Project idea - to use the millions of 14", 15" and

[Chris Bush]

17" computer monitors which aren't flat panel which are fast coming obsolete

correct me if I am wrong, but the color quality and electronics for many monitors beats what is available in the everyday new set purchased at e.g. Walmart hands down ?

wondering if anyone has ever had the idea to put together a TV tuner, that you could hook up to an old monitor (MINUS THE DARN COMPUTER) to create i.e. another spare set for the kids room, or on the nightstand in the bedroom, etc.

of course would have cable in, don't know if rabbit ears are much use anymore... Thinking that it would have a power plug, then a power out plug (with the female end that plugs into most monitors), and a DB25 (or whatever) for the monitor to plug in to.

wondering how cheap you could sell something like this for. Optionally, could have jacks out for old computer speakers for stereo TV, maybe a remote, etc.

I hate waste. I would appreciate input - I might be interested in investing a little money to develope a prototype. With flat panels getting cheaper and cheaper there are a lot of monitors out there in excellent condition that will be going to waste... They are giving used monitors away at surplus places everywhere - nobody wants them

Chris Bush
chrisnbush@yahoo.com

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

You can buy adaptors, but they cost more than a portable TV - it's not a simple device, it has to decode the composite signal to RGB, digitise it, store it in memory, and play it out at a different rate. Not forgetting to alter the number of lines per frame, and number of frames per second at the same time!.

Also, monitor tubes are considerably less bright than TV tubes (due to the higher resolution), so the picture wouldn't be as good.

 

[audioguru]

The monitors are good quality but the "cheap" tuner adapter won't be and the 1939 vintage (North American) ordinary TV system (the British made theirs better, later) will still show a cheap picture. Don't be cheap anymore and get everyone to buy new High Definition sets with big plazma screens!

 

[Oznog]

It's often called a "scan converter". You can get one on Ebay for $50-$75. Doesn't have a tuner though, you need a composite video input, a VCR tuner or cable box can do this for you.