Using a pc monitor as TV options?

[mikehende]

Is there a way to use a regular pc monitor as a TV screen? I am not talking about using a Tuner card on the pc to view the TV on the pc. I would like to connect the pc monitor to the cable box/receiver or to something in between. So what options do I have here?
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[RFBurns]

Howdy!

Unfortunately, no. A PC monitor uses progressive scanning vs a regular tv that uses interlace scanning. Plus the scan frequencies...ie horizontal and vertical frequencies are quite different. You would need a scan converter that would take NTSC or PAL video and convert it to the proper scanning frequencies for the PC monitor. There are such devices available for that purpose. Some PC monitors can run ok at the lower frequencies NTSC and PAL uses, but the monitor would probably run very irratically, and run hot, especially the horizontal output device and the vertical output device. They are designed to run at the higher scan frequencies, so forcing them to run at lower frequencies might burn them up instantly or at some point along the way.

[UncasMS]

just like rfburns already said: you'll need a scanconverter

this solution, however, does work fine

i have build machines which used a samsung tft together with a dvd player and a scanconverter between that equipment, which gave a decent video output on the screen

[toomanycats]

Try this.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1951868&CatId=1427

This will enable you to use your monitor as a TV.

[NightTran]

what about other way around if I want my regular TV ( not LCD) as a computer monitor is it way to do it?

[toomanycats]

There is a lot of ways to do it but the resolution isn't so good but is decent for viewing movies. Here's a link with a page full of devices.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/search.asp?keywords=pc+to+tv+converter&image1.x=0&image1.y=0

[mikehende]

Try this.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1951868&CatId=1427

This will enable you to use your monitor as a TV.

According to the specs, this one looks good [thanks], any idea if you will have to physically take the svga monitor cable out of the box to connect to your pc when you will be using the pc or can you simply use an svga splitter so no disconnecting between TV and pc?

[toomanycats]

I would like to say use a splitter but I am not sure if feeding the signals into the output of the device would harm it. I am chicken when it comes to electronics ( spent too many years fixing them) I would try and get a switching box. You will need one with multiple inputs. I found this one.

http://www.dengsoftware.com/dengsoft.nsf/productdetail?OpenForm&SKU=DHST222MX

Or you could just plug/unplug the cables as you need to. (that's kind've a pain in the butt though).

[mikehende]

Try this.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1951868&CatId=1427

This will enable you to use your monitor as a TV.

Don't see how a "switching" box will help this situation seeing that multiple monitors is not what we're dealing with here? What I am thinking we may need is an svga cable with dual output connectors? If so, then then the monitor can be connected permanently to both the box and the pc, only way to do this though is to make sure that both tv and pc are not on at the same time?

[toomanycats]

By using a Y cable you are running the output of the "TV Device" parallel with the input of the input of the TV and computer as the would all meet at one end of the cables. In essence the output of the "TV Device" would "feel" the voltages of the output of the computer. The multiple inputs of the switching box allow 2 inputs to access the one monitor. You do have an extra out put for another monitor you wouldn't be using it that's all. In other words you can switch the inputs to whichever output you desire thus isolating the devices from each other.

[mikehende]

ok, got it, thanks!

[RFBurns]

I am posting a resolution chart with the scan frequencies for each resolution setting.

As you can see in the chart, there are very few resolutions that use 60hz vertical frequency rate, and none of the resolutions listed run at the standard TV horizontal frequency of 15Khz.

This is why it is necessary to use a scan converter so that all of the input resolutions fed to it will output on the standard NTSC scan frequencies of 15Khz horizontal and 60hz vertical.

Hope this helps anyone who needs the info and for the curious.

[toomanycats]

RFBurns what did you think about this TV Tuner box for LCD and CRT monitor?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1951868&CatId=1427

[RFBurns]

RFBurns what did you think about this TV Tuner box for LCD and CRT monitor?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...868&CatId=1427

This is a good unit! It covers the entire scan resolution for multi-sync monitors. It also sports external input capability which is crucial for today's entertainment centers that have multiple video sources, ie DVD/DVR/SAT.

Definately a good unit to have around!