S-video to TV

[jnc007]

So I've been watching various tv shows on online lately on my computer. Then I realized that I have a S-video port on my video card. I bought a 12' cable and plugged it into my tv. I can see everthing okay but I have two questions.

1) (most important) why does my tv...a sony 1080i quatlity...show my desktop and programs kind of fuzzy? shouldn't it be crystal clear?

2) I'm using a ati radeon hd 3800 video card. when I want to switch from monitor to TV I need to drag and drop the alt video source to the primary spot. When I do this the TV gets the picture and my monitor goes blank. Is there a way to see it on both screens? I ask because when I do this I can only see a little of my tv and its a pain in the butt to to look at the tv from one part of the room and operate the computer from another part of the room.



Thanks

Josh

[mattaggie]

1.) try other resolutions. I have found that my PC looks best on an HDTV at the 768 resolution.
2.) you can set up a hotkey to change the display. So for example you just hit F5. You set this up in your video card's program. You should also have the option in there to clone the display, which it sounds like you want to do.

[Masaki 7-11]

S-Video has very low bandwidth which usually leads to low resolution such as 640x480. To take full advantage of your TV's resolution you'll want to use component of HDMI cables (both of which are supported). If you want to be able to see on both screens at the same time, you'll either want to clone the desktop (see the same thing on both screens) or expand the desktop (have the taskbar and main icons on one display and have secondary things such as a browser, game or video running on the second display).

[juppy]

The S-Video cable isn't really capable of carrying an HD signal. Like Masaki mentioned, they're only designed for standard definition up to about 480i. That's why it looks fuzzy on your tv, because you're taking a low quality picture and blowing it up bigger. The HD set is basically taking a standard def signal from that S-Video cable and stretching the pixels to fill in the gaps, whereas an HD signal would already have the additional pixels in it so it wouldn't look blocky and pixelated. Kinda like scanning a Polaroid photo into your computer and enlarging it. It's going to look blocky because the original picture didn't have much depth in the definition.

[Force Flow]

If you have an extra DVI or VGA connector, you can go from one of those to component with an adapter (or two), and go into the TV. Or, if your video card and TV support HDMI, you can use that.

[Hi Ho]

Or, if your video card and TV support HDMI, you can use that.
The video card doesn't even need HDMI. DVI will work. A DVI > HDMI adapter (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10419&cs_id=1041902&p_id=2029&seq=1&format=2) and an HDMI Cable (http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024004&p_id=3662&seq=1&format=2) is all he needs. HDMI > DVI cables are available but an adapter and seperate HDMI cable offers more future flexibility.

[Masaki 7-11]

If you want to have both audio and video streamed over HDMI from the video card, you'll need this DVI to HDMI adapter: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814999010.

[Hi Ho]

That DVI > HDMI adapter is the same as the one I linked too and it will not provide audio with his Nvidia card. Only certain ATI cards support that (as far as I know) and it does not require that specific adapter.

[Masaki 7-11]

That DVI > HDMI adapter is the same as the one I linked too and it will not provide audio with his Nvidia card. Only certain ATI cards support that (as far as I know) and it does not require that specific adapter.

In the first post it says that the video card in question is a HD3800.

[Hi Ho]

Sorry for being such a total idiot. ;) I went back and looked at his signature and did not re-read the original post.