Playing a video game console on my monitor

[Crescent Pulsar]

I brought this up before in Spamville, but I'm unable to find what I'm looking for. It's mostly because I don't know what the yellow/red/white wires are called, and thus what kind of adapter/tuner I'd need. Also, I don't know if it would be better to find something that hooks up to the monitor, or something that hooks up to the computer, to accomplish this.

And in case it matters what console I want to play on my monitor, it's a Wii. The monitor itself is not a flatscreen, and is somewhere between three and four years old.

[Spokavriel]

The yellow is video. Unless you have somewhere on your computer already that can accept analog video then you are going to have to find a device that will. TV Tuner cards are the more well known but there are also devices that can convert Analog video for computers that work with USB or fire wire. Problem is most of them are expensive. The cheapest items I've seen cost about as much as the cheapest digital camcorders and some of those could even do this job but not all of them can. Its confusing but what you need is a device to convert the analog video that yellow wire has to digital for the computer. It's sad because the console already converted it once for the signal to be on that wire at all.

[PCHeintz72]

Ehhh... not a game system fan, but this is more a matter of simple image conversion.

Would it not be a simple matter of getting something like a VTimAge VT-521 AV to VGA converter?

Found on ebay for some $28. I think it sells retail for $38. I regrettibly could not find the homepage, but I only spent 3 minutes on it.

Other than that, just need a switchbox to switch between it and the computer.

EDIT: actually, my mistake, switchbox not needed.

[Crescent Pulsar]

Hmmmm... So, does this monitor have the right input? I'm approaching it this way to make it easier for me to understand, and also because, on the off-chance it's possible, I could do with a new monitor.

[Spokavriel]

I doubt it.
That monitor's Analog input is a PC analog meaning it has the connection for older analog video from computers but not TV Video analog signals.

Most of the ones that will usually show the connectors. Or mention being compatible for a Home Theater system. There is also a chance of it mentioning an RCA video input/connection.

Really it might be cheaper for you to go to Nintendo's Web site and looking into the Digital connection cables they sell for the Wii separately. They might not be compatible with your computer's graphics card but it would be more likely to be a match for some monitors Digital Video connector.

[PCHeintz72]

Hmmmm... So, does this monitor have the right input? I'm approaching it this way to make it easier for me to understand, and also because, on the off-chance it's possible, I could do with a new monitor.

Ehhh... you stated that the monitor was not a flat panel. While samsung no longer sells that monitor, the manual is available from their web site. per it, you have VGA (dsub), and DVI. no mention I could see of RCA.

Is there a reason you do not like the converter route?

[Crescent Pulsar]

I can't say I have a reason since I don't know the pros and cons of my options. Right now I just have an end in mind, but not a means to that end. The only reason why I'm looking into this at all is because of circumstances at home that make it very hard for me to play video games, since the living room's TV is monopolized by a jerk. ;/

[PCHeintz72]

I think you misunderstood... I was not asking on home life reason for wanting to run the game console through the monitor... I was asking why the fairly reasonably priced converter would not work?

Only reason I see might be if you were not using the VGA connection and the monitor could not switch between the two. But I've never used this converter myself, only heard about the idea in the past.

[Spokavriel]

You know because of the switch to Digital broadcast allot of TVs with older tuners are still making their way out to the curbs and dumpsters. If you have space for a small one you could run your games to one of those if you catch someone taking out one that still works.

I can think of 1 down side with converters when it comes to Video Game playing. Many of them have a lag. Its not something that would be noticeable say watching movies or TV that gets converted but with the cheaper converters trying to play a Video Game might not be possible with one. The Game system can't know if the images are being displayed late.

[AdmiralTigerclaw]

Ugh... Nightmare on compatability street I wish they'd fix.

You're unlikely to find a decent connector to make a PC monitor accept an input from something like a console directly.

What you instead need is a video card with a built in TV Tuner system. That will have inputs compatable with incoming console game signals. Plus you'll have something that doesn't interfere with your computer signal.

Monitors are a bit touchy.

[Makoto]

Heh. I still have to keep an old CRT TV around, as my PS2 light guns won't work with the LCD/plasma TVs. (Someday, I'll get around to hooking up the NES again, and see if the same holds true for the Zapper. )

The Wii isn't capable of HD video - the best quality you can get is 480p - so, yeah, if you can get another TV to use, that's probably the best choice. If you did want the best input quality, a TV with component input. I don't know how many games on the Wii actually do support progressive display, though. Only a few games on the GameCube actually did (like Zelda: Wind Waker).

Running the system through a TV tuner card can work, but how powerful your computer is can also possibly come into play.

[Crescent Pulsar]

I think you misunderstood... I was not asking on home life reason for wanting to run the game console through the monitor... I was asking why the fairly reasonably priced converter would not work?

I didn't misunderstand. ^^; The first sentence of my response addressed why my options were still open, because I haven't said anything about a converter not working or being outside of my interest. There was no basis with which I could answer your question as stated.

If it's a matter of my computer's hardware that will determine the quality and performance of the video showing up on my monitor, it's probably not up to snuff despite the recent upgrade in hardware that I've had. I honestly wouldn't know. And if the Admiral's right, then it'd probably be a matter of getting lucky taking the direct route to the monitor. And while a new monitor with the required input sounds more ideal, it'd be much more expensive. And I'm poor.

Putting a TV in my room has been discussed, but there's honestly no room for one; not even for a small one (well, I wouldn't want to go under a 19", anyway), much less a place for me to sit comfortably (especially for extended periods of time) relative to where the TV could be placed. Not only is my bedroom not a real bedroom (and thus room needs to be spared for the thoroughfare between rooms), it also functions as a storage area, so... Yeah. There's a bunch of stuff piled up against the walls of the room. I've even had to stack a book shelf onto my dresser.

So, as far as I can tell, the converter/tuner route is the most convenient and cheapest, but the most likely to be unreliable. A new monitor or TV would be the most reliable, but the most inconvenient and more expensive. (We have an extra TV stuffed in my sister's bedroom (the whole house might as well be a storage shed, really), but it's a 32" boobtube. There's no way it's fitting anywhere in my room. ;/)

[Spokavriel]

Maybe not. There are some more inexpensive flat screen LCD TV's in the 20 inch range (1024x768 rez is mostly discontinued and really inexpensive now) that have EVGA and HDMI inputs. The price could be a bit higher but most of them include all the connections you could possibly want in this situation. But what I don't get is that you are describing such a small space and still wanting this big a screen. I've found just for comfort sake it's nice to be able to get a foot away from a screen for every 2 inches. I even use smaller than full screen windows on my computer because of that ratio. That way I use the additional area beyond that for multitasking.

[Crescent Pulsar]

A 19" TV is big? O.o; (And if I sat a foot away for every two inches, that'd be sixteen feet for the one in the living room... Which would put me out of the room, as well as put a wall between it and I. <_<; )

[Spokavriel]

I rarely have ever gone larger than 15 inch for anything within arms reach. The largest TV I have ever owned is under 40 inch. I have never understood why anyone would need half a wall for a screen or be able to see easily or feel comfortable within 5 yards of an oversize screen.