PVR+LCD Screen

[calios]

Hi - can someone tell me if I put a PVR together with an LCD screen (without TV tuner), will I get a digital TV? I was wondering if it was necessary to pay for a tuner inside the LCD screen I buy, when my PVR already has twin tuners. Anyone savvy? If not this, then any other way to do it? Cheers

[BigBobOz]

Well we need more information about the LCD and PVR. If the LCD has standard analogue TV style inputs then most likely, if it's VGA or DVI only then probably not. The only PVR that I know that has DVI (via HDMI) is the Toshiba J35 HD twin tuner PVR. All other PVR's that I know will do at best component or RGsB over scart which are not compatible with VGA or DVI inputs.

Rob

[ToeCutter]

There are a number of LCD screens being released that have composite, SVideo, and other connectors which allow them to be used as a digital TV.

[calios]

Thanks guys; well I was thinking of an Opentel or equivalent, something cheaper, with twin tuners, no DVI out, and I had just assumed a computer LCD screen, only in widescreen. I was hoping you could get a TV/coax cable to DVI conversion cable for the hookup. What do you think? But reading your comments Toecutter and BigBobOz, maybe it would be easier just to get a screen with composite or whatever matches the PVD outs? My concern was, from what I can figure, there's no reason it wouldn't be just as good or better than paying for an LCD with tuner built in, as the tuner will only be analogue anyway, and require a STB or PRV to bring it up to digital !! Or am I crazy ??

[RLR]

If you hook a STB (PVR) up to a screen you have digital TV. The digital part comes from the STB not the screen. It doesn't matter whether the screen is CRT, LCD, Plasma or projection it's still producing the image created by the STB. Of course there are shades of grey in relation to connection methods and cable quality but others can argue over those.

[BigBobOz]

Thanks guys; well I was thinking of an Opentel or equivalent, something cheaper, with twin tuners, no DVI out, and I had just assumed a computer LCD screen, only in widescreen. I was hoping you could get a TV/coax cable to DVI conversion cable for the hookup. What do you think? But reading your comments Toecutter and BigBobOz, maybe it would be easier just to get a screen with composite or whatever matches the PVD outs? My concern was, from what I can figure, there's no reason it wouldn't be just as good or better than paying for an LCD with tuner built in, as the tuner will only be analogue anyway, and require a STB or PRV to bring it up to digital !! Or am I crazy ??

You're biggest grief here will be getting a PC style LCD that takes your analogue signals. I haven't checked them out so maybe they're more common than I realise but I haven't come across any by chance. About converters...again I'm not aware of any but I'm sure they exist but I don't think they're cheap. For LCD's that are set up with analogue tuners I don't think it's the tuner that is adding to the expense I think it's all the extra circuitry to accept the various video signals (ie converters) that increas the expense...and straight mark up.

I imagine theirs more mark up on TV's than pc gear...

Rob

[Guest River1503559998]

The problem is most PC monitors can not syncronise with video output at 50Hz. Digital TV in oz is 50Hz. Most PC monitors require a vertical scan range between 56 and 76Hz, sometimes the max is 85Hz or more. If you can find a PC monitor that can sync to a low 50Hz or less then it may work. I say may work because it must also except the video resolution ie. standard definition 720x576 or high definition 1280x720 or 1920x1080.

Then find a set top box or PVR that has a DVI or VGA output.

There are some set top boxes that can add extra horizontal scan lines to top and bottom (black bars), to create a higher vertical scan frequency. This option is typically fixed at 1152. (an extra 72 scan lines, 36 extra lines top and bottom)

This lifts the frequency to 1152 / 1080 * 50 = 53.333Hz

So a monitor that supports 1920 x 1152 @ 53.333Hz is also an option.

The problem is finding a PC monitor that can except the resolution and frequency.

eg. 1920 x 1080 @ 50Hz or 1920 x 1152 @ 53.333Hz

Dell sell a 24" LCD monitor 2405FPW that has a native resolution of 1920 x 1200 @ 60Hz. It has many various inputs to suit tv and it will scale these inputs to full screen. The problem with this monitor is all inputs are deinterlaced, scaled and converted to 60Hz before being output to the display panel. This monitor is great for the US consumers but not here. It does work (I have one), and you can feed high definition through its Component video input, however you will notice motion judder due to its 50 -> 60Hz convertion.

If I could find a way to open the case on this monitor, I would find the 60Hz crystal and replace it with a 50Hz to try to retify the problem myself. I doubt wheather it would be that simple to retify, but it is frustrating.

Another problem I have found with this monitor is the scaling/deinterlacing chip causes a delay in the video which results in a noticable lip sync problem. If it was possible to could get this monitor to accept 1920 x 1080 @ 50Hz instead of 60Hz then that problem would be solved as the DVI and VGA inputs both by-pass the deinterlacing chip. According to the specs on this chip it will accept interlaced inputs up to 1080i and display progressively. It will also accept standard video resolutions from 640x480 to 1920x1200 via DVI or VGA.

Other options are:

A TV screen, most will accept input from a pc.

or a Media Centre PC (a quiet computer with a TV tuner card). Set the video frequency to a multiple of 25. eg 50, 75 or 100Hz to avoid motion judder.

[Guest River1503559998]

I forgot to mention another issue, some high definition set top boxes have HDCP enabled on there DVI output. I don't know any computer monitor that supports HDCP, so avoid set top boxes or pvrs like the Toshiba J35 that have a HDCP enabled DVI output and no VGA (RGB) output option.

[Tassie Devil]

I went down the 24" LCD monitor 2405FPW + Strong 5000 STB route for the kitchen here but would not recommend it. Obviously an amplifier + speakers were also required.

The problem, which cannot be overcome, is the picture is distorted at 14:9 instead of 16:9. This is tolerable (just) for casual viewing but not for long term or extended viewing.

The quality of the picture from a distance looks great - excellent whites & brilliant colours BUT on closer view it is fuzzy with nothing like the resolution of a CRT TV.

Note that nearly all LCD TVs have inbuilt analog tuners so if you want the advantages of digital crispness you need a STB tuner anyway.

Given my time over again I would not have gone down the path described above. One day soon that Dell will migrate to this desktop where it was designed to go in the first place.

John