Home Automation - How Integrate PC 20 feet from TV?

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How Integrate PC 20 feet from TV?

Al Franz

2006-10-01, 8:25 pm

Want to put a media center in the family room, and a keyboard and PC monitor
about 15-20 feet away. Is there technology that can enable me to put the
computer at either location and have the display shown on the TV at the same
time as the PC monitor. Most of the time I would just use the PC without
the TV.

I assume the PC Monitor would be a DVI or VGA connection, can one cable be
run longer?

The connection to the TV is undecided since I have not purchased one as of
yet, what type of connector would be best (HMI?). Is this possible what I
want to do?

Thanks!

Charles Sullivan

2006-10-02, 3:25 am

On Sun, 01 Oct 2006 15:59:29 -0700, Al Franz wrote:

> Want to put a media center in the family room, and a keyboard and PC monitor
> about 15-20 feet away. Is there technology that can enable me to put the
> computer at either location and have the display shown on the TV at the same
> time as the PC monitor. Most of the time I would just use the PC without
> the TV.
>
> I assume the PC Monitor would be a DVI or VGA connection, can one cable be
> run longer?
>
> The connection to the TV is undecided since I have not purchased one as of
> yet, what type of connector would be best (HMI?). Is this possible what I
> want to do?
>
> Thanks!

X-10 sells a kit consisting of an RF transmitter which connects between
your video card and VGA monitor plus an RF receiver which you hook to your
TV set. It's supposed to replicate your PC screen on the TV. I have no
idea how well it works. See:
http://www.x10.com/products/x10_vk73a.htm

They have a sale:
http://www.x10.com/promotions/goldmine_vk73a.html

There are two models, one for VGA, the other for a video card with TV out.
The picture for the sale item seems to match the VGA model but
it's nowhere stated. I'd call and inquire about this if interested.

Duane

2006-10-09, 9:25 am

"Charles Sullivan" <cwsulliv@triad.rr.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2006.10.02.05.10.38.993790@triad.rr.com...
> On Sun, 01 Oct 2006 15:59:29 -0700, Al Franz wrote:
>
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>
> X-10 sells a kit consisting of an RF transmitter which connects
between
> your video card and VGA monitor plus an RF receiver which you hook
to your
> TV set. It's supposed to replicate your PC screen on the TV. I
have no
> idea how well it works. See:
> http://www.x10.com/products/x10_vk73a.htm
>
> They have a sale:
> http://www.x10.com/promotions/goldmine_vk73a.html
>
> There are two models, one for VGA, the other for a video card with
TV out.
> The picture for the sale item seems to match the VGA model but
> it's nowhere stated. I'd call and inquire about this if interested.

I've used the X-10 RF transmitter and I found it was unreliable and
poor quality.

I recommend at least S-video connection to the TV or better. Most
TV's don't support the resolutions of PC monitors, so that may be your
limiting factor.

I use a vidio card that supports 2 monitors, and there are many to
choose from, and I use a S-video connection that is 20 feet long. It
works good.

If your TV supports a higher level signal (VGA, DVI, HDMI) than I
would use that.

- Duane

echo

2006-10-10, 3:25 am

The cheapest way is to use a free PVR software from GBPVR and a Hauppauge
MediaMVP. This would be a powerful sys with its own remote control.

GBPVR runs really well on lower power machines and is free. The MediaMVP
has a remote, is well supported by the program and is <100$. Check out
their forums and Wiki. Lots of users to talk with but the developer is
usually the one who answers the tough questions since he's online most the
time. This proggy is very stable when compared to MediaPortal an open
source PVR proggy.

http://hauppauge.com/
http://www.gbpvr.com/
http://www.team-mediaportal.com/

There are 2 versions of the MediaMVP one wireless (802.11G) and one
10/100BaseT. If you get the wireless version it also has a RJ45 ethernet
jack on it as well.

Otherwise you could opt for a PCtoNTSC convertor box and a wireless (RF not
IR)remote keyboard mouse and remote. MS makes a nice keyboard for this.
Wait for the new one that is Rechargeable, Backlit, RF and made for media
center and Vista. >200$$$$$

If your TV is a normal non-HDTV then the best you'll likely do is 640x480.
If you bump it up the flickering will be severe. If you have a HDTV capable
of 720p then you'd get near 1024x760 resolution without flickering but your
video card will need the correct connector.

I have a crappy video card but it has a 2 outputs one VGA and one DVI
connector. I can run the VGA monitor and the TV at the same time with a DVI
to HDMI cable. My TV has HDMI not DVI. DVI and HDMI cables can be up to
50'.

So is your TV a HDTV ? What is it capable of and what kind of inputs does
it have.

"Al Franz" <albert@nospam.netmation.com> wrote in message
news:XJGdnRNUOfqt1b3YnZ2dnUVZ_tmdnZ2d@comcast.com...
> Want to put a media center in the family room, and a keyboard and PC
monitor
> about 15-20 feet away. Is there technology that can enable me to put the
> computer at either location and have the display shown on the TV at the
same
> time as the PC monitor. Most of the time I would just use the PC without
> the TV.
>
> I assume the PC Monitor would be a DVI or VGA connection, can one cable be
> run longer?
>
> The connection to the TV is undecided since I have not purchased one as of
> yet, what type of connector would be best (HMI?). Is this possible what I
> want to do?
>
> Thanks!
>
>

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