New Monitor

[Zuth]

Heya, I'm wanting to buy a new monitor for my PC, and I was wondering would a Scart to VGA lead work if I plugged the scart end into my freeview+ box and the VGA end into my monitor? Thanks for any help and I need to know pretty quick so I can order it or not :D +REP to any help.

Thread moved here by Martin (Forum Super Moderator): From 'Designing & Development' as its more suited here.

[Tomm]

Depends. Not all monitors that accept VGA will like the kind of signal you get from SCART. Does your freeview+ box not provide any other outputs? SCART is pritty much obsolete now.

[Chippiewill]

You can now buy TVs which will accept scart and VGA/DVI whilst still being decent spec for use as a monitor. I'm personally using a samsung 23" TV as my second monitor so I can plug my xbox into it. Videos I play off my computer look much better on it than my main monitor as well.

That'll be a much better solution than a Scart to VGA.

[Tomm]

If you do go down this route then be careful with what TV you buy. Most TVs do quite a bit of post-processing to the image (which why it may appear to look better) but this can introduce quite a bit of input lag. Try and get a TV that supports some kind of Game or ideally PC mode that disables most of the post processing on the TV.

n.b About the image appearing to look better - the TV most likely boosts the contrast/saturation to make it appear 'Wow!' but in reality it is highly likely that the colours being displayed are terribly inaccurate.


You can now buy TVs which will accept scart and VGA/DVI whilst still being decent spec for use as a monitor. I'm personally using a samsung 23" TV as my second monitor so I can plug my xbox into it. Videos I play off my computer look much better on it than my main monitor as well.

That'll be a much better solution than a Scart to VGA.

[Zuth]

My Freeview+ box has scart and usb only, I dont really wona buy a TV as a monitor as I don't have that much to spend just yet. Tomm; this is the monitor I'm thinking of getting:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-E2351VR-BN-inch-11-9mm-Monitor/dp/B005JRIPC4/ref=dp_cp_ob_computers_title_2

---------- Post added 23-05-2012 at 05:48 PM ----------

This is the box:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/DTI6021-25-Thomson-250GB-Digital-Recorder/dp/B001NPE8GI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1337791668&sr=8-2

[Tomm]

Most likely won't work. Horizontal frequency of SCART is 15.xxx kHz (depending on region) but the specs list the monitor only accepting horizontal frequencies of 30-83kHz

Edit: Just to add, you most likely can get some converter box that will convert it but it will probability be more expensive than just buying a new freeview box :P


My Freeview+ box has scart and usb only, I dont really wona buy a TV as a monitor as I don't have that much to spend just yet. @Tomm (http://www.habboxforum.com/member.php?u=14161); this is the monitor I'm thinking of getting:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/LG-E2351VR-BN-inch-11-9mm-Monitor/dp/B005JRIPC4/ref=dp_cp_ob_computers_title_2

---------- Post added 23-05-2012 at 05:48 PM ----------

This is the box:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/DTI6021-25-Thomson-250GB-Digital-Recorder/dp/B001NPE8GI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1337791668&sr=8-2

[Zuth]

Most likely won't work. Horizontal frequency of SCART is 15.xxx kHz (depending on region) but the specs list the monitor only accepting horizontal frequencies of 30-83kHz

Edit: Just to add, you most likely can get some converter box that will convert it but it will probability be more expensive than just buying a new freeview box :P

What would happen if I tried it? Would it not fit?

[Tomm]

The monitor would just not display anything. According to the manual the monitor has a "out of range" error message, so you'll most likely see this.

If the monitor does not support the horizontal frequency then it will not be able to display it at all.

I am basing this on the specification published on LG's website actually being correct btw :P


What would happen if I tried it? Would it not fit?

[Zuth]

The monitor would just not display anything. According to the manual the monitor has a "out of range" error message, so you'll most likely see this.

If the monitor does not support the horizontal frequency then it will not be able to display it at all.

I am basing this on the specification published on LG's website actually being correct btw :P

Alright cheers, so there's no way I can make my freeview+ box show up on the monitor?

[Chippiewill]

If you do go down this route then be careful with what TV you buy. Most TVs do quite a bit of post-processing to the image (which why it may appear to look better) but this can introduce quite a bit of input lag. Try and get a TV that supports some kind of Game or ideally PC mode that disables most of the post processing on the TV.
Most TVs with a DVI input use the input just like a monitor would and don't add any more post-processing. They're not dumb about this stuff.


n.b About the image appearing to look better - the TV most likely boosts the contrast/saturation to make it appear 'Wow!' but in reality it is highly likely that the colours being displayed are terribly inaccurate.It's not the settings, I've set all that up, the quality of the screen itself is better.

Also you can't just whack a Scart into a VGA port, it's like putting diesel into a petrol car. It's just not designed for that. The signals aren't compatible.

[Tomm]

Yes there is but as I said before it is more expensive/hassle that just buying a new freeview+ box.

First you'd need something like this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/RCA-SCART-Adapter-Composite-PlayStation/dp/B0035XB4Z4 (yellow connector is composite video)
Edit: this connector might actually be the wrong direction. You'd want one that goes from SCART to composite or s-video)
Then:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00083Y72Q/ref=asc_df_B00083Y72Q7997728?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B00083Y72Q
(Note you need Composite to VGA NOT VGA to Composite) First one I found with a quick search, might be able to find some cheaper ones but, remember, it must be composite to VGA not the other way around (vga to composite converters are super cheap but are useless for what you want to do)

Of cause you'd still need some way to listen to the sound which now would be in the form of a L+R audio on the white and red plugs on the RCA/SCART adapter.



Alright cheers, so there's no way I can make my freeview+ box show up on the monitor?

---------- Post added 23-05-2012 at 06:27 PM ----------

The signals are exactly the same actually. Both VGA and SCART use component video signals. The only difference is the horizontal frequency output by the device. It is perfectly possible for a VGA monitor to display output from a SCART device if it accepts the horizontal frequency. However, in this case the monitor does not.

Also you'd be surprised at the amount of TVs that still do post-processing even if you tell it not to/configure it yourself. Although I'm not denying you can get better quality panels in TVs than some monitors.


Most TVs with a DVI input use the input just like a monitor would and don't add any more post-processing. They're not dumb about this stuff.

It's not the settings, I've set all that up, the quality of the screen itself is better.

Also you can't just whack a Scart into a VGA port, it's like putting diesel into a petrol car. It's just not designed for that. The signals aren't compatible.

[Zuth]

Thanks for the help the both of you (+REP'd you both), turns out I had more that I thought, a lot more infact so I'll buy a TV and use it as a monitor too :D

[Chippiewill]

The signals are exactly the same actually. Both VGA and SCART use component video signals. The only difference is the horizontal frequency output by the device. It is perfectly possible for a VGA monitor to display output from a SCART device if it accepts the horizontal frequency. However, in this case the monitor does not.Reading into this far too much it seems that Scart to VGA might not be possible as the syncronisation signals can't be converted in that direction as SCART sends the sync data as a combined horizontal and vertical stream whereas VGA always uses separate sync signals. Whilst it's possible for VGA to send a combined signal SCART simply doesn't have the capability to send two sync signals.



Also you'd be surprised at the amount of TVs that still do post-processing even if you tell it not to/configure it yourself. Although I'm not denying you can get better quality panels in TVs than some monitors.I tend not to game off that monitor very often, but I just tested minecraft across both the displays and I couldn't see any discernible lag. I don't think modern TVs (Particularly small monitor size ones) use too much post-processing on a monitor input.

[Zuth]

I'm going to get a 32" LCD TV, wonder what it will look like :P

[Chippiewill]

I'm going to get a 32" LCD TV, wonder what it will look like :P
I hope you don't plan to use it as a monitor, once you start getting above 30" they might stop caring about the use as a monitor quality. Also the resolution will still be a maximum 1080p so the pixel density will be terrible if you're within a metre or so of it.

[Zuth]

I hope you don't plan to use it as a monitor, once you start getting above 30" they might stop caring about the use as a monitor quality. Also the resolution will still be a maximum 1080p so the pixel density will be terrible if you're within a metre or so of it.

Not mainly as a monitor but I might use it as one sometimes, who knows, its this one:

http://www.richersounds.com/product/lcd-led-tvs/sharp/lc32sh130/shar-lc32sh130k

[Chippiewill]

"1366 x 768" maxes out at 720p, you have no hope EVER of using that as a reasonable monitor, your eyes will develop painful sores first. Not that the resolution cap matters since it doesn't have a DVI input.

[Zuth]

"1366 x 768" maxes out at 720p, you have no hope EVER of using that as a reasonable monitor, your eyes will develop painful sores first. Not that the resolution cap matters since it doesn't have a DVI input.

But why?

[Chippiewill]

But why?
Low Resolution+Large Screen+Low Distance (For monitor use) = pixels the size of the moon.

[Zuth]

Low Resolution+Large Screen+Low Distance (For monitor use) = pixels the size of the moon.

I've just watched some vids on YouTube and they dont look too bad, ima see what it looks like on my dads TV now