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Hook up a standard LCD Monitor to Comcast HD Cable box? (1 Viewer)

Dennis_W

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My family desperately needs a new TV for our kitchen, but the prices of LCD Tvs are way too high. So I found a 17" LCD monitor (go to NewEgg(dot)com, it's on the front page, Neso USA Pixo) really cheap that good reviews. So I'm wondering, could I hook up my Comcast HDTV Cable box to that monitor? Here's a picture of my cable box's output:
(Can't post pics for some reason go to img71(dot)exs(dot)cx/img71/5562/dvi6el(dot)jpg)

Also, would I get true HD out of this monitor? It runs at 1280x1024, which would be enough to support 720p, right?

I'd really like to be able to use this to watch TV, even if it meant buying an adapter (I'd be willing to pay ~$50). Any help will be greatly appreciated.
 

Wayne A. Pflughaupt

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I was hoping someone more knowledgeable would respond to this but since they haven’t...

Knowing what I do about home audio/video equipment and (a little) about computers, it’s safe to say that you won’t be able to do a direct connection from the cable box to the monitor. For that, the monitor would require composite, S- or component video connections, not to mention connections for audio. You will notice that the cable box output in the picture is not the same connection that computer monitors use.

I’m sure there is some kind of interface available, but I expect it’s going to be a professional or pro-sumer device, and as such it’s probably going to cost at least as much, or more than, the monitor you’re looking at. Naturally, you’ll have to weigh the total cost against the price of the “way too high” consumer LCD monitors.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
 

Wayne A. Pflughaupt

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A little Googling turned up this.

(Emphasis added.)

For the purpose of this discussion, you can interchange “VCR” with “cable box,” since they both have the same video and audio outputs.

As I noted before, video scalers are considered professional video products, made by companies that most of us are not familiar with, like Extron, TV One, Grass Valley, etc. Scalers are typically used in corporate meeting rooms, video production studios, church multi-media displays during worship services, etc. where consumer-based video sources would be converted for display on a projector, to digitally process, etc. The home user typically doesn’t have a need to convert video and VGA signals back and forth like these people do.

From what I can see after doing a Google search on “budget video scaler,” you’ll be hard pressed to find one under $1000.

I’ll bet that LCD TV from the local electronics discounter is looking more attractive all the time, isn’t it? :D

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
 

GabeP

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Dec 11, 2004
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I have HD DSS, and I hooked up y 17 inch lcd to it through dvi, and it worked. its 1280 x 1024.
 

Dennis_W

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Sep 27, 2004
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Wayne, why would I need a scaler if my HD cable box has what appears to be a DVI-D (from the picture I posted) output.

The monitor has a 15pin D-sub input connector. Now if this VGA as you said, shouldn't it be as simple as getting a VGA to DVI-D converter and plugging it in to the cable box and then to the monitor? And then since the monitor runs at 1280x1024, wouldn't that be a high enough resolution to support a 720p signal from my cable box?

So basically what I'm asking is, is there such a thing as a VGA to DVI-D converter that is affordable (if not, I already have a VGA to DVI-I converter, so a DVI-I to DVI-D converter combined with my VGA to DVI-I [try saying that 7 times fast...]) would it allow me to connect the VGA LCD monitor to my DVI-I HD cablke box and recieve an HD signal in 720p?
 

Dennis_W

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Sep 27, 2004
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Still nothing? I figured all this patient waiting would have helped...

Now say my whole DVI-D - VGA thing isn't possible, what about using a box that converts component video to VGA. I know those exist, that ought to work. Any suggestions for a good model with a reasonable price tag?
 

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