Looking for advice regarding TVs/monitors

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 9:55 pm

I'm looking for a new "screen" I guess I should say, to play my games on. Basically, I'm fed up with playing on my crappy 13 inch tube. Pretty much the only console I'm playing right now is my Xbox 360. I'm looking for something that meets the following criteria:

- I have a very small room, and want to keep the costs as low as possible. I want a decent sized screen though, so I'm gonna say 19 inches is perfect
- Must be Widescreen and support at least 720p resolution (1280x720)
- Bright, no dark spots, this will be used for gaming

Those are my only big things. Now, I was looking into getting a small HDTV, but I figure it's not worth it. They are expensive, the only one I would buy would be $600 and 19 inches. No VGA or HDMI. 1 component in and one a/v in. Also, since if I were to connect my cable to it, TV shows would look like crap (good native resolution for HD gaming though). Basically, I think I should buy a monitor. It will be significantly cheaper (over 50%) than an HDTV, and when I am ready to get a good HDTV (prices come down, quality goes up), I can just use it with my PC. I hear the difference in quality between 720p and 1080i on smaller screens is pretty much unnoticeable, which is good. I have some nice surround sound speakers that aren't being used right now because I can't find the drivers for my sound card, so that would be nice to use for playing games.

I have a couple of questions though,

1. How would I be able to hook up my surround sound speakers to the Xbox 360 VGA cable?

2. Is the VGA+Monitor combinaton on par with the image quality of a real HDTV? The monitor will support the right resolution, I don't know what settings I would use on the 360 though.

Right now I'm looking at getting this monitor. I've heard great things about it, except that the stand isn't adjustable (vertically), but that won't be a problem (if it is for some reason, I can always buy a new one or use books or something).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 10:38 pm

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6889022001

I have the 4:3 version of the Samsung you're looking at (well one of the 4:3 monitors from the 900 line) and it's great.

I am fairly certain the VGA cable has an optical port on it. And yes, the VGA+Monitor combo will look as nice as a regular HDTV.

However, it's a pain in the ass to convert any source that's not a VGA signal. What I mean is stuff like TV, et al. You'll have to buy a conversion box, which will either be A) shit, because it's cheap or B) expensive, but good ($200+ at least).

That being said, it looks like the monitor + VGA combo would probably be the cheapest. So I'd say go for it, unless you really want the extra four inches.

Disheveled DrFreeze · Post by **Disheveled DrFreeze** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 2:44 am

yeah the 360 vga cable has optical output, just like the normal component cable (just checked my own cable)

i am in the same situation TV wise, ice got a 14 inch CRT tube, and while its ok for watching stuff, playing 360 is sub par on it. so right now the 360 is hooked up to my oled 17" CRT monitor, which looks very nice

next wednesday im going back to my room in eindhoven so ill take the 360 and check how it looks on my 19" LCD widescreen, the only fear i have is the unsupported native reso (1440*900)

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 7:33 am

Hmm, that is good. I'm pretty much set on that monitor, but how will I connect my surround sound speakers? Does the VGA cable have a headphone jack or something? My speakers have 3 wires, and I can't plug in the red and white cables into it. I've got this adatper that makes the cables go from 3 wires to 1, but I don't know if it still uses all the seperate speakers then.

stagg · Post by **stagg** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:11 am

I have it on my 19" Hanns-G 5ms monitor, and it looks absolutely amazing. I honestly think it looks better then most of my friends HDTV's and since you are usually only ~1 foot from it you really get into the game. AND you can use it for PC and 360 if your video card has DVI, which is what I use.

Wagh · Post by **Wagh** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 11:36 am

Caboose wrote:Hmm, that is good. I'm pretty much set on that monitor, but how will I connect my surround sound speakers? Does the VGA cable have a headphone jack or something? My speakers have 3 wires, and I can't plug in the red and white cables into it. I've got this adatper that makes the cables go from 3 wires to 1, but I don't know if it still uses all the seperate speakers then.

You can take the red and white and get the converter to a headphone jack. But you wont be getting surround sound over that ....

stagg · Post by **stagg** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 12:44 pm

Wagh wrote:
Caboose wrote:Hmm, that is good. I'm pretty much set on that monitor, but how will I connect my surround sound speakers? Does the VGA cable have a headphone jack or something? My speakers have 3 wires, and I can't plug in the red and white cables into it. I've got this adatper that makes the cables go from 3 wires to 1, but I don't know if it still uses all the seperate speakers then.
You can take the red and white and get the converter to a headphone jack. But you wont be getting surround sound over that ....

The microsoft cables have a connector that turns the red and white speaker cables to ones you can use on your computer. And you can get 5.1 surround threw that. I have mine set up threw my output on my old sound card, so I can adjust settings threw my computer.

HomerCIDAL · Post by **HomerCIDAL** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 5:23 pm

I have a Samsung 30 inch HDTV (tube) and the picture quality is simply amazing. I would say that 19 inch Samsung linked in the original post would fit the bill!

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:00 pm

What are those audio converters called? Any links?

MulletMan13 · Post by **MulletMan13** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:31 pm

If you aren't looking to watch television on it at all, but instead just hooking up a console to it for DVDs/games... then you may want to check out Dell's LCD line.

Most of them have component input on them, and support ridiculous resolutions. Just throwing that out there as an option.

As for those audio converters they can be found at Radioshack. Standard composite/RCA audio to 1/8" minijack.

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 7:14 pm

I can't find them =\

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 7:50 pm

Mini plug-to-RCA cable is the exact name of those cables, iirc. I use one from my PC to stereo, and it's great.

Link

They can be found a lot cheaper then that usually.

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 8:01 pm

Sorry for sounding like a retard, but how would I connect it? If the audio cables on the VGA cable have male connectors, and the plugs on the surround sound system have male connectors, wouldn't I need an adatper with 2 female ends?

Wagh · Post by **Wagh** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 8:05 pm

Yeah. they make those aswell. Or you can get a little peice of metal that has female on both sides. They are like 25 cents at radio shack.

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 8:07 pm

Do you know what they are called?

MulletMan13 · Post by **MulletMan13** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 8:25 pm

ehh... couplers?

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 8:59 pm

I've searched for hours and can't find them >_>

Edit: I just realized that I will need to connect them through my sound card, not directly like I was thinking. So I just need the RCA to 1/8" mini jack cable.

Edit 2: I've got it all figured out now. I need the RCA to mini jack cable, then a minijack y splitter (so I can have my headphones and my speakers plugged in at the same time, I already have one, I need to find it).

No way to use my surround sound though? =\

royhubbs · Post by **royhubbs** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 9:48 pm

well here is a solution for the audio adapter problem. If you buy the vga cables from microsoft it includes the adapter.

Caboose · Post by **Caboose** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 9:51 pm

royhubbs wrote:well here is a solution for the audio adapter problem. If you buy the vga cables from microsoft it includes the adapter.

Thanks, I've been confused about this all day, problme solved

stagg · Post by **stagg** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:07 pm

stagg wrote:
Wagh wrote:
Caboose wrote:Hmm, that is good. I'm pretty much set on that monitor, but how will I connect my surround sound speakers? Does the VGA cable have a headphone jack or something? My speakers have 3 wires, and I can't plug in the red and white cables into it. I've got this adatper that makes the cables go from 3 wires to 1, but I don't know if it still uses all the seperate speakers then.
You can take the red and white and get the converter to a headphone jack. But you wont be getting surround sound over that ....
The microsoft cables have a connector that turns the red and white speaker cables to ones you can use on your computer. And you can get 5.1 surround threw that. I have mine set up threw my output on my old sound card, so I can adjust settings threw my computer.

Caboose wrote:
royhubbs wrote:well here is a solution for the audio adapter problem. If you buy the vga cables from microsoft it includes the adapter.

Thanks, I've been confused about this all day, problme solved

Fuck it, why do I even bother posting.