My pc has no video out... (1 Viewer)

[Adam Bluhm]

.., but can I still hook it up to my tv (Samsung HD)?

That's basically my question. I'm not sure if it's possible or if it's simply a cable purchase that needs to be made.

Thanks for any help.

 

[brianacook]

I'm pretty sure you need to get a video card that has video out.

Brian

 

[Mike LS]

You either have to do that, or you can get a VGA-NTSC converter. That's a little more expensive than just getting a card with a composite/s-video output (depending on how nice a card you get.)

 

[Bill Slack]

No, no, no! This isn't want you would want to do, at all.
Using a program called powerstrip you can set the video card to output at the correct scanrate to work at 480p or 1080i. You will most likely need a transcoder to convert the RGB+Sync output of VGA to the component input on your TV (unless the TV has a VGA input, in which case you're all set.)
You'll get fantastic quality going this route, though it's a little more difficult to setup, and some video cards work better than others (the ATI Radeons are often used, these days) for this purpose.
Converting it to NTS and sending it via composite for S-Video would be a very poor solution for you.
The transcoder will cost around $200 or so, and powerstrip costs about $15, but you can get a demo of it for free. Go to www.avsforum.com and search through their HTPC forum for lots more info than I can provide you with.

 

[Adam Bluhm]

Thanks for the info, fellas. I appreciate it. I was hoping for a cheap solution.
I was also planning on buying a new pc next year... possibly. I may just wait until then to get a card capable.
Thanks again.

 

[Matt DeVillier]

Adam,

using the s-video/composite output of a video card to connect to your HDTV is, quite simply, a complete waste. You can get a VGA->Component video transcoder for as little as $40 on ebay (an RCA model, which is only really good for 480p). the difference between 480p via the VGA output of your video card and the 480i output of a video card's s-vid/composite out is night and day