Best TV for connecting a computer?

[cwright]

My roommates and I are looking to get a huge TV within the next few months... but I want to make sure that whatever we get can be hooked up to my mac at full resolution.

The problem is that it looks like all new TVs have only Component and HDMI inputs–none seem to have DVI inputs anymore. And, the TVs with HDMI usually mention that they are not supposed to be used with a computer.

Anyway, I'm just curious to see who's made this work anyway, and with what TV and video adapters? I have an X800XT video card in my G5, and I'd like to get a 1080p TV and use it as a 2nd (or mirrored) display from my computer with the full 1920x1080 resolution. I guess I'd need to get an ADC–DVI adapter cable, a DVI-HDMI adapter, and then a really long HDMI cable. Has anyone successfully done this?

Also, I know it would work well as a 2nd display, but what would happen when I try to mirror the displays? My main monitor is 1920x1200, but how would it mirror video to a 1920x1080 TV? Would I just lose the extra vertical pixels on my LCD, or would the TV just squeeze in the pixels to make them fit?

Thanks!

 

[jdechko]

I've never hooked a computer up through DVI/HDMI so I wouldn't know. I'm not sure why the TV says it wouldn't be good for use as a monitor, but it may have to do with refresh rates.

But as far as I know, the X800XT doesn't support ADC, so you wouldn't need to buy a ADC-DVI adapter; and you can just buy one cable that does DVI-HDMI (link).

As for your last question, most of the time, a computer will recognize the external monitor as a TV (not sure about Macs), and you can adjust the resolution through the displays (which may or may not have 1920x1080).

Best of luck, let us know how it works; I'm considering doing something like that when I get a PM).

EDIT: Just make sure you get a TV that works with HDCP... the HD encryption scheme. If not, you'll be SOL when it comes to using your new TV with the shiny new Blu-Ray DVD player.

This is a pretty good article that may help. http://www.hdbeat.com/2006/02/08/how-to-connect-your-pc-to-your-hdtv/

 

[cwright]

the X800XT doesn't support ADC, so you wouldn't need to buy a ADC-DVI adapter

I haven't actually looked at the graphics card in a long time, but I'm pretty sure it has one DVI port and one ADC port. It was the NVidia Geforce 6800 Ultra that had two DVI ports, not the X800XT.

Thanks for the article though. It was an interesting read. And that DisplayConfigX app linked in the article I'm sure will be useful when connecting to a TV.

I'll let you know how it goes, although It will be at least 3-4 months before it happens. I just wanted to see if it was feasible.