The MBoard

Since my 24 yr old CRT isn't doing so well for my eyes (with the picture shaking constanty and color temp going on and off) I decided to get a HDTV. I have $250 on me so I'm looking for a 22 inch HDTV around this range (my room isn't that big so 22 inch will be perfect for space and my wallet). Anyone here who has experience with HDTVs knows any good ones?

Coby: http://www.amazon.com/Coby-TFTV2224-22-Inch-Widescreen-Monitor/dp/B001QSVF9K/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1237008367&sr=1-16

Sylvania: http://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-LC225SL9-22-Inch-LCD-HDTV/dp/B00148X3Q0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1237008367&sr=1-4

Ones I found so far, the coby is the cheapest but it has no reviews so I think I'll probably end up getting the Sylvania one. Then again these are both unknown brands to me. What are your guys' thoughts?

I'd go with the Coby.
It has a VGA input, which means you can use it as a second monitor for your computer.

Either that or wait a bit to find something else with more of a quality guarantee in your price range.
It's my personal recommendation for it to have a VGA input, as it's the best bet for watching any HD movies.

I'll search around and see if I can find anything better for that price range.

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Here are some links, I found a really nice one for $215  Only 5ms lag, perfect for gaming.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=hz9&q=22%22+HDTVs&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=3860880339317624724#ps-sellers

And this is a $680 one for $300, which I'm tempted to buy right now. 1080p HD as well. 
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Touch-Color-T220HD-Monitor/dp/B0019HGTLC?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1217856634&sr=8-1

I'll keep searching. I love doing this stuff.

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Weird, it seems the 2 that I found don't have regular inputs listed...

They probably do have them, but aren't listed.
Strange.
I wish they had a picture of all the ports on the back...
That's like my #1 thing when looking at TVs.


I know the Samsung for $215 has no composite connection, but it's a great TV regardless, although not 1080p.
(http://www.geeks.com/imageshare/T/300x300/T220HD-R-unit.jpg)
(http://www.geeks.com/imageshare/T/300x300/T220HD-R-soft.jpg)

I don't see the point in paying for an HDTV if it's not 1080p and composite and huge.

Unless it's extremely cheap and used just as a source of television, I don't either.
But there's nothing to watch anyway, so why bother.

MGS4!

This looks like an awesome bet.
$209
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889107056

I'm not into HD yet, but when the time comes to get a new TV (which won't be for a while 'cause I find TVs last a long #####ing time) I guess I'll move into the present.

Protip- Converters to DVI/HDMI/VGA are cheaper than new TVs.  Any monitors you have just became television candidates.

I got a really good deal today at Costco. I got a Samsung HDTV which looks exactly like the one JC posted, except its 23' and 1080p. This is the first time I've used something other than tube monitors for gaming and computers and i'm just blown away. I'm currently using the monitor for both gaming and my computer, and the remote control can switch over from DVI to HDMI which is really cool. It's $300 but with the $50 coupon + California's horrible sales tax the total cost was $280 which is a nice deal.

Now I got to find a way to use my computer speakers for TV since they work a lot better than the monitor's speakers. Also since there's no composite cables I dunno how I'm gonna play my PS2, N64, and SNES. Hopefully there's some component cables for these systems or something that I can use.

LOOKING FOR 1920X1080 WALLPAPERS WILL BE FUN

I'm at 1920x1200.

It's nigh-impossible.

It's part of why I still haven't changed my Robert Downey Rainbow background.

The other part is because it's freaking awesome and there will never be a better desktop background.

Hey, glad I could somehow help a bit MOX.

I suggest a converter box that has the inputs you want and a DVI/HDMI output.

LOOKING FOR 1920X1080 WALLPAPERS WILL BE FUN

I'm at 1920x1200.

It's nigh-impossible.

Just make one.

I use a 1680x1050; that's hard enough to find, it seems.

I got a really good deal today at Costco. I got a Samsung HDTV which looks exactly like the one JC posted, except its 23' and 1080p. This is the first time I've used something other than tube monitors for gaming and computers and i'm just blown away. I'm currently using the monitor for both gaming and my computer, and the remote control can switch over from DVI to HDMI which is really cool. It's $300 but with the $50 coupon + California's horrible sales tax the total cost was $280 which is a nice deal.

Now I got to find a way to use my computer speakers for TV since they work a lot better than the monitor's speakers. Also since there's no composite cables I dunno how I'm gonna play my PS2, N64, and SNES. Hopefully there's some component cables for these systems or something that I can use.

LOOKING FOR 1920X1080 WALLPAPERS WILL BE FUN

There is this site, they have this board called /hr/
Lots of high res pictures there, as well as wallpapers.
Also, /wg/

Yes, but they have maybe 20 different desktops at any given time except late nights when all of the American children are asleep.

: ASR  17 March 2009, 05:14:08

I'm at 1920x1200.

It's nigh-impossible.

Just make one.

Almost all of my desktop wallpapers except the Downey one and a few others are ones that I made. Usually involving the letter A and the color green.

Then stop complaining!

Yes, but they have maybe 20 different desktops at any given time except late nights when all of the American children are asleep.

Because, you see John, the children everywhere else in the world sleep in the daytime. :D

Oooooh I see now.

Just want to note that my TV has the same exact ports as the Samsung LCD JC posted earlier.

I've been researching on how to hook up my PC speakers to my TV. I dont want to spend extra money on speakers since my 9 year old 5.1 speakers (but still want something better than the speakers on the tv) still work very good.

My speakers have three little plugs: orange, black, and green, and they plug into my PC's sound card. Is it possible to connect my HDTV to my PC's sound card to play the speakers? If that is possible, then would the PC have to be on for the speakers to work?

It's easy to do that if you have a line in on your computer.

You just need to see what the TV has for audio out, either that or run all your sound through the PC.

My room mate has his XBox's sound running through his PC.

A port on the back of my TV says HDMI/PC/DVI-D/AUDIO IN and another port says DIGITAL AUDIO OUT (OPTICAL).

Yes I also want to have my PS3 run sound through my PC, though does the PC need to be on for that?

Also, what do you mean by a line on my computer?

If your sound card has an audio line-in that's compatible with the speaker-out for your TV, it should be OK.

Your PC would need to be on, yes.

I'm not sure if my sound card has an audio line-in, this is what mine looks like. Three of the ports are plugged in with my speaker's plugs. (the green, orange, and black plugs)

Pink is line in.

You need one of these.
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/82-021-058-04.jpg)

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http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882021058&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Audio+/+Video+Cables-_-Rosewill-_-82021058

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Oh yeah, you can find them at just about any Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and definitely best buy or radioshack.

Radio shack is your best bet on price, if I recall from my quest for one.
Totally don't use it for anything now though.

I see, thanks guys. Will this produce 5.1 surround sound from my 5 speakers or will it atleast have sound comming through all of them?

EDIT JUST TO VERIFY: Also, are the cables for these called RCA to Stereo cables (http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat_id=2009&sku=40424)? So the RCA adapter sticks to my sound card's line-in, then I connect the RCA to stereo cable to the adapter, and then plug in a stereo cable from my TV to the RCA to stereo cable? My TV came with a stereo cable that fits into the HDMI/PC/DVI-D/AUDIO IN port.

Also, I dunno how the adapter would fit with my speakers arleady plugged into the sound card.

What you just showed me is backwards.

Hook the PS3 into your computer.
Screw the TV as the middleman.

All sound should be taken care of by the computer, and your computer will produce 5.1 sound if that is what the input is.

There should be enough room, for it. If not, just get a cord like the one you linked to with switched male and female parts.

Also, you CAN run all the sound into your TV, then out into that same thing and it shouldn't effect it much, but if anything there would be a drop in sound quality.

That input is a stereo jack, JC.
Just letting you know.

Your point?

It's not capable of sending a 5.1 surround signal.

Are you 100% sure?

Yes. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_card)

You require special ports on a sound card to provide 5.1 surround, if I recall.

I'm borrowing headphones from a friend.
They have a USB sound card attached, but a 7.1 signal is sent though a simple stereo jack to the headphones (which are 7.1 and oooh so nice)

... 7.1
Headphones.

You only need two speakers for headphones to get 3D sound; one for each ear.
You only have two ears, and that's all you need to locate sounds.

They project from behind, in front, and from the sides.
Multiple speakers inside of one unit.
Which means more than stereo sound.

Let me explain this again.
You only have two ears.
The speakers are on them.

Even if it doesn't produce 5.1 sound, will I atleast have sound comming out of all 5 speakers? My 5 speakers are connected to a subwoofer which is connected to my PC's sound card. Do you guys think I can use the bass from the subwoofer for the speakers if its connected to the TV/PS3?

Also JC, If I decide to hook it up to the TV instead would it be the method I mentioned before?

For plugging it to the PS3: My PS3 is plugged into my TV via HDMI cable, and the only ports it has left is the Digital Audio Out (Optical) and the AV video port where I used my composite cables before I had my new TV. What cables would I need to hook up my PS3 to the RCA adapter?

Proof that 5.1 headphones are unnecessary. (http://s3.amazonaws.com/listverse/audioillusions/virtualhaircut.mp3)

You'll need a real pair of stereo headphones however.

Even if it doesn't produce 5.1 sound, will I atleast have sound comming out of all 5 speakers? My 5 speakers are connected to a subwoofer which is connected to my PC's sound card. Do you guys think I can use the bass from the subwoofer for the speakers if its connected to the TV/PS3?

If you're jamming the PS3's sound into the card, and you have that going out on the speaker line, and all of the speakers and the sub-woofer are connected to the sound card, then yeah, probably. I dunno how much good it'll do, but it's worth a shot since that's a pretty inexpensive solution.

For plugging it to the PS3: My PS3 is plugged into my TV via HDMI cable, and the only ports it has left is the Digital Audio Out (Optical) and the AV video port where I used my composite cables before I had my new TV. What cables would I need to hook up my PS3 to the RCA adapter?

The DAO can be connected to RCA with a converter (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081122141445AA3g6VR), but you'll lose the surround sound.

Now, what you can do for that computer is get a sound card with an optical input (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829127002). Looks cool to me.

This is why I recommended that you get a TV with different ports.
I NEED 2-3 RCA inputs, at least one RCA output, as well as VGA in, HDMI, and Composite.

I will never buy a new TV without at least those.

I haven't gone to the speakers part yet but today I tried putting in my composite cables from the PS2 into the component ports; I put the yellow cable into the green port and the red and white ones to their corresponding ports. It worked but the picture was in black and white.

You'd need to get some component cables for the PS2 for it to work right, or get a box.

I'm working on that. Also if I'm connecting my PS3 to the RCA adapter, can I just plug the composite cable that came with the PS3 (since im already connected to TV with the HDMI) put the red and white plugs into the adapter and leave the yellow plug hanging?

I NOMINATE THIS "MOST BORING THREAD EVER."

...MMM Awards are when?

Like everything else...

Never.

I don't think you can transmit any other sound if using the HDMI cord.

Also, I happen to enjoy this thread.

I HAVE AN OLD TV FROM 1999 WITH A BROKEN INPUT AND A CABLE JACK THAT'S LOOSE

...but at home home (yes, it's called home home because my college dorm is currently home so I call my home home home home, it's kind of like like like) we have a bunch of rather nice TV's scattered throughout the house and even a couple in storage. We've always had a rather comfy amount of televisions because my dad likes upgrading and keeping the old ones for various reasons.

ONE LAST QUESTION CANT PROMISE

Forgot to say thanks earlier; I've been able to have my TV play through my computer speakers with a stereo cable from the TV's headphone jack to my computer sound card.

My computer is slowly dying, and I'm getting a new computer for college. The motherboard will have an HDMI port.

So the question is, if I connect my computer to my TV by HDMI (connect tv to motherboard) instead of DVI like I currently do, will my tv play sound through the computer speakers without the need of the stereo cable? (since HDMI carries both video and sound).

Probably.

I think that if your computer is on, it will be sending a video output to the TV regardless of what setting it is on, and I don't think HDMI can signals going both ways.
I'm not that familiar with HDMI though, but I don't think TVs have an HDMI audio OUT option.
If it does, all the more power to you, if the PC has HDMI audio in.

If not, which is also very possible, just do what you're doing now.

I just hook all my sound into a receiver, which has 4 speakers, and also have a computer speaker setup attacked to it. 6 speakers, 1 sub, only stereo audio, but it sounds nice.

As someone who does connect his laptop to his TV through HDMI, yes. The sound will come out of your computer's speakers and you can even tell your computer to make the sound come out of your TV.

I don't think that's what he's trying to do.

I think he wants his videogame sound from his TV to computer.

It should work fine either way. I'm pretty sure you can basically tell the computer where to do what, or at least that's how it works when my friend does it on his laptop.

Maybe if you have an ATI graphics card.
Not NVidia though, no no.

I declare this a tech advice thread as of now.

I'm building a new computer and I have a 250gb harddrive I will be using. My old computer has a 74 GB harddrive which has all my files. I plan on just having my old HDD as a secondary HDD so I dont have to back up files and such.

However, I have Windows XP 32 bit installed on my old hard drive and I plan on installing Windows XP 64 bit on my 250 gb harddrive (my main HDD).

How's this going to end up?

fine. So long as you wipe the old hard drive.

Sometimes I think I'm into way too many things. Then people start talking about building their own computers or going to conventions or eating fish and stuff and I get checked right back down with the knowledge that it could be worse.

Not that there's anything wrong with doing that stuff, it just seems like a total migraine to me. And it's not 'cause I'm bad a fixing stuff or building things, since I'm alright at that.

Diff'rent strokes.

To elaborate: set up the new computer and move all important files to the new hard drive.

You can use the old one as a backup after it's wiped.



ALSO. Right now, if you pre-order, Windows 7 Home Premium is only $50.
I suggest using that.

My computer has gotten so slow and retarded...


...that I'm wiping the hard drive.

Just to see if it does anything.

I transfered most of the good stuff to my terabyte external, so I'm all set.

Upgrade to windows 7.
Release candidate is free until March.
Works awesome.

I'm mostly building my computer this time for educational purposes. My computer's been dying on my constantly so I'm glad I'll be having one that doesnt.

So I can't use my second HDD as a secondary in my computer unless I wipe it? Main reason I want to use it as is, is so I don't have to go through the hassle of moving all of my old files to an external. If the reason that I can't use it as a secondary is because it has an OS in it, couldn't I just remove the OS?

It's actually not as big of a deal as I'm making it sound, but I'd like to save a bit of time.

Upgrade to windows 7.
Release candidate is free until March.
Works awesome.

Explain, because I'm considering this. I mean, I'm wiping the whole drive anyway and I'd have to use an old XP install disc... so I'd rather try Windows 7 finally. Give me the details, broseph.

It's what Windows Vista should have been. It's easier on your system resources, is compatible with all previous Vista drivers, and even has the usability of Windows XP thanks to a clever xp framework shell. Think XP with Vista aesthetic.

WINDOWS GET! (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx)

I think you can burn Windows 7 on a disk and install; it'll expire around like March next year.

I plan on dual booting windows 7 so I'll still have an OS by the time it expires.

The reason you want to copy the files over and then wipe the harddrive is... well actually I can think of two just off the top of my head.

1) Different OSes don't play well together.

2) If you're not using the OS you may as well remove the couple gigs of system files it stashes on your harddrive.

Nice! I think I'm gonna' try this out.

Vista had no appeal to me, and neither does Windows 7 really, but I keep hearing about how great it is and if I'm ever gonna' switch, now's the time.

Plus, I can't find my XP install discs, anyway.

For anyone curious: I use a extra-large laptock connected to a docking station BASICALLY as if it were a desktop computer. I never take it around with me places like most people do with laptops. However, the mobility of a laptop is a huge necessity to me so I can take it back and forth from school and other places where it will stay for long periods of time.

The problem is that I've worn this thing down so much over the years. It's slowly built up so much crap that I don't ever want to even start THINKING about sitting down and cleaning this thing up. And it's not that I don't take good care of it: it's just the natural build-up of space. It only has an 80GB hard drive because I bought it right before, suddenly, every laptop in stores could hold a #####load more than they used to be able to.

It's now running so slow and sluggishly that I can't stand it anymore.

I copied the essentials to my terabyte and I'm gonna' go for it.

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Alrighty, I'm all jazzed up with Windows 7. So far so good.

You'll learn to love it. It runs like a dream.

I'm going to pre-order the full version this month.
I could also crack the Release Candidate to never expire, but I wouldn't get all the other fancy things with it's release...

I got a question on dual booting Windows 7.

My HDD is partitioned for one OS. The 64 bit version says it needs 20 gb minimum, so can I just partition 20 gb and in Windows 7 and use other files installed already, or it doesn't work that way?

You can run a lot of files from the other OS, so you can just shortcut them and they will have their own set of prefs for the new operating system, but I've found that they work better if installed in the OS itself.

For example, I can run just about every one of my Vista programs on windows 7 off of the Vista partition, but they don't keep any of the settings.
Programs that i care about more and use often, I installed to my 7 Partition. Other odd/huge programs like video converters, VLC, MPC, and Photoshop still work fine, I just have to change the settings.

Long story short, you don't have to re-install all your programs, but they work better and are easier to access of you do.


I will say that it's annoying to always navigate though my Vista drive to get to stuff, even with shortcuts, because it treats it like an entirely different computer.

Also, I have to use vista to do any torrenting because Vista has all my stats and my list saved, as well as all the port modifications.

I suggest partitioning 30GB for W7 if possible, just because after the initial 16, it'll have to update and it's good to have a page file.






On another note, I HATE HATE HATE Dell computers.
I was going to get windows 7 dual booting on my girlfriend's laptop, but when I tried to shrink partition "C:" I got the famous "CATASTROPHIC FAILURE" error.  Which basically means windows has no idea what's going on.

Turns out that the media software that ships with Dell PCs has it's own 2.5 GB partition and it sits at the end of the disc. It can never be fully removed, as it's even built into the BIOS of the computer. It can actually boot without the operating system.
Well, it makes the hard drive un-partitionable.
And I HATE Dell right now.

Who the hell in their right mind ties up and entire hard drive with a rip-off of windows media center? And even writes the crappy program (I tried to use it, it's very very very weak) into the BIOS so it can boot independently?  It's not like people occasionally might want to do a little more with their computer than just surf the internet, watch movies, and play games.

This message must be hella long by now....

tl;dr?
Windows 7 is awesome and Dells are the spawn of satan.

Wait.

WHAT?!







...




WHAT?!

I thought Acer was bad, but that... is unconscionable.

I thought Acer computers were pretty good but I never really mess with the technical stuff.

Among other things, the computer I built was able to turn on and run successfully. Taking less than a minute to start up as opposed to 5 minutes is sooo much better.  :)

Though my motherboard only reads 3.75 gb of the 4 gb ram, so I think I'll have to check the BIOS or call Micro Center (place I bought the parts).

That's normal.

My computer only recognizes 1.9 GB of my 2.

Not like you'll ever really use all of it anyways.

And congrats on building a working computer!

This isn't much of a tech question but I'm having some tech problems that have lead me to be using my PC right now, and though nothing's wrong with my Mac that hasn't been wrong with it for a long time that I've been living with and I'm probably not going to be using this computer again for a long time after tonight, I'd like to know what encoding you guys use for FireFox. Because my signature doesn't show up and it's annoying.



Anyway the tech problem I'm having is with my portable external hard drive, a WD Passport. If this were a USB stick or something I wouldn't give a ##### but this thing actually has every file I actually want to keep, since I run a few computers with different OSs and stuff, including all my art from the past 9 years, all of my site, ALL OF MY PHOTOS (the most irreplaceable, really), and a bunch of videos and TV seasons and other stuff you keep. Actual #####, not like a bunch of lolcats images and mp3s. So it's a whole thing.

But I think I've figured it out for now. I'm 90% sure it's cord is busted and my iBook and my mom's PC laptop just can't send enough power through the USB to make it work now. The Mac has utterly ceased to recognize this thing is connected when it worked fine for like a year or more, and the pc laptop can find it after I meander about arbitrarily putting the thing in weird positions for a while and then having to hold it there to do anything.

Tonight I tried it in my desktop PC for the first time since this has been an issue (which is, for months now) and it works completely fine when directly connected. So I'm copying all the files to here just in case this thing can't be fixed and I have to replace it. But I'm thinking if I can find a new cord or one of these Y-cords that connect to two USB ports (slim chances for either, maybe) then I can get this going strong again. I didn't bring it up here because I figured it was a Mac problem or a "well you're boned" scenario.

By the way, if you ever need to troubleshoot anything by Western Digital, don't bother with their website. At all. Yeah. I looked a LOT of ##### for this online tonight. I'm really tired.

I like those passport drives, how big is it's hard drive?

If you need to wiggle it around to get it to work, it's probably the cord, or possibly the USB connectors themselves have something wrong with them, such as bent connector plate.

I have little experience with them so I can't say too much.

It's ~80GB. I'm figuring the same as you, which is good, because for a while I was worried that actual drive had been damaged.

Generally if something doesn't register it can be because the USB can't supply enough power through the bus, so if this had an additional power hookup like an AC or DC cord, it would probably work fine on the laptops. But it's not one of those desktop external harddrives, it's focus is on portability so it only gets power through USB.

Some laptops have USB ports that don't pump out as much energy you know.
On a Mac, I know only one side (left or right) allows extra power to be sent through.
Same on most laptops.

My Mac only has USB on one side anyway, and I'd say it was those that are screwed up, but the thing doesn't really work on that PC laptop which is the newest computer in the house. Although it is a tiny little thing...

Anyway the drive worked perfectly up until now on the Mac.

But this isn't my question, I just want to know what to set Firefox to because certain text things aren't showing up.

Do they work in internet explorer?
If so, I have no idea.

Nah they don't, but I think it's an old IE anyway. I just used it until Firefox was done installing, so all of three minutes max.

I saw this and maybe I can find my answer here, am going to buy a Wii in a few weeks, my question is, Nintendo says that they don't do HD, and yet, they they sell HD calbes or it. Should I even bother getting it or no?

It's 480p SD.
goes into HDTV and looks decent.

The difference is really marginal though.

I actually regret buying the component cables for my Wii, though I suspect that is due to the combination of what I consider to be a negligible difference, and the fact that I almost never play the damn thing.

thanks for the input ppl.

I just bought this badboy.

Me likey.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Samsung-23-LCD-HDTV-1080p-Flat-Panel-Monitor-P2370HD_W0QQitemZ130359356019QQcmdZViewItemQQptZTelevisions?hash=item1e5a05ea73

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Also, stereo analog cables can send a 4.1 signals, to clear up the argument earlier in the thread.