x700 & x1600 and HDTV's

[JFvergara]

Anyone have any experience with these GPU's and HDTV's? Im thinking of buying this...

http://www.costco.ca/en-CA/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10287552&whse=BCCA&topnav=&cat=3316&hierPath=79*3316*

but i'm not sure if a DVI > HDMI connection will produce a crystal clear picture...:scratch:

[The Doctor]

DVI and HDMI are the same standard video-wise, the only difference is that HDMI cables carry sound as well as picture.

[JFvergara]

That's not my question, perhaps I wasn't being specific enough.

Does ANYONE have any experience with the x700/x1600 using a DVI to HDMI connection to connect their laptop to the HDTV?

I've heard some troubling things from some people who have been using DVI to HDMI connections like quality being grainy or the resolution being out of sync.

[Wiz33]

The problem is not between the DVI to HDMI connection. It's the TV software on how to handle the HDMI inputs and weither you videocard support the 1366x768 res.

Most HDTV designed primary for TV viewing will overscan an HDMI signal so it will overfill the screen by a few pixel on every side. The problem is that with a PC input. Even if you set your PC for the correct native res for the TV, with the overscan, you are not getting a pixel by pixel match so you are basically getting the same image quality as if you are running on non-native res. The good news is that most of the newer HDTV (especially those from company they also makes PC LCDs) will have additional HDMI settings that will bypass the overscan. Since Viewsonic is primary a PC LCD manufacturer, I'm sure their set will be fine.

As to weither the X700 can handle it. The answer is yes. My 8104's DVI port will handle anything up to 1600x1200/1680x1050 with no problem. Beyond that, it's hit and miss. Mine have no problem with a Dell 2405 at 1920x1200 but have problem with my Sceptre 42" LCD from Costco at 1920x1080. I borrowed an 8204 and the X1600 have no problem with either.

Also, depending on how long a video cable you'll be needing to connect to the TV, you may want to go VGA instead as DVI will suffer more signal degradation over long distance (over 2 meters) vs VGA. If you need cables longer than 2 meters, definately invest in some good quality cable from:

http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp

My I ask what you are planning on using this monitor for? The 1366x768 res is an oddball res for watching HDTV as you won't get native res from either a 720P or 1080i broadcast. and as a desktop monitor for PC use, I would assume that you would want a higher res. I know a lot of manufacturer is using that res nowaday but it's more of a stop gap until they can get more of the true 1080p panels to market at a decent price.

[JFvergara]

Now that's the kind of response I was looking for!

Thanks, very informative. I didnt even know that there were problems regarding overscan and such.

As for the monitor, it's probably the cheapest HDTV set out right now. At a thousand dollars canadian it looks like a steal. I'll be using it mostly for DVD/HDTV movies and for stuff I download off the net. With the occasional game of WC3 on the computer. I'm also planning on buying an xbox360 so I'd like to have a panel that could utilize that.

I have like an old 20 inch tube TV in my bedroom right now and it would be a shame to waste an xbox360 on that so I figured I'd dump the money on an LCDTV...

However as a traveller I can not afford to waste a huge amount of money on a TV so I'm trying to get the best bang for buck right now.

Opinions?

[Wiz33]

That's a fairly sweet screen for the price. I myself (as seen on my post) would want a screen that will give me full 1080i/p without compression. I would say if you can catch a Dell 2405(2407 if you want HDMI) when they are on sale, it would be worth a look if you are willing to trade the size for the additonal res.

[duckwing89]

Hi,
I used an S-Video to connect my ferrari and Pioneer Plasma. It works, but when you try to play a video, the video shows up as nothing but black. What cables should I use? Can you get a crystal clear HD display from my ferrari on my HDPlasma?

[Wiz33]

Hi,
I used an S-Video to connect my ferrari and Pioneer Plasma. It works, but when you try to play a video, the video shows up as nothing but black. What cables should I use? Can you get a crystal clear HD display from my ferrari on my HDPlasma?


What input does the Pioneer have? Does it have HDMI, DVI or component? Any of those will give you a better picture than S-Video.

You also have to swtich the primary display to the Plasma to have the video play, it won't work if you have it as an extended desktop.

[jaad75]

What input does the Pioneer have? Does it have HDMI, DVI or component? Any of those will give you a better picture than S-Video.

You also have to swtich the primary display to the Plasma to have the video play, it won't work if you have it as an extended desktop. It will work. Just drag video window to your extended desktop and turn full screen on. If you set your second screen's resolution properly, it should work with no problems. Some applications allow you to fullscreen on display two - you can find that option in context menu usually. If you have cloned desktop you should swap your primary and secondary display - usually there is no chance to have movie on both, but it depends on application and video card. And of course only DVI or HDMI can give you full resolution, S-Video is only slightly better than regular composite connection.