1 Topic by ShiB

  • ShiB
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  • Registered: 2003-03-23
  • Posts: 2,054

Topic: Video out. PC -> TV (composite)

Is there a good cheap way to do this? My 4850 only has 2x DVI outputs. I'm worried if I just buy some sort of dvi->composite converter it will look like shit. I dont know. My macbooks mini-dvi -> composite looks like shit on my TV, and it is not my TV because when using an actual dvd player it looks great.

If i buy this PCI Geforce 2 card, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a … 6814139151 , can I just stick it in and expect similar quality to that of a DVD player? I mean I could buy a dvd player cheaper than this, but I'd also hope to use this for streaming netflix and playing certain games. Or is there some kind of dvi -> composite converter I can get, only one I seem to be able to find is the one from the apple store, which I'm not even sure would work with my PC.

Last edited by ShiB (2009-01-26 09:50)

2 Reply by Crast

  • Registered: 2002-11-01
  • Posts: 2,784

Re: Video out. PC -> TV (composite)

PC on TV via composite will always look like junk, it's not worth buying that video card for. The equivalent resolution thanks to interlacing is more or less 320x240. "Because when using an actual DVD player it looks great" is irrelevant, because you're not trying to read small text when you watch DVD's, you're watching a movie mastered at a resolution intended for TV's.

Media Center PC's intentionally use an enormous font if they have to use composite, and it's still meh. If your TV has HDMI or VGA inputs, buy the appropriate cables and use that. If you don't have an HDTV with DVI/HDMI/VGA, I'd honestly just forget about it. You'll get a better experience just watching it on your laptop screen than trying to watch it via a PC->composite converter. There are some video cards that can output progressive scan component, which is pretty nice, but still not nearly as good as DVI/HDMI/VGA. Most TV's which take progressive scan component also take HDMI or VGA.

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  • Registered: 2002-04-18
  • Posts: 8,221

Re: Video out. PC -> TV (composite)

what he said.

if you got lost in all the technical stuff:

basically, you THINK DVD's look good because they're built for TV screens.  Because TV screen resolution is horrible.

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4 Reply by Crast

  • Registered: 2002-11-01
  • Posts: 2,784

Re: Video out. PC -> TV (composite)

Even simpler:
Imagine what youtube at full screen looks like (not counting the new high def youtube videos)
Now imagine what your macbook looks like hooked to a TV.
Imagine those two things combined.
That's what netflix on your TV will look like. Save your $38 towards a HDTV.

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5 Reply by Big O

  • From: Indiana
  • Registered: 2002-04-20
  • Posts: 1,864

Re: Video out. PC -> TV (composite)

Counter to what those people said:

If you're trying to use the TV to watch movies off of your computer, and they are standard pirate size (between 7 and 8 hundred megs), they will look okay on your TV. Basically, because the pirated version is such crap, the lossyness will only result in a slightly fuzzy image. However, don't bother trying to use it as a second monitor.

That said, I'm not an audio or videophile, so I'm okay with a sub-par imagine in exchange for being able to either A) watch it with friends or B) be able to lay out on a couch.

If you insist on following through on this somewhat iffy idea, then use this:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/produ … p;format=2 (A DVI to VGA cable)
and either this:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/produ … p;format=2 (A VGA to S-video/composite)
or this:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/produ … p;format=2 (Same as above, only the manufucator claims this will work for any computer to monitor connection, not just one on a video card made for TV out).

If you do the first two, it should cost less then $10 dollars.

Basically, when you're looking for cables and or accessories, check monoprice.com. They usually have great prices.

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