PC to Television

[zombie1000]

Hi
I was wanting to stream my movies from my PC to my TV. My tv is a Samsung LCD, which has HDMI and DVI inputs. My PC has only one DVI output. Is it as simple as buying a DVI to DVI cable and hooking them up to each other? Do I require any other attachments? Also, I would like to switch between my PC monitor and TV when I like. Is there such a thing as a Double DVI adapter that would enable me to do this without constantly unplugging my cables? Many thanks in advance for your help.

[ll_billym]

It is as simple as getting a DVI to DVI cable and hooking them up.

However rather than getting a switch box your best bet is to buy a cheap graphics card that has dual DVI outputs on it. The ATI X1650 is �30 at PC World.

The reason is that the resolution of your monitor and your TV will more than likely be different and to switch between the two will mean you have to keep changing your grpahics settings, this will soon become tiresome.

A dual output graphics card will allow you to treat your TV as an extension of your current desktop and drag windows and applications from one to the other. Lovely.

By the way, get your DVI cables from eBay or Amazon marketplace for the best prices though, not PC World ,they are a rip-off for cables!!

[ChuckFickens]

you'll need an audio cable too... 3.5mm jack to 2 phono

like this

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=3 5928


That link is a really expensive one BTW... much cheaper ones are available.

[ll_billym]

Good point Chuck, DVI is a video only connection.

[zombie1000]

Thanks guys, your help is greatly appreciated. Are graphics cards generic? Will they fit all Desktop PCs? My PC is a DEL VOSTRO with Windows Vista.

[ll_billym]

The graphics card will plug into a PCI slot on the mainboard of your PC.

There are different types of PCI slot (PCI, PCI Express etc.) look in the documentation that came with our PC to see what slots you have and get a graphics card of the same slot type.

If your PC is fairly new you will most probably have a PCI Express slot and that will fit the ATI X1650 card I mentioned.