Using your TV as a computer monitor

[ubu]

Is it possible to have a video card in your system that will support the ability to use your TV as a computer monitor?[nbsp][nbsp]Something similar to WebTV?

Thanks

Jamie

[Drew]

I can set my graphics card to go out through S-Video to my TV to watch movies, etc.[nbsp][nbsp]I'm using the ASUS v6800 deluxe.[nbsp][nbsp]I also used to do the same thing with my old graphics card, the voodoo 3500tv - which went through component audio and video cables.[nbsp][nbsp]You just need a graphics card with TV out ... or at least that's one way I'm aware of :)
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drewmedia Studios
www.drewmedia.com (http://www.drewmedia.com)

[jimbo]

It will never be similar to WebTV, since WebTV isn't a computer at all.

-jim

[Tibbits]

If you have the WebTV viewer ( http://developer.webtv.net/design/tools/viewer/ ), a TV output on you graphics card (or a seperate TV card) and a wireless keyboard, you've probably got a pretty good WebTV-style system.

[Jag]

Even better than that if you have a new tv with vga
hook ups in the back you can just plug it in like a regular
monitor. If your tv doesn't have a vga hook up you can
probably pick up a adapter at any computer store:)

Hope this helps,
Jag

[Justin]

If your tv doesn't have a vga hook up you can probably pick up a adapter at any computer store :) Nope -- composite video is a completely different format from VGA/SVGA, and no simple adaptor would do. If such a device existed, it would have to resample the video down to TV resolution, and would probably look pretty bad (and would be expensive).

I like the video out on my BookPC. It has composite as well as S-Video, and I've found myself surfing the net in IE in 'Full Screen' mode. Also, the Media Player's full screen visualizations look pretty nice :)[nbsp][nbsp]I also get a kick out of watching full screen video on the TV, but anything non-multimedia looks really bad.

Problems with televisions:

1) To avoid looking bad with a (comparatively) large screen and low resolution/low frame rate, TVs purposely blur the scan lines. You'll never make out anything at the pixel level, thus any font smaller than about a 14 point is unreadable.

2) Where on a computer monitor your screen is usually fitted right to the edges, TVs stretch the image far past the edges. This is done to avoid seeing any unused space, but it also creates problems centering on-screen displays as most TVs are built with very sloppy tolerances in that area... and most are not adjustable either like monitors are.

3) TV is interlaced and at 30 frames per second. The interlacing is necessary at such a low refresh rate, to avoid looking flickery, but with the high tolerances of a TV this creates even further problems.

All of this is why text on TV is always so large. Surfing the net is nearly impossible without increasing fonts tremendously, and even with a much larger screen, you would fit much much less on the screen than with a monitor. The key difference is that TVs are made to be viewed at a distance, where PC monitors are made to be viewed extremely close... that's why monitors are so much more expensive than a TV for a given size.

Can you tell I haven't had my morning coffee yet (yes, I live in the Eastern time zone, and yes, it's morning for me :P)

<edit>
Note, by the way, that I'm refering to most typical televisions. Any HDTV, or flat-panel TV, or other digital/expensive TV will most likely have better results.
</edit>

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Justin Nelson
SFE Software (http://www.sfesoftware.com)
[This message has been edited by Justin (edited 01-16-01@1:18 pm)]

[PaulKroll]

The ATI all-in-wonder series (old AIW, newer RAGE 128s, and newest Radeon) all handle composite/S-VHS in, and display on your computer monitor, and composite/S-VHS out for display on a tv-monitor (Don't believe it has an RF out, but if your tv doesn't have at least a composite video jack, it's a boat anchor, not a display device.)[nbsp][nbsp]I think Matrox also has a card(s) with similar, either built-in or add-on abilities.

[cylis]

but if your tv doesn't have at least a composite video jack, it's a boat anchor

Well if your tv does not have a composite video jack you can always hook up the card to a VCR, which would be connect to the tv. If your video card has a S-video out, you can do the same thing. However you need a S-video to composite video adapter...can find it at Radio shack!...

[manish]

I'll vote for the All in Wonder cards from ATI. I have the AIW Radeon (the original one). It is just awesome....

Here are the connectors on the latest one (AIW Radeon 9700 Pro):
# DVI-I (15 pin VGA adaptor included)
# Stereo audio, S-video, and composite video inputs and outputs
# External stereo connections to sound card's line input and output
# Dolby® digital stereo audio output (S/PDIF)

Manish