zoom modes on the TV that might be handy. I press a button and a DVD fills the screen. Makes everybody look slightly wide but that doesn't bother me like black bars on the side does. My HD DVR has several zoom modes and remembers both the last used HD setting and the last used SD setting. Between the TV and the DVR I can usually find a setting I like for SD content. Its even easier if it is Letterboxed as I can Zoom a SD LB to fill the screen side to side.

Many things l to look into.

Good Luck

[fLYtRap]

I feel like I'm 5 years behind

Black bars on top of a movie and below doesn't bother me. After all a widscreen movie is a form of art and formatted to feed regular TV screen changes everything. I prefer to watch them in their original format.

Since you have this HDTV how offten do you have black bars on the sides and how offten above and below a movie?

And what is the difference beetween OTA HDTV signal and SD signal?

What is OTA and SD?

[jagabo]

OTA = over the air, broadcast
SD = standard definition, regular TV

[guns1inger]

The model you have quoted above is an LCD model, so the optimal display resolution is 1366 x 768. It is a relatively slow model, at 16ms response, so not great for gaming or fast video.

[fLYtRap]

The model you have quoted above is an LCD model, so the optimal display resolution is 1366 x 768. It is a relatively slow model, at 16ms response, so not great for gaming or fast video.

How is it determined how fast a HDTV is?

Also I don't play games, its pretty much for TV broadcast, movies and computer.

[fLYtRap]

I just checked my video card and the closest resolution to widescreen I can come up with is 1280 x 768, so that will leave me with very small black bars on the sides.
It is actually not as bad as I thought it will be.

[guns1inger]

If you hook the TV up to your computer, the allowable resolutions will change to match the new monitor. Once this happens, you will be able to choose 1366 x 768 as a resolution for your card. If you don't choose the correct resolution, you don't get black bars, you get a distorted image.

The speed of the display is measured as the response time in milliseconds. Generally, anything slower than around 12ms can suffer ghosting or smearing on fast action. Good screens have a response time of 8ms, very good screens are getting even faster. The screen you mentioned earlier is a 16ms screen. Not the worst, but not great.

[normcar]

For Plasma screens isn't it still a very, very bad thing to use it as a monitor because of burn in problems. Even with the new technology of off setting bit moving, I believe burn in is still a problem with plasmas when using it as a monitor. I would never use it as a monitor. LCDs are ok because they have no burn-in problem.

[jagabo]

If you look at Start -> Control Panel -> Display -> Settings -> Advanced -> Adapter there may be a "List all Modes" button that will show all the resolutions the card is capable of.

[edDV]

All of the above is true. What has been discussed so far is connection of the computer to the VGA port on the LCD-TV. The 9200 may be able to do this with a later Catalyst version, I'm not sure but the 9200 is a couple of generations back on "video" as in TV video features but it will work for computer video playback through the VGA port. If 1280x768 is the only resolution available, the LCD TV will probably stretch that to 1366x768 for a slight wide stretch of your desktop.

But we are talking computer desktop here. The 9200 card lacks the "Theater 200" video processing modes of the 9550 and above that provide deinterlacing and scaling modes to properly display interlace video from a computer tuner card. It would give OK results for games or for software deinterlacing video players like PowerDVD WinDVD or VLC.

The 9550-98xx cards will have "Theatre 200" processing chips (circa 2002) with features that predate the Home Theater PC concept but will give you good standard definition support with computer tuners and capture cards but will prove less optimal for HDTV. They work for HDTV tuner display but expect early generation compromises.
http://www.ati.com/products/theater200/features.html
http://www.ati.com/products/theater200/theater200.pdf

The newer generation "Avivo" 1xxx cards from ATI and the "Pure Video" cards from NVidia are more suited to the HD Home Theater concept but these too are a bit early to fully support HD or BluRay DVD playback from a computer and currently lack HDMI outputs that will be the standard for home theater connection.

All this means the computer is still evolving to be an optimal driver for HD Home Theater.

The current "normal" way to hook up your HDTV system is one of the following.

- connect an external over the air ATSC digital TV tuner to YPbPr, DVI or HDMI TV inputs and tune the local digital TV broadcasts from an antenna. By law in the USA, new TV sets over 25" manufactured after July '06 must include these DTV tuners internally. That RCA set at your store is an old stock unit since it lacks the digital tuner. You can find your local DTV stations and antenna recommendations at www.antennaweb.org by entering your address.

- contract with your local cable company for a HD capable tuner and HD service. They will also offer a HD DVR for "tivo" like recording. These boxes will connect to YPbPr, DVI or HDMI inputs on your HDTV. AC3 audio will be fed to your home theater sound system or the TV.

- contract with a satellite broadcast company for a HD capable receiver and HD service. They will also offer a DVR option.

- The 4th way is to use a DTV (SD and HD) over the air tuner in your in your PC and purchase a display card that can output 720p, 1080i or progressive computer resolutions to the HDTV monitor.

[TBoneit]

Going back to the black bars on the side question. I don''t see them as My HD DVR has zoom modes that let me take a 4:3 letterboxed and zoom it so it fills side to side and may or may not have black bars above and below depending on if it is 16:9 or 2.35:9 etc....

For 4:3 I use the zoom on the Tv to fill it side to side. this makes everything look slightly squashed but I'm used to it and it doesn't bother me. Others may be bothered. Same selection makes DVDs fill the screen same slight squashing because the picture gets stretched side to side only.

You would have to observe that effect and decide if it bothers you.