How to use PC as HD STB and DVD player? (1 Viewer)

[Leo_P]

First off, my system includes a P4 @2.4GHz with XP Pro and a ATI AIW Radeon 8500.
I'm seriously considering getting a Phillips HDTV that has an RGB input.
What I'd like to do is install an MIT MyHD card and use that for OTA material via RGB.
Now comes the tricky part. I'd also like to use my PC as a progressive DVD player. It seems I could run the VGA out from the AIW 8500 to the TV, but how would I use my brand-new 17" LCD monitor? The Radeon 8500 does support a monitor and a TV, but the output options are either DVI (which I'm using with a DVI to VGA adapter to my monitor) or composite. I can't use composite to send a progressive signal, so now what?
How is everybody else doing it? Am I better off just getting a progressive DVD player?

 

[Bobby McGee]

Leo, I'm not sure I understand your question. For what purpose would you want to use the 17" monitor? And, I'm not sure what problem buying a DVD STB solves?

 

[Hanson]

I'm confused about the 17" LCD monitor part myself. Do you want to use it as a PC monitor and switch back and forth between the HDTV and LCD?

The MyHD has a breakout cable that includes a monitor loopback. You connect the VGA loopback to the Radeon and the RGB out from the MyHD breakout cable connects to the set (you're going to need a male/male VGA cable for this).
You can still use the DVI for your LCD monitor.

MyHD plays DVD's, but it will no longer upconvert 480p to 1080i if macrovision protected (unless you use older less stable drivers or buy MV defeatin software). There are reports that MyHD cannot play all DVD's and stay stable (multi-angle features and branching seem to lock it up).

One caveat about MyHD -- it cannot multitask. So you can't record while watching an already recorded show or record while watching a DVD via the MyHD. There is no buffer or pausing live TV either.

 

[Leo_P]

Let me clarify. I just wanted to know how to get my PC's output (MyHD card & DVD) to the TV.
I was thinking I'd run the MyHD's output to the TV's RGB input. Then I figured I'd have to run the Radeon's VGA output (which'll be carrying the DVD signal) to the TV's component input via a breakout cable. That'd be fine if I was using the TV as my PC monitor, but I want to use my LCD monitor as my PC monitor. IOW, I don't want to view anything (HD or DVD) on my LCD, I just want to use it as my monitor.
Check out Configuration #2 to see what I'm talking about. I envision my set-up looking like that. The MyHD card is only going to the TV and the graphics card is only going to the monitor. So how do I get the DVD playing in my PC to display on my TV in progressive form?
I figured I could just use the Radeon's composite output (carrying the DVD's signal) to the MyHD's composite input and let it scale the DVD, but how would that look? Or, like I said before, should I just buy a progressive DVD player and forget about using my PC to play DVD's?
Thanks for being patient with me. Hope I was a little clearer this time.

 

[Jesse Blacklow]

I'd check the HTPC section over at AVS Forum for advice on what DVD software to use with a MyHD card. BTW I'm thinking of a similar config with a Sanyo PLV-Z1 LCD projector. AVS Forum has been a wealth of information.

 

[JeremyFr]

easy get a video splitter so you can have 2 RGB VGA connectors split off the one VGA on your video card, albeit that you'll only be able to see the same image on both but it will allow to use them both at the same time.