EggXpert

Am in process of considering an HDTV, probabably a 120 Hz, 1089P (and I note than many will run 1089i, too). The computer will handle the load as I just did a serious upgrade on it. We want to download movies and then run them from computer to HDTV, a distance of about 25' through a concrete floor. We don't need to stream it, just store it for playback. Wires or wireless can work here to there, but what confuses me is what the inferface should be. The HDTV can have an RJ25 if it needs to as we have not purchased one yet. All HDTVs seem to come with USB2 although with seemingly different capabilities, along with RGB and composite. Money is a factor here and I am not a purist. The back of the new inexpensive Gigabyte HD4350 video card has an HDMI connector, which seems to support 1089p but only at 60 Hz.

So the question is what goes on the computer to run a signal to the HDTV? I see everything from Popcorn Hour to the video card mentioned above and really have not a clue what will work in the technical sense. What are your ideas about the possibilities of doing this. Simple and inexpensive, yet with a certain amount of quality output would be nice. I seriously consider the expertise and experience of all! Mark

Normally, you just connect HDMI or DVI on your Radeon 4350 to your HDTV.... Then your TV will be like your big computer monitor. ... Does that answer your question? I have never done a 25' run though... Another thing to consider is audio. You either need separate speakers or have to have a speaker input on the back of your TV to use TV's builtiin speaker. 

The easiest/cheapest way to do it is to run a 25' or 30' (for any slack or extra to work with) HDMI cable (v1.3).  Though you would need some way of controlling what you are viewing or doing which would be a bit of an issue.  This would work on those grounds http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812117029 

Now for easily controlling what you are playing/viewing you would want the pc or some other device with in some sort of remote control range.  Basically you will need something right there at the tv.  Since I am unclear as to exactly what you are trying to do or what sort of budget you do have I am not going to make any specific recommendations.

Sjr is always very thoughtful.

I thank you for your comments. I have been working on this idea for literally years, but for several reasons the possibility of downloading movies just became a reality because of geography and other conditions I will not go into. Until a week ago my plan was to use a Nvidia FX 5200-VT128 (also called Nvidia PAL Personal Cinema). It is quite a video card (used for computere CTX since retrieved) with a remote which will reach to TV, a break out box for S-video, RCA video, two channel audio, antenna/cable in, CTX out for the computer, and so forth. It has some nifty software, but is also fairly old? I even have the new 30' Belkin S-video cable and audio cables never used. So last week I am looking at the Gigabyte HD4350  video card and it has a HDMI slot which rotates the possibilities, not to necessarily use this Gigabyte card or the Nvidia unit, but to consider something completely new. You are right. The computer and HDTV will be thirty feet away, so if not using the Nvidia S-video (I have no idea how well this would work with HDTV or how S-video works with HDTV) with remote I have, something is needed for a remote. So I am trying to figure out a practical way to run downloaded movies from the computer to future HDTV. While I can upgrade our computers this HDTV stuff is off my radar. If you have the time and want the trouble I would appreciate any ideas you might have. I don't want to throw a lot of money at this, but also need something that works well and consistantly. Right now we download the movies, run them through the Nvidia via the RCA jack to the old tube TV downstairs which lacks S-video. I have to switch audio wires around, so each movie is an adventure in wiring? Again, I would sincerely appreciate any ideas you might have.

You could use an S-video connection if you want to make use of the cable you have. The downside of using an S-video cable is that the quality of the picture will be DVD equivalent. Even if your downloaded movies are HD, you will get SD / DVD quality picture on your television. Also, not all of the video cards do have S video output. Some cards come with S video adaptors, so you may want to check what direct connections and what accessories come with whatever video card you consider to purchase. You said you were not sure how S video would work with HDTVs. The fact is that MOST of the HDTVs do have S video input, but I would check instead of assuming when it comes down to buying one JUST IN CASE. BUT if you are gonna settle with SD / DVD quality picture for movies, the easiest way to do it would be burn DVDs and play them on a stand alone DVD player next to your television, lol, and that's why we mentioned HDMI for HD pictures.

 When it comes to how to do the audio and remote, I am soo not experienced that maybe I should not say anything.  But if I were in your position and had to come up with a way by myself, I would probably consider wifi speakers and remote.  But then, if you got video using a 30' cable and audio via wifi, I am not sure how well the two would be synch'ed. That may or may not be a problem. Maybe you need a 30' audio cable as well and need to choose a TV with built-in speakers and PC speaker input on the back of your television.

 By the way, how do you get audio rigth now? And do you have a remote? The chances are, if you want to keep your expenses low, you may be able to utilize what you have right now to get audio if you don't mind 2 channel stereo sound (instead of Dolby Digtal 5.1) Maybe this is just a matter of choosing an HDTV set that comes with video and audio inputs that you already have equipements and cables for.

Depending on how your costs add up, it may come out cheaper to buy a 300 dollar Dell computer and put it right next to your TV, lmao, if your current computer has to stay 30" away. Or get a Blu-ray writer for your computer plus a stand alone Blu-ray player.

I think SRJ can help you better if you know exactly what you want such as does the picture has to be HD? What type of sound do you want? And how much are you willing to spend on new equipements other than an HDTV (e.g. new speakers, new video card, wiring / remote) ? -->

Right now for audio it comes out of normal PC line out to our stero receiver line in via twelve foot cable, the whole house stereo system, sections of which we can turn on/off. Volumn is controled by stereo remote which does not reach through the concrete floor which is bit of a hassle. Now you have me thinking that what we are downloading is simply DVD quality which I had not thought of, and makes the HD issue relative. Another lesson for today? Part of the goal is simply to get away from the fifteen year old, 20" tube TV that doesn't even have a S-video connector. Your comments about checking connectors is the truth and I sometimes feel like a juggler, but want an RJ-45 in particular. Thank you for your ideas as I have realized some more realities!