[RESOLVED] Computer to TV..What's Needed?

[Razor]

I have a HP Pavilion 1210n that's 5 years old & was considering connecting it to my 50" Sony Plasma which is also 5 years old. What I need to know if this is feasible & if so what PCI card or? that I would need in order to have a decent picture.The TV has S-video & also HDMI ports. I've read a lot of stuff on the internet on "how to" but I don't want to waste money on something that would turn out to be mediocre, so I'm hoping someone here that's traveled the road, will put me in the right direction. I'm hoping to get a new TV in the near future..one that would be internet ready with USB connections etc. but meanwhile, the present will have to do.
I also have a Quest DSL modem with wireless capability. Would this be another option? I would assume that wired would favor over wireless in performance? Thanks for any input......

[jdc2000]

Is that an HP Pavilion A1210n? If so, it should have 1 PCIeX16 slot available. I'd check the reviews for desktop video cards that use that slot at NewEgg to see which look good in your price range. The ones made by MSI have good reviews. You may also need a new power supply as well, since the one supplied with the computer is just adequate for the original configuration.

[Train]

Since you may have a 300 watt power supply at best, you meed to be aware that need to find out the requirement for the card you chose as it may require more power for itself that that power supply puts out and you need to still add everything that is in the case now.

[Razor]

[QUOTE]=Is that an HP Pavilion A1210n?

Yes, this computer is a HP Pavilion A1210n. I am kind of lost in reference to a
PCIeX16 slot ? Or were you referring to an AGP slot? This MB which is standard of the HP has 3 PCI & 1 AVG slot.
I checked NewEgg's website & typed in "PCIeX16 slot" & came up with an MB with that description. As for video cards, the choice was over whelming. I have never dabbled in Hi-end video cards before, so I have to rely on the experience of others. And my present 300 watt PW, would probably needed to be upgraded as you both stated.
As for price, I haven't the foggiest idea as to price versus pic quality. I would assume : the higher the price,the better quality, But where does one draw the line? Can one get a good pic with a $200 card? More? Less?Not having
a fort Knox account, I would need to settle for something good, but cheap )

[SuperSparks]

If you only want to watch TV/Movies on the plasma screen, then any cheap card will do - just make sure you get one with an HDMI output, it makes connecting things dead simple. You would only need to invest in a high end graphics card if you planned to play games on the plasma.

FWIW, I have my TV hooked up to a Home Theatre PC that I built using the HDMI output from the onboard graphics contained in a Core i3 CPU. It is absolutely fine for watching TV/DVDs/BluRays, etc. I cannot tell the difference between watching Live TV.

[Train]

I think you need to see if this is your motherboard.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...roduct=1118241

Look and see where things are at.

AGP and avi are different things. And it does show you have a pci-e slot.

[Razor]

Thanks SuperSparks & Train;
SuperSparks; that card info will be a great help. Would I still need to up the Pwr supply? It's a 300 presently?
And Train, you are right. That slot is as you say: a PCIeX16 slot. Being not familiar with the PCIeX16, I assumed it was for an AGP video card. Is that the slot that I would purchase an HDMI card for? Also, I was reading one of your prior threads where you had mentioned that Samsung & LG TVs were tops, in your opinion. Would Sony fit that bill also or any other?. The reason I asked is that I'm planning on getting a new LCD or Led HD TV soon, but not sure what way would be the best way to go. My present TV, a Sony 50".. I guess you would call it a rear projection. It has a small bulb in the front that is quite costly when replacing. Anyway, the boot up time is quite slow compared to a plasma or LCD. A 60" would fit quite nicely where the 50" sits. A lot of changes have been made in the past 5 years & I have not kept up with it. So I'm trying to get some suggestions. I don't care about 3D, just Internet ready & durability.................

[Train]

Yes, you would get a PCI-e video card.

Example.
Went to newegg
http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...cs-Video-Cards


Selected the $50 -75 range
Selected a Radeon HD 6570

Checked it out at AMD
http://www.amd.com/us/products/deskt...verview.aspx#2

And found:
HDMI 1.4a with Stereoscopic 3D Frame Packing Format, Deep Color, xvYCC wide gamut support, and high bit-rate audio

Max resolution: 1920x1200
Don't know how that would look on a 60 inch.

Under System Requirements.
400 Watt or greater power supply recommended
And they have a link to Certified power supplies

[Razor]

Thanks Train: These cards are pretty much Greek to me, but I'll check into it. The price seems reasonable enough. Now to check on an affordable TV upgrade...............

[SuperSparks]

Sony TVs are fine, but they tend to be a bit on the expensive side. IMO, you can get at least as good image quality with a LG or Samsung for less money. We have an LG, and would certainly recommend it

[Razor]

SuperSparks; what do you think about the Sharp Quattron Model# LC-60LE832U ?
Has 4 HDMI, USB, Wifi, plus Vudu-Netflix [not familiar with latter]
The reviews on this unit is awesome. 9 out of ten reviews are all 5 star positive. I checked reviews on purchases from Sams Club, Costco,Amazon.com & a few others. All 5
star...Unless there is something I'm missing, i might consider it. Whatcha think?