Connecting to CRT tv

wsurfa · 7 Feb 2007 at 13:10

I'm thinking of building a pc to store and playback my collection of DVD's, but I'm not sure if I can get a decent picture into my current TV.

Its a standard CRT with scart and analog component inputs - is there a way to connect to the components and get a decent picture?

If i'm stuck with a s-video input I wouldn't bother. Unfortunately I'm not going to be allowed to upgrade the TV

Thanks for any help/suggestions

squiffy · 7 Feb 2007 at 16:05

S-Video to a CRT looks ok, granted it's a bit blurry for text, but fine for movies. I've used a HTPC ATI X300 with a 28" CRT 16:9 for a while, it's a stable image but not LCD monitor sharp.

vila · 7 Feb 2007 at 18:10

ATI cards will be your best bet. Some have a break out box that allow you to have component out.

Alternativly you can make or buy from specialist online retailers a VGA cable that hooks upto a RGB Scart . (Apparently this only works with ATI cards and requires you to use powerstrip to set it up.)

Anyways worth your time to research

Energize · 7 Feb 2007 at 18:40

If your tv supports it you can use component as well as progressive scan. If not, a vga to scart converter is best after that.

wsurfa · 7 Feb 2007 at 19:35

Thanks for the help do so far

IT's a Toshiba 32z17B - has componet input, but I cant find the manual, so no idea if it does progressive scan.. These are the cables I've found

http://www.tvcables.co.uk/cgi-bin/tvcables/component-vga-hd15-1.html

http://www.tvcables.co.uk/cgi-bin/tvcables/component-dvi.html

Not sure if the second would work the other way round i.e. dvi-i to component.

Also found this - but only seems relevant to older ATi stuff

http://www.svideo.com/radeon9600pro.html

If only I could just but a nice new ldc/plasma 1080p

Energize · 7 Feb 2007 at 21:13

If it supports component then it will do progressive scan. Progressive scan looks much better than interlaced and its double the framerate so a lot smoother.

Your card should have a small adaptor that you can plug into it, with s-video and component out on it, thats the best thing to use.

squiffy · 7 Feb 2007 at 21:17

Energize said:
If it supports component then it will do progressive scan.

That's a broad statement, and in fact wrong. I had a Toshiba TV with component input, and it was interlaced only. The component input nor the TV had de-interlacing.

Whether or not the Toshiba 32z17B is progressive or not is another matter.

Just because it's progressive doesn't mean it has double the refresh, you can get standard 50/60hz sets that are progressive. Only 100hz sets increase the scan rate of the TV, and in fact most people don't like 100hz TV's due to the extra processing.