For a digital TV it's a little surprising that 1920x1080 over HDMI would look worse than VGA, but you never know.

I thought I saw posts (here or another forum) by other people with a similar experience (VGA better than HDMI). If I find them again I'll reference them.

Well, I got a tip from another user.

With these Samsung TVs, there is another step that has to be done:

The TV needs to be connected via HDMI2, and then you have to use the TV menu to rename HDMI2 to PC (this is in the manual, but it's under 'renaming inputs' rather than the connecting to PC section so I missed it).

Once you rename it to PC, then the display is optimized in some way and it looks much better!

Hello all.
If you can just bare with me.....
I have a Sony 34" CRT widescreen HDTV (480, 720, 1080i) for about 3 years now (pretty much the last CRT they made. Weighs 300LBs!).
I have a HP Pavilion 17" laptop for about a year now, with HDMI out. I have been watching stuff via the HDMI cable to the Sony crt HDTV to watch avi/divx programs I downloaded. As its not perfect DVD quality, still I can watch the stuff perfectly and pretty much looks identicle watching it on the laptop itself.

The problem has always been that when looking at the CRT TV at folders, browsing for stuff, all Windows in general is a bit blurry, almost impossible to read text of files (programs) I am trying to locate and start to watch. I have to unplug the HDMI every time and open on the laptop first, so I can read it!
I took this issue as "normal" for what i am doing, for about a year.

So recently we purchased a 32" Sony Bravia "S" model LCD HDTV for the bedroom. (480, 720, 1080 i/p). I simply plugged the laptop in the HDMI on that and can read all the text as if it was on my laptop itself.

Now I know CRT and LCD are totally different, but my question is if its normal to have slightly blurry text you can't read on the CRT? where with no changes to any settings the other LCD TV looks brilliant. I guess its more to do with resolution than lines???...or because the laptop and the LCD TV are the same, LCD..?
I just didn't know where to start, and if there was something I need to do on the CRT TV to make it better. I can't find anything on the TV directly related to change. Changing between Interlaced or Progressive and all that makes no change.
Thanks for any tips.;)

It sounds like your CRT TV is getting SD resolution instead of HD (720p or 1080i) and your LCD is getting a HD signal. A signal that is not as good as a DVD should be SD at most. You should check into the resolution setting for your computer's HDMI output. While it should auto-detect and use the native setting of the display it sounds as though it isn't with your CRT TV.

Hi all,

I have searched long and hard but was not able to find an answer to my questions. I have even called Samsung tech support on this one. Here is some background info.

I recently bought the above TV with hope to have it connected to my HTPC via HDMI cable (my mobo is ASUS with HMDI port and chipset to support HD). To my surprise I get some vertical white, blue and green lines (vertical streaks) from time to time on the TV once the PC is connected. I did not have this issue with and Toshiba I had borrowed in the past.
Things get even worse if I connect my second PC (I was hoping to use this TV as my monitor). At the 1920 x 1080 resolution over HDMI cable from accross the room (~40 ft) cable the streaks are constant. If I drop the resolution to 1024 x 760 all is well. I have also noticed that black (dark) background will make things much worse) .
As stated that was not a case with another TV. I have also tried a blue ray player and things work perfectly over the same short and long HDMI cables.
If this is not resolved I will have to return the tv for something else, I really like the sammys :(

Now as I see it I have few options:
1. Get dedicated video card
2. Hope there is a firmware update to the TV
3. Someone heard of this before and there is a solution to it.

TIA

Would like to add some sort of card to computer with HDMI output. Planning on sending to a Pioneer VSX92 Elite and then off to a Sharp LCD 46incher.

I've heard people have done this and wondering if anyone has some advice or setup info that could get me headed in the right direction.

What card would I need?

Does it come with software for a player? ie; how does the video/audio signal get sent to the receiver/tv?

The files i will play will be .iso .avi and various others.

Thanks in advance

D

40 feet! Wow. That would be pushing it for Category 1 HDMI v1.3 cables. Standard HDMI supports 1080i. Category 2 or "High Speed HDMI" supports 1080p and higher and would be more reliable for long runs. You don't need Monster priced cables, just cables certified for the higher bandwidths.

I'd say the problem is with the PC, since the cables work with a dedicated HDMI source like the blu-ray player but fail with the PCs. I'd check which HDMI standard the PCs comply with. Again, v1.3 would be more reliable for long runs since it incorporates more robust error detection.

Maybe the mobo's have cheap HDMI electronics, assuming that people will be connecting to a monitor in lieu of a DVI connector. A dedicated video card might provide a cleaner more powerful HDMI signal. Who knows?

The HDMI consortium (http://www.hdmi.org/learningcenter/kb.aspx#45) has some pretty good info:

Q. Does HDMI accommodate long cable lengths?

Yes. HDMI technology has been designed to use standard copper cable construction at long lengths. In order to allow cable manufacturers to improve their products through the use of new technologies, HDMI specifies the required performance of a cable but does not specify a maximum cable length. We have seen cables pass "Standard Cable" HDMI compliance testing at lengths of up to a maximum of 10 meters without the use of a repeater. It is not only the cable that factors into how long a cable can successfully carry an HDMI signal, the receiver chip inside the TV or projector also plays a major factor. Receiver chips that include a feature called "cable equalization" are able to compensate for weaker signals thereby extending the potential length of any cable that is used with that device.

With any long run of an HDMI cable, quality manufactured cables can play a significant role in successfully running HDMI over such longer distances.

3. Someone heard of this before and there is a solution to it.
What is the motherboard? What is the OS? What is the player?

Hey there,

I've got a couple of questions regarding hooking my HP laptop [dv6335ca] to my Panasonic plasma tv [46pz85].

I hook it up now using a "vga to vga" cable for video and a "3.5mm mini to 3.5mm mini" for audio and use the PC input on the TV. The video is fine, the audio is not so great. Also the access for these inputs on the tv are on the back.

I have another option which is to use an "s-video to s-video" and a "3.5mm to RCA" and use the side inputs on the TV. These would be a little more convenient.

My questions are:
1. Which will give me a better video ... s-video or VGA ?
2. Will I get a better audio with the 3.5mm to RCA cable ?

I have one or two more question to go with these. I usually use Windows Media Center when watching a video through the PC/TV. I set the laptop up out in the open with no other heat sources near it, but it gets pretty warm. How bad is this for the laptop? Would those laptop coolers with the fans in them be a good investment or am I asking to much from this machine?

Thanks very much to anyone who can answer any of these.

1. VGA will be much, much better than S-video.

2. I doubt it would make much of a difference but you could try.

Laptops sitting on flat surfaces generally get warm. If it's on a rug or other soft surface it's usually worse than being on a table.

I hook it up now using a "vga to vga" cable for video and a "3.5mm mini to 3.5mm mini" for audio and use the PC input on the TV. The video is fine, the audio is not so great. Also the access for these inputs on the tv are on the back.

I have another option which is to use an "s-video to s-video" and a "3.5mm to RCA" and use the side inputs on the TV. These would be a little more convenient.

My questions are:
1. Which will give me a better video ... s-video or VGA ?
2. Will I get a better audio with the 3.5mm to RCA cable ?

I agree with jvincent and VGA will be much better than s-video.

The problem with the audio is that most laptops only have a headphone jack instead of a line level output. A headphone jack will work, but won't sound very good. If you can get docking station for your laptop, it might help as they often have a line level output jack. It might also give you a DVI output (which can be converted to HDMI) and digital audio.

A docking station will also likely elevate the laptop giving you better airflow and thus better cooling.

I am facing one issue there seems to be no Audio/Video on HDMI, I am trying to connect my newly built computer to the SONY-KLV40S200A TV.
It has a VGA too so to check I connected that and that works but gives me a max resolution of 1360 X 768.
HDMI gives no VIDEO or AUDIO.
Keeping the HDMI connected I connected the VGA to the TV and saw in the NVIDIA control panel, it does not detect the HDMI TV and only the SONY-KLV40S200A TV over the VGA .
I checked on the HD Audio Control Panel and there it does show that the HDMI is connected for Digital Audio but on the TV no Video or Audio.
The Normal LCD Monitor works with the system over the same cable. Also there is no AUDIO/VIDEO from other sources of HDMI like the Bell PVR which works on the Other TV.
I'll be grateful if I am provided with detailed step by step solution to follow for resolving this.
Please suggest!

Thanks in advance.

Shailesh.j.kumar-at-sympatico.ca
System Configuration:
1. Asus M3N78-VM µATX Motherboard
2. AMD Phenom 9500 Processor HD9500WCGDBOX
3. 4 X 1 OCZ SLI-Ready Edition Dual Channel 1024MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory (4GiB)
4. Apevia X-Master Desktop HTPC Case with 500W PSU
5. Seagate Barracuda (ST31000340AS) 7200.11 SATA 3.0Gb/s 1000GB (1TB) 32MB Cache (OEM)
6. OS is Windows Vista Ultimate SP1/ Windows XP SP3/ Windows 2003 Server R2 SP2

I'm glad to report this TV set will allow a PC to connect through the HDMI port (for a DVI out) to support full 1920x1080, and the HDMI 1 port when active allows sounds to be inputted through the PC analogue input. VGA input is limited to a lower resolution however.

Should find out on Sunday if it'll support HDMI-HDMI (when i get my HDMI HDCP-compliant video card).

...that works but gives me a max resolution of 1360 X 768.
That TV native resolution is 1366x768.
http://dev.tech.yahoo.com/ps/sony-klv-40s200a/1994624173

Don't try to connect/disconnect cables while both HTPC and TV are on.
Turn both off, connect the HDMI cable and then turn on the TV first, then the PC.

If you can, try it to an DVI monitor using an DVI->HDMI adapter or a DVI-HDMI cable.

Just to clarify, you have no audio/video over HDMI while playing video only or you don't have the desktop either?

I am going nuts trying to figure something out on my new Samsung b530. I love the picture through my HD cable box but I can't get this thing to connect to my computer through a DVI cable with an HDMI adapter. I am following the manual by connecting it to the HDMI/DVI input. What is so frustrating is that my PC is detecting the Samsung TV but the HDMI1/DVI input on the TV's input source menu remains grayed out. I know my DVI wire works because it worked on my old plasma. I guess I could use the PC input but I want to use the DVI wire I used for my old plasma because I have it running along the ceiling behind wire paneling I put up. I have tried two different HDMI adapters. I haven't tried a different DVI wire because I don't have another one long enough to connect to my PC. It's either something with the TV or my PC but my nvidia geforce 7300 video card detects the TV as a secondary display. I have read about many people having problems connecting their Samsung LCD to a PC. Why does Samsung keep inputs not in use grayed out? I am very frustrated.:confused: Can anybody help me?

When this happens it is usually because you are sending a non-supported resolution to the TV.

You should try using an HDTV standard resolution, i.e. 1280x720p or 1920x1080i. There should be settings for that in the Nvidia control panel.

Depending on the version of the driver there may also be a "treat as HDTV" check box that you should check.

I'm not familiar with your model, but on the LN40A550 (and related LCD TVs) you can only connect a PC to the HDMI 2 input AND you have to rename that input as "PC".

I'm using an ATI AIW X600Pro via DVI/HDMI cable at 1080p.

Hope that helps.

When this happens it is usually because you are sending a non-supported resolution to the TV.

You should try using an HDTV standard resolution, i.e. 1280x720p or 1920x1080i. There should be settings for that in the Nvidia control panel.

Depending on the version of the driver there may also be a "treat as HDTV" check box that you should check.



I have the "treat as HDTV" box checked. And even if the resolution isn't supported, shouldn't my LCD still detect that the HDMI/DVI input is in use and not be grayed out? Anyway, I have tried those resolutions as well as lower ones to no avail. There is some signal getting through to my PC as it detects a Samsung as being connected. On my NVidia control panel, I have my multiple display settings set to clone at a resolution of 1280x720. Under the Change the Signal Or HD Format setting I have my connector set as DVI and a 720p signal format. Is there anything else I should do? There is a "Force DVI detection" option that I tried but that didn't work either.

And for the b530 model, the manual says to use HDMI/DVI 1 not 2 and I even tried the other HDMI inputs and no luck.

Have you tried the TV as the primary monitor?

Some TVs are just problematic when it comes to connecting to PCs.