Will the picture be better or worse than on monitor?

[jfelano]

I've been streaming my local NFL teams games on the internet because the games are blacked out locally.

The picture quality on my 1680x1050 22" monitor is pretty bad, but bearable. It's kind of blurry and fuzzy, very low def.

My question is, if I run a 25ft. VGA M/M (my tv only has vga and composite) cable from my motherboard (using cpu's HD2000 integrated graphics) to my 42" 720P plasma tv, will the picture be worse, better, or the same? I have no idea what resolution the tv is.

Also, I have a video card (HD5850), but I have to use the motherboard vga port because the video card only has DVI and HDMI and something else I don't recognize.

So will I still be able to get video from my cpu with a video card installed, or is it automatically disabled?

If I can get video from the cpu graphics, should I go ahead and buy the VGA cable or should I buy a HDMI-VGA or DVI-VGA? (not sure yet if they even make those)

I'm looking to go the cheapest route, unless one provides better quality. Keep in mind this is to be used only for 3-4hrs every other Sunday when the game is blacked out.

Any help is much appreciated. Thanks

 

[3DVagabond]

The quality will be worse because you are spreading the same picture out over a larger screen. It's like enlarging a picture.

Where do you live that your team regularly doesn't sell out?

 

[BallaTheFeared]

Are you sure the picture quality is not a direct result of the stream quality?

I'm almost positive 1680x1050 is a higher resolution, with it's smaller screen size it means pixel density is much higher. It should provide a better overall picture, while the TV would require you to be much much further away from it to get the same effect.

If you watch a 1080p video that isn't highly encoded is it clear on your current screen?

 

[KingFatty]

I'm just guessing, but I think the bad picture quality is due to the source material itself - maybe the streaming video is very poor quality to begin with, and no matter if you use the purest, most perfect display, the streaming video will still look like low-quality streaming video?

So is the issue that you want to take low quality streaming video and try to get it to look better?

Or do you think there is something that is making the original video look worse?

Are you able to get a high quality source material, like a bluray or HD Youtube video, and see if it looks any better than your streaming NFL?

It's possible that the 5850 video card can apply some intelligent improvements to streaming video to make it look a little better than the HD2000 integrated graphics. Sending VGA over a 25ft cable will usually lead to some degradation because VGA is an analog signal that depends on the strengths of the voltages, but it's a particular kind of fuzzy ringing look to the effect (e.g., text will look funny too, not just the streaming video). For such a long distance, you'r safer going with a digital format. Does your TV have any other inputs besides VGA, perhaps a port for DVI or HDMI?

 

[jfelano]

Yes the poor picture is because of the video stream.

I assumed that the 42" plasma monitor (it's not a tv, it's a monitor) has a lower resolution than my computer monitor, so it will probably look worse?

I am not looking to make the quality better necessarily, just want it to be at least as good as it is on my computer monitor, but if it's worse, it may not even be worth buying the cable. The VGA 25' cable is $14 + $2 shipping.

If my 42" Plasma monitor had dvi or hdmi, I would be running it to my video card, and I wouldn't be asking about using a vga cable to my cpu graphics.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

Depends on a few things, but if you're streaming then quality isn't going to be that high on the source media anyway, probably 720p at best, so screen size and resolution isn't going to matter a great deal. Generally speaking a large TV with a small resolution is going to look pretty bad. However 22" panels are TN panels so viewing angles and colour are bad, for use as TV TN panels are generally a bad idea.

If it's a long run then I'd suggest a digital cable like DVI or HDMI if possible, VGA is analogue and suffers due to long distance runs, digital should remain perfect.

 

[jfelano]

I understand it's going to look bad, it looks bad now on the computer screen. The idea is to be able to watch it.

How can I use a DVI or HDMI cable to a VGA port?

 

[KingFatty]

Do you live near a Fry's electronics - I bought a generic cable that connects to a DVI port (video card) and a VGA port (TV). It was about $6 I think? Otherwise, you can buy an adapter from monoprice.com or ebay or Microcenter. they are very standard, many people have adapters they would give away for free since almost every video card is sold with such an adapter for the past decade or more.

Can you get away with using a shorter cable, 25 ft will be iffy for VGA.

You should use the 5850, it will enhance the streamed video to look better compared to the onboard video card.

For example: "Activate AMD Video Accelerator to enhance the visual quality of Internet videos"

Left click on the AMD VISION Engine Control
Center (or AMD Catalyst Control Center™
software) option
c. Click on the Preferences button and confirm
that you are in Advanced View
d. Click on the Video Menu Option
e. Click on Video Settings Tab
f. In the “Video Playback” Sector, please turn on
both “Enforce Smooth Video Playback” and
“Apply current video quality settings to Internet
video” button.
g. Click Apply.
h. Also, make sure to check the video acceleration
option in Internet video application (e.g. on line
video and social media sites) pop-ups.
i. AMD VISION Engine will tune automatically for
the best resolution and presentation of Internet
for you through its unique Video Accelerator
module.

See other tips here: http://www.amd.com/us/Documents/AMD_Vision_engine_top_10.pdf

 

[jfelano]

No I don't live near Fry's. I could get away with 20ft but Newegg doesn't have 20ft'ers only 25ft'ers. I probably have a dvi-vga adaptor somewhere, that's not a problem.

I just got an idea. I can move my 22" computer monitor (1680x1050) or my 22" bedroom tv (1920x1080) into the living room and just run a HDMI cable. A 20ft. HDMI cable on Newegg is even cheaper ($11.99).

What is going to look better from a HD5850 via HDMI, the 22" 1680x1050 monitor or the 22" 1920x1080 hdtv?

Appreciate your help.

 

[KingFatty]

I think the 22" monitor or 22" TV would look equivalent, because both of those resolutions far far far surpasses the streaming video quality, so probably your eye wouldn't be able to tell the difference as the low quality comes from the source media, not the display. But something like Bluray will probably be noticeably better on the 1080p display if you are close enough viewing distance.

But the same argument of equal appearances on either display is probably also true for HDMI and VGA cables - I bet you can't tell the difference on your streaming video because that's the low quality factor here, and it's lower than the VGA or HDMI so either way would look equally good/bad on a given display, as limited by the fuzzy streaming media quality. Using the 5850 can help there, as it can intelligently enhance things. You might even find that VGA looks a little better if it makes the streaming pixels a bit softer/fuzzier, no idea and will depend on what the streaming source looks like.

But nothing like a big screen, I say go for it and get the long VGA cable and use a cheap DVI-VGA adapter (if you haven't browsed monoprice.com, check it out, very awesome site and I bet they have cheaper price on the VGA cable and adapter, or just get the VGA cable that has the DVI connector/adapter built-in like I did and that would eliminate one electrical connection that potentially makes the signal cleaner compared to using a separate adapter and cable that are strung together).

If you are at the right distance from each display, they will all appear equal to your eye (e.g., viewing the 22" from 5 ft vs viewing the 42" from 9 ft or whatever the charts say), so go big.

 

[TemjinGold]

OP: I second the vote for monoprice.com They are the only place I buy cables now and they are significantly cheaper than everyone else for great quality and service.

 

[jfelano]

Ok thanks for the info. I think I'm gonna go for the vga-dvi for the 42" plasma monitor. I'll be sitting around 10ft away from it.

I'll check out monoprice.com.

Thanks again!

 

[jfelano]

Can you point me to a 20ft M/M VGA cable.

Theres too many diff. descriptions. Ferrites? SVGA? CL2? I don't know what that stuff mean, just a basic inexpensive cable to run across my living room temporarily for 4hrs every other week.

 

[Yuriman]

I'd do the same in your situation - run a cable to the plasma.

720 = 1280x720 resolution, so it's pretty low, but depending on your streaming source it probably won't hurt the quality much anyway. I'm confident the plasma will have better picture quality than either LCD, resolution aside (like colors and contrast) and there's something special about sitting on your couch in front of a big screen.

Using a VGA cable from the onboard VGA will likely work fine, you can use both onboard and a discrete card at the same time. DVI->VGA adapter is even better since your 5850 will probably clean the image up more.

 

[KingFatty]

Are you also going to output sound to the TV (or receiver/sound system)?

If so, I'd go with this, because it saves you the cost of trying to find a 25 foot audio cable, seems bundled with the VGA cable for convenience (it's 25 feet):
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10201&cs_id=1020105&p_id=559&seq=1&format=2

Seems like monoprice only has a 15 foot DVI-VGA cable, probably too short for your needs:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10209&cs_id=1020905&p_id=4683&seq=1&format=2

Otherwise, I guess just the plain VGA cable is cheapest (this is their thin cable):
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10201&cs_id=1020107&p_id=6363&seq=1&format=2

The ferrites are little cylinders that you typically see on the end of the cable, they block electronic noises coming from the cable and causing interference with your electronics. You probably recognize them:

 

[PrincessFrosty]

I understand it's going to look bad, it looks bad now on the computer screen. The idea is to be able to watch it.

How can I use a DVI or HDMI cable to a VGA port?

Well some types of DVI can carry an analogue signal, however it's still an analogue signal that will degrade over distance, you ideally want a digital connector like a proper DVI or HDMI, if the TV or monitor don't support these then it's not an option.

A 20m VGA cable won't ruin the picture quality but in my experience there is some degradation.

 

[jfelano]

I'd do the same in your situation - run a cable to the plasma.

720 = 1280x720 resolution, so it's pretty low, but depending on your streaming source it probably won't hurt the quality much anyway. I'm confident the plasma will have better picture quality than either LCD, resolution aside (like colors and contrast) and there's something special about sitting on your couch in front of a big screen.

Using a VGA cable from the onboard VGA will likely work fine, you can use both onboard and a discrete card at the same time. DVI->VGA adapter is even better since your 5850 will probably clean the image up more.

How can I use onboard and discrete card at the same time?

 

[jfelano]

Are you also going to output sound to the TV (or receiver/sound system)?

If so, I'd go with this, because it saves you the cost of trying to find a 25 foot audio cable, seems bundled with the VGA cable for convenience (it's 25 feet):
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10201&cs_id=1020105&p_id=559&seq=1&format=2

Seems like monoprice only has a 15 foot DVI-VGA cable, probably too short for your needs:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10209&cs_id=1020905&p_id=4683&seq=1&format=2

Otherwise, I guess just the plain VGA cable is cheapest (this is their thin cable):
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10201&cs_id=1020107&p_id=6363&seq=1&format=2

The ferrites are little cylinders that you typically see on the end of the cable, they block electronic noises coming from the cable and causing interference with your electronics. You probably recognize them:

I don't need audio, I'll just have my computer speakers on while I'm watching. Thanks

 

[BenSkywalker]

Overwhelmingly, TVs deal with poor signals better then monitors. There are numerous technical reasons for it, but they are built to deal with less then ideal streams, a lot of non HD channels on digital cable are now 352x240. No, it won't make a crappy YouTube video look like a BluRay, but overall TVs tend to do much better with crappy video feeds then monitors. That said, if the plasma you have is actually a monitor, the TV from your bedroom has a good chance of being the best device to use in the house.

 

[jfelano]

Yes the plasma is a monitor. I'm paying less than $10 for the cable shipped, if it doesn't work out, oh well.

 

[Yuriman]

How can I use onboard and discrete card at the same time?

In my case, just plugging something onto the onboard video activates it. If it's disabled in bios or doesn't have drivers installed you'll obviously need to fix those first.

 

[jfelano]

Thanks for the help guys.