Hooking Up A Computer To A Crt Television

[chevykanteve]

I've got literally hundreds of downloaded movies stored in my hard-drives. Watching them on my conventional computer monitor is OK, but I want a big screen. And so hence the question: how do I hook the computer up to a regular CRT television? Do I have to buy some some driver card or something? If so, what would that cost? In other words, how do I do it?

[LivinLOS]

Will depend on what the TV has for inputs..

If you have a VGA or DVI or HDMI then its really easy and a cable is all thats required along with running a resolution your TV will take as an input res..

If it doesnt then the point of a nice high def PC output is kind of lost.. Many graphics cards will have a 'TV out' but low rez like that a PC signal looks truly awful (think 640x480)..

If it is only a standard def input maybe think about a network player like a slingbox or even a xbox360 hooked onto your network. Much more convenient.

[phazey]

Xbox 360 will only play .wmv format video's. Much better to have an Xbox 1 modded and with XBMC installed, with network sharing.

low res TV-Out aint *that* bad though, certainly watchable....

[chevykanteve]

Will depend on what the TV has for inputs..

If you have a VGA or DVI or HDMI then its really easy and a cable is all thats required along with running a resolution your TV will take as an input res..

If it doesnt then the point of a nice high def PC output is kind of lost.. Many graphics cards will have a 'TV out' but low rez like that a PC signal looks truly awful (think 640x480)..

If it is only a standard def input maybe think about a network player like a slingbox or even a xbox360 hooked onto your network. Much more convenient.

Your reply looks interesting. But I don't understand it all. When you say If you have a VGA or DVI or HDMI then its really easy and a cable is all thats required along with running a resolution your TV will take as an input res.. can you sort of translate that into layman's terms? I mean, you are saying I must have a TV that is called a VGA TV or a DVI TV or a HDMI TV? Is that correct? Bottom line I guess is this: what kind of TV should I shop for? Assume I know nothing (not far from the truth!).

[LivinLOS]

Xbox 360 will only play .wmv format video's. Much better to have an Xbox 1 modded and with XBMC installed, with network sharing.

low res TV-Out aint *that* bad though, certainly watchable....

Google transcode 360..

streams it realtime

[LivinLOS]

Will depend on what the TV has for inputs..

If you have a VGA or DVI or HDMI then its really easy and a cable is all thats required along with running a resolution your TV will take as an input res..

If it doesnt then the point of a nice high def PC output is kind of lost.. Many graphics cards will have a 'TV out' but low rez like that a PC signal looks truly awful (think 640x480)..

If it is only a standard def input maybe think about a network player like a slingbox or even a xbox360 hooked onto your network. Much more convenient.

Your reply looks interesting. But I don't understand it all. When you say If you have a VGA or DVI or HDMI then its really easy and a cable is all thats required along with running a resolution your TV will take as an input res.. can you sort of translate that into layman's terms? I mean, you are saying I must have a TV that is called a VGA TV or a DVI TV or a HDMI TV? Is that correct? Bottom line I guess is this: what kind of TV should I shop for? Assume I know nothing (not far from the truth!).

When you say TV.. You should really start thinking 'display device'.. Many of the new breed of plasma and LCD TV's have a PC RGBHV (vga to you) input.. Or a DVI input.. Or a HDMI input.. These inputs are the same as you would find on a PC monitor.. So its as simple as a cable from the graphics card on the PC to the display (and running a resultion the display supports.. Not all displays handle all resolutions)..

All of those cable solutions (VGA DVI or HDMI) will handle a high resolution source.

Next in difficulty is the component inputs. these can be used with a device called a transcoder which takes a VGA signal (RGBHV) and created a component signal from it.. This is still a hiDef solution but its not as shapr a system, theres analogue connections and conversions that lead to a slight signal downgrade..

After that you have s-video and composite and quite frankly I wouldnt bother if thats all your dealing with..

A PC is probably the best source device you can use.. I have a HTPC (Home Theater PC) connected to my projectr and nothing else.. My UBC signal is cleaned up with dscaler and directshow filters, DVD playback is PC based, etc etc etc..

[chevykanteve]

Will depend on what the TV has for inputs..

If you have a VGA or DVI or HDMI then its really easy and a cable is all thats required along with running a resolution your TV will take as an input res..

If it doesnt then the point of a nice high def PC output is kind of lost.. Many graphics cards will have a 'TV out' but low rez like that a PC signal looks truly awful (think 640x480)..

If it is only a standard def input maybe think about a network player like a slingbox or even a xbox360 hooked onto your network. Much more convenient.

Your reply looks interesting. But I don't understand it all. When you say If you have a VGA or DVI or HDMI then its really easy and a cable is all thats required along with running a resolution your TV will take as an input res.. can you sort of translate that into layman's terms? I mean, you are saying I must have a TV that is called a VGA TV or a DVI TV or a HDMI TV? Is that correct? Bottom line I guess is this: what kind of TV should I shop for? Assume I know nothing (not far from the truth!).

When you say TV.. You should really start thinking 'display device'.. Many of the new breed of plasma and LCD TV's have a PC RGBHV (vga to you) input.. Or a DVI input.. Or a HDMI input.. These inputs are the same as you would find on a PC monitor.. So its as simple as a cable from the graphics card on the PC to the display (and running a resultion the display supports.. Not all displays handle all resolutions)..

All of those cable solutions (VGA DVI or HDMI) will handle a high resolution source.

Next in difficulty is the component inputs. these can be used with a device called a transcoder which takes a VGA signal (RGBHV) and created a component signal from it.. This is still a hiDef solution but its not as shapr a system, theres analogue connections and conversions that lead to a slight signal downgrade..

After that you have s-video and composite and quite frankly I wouldnt bother if thats all your dealing with..

A PC is probably the best source device you can use.. I have a HTPC (Home Theater PC) connected to my projectr and nothing else.. My UBC signal is cleaned up with dscaler and directshow filters, DVD playback is PC based, etc etc etc..

When you say TV.. You should really start thinking 'display device'.. Many of the new breed of plasma and LCD TV's have a PC RGBHV (vga to you) input.. Or a DVI input.. Or a HDMI input.. These inputs are the same as you would find on a PC monitor.. So its as simple as a cable from the graphics card on the PC to the display (and running a resultion the display supports.. Not all displays handle all resolutions)..

So I can or can not use a CRT TV for this application?

And as a general question to anyone else out there: Does anyone out there view movies, saved on their hard-drive, via a CRT Television monitor (NOT plasma; NOT LCD: but CRT)? If so, how do you do it in simplistic terms?????

[LivinLOS]

IF that CRT television has one of those inputs (VGA DVI HDMI) then sure they can..

In the simplest of language all you have to do is match up the computer output with the TV input.. So whatever your TV has.. The computer must have that..

If your TV only has a composite input.. Or only a s--video input.. then (fairly obviously) you need to have a video card with one of those outputs (and the quality is pretty poor)..

Rather than buy a new video card (in that position) I would look at a slingbox or other network video player, a MCE extender, or even xbox 360 or hacked XBOX with xbox media center running (one in classifieds for 8k).. This will play video files over your network outputting to the TV without the PC being involved. These will all do the job but attacking the problem in a different way.

[LivinLOS]

Another option would be to use the features of a dreambox satellite STB..

Those can play networked media files.. As well as your sat needs.. Srteam your sat feed to your PC.. Work as a DVR etc etc etc,,

[Crossy]

I have just the thing you need, and it came from Zeer Rangsit (probably available in Pantip or Fortune).

Small box, plugs into the VGA output and has S-video and composite outputs, works reasonably well yp to 1024x768 (although the TV can get nowhere near that resolution). You need to make additional arrangements for audio (easy).

IIRC it cost about 1500 Baht, unfortunately I'm not at home to look at the box and tell you exactly what it is, but any of the shops in Pantip etc. that sell all sorts will probably be able to help.

Make a drawing of the connection (PC --> TV) makes communication easier with the shop staff.

EDIT Alternatively I've seen some nifty little external drive boxes that have built-in media players complete with RCA outputs and a tiny remote control, never checked the price though.

EDIT 2 Obviously if your TV has only an RF input, forget it

Edited April 22, 2007 by Crossy

[Simmo]

So I can or can not use a CRT TV for this application?

And as a general question to anyone else out there: Does anyone out there view movies, saved on their hard-drive, via a CRT Television monitor (NOT plasma; NOT LCD: but CRT)? If so, how do you do it in simplistic terms?????

Yes I do. In the simplest terms.

S-video out from the laptop to RCA composite cable to the TV for video.

Headphone jack out from the laptop to composite inputs on the TV for audio.

If your PC doesn't have an S-video output and only has a VGA output you'll need the converter box that crossy mentions.

You could help people by telling us what outputs your computer has and what inputs your TV has.

[Kwarium]

Chevykanteve, I'd guess that if your computer had 'TV out' you would know it.

You could look at where the computer monitor plugs into your computer. there is a good chance you'll see a yellow-centered RCA plug (composite) just next to it. That would allow you to connect directly to almost any tv using a single run of RCA cable.

The sound will still be from your computer speakers of course, unless you run another pair of RCA cables (red and white plugs are the standard) out from a 1/8" adapter inserted into your speaker outputs on the computer. Big C should have a cable with red/white RCA males on one end and 1/8" male stereo (like headphones) plug on the other.

I hope that helps, but I do have a few questions: Why are you so set on CRT , especially if you are shopping for new?

I use a 16:9 LCD projector on a 100" screen and love it! I also happen to have a brand new 16:9 Sanyo Z4 LCD projector in a box, unused except to test it. I have been meaning to advertise it for sale, but haven't. I could take 54,000 baht for it. I made my own screen and hung it on wall here in BKK. The 2nd projector was for the house in Issan, but it's not going to get used anytime soon...

For a PJ you can run your existing computer monitor cable into it, you can use three RCA (red green blue) component from a dvd player, You can use HDMI (almost the size of USB) to connect you fancy new computer video card when you get one.

Why not consider a big screen?

Did that help?

[Jockstar]

So I can or can not use a CRT TV for this application?

And as a general question to anyone else out there: Does anyone out there view movies, saved on their hard-drive, via a CRT Television monitor (NOT plasma; NOT LCD: but CRT)? If so, how do you do it in simplistic terms?????

Yes I do. In the simplest terms.

S-video out from the laptop to RCA composite cable to the TV for video.

Headphone jack out from the laptop to composite inputs on the TV for audio.

If your PC doesn't have an S-video output and only has a VGA output you'll need the converter box that crossy mentions.

You could help people by telling us what outputs your computer has and what inputs your TV has.

Yes. Do this and then go to this site....

http://www.weethet.nl/english/video_pc2tv_nvidia.php

This is how i done mine at home.