Using Television in lieu of monitor??

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Honey Badger Don't Give A Shit
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My two main televisions just a couple years old, but no VGA jack.

Anyone know of a device where I can plug in my PC on one end and then into the television via the red/yellow/white plugs (in whatever combination)
 

Where Taconite Is Just A Low Grade Ore
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Boy Is This Subject Timely For Me

I`m in the middle of trying to decide what to do. Due to my limited abilities to sit & get comfortable I haven`t been able to use a keyboard & monitor. So am on WEBTV which uses the TV screen. But has VERY limited uses. My kids want to get me a computer and I`ve been fighting it. But found out yeserday about the jacks on newer TV`s where you can use them as a monitor, DUH!! My TV as is yours is only 2 or 3 yrs old, a Sony but this model doesn`t have the right jacks either. So I either try the device you`re mentioning or get a new Sony. Which I have been thining about since I don`t have HD. Need to decide in the next wk or so. BTW what`s the best internet provider? I want one where I can use the phone while online, which I can`t w/WebTv. Also speedier. Comcast is way too pricey over $40 a mo., how about Qwest? Thanks
 

Honey Badger Don't Give A Shit
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Well, your choices begin based on where you're located and what's offered in your market.

I'll presume for the moment you are in a population area sufficient to offer "broadband", which is the upward evolution compared to your current "dialup" service which takes over your phone line.

Broadband is offered in two primary forms - Cable and "DSL" (Direct Satellite Link).

Cable is what it sounds like. The high speed (most broadband is at least 10-15x faster than dialup) feed comes in on your television cable system and can be used at same time as you might be watching cable TV feed.

I myself don't have that style, so not precisely sure how it hooks up. I presume there's an extra physical cable that splits off your television feed and connects to a Router which the Cable internet provider will give to you as part of your deal.

"DSL", which I have, comes in on your telephone line, but does not require you to surrender your telephone access.

You use a "splitter" (about a $3 part) that plugs into your phone jack and has two Outgoing ports. The first port is what you connect your telephone to and the second port is what you connect your Router to. (Again, the Router should be part of your deal with ISP)

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As for the "best" internet provider, if you're in a major population center, there's likely little overall difference in whether you buy it from your telephone provider (Verizon in my own case) or your Cable TV provider.

Hell these days, many companies offer both telephone, ISP and cable television, so you can shop under one roof.

Basic telephone service with essentially free long distance in USA + DSL broadband + basic cable television feed sells for about $100 a month in most major markets.
 

Honey Badger Don't Give A Shit
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Okay...sorry, I read your post a bit closer.

Broadband service independently purchased is going to be between $40-50 a month in most markets.

I realize that with WebTV you probably pay what - $10 a month?

But all I can tell you is that once you get a real PC, even the most trim version from Walmart etc (like $400 or a bit less) and then you get broadband, you will NEVER regret upgrading your budget to the $40-50 a month range.

I used a WebTV back in 1999 (smile).....and it was handy to skim the internet VERY SLOWLY

But hey, it's 2008 now....Get a PC and broadband and don't look back
 

Honey Badger Don't Give A Shit
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We recently purchased an HDTV flatscreen for the bedroom and it has the VGA jack, but it's not practical for me to try and use my PC in there.

Thus my looking to score the $40some converter with it's 10 foot cable so I can run it from back of my PC in office across room to the six year old 31" TV
 

Where Taconite Is Just A Low Grade Ore
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Barman Thanks For The "Ground Floor" Tutorial

Most when explaining "assume" the questioner (me) is versed in the subject, i.e. WWW! Yeah I`ve been w/WebTv since 2000, it was initially a gift. And generally for what I want it`s been OK! But now my daughters want to take the OLD Man into the 21st century. Since my last post I`ve checked w/Qwest to get phone & DSL, cost approx. $38 + tax. Web is 22 a mo., and phone avg. around 20, so not much dif.! They send my a phone jack modem for $59, which is offset by a $50 certificate. So I`ve been wanting a HD Tv anyway, so I`m getting a Sony and will go to Best Buy Mon. to check out a PC. My daughter suggests Dell, which is in the price range I want. I don`t need something w/all the bells and whistles as I don`t play any video games or online bidding which I understand some people need. Anyway since @ my age (ancient) this is one of my major sources on entertainment, so what the hell. Sports, BS on the RX, reading, sorry to say that`s about it. Looking forward to the faster access and not being told "your browser will not support this" anymore! Once again thanks for the help. GO VIKES!!!!!!!
 

Where Taconite Is Just A Low Grade Ore
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Another "DUH" Q From A Total Tyro

Since you`ve been so much help. What do the terms "flash player" & "Java script" mean? Does this have to do with browser capabilites?
 
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Honey Badger Don't Give A Shit
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Flash player is a separate program which is easily downloadable for free into a PC that may not have it.

It is used to view YouTube style video feeds. Also employed by many news, sports and porn sites for their streaming video.

Javascript is another low level program which runs a variety of web-based applications like certan types of popup windows and refreshing scoreboards for example.

Again, it should come standard with most PCs now days, but is free to download otherwise.

Both would not be present if you're using WebTV and while on a website you request to see something that requires them.
 

Honey Badger Don't Give A Shit
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If you're having a challenge with sitting at a desk or tabletop for PC, you might find it long term useful to just buy a Dell laptop.

It costs a bit more than desktop but otherwise is same system with smaller screen. And it's more easily transportable around your house or away from home.

My objection to laptops is the smaller keyboard. But you can buy a "USB-connect" keyboard for about $30 which has a different end on it that is compatible with the back of a laptop (as compared to a standard PC keyboard).

This allows you to use laptop, but with a full sized keyboard which sure makes for easier typing.

You can also purchase for about $20 or so, a "USB-style" mouse that plugs into the back of the laptop so that you're not using the laptop built-in pointer.

Laptop pointers (aka mouse) are easy enough to use with some practice, but they're certainly different than the long established mouse used for regular desktop scenes.
 

Where Taconite Is Just A Low Grade Ore
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Barman Appreciate All Your Help

Yes I have considered a lap top. But I pretty much park my ass in LazEBoy and there I sit. So the TV screen is what I`m accostomed to. Talked to Qwest again & BB, so I`m all set for this wk. The pain in the butt will be trans. all my "favorites" to the new system. And maybe picking a new email add., something like "hunkahunk love"? Thanks again ):
 

Honey Badger Don't Give A Shit
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See if WEBTV has an "export" feature which allows you to export your Favorites into an email which can then be sent to your new Yahoo (for example) email and then Imported into your new browser.
 

Honey Badger Don't Give A Shit
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Don't have the conversion cable yet, but I did move the 27" HD flatscreen into my office and due to a lack of a stand, I just put it securely on the top of my desk as far back as I could safely sit it - which means it was about four feet from my eyes as I sat back in my office chair with my PC monitor at about 2oclock.

WOW.....I still need to get a television for my office now that Barman Jr took the one I've been using for past several years.

But I'm getting that converter ordered tomorrow so I can have it on hand as soon as I have a television ready.
 

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I use an olevia 37in hdtv for my monitor, i upgraded from 2x24in widescreens.
Its just too much real estate and the resolution is fuckin shitty (1360x768), whereas my 24 in ones ran 1920x1200 each.
Check if you have a svideo port on your video card for your pc, you could do it that way as well
 

Where Taconite Is Just A Low Grade Ore
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Bar Since You've Been So Kind

another "newbie Q". I've gotten about 20 dif. replies to this. When I'm thru using my PC for a while 2 hrs or 10, is it OK just to leave it in the "sleep" mode or should I turm it off? Some guys say they just leave theirs run. It's a lot easier that way. Does it do any harm to the computer? Thanks in advance.
 

Honey Badger Don't Give A Shit
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SILVER, I turn off my desktop only when leaving town (though I do reboot once or more per day to clear any cyber fog).

I've had this one running without complaint since summer 2004.

I do turn off my laptop when not in use because it's harder to keep cool with no fan.
 

Honey Badger Don't Give A Shit
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HONKEE, thanks for the feedback. I'm not sure how to check for "s port on my video card". I presume it would be an input of some kind on the back of my PC? (2004 model HP Pavillion)

Checked Control Panel for info, but don't have a clue yet.
 

Where Taconite Is Just A Low Grade Ore
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Thanks Bar. I'm getting there, slow but sure. Hell of a learning curve for an old guy, but the speed makes it well worth it!
 

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AT&T now offers DSL with NO landline necessary. Handy for "cell-only" phone folks.

AT&T also offers "bundle" packages to get DSL (various speeds...i have 6.0 version & LOVE it), DirecTV or DISH TV, cellular service, &, of course, local & long distance IF you want it.


www.att.com

much cheaper than cable.
 

Honey Badger Don't Give A Shit
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urp...got off my ass and googled this

http://sewelldirect.com/pc-to-tv.asp

If anyone has used this device and/or something compatible, please comment on your experience

Fellas, I ordered this converter and received it Saturday.

It works GREAT and is just $38 plus about $8 for shipping FedEx Ground.

My HewlettPackard PC only has the VGA Out, so here's how it works here.

The converter comes with a double VGA connector that makes it possible for me to use the VGA OUT on my PC to go VGA IN to the converter. There's a choice of using either an RCA connector or an S-video to then send the signal from the converter to my television.

I have about a five year old 27" Sony television with both RCA and S-video ports. The instructions for the converter say that the S-video makes for a better picture so that's what I'm doing, though I did try the RCA and frankly can't tell much of a difference.

And there's an extra VGA OUT on the converter itself which I can then use to send the PC video feed to my normal desktop monitor, thereby giving me a double display (19" monitor and 27" television).

The text on the television is maybe 5-10% "blurry" compared to the normal monitor display, but it's still totally readable what with my having my television set up on a small dresser which is flush with the back side of my desk. Therefore the television screen is about four feet from my eyes.

Have used it also for streaming video and it's solid, though I had to tinker a bit with my television's video settings (Color, Brightness, Hue etc) to get a close match with what is being displayed on my monitor.
 

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