How can I use my TV as a second computer monitor?

United States
March 26, 2007 12:28am CST
I'm not wanting to use it for reading, just for watching online videos. I have heard that video quality is quite good, but words and such are hard to read. I want to be able to use both my computer monitor and my television. Should I get a VGA converter box, or would a splitter work. If I get a splitter, will I need a special kind of video card? I am looking for the cheapest way to do this, as I don't have a lot of money to spend on it - maybe $30 at the most. If anyone can help me with this, it will be most appreciated. Maybe if I do this, I can break my husband away from his computer room sometimes to watch something in here with ME! As it is now, he watches all kinds of online movies on his computer, while I sit here on mine.
2 responses
filmbuff
@filmbuff (2909)
• United States
26 Mar 07
The easiest way to do it is to buy a video card with a "TV-out" connection. Then you just run the appropriate cable out from your computer's video card to the TV.
1 person likes this
spiralbutterfly
@spiralbutterfly (215)
• United States
27 Mar 07
Thank you for your response. Which would be the appropriate cable?
1 person likes this
filmbuff
@filmbuff (2909)
• United States
8 Apr 07
Sorry it took so long to get to back to you, I've been really busy updateing my website. The "appropriate cable" is which ever one your video card output uses that is compatible with your tv. If you haven't got a new video card yet with TV out (or if yours doesn't have a tv out) I would suggest checking to see what type of connections free on your TV. you might have rca, or s-video or hdmi for that matter..it just depends on your tv and that is where I would start.
cultoffury
@cultoffury (1283)
• India
26 Mar 07
I think TV has an analog input as compared to monitor's digital input, but if you have the latest model television, most of them have the HDTV port which could be plugged into the HDTV port of your video card. It would cost you only the cable's price.
spiralbutterfly
@spiralbutterfly (215)
• United States
27 Mar 07
I have heard that it is possible to do it on an analog set. I'm not interested in being able to read words on it, I just want to watch videos. At this time, my video card does note have HDTV capabilities.