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All About HDTVs as a PC or Laptop Monitor

135K views 528 replies 182 participants last post by  57 
#1 ·
As I shopped for an HDTV, I got the uncomfortable feeling that few were PC friendly. Most new models sport HDMI inputs. Contrary to what I read in many AV magazines, HDMI isn't a backward compatible evolution of the DVI interface. This White Paper from the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) explains the incompatibility between personal computers and consumer electronics. In short:
A major contributing factor to this growing problem is the use of similar (and in some cases identical) digital interfaces used in both markets. Examples include the DVI and HDMI specifications, both of which are based on a common electrical interface definition and which are showing up more and more in both entertainment and PC systems. There is a growing likelihood of consumers having products of both types in their homes, and the apparent compatibility naturally leads the consumer to believe that such products will interoperate. However, due to the current incompatibilities between PC and CE industry standards and typical industry practices, a consumer attempting to connect CE and PC products will very often find that they do not work well together as expected.
The whole point of an HTPC is to connect it to a high definition display. Many people in this forum are having problems doing this. So, I thought I would start a thread that would specifically identify those high definition monitors and TVs that can't be connected to a PC or that do not allow the PC to use the panel's full native resolution.
 
#27 ·
57 said:
By way of clarification, there are many user manuals that say that the TV SHOULD not be used with a PC. There are several possible reasons.

1. Burn in on CRT-based and Plasma TVs.

2. A carryover from Burn in concerns, even though the particular model is not succeptible (ie the manuals are written for several models).

3. Concerns regarding a signal coming to the TV that could harm it from a PC. (I haven't heard of any harm to a TV due to a PC signal, but I have heard people say that it is "possible".

4. (Credit to Michael TLV) The manufacturers don't wish to field calls from people trying to connect their computers to their TVs since there can be 1000's of possibilities for synchs, etc.
My experience with Hitachi customer sevice tends to confirm #4.
One of their reps told me the pc would slowly damage the TV but did not say how. I got hte impression that they did not want to get involved.
 
#30 ·
Sony KLV-S32A10 Works

Hello,

I have a Sony Bravia KLV-S32A10 (the relatively inexpensive one without the ATSC Tuner - not the XBR). This unit has HDMI and a HD-15 VGA connector. I have it hooked up to the GeForce 6200 in my HTPC via the VGA and am able to run it at it's native resolution of 1360x768 @ 60Hz. It really wants to go only up to 1280x768 out of the box with some underscan but by adding the mode in the NVIDIA settings it will work. By playing with the screen options in the Wega Gate I was able to get rid of the underscan in the 1280 mode.

I had the same experience with the same display and a ATI AIW 9800.

Haven't tried the HDMI as I'm using that for my DVR.
 
#31 ·
Sharp LC-45GX6U

I found this post on http://www.lcd-tv-reviews.com

Re: LCD TV as Monitor
I have a LC-45GX6U Sharp with a 50' (feet) component cable to connect to my video card and i have the resolution set to 1920 x 1080i. Works better than the image i get from some cable HD channels! Dvi or VGA will only go up to 1280 x 1024 so this was the only way to use the whole screen!
 
#32 ·
#36 ·
Sony KP-46WT500

On this TV there is a DVI-HDTV that the manual say is "not intended for use with personal computers. I cannot get a DVI plug onto it anyway!

I cannot get a picture on the tv. The windows screen prior to going to MCE 2005 is good rez. but right now no picture on the TV screen.

asus P5GL MX mother board with All in wonder Elite, and gigabyte gv-nx66l128dp.

I have had to use S video to connect but I do have a VGA to HDI plug?

Any advice would be appreciated.
 
#39 ·
que3jxp said:
Is this confrmed and if so has it been tested on the HDMI and VGA connector?

When I briefly owned this model, I was using the VGA input (D-sub 15 pin RGB). It's maximum input resolution was 1024x768. What was really neat however, was that it was stretched to fit the widescreen and the Windows desktop showed no distortion except for being a little squat. Text was perfectly legible. But I returned it since I couldn't drive it at full panel resolution (1366x768) and there were other problems with black crush and dead pixels.

I recall that the Proview/MAG owners manuals confirmed this. But they seem to have a new glossy version which says nothing about connecting PCs.

http://www.proview.com/Product/Product_Page.aspx?sn=05090014&pi=121


My video card is an ATI AIW X600Pro.
 
#41 ·
Sony KP57WV700

I use MCE 2005 on my 3Gig P4 through a NVidia 6600GT component dongle.
My video card detects the set as an HDTV and can dual display in 1024x768 on my 19 inch monitor and 1080i on my HDTV with component connection at the same time. HDTV signals from my DVB tuner card come through at full rez and full screen on the tv. Overscan is adjustable with the video card's software driver bundle. The only downside is the black bars on the side of the tv with 4:3 SD programming captured with my hauppauge PVR-150 from my C Band system.
 
#42 ·
Toshiba 50HP66 -vs- Dell

I am trying to connect a 50HP66 to a Dell computer using the VGA connector. With the PC set for 1024 X 768, the picture is in the middle of the screen with bars on either side. I expect this since 1024 * 768 is not a wide screen format.

The display has a setting WXGA when turned on allows for 1280 by 768.

When I turn on the WXGA feature the 1024 * 768 picture is stretched. Looks funny, but I can still read the display.

When I attempt to reset the computer to 1280 by 768, the screen goes black until the PC times out and reverts to 1024 X 768.

What am I missing? Is the PC timing out before the display can synchronize to the new format? As far as I can tell the refresh rate is always 60Hz.

Thanks
DGB
 
#43 ·
dgb said:
When I attempt to reset the computer to 1280 by 768, the screen goes black until the PC times out and reverts to 1024 X 768.
Have you tried the new resolution on a computer display?
Don't try sending anything to a TV before you confirmed it works on your PC monitor.
You might want to try on your monitor the Sony GDM-W900 driver.

It sounds like enabling WXGA just stretches the picture.
You want to send native WS signal to your TV and make the TV leave it as is.

Diogen.
 
#46 ·
Hooking Up PC To TV Thought HDMI

I Hear Lots of People Saying i'll need a super high end video card with HDCP Complient on it. the only card i can see that has it is a 7950GT2, i have the 7900GTX SC and dont want to buy another expensive video card for the purpose and dont want to downgrade my video card, is there any tv tuner cards i could use for it or anything else like that?
 
#48 ·
You don't need an HDCP compliant card to connect to a TV. HDCP will only come into play when it is required for the playback of protected content.

I have a 6600GT connected to my Plasma TV via HDMI, using a DVI to HDMI cable.

My video card also supports component output, which I could have also used to connect to the TV.
 
#50 ·
Basically, yes. Testing is limited right now (only one such card exists) so I can't tell you what the exact error will be. It might refuse to play, or it might downgrade the content to 480p.

This also will come into play on OCUR-enabled PCs with direct digital cable connections (Cablecard) but that's a moot point in Canada. With the state that the HDCP hardware and software implementations are at now, I wouldn't focus on that until later. Just make sure your PC has a slot for future upgrade of the video card.

Pete
 
#51 ·
Best Resolution For 42" Plasma

I'm trying to use my panasonic TH-42PX60 but i cant seem to find a good resolution that will show the whole screen clearly. i found this option with my nVIdia 7900GTX SC where i can make a custom resolution, i'm wondering if anyone found a good one that will make the screen perfect.
 
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