Help me get my tech nerd on!

[mndsm]

So- check this. Bought me an inexpensive LCD TV. Has HDMI, (probably DVI) serial ports PC style, the whole bit. Ye olde laptop has the same thing, and I have a PC that can do it too. My question is, HONESTLY- whaddya recommend for input to the TV for best signal quality/etc? TV is already hating on coax, but I suspect that it's the total shit cable signal we get. Obviously, the laptop can kick out whatever you can throw at it, and the desktop that may end up being able to do the same, depending on what kind of mood i'm in. Any thoughts?

[mndsm]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Toshiba+-+Factory-Refurbished+40%22+Class+/+1080p+/+60Hz+/+LCD+HDTV/9716715.p?id=1218158633597&skuId=9716715

This is the TV, except it's not a refurb.

[DrWebster]

HDMI is the best you're gonna get for video input on that TV.

[Workdawg]

D v iiiiiiii

[VTEC8YA]

Yea, coax in our building is JUNK! Go HDMI.

[dasmikechen]

Second vote for HDMI. If your PC and laptop don't have HDMI out, you either need to get a video card with it to get the best quality, or just use DVI or VGA. No point in getting a converter cable to HDMI unless this cable is cheaper. It won't be upgrading the video quality.

[VTEC8YA]

Wait a minute, your paying for cable though right? I would raise hell with DTV about it. I thought you were running the free stuff still, because the signal from the free stuff on my 52" is just DUMB.

[AJ]

Can you get Cable through a computer?

[Picklz]

HDMI From PC to TV. Done.

[DrWebster]

I should also point out that the video portion of HDMI (since it also carries audio signals) is the same as DVI. So if whatever PC you want to hook up doesn't have an HDMI output, but does have DVI, you can just use an HDMI-to-DVI cable and the picture quality will be exactly the same. You'd need to run a separate cable for audio in this scenario though.

[derrian]

HDMI.... we have several we use on TVs. I have already hooked my laptop up to my 50 in TV via HDMI

Buy HDMI online if you can, WAY cheaper then at BB

[mndsm]

LAptop does HDMI, so we're golden.

[Z-licious]

Gotta watch out for DVI on TV's sometimes. When I plugged in my computer via DVI and set it to native resolution of the TV it wasn't mapping the pixels 1:1 and everything looked a bit soft or blurry. I plugged it in via VGA it was mapping 1:1 so everything looked sharp. However it did cut off the very edges of my screen, but that's more acceptable than a lower quality picture.

[DrWebster]

Gotta watch out for DVI on TV's sometimes. When I plugged in my computer via DVI and set it to native resolution of the TV it wasn't mapping the pixels 1:1 and everything looked a bit soft or blurry. I plugged it in via VGA it was mapping 1:1 so everything looked sharp. However it did cut off the very edges of my screen, but that's more acceptable than a lower quality picture.

There's usually a setting in the TV menus for adjusting the HDMI input; on our Bravia it's called "Full Pixel".

[Z-licious]

There's usually a setting in the TV menus for adjusting the HDMI input; on our Bravia it's called "Full Pixel".

Not on mine. I looked all over.

[VTEC8YA]

What are you looking to do with it? Just watch stuff from the PC on your TV? Stream TV? Play vids on the TV?

[AJ]

I'me very curious to how people are using their computers with thier TVs. I'd love to be able to get Disney, FSN, and even HGTV from my computer as for what the regular programing is, but I never really saw much there. If there an option to avoid signing back up for Shitcast, dISH, or DTV for cable. I could care less about HBO and that shit.

[Picklz]

As far as programming you have to get it from somewhere, either a PC based DVR recording shows from Cable/Sateillite, or via sites like hulu or networks that actually have their TV shows on their websites. Netflix streaming is another option as they have a lot of TV Series available for streaming. I haven't looked into it but if Hulu or various network websites have the programming you want already I imagine there are some front-ends out there that would allow you to easily access them via a Home Theater PC.

[AJ]

I use Hulu and Netflix often, so maybe it's worth it to go that route...

[spek1098]

I use a DVI-HDMI cable, and it works perfectly. I had that same soft/blurry image when I first tried hooking my laptop to a TV via a DVI-HDMI cable about 3 years ago on a TV about 2 years old at the time, but no issue at all using that same cable with my 1 yr old Samsung. I upgraded the graphics card on a PC, dedicated for the TV, just to get the DVI output. I looks a lot better then making the TV deal with an analog to digital conversion that you get when using VGA.

[mndsm]

Not gonna lie, I'm going to use it primarily for watching pr0n. Oh and gaming.