How Do PC to TV Converters Work?
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What Is a PC to TV Converter?
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PC to TV converters come in a variety of forms. Many of the current graphics cards have built-in converters that can be connected directly to a TV via an S-Video (Super Video) cable. Some of the higher end graphics cards also include HDMI ( High-Definition Multimedia Interface) ports that allow you to, with the proper cables, connect your computer to the HDMI port on the back of your High-Definition TV set.
The other type of PC to TV converter is a peripheral device that is relatively small in size that you can connect to your computer, and through the various color coded ports in the back of the device, connect the converter to your TV's input ports.
Both of these devices allow you to take the display from your computer monitor and display it on your standard-definition or high-definition television. One thing to keep in mind is that neither one of these devices convert the audio to the TV set. In order to do that, if you have an RCA port (normally red or white in color) on your soundcard, you can directly connect an RCA cable to both your soundcard and to the RCA ports on your TV. If your soundcard only has 1/8 inch jacks (also known as 3.5mm jacks, the standard headphone jack), you can purchase a 1/8 inch to RCA adapter cable at your local electronics store.
How Do They Work?
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Both the pc card-based and the peripheral converters work by taking the video format of the PC, most commonly referred to as VGA (Video Graphics Array), and converting it to the standard TV format which, in the United States, is most commonly referred to as NTSC (National Television System Committee).
These converters also adjust the resolution from the PC monitor, which can have resolutions ranging from 640 pixels by 480 pixels (640x480) all the way up to 1600 pixels by 1200 pixels (1600x1200) and beyond to the TV resolution. For standard-definition TVs, resolution is 640 x480 or 704x480, and for high-definition TVs can be 1280x720, commonly referred to as 720p or 1920x1080, commonly referred to as 1080i or 1080p.
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Uses for PC to TV converters
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With the ever increasing availability of high-speed Internet access, a wide variety of high quality media can be downloaded and viewed on a PC. The advantage to having a converter is that you can view this media, including full length movies and games, on your television, which in most cases, is larger than your PC monitor. It is also helpful if you are doing a presentation that requires visual aids.
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