Upgrade advice for new CRT for HTPC use.

Yeah, been there; done that. Also ran the Nokia Monitor Test program, and discovered the out-of-whack convergence!


It's probably dangerous to make that generalization. Component video is an analog input, and the quality of that input circuitry would vary between manufacturers and specific models (e.g. I expect Sony XBR models to have better quality parts and tighter tolerances). Computer text requires better video bandwidth than typical video, so I would not expect the typical TV to do computer text that good on component video. But there could be a few HDTV models that have wide-bandwidth component video inputs to match the digital quality. Specifically, I've seen both component video and DVI from a PC into a KV-34XBR910, and there was no obvious difference. (In fact that was a free & non-working but repairable HDTV obtained through this forum for a friend!) Note that the graphics card could output 1920x1080i component video in this case, rather than using a converter.

BTW a "DVI-I to component video solution" requires a converter box that costs US$40 or more. Forget the $5 or $15 adapters; they do not convert digital to analog and are suitable for only a few graphic cards! The easiest way to get component video out of a PC is to use a graphics card that can output component video.

More relevant, I have compared a Windows 7 HTPC on both Sony KV-30HS420 and KV-30XBR910. The KV-30HS420 has HDMI and a Hi-Scan tube (about 850 horizontal dot resolution). The KV-30XBR910 has DVI-D and a Super Fine Pitch tube (about 1440 horizontal dot resolution). For HD video from the PC or SD video from a ChannelMaster CECB I could live with either TV (although the XBR is better). But computer text at 1920x1080i out the nVidia GeForce 8100 DVI port is much easier to read on the SFP screen. At the desktop default "small" text size, you have to guess at what the text is on the HS screen, whereas it's almost readable on the SFP screen. Even at the "large" text size the SFP screen text is noticeably more legible. An extra-large custom text size is required for legible text on the HS screen.

If you stick to MCE or whatever HTPC interface with oversized text, this won't matter too much. Otherwise a secondary display would help relieve eyestrain if using something less than a SFP tube.

(The GeForce 8100 is an integrated GPU, and does not have component video outputs, only VGA and DVI.)

BTW I was very lucky/blessed to get the KV-30XBR910 for free, mostly because the first ad responder failed three times over 4 days to show up.

My upgrade from 27" to 30" widescreen HDTV required a new shelf to support the added depth and the doubling of the weight (to 150 lbs), which is now primarily distributed on the front of the set. Be sure to plan for this physical issue.

Regards

Be careful on those Samsungs... they can have horrible geometry... can be really bad for pc use. For movies you dont notice much but on windows... you'll see curved lines, waves and even convergence issues.
Be sure to try it on a pattern with the DVI/HDMI input and see if the geometry is ok to your liking.

The TVs are free, go get it if you can, try it out and if it sucks post a curb alert and it will be gone by morning..
I can tell you of the many SD CRTs I have picked up trying to find a nice one for my mom's place, Sony is the only thing worth picking up.. I was not looking for HD nore anything bigger than 27" so maybe the other manufactures did better with HD then SD..