TV for computer monitor?

[Steve Peterson]

Most modern TVs have reasonable resolution that would be OK for a computer monitor. It should be good if it is at least 1920 by 1080 resolution, but might be a bit grainy if it is 1280 by 720 resolution. It is fairly cheap to buy a new 24" monitor. A TV of the same size would be a little bit more expensive because it needs a few additional tuners.

Steve

[Rick Potter]

I looked at the TV and the PC tonight.

The PC is a Dell..Windows XP Media Center Edition, dated 2005. It has 5 USB ports, 2 phone ports, one port that looks like a big phone port, computer plugs that are for the speakers and one other, one antenna plug parked CATV, RCA jacks for audio and video, and one that says S Video. It has the pale green audio plug.

The TV has RCA jacks for audio and video, HDMI, USB, PC in that is special shape, and a whole variety of RCA jacks.

Since they both have HDMI, as well as USB, does this mean I just need an HDMI cable, or a USB cable? Do I also need to hook up the pale green one on the PC with the adaptor to the RCA jacks on the TV?

Thanks,
Rick

PS: Not overly worried about super definition, no movies, just YouTube, and the how-to videos. I guess the pages of the Woodsmith mag. DVD's would need the clearest pic. I am just trying to make the old computer work in the shop.

[Jerome Stanek]

If the computer has hdmi and the tv has hdmi that would work other wise use the pc from the video card and the rca plugs for the sound

[Mark Blatter]

Sort of ironic. I am reading this thread on a TV that is hooked to a computer. It has how I have done it for about six or seven years. I carried a lap-top for many years when traveling for work with a VGA to something, but don't recall what that allowed me to use it on almost every TV I came across. It worked fine for those years. I had to carry an extra RCA to RCA for sound though. Watched many a movie sitting in a hotel room in places like Casper, WY with that set up.

[Jim Becker]

Since they both have HDMI, as well as USB, does this mean I just need an HDMI cable, or a USB cable?

Use an HDMI cable and be done with it. Best resolution available and simple. Be sure you tell the TV that the HDMI input is the one you want selected.

[Curt Harms]

The fact that it's a media center edition machine is a plus. Sounds like it should work. The big telephone jack looking thing is most likely an RJ45/Ethernet network port. If there are red, blue & green RCA jacks, they may be component video. They are capable of displaying HD video as is HDMI but on some older TVs I've had better luck with component video than with HDMI. Component video requires separate audio cable so there are a total of 5 cables, 3 of which can be pretty thick. HDMI is one cable for both video and audio.

[Wade Lippman]

We always use USB

[Jerome Stanek]

[QUOTE=Wade Lippman;2609986]We always use USB[/QUOTE

Do you use a USB adaptor on my laptop I always use HDMI but my desktop doesn't have that so I use VGA

[Wade Lippman]

[QUOTE=Jerome Stanek;2609996]

We always use USB[/QUOTE

Do you use a USB adaptor on my laptop I always use HDMI but my desktop doesn't have that so I use VGA

Our 32" has no computer inputs except USB. I think all tv and computer have USB or micro USB.

[Rick Potter]

Thank you folks, I very much appreciate all your effort and comments.

Sounds like it is doable, even for a 74 YO computer idiot.

I will give it a try.

Rick

By the way, I looked up the definition of 'luddite'. They were right, you know.