Many HDTVs have only a single digital (HDMI or DVI)
input, which may already be occupied (if you??™re lucky) by a
DVD player with a digital output. If you don??™t want to settle
for an analog connection between your PC and TV, you??™ll
need a HDMI or DVI switch, the best examples of which can
be found in some high-end digital home theater receivers.
If your TV is not high-def, or if for whatever reason digital just isn??™t going to
work, then you??™ve got to go analog.
If your PC has a TV-out port, it might accept a standard S-Video plug, or
barring that, an ordinary RCA plug. (If it has a proprietary connector, you
may need a special adapter from your PC manufacturer??”at extra cost, of
course.)
If your computer lacks a dedicated TV-out port, see whether your TV has a
15-pin analog VGA port, in which case you can simply use a VGA-to-VGA
cable and connect your TV like a monitor. Otherwise, your PC may support
TV-out directly through its VGA port (an admittedly uncommon feature), in
which case you can get a VGA-to-RCA or VGA-to-S-Video adapter pretty
cheaply on eBay.
198 | Chapter 4: Working with Media
So, to sum up, here are the connection methods you can try, in order from
best to worst.
Once you??™ve got the cabling in order, the next step is to set the resolution on
your PC to optimize the picture quality. Set it too low, and it??™ll look pixelated;
set it too high, and you might have overscanning problems (where the video
runs off the screen).
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