Using your HDTV as a Computer Monitor

Not to hijack this thread, but don't you guys think it would be a lot more cost effective to build a pc with separate Blu Ray and HD DVD drives, with net connection than going out and buying the stand alone players? I am really tempted to do this but I'm curious what everyone thinks? I think I can spec out the box for probably 12-1500 and be very happy with everything...
Eventually, this is what I am going to do...and you could probably get a very good system for half that and do everything but gaming.

And with Netflix making their "Watch Instantly" feature unlimited, this makes it even more appealing. Being able to queue up a movie instantly on your TV without having to hook the computer up to it.

I think it depends on your Tv and your video card. CNET has some pretty good reviews for each tv model with different inputs. I have used mine once before (Aquos 52" from a ATI FireGL V7200 card with a DVI to Component converter) and it looked great. I am actually considering building a pc specifically for that purpose...

I take it you either work in the video industry or you just have massive amounts of cash laying around?

I take it you either work in the video industry or you just have massive amounts of cash laying around?

lol. Neither. Used to work in Video Editing, now I'm just a local net admin.

this is freaky. Saturday I hooked my older desktop, which I don't really use, up to my 42" plasma with an s video cable. I have a wireless keyboard and mouse, so i can sit on the couch and mess around.

I was going to start a thread about how to clean up the images. video and pictures are perfect, but the icons and text on the web are hard to view...

any suggestions?


Same with mine. I have a TV-OUT on my video card and ran a cable to my 42" Samsung to play Madden on it. It was nice for that and videos/photos do look good, but text and small details like icons do look like crap.

I'm sure a better video card could help me, but honestly my 19" CRT monitor looks better with the details.

I've ran a VGA cable from my pc to my Sony 42" LCD and it looks pretty good considering it's only VGA. I play BF2 on it and it looks great. My pc speakers are surround sound so I just leave the audio connected those speakers. Maybe I'll spring for the HDMI > DVI cable, but I'm cheap.

I have ordered an HDMI to DVI cable from ebay so I can connect my laptop to the HDTV in my living room. I don't know if the cable has arrived yet (I had it shipped to my parents house since there is always someone home to receive shipments.) I was hoping to try it out tomorrow, since I might be snowed in.

I'm probably going to get that as well... what I can't figure out is how to change the default monitor to my tv. I don't have the reg. monitor hooked up, but it still comes up as the default. I believe this is why when I turn up the resolution, the desktop expands beyond the screen...

I have to actually turn the resolution all the way down in order to make out anything... its weird.