VGA adapter to TV question

[bigjase]

Ok, so this is a two part question. I want to upgrade from my regular PC monitor to having a TV hooked up to the PC. I think that my current video card will work, but I'm not sure.

1) Does the intel 82845g/gl/ge/pe that was originally installed on my PC have video out? I believe the Intel website is saying it does, but want to make sure I'm looking for the correct information: http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/intel845g/sb/CS-009078.htm

2) Do you have to have a S-video in on your tv for this adapter to work, or can you have the Red/White/Yellow inputs on the back without S-video?

[SephYuyX]

As far as I can tell the Intel 82845G is an onboard video card, and probably only has the standard VGA connection.
Intel drivers are iffy when it comes to.. uh, graphics especially on board.. If you want to try your luck you can buy a simple VGA to RCA cable at http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?keyword=vga+to+rca for a few dollars. If your TV has SVideo, and you want a bit of better quality you can try http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=101&cp_id=10114&cs_id=1011407&p_id=4724&seq=1&format=2 I really see no reason why these wouldnt work. Youre essentially just connecting a TV instead of a monitor into the same connection on the PC, you really shouldnt even have to change any TVout settings.

I cant guarantee anything though, might want to wait to see if anyones tried with an onboard intel.

[MonMotha]

Those passive "VGA to xxx" cables are intended for the (rather rare) laptops that support composite and s-video output via their VGA ports.  This capability is almost never seen on desktops.  The cable simply won't work.  The same applies for "VGA to Component" cables.  These are usually intended for projectors that accept YPbPr component over their RGB inputs.  They are again passive cables that won't work with PC outputs.

You can get an external device that will let you connect your PC to a TV.  You have two options. 

Option 1 is a device commonly referred to as a "scan converter".  This will take 640x480p (and sometimes higher such as 800x600 or 1024x768) and mash it until it's something compatible with a TV (640x480 interlaced).  Results are usually iffy at best, but it will get you a picture on a TV by any means necessary.  This option is pretty easy, and the device usually costs about $30-50.  The second link posted by SephYuyX appears to be an example of such a device.  PC cards with onboard TV output are generally identical to this option in both technical operation and performance (i.e. picture quality).

Option 2 is to use any one of the common methods suitable for your setup (in this case, look for a little program called "Soft15kHz") to get TV timed video out of your PC in RGB as if you were going to hook it up to an arcade monitor.  You then use an "RGB to S-Video" converter to get S-Video or composite (yellow RCA cable) to hook up to your TV.  This avoids all the mashing and scaling.  Results are usually decent but will depend on the quality of your TV.  With a high quality TV and an s-video connection, results can be nearly as good as an arcade monitor, but there will usually be some overscan that can be impossible to adjust out without access to service mode.  This option is a little harder, but the results can be quite a bit better.  Cost for the device is again about $35-50.

Composite video will always look bad.  You should use S-Video if possible.  Component YPbPr connections can offer identical quality to native RGB inputs if available and the conversion from an RGB source is done properly.  The only off-the-shelf device I'm aware of to do this conversion at a reasonable cost is the JROK device, and it wasn't cheap last I checked (~$100+ship), but prices have since been removed from his website.

It sounds like you have an adapter of some sort in mind, but I don't see a link.  If you post a link to the device you have in mind, it may shed some more light on your situation.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Wouldn't a better solution be to buy a new video card?

D

[bigjase]

MonMota,

Thanks for the reply. I was looking at using something like this: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10401&cs_id=1040113&p_id=2509&seq=1&format=2 , but it sounds like that will not work? If the video card has video out, why doesn't something that simple work?

[MonMotha]

That adapter, as described in the text on Monoprice, probably won't work.  I don't think I've ever heard of a single device that actually supported that function, though they apparently exist.  S-Video and Composite video are in a fairly different (and much more complicated) format than what PCs output.  There were apparently a (very) few models of laptops that had the hardware support required to use that adapter by placing TV compatible video on the pins of their VGA connector (which would then not work with a PC monitor when in that mode) and then using that adapter simply to enable you to physically plug it into a TV.  You very likely do not have one of them.

You'll either need to follow one of the options described above or get a video card with TV out.

[bkenobi]

A video card with TV out will be your cheapest and simplest option.  Kinda sucks having to toss a working card, but this is really the best way to go.  You can build a VGA -> SVideo circuit, but it will probably cost more than a cheap card and certainly take longer.

[bigjase]

Ok, that is where I was confused. I thought this had video out, and maybe it does, just not the correct format?

Is there a relatively inexpense video card option out there? I don't really need any more power than I already have.

[BobA]

Card availability and price depends on what type of slot you have on your motherboard for a video card.  PCI, AGP, PCIx?

[bigjase]

I'm at work right now so don't have it off the top of my head, but I know it is a Dell Dimension purchased new in 04. How do you tell what slot the motherboard has? Sorry, I don't know a lot about hardware.

[bkenobi]

VLB?

[MonMotha]

VLB?  Not in 2004.  More like 1994 (or even earlier!) for that.  It's probably AGP if it has anything other than bare PCI.  A lot of cheaper Dells (like the Dimension line) from then had "onboard AGP" video leaving you with only a PCI slot for video expansion.  Even if it has AGP, it's almost guaranteed to also have a PCI slot, ensuring fit.

The scan converter that got posted from monoprice is probably the easiest option, and it's only 28 bucks.  Plug and play.  Easier than installing a video card for someone not comfortable opening up their PC.

[Blanka]

All macs previous to the Display Port models (the DVI ones) had a pretty good 19.95$ DVI-S-Video/composite adapter. You could even choose to have 1024x768 or 800x600 downsampled, or 640x480x60hz or 576x720x50hz native. So you tell these don't work on PC's?

[MonMotha]

Not generally.  First of all, it's unlikely his old PC even has a DVI port.  Most PCs from that era with onboard video had analog VGA only.  Secondly, that adapter only worked with certain ATi devices.  I'm pretty sure the device is nothing but a passive adapter, and the video device is capable of doing all the TV stuff onboard and just dumping it out via the analog lines on the DVI-I port which the adapter just turns into a different set of plugs.

Most PC cards have this function, too (with a dedicated s-video port, to boot), but I've never seen it with the cheap onboard video from that era.  Most of them also don't support actual native video; they will always at least force you to run progressive then interlace it out, and some will force you to downscale in order to get underscan on your television.

[bigjase]

Thanks for your advice MonMotha. I probably would be ok installing a new video card, but probably wouldn't find anything for about $30 that would work, correct? Or are there cards out there comparable to what I have that would cost about the same?

[ark_ader]

Get a Magic Vga or a Kworld 1440.

[bigjase]

Ok, so I'm just getting back to this. I have a PCI port. Will something like this card work, or is 128mb not enough memory?

ATi Radeon X1300 V042 128MB PCI

Feature    Specification
Description    Radeon™ X1300LE
Design Kit    M676
GPU    RV516LE
Engine/Memory    450 / 400
Printed Circuit Board (PCB)    Form Factor:
4L

Dimensions (W × L):
2.88 × 6.51

Remark:
ATX bracket
I / O Configuration    DVI / T-S
Memory (Size / Width)    128 MB / 64 bit
Cooling    Active
DVI Max Resolution    Integrated 1600 × 1200
TV Out Max Resolution    Integrated 1024 × 768
High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP)    No
High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)    No
Memory (Type)    16 M x 16 GDDR2 -2.5
3D APIs    DX 9.0c; OGL 2.0
ES    6 / B
MP    6 / E

[mwong168]

This will do the trick regardless if you video card is on board or not.  As long as it has the standard VGA port you will be able to output to composite or S-Video.




It's $31.10usd shipped and my friend ordered one and using his laptop as a media center on his older projection tv via S-video.