Can I get HDTV on my computer monitor instead of a $1000 TV?

[LordJezo]

Any way to just get my monitor to display an HDTV signal through an HDTV card or something like that?


And do cable companies charge extra for the HDTV signal or does it come along with the regular signal?

 

[spidey07]

yes, get a HD tuner card and you're all set.

Whether your cable company charges is totally up to your provider.

 

[Electric Amish]

Yes, but why would you want to?

 

[LordJezo]

Originally posted by: Electric Amish
Yes, but why would you want to?

Cause its cheaper then a $1000 tv and just as good?

So where does one get an HDTV tuner card?

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: Electric Amish
Yes, but why would you want to?

Because the monitor is already in place. The $1000+ TV isn't.

This interests me as well. Is the picture just as good on a HDTV set in your living room, or do you lose quality as with a regular tuner card in your comp?

 

[royaldank]

I'm pretty sure most cable companies charge a little extra for the HD signals. Well, maybe not the signals, but the tuner to receive them will cost you a little more each month.

 

[ndee]

1080i is 1920x1080 right? Not sure if your monitor can handle that or am I totally out of the picture?

 

[rh71]

You selfish bastids !

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: ndee
1080i is 1920x1080 right? Not sure if your monitor can handle that or am I totally out of the picture?

My monitor does 1920x1440

 

[GRIFFIN1]

At this time, HDTV cards will not work with digital cable. They are only good for getting OTA (over the air?) channels that you can get with an antenna. You might be able to get a component to VGA adaptor that will convert the component output of cable HDTV box to a VGA input that your monitor can handle.

 

[EvilYoda]

Talk to Conjur, he has it going in his system as I type...but getting HDTV quality on a dinky screen (even 21" is small) almost defeats the purpose if you can't output it to a larger screen or projector. You'll be looking at around $300 for a decent card, and then you're gonna need a cheap antennae too.

 

[arod]

I dont think there are any cards that can tune HDTV cable signals yet, the next revision of the cards will be able to tune QAM signals (which is what cable uses)... cant remember for sure if its called QAM but its something close if its not (just letter differences), but there are a few kinds of modulation in HDTV signals.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: arod
I dont think there are any cards that can tune HDTV cable signals yet, the next revision of the cards will be able to tune QAM signals (which is what cable uses)... cant remember for sure if its called QAM but its something close if its not (just letter differences), but there are a few kinds of modulation in HDTV signals.

my bad then. I thought they could do QAM.

 

[Fiveohhh]

been looking into this myself, you can get a fusion ii for 160 or so, and I DL';d some demos and its awesome looking. there are also other card, but the HW decoders cost more, but you need a decent cpu for the software(fusion) card. If you want to watch tv while sitting at your desk its nice, but to use a monitor as your main screen sucks. I can get all the networks OTA digital stations, using my hauppauge wintv-d card. if you do get an hdtv your still going to need a tuner(with most tvs) to pick up OTA signals.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Quadrature Amplitude Modulation. Basically it sends 4 bits/clock by shifting both the phase and amplitude.

HDTV tuner card?

 

[ndee]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: ndee
1080i is 1920x1080 right? Not sure if your monitor can handle that or am I totally out of the picture?

My monitor does 1920x1440

I could only stand at LEAST 85hz, 100hz prefered

 

[Electric Amish]

Originally posted by: LordJezo

Originally posted by: Electric Amish
Yes, but why would you want to?

Cause its cheaper then a $1000 tv and just as good?

So where does one get an HDTV tuner card?

It's not just as good unless you have a 30+" monitor.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: Electric Amish

Originally posted by: LordJezo

Originally posted by: Electric Amish
Yes, but why would you want to?

Cause its cheaper then a $1000 tv and just as good?

So where does one get an HDTV tuner card?

It's not just as good unless you have a 30+" monitor.

Or you can sit closer to the monitor.

 

[tikwanleap]

You can get a hdtv tuner card at http://www.digitalconnection.com/.

They have the MyHD 2 (MPD-120) card for $289.00.

 

[Wag]

Just buy a Fusion II, which is a software based PC HDTV tuner card for around $140.

PC QAM tuners might never show up- it's virtually useless anyways because only the locals are unencrypted, and you can receive those with an antenna.

 

[conjur]

One problem with doing this on your PC is your dependence upon an antenna to receive the OTA signals. That's not always viable, esp. in an office environment and also there are still plenty of stations broadcasting their DTV signal at low power requiring a rooftop antenna and/or a pre-amp.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: LordJezo

Originally posted by: Electric Amish
Yes, but why would you want to?

Cause its cheaper then a $1000 tv and just as good?

Dunno about you but I don't have a 40"+ monitor.

I wouldn't waste the money on it. Who really cares about hdtv if you have to look at it on some half assed little 19" screen!

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: EvilYoda
Talk to Conjur, he has it going in his system as I type...but getting HDTV quality on a dinky screen (even 21" is small) almost defeats the purpose if you can't output it to a larger screen or projector. You'll be looking at around $300 for a decent card, and then you're gonna need a cheap antennae too.

not really, some people watch vids on their monitor anyways, so hdtv on a monitor isn't bad at all even if its down res a bit to fit on the screen, its better then dvd res, its amazingly clear.