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VGA adapter to TV question
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?