TV as a monitor

[waynezo]

I have the ati 8500 dv all in wonder card. I just hooked up a 20" apex tv as a second monitor with an S-video cable to the dongle.
I can drag windows over to it but the clarity is lousy I can't read the text and there is a lot of flickering. Could it be I don't have it configured right or is a tv just not enough resolution for use as a monitor? The card won't support 2 monitors, would a better tv with more lines of resolution work or do I still need the dot pitch of a monitor?

[VHockey86]

TVs plain and simple have low resolution... You'll need to get one of those special TV-Monitors or an HDTV if you want to have anything above 480x360 (I think thats the default tv resolution but im not positive)

tvs resolution are not that great. What you are seeing is about the best it will get.

[Prexaspes]

Lower the output to 800x600 or less. TV quality varies from card to card in my experience. As long as you use only S-Video from the card and into the TV with no adapters, you're getting the best possible quality for TV out.

[waynezo]

Thanks for the feedback. Looks like I'll be returning the tv.

[ArcticFox]

Good luck getting one that doesn't look fuzzy. You'll need a flat-panel TV maybe an HDTV to look at least half-way decent.

[Peter M]

Come on guys, we don't really have to go through this five times a day. As has been elaborated in a zillion posts already, computer image on TV will ALWAYS and EVER be fuzzy, simply because the bandwidth of the RCA/SVideo signal standard doesn't allow it getting any better. End of story.

[waynezo]

I plan to get a second video card,pci, and hook up my xtra 19" kds monitor so I can extend my desktop. Will I still be able to use ati's hydravision software?
PNY GeForce4 MX420 64MB SDR PCI TV Out Video Card is on sale at tiger direct for $29.00.
any advice or opinion will be apreciated
My system,
Athlon xp2400 cpu
Gigabyte GA-7vaxp mb with promise onboard raid controller
kingston value ram 512ddr pc3200 400mhz
dual 80gig maxtor hd's 7200rpm ata 133 raid 0
artec 16X DVD-ROM
cyberdrive 40X16X48 CDRW
ati all in wonder 8500dv video card
Nokia 21" 445Xpro Monitor
antec 430 watt true power ps
ahanix platinum xp steel case
windows xp home

[Peter M]

Hydravision will only address what's on ATi cards. The GF card will be managed by its own drivers.

But why do that? Get a halfway decent ATi PCI card (Radeon 7500 or 9000) - that'll give you TWO more monitor connections, and keep it all together on ONE driver set.

[Prexaspes]

Get the PCI Visiontek Xtacy 9100 for $49.99 at Tiger Direct, if you are going to shop there.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...%20W&CatId=319

It has the same core as the Radeon 8500 LE, and two outputs.