In your question, you indicate that you are tired of long complicated
answers. I will begin with a short summary before I launch into the
full answer:
I recommend the ATI Radeon All-In-Wonder 9700 Pro connected using a
DVI-D Dual Link Cable with settings adjusted to find the best picture
for your television using an inexpensive software package called
PowerStrip. Note that televisions are not great at displaying
computer generated text and can suffer from "burn-in" which is not
covered by your warranty.
That's the short answer. However, this is a complex topic so
additional information seems in order.
For people trying to bring digital convergence to life in their home,
your question is a common one. Unfortunately, optimizing a setup is
often a complicated trial-and-error procedure. Television
manufacturers typically do not recommend attaching a PC to your TV.
Speculation varies as to why this is the case, however, it may simply
be that they do not want to be responsible for supporting any
complicated setup issues. Others suggest that the television cannot
claim compatibility with a PC in order to stay in compliance with the
EIA-861 HDCP copy-protection standard. While this type of setup is
done without the support or blessing of the television manufacturer,
there is a growing community of people who have successfully connected
their PC and TV. This community can be reached at the AVS Forum.
I can make no guarantees about the impact this setup will have on the
lifespan of your television. Since most people have not been doing
this for any length of time longer than four years, it is difficult to
predict what the overall life expectancy might be.
Many suggest that this setup should impact your television no
differently than any other DVI device attached to your television.
However, if you primarily display a bright, stationary image, like the
Windows desktop, it is possible for "burn-in" or "image retention" to
occur. Your Sony manual indicates that image retention is not covered
by your warranty. (I should note that image retention can also occur
by watching a channel with a network logo for a prolonged period of
time, so this is not a computer-specific problem. The manual suggests
that using high Brightness and Picture settings on your television
should be avoided since it can accelerate image retention.) AVS Forum
members suggest keeping your Contrast around 35% and using a neutral
Windows desktop background, like grey.
Sony KP-65WS500 Manual (Image Retention, Page 3)
http://ayuda.sel.sony.com/documents/projtv/KPXXWS500.pdf
In general, no one recommends using this type of setup for prolonged
text work, as even the best television will not display text as well
as a cheap monitor. This is particularly the case for televisions
that have native progressive modes of 540 or fewer (480) lines.
This is discussed in the following message thread.
EnTech Forums: "Newcomer to PC to HDTV"
http://pub28.ezboard.com/fentechfrm7.showMessage?topicID=54.topic
Having said all that, let's assume you are going to want to make this
work the best it can. Here are some things to know:
1. For your television model, you will probably get the best result
from a 480p mode. I can find no evidence in the specification that
you linked to or in the manual for your model that your television has
a native 720p display (though it may support 720p content by
downsampling it to 480p). Therefore, if you set the computer to ouput
in a 720p mode, it is likely you would receive a less clear, fuzzy,
downsampled version. It appears 480p may be your best bet.
You can try a 720p setting if you choose. I simply suggest that you
get 480p working first.
2. Which DVI Cable? DVI-D Dual Link to DVI-D Dual Link
Judging by the picture in the manual, your television has a DVI-D Dual
Link (HDCP) interface. The DVI output on an ATI Radeon video card
should also support DVI-D Dual Link (the video card technically has a
DVI-I interface, meaning it can support analog and digital, you want
digital). This cable is available in various lengths from Pacific
Custom Cable if you have trouble finding it elsewhere. (If you end up
purchasing one of the video cards I recommend, you have the option to
try the built-in component connection before going to the additional
expense of purchasing a DVI cable. It is up to you.)
$18 Pacific Custom Cable DVIDL-2 2 Meter DVI-D Dual Link Cable
http://www.pacificcustomcable.com/DVI.htm
3. Use PowerStrip software to tweak your settings. PowerStrip is the
de facto standard for adjusting your video card beyond typical video
card settings to help you achieve the best picture possible.
EnTech PowerStrip
http://www.entechtaiwan.com/ps.htm
There is no easy way to optimize your setup. However, these timing
settings will come in handy:
AVS Forum - Home Theater Computers: "Custom Resolution Guide for
1080i HDTV-HTPC-POWERSTRIP-RADEON" by Wayne Harrelson (Karnis) Updated
07/05/2003
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=206854
4. Which video card to use? I am recommending the ATI All-In-Wonder
9700 Pro.
Yes, it is true that ATI has recently released the ATI All-In-Wonder
9800 Pro, which is faster. But, the AIW 9700 has plenty of punch and
thanks to the release of the 9800, can be purchased at a discount.
Both cards support DirectX 9 Pixel Shading. The difference between
the cards is the processing power, though, you are unlikely to
encounter a detectable difference in the resolutions and frequencies
you will be running with your setup.
The ATI All-In-Wonder 9700 Pro is currently priced around $340.
The ATI All-In-Wonder 9800 Pro is currently priced around $380.
I am recommending the All-In-Wonder series because their software
bundles are well-suited to use with television and because the 9700
and 9800 versions include an RF remote control which you may find
useful. Also, they have built-in support for connecting to Component
inputs, if for any reason DVI is not to your satisfaction. They
include a television tuner, as well, though it is for standard analog
cable and broadcast signals and does not receive digital HDTV signals.
(Since you were originally considering a card without a tuner, I
presume this is not a major issue for you.)
Check PriceWatch for the latest prices:
http://www.pricewatch.com/
Both are substantially less expensive than the card you were
originally considering.
Links from the Answer above:
AVS Home Theater PC Forum:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=26
Sony KP-65WS500 Manual (Image Retention, Page 3)
http://ayuda.sel.sony.com/documents/projtv/KPXXWS500.pdf
AVS Forum - Home Theater Computers: "Custom Resolution Guide for
1080i HDTV-HTPC-POWERSTRIP-RADEON" by Wayne Harrelson (Karnis) Updated
07/05/2003
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=206854
EnTech Forums: "Newcomer to PC to HDTV"
http://pub28.ezboard.com/fentechfrm7.showMessage?topicID=54.topic
AVS Forum - Home Theater Computers: "Which DVI Cable?"
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=217055
$18 Pacific Custom Cable DVIDL-2 2 Meter DVI-D Dual Link Cable
http://www.pacificcustomcable.com/DVI.htm
EnTech PowerStrip
http://www.entechtaiwan.com/ps.htm
PriceWatch for the latest prices
http://www.pricewatch.com/
Additional Reference Materials
AVS Forum - Home Theater Computers: "ati dongle or transcoder for
better pq on HD"
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=218493
Digital Connection: "Cliff Notes - Custom Resolutions and Timings" by
Wayne Harrelson
http://www.digitalconnection.com/Support/cliffnotes_17.htm
Ram Electronics PowerStrip Guide
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/powerstrip.html
Keohi HDTV: "Definitive Superguide to Custom Resolutions on HDTV" by
Mark Rehjon
http://www.keohi.com/keohihdtv/experttips/markrehjon/htpc_superguide.html
Search Strategy: Look for information at the AVS Forum pertaining to
this setup.
Search Terms:
AVS Forum sony radeon
(AVS Forum search)
powerstrip settings sony
://www.google.com/search?q=powerstrip+settings+sony
HDCP EIA 861
://www.google.com/search?q=HDCP+EIA+861
I hope you have found this information useful and easy to understand.
If you have any questions about this information, please do not
hesitate to post a clarification request prior to rating the answer. |
