Video output options (1 Viewer)

[jburnette]

I'm finally making the leap into the world of HD. I'm hoping that one of you HD veterans can help me out. I currently have my SD TV hooked up via the S-Video out on my video card. The video card has two VGA outputs and an S-Video output. The TV I'm getting has the following inputs/outputs:

2 HDMI, 2 S-Video, 2 Composite, 2 Component Video Input, 2 Monitor and sound out, 1 PC (RBG) in, 1 PC audio input

This is the TV:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-HLT5075S-Slim-720p-HDTV/dp/B000N50R6O/

My question is what is the best way to hook that up to my HTPC? I've looked around and found out that a VGA -> HDMI converter is very expensive. What I can't seem to find out though is how the quality of VGA compares to something like HDMI. I know that s-video will not give me the best picture, so that's not an option. Do I need a new video card? How do you have your TV hooked up and to what video card is it hooked up to?

Thanks.

 

[Taipan]

what is the best way to hook that up to my HTPC?

I suggest you use a VGA cable to connect from the VGA output of your video card to the PC (RBG) in of the Samsung TV - this will give you the best quality and the greatest flexibility with scan rates and resolutions. Changing your video card to provide a DVI or HDMI output (so you could use the HDMI input of the Samsung TV) would theoretically give you better quality, but I doubt if you would notice the difference.

 

[jburnette]

what is the best way to hook that up to my HTPC?

I suggest you use a VGA cable to connect from the VGA output of your video card to the PC (RBG) in of the Samsung TV - this will give you the best quality and the greatest flexibility with scan rates and resolutions. Changing your video card to provide a DVI or HDMI output (so you could use the HDMI input of the Samsung TV) would theoretically give you better quality, but I doubt if you would notice the difference.

Thank you for the help. So RBG is the same as VGA? Or will I need some type of adapter?

 

[Taipan]

So RBG is the same as VGA?

Yes, it is exactly the same thing in this case - you should find that the PC (RGB) input on the Samsung TV is a DB15 female socket.

Or will I need some type of adapter?

No, just a DB15 male to male cable.

 

[jburnette]

So RBG is the same as VGA?

Yes, it is exactly the same thing in this case - you should find that the PC (RGB) input on the Samsung TV is a DB15 female socket.

Or will I need some type of adapter?

No, just a DB15 male to male cable.

Great, thanks again for the help.

 

[THDBASED]

Just jumping into this thread to have some more info about this. Will the HDMI pc output to HDMI pc input have the same flexibility with scan rates and resolutions?

 

[Taipan]

Will the HDMI pc output to HDMI pc input have the same flexibility with scan rates and resolutions?

I am not sure that there is a definitive answer to that question - it will depend upon the capabilities of the display itself. Some displays will only support the standard TV signals (480p, 576p, 720p ... and so on) through the HDMI input, while others may support the common PC resolutions as well (like 640x480, 1024x768, .... etc).

Maybe someone else can respond with a more definitive answer .....