pc to tv connection

Forums › Home Theatre (incl HTPC) › pc to tv connection

2MEKEE

33 posts

Geek

Topic # 26594 27-Sep-2008 09:45

hi

im trying to hook up my pc to my tv,my card is an 8800gt with tv out however this is a 7 pin s-video connection.
i can get the picture on my tv no worries the prob is its in black and white.my set up is 4 pin s-video into gfx card,to s-video to rca adapter, rca cable to tv (this is just the picture obviously ,yellow rca cable).

from my research i understand that 7-pin s-video (with adapters) is for component cables ,seen these are 3x the price as rca cables im trying to do it on the cheap :P.can it be done with the way im doing it or do i have to get component cables?
plus my tv is a couple of years old i know this wouldnt be helping but cant afford a new one :(

thanks any help will be greatly appreciated

ascroft

271 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 5

Reply # 167469 27-Sep-2008 10:25

I take it your tv doesnt have a vga port?

Mark Ascroft
Wellington

2MEKEE

33 posts

Geek

Reply # 167477 27-Sep-2008 10:43

howz it

na bro,only RCA X3 input and 1x component input

eXDee

4025 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1076

Trusted

Reply # 167493 27-Sep-2008 13:25

Component does a much nicer picture. Component cables are simply 3x RCA, though from places like DSE they are a rip off.

richms

21620 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4432

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 167616 28-Sep-2008 20:59

A svideo to composite adaptor needs your video card to support composite output and for you to change the option in the video adapter properties to output a composite signal.

But composite is crap. Buy this 178879872 off trademe and do it properly since you have it on the TV.

Richard rich.ms

2MEKEE

33 posts

Geek

Reply # 167660 29-Sep-2008 08:16

yeah thats my other option,i have this adapter already.its looking more and more like ill have to go down the component route
thanks for the help

fisher191

59 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 167672 29-Sep-2008 09:06

If you have the component adapter for the 8800gt (the part richms discusses) all you need is a component cable to the TV like this TM auction 178070821 which you can buy now for $15 or might get for $5.

Short cables don't need to be high quality. Any RCA to RCA cables will work, e.g. if you have an audio cable (red and white), you can use this and your yellow one.

I agree with the others about using component. S-video is really bad quality.

BazNZ

258 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 6

Reply # 167791 29-Sep-2008 17:39

I'm having trouble deciding on what connection I should use from my PC's Graphic Card to my HDTV too. At the moment I am using S-Video out to S-Video in... with fair picture quality. Can I improve the picture quality using a different connection? The cable also needs to be 10m long to reach my HDTV. I have a nVidia 7600GT AGP Graphics Card with S-Video Out and DVI-I out. My HDTV has S-Video, VGA (PC), Component, Composite(RCA) and HDMI inputs.

Here is my HDTV Input signals that can be displayed...
COMPONENT (Y, PB/CB, PR/CR) / HDMI
525 (480) / 60i
525 (480) / 60p
625 (576) / 50i
625 (576) / 50p
750 (720) / 60p
750 (720) / 50p
1,125 (1,080) / 60i
1,125 (1,080) / 50i
1,125 (1,080) / 60p
1,125 (1,080) / 50p
1,125 (1,080) / 24p
PC VGA (D-sub 15P)
Signal name Horizontal frequency (kHz) Vertical frequency (Hz)
640 × 400 @70 Hz 31.47 70.07
640 × 480 @60 Hz 31.47 59.94
640 × 480 @75 Hz 37.50 75.00
800 × 600 @60 Hz 37.88 60.32
800 × 600 @75 Hz 46.88 75.00
800 × 600 @85 Hz 53.67 85.06
852 × 480 @60 Hz 31.44 59.89
1,024 × 768 @60 Hz 48.36 60.00
1,024 × 768 @70 Hz 56.48 70.07
1,024 × 768 @75 Hz 60.02 75.03
1,024 × 768 @85 Hz 68.68 85.00
1,280 × 1,024 @60 Hz 63.98 60.02
1,366 × 768 @60 Hz 48.39 60.04

If I can find out what connection will give me the best picture quality over a 10m cable. I can then decide what cable and adaptors I'll need? Thanks Guys !

Regards
BazNZ

kiwipearls

411 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 7

Reply # 167914 30-Sep-2008 09:34

I am quite the novice when it comes to geeky computer things.

And I am pretty stoked at my setup and am sure it can be better. But for now I have this set up.

I have a GEForce 8600GT 512H Graphics card which came with a component video adapter.

I then run the RF cable (longest one you can buy, as my Computer is in the other room to the TV in the lounge) to my Philips 29 inch TV (don't have a fancy HD LCD yet). I had also previously had my sound card wired to my Home Theartre.

I then set up my graphics card for multiple displays.

So when I want to watch something on my computer, from the comfort of my couch, I turn the TV on to the chanel my RF cable is pluged into AV2 and then I turn on my home theatre and I can get the sound and picture at the same time.

I am upgrading to MySky 2 soon - and as soon as that happens, I will plug my computer into a spare AV thingy on my DVD Recorder. And my DVD Recorder is also plugged into my home theatre sound system too.

I am also thinking of getting a TV Tuner for my comptuer as well. But unsure if I need it seeing I am plugged straight into the graphics card.

Some things I do notice, and I have not looked into it. But sometimes a movie played on my computer, but displayed on the TV...if there is a lot of noise, we do get vertical lines across the picture - ie if someone screams. But sometimes, if we replay the movie, it does not happen. So I am wondering if it is the way in which the devices were turned on - ie tv turned on before the computer, or computer turned on before the TV.

"In the real world as in dreams, nothing is quite what it seems" - The Book of Counted Sorrows

Senility Guild

2MEKEE

33 posts

Geek

Reply # 168279 1-Oct-2008 11:27

hi

well i went the way of component,i thought i would have to anyway.but thanks for the advice

im wondering weather i can make a profile in my nivida control panel with all the setting that work on my tv ,so i dont have to adjust them everytime.i can just click on the profile and its ready to go (thus making it easier for the missis when im not at home as well)

ive had a little play with some of the options but am a bit confused

cheers