About to get a Vizio VX32L HDTV 32" LCD to use for a computer monitor.

[leglez]

I am about to trade a Nintendo wii for a New in Box Vizio VX32L. I am going to use this to replace my old 19" HannsG LCD and pair it along with my Dell 2407WFP. I am going to also use it for my xbox 360, and to watch tv but rarely. This will be the first HDTV I have ever used for a monitor.

Since it has 2 HDMI inputs will I just need to get a DVI - HDMI cable for the monitor and a HDMI cable for the xbox?

Right now my 360 is hooked up to the dell and then going through a stereo's AUX in. Will I need to do this even though the TV has speakers? I have never used HDMI before so does it carry audio and video through it or just video?

 

[cmdrdredd]

HDMI will do audio and video, but for your xbox you can get and probably have to find an adapter to do audio from optical or stereo. Since you may not have HDMI audio capabilities on your stereo. If you just want to use the TV speakers then your 360 only needs the HDMI cable and nothing more.

I think you may be confusing what a monitor and a HDTV is. If you use this as your monitor you plug your PC into it and I would not ever recommend using it in that form. Use your Dell Panel. Because it will have a sharper picture and display computer text and everything alot better than that TV. It's good for your Xbox though. You are almost right about hooking up your PC to it. You can run HDMi to it from a compatable card like an 8500/8600/8800GT/GTS or the HD2900/HD2600/HD3850 etc. Or you may have to resort to using the TV out and doing Component if your card offers that.

 

[leglez]

No sorry, I didn't explain that very good. I currently have a dual monitor setup with the Dell and my Hanns G monitor. I am using a horrible video card but it does what I need it to. I never game on my pc so thats not a big deal. Its an X800XL. I am wanting to get rid of the Hanns G 19" LCD Monitor and replace it with the Vizio 32" HDTV. I will have VGA going to the Dell and get an DVI - HDMI cable and use that for the Vizio.

I prefer to watch movies and whatnot on my PC rather than stream to another place in the house to watch. Thats why I am wanting the bigger screen area.

Do you happen to know if there is an adapter that I could use for the xbox audio. I want to use both the TV's audio and the stereo audio. The stereo only has RCA in so I can't do optical. So is there any adapter that does but HDMI and RCA audio.

 

[hans007]

i have this tv....

if you use a hdmi 360, you dont need to hook up audio. if you have a non hdmi 360, you have to use stereo cables obviously.

it actually has 2 hdmi, but 1 hdmi port has 2 stereo rcas for it (they i think were expecting people to use adapters for non hdmi stuff lik edvi things) and one is a normal hdmi port. i think the hdmi port that has 2 rca stereo next to it, doesnt carry audio, but im not sure.

that is a pertty awesome trade though,

or whoever you are trading is just plain desperate for a wii.

 

[leglez]

Hey hans007 could you possibly try plugging something in to the HDMI port with the 2 rca ports and see if audio does go through it? Thanks for the information! And yeah I know the guy bought a new tv and then won this at an auction at his work and so I just lucked out haha.

 

[hans007]

Originally posted by: leglez
Hey hans007 could you possibly try plugging something in to the HDMI port with the 2 rca ports and see if audio does go through it? Thanks for the information! And yeah I know the guy bought a new tv and then won this at an auction at his work and so I just lucked out haha.

well im on vacation at my parents house... my TV is 400 miles away. i will try it with my hd-dvd player though when i get back if you want.

the hdmi audio for sure works on the port that does not have the 2 rca. i read on some AV forum that the one with the rca ports,

if you say flip to "HDMI 2" which is what it is labeled it will get he audio from the rca ports. not sure what happens if there is nothign plugged into the rca ports but i'd hope it got it from the hdmi cable in that case.

there is even a little box aruond the 2 rca ports and the hdmi port, to group them together on th eback panel.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: leglez
No sorry, I didn't explain that very good. I currently have a dual monitor setup with the Dell and my Hanns G monitor. I am using a horrible video card but it does what I need it to. I never game on my pc so thats not a big deal. Its an X800XL. I am wanting to get rid of the Hanns G 19" LCD Monitor and replace it with the Vizio 32" HDTV. I will have VGA going to the Dell and get an DVI - HDMI cable and use that for the Vizio.

I prefer to watch movies and whatnot on my PC rather than stream to another place in the house to watch. Thats why I am wanting the bigger screen area.

Do you happen to know if there is an adapter that I could use for the xbox audio. I want to use both the TV's audio and the stereo audio. The stereo only has RCA in so I can't do optical. So is there any adapter that does but HDMI and RCA audio.

The Microsoft HDMi cable is $50 but it comes with the adapter. Or you can pop off the plastic around the plug that goes into your xbox on the standard cable and then you can fit an HDMI cable in there with it. Just hook the audio from the standard cable to your stereo.

 

[leglez]

Ok I got the LCD and got it hooked up. I don't have my PC currently so I just hooked it up to cable and my 360. I currently just have the 360 going through VGA to the LCD and running 720P I believe (the resolution is set to 1360 x 768). I tried 1920 x 1080, but that doesn't work so I am guessing thats 1080P, so I am guessing the best I can get is 1360 x 768. I forgot to get a HDMI cable when i went to the store and picked up the wii today. So if I do go get an HDMI cable will it have a better picture than with VGA? I am probably going to get an HDMI cable anyways so that I can run the pc through the Dell using DVI, and the Vizio using VGA. Just thought I would ask if I should except any cleaner picture.