connect PC to HDTV

[wanderernxa]

Hi,
I am new to SageTV products.
Can someone please recommend which Sage product will work for me?
Here are my requirements:

1. I need to connect my PC to my HDTV, so that I can basically use the web/work (office word, excel) from my living room where my HDTV is.

2. I also want to be able to watch youtube videos on my TV.
3. I would also like to watch any other streaming content that I normally watch on my PC monitor on my TV.
4. I would like to watch my DVD collection that is playing on my PC on my HDTV.

Which product would satisfy these requirements?

Thanks

[wanderernxa]

Just to be clear I want to be able to see my windows desktop on my HDTV just like I do on my monitor. I will probably buy an RF keyboard so that I can use my keyboard from my living room.

[sixdoubleo]

Well, as much as I like Sage, you don't necessarily need Sage to do the things you ask. In my opinion, unless you're using Sage's PVR capabilities, it would probably be overkill.

What caused you to consider Sage in the first place?

[wanderernxa]

Hi,
I was searching for media extenders and I came across SageTV.

I guess I can buy a video card w/ RGB out and connect it to my HDTV, that might work.

What does SageTV used for then? Why doesnt everyone just buy a video card to connect their PC to the TV ?

Sorry about the silly question.

Regards

[sixdoubleo]

The video card with RGB out wouldn't be ideal for what you want to do.

The most common method for connecting your PC to an HDTV is via the VGA port. Most TV's made in the last several years have this. The VGA port is usually designated as a "PC" input...meaning that it is compatible with the various resolutions and timings that a PC produces. Furthermore, the VGA mode is usually under-scanned, or has very little over-scan, allowing you to see all or most of your desktop, with no tweaking of resolutions.

If you have a newer HDTV with HDMI/DVI and it supports a PC on that input, then use that. Be careful though....some TV's are drastically over-scanned on the HDMI input and do not achieve 1:1 pixel mapping....depends on the TV.

What TV do you have and what video card is in your PC?

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by wanderernxa

What does SageTV used for then? Why doesnt everyone just buy a video card to connect their PC to the TV ?

SageTV is a software product for recording TV shows on your PC's hard drive. Basically it turns your PC into a Tivo-like entertainment appliance.

If you have a graphics cards that supports TV out, then you can use SageTV to play back recorded shows on your TV. Or if your PC isn't next to your TV, you can use a SageTV Media Extender to connect your PC to your TV over a LAN. But the Extender doesn't display your Windows desktop on the TV, just the SageTV UI. It's not a general-purpose remote desktop solution.

[sixdoubleo]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

SageTV is a software product for recording TV shows on your PC's hard drive. Basically it turns your PC into a Tivo-like entertainment appliance.

If you have a graphics cards that supports TV out, then you can use SageTV to play back recorded shows on your TV. Or if your PC isn't next to your TV, you can use a SageTV Media Extender to connect your PC to your TV over a LAN. But the Extender doesn't display your Windows desktop on the TV, just the SageTV UI. It's not a general-purpose remote desktop solution.

Well said. I was sitting here trying to figure out exactly how to explain what what Sage is, without turning it into a complicated mess.

[CyRex]

Originally Posted by wanderernxa

Hi,
I was searching for media extenders and I came across SageTV.

I guess I can buy a video card w/ RGB out and connect it to my HDTV, that might work.

What does SageTV used for then? Why doesnt everyone just buy a video card to connect their PC to the TV ?

Sorry about the silly question.

Regards

What type of inputs are available on your HDTV? Mine has a VGA input, so its a pretty simple connection in my case. Do you have an HDMI input that is not in use? You should be able to use a DVI to HDMI cable (assuming your PC has DVI output).

Your other options are S-Video, which won't give you the best resolution, or component. I know of a few reasonably cheap ($60) video cards that come with component breakout cables. What type of computer do you have? What type of video card will it accept? PCI-Express, AGP, both?


As for your question about what SageTV is used for... SageTV is a software package for HTPCs (Home Theater PC's). One of the primary uses of SageTV is as a PVR, similar to TV. It provides a graphical interface which allows you to record TV shows. There are many other features of SageTV, such as playing DVD's / Movies (Divx or other), organizing and playing music collections, viewing online content (YouTube, Google video, etc), getting weather forecasts, etc etc etc... The features are really too numerous to list here.

You mentioned that you were looking for media extenders and came across SageTV. As I explained, SageTV is the software package that provides all of the aforementioned features through an easy to use graphical interface. Most users of SageTV have a server / client setup, where one computer is designated as the SageTV server which handles all of the recording. The client computers (running the SageTV client software) then connect to the server and have access to all of the recorded content stored on the server. In most cases, these client computers are just connected to the TV. The media extenders are similar to the client computers, in that they 'extend' the SageTV interface to a television.


Anyway, like previously said, if you are not looking for PVR functionality, then SageTV is probably overkill.

-Dan

[CyRex]

Originally Posted by sixdoubleo

Well said. I was sitting here trying to figure out exactly how to explain what what Sage is, without turning it into a complicated mess.

Haha same here... I tried, and possibly failed.

[wanderernxa]

Originally Posted by sixdoubleo

What TV do you have and what video card is in your PC?

I just bought a mitsubishi lcd lt46244.

[wanderernxa]

Thanks guys.

You guys have been great. I am going to try to find a solution using my video card.

I have a Asus 8600GTS, 256mb Dual DVI video card and my TV is a mitsubishi lt42644 lcd.

Regards

[sixdoubleo]

OK, that doesn't have VGA, but it has 4 HDMI inputs and does appear to support a PC on the HDMI (check appendix B of your manual).

Theoretically, a modern DVI video card and a DVI-to-HDMI adapter or cable should be all you need. Just make sure you check the proper resolution and timings before you hook it up.

But before you do anything, check out avsforum.com, and see if anybody else has already hooked that TV up to a PC via HDMI. I would go there first for information on hooking up the hardware. Lots of info.

[sleonard]

Originally Posted by wanderernxa

Hi,
I am new to SageTV products.
Can someone please recommend which Sage product will work for me?
Here are my requirements:

1. I need to connect my PC to my HDTV, so that I can basically use the web/work (office word, excel) from my living room where my HDTV is.

Probably nothing special needed for this. Most HDTV's have connectors for Analog VGA, DVI, and/or HDMI. Your PC's video card will have at least one of these connectors.

Originally Posted by wanderernxa

2. I also want to be able to watch youtube videos on my TV.
3. I would also like to watch any other streaming content that I normally watch on my PC monitor on my TV.
4. I would like to watch my DVD collection that is playing on my PC on my HDTV.

Which product would satisfy these requirements?

Thanks

Modern HDTV's are essentially large and fancy computer monitors (there are some small, usually insignificant, differences) so as soon as you connect your PC's video card to the HDTV you can do everything you mentioned without any SW besides what you already use.

Scott