lcd monitor act as tv?

[Nerva]

is it possible to somehow get an lcd monitor hooked up to digital cable? it's currently connected to my laptop.

i thought of this because i think it may have been done by someone...

 

[E equals MC2]

This is pretty common, no?

I think one of the vid cards come with an outlet or something.. or a TV tuner hooks up directly to the coax cable to the wall.

 

[Nerva]

i dunno. i am just tossing the idea around. i do not have a desktop pc, so i am not exactly sure how a tv tuner would help.

 

[rbV5]

Depends on if the LCD monitor has the input connections supported by the digital cable tuner. LCD TV's have a number of different inputs, however LCD monitors sometimes have very limited inputs making them unsuitable for TV use without a PC to drive them.

*What kind of inputs does your LCD support?
*What kind of ouputs does your digital cable box support?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: rbV5
Depends on if the LCD monitor has the input connections supported by the digital cable tuner. LCD TV's have a number of different inputs, however LCD monitors sometimes have very limited inputs making them unsuitable for TV use without a PC to drive them.

*What kind of inputs does your LCD support?
*What kind of ouputs does your digital cable box support?

Yeah, that's kind of important information.

And are we talking about HD or SD?

If the cable box only has RCA outputs and the monitor only has VGA/DVI inputs, you could use something like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...tandalone%2btv%2btuner

I know nothing about that model, but I have one made by Kworld that I used to use before I got an LCD HDTV, and I thought it worked pretty well.

 

[1sikbITCH]

As a temporary setup, I have a Dell 2001FP acting as a tv right now. It has RCA inputs that are fed from the Directv box. I have external speakers also plugged in to the Directv box. Only problem is I have to get up to adjust the volume.

Edit - most LCD monitors won't have the RCA inputs and you'll have to do some converting as was previously stated.

 

[BHeemsoth]

Many cable boxes have a DVI output which could be used.

Alternatively you could get a HDMI-DVI converter cable and use the HDMI output which should be on the box, provided it is relatively new.

 

[Nerva]

hmmm great suggestions, i would have to check once i move in. thanks guys!

 

[homercles337]

I watch TV on my 22" Gateway all the time. Yes, it will accept many inputs, but im using Hauppage. As mugs said, depends on the LCD.

 

[Ruptga]

Originally posted by: 3cho
i dunno. i am just tossing the idea around. i do not have a desktop pc, so i am not exactly sure how a tv tuner would help.

TV tuner basically makes your PC into a TiVo, then just set it so the external LCD gets the TV signal. You should even be able to watch TV and use your computer at the same time (a remote would make this easiest, and I'm not entirely sure how easy it is in practicality, but I know it's do-able)

 

[rbV5]

Originally posted by: ADDAvenger

Originally posted by: 3cho
i dunno. i am just tossing the idea around. i do not have a desktop pc, so i am not exactly sure how a tv tuner would help.

TV tuner basically makes your PC into a TiVo, then just set it so the external LCD gets the TV signal. You should even be able to watch TV and use your computer at the same time (a remote would make this easiest, and I'm not entirely sure how easy it is in practicality, but I know it's do-able)

Its not quite that simple with digital cable. Since PC TV Tuners basically don't tune digital cable, it requires a somewhat clunky IR Blaster setup in order to change channels on your digital cable box so that you can schedule recordings on different channels...which is the basis for TIVO-like functionality.

Cable-card PC tuners have the "potential" to "TIVO" digital cable, however the only cable-card PC tuner I am aware of is not available to the public and must be purchased in a pre-configured system.

 

[postmortemIA]

If it has component input, then it is easy as 1.2.3

however, only 24" have those, and few others.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: rbV5

Originally posted by: ADDAvenger

Originally posted by: 3cho
i dunno. i am just tossing the idea around. i do not have a desktop pc, so i am not exactly sure how a tv tuner would help.

TV tuner basically makes your PC into a TiVo, then just set it so the external LCD gets the TV signal. You should even be able to watch TV and use your computer at the same time (a remote would make this easiest, and I'm not entirely sure how easy it is in practicality, but I know it's do-able)

Its not quite that simple with digital cable. Since PC TV Tuners basically don't tune digital cable, it requires a somewhat clunky IR Blaster setup in order to change channels on your digital cable box so that you can schedule recordings on different channels...which is the basis for TIVO-like functionality.

Cable-card PC tuners have the "potential" to "TIVO" digital cable, however the only cable-card PC tuner I am aware of is not available to the public and must be purchased in a pre-configured system.

There are several PC TV tuners that can tune Free QAM digital cable. Different cable companies put different amounts of content on their digital cable unencrypted. My FusionHDTV5 is able to pick up:
NBC HD
FOX HD
ABC HD
CBS HD
Discovery HD
TNT HD
PBS HD
UPN HD
CW HD
CSPAN HD
A ton of music channels
And a bunch of standard definition porn (go figure )

I'm switching to an HDhomerun for my digital cable\PC tuning needs, so hopefully it's more stable than the FusionHDTV5.

 

[rbV5]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: rbV5

Originally posted by: ADDAvenger

Originally posted by: 3cho
i dunno. i am just tossing the idea around. i do not have a desktop pc, so i am not exactly sure how a tv tuner would help.

TV tuner basically makes your PC into a TiVo, then just set it so the external LCD gets the TV signal. You should even be able to watch TV and use your computer at the same time (a remote would make this easiest, and I'm not entirely sure how easy it is in practicality, but I know it's do-able)

Its not quite that simple with digital cable. Since PC TV Tuners basically don't tune digital cable, it requires a somewhat clunky IR Blaster setup in order to change channels on your digital cable box so that you can schedule recordings on different channels...which is the basis for TIVO-like functionality.

Cable-card PC tuners have the "potential" to "TIVO" digital cable, however the only cable-card PC tuner I am aware of is not available to the public and must be purchased in a pre-configured system.

There are several PC TV tuners that can tune Free QAM digital cable. Different cable companies put different amounts of content on their digital cable unencrypted. My FusionHDTV5 is able to pick up:
NBC HD
FOX HD
ABC HD
CBS HD
Discovery HD
TNT HD
PBS HD
UPN HD
CW HD
CSPAN HD
A ton of music channels
And a bunch of standard definition porn (go figure )

I'm switching to an HDhomerun for my digital cable\PC tuning needs, so hopefully it's more stable than the FusionHDTV5.

Realistically, QAM support gives you a fraction of the available channels, many times not much more than any ATSC OTA tuner gives you. HDHR does have Windows BDA drivers, which is a step forward, for sure, but its hardly an endevour for anyone but the HTPC crowd.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: rbV5

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: rbV5

Originally posted by: ADDAvenger

Originally posted by: 3cho
i dunno. i am just tossing the idea around. i do not have a desktop pc, so i am not exactly sure how a tv tuner would help.

TV tuner basically makes your PC into a TiVo, then just set it so the external LCD gets the TV signal. You should even be able to watch TV and use your computer at the same time (a remote would make this easiest, and I'm not entirely sure how easy it is in practicality, but I know it's do-able)

Its not quite that simple with digital cable. Since PC TV Tuners basically don't tune digital cable, it requires a somewhat clunky IR Blaster setup in order to change channels on your digital cable box so that you can schedule recordings on different channels...which is the basis for TIVO-like functionality.

Cable-card PC tuners have the "potential" to "TIVO" digital cable, however the only cable-card PC tuner I am aware of is not available to the public and must be purchased in a pre-configured system.

There are several PC TV tuners that can tune Free QAM digital cable. Different cable companies put different amounts of content on their digital cable unencrypted. My FusionHDTV5 is able to pick up:
NBC HD
FOX HD
ABC HD
CBS HD
Discovery HD
TNT HD
PBS HD
UPN HD
CW HD
CSPAN HD
A ton of music channels
And a bunch of standard definition porn (go figure )

I'm switching to an HDhomerun for my digital cable\PC tuning needs, so hopefully it's more stable than the FusionHDTV5.

Realistically, QAM support gives you a fraction of the available channels, many times not much more than any ATSC OTA tuner gives you. HDHR does have Windows BDA drivers, which is a step forward, for sure, but its hardly an endevour for anyone but the HTPC crowd.

Good luck getting Discovery HD and TNT HD over the air. Better have one hell of an antenna.