Arigatomyna wrote:Ah, I can wait for some good pics to download, they're useful. ^_^
I don't think my graphics card has any 'output' like the ones you guys have shown - the closest it has is the blue monitor port and some odd ports next to the microphone input. One is a ->((*)) IN and the other a ((*))-> OUT - I took them to be more audio components since they don't say anything about video (and they're right next to the microphone input slot, and they're pastel blue and green, not really matching any color-coded pics I've seen online).
Good guess: those 1/8" holes are for audio. The color coding can vary from PC to PC.
I haven't actually gotten the television yet, it's being shipped and should be here by Friday, so I'm hoping to run out and get a card this weekend. Looking at the cards recommended, I'd probably opt for one that has everything (like the last Radeon one).
But a question. o.o If I get a new video card, does that have to replace my ProSavage card, or can I have both and use the new one *just* for viewing on the TV? I haven't had any problems with my graphic card and I'd rather not reconfigure everything if I can have both and only use one when I want to.
If the ProSavageDDR designation is correct, then your PC has no video card.
ProSavageDDR is the name of a chipset (i.e. a group of circuits) that includes among other things a graphics device. It's what they call integrated, or on-board graphics.
In order to add a new card, one of two things has to happen. You can turn off the onboard graphics by changing a setting in the system BIOS. Or the PC will automatically turn it off when it sees that there is a real graphics card in a slot. I've seen both options in different PCs. There is a third possibility that the onboard graphics can't be disabled and that the PC will not accept a new graphics card.
Which possibility exists depends on the maker of the PCs mainboard. Different mainboards can use the same ProSavageDDR chipset. You'll need to review the manual or check the BIOS menus (just ask if you don't know how to bring those up). I'm guessing you have a PC made by eMachine or HP/Compaq or similar. If you can tell us the name and model number, we can probably look it up on the Web. (Same for the TV model.)
As I mentioned above, you'll also need to know if the PC has an AGP slot. Without an AGP slot, your choice in video cards is limited. If you open up the case, there should be some white PCI slots and hopefully one brown slot. That's the AGP slot. This slot is made specifically for graphics cards and you'll find that all (?) of the newer, high-end cards are made for AGP. Some cards will work with the older PCI slots, but there are fewer of those.
Here's another issue:
Resolution is limited by the Digital TV used. While the PC is capable of outputting high resolutions, the HD-Ready set is often fixed to the high-definition TV standards of 480p or 1080i at mere 60Hz cycle (known as refresh rate on a PC). A proper signal must be generated from the PC to display an image, and not adhering to the signal frequency can damage your HDTV.
source(NOTE: the transcoder they describe here is not needed for DVI, but: "Recently, DVI based HDTV displays have appeared on the market which may allow you to by-pass this article,
but video timing issues as explained still apply.")
And more here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mce/getstarted/connecttv.mspx
The thing is, TV resolutions are not - as a rule - compatible with PC monitor resolutions. They are usually quite a bit less than what a PC is capable of generating. It only becomes a problem when you're using a PC connector like DVI or that blue VGA connector. And it's possible that one of the latest video cards will be designed to handle all of this easily.
If your PC has a normal TV output connector - like composite (yellow), s-video (yellow with several holes), or component (red-green-blue) - then it's not necessary to worry about resolutions.
If it all sounds complicated...well, it is. As much as I know about this stuff, I'd still have to do a lot of research before attempting something like this.