Video to VGA converter any good ?

[dflachbart]

Hi,

I am looking for an inexpensive TV / MVP solution for the bedroom and was thinking about getting one of those cheap 19 or 20 inch Widescreen LCD monitors and feed it with my MVP/S-Video output through a Video-VGA converter like this one.

Any thoughts on that ? Would the picture quality be decent, or is it not worth the trouble ? It seems to be a cheaper solution than buying an LCD with s-video input...

Dirk

[Menehune]

Depends upon your definition of decent. Realize that Tv resolution is lower than 640x480 and designed to be viewed from 36-60 inches away rather than the typical 12 inches of VGA monitors. The equivalent dot pitch of TV is .52 vs .20 (or less) for modern VGA monitors.

You can't create any clarity or additional information in the s-video signal. What is coming out is all that you ever have.
In a nutshell: The s-video picture will look good from across the room, but don't expect a HD quality signal up close.

I have a 20" LCD and watching sage client in a 800x600 window is fine if I am doing work on the computer. When I go to full screen, I go across the room 6 feet away and the picture looks just like my CRT TV. I record most of my shows at DVD-Long play.

[dflachbart]

Originally Posted by Menehune

You can't create any clarity or additional information in the s-video signal. What is coming out is all that you ever have.
In a nutshell: The s-video picture will look good from across the room, but don't expect a HD quality signal up close.

Guess I wasn't clear enough in my post - I know the limitations of s-video, and that it won't get better on an LCD display. I am currently using my MVP (via s-video) with an SD tube TV, so I know what to expect. I was just trying to find out if anyone has experience with those s-video to VGA converters, and whether they more or less keep the pic quality, or degrade so much during the conversion that it isn't worth it.

But thanks for the response,

Dirk

[MeInMaui]

Hi Dirk,

I have a 20" Dell Ultrasharp LCD that I picked up a few years ago. It has an s-video input already built in. I would imagine that these monitors are pretty cheap at this this point and may be similar in cost to a cheaper LCD + video-to-VGA converter. It might be another option. HTH

Aloha,
Mike