SONY 53" TV w/ G550

[monocrom]

Hi folks,

I am planning to buy a 53" SONY Projection TV. And, I noticed that this TV has Component video input. Does it mean that I can use this as a monitor?

If it is, I can just buy RGB cable to hook it up to my 2nd computer.

Any comments will be greatly appreciated

[dZeus]

afaik component input is different from RGB, which often is supported on TVs sold in 'PAL countries', through the peritel SCART connector. All Matrox G400/G450/G550 cards with TV-Out support RGB TV-out for use with these televisions. However, this RGB input still has different sync from analogue monitors, so it only works through the tv-out RGB from the Matrox cards.

About component output: no idea, never read anything on Matrox cards supporting that. I think there is a dongle available for the Radeon 8500 cards to use component output though. You should read up on that in the avs forums: http://www.avsforum.com/

[Ryu Connor]

Component uses YUV. Matrox would need an appropriate adapter and the drivers would have to modify the RAMDAC to adjust for the output difference.

[xortam]

You can use a transcoder to convert from VGA to component video. Check out the Audio Authority converter.

[monocrom]

Thank you all for the fast reply...

I thought HDTV can be used as a monitor as well... (I read about this somewhere... But I could be wrong...)

Plus, I saw some of the plasma tv's having D-SUB 15PIN connection at the back... And, I thought it is available for all the HDTV...

Worst case scenario...

Let's say I connected my computer to TV using TV-OUT without monitor... Of course, I need to set it up as dualhead clone mode before...

Would this work?

[Ryu Connor]

Some high end LCD and Plasma displayer do have D-Sub and DVI connections. If that is the case you would not need component.

In your worse case scenario, yes. Regular TV Out via SVideo or composite will work just fine. The problem is most TV's today assume that input from such a source is interlaced and thus runs it through the comb filter before spitting it out. It's my understanding that the process ruins an already progressive feed.

So ideally you'd use component, D-Sub, or DVI.

[monocrom]

So far, it seems to me that this HDTV thing doesn't look promising... at all.

First, Normal 4:3 ratio HDTV is useless if you want to use it for a monitor. It lacks direct monitor input. Although it has RGB input, it actually is not for direct connection from the video card.

Second, 16:9 HDTV does have DVI input. It looks to me that only wide-screen TV comes with some kind of direct connection capability to video cards. Even then, the resolution and/or quality is not sharp enough to display readable texts.

I visited a local store, and the salesperson told me that I have only one choice. It is not SONY, Panasonic, Toshiba, Philips. It is PROSCAN projection TV with direct D-Sub 15 pin connection. He told me that this is the only projection TV with direct connection available.

This is unbelievable. When I read about HDTV long time ago, it said that basically HDTV is a monitor. Obviously, it doesn't seem like it.

I'll sit back for a little bit more. For now, I guess I have to live with my SONY WEGA 32" TV (Not HDTV).

[Ryu Connor]

This is unbelievable. When I read about HDTV long time ago, it said that basically HDTV is a monitor. Obviously, it doesn't seem like it.

Well, they output a progressive display, but there are still some differences to be had.

The plasma displays and larger LCD TVs are about the closest thing I've seen with any monitor capabilities. Many go so far as to list their maximum resolution in their technical specs. Problem is their cost is rather prohibitive.

Sitting back for a little while is probably the best way to go.

[Ashley]

All the *new* Sony, JVC and Hitachi HDTVs have DVI-D/HDCP connectors - as far as Windows is concerned, they are digital monitors and will autodetected as such.

You probably shouldn't even consider buying a new HDTV that doesn't have DVI-D, but a VGA-to-YPbPr transcoder will serve you just as well if you get a deal on an old model.

[monocrom]

Thank you for the reply...

I considered that option as well, but the salesperson is telling me that even the top-of-the-line transcoder will not show the picture as good as the direct D-SUB connection.

He was saying that even with $500 transcoder, I won't be able to have better picture quality on SONY than PROSCAN.

I am confused...