Video Card for LIVE Tv Watching (zero second delay)

[mabus]

lol, ok that's even better then

So all I need then, is a video card (for gaming), like the one the tech guy suggested when I called TigerDirect, with an "out" line to the HD PVR device, and that's pretty much it?

[jagabo]

Are you saying you want to record your gaming? That's the only reason you would use the HD PVR in that scenario. Note that the HD PVR has s-video, composite, and component inputs. But only component video passthrough. And you may have trouble recording and playing a game at the same time.

[mabus]

Not at all.

I simply want to see my windows desktop on my television when I choose to do so. When I chose not to do so, I simply want to look at my live television as I would normally without a computer. My sole concern is in that, in the process of physically connecting my computer to the television, the act of attaching the wires, that this should not result in any slowing down of the live video stream from my satelite box. In other words, when I flip the channel I want it to flip instantly, and not 2 or 3 seconds later as you find on a tivo.

[jagabo]

I would use the component output from the graphics card you linked to. That's the best of the signals your TV will support (component, s-video, composite). You'll be disappointed with the quality of the the Desktop though. Normal desktop sized text will be very fuzzy -- to the point of being unreadable. Roughly like the image in this post:

https://forum.videohelp.com/topic345015.html#1849172

Standard definition video will look fine though.

You might consider getting something like a Western Digitial TV HD, or their newer WDTV Live. These are standalone players that play most video files via a USB drive or network connnection.

[mabus]

I have something for playing videos already (Neuros OSD). Really it's the windows desktop I want to have access to. That is some rather disappointing text, you're right. I was not expecting that level of low quality of text on the desktop. Think that's probably why we all use monitors instead of televisions for our desktop computing

It's kind of interesting. Two pages worth of posts worrying about delays caused by the computer, and it turns out the real show stopper is actually video quality of the image of the desktop

[jagabo]

You can get sharper text on the TV by running Windows at 640x480. But Windows isn't really usable at that resolution. You can't get enough on the screen.

You really need an HDTV with pixel-for-pixel mapping to run Windows comfortably on a TV.

[edDV]

I have something for playing videos already (Neuros OSD). Really it's the windows desktop I want to have access to. That is some rather disappointing text, you're right. I was not expecting that level of low quality of text on the desktop. Think that's probably why we all use monitors instead of televisions for our desktop computing

It's kind of interesting. Two pages worth of posts worrying about delays caused by the computer, and it turns out the real show stopper is actually video quality of the image of the desktop

I just bought this $199 Vizio 20" LCD-TV for my den to sit next to a Samsung computer monitor (both 20"). A Mac feeds the Samsung over DVI-D, a PC feeds the Vizio over HDMI and the Samsung over VGA. Desktop text is just about as sharp on the 1680x900 Vizio as it is on the 1680x1050 Samsung computer monitor. The bonus is the Vizio doubles as an HDTV and also looks OK for analog video (composite, S-Video, analog component) plus looks good fed from a Philips 5992 DVD player HDMI connect. It also works fine with an HD cable box.
http://www.vizio.com/vx200e.html

The only downside is lack of analog audio outputs. It does feed digital AC3 over S/PDIF. Now I need to shop a new audio receiver. I was planning to use an older analog audio system in that room.

[mabus]

Thanks for all the replies. Think thats' what I'm going to do as well, get an LCD for the windows desktop. Thanks guys

Btw, Jagabo;

I took a look at the WD TV Live. The Neuros has a fairly slow and unresponsive menu, and only plays a few video formats (which means a lot of recompression of videos to make them playable). After reviewing a lot of the feedback on it and the reviews I decided to give it a shot.

LOVE it. It plays pretty much everything I have thrown at it without any recompression. Out of some 50 or so video files it's failed to play maybe 2 of them (not counting wmv and asf).

It even plays ISO video files (which blew my mind). Thanks for the suggestion

[jagabo]

Mabus, I'm glad the WDTV Live worked out for you. Some things I've found it can't play: DV, MJPEG, Xvid's 3 warp point GMC, uncompressed YUY2, uncompressed RGB. It can't play anything in .FLV, .RM, or .RMVB containers. Some .MP4 files give it trouble. But for US$120 it's a pretty good little player.