Huge computer monitor

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mixmkr

mixmkr

we don't need rest!!
relying on the expertise here...what is involved, specifically in getting a TV hooked up to serve as a computer monitor? Having a large monitor (like a 27"+) would be nice to see from across the room...and others involved could see it too. The price of computer monitors is really $$$$$.$$, especially when compared to the price of a TV. Or...is this a bad idea?..or not feasable? It would seem to me the quality of the graphics would not be so much an issue (if viewed from across the room and for audio only). Since I would have to order online or out of a catalog, some specific recommendations would be appreciated. (I live in Gilbertsville, KY...next to Possum Trot Kentucky!!). I have some PCI slots still open in my setup, so am I looking at a special graphics card and some software?? thanks!
 
The quality is significantly diminished on a TV as opposed to a monitor. Don't plan on reading any text from across the room and it might work for ya. Also remember the max resolution you are probably gonna get is 800x600, and you could be stuck at 640x480 depending on the card you buy. I've had 3 cards with TV out and all of them prety much sucked for displaying on the TV. I used the capability about 10 times total, cause it just didn't work well enough to make it useful to me. Of course, it could be fine depending on what you want to do, just make sure you buy a card from somewhere you can return it.

You need a video card with TV-out. The drivers for the card will give you the capability to use the TV as the display. There are tons of cards with TV-out available now, so you should have plenty of choices. I like the Matrox dual head cards that allow diplaying on 2 monitors simultaneously (which one monitor could be your TV.) I have the 450Max. If you are having a hard time finding cards, check out pricewatch.com or pricescan.com.
 
One of those on-the-wall projectors would do the trick. Flight simulators rock on a 8x12 feet screen @ 1024x768 resolution. They're a bit pricey though. A good one would cost at least US$2000:)

Graphics cards with video output is really only useful if you plan on using your PC as a DVD player (imho). I've heard som people swearing by dual monitors but I haven't tried it myself.

/Ola
 
Dont even think about using a TV, you will go insane.
It will be impossible to Read, and you will have
a splitting headache in five minutes. Save up
lots of dough and buy the real thing.
 
Ditto what others have said - PC text output on a TV sucks. But if you still want to do it to display some kind of graphics or video I have a recommendation. I've used a few different cards with video output over the years and ATI cards have always been the best for their time. I just got a new ATI All-In-Wonder Radeon and the TV output is the best I've ever seen. I use it as a DVD player and occasionally for games on the big screen.

Yeah, those projectors kick ass too but they're damned expensive. For a really good one I'd say you'll pay closer to $4k or more.
 
I have had 3-7 PCs hooked up on a home LAN for a few years now (yes I am insane). I always have one hooked up in my living room to a 27" TV. Yes, you are limited to 800x600. Yes, reading text is hideous - you have to enlarge all the screen fonts. I have used a succession of ATI and Voodo III cards and they all did the job OK, as long as you understood the limitations.

Basicly a TV computer is great for games (especially those that play at 640x480) and good for playing DVD movies (no need to buy a stand alone player). It is possible to surf the web but the fuzzy text will eventually blind you.

You can get a projector for $2-3K, or for a little less buy a 27" monitor and something like the All-In-Wonder card, so you can watch TV on your big monitor. Gateway used to sell a system called the Destination with had a 27" TV/monitor which was fuzzier than a standard monitor but better than the usual cpu-to-TV.
 
27 inch monitors

Gateway used to sell a multimedia system that had a 27-inch computer monitor. I also see on http://www.pricewatch.com 29-inch monitors starting at $709.00, but I'd definately get one of the higher priced 1024x768 monitors ($879) in leiu of the 800x600 (cheapest).
 
The resolution is totally dependant on your TV. A friend just bought an RCA digital HDTV which has max resolution at 1280 X 1024, and it has an SVGA input on the back, as well as the other 9 inputs. That thing looks great when you hook up his PC (or his laptop) to it. Im just telling this so that you understand the limitation is in the television itself and not the computer.

H2H
 
Cool. I didn't know that there were TVs with that kind of resolution. How big is and how much does it cost? I'm using a 19" monitor @ 1024x768 to get a comfortable size on menus etc. but 1280x1024 on a +25" TV would give the same pxel size, only more. Mmmm...

One thing that may be worth looking into is refresh rate. I've seen TVs with 100Hz, which would be nice but I'm afraid that the regular 50Hz could result in a vibrating image and the headache that comes with it.

Thanks for the tip

/Ola
 
I suppose buying one of those nice HDTVs would be cheaper than a projector. I've seen very good ~50" HDTVs for under $3k and not-quite-as-good ones that size for as little as $1500.
 
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