Totally lost, need help choosing a TV for HTPC

501 Views 15 Replies 6 Participants Last post by taz291819, May 30, 2004

AquaVita

Discussion Starter · May 29, 2004

I had previously narrowed my choice of TV down to a Sony kp46wt510. My system is a p4 with a ATI All in Wonder 9800. So I took my computer to the store today to try it out, and here's what happened:

1. DVI looks terrible. On any tv, period. I used a great DVI cable, so I know it wasn't that.

2. Using S-Video, games and movies look ok, but you can't read any text. It looked pretty bad.

3. Using component, the text looked great, games looked great, but I couldn't get the desktop to fit on the screen very easily. So I used powerstrip and finally it to fit(for the most part) but then when I loaded up a game, it was all off center and looked terrible again.

I'm really at the end of my rope at this point. I don't know if it's even worth still trying to do this. Is there any workable solution, like perhaps another kind of TV? My absolute highest price on a tv is $1500 USD.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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1 - 16 of 16 Posts

NaTeDoGG

· #2 · May 30, 2004

Have you thought about getting a front projector? They are affordable, starting at $800. You can buy a screen or project onto a wall until you get a screen later. You'll need speakers though.

AquaVita

Discussion Starter · #3 · May 30, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by NaTeDoGG
Have you thought about getting a front projector? They are affordable, starting at $800. You can buy a screen or project onto a wall until you get a screen later. You'll need speakers though.

Yeah, we looked at those while we were there.It looks like a viable option, at this point. Do you recomend any certain one over another? I don't know much about them.

Thanks!

AquaVita

Discussion Starter · #4 · May 30, 2004

I guess I should also mention that we'll be in an apartment, so it will be difficult to keep the daylight out, I believe.

I think that ATI makes a dongle cable that allows you to output VGA to component. Does anyone have any experience with that? I'm planning on going to the store again tommorrow, so I'd like to have any additional information possible.

Thanks!

repair4man

· #5 · May 30, 2004

I think your problem is that you're trying to display 4:3 ratio video onto a 16:9 screen. That probably why you were able to fix it with power strip. When you switched to a game, it probably was configured for a 4:3 ratio picture size. Try seeing if the game has a 16:9 ratio (like 1280x768) you can select. My Radeon 9000 pro also has 1280x768 as a standard selectable screen size.

NaTeDoGG

· #6 · May 30, 2004

1280x720 is the 16:9 resolution (not 768). It'd be 1366x768 (Sony HS20 is this resolution). I have a Sanyo PLV-Z2 (1280x720 native) and I totally love it. Lense shift allows you to place the PJ anywhere you like, I couldn't live without it. The Z2 runs about $1900 though, so maybe above your price point. There are other great projectors at lower price points though. You should check out the PJ section of this site!

For what its worth, I am in an apartment too. Here is what I came up with...

My old living room:
http://www.n4te.com/images/misc/crib/livingroom1.jpg

New living room, note the PJ is there now, plus the screen that is mounted above the windows:
http://www.n4te.com/temp/cribsmall.jpg

Screen down (this is before I got rid of the table and tv):
http://www.n4te.com/misc/ht/pjless.jpg

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AquaVita

Discussion Starter · #7 · May 30, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by NaTeDoGG
1280x720 is the 16:9 resolution (not 768). It'd be 1366x768 (Sony HS20 is this resolution). I have a Sanyo PLV-Z2 (1280x720 native) and I totally love it. Lense shift allows you to place the PJ anywhere you like, I couldn't live without it. The Z2 runs about $1900 though, so maybe above your price point. There are other great projectors at lower price points though. You should check out the PJ section of this site!

Hmm, yeah the projectors are looking more and more tempting. How did you keep the light out? Are those just regular blinds on the windows? Are you running a computer through the projector, or just regular home theatre components...

Thanks! I appreciate the information.

AquaVita

Discussion Starter · #8 · May 30, 2004

Oh and also, so I don't get too far ahead of myself...does no one see any kind of workable solution for making a TV work with this? I don't think I'd mind getting a projector, but I'd like to try this first if at all possible.

NaTeDoGG

· #9 · May 30, 2004

The only light is coming in through the windows. With the screen down it covers most of that area (the screen is opaque). Yep those are regular blinds. During the day, when the sun is hitting the blinds (~3pm-sunset), watching the PJ isn't ideal. I usually kick the PJ into high lamp mode (uses the lamp faster but is brighter, and makes more noise from the fan needing to cool the lamp more) and it is ok. I wouldn't want to watch movies like that, but its fine for the Simpsons and regular TV watching. Most of my viewing is at night anyway.

I had thought/hoped that the light coming in around the blinds would act as bias lighting. This is lighting put behind the screen so that the large changes in brightness on the screen don't cause your pupils to constantly dilate and contract, which gives some people headaches. I suppose it does act this way, but too much light comes through the blinds and bounces around the white walls on to the screen.

I'm running it with a computer, which is almost finished. My thread about it is here .

I don't know much about doing this with a TV, sorry I can't help you there. If this thread dies away maybe post in the RPTV forums. But you want a projector because projectors are better in every way. ::ducks::

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voivod84

· #10 · May 30, 2004

Here is the only solution in my book for your Tv Problem. I have a SONY KP-43HT20 4:3 and nothing I did using powerstrip really got rid on my over scan until I did this (I would not go into the store and do this the might freak out) You have to go into the service menu and stretch the screen to fit. With power off you press Display, 5, Vol+, Power to get into it. then you look for MDVS, MDHS and shrink the screen to fit. Only do this if you are going to use the TV on the PC only because if you use any other source you are going to have a lot of under scan. I did mine and now with a fresh install of XP I don't have to use powerstrip and my desktop fits perfect with no messing around. Also since I was in the service menu I tweaked the convergence because it was off that made a hell of a difference in my picture quality. You can use Auto convergence or flash focus but that is not perfect. Also remove the protective screen unless you have kids the glare on it will drive you crazy.

Well hopes this helps

Be Cooll

Eric

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taz291819

· #11 · May 30, 2004

You can probably talk a Sears salesperson down to $1500 on a Mits WS-48413. I paid $250 more than that, but that was 6 months ago. It works perfect with my ATI AIW 9700Pro. It's pretty easy to setup once you read Karnis' guide on using PowerStrip. All of his pasted timings work perfectly with the 48413.

Just another idea for ya.

AquaVita

Discussion Starter · #12 · May 30, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by taz291819
You can probably talk a Sears salesperson down to $1500 on a Mits WS-48413. I paid $250 more than that, but that was 6 months ago. It works perfect with my ATI AIW 9700Pro. It's pretty easy to setup once you read Karnis' guide on using PowerStrip. All of his pasted timings work perfectly with the 48413.

Just another idea for ya.

Hmm, that does look interesting. And I've heard a lot of good things about Mits Tv's. So, when you get a good resolution on your desktop, it doesn't change when you try and play a game, etc?

I'm a little lost reading through that guide...I'm not very good with powerstrip as I've only had it a few days.

taz291819

· #13 · May 30, 2004

I use 856x480 (inside a 540p timing) for desktop and some gaming. It looks great. Then I use 1776x1000 for dvd playback and some gaming, which looks great also.

With gaming, it usually isn't just install the game and start playing. You usually have to edit a cfg file to add the 856x480 or 1776x1000, if the game doesn't support it natively. So far with the games I play, there isn't a single one I can't get working fairly quickly, most of the time within a few minutes of looking at .cfg or .inf files.

AquaVita

Discussion Starter · #14 · May 30, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by taz291819
With gaming, it usually isn't just install the game and start playing. You usually have to edit a cfg file to add the 856x480 or 1776x1000, if the game doesn't support it natively. So far with the games I play, there isn't a single one I can't get working fairly quickly, most of the time within a few minutes of looking at .cfg or .inf files.

Ahh yes. That makes sense. I went through a few of my games and found it pretty quickly. Doesn't look like there is one for Far Cry, though. That's the one I've really been wanting to play. The other games worked well though when I edited the resolution. Thanks for the tip!

RayL Jr.

· #15 · May 30, 2004

Besides the Sanyo PLV-Z2, you might want to look at the Panasonic PT-L500U projector. Both excellent & about the same price ($1800-1900) - see Shoot-out: Panasonic PT-L500U vs. Sanyo PLV-Z2 .

Also I really like the Samsung DLP TVs, they're a "bargain" for the performance as well (compared to other high end HDTV's). Some examples & "street prices":

Samsung HLN4365W 43" Wide Screen HDTV Monitor Television - DLP Technology $2,643.88

Samsung HLN437W 43" Wide Screen HDTV Monitor Television - DLP Technology $2,399.00

Samsung HLN5065W 50" Wide Screen HDTV Monitor Television - DLP Technology $2,599.00

Samsung HLN507W 50" Wide Screen HDTV Monitor Television - DLP Technology $3,159.00

Samsung HLN567W 56" Wide Screen HDTV Monitor Television - DLP Technology $3,799.00

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taz291819

· #16 · May 30, 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by AquaVita
Ahh yes. That makes sense. I went through a few of my games and found it pretty quickly. Doesn't look like there is one for Far Cry, though. That's the one I've really been wanting to play. The other games worked well though when I edited the resolution. Thanks for the tip!

I play Far Cry all the time. The file to edit is: system.cfg

Not only do I put 856x480 as the resolution, I go ahead and put a "1" in the AA spot, since you won't be able to choose it in the menu.

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