How to use your TV as a monitor, inside...

S

SMD1990

New Member
Last night, I finally got my SONY LCD TV working as a computer monitor. The image clearity is almost as good as a CRT monitor's if it isn't the same. With a little adjusting of my TV's settings, I'm sure I can get the current clearity even better.

So, just how did I do it? Many have said it can't be done. And while I haven't gotten all resolutions working yet, a good majority do. Below is how I got my custom-built computer to use my LCD TV basically just like it would a CRT computer monitor.

ATI Radeon 9800 XT
Sony KLV-23M1
Monster Cable HDMI400/DVI-1M

Those are the parts I used to clearly display computer images on my TV.

Now, while I used the Radeon 9800 XT, any ATI graphics card that can support dual monitors and has a DVI port should work fine. An S-VIDEO port is also needed to replicate my steps more closely. That Monster Cable is a HDMI-to-DVI adapter cable since my TV doesn't have a DVI input. Odds are, you won't be able to get the overpriced Sony KLV-23M1. I'm almost positive any HD LCD TV will work fine. As of the posting of this thread, I don't know how HD CRT TVs compare. I don't own one yet.

Anyway, the following are the steps to getting you HDTV to function as a computer monitor without the blurriness...





After installing Windows XP, install the drivers for your ATI graphics card. Once that is done, turn the computer off. Odds are, it will be nearly impossible if not completely impossible to read any text with a secondary TV connected by way of S-VIDEO. Using a VGA monitor to install Windows XP and the drivers might be best. To follow my steps to getting your TV to work as a monitor, you will need to have a secondary TV connected with a S-VIDEO cable. I'm sure you can do it with a VGA monitor. You might have to do some different things though. I don't know.

Note: Should you use a VGA-connected monitor when installing Windows and the drivers for the graphics card, make sure to turn Windows on once with only the secondary TV connected to make sure you'll get an image on it.

Once Windows has shut down, connect your TV to the graphics card's DVI port. Should it be a normal DVI cable, a DVI-to-component adapter, or a DVI-to-HDMI adapter should make no real difference to setting it up. Also make sure to have the secondary TV connected to the S-VIDEO port. Once that is done and both TVs are turned on, power up Windows. There might not be any video before Windows starts. Even once it has started, only one display may have anything on it.

Once Windows is on, go to the Control Panel and click Display. I am assuming you are using the Classic View as I was. Now, go to Settings and click on Advanced. You should see a lot of tabs. Click the one that says Displays. With my computer, there were four options. The bottom ones are TV and DFP. If the secondary TV isn't displaying anything as mine was, there will be a red thing by its name. Clicking that and applying the change should cause both TVs to display the screen.

Chances are, you'll only be able to use the 640 X 480 resolution. Though I found a way to allow the other resolutions to be options, my LCD TV's screen went blank if they were selected. Who knows? You might have several resolutions to choice from. They might actually display on your LCD TV as well. In case they don't, do like I did and follow my next step.

Now, close everything and go online. Then, go to ATI's website and download the latest drivers for Catalyst. Version 6.4 was what was the latest as of last night. Once that is done, restart the computer. Once it is back on, when you go to the Settings tab under Display, there should be more than one resolution to pick. I, personally, didn't need to mess with the Catalyst Control Center. It has some advanced options. You may need to mess around with it. As I said, I did not.





And there it is. It might look like a lot, but it's not really. It took me a good couple of hours last night. And, it was absolutely worth it. Even though I still can't view all of the resolutions, most do work. I suggest you experiment (with the secondary TV connected) to find what resolutions do work. They all might. I don't know what the problem is with mine. It might just be my TV or something.

So, ummm, if you wish to use you HD LCD TV as a computer monitor, I suggest you try this. Especially if you've already spent a lot of money being the parts. This might fix your blurriness problem like it did mine. I can't think why it wouldn't.

Now, this might work for the HD CRT TVs also. As I said, I don't know. Should anyone have any questions or need any help, please, just ask. I'll try to check back several times a day just in case someone needs assistance.
 
Also, when it comes to playing games and such that change the resolution, you might need to use the secondary TV so that you can change the resolution to a working one for your HDTV.

That is what I had to do to get SimCity 4 working. The only resolution is has that I can get to work on my SONY LCD TV is the 800 X 600 one.

After changing the resolution though, I had no problems with it not displaying.
 
computerhakk said:
great. so its basically just like a dual monitor eh.. i thought you meant the tv itself.. but great.. good luck
Click to expand...
No, no, no, no, no. You need a secondary monitor to set it up (as well as set up some games up possibly). However, once wverything is set up, the secondary monitor isn't needed.

The only problem is with some resolutions making my TV screen go blank.

A solution to not having to have a secondary monitor is to just plug your HDTV in with the S-VIDEO cable as well. By just switching to a different input, you could change the resolution without the need of a temporary secondary TV.
 
But wouldn't that be the equivalent of having a tv with monitor support? Like you said in your last sentence.

Would it really be worth it? Void any warranties or anything? If the tv isn't meant for that kind of thing.. which I am not sure with yours, wouldn't the life of the tv diminish..

How much was the build cost for it for those three things.

But again, great find and instructions
 
computerhakk said:
But wouldn't that be the equivalent of having a tv with monitor support? Like you said in your last sentence.

Would it really be worth it? Void any warranties or anything? If the tv isn't meant for that kind of thing.. which I am not sure with yours, wouldn't the life of the tv diminish..

How much was the build cost for it for those three things.

But again, great find and instructions
Click to expand...
Well, thank you...

As for you questions, I'm not sure what you mean by a TV with monitor support. Do you mean that you have to have a monitor or secondary TV for cases when the resolution changes and your TV can't display it? If so, I just had a thought. I don't know why this didn't come to me earlier but it didn't. You don't actually need a monitor or secondary TV to set up anything for your HDTV. If you connect the HDTV (instead of a secondary TV or monitor) to the S-VIDEO port, you can use it for times when the resolution needs to be changed. The blurriness problem will exist on that input just as it does for any other secondary TV. It'll just exist for that input though. Unless someone is short on inputs, that could be an option. Of course, a VGA monitor will be needed if reading sharp text while changing a few settings in important.

I find using my TV as a monitor to be completely worth it. It allows me to have everything on one screen instead of having a TV as well as a monitor. I mean, my DVD player and my Gamecube are connected to it. Why does the computer have to have its own screen? Despite what everyone said about it not being possible (especially at computer monitor quality), it is. It's stunning. I'm sure everything being larger also helps. That's another thing that is nice. While the pixels may technically be a smidge larger, you can make there be just enough blur so that it isn't noticable.

I don't know about if it voids any warranties. If anyone is concerned about that, I suggest you contact the manufacturer. I don't see why it would. Sony never mentioned anything to me about it voiding anything. No one has until now. Besides, you're not opening up anything on the TV or anything.

About the TV's life diminishing. I really don't know. Time will tell. My TV isn't PC Compatible. It is a normal HD LCD TV. There is no PC hook-up. It doesn't mentioning using a TV with it anywhere.

Now, there is the risk of burn-in with some types of TVs. CRT monitors have the same risk though.

Come to think of it, you might be able to damage the TV if you run your computer at too high a resolution and/or frequency. The format and frequency can be adjusted using the Catalyst Control Center. I didn't mess with that since it warned me that about possible damage to my TV if I ran it at an unsupported format and frequency.

As for the cost, it was pretty great. The TV was way overpriced. I didn't know that at the time. It cost $1500. The DVI-to-HDMI adapter cable is the most expensive of the cables. ATI's DVI-to-component is cheaper even after buying a component cable. A normal DVI-to-DVI cable is bound to be the same price or less. Anyway, the cable cost $100. The video card cost at the time around $500. It was top of the line then, however.

In total for those three parts, it cost me maybe $2100. I've looked though and you could probably get all you need for possibly a little under $1000. And that depends on the size of the TV of course.

That price estimate is for all three parts though. Many probably already have a HDTV. I'm sure a lot of games already have the graphics card that will work. The kciker will be if it is an ATI graphics card. I've never messed with any others so I don't know if they ahve software that make it possible for them.

I hope that answers everything. I just posted this for those who would like to use their TV as a monitor can know how. I'm not expecting everyone to drop what they are doing and ditch their monitors. I've just seen several threads here about using a TV as a monitor and posted a possible solution.
 
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