How to connect big screen TV to 4 PCs?

[zalek]

Hello,
I have at home 4 PCs connected by wired network and I want to buy a big
screen TV and be able to use TV as a monitor.
Now here is my problem: 2 PCs are in the same room - the room where I
plan to put TV. I want to be able to play a games on those PC and
sometimes to use the TV as a monitor.
Another PC is in different room - I want to be able to use TV as a
monitor for this PC to show pictures or movies. And I have a laptop - I
want to able to use TV as monitor for my laptop.
What kind of switches I need to make this setup?

Thanks,

Zalek

 

[Ken Maltby]

Hello,
I have at home 4 PCs connected by wired network and I want to buy a big
screen TV and be able to use TV as a monitor.
Now here is my problem: 2 PCs are in the same room - the room where I
plan to put TV. I want to be able to play a games on those PC and
sometimes to use the TV as a monitor.
Another PC is in different room - I want to be able to use TV as a
monitor for this PC to show pictures or movies. And I have a laptop - I
want to able to use TV as monitor for my laptop.
What kind of switches I need to make this setup?

Thanks,

Zalek

You should consider that "TV"s make very poor monitors.
Even with high quality scan converters, they won't match the
performance of a display designed for computer inputs.

That said, some of the new HDTVs aren't that different from
computer monitors and can accept DVI or even RGB inputs.

So the question may be what "TV"s are you talking about?

I use an Epson PowerLite TW100 Widescreen Home Theater
HD Projector. Like many of these projectors, it is designed for
both consumer video and computer input/display. Most "TV"s
are not.

Luck;
Ken

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

You should consider that "TV"s make very poor monitors.
Even with high quality scan converters, they won't match the
performance of a display designed for computer inputs.

That said, some of the new HDTVs aren't that different from
computer monitors and can accept DVI or even RGB inputs.

So the question may be what "TV"s are you talking about?

I use an Epson PowerLite TW100 Widescreen Home Theater
HD Projector. Like many of these projectors, it is designed for
both consumer video and computer input/display. Most "TV"s
are not.

Luck;
Ken

Well, this *is* 2006

HDTVs do quite fine as computer monitors - I use one all the time - and
that's what lots of people are buying nowadays.

Of course, I strongly agree with your remark about TVs making poor
monitors, but only if you're talking last century's stuff
Obviously, I mean SD CRTs when I say that.

However, I'm not too optimistic about the OP's odds of getting a
satifactory setup, given what he said his setup is :-(

Let's hope I'm wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.

 

[zalek]

Well, this *is* 2006

HDTVs do quite fine as computer monitors - I use one all the time - and
that's what lots of people are buying nowadays.

Of course, I strongly agree with your remark about TVs making poor
monitors, but only if you're talking last century's stuff
Obviously, I mean SD CRTs when I say that.

However, I'm not too optimistic about the OP's odds of getting a
satifactory setup, given what he said his setup is :-(

Let's hope I'm wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.

Thanks for response, and here some clarification:
I don't plan to REPLACE computer monitors by TV, but from time to time
to show pictures or movies I have on my PC on big(?) 32" screen and to
give my kids oportunity to use TV as monitor to play computer games (if
they choose so).
My questions are:
1. what kind of harware I need to buy that a user can switch display
from regular monitor to TV
2. what to do if one computer is in different room (I know I can share
a disk with PC in TV room and display data from using this PC, but I am
interested if there are different solutions).
3. TV needs to serve 4 PCs - I don't want to rewired all appartament -
is there a wireless solution?

Thanks,

Zalek

 

[Richard Crowley]

I have at home 4 PCs connected by wired network and I want to buy a
big
screen TV and be able to use TV as a monitor.
Now here is my problem: 2 PCs are in the same room - the room where I
plan to put TV. I want to be able to play a games on those PC and
sometimes to use the TV as a monitor.
Another PC is in different room - I want to be able to use TV as a
monitor for this PC to show pictures or movies. And I have a laptop -
I
want to able to use TV as monitor for my laptop.
What kind of switches I need to make this setup?

You didn't mention what kind of connections you
are talking about? Composite? Y/C? Component?
"VGA", etc. But there are switches for all of them,
and solutions for running them "long" distances, also.
You also didn't mention what kind of budget you have
in mind for this, so the commercial solutions may or
may not be palatable to you???

 

[Ken Maltby]

Thanks for response, and here some clarification:
I don't plan to REPLACE computer monitors by TV, but from time to time
to show pictures or movies I have on my PC on big(?) 32" screen and to
give my kids oportunity to use TV as monitor to play computer games (if
they choose so).
My questions are:
1. what kind of harware I need to buy that a user can switch display
from regular monitor to TV

The cheapest approach for this part would be simple "A/B" switches,
one output would go to the monitor and the other to your "TV", through
a scan converter. If you had video cards with "TV Out" you could
connect with those directly, and wouldn't need a switch or scan converter.
Vid card TV Out's and Scan Converter's output is often S-Video at best,
so that is what you would have running from the PCs in the TV room to a
common four input S-Video switch and then to the TV.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

The cheapest approach for this part would be simple "A/B" switches,
one output would go to the monitor and the other to your "TV", through
a scan converter. If you had video cards with "TV Out" you could
connect with those directly, and wouldn't need a switch or scan converter.
Vid card TV Out's and Scan Converter's output is often S-Video at best,
so that is what you would have running from the PCs in the TV room to a
common four input S-Video switch and then to the TV.

Thanks for addressing this; between my ignorance and the complexity of
Zalek's needs, I really couldn't contribute anything concrete.

http://www.smarthome.com/7743B.html

Cool! Thanks here too.

 

[Bill's News]

Thanks for response, and here some clarification:
I don't plan to REPLACE computer monitors by TV, but from time
to time
to show pictures or movies I have on my PC on big(?) 32"
screen and to
give my kids oportunity to use TV as monitor to play computer
games
(if they choose so).
My questions are:
1. what kind of harware I need to buy that a user can switch
display
from regular monitor to TV
2. what to do if one computer is in different room (I know I
can share
a disk with PC in TV room and display data from using this PC,
but I
am interested if there are different solutions).
3. TV needs to serve 4 PCs - I don't want to rewired all
appartament -
is there a wireless solution?

Thanks,

Zalek

I've been doing this for years. I've used an SD TV and am now
using an HD monitor.

Connections:

1) A "rigged for silent running" PC is within modest cable
distance of the 42" HD monitor, connected via HDMI. I use a
wireless KB/Track-ball to operate it.

There is a second 17" monitor connected via VGA and wired
KB/mouse stored in a nearby cabinet/desk, but they are seldom
used.

2) Over one terabyte of quiet HDD storage is attached to that
PC,
800 gigs of which are USB2 drives.

3) A wireless router is hardwired to the "media" PC and cable
modem.

4) Other PCs access the larger storage capacity of the "media"
server, rather than the other way around, via the wireless hub.
It is, of course, also possible to move the USB2 drives to the
other PCs as desired, when performance is an issue. Some
software players perform better than others over a 54 mbps
wireless router - a 108 would probably be better.

5) Most of the videos I have on-line originated as captures and
are also backed up to DVD media, so the library is available for
viewing by more than one method.

6) Other PCs are situated near a TV or act as a TV and, of
course, serve as DVD players when desired.

It is vital, to my quaint system, to keep good tracking info as
to what video is where. One can browse the listing from
anywhere and either play what's on-line or amble over to the DVD
library shelves. One other nice feature of using a PC as a
media server is that one can browse the net at any time to find
out more info regarding the video - settling disputes related or
unrelated thereto;-0)

 

[zalek]

Hello,
I have at home 4 PCs connected by wired network and I want to buy a big
screen TV and be able to use TV as a monitor.
Now here is my problem: 2 PCs are in the same room - the room where I
plan to put TV. I want to be able to play a games on those PC and
sometimes to use the TV as a monitor.
Another PC is in different room - I want to be able to use TV as a
monitor for this PC to show pictures or movies. And I have a laptop - I
want to able to use TV as monitor for my laptop.
What kind of switches I need to make this setup?

Thanks,

Zalek

OK - half work is done - I bought Westinghouse LTV-32w3 TV. This TV
have VGA and 3.5 mm mini jack connectors. I decided to connect this TV
to only 2 PCs - here is how I plan to do it:
http://www.geocities.com/zalekbloom/pictures/tv-connection.JPG

I couldn't find VGA/Audio selector - I will use 2 selectors - one for
VGA and one for audio.
I should receive cables next week and will try to make it work.

Zalek