How to get computer to play on TV screen?
 

I know the easy answer is to get some fancypants LCD with 32 different inputs including a VGA, but I don't make a lot of money. :)

So, I have a Dell X400, a PS3, and a standard CRT TV. Using some combination of the three, is there a way (and by way I mean some cheap cable or converter box) to get the picture from the computer onto the TV? Watching torrents on the computer monitor sucks.

a video card with S-video output(provided your tv accepts s-video)

or do what I do and run a DSM-520. out for a few years now so you can find em cheap. http://search.ebay.com/dsm-520_W0QQf...itleZdsmQ2d520

try craigslist.

video card. If your computer as an AGP or PCI-X slot, you can get a bad ass card for almost nothing.
If you have just a PCI (not eXpress), then you can get a lame ass card for next to nothing. But beware, you may also need to upgrade the power supply too, unless you find a real low demand card.
$30-35 on a card, or up to $60 if you need a p.s. too.

I picked up a box from RadioShack that converted it for $80 and am running a powerpoint of pictures of people taken around my bar on all the TV's works great!

^Yah, but half the pictures are of you driffffffting your RX7.

I've got a vga-to-svid (or composite) from way back that I have no use for... though I'd have to find it.

Wait.

I used to play torrent directly off my PC onto the big TV, using an ATi video card with SVHS out. It was ok, but not great. PC video outputs just never look all that awesome to me.

Then I bought an Xbox360. With this machine, using the Windows Media Player 11 "sharing" feature, I stream all of my video from the PC to the Xbox, and use the Xbox to feed the TV (component video) and the amp (S/PDIF) which looks and sounds absolutely wonderful.

IOW, I can't view the actual PC desktop on the TV, but I can directly play the videos that are stored on the PC through the Xbox, which is all I really wanted in the first place.

Does not the PS3 have some equivalent feature? I mean, it has a web browser for crying out loud!

I'm not really sure, I'm not too knowledgeable about it other than I know I can play CoD4 on it...

Everyone, the TV in question does not have an S video input, only coax.

Ok, we'll do it the simple way, then.

First off, what is a Dell X400? I can't find anything on a Google search for that name. Laptop? Desktop? What kind of video output port(s) does it have? If desktop, does it have an AGP or PCI-e slot open?

The most basic method, assuming you have no expansion slots and no video output of any kind from the PC (RCA or SVHS) will be a two-part solution.

First, a VGA to video converter such as this: http://cgi.ebay.com/Grandtec-PC-to-T...QQcmdZViewItem
Many different ones are available, this is just an example. Said box will take VGA in and give you SVHS and composite out.

Then, plug that output into an RF modulator such as this: http://cgi.ebay.com/Philips-RF-Modul...QQcmdZViewItem
That box will take the SVHS output of the first box and modulate it to an NTSC RF signal which your coax-only TV can accept.

Frankly, the quality of such a setup will be less than amazing.




EDIT If by coax you mean a yellow RCA jack and not a threaded F connector, then you can skip the second box (the RF modulator) and just use the first box. Still, some details on the PC may lead us to a better solution.

This doesn't help you, but I'm gonna do some dick waving and tell you that I love my HTPC that's hooked to my plasma via a Radeon HD3450.

Anybody want to buy my 250GB single tuner tivo? ;)

Get a $40 XBox1 and softmod it. Hook it to the TV and your network and use the xbox remote to watch movies.

That's actually a great solution, I did that for a while before I got my HTPC. I also happen to have one for sale, premodded with a 200gb hard drive. :D

All this talk of divx on my tv without burning or using the ipod makes me want to do something as well.
Xbox method sounds easy and cheap enough considering the current price of large HDs. Need to find a cheap xbox now.

XBOX360 with the Windows media sharing is awesome. I rarely ever use that feature, but its pretty cool. The first time I hooked it up my GF at the time was sitting on the couch and all my folders started coming up on the TV......whooops. :bang: :giggle:

Vash-

Yup. The MediaCenter app sucks ass, but the MP11 library sharing is pure awesomeness. Frankly, it's about all I ever use my XB360 for. One dedicated PC with a 500GB hard drive that does nothing but run uTorrent and dish media out to the Xbox.