Connecting to a HDTV

[Cybergangster]

A colleague recently asked me to make them a Media Centre PC to hook up to their Plasma TV. Job done and dusted with a Geforce 8600 handling the picture output. But when I came to hook it up I found that they did not have a DVI input like they said but rather a VGA port and I didn't have a converter. We got around the issue by using S-Video but that only displays 1024x768 max.

The card also came with a S-Video to Component adapter but my question is - will this still display a max output of 1024x768? Is my best option to find a DVI to VGA converter?

 

[HEADRAT]

Please drop the s-video connector <yuk>

What connector do you have on the back of your TV?

 

[Cybergangster]

She's got:

• VGA
• Component (blue, green, red)
• S-Video
• SCART
• HDMI (used by Sky)

 

[Cuchulain]

A colleague recently asked me to make them a Media Centre PC to hook up to their Plasma TV. Job done and dusted with a Geforce 8600 handling the picture output. But when I came to hook it up I found that they did not have a DVI input like they said but rather a VGA port and I didn't have a converter. We got around the issue by using S-Video but that only displays 1024x768 max.

The card also came with a S-Video to Component adapter but my question is - will this still display a max output of 1024x768? Is my best option to find a DVI to VGA converter?

You can pick up DVI-D-Sub (vga) converters for a few quid.

 

[HEADRAT]

Then just connect VGA to VGA, job done!

HDMI > *
VGA > COMPONENT
COMPONENT > SCART
SCART > SVIDEO

 

[Dutch Guy]

Why not get a DVI > HDMI connector and use the HDMI connection on the TV for digital picture quality?

 

[no_1_dave]

Get a DVI to VGA converter & use a normal VGA lead...

 

[no_1_dave]

Why not get a DVI > HDMI connector and use the HDMI connection on the TV for digital picture quality?

Then put sky through Component.

That would work too

 

[HEADRAT]

Yeah but if the Sky is using HDMI then it must be Sky HD, I would leave that on the HDMI connection.

I would use the VGA connector for the PC.

Get a DVI to VGA converter & use a normal VGA lead...

the TV doesn't have a DVI port neither does the GFX card

 

[robj20]

Sky HD works fine through component thats i have mine connected, ps3 through hdmi and pc through hdmi.

 

[rEeee]

Most HDTVs have a native resolution of 1366x768, so I doubt you can get any high than that, unless the TV is 1080p no matter what connection you use. But yea, HDMI-DVI is the way to go, providing the TV have a HDMI.

 

[Cybergangster]

Thanks for the help. I've ordered her a DVI-VGA cable and we'll use that for the time being. She is planning on getting an AMP that will allow her to connect more than 1 HDMI device to the TV but not in the near future.

 

[Alex R]

Thanks for the help. I've ordered her a DVI-VGA convertor and we'll use that for the time being. She is planning on getting an AMP that will allow her to connect more than 1 HDMI device to the TV but not in the near future.

You could also get an HDMI splitter.