How do you connect your PC to a large digital display

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › How do you connect your PC to a large digital display

lchiu7

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#8012 28-May-2006 11:31

I have had a Toshiba 52JM9UA TOSHIBA 52" DLP RP TV for the past year. Worked great both as a TV but also a monitor for my PVR. feeding is a 1024x768 signal which it upscaled to fill the entire screen. The Windows desktop was good enough to surf on and also of course play videos.

For a number of reasons I am now going to return it. Monaco have issued the RA to Harvey Norman and I can get something new. I am now looking at the JVC -DiILA

http://www.jvc-newzealand.com/JVCNZ/jsp/c_products_details.jsp?catID=5&prodID=203

which has a great and much brighter picture than the Toshiba. Plus the LCOS technology with 3 chip avoid the rainbow effect I would see occasionally on the Toshiba. Took my laptop into HN to check it out and connected it via the VGA input. Feeding it a 1024x768 signal (the max the VGA input can take) the Windows desktop did not fill out the entire screen leaving perhaps a 3cm black order around the image. That's annoying and since HN could not find the remote we could not work out if there was a way to strech the image to fit. But doing some research it seems the ideal way to connect a PC is via a DVI output on a video card (which I don't have) and feed it into the HDMI input.

Just wondering if folks who have larger digital TV's are using them for computer screens also (perhaps for a PVR) and if so, how are you connecting the computer?

Thanks

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ljbade

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#36907 28-May-2006 18:03

I don't have a large TV, but I would reccomend the DVI to HDMI option if you can afford the cable, as you will get the best possible connection to your TV (it is 100%% digital, VGA is only analog). Plus if you have a NVIDIA card, then the lastest drivers have special features just for tvs. I will set your PC to native TV resolutionas and aspect ratio's so you should be able to get around that black bar problem.

sbiddle

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#36911 28-May-2006 18:26

ljbade: I don't have a large TV, but I would reccomend the DVI to HDMI option if you can afford the cable, as you will get the best possible connection to your TV (it is 100%% digital, VGA is only analog). Plus if you have a NVIDIA card, then the lastest drivers have special features just for tvs. I will set your PC to native TV resolutionas and aspect ratio's so you should be able to get around that black bar problem.

In a nutshell HDMI is an upgraded DVI. A DVI -> HDMI adapter will only set you back $18 or so from Jaycar. Results are entirely dependant on the video card and screen but it is the best way to get the signal to the screen.

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#36913 28-May-2006 18:43

Just be aware too that DVI/HDMI has copy protection built in which may be something that becomes and issue in the future since Vista will take advantage of it!

lchiu7

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#36916 28-May-2006 19:10

I am leaning towards the DVI to HDMI solution and just put in an order for a nVidia GeForce 6200 N6200/TD card.

But the TV has only one HDMI input and later this year when the PS3 comes out I suspect I will need HDMI to get Blu-Ray videos. But I have heard that the content producers have decided not to implement the Image Constraint Token (ICT) in HD DVD's until 2010. That means even if you don't have a HDMI input on your TV you can still watch full HD resolution content via component.

Anyway I can always get a HDMI switcher and there are several around on ebay for about $20 so that's not expensive

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richms

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#37084 29-May-2006 20:23

Test the hdmi before taking the tv, because a friend has a panasonic with hdmi, and it wont take most res's from the PC, just ones that are hdtv res so the bios boot and most games are a no-go, only workable res is something by 720, and even then it doesnt seem possible to get it pixel accurate.

Richard rich.ms

lchiu7

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#37458 1-Jun-2006 19:52

Well I got a Nvidia 6200 card and tried to feed the D-ILA set with a 1920x1080 signal at 60Hz from DVI to HDMI. The set displays 1080i briefly and then nothing. Also tried the 720p setting and the set displays 720p again and then nothing. The only other things I can think of trying are 1) a different cable and 2) playing around with the custom timings for HDTV

The Windows desktop over VGA leaves about 3cm border along the side and about 2cm from the top and bottom. But measuring from corner to corner the desktop is 52" so that's still a decent size image. Of course for regular TV and DVD it's 56" but I guess I can live with that

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ljbade

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#37459 1-Jun-2006 20:15

Check your drivers, there are specific settings in the nVidia control panel for tuning the computer to a TV via DVI/HDMI. TV's use a slightly different data rate or something, so you must tell the drivers that you are connecting a TV not a computer LCD.

Here is some highly useful info on using a TV with PC:
http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1747

more info from nVidia:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/consumer_electronic_display_ready.html

lchiu7

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#37531 2-Jun-2006 23:59

Thanks but had looked at the Nividia faq's etc. The PC can see the TV and Moninfo produces a report on the capability including what resolution it can support. Just can't work out why there is no image.

Did have a little success though. I have a VGA to component active adapter so set my desktop to 1280x720 and connected the VGA signal via the adapter to the TV's component input. The adapter is the Audio Authoiry 9A60.

The Windows desktop fills the screen - too much since the overscan of the set causes the desktop to be cut off on all four sides. No amount of fiddling with Powerstrip to reduce the desktop to a smaller resolution (like 1200x700) can get the Windows desktop to fit. If I go lower I lose sync. Need to talk to JVC to see if there is a way to go into the service menu of the set and adjust the overscan - especially if it can be done per input

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lchiu7

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#37695 5-Jun-2006 07:49

Just an update for those who might be in the same boat. I found a setting in Powerstrip that allows you to drag a desktop template to fill out how much of the total screen you want to use. I used it to create a desktop that exactly fills the screen. So I can now see the entire desktop on the screen.

But I am searching for the holy grail of HTPC to digital TV - that is, find a way using the HDMI input to get 1:1 pixel mapping between the Windows resolution and the display resolution. Apparently it can be done - I just can't get it to work yet. The advantage? Text on the screen is crisp and clear since there is no pixel interpolation between the Windows desktop and the TV desktop.

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Stu

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#37721 5-Jun-2006 15:59

If there's no HDMI or VGA input on your large TV.

Try This

lchiu7

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#37722 5-Jun-2006 16:02

The set has both. Using VGA the best signal that can be handled is 1024x768 but leaves a Windowed desktop, supposedly to handle overcan on the set. And I can't get HDMI to work as I note.

Best I can do is VGA to component via an Audio Authority 9A60 transcoder device. But at least it can send a 1280x720 image to the set. Looks like the Canopus can only send standard def signals, not HiDef

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Stu

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#37725 5-Jun-2006 16:09

I don't think the 9A60 coverts formats does it? So you need to use software trickery to make the VGA output from the PC 16:9 if you want 16:9 ratio at the TV input?

lchiu7

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#37729 5-Jun-2006 16:34

NeoTech: I don't think the 9A60 coverts formats does it? So you need to use software trickery to make the VGA output from the PC 16:9 if you want 16:9 ration at the TV input?

The 9A60 takes a standard video signal and outputs it as component video. So when I feed in a 1280x720 signal from my PC, it outputs a 720p HD signal via component to the TV. THis fills the entire screen (well overfills since the Windows desktop is cutt off on all four sides). The JVC puts up a quick display to note the signal is 720p

This is all working fine but I don't get 1:1 pixel matching which is what I really want and can only be done via DVI (so no analogue conversion)

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Stu

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#37736 5-Jun-2006 17:27

Is there a supplier in NZ?

lchiu7

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#37798 6-Jun-2006 11:10

No idea. I bought mine ebay and they shipped to NZ. They even offered to replace the transformer for a 240V one (for an additional cost0 but I was happy with the 110V standard since I have enough 240-110 stepdown transformers around. Plus it's 5V DC so I guess any transformer would probably work.

This one is supposed to be very good since it was designed by a collaborative effort from folks on the avsforum, probably the most informative forum around for video and TV

http://www.crescendo-systems.com/transcoder.html

Not sure if they ship internationally but you could ask

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.