Anyone watch HDTV on their Dell 2405?

[GoingUp]

I'm looking for a TV to get for my bedroom, and I cant find an affordable LCD TV that I like. I am debating just getting a Dell 2405 and hooking up a digital HD cable box directly to the TV through DVI or Component cable. Will this work? Will I be able to watch HD TV on the Dell without a computer?

 

[rbV5]

I'd look a little harder for a LCD TV with HDCP and the proper aspect ratio. It should work however.

 

[GoingUp]

Originally posted by: rbV5
I'd look a little harder for a LCD TV with HDCP and the proper aspect ratio. It should work however.

I already have a Dell 2405... I was debatin gettin a second one. I suppose it couldnt urt to rent a HD cable box to test it out

 

[rbV5]

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs

Originally posted by: rbV5
I'd look a little harder for a LCD TV with HDCP and the proper aspect ratio. It should work however.

I already have a Dell 2405... I was debatin gettin a second one. I suppose it couldnt urt to rent a HD cable box to test it out

Or maybe borrow one if you know someone (cable box).Since you have one you can see if there are any oddities. I have heard rumors about certain cable boxes and DVI output wouldn't work on certain dislays, but component would.....but could be just hype about HDCP or whatnot. You're in a good position to see for yourself.

I wouldn't recommend the Viewsonic LCD TV I use for my bedroom without driving it with an HTPC unless the STB had some of its own stretch modes, I found it unacceptable really for standalone use.

 

[kylebisme]

Yeah the 2405 seems like a bad choice for this purpose as well as I hear that when hooking the STB directly to the Dell you have to watch 16:9 HD content squished to 16:10 as it doesn't have any aspect ratio settings to correct that.

 

[SynthDude2001]

Originally posted by: TheSnowman
Yeah the 2405 seems like a bad choice for this purpose as well as I hear that when hooking the STB directly to the Dell you have to watch 16:9 HD content squished to 16:10 as it doesn't have any aspect ratio settings to correct that.

Which input are you talking about? I watch 16:9 HD content on my 2005FPW (edit: from an internal PCI tuner, but it does output video separately on its own DVI output) with no problems and the aspect ratio preserved. Works fine over DVI, and while I obviously don't have any component inputs on my own monitor, I'd be surprised if you couldn't adjust the scaling settings for component too (on the 2405).

 

[Childs]

Originally posted by: SynthDude2001

Originally posted by: TheSnowman
Yeah the 2405 seems like a bad choice for this purpose as well as I hear that when hooking the STB directly to the Dell you have to watch 16:9 HD content squished to 16:10 as it doesn't have any aspect ratio settings to correct that.

Which input are you talking about? I watch 16:9 HD content on my 2005FPW (edit: from an internal PCI tuner, but it does output video separately on its own DVI output) with no problems and the aspect ratio preserved. Works fine over DVI, and while I obviously don't have any component inputs on my own monitor, I'd be surprised if you couldn't adjust the scaling settings for component too (on the 2405).

I did this for a little while as well, and I was surprised how well it looked. It was better than watching SD tv on a 27" 4:3 set thats for sure. Then I said what the hell and got a 30" LCD TV. Bigger is better, especially without the backlight problems of the 2005fpw.

 

[SynthDude2001]

Originally posted by: Childs

Originally posted by: SynthDude2001

Originally posted by: TheSnowman
Yeah the 2405 seems like a bad choice for this purpose as well as I hear that when hooking the STB directly to the Dell you have to watch 16:9 HD content squished to 16:10 as it doesn't have any aspect ratio settings to correct that.

Which input are you talking about? I watch 16:9 HD content on my 2005FPW (edit: from an internal PCI tuner, but it does output video separately on its own DVI output) with no problems and the aspect ratio preserved. Works fine over DVI, and while I obviously don't have any component inputs on my own monitor, I'd be surprised if you couldn't adjust the scaling settings for component too (on the 2405).

I did this for a little while as well, and I was surprised how well it looked. It was better than watching SD tv on a 27" 4:3 set thats for sure. Then I said what the hell and got a 30" LCD TV. Bigger is better, especially without the backlight problems of the 2005fpw.

Yep...it's not perfect, but it does work quite well. Ideal for my situation - I'm living in a rather small dorm room and don't have the money or desire to get a large separate HDTV yet...so the 2005FPW does it all for me

 

[alpha88]

It works great for me, with DVI

 

[kylebisme]

Originally posted by: SynthDude2001

Originally posted by: TheSnowman
Yeah the 2405 seems like a bad choice for this purpose as well as I hear that when hooking the STB directly to the Dell you have to watch 16:9 HD content squished to 16:10 as it doesn't have any aspect ratio settings to correct that.

Which input are you talking about? I watch 16:9 HD content on my 2005FPW (edit: from an internal PCI tuner, but it does output video separately on its own DVI output) with no problems and the aspect ratio preserved. Works fine over DVI, and while I obviously don't have any component inputs on my own monitor, I'd be surprised if you couldn't adjust the scaling settings for component too (on the 2405).

Yeah, I was talking about component. From what I have been told, the component input on the 2405 doesn't alow such adjustment.

 

[L00PY]

Originally posted by: TheSnowman
Yeah, I was talking about component. From what I have been told, the component input on the 2405 doesn't alow such adjustment.

You were told wrong. You have the 1:1/Fill/Aspect Ratio options when using the component inputs. When fed a 1080i signal over component, the display recognizes it as such and shows black bars when told to. Just tried it out myself.

And 16:9 HD content would be stretched to 16:10 if you told it to fill, not squished.

 

[kylebisme]

I mean sqwished as in not as wide, but yeah in other words it stretched verticaly. I just brought it up because I had seen people with the monitor complaining about not being able to get the aspect ratio right with their 360s and were saying that 1:1/Fill/Aspect Ratio options werent avalable over component, but then I suppose those people might have simply been looking in the wrong place.