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+--- Thread: Old school TV as monitor? (/showthread.php?tid=155653)
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Old school TV as monitor? - Buzz - 07-26-2013
Is there a way to use an ancient JVC CRT TV w/ a Mac? Old TV has coax, composite, and S-video connections, and at some point was used w/ PCI video card that almost worked OK. I'm guessing that 640 X 480 may be tops in the resolution department, if that. How does one go from DVI or HDMI to an old TV to get any sort of decent picture these days? And by decent, meaning able to watch PG rated internet video content? Tried awhile back, and could not come close to old PCI setup. Last chance to save TV from target practice. Thanks.
Re: Old school TV as monitor? - N-OS X-tasy! - 07-26-2013
My advice? Fire away.
Re: Old school TV as monitor? - kj4btkljv - 07-26-2013
The Macs that had the huge built-in DVI plug could use an adapter that had composite video (Yellow) or an S-Video cable to get video from the Mac to the TV.
I use a couple of these to get Front Row video to a couple of older TV sets.
http://www.amazon.com/APPLE-M9267G-DVI-Video-Adapter/dp/B0000ACOBL
The problem you are going to find is that the picture on the tube is really fuzzy, or at least in my experience it is.
Hope that helps.
Jeff
Re: Old school TV as monitor? - cbelt3 - 07-26-2013
Shoot it. Interlacing is all wrong. You won't even get 640x480. Sorry. Be sure to file an environmental impact statement before you start blasting. (Lead)
Re: Old school TV as monitor? - MGS_forgot_password - 07-26-2013
"Hey it worked great with my ][+, why can't I do it on my Mac!"
I've seen VGA->RCA adapters out there, can you chain one to a DVI->VGA adapter?
Re: Old school TV as monitor? - Filliam H. Muffman - 07-26-2013
My 8 year old Dell laptop has a video out that will do composite or S-Video, depending on what plug I use.
There is no reason to use it with most computers today because unless it is an old tv studio quality CRT, any similar size $60 LCD will blow it away in resolution and you will pay about half that to convert any recent Mac digital output to S-video or component.
Re: Old school TV as monitor? - Buzz - 07-26-2013
kj4btkljv wrote:
The Macs that had the huge built-in DVI plug could use an adapter that had composite video (Yellow) or an S-Video cable to get video from the Mac to the TV.
The problem you are going to find is that the picture on the tube is really fuzzy, or at least in my experience it is.
IIRC, when last I tried, the fuzzies were the name of the game. Way back w/ the PCI video card (I *think* using an S-video cable), there was a resolution that was usable... of course nowadays whatever video that was will be too underpowered to work (and won't fit anyway). It's for a system in the guest room, and I'd rather get rid of the old TV, even in favor of a 15" Sony CRT monitor, our last surviving CRT monitor, which at least plays nice at 1024 X 768, or possibly 1280 X 960. Heck, I'd rather get rid of both and use a hand-me-down LCD, but until then I was hoping something *might* drive the TV effectively, though it doesn't sound good...
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Re: Old school TV as monitor? - Buzz - 07-26-2013
Filliam H. Muffman wrote:
My 8 year old Dell laptop has a video out that will do composite or S-Video, depending on what plug I use.
There is no reason to use it with most computers today because unless it is an old tv studio quality CRT, any similar size $60 LCD will blow it away in resolution and you will pay about half that to convert any recent Mac digital output to S-video or component.
Mrs. Buzz's 10 year old XP laptop also has a S-video out to compliment its VGA out port... if/when its retired, and if we haven't gotten rid of the old TV, maybe something can happen there, but unfortunately that's not a realistic current option... just a humorous thought.
Re: Old school TV as monitor? - GGD - 07-27-2013
Filliam H. Muffman wrote:
My 8 year old Dell laptop has a video out that will do composite or S-Video, depending on what plug I use.
The Wallstreet PowerBook G3 had S-Video out also. That's probably newer than the TV, Buzz might have one in his collection.
Re: Old school TV as monitor? - Buzz - 07-27-2013
Pismo is earliest surviving laptop... no Wallstreet (or Lombard), but S-video is still there just in case... :-)
It really doesn't do internet video very well at this point, as is, on the laptop's screen; gonna bet it's 8MB Rage Mobility VRAM won't cut it when shared via the S-video port... but a nice thought. At least the XP laptop has 64MB VRAM.
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