Topic: GC hookup monitor question

[assassin1234]

i'm about to buy a comp package, and have several options, but am looking for one that i can hook up tp my cube and play on the monitor. can someone tell me what is actually needed? i've heard that it requires a TV tuner. I'm in Toronto, Canada, and my cube is about 8 months old. these are the specs of the comp i'm planning on getting:

3.0GHz Intel® Pentium® D Processor 830 featuring two processing cores (800MHz front-side bus and L2 Cache = 2 x 1MB)
1.0GB PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM memory (2 x 512MB for ultimate performance), expandable to 4GB
250GB 7200RPM Serial ATA hard drive
LightScribe Double Layer 16x DVD±R/RW drive with CD writer capabilities: 16x DVD+R, 8x DVD-R, 4x DVD±RW, 2.4x DVD+R DL, 16x DVD-ROM, 40x CDR, 24x CDRW, 40x CD-ROM
DVD-ROM drive 16x maximum speed
ATI RADEON X300 SE PCI-E graphics card with 128MB DDR video memory and TV out
Intel® High Definition Audio, 8 speaker configurable with up to 5.1 surround sound capabilities for 6 speaker configurable, 8 speaker configurable use with up to 7.1 surround sound capabilities
TV tuner (NTSC) with personal video recorder and FM tuner (antenna included)
56K modem and 10/100Base-T ethernet
External Ports: Front panel 9-in-1 memory card reader – supports Smart Media, xD, MultiMedia Card, Secure Digital (SD), Compact Flash I/II, Micro Drive, Memory Stick and Memory Stick Pro; 6 USB 2.0 (2 front, 4 back); 2 FireWire® (IEEE 1394) (1 front, 1 back); 1 parallel, 2 PS/2 (back); Microphone/headphone/line-in; Composite Video, S-Video, and Audio Inputs (front)
with a 17" LCD monitor (does the monitor require something, or any lcd monitor is fine?)

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Just connect your GameCube's S-video/AV cables to the S-video inputs in the front of that system, while using the TV software they provide, and you'll be fine.

[vudu]

Pro666 has been all over these video-related questions lately.

[assassin1234]

thx pro. ive seen lcd monitors that have tv tuners, does this mean that they dont need the pc and can directly be used to watch tv, etc?

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

That's correct.  And they'll give you a better picture since they're designed to be TVs as well.  Just be sure it's got S-video Input (for your GC), at the least.

* TV input on a PC involves extra conversions to allow viewing in Windows.  This results in a loss of detail/definition.

[assassin1234]

my gc came with av cables.
with a lcd monitor (with tv tuner), will i still be able to convert videos in my vhs tapes onto my harddrive? thx again.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

No, you won't.  The LCD monitor, by itself, is only acting as a display device.  "TV tuning", in essence, is just the ability to watch TV programming and change channels.  You'll need a PC with TV input to do any vhs-to-harddrive recording.

If you manage to get an LCD monitor/TV that supports S-Video, consider visiting your local game retailer for GameCube-compatible S-video cables.

[assassin1234]

y? wats the difference between s video and av cables? cant the tv tuner of the comp that i listed support both?

[MysticGohan]

S-Video provides better quality over AV ( Also known as composites ) S-Video stands for ( Super Video ) the quality is quite abit better and colors don't bleed in compairison to AV, Also S-Video can only transmit Video Signals. But Pro can give you more details on that

Yes that comp can support, but like Pro said, there will be a loss of quality. instead for instance there was a direct connection to your monitor, where in that case it'll be like using a TV with no loss of quality in compairison. if you're gonna hook it up to the tower, I believe your best bet is to get S-Video, "in either case, S-Video is the better choice" The only thing better is component w/ progressive scan

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

"Composite Video, S-Video, and Audio Inputs (front)"

Yeah, the comp listed does support S-Video and Composite inputs.  No problems there.

But because the S-Video option is available to you, we're recommending you spend an extra $3-$10 on GameCube S-video cables to take advantage of the improved picture quality.  Typical GC S-video cables already include the Composite (yellow, red, white) connectors found on the default AV cables.  So basically, it's an AV cable PLUS an S-Video plug, giving you the choice of the default option (yellow plug) or the higher quality option (S-video plug).

Example:
http://gamestop.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=801341
("universal" just means it's compatible with multiple game systems)

[assassin1234]

thx pro and mystic. one last question. im planning to get both (19" lcd monitor with tv tuner, and the comp package i listed). how would i change channels on the lcd monitor if im watching tv on it (assuming i dont hook it up to the pc, just use it as a tv)?

[MysticGohan]

Yes, you would use it like a Tv. Say if you have DirecTV ( or any cable box/receiver ) You would change the channel by using the remote that came with said receiver. , I'm assuming it operates in the same manner a TV would.  But in essence it would work like a TV in that same manner.