HDTV as monitor - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Temporary_User · 03-08-2005, 09:55 PM

I thought this would be popular, but when I search I didnt find much.
Anyways, I have a geforce 5200 and I use my Phillips 46" HDTV as my monitor for my computer.
I use S-video as my cables and such...
I recently installed new drivers off of nvidia website and they are screwing everything up!
before the picture wasnt perfect, but now its fuzzy, (like the refresh rate slowed) does anyone know where I can get some good drivers, or why these ones screwed everything up.
Also my screen positioniong keeps moving to one side or the other so like 1/8-1/4" gets cut off. what is causing this?
Is s-vid the best cables to run to my TV?
what could I do to get a good picture?

spived2 · 03-09-2005, 01:31 AM

I can't answer your question personally because I have no experience doing this with an HDTV, just a standard TV, but I found 2 useful guides you might want to try:

http://www.digitalconnection.com/sup...ffnotes_17.asp
http://www.htpcnews.com/main.php?id=powerstrip_guide_1

Basically, it sounds like a timing issue that you're probably having, and Powerstrip will help you solve that problem. The answers should all be in the links though hopefully. Good luck

Rawb · 03-09-2005, 03:24 PM

Okay, this is something I have done.

S-Video can run at a maximum of 640x480'ish (aka, not good), so in order to actually use the HD part of your TV, you will either need to connect to your TV via DVI or Component (which has three seperate cables, red green and blue). Both of those can run at high definition resolution. After you get the proper cables in place (DVI is the easiest, component has to run through a converter), set your resolution to 1920x1080 (interlaced) for the highest resolution, or 1280x720 for a slightly lower, but progressive-scan instead of interlaced screen. On my display, 720p (1280x720) looks better, but 1080i (1920x1080) looks great for gaming.

About the edges of the screen not appearing, that is the way that TV's are built, 3-7% of the edge of the screen is lost to what is called "overscan". TV's are bulit that way so that you never get a border around the edge of your screen, and older TV's couldn't quite handle the precision necessary, so instead of undershooting the edge of the screen, they overshot it. With NVidia's latest driver, you have to seek for it, but it has some special HDTV modes, which basically just sets your screen to a slightly insane resolution that hopefully has less overscan than the standard resolutions. Powerstrip, to me, seemed to do more damage than good, so be a little wary about it, and it can't really do much on modern HDTV's (they typically are fixed-frequency for the high resolutions, and you can't adjust it enough to correct for the overscan).

PM me if you need any more help.

Temporary_User · 03-09-2005, 09:32 PM

damn!!!!!
So S-vid isnt the best....
DVI would cost me $200+ dollars!!!!
I need around 20 ft of cable to connect my cpu

Rawb · 03-13-2005, 10:38 AM

Sorry for the crappy URL. But I found one online for around $57 without even looking hard.

The $200 quote was probably because you were thinking of buying monster cables. Whenever you are given an oppourtunity to buy monster cables, don't.

Well, here is the link for the "cheap" extremely long DVI cable:
http://www.pccables.com/cgi-bin/orde...e=00696&rcode=

Temporary_User · 03-13-2005, 03:40 PM

hmm, i just went to futureshop.ca and the $200 was all they had, I have to check out this link, thanks!

Gimli · 03-15-2005, 08:31 PM

I got a 2m DVI-HDMI cable for $30 shipped. I don't know if your TV has digital inputs (DVI or HDMI), but that's the way to go. Otherwise, either you'll need a hardware transcoder, or an ATI card with a component adapter - they equip their DVI ports to also send out analog component signals, given the right adapter (dongle).

If your 5200 has DVI, I'd try the cheap route first - www.atacom.com has cables. But remember, DVI and HDMI are digital. Component is analog. So unless you have a means of converting dig to an, then look out.

It's a slippery slope, as I have recently found out. I'm struggling with my ATI Radeon 9600 card and DVI-HDMI cable. Then we get into PowerStrip... Resolutions... Overscan... It's hard to be an early adopter...

G

macmanmike6100 · 03-18-2005, 01:00 AM

AIT and NVidia talk about how they compensate for overscan: http://www.anandtech.com/multimedia/showdoc.aspx?i=2181

Not directly relevant but interesting.

03-08-2005, 09:55 PM	#1 (permalink)
Temporary_User Psycho	HDTV as monitor I thought this would be popular, but when I search I didnt find much. Anyways, I have a geforce 5200 and I use my Phillips 46" HDTV as my monitor for my computer. I use S-video as my cables and such... I recently installed new drivers off of nvidia website and they are screwing everything up! before the picture wasnt perfect, but now its fuzzy, (like the refresh rate slowed) does anyone know where I can get some good drivers, or why these ones screwed everything up. Also my screen positioniong keeps moving to one side or the other so like 1/8-1/4" gets cut off. what is causing this? Is s-vid the best cables to run to my TV? what could I do to get a good picture?

03-09-2005, 01:31 AM	#2 (permalink)
spived2 Desert Rat Location: Arizona	I can't answer your question personally because I have no experience doing this with an HDTV, just a standard TV, but I found 2 useful guides you might want to try: http://www.digitalconnection.com/sup...ffnotes_17.asp http://www.htpcnews.com/main.php?id=powerstrip_guide_1 Basically, it sounds like a timing issue that you're probably having, and Powerstrip will help you solve that problem. The answers should all be in the links though hopefully. Good luck __________________ "This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished, as the once vital voice of the verisimilitude now venerates what they once vilified. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, and so it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V." - V

03-09-2005, 03:24 PM	#3 (permalink)
Rawb Crazy Location: Salt Town, UT	Okay, this is something I have done. S-Video can run at a maximum of 640x480'ish (aka, not good), so in order to actually use the HD part of your TV, you will either need to connect to your TV via DVI or Component (which has three seperate cables, red green and blue). Both of those can run at high definition resolution. After you get the proper cables in place (DVI is the easiest, component has to run through a converter), set your resolution to 1920x1080 (interlaced) for the highest resolution, or 1280x720 for a slightly lower, but progressive-scan instead of interlaced screen. On my display, 720p (1280x720) looks better, but 1080i (1920x1080) looks great for gaming. About the edges of the screen not appearing, that is the way that TV's are built, 3-7% of the edge of the screen is lost to what is called "overscan". TV's are bulit that way so that you never get a border around the edge of your screen, and older TV's couldn't quite handle the precision necessary, so instead of undershooting the edge of the screen, they overshot it. With NVidia's latest driver, you have to seek for it, but it has some special HDTV modes, which basically just sets your screen to a slightly insane resolution that hopefully has less overscan than the standard resolutions. Powerstrip, to me, seemed to do more damage than good, so be a little wary about it, and it can't really do much on modern HDTV's (they typically are fixed-frequency for the high resolutions, and you can't adjust it enough to correct for the overscan). PM me if you need any more help.

03-09-2005, 09:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
Temporary_User Psycho	damn!!!!! So S-vid isnt the best.... DVI would cost me $200+ dollars!!!! I need around 20 ft of cable to connect my cpu

03-13-2005, 10:38 AM	#5 (permalink)
Rawb Crazy Location: Salt Town, UT	Sorry for the crappy URL. But I found one online for around $57 without even looking hard. The $200 quote was probably because you were thinking of buying monster cables. Whenever you are given an oppourtunity to buy monster cables, don't. Well, here is the link for the "cheap" extremely long DVI cable: http://www.pccables.com/cgi-bin/orde...e=00696&rcode=

03-13-2005, 03:40 PM	#6 (permalink)
Temporary_User Psycho	hmm, i just went to futureshop.ca and the $200 was all they had, I have to check out this link, thanks!

03-15-2005, 08:31 PM	#7 (permalink)
Gimli Loser	I got a 2m DVI-HDMI cable for $30 shipped. I don't know if your TV has digital inputs (DVI or HDMI), but that's the way to go. Otherwise, either you'll need a hardware transcoder, or an ATI card with a component adapter - they equip their DVI ports to also send out analog component signals, given the right adapter (dongle). If your 5200 has DVI, I'd try the cheap route first - www.atacom.com has cables. But remember, DVI and HDMI are digital. Component is analog. So unless you have a means of converting dig to an, then look out. It's a slippery slope, as I have recently found out. I'm struggling with my ATI Radeon 9600 card and DVI-HDMI cable. Then we get into PowerStrip... Resolutions... Overscan... It's hard to be an early adopter... G

03-18-2005, 01:00 AM	#8 (permalink)
macmanmike6100 High Honorary Junkie Location: Tri-state.	AIT and NVidia talk about how they compensate for overscan: http://www.anandtech.com/multimedia/showdoc.aspx?i=2181 Not directly relevant but interesting.