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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: 2PacMan on May 11, 2005, 10:50:15 am

Title: Hooking up a TV to your computer
Post by: 2PacMan on May 11, 2005, 10:50:15 am
Is there a tutuorial somewhere that explains exactly how to hook up and use a TV for your computer monitor?  At first i was going to use a computer monitor for MAME, now i want to use a TV instead.
Title: Re: Hooking up a TV to your computer
Post by: Stingray on May 11, 2005, 11:08:13 am
Get a video card with S-Video or composite out.

-S
Title: Re: Hooking up a TV to your computer
Post by: 2PacMan on May 11, 2005, 11:18:16 am
And that's all i need and i'll be set?  No special software or wiring?  Do alot of people use TVs for MAME?  Is the resolution OK??  I know probably arcade monitors would be the best, but is a TV ok as well.  I need about a 19'' screen, and i don't want to pay a ton of money for a 19'' monitor, plus it's too big for my cab, it sticks out the back.
Title: Re: Hooking up a TV to your computer
Post by: ahofle on May 11, 2005, 11:33:37 am
Yep, just make sure your TV has an S-Video input.  Some of the cheaper ones only have composite.  I have a 24" TV in my cab and I am very happy with it.
Title: Re: Hooking up a TV to your computer
Post by: maxxonline on May 11, 2005, 11:44:22 am
Yeah I plan to go this direction as well with a 27" TV in my cab.
Title: Re: Hooking up a TV to your computer
Post by: unclet on May 11, 2005, 12:22:51 pm
Love my 27" TV in my cabinet.   Arcade games are not suppose to be crystal lcear anyway, so in my opinion (if you not getting an actual arcade monitor), then a TV is better than computer monitor.  Plus you can still watch TV on it as well..... just connect your cable from your wall to it and your ready
Title: Re: Hooking up a TV to your computer
Post by: ahofle on May 11, 2005, 12:29:54 pm
Another benefit of a TV is the emulation or direct connection of consoles (which were made to run on TVs).
Title: Re: Hooking up a TV to your computer
Post by: markrvp on May 11, 2005, 12:32:47 pm
For my computer at home I just put in a Radeon 9200SE from CompUSA.
Title: Re: Hooking up a TV to your computer
Post by: Veinman on May 11, 2005, 01:09:09 pm
I've read that Radeons tend to have better TV-OUT than GeForces. Any experienced opinions in that regard?

I have personally witnessed S-Video out from my Radeon 9800PRO256, and it looked great.

I have also heard that some Midway games (MK, Rampage, etc) can cut off part of the image when viewed on a TV. I am not sure about that one.
Title: Re: Hooking up a TV to your computer
Post by: KenToad on May 11, 2005, 01:57:26 pm
Get a video card with S-Video or composite out.

-S

What if you have onboard video .... i.e. no video card slot and therefore only a standard monitor out?  Are there any decent adaptors to convert from a standard monitor port to TV?

Thanks in Advance,
KenToad
Title: Re: Hooking up a TV to your computer
Post by: Hoagie_one on May 11, 2005, 02:23:51 pm
here is some (http://search.ebay.com/vga-rca-cable_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8)
Title: Re: Hooking up a TV to your computer
Post by: KenToad on May 11, 2005, 02:40:40 pm
Whoa, thanks Hoagie.  I guess it probably would have been smarter just to do the search myself.  Sometimes I get lazy like that.

*Edit* Any thoughts on quality differences, or do all those products function pretty much the same?  And are they different/worse than an S-video adaptor to A/V cables.  I already have an S-video convertor for the labtop--not good for fine print, but fine for gaming and watching decent quality vids.

Cheers,
KenToad
Title: Re: Hooking up a TV to your computer
Post by: coasternuts on May 11, 2005, 06:59:26 pm
I have a Radeon9250 PCI only.  I hooked it up to a 19" TV using a S-video to composite converter and was not happy with the results.  The window was angled off by like 2-4 degrees.  The software itself supports rotating the image but only in increments of 90.   I could compress the image, but then it looked too small for vertical games.

With that, fuzzy text, and the immense weight of the machine using a 24-27" TV, I decided to go with the PC monitor.  At least I can play Half-Life in full glory standing up( I sit down all day in my day job ).


Title: Re: Hooking up a TV to your computer
Post by: NJDevils2006 on May 11, 2005, 08:27:21 pm
You can use a KeyDigital VGA to Component Video adapter if your TV will accept such a connection.  I use my PC on a 57 inch Hitachi TV and it looks pretty good. 

I work in the Audio/Video field, and have found that KeyDigital converters seem to work out the best (IMO).  We use them everyday.