We turn the monitor into a TV with our own hands. How is it possible to make a full-fledged TV from a computer monitor

In a classic Russian apartment, the TV is the head of everything. It is usually installed in every room. In general, an extra screen will never hurt, especially if it is already in the form of an old LCD monitor.

There are quite a few ways to use a monitor as a TV. You can buy a set-top box, say, a Roku. You can slightly increase your budget and connect a mini-computer, such as the Raspberry Pi, to an old friend. But there is a more radical method, similar to.

Almost all LCD monitors have an I / O interface called LVDS. If you remove the cover from the monitor and get to the insides, you can see that the connectors are located on a separate board. In addition to other stuffing, this board is connected with a rather flexible ribbon cable, similar to IDE for hard drives.

To upgrade the monitor, you will need to purchase an expansion card for this interface that has a built-in video decoder. Such devices can be purchased, for example, or. The decoder and its output will make it possible to play analog (and in the case of a more advanced board, digital) television directly, without using a variety of set-top boxes and even a computer.

TTX boards:

• The frequency range is 48.25-863.25 MHz.
• Color system - PAL / SECAM / NTSC.
• Sound system - B / G, D / K, l, M / N, NICAM / A2, BTSC.
• The number of channels is 200.
• Teletext - 10 pages (chip 39 - 10 pages, chip 59 - 1000 pages).
• The video signal input format (VGA, HDMI) is up to 1920 × 1080 @ 60 Hz.
• Supported video resolutions - 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p.
• Sound amplifier output power - 2 × 2.3 W (40) 1 HD + N< 10% @ 1 KHz.
• Supply voltage - 12 V.

Input connectors:

• Power supply - 12 V.
• VGA input.
• HDMI input.
• Composite video and stereo audio input.
• Sound input when using the TV as a computer monitor.
• Headphone output.
• USB input (for firmware update).
• Antenna or cable input.

Actually, the simplest path ends here: the purchased board and monitor are referred to the audio-video equipment repair service. After a while, after paying a small amount, you have a new TV in your hands. All that remains is to install it and connect the antenna or cable TV wire.

A slightly more complex way of self-installation is described in detail by a colleague on the resource Mysku.ru. Let's consider it briefly.

Despite the possible problems with installation and setup, such a monitor upgrade is fully justified. Many have old, unclaimed 17- and 19-inch devices. The price of such devices in the secondary market is quite low, and the image quality is often not worse than a new TV. It turns out an ideal TV for a kitchen, small room or summer cottage for a minimal price - from 15 to 60 dollars, depending on the configuration and functionality.

Before you start exploring the process of converting a display to a TV, take a look at the source material. In principle, is it possible to make a full-fledged TV out of a computer monitor? If the display is not too old, chances are that it already has a built-in decoder for getting a TV picture. In this case, you're in luck, and the whole transformation won't take much time or money. It's another matter if there is no such tuner. We'll have to look for the appropriate board.

The work on installing a new board is not so expensive - in the range of 1,000-1,500 rubles, and after that the monitor will become a real TV. So, before embarking on a radical transformation of the device with your own hands, assess your opportunities and risks.

Important information for deciding whether to rework your monitor

What is the difference between a monitor and a TV? Why, in general, do you need to redo something, because both devices have a video signal, does it require any additional settings? Yes, it does, and the monitor and TV really have differences:

• TVs have a wider range of sizes;
• to view the picture, you need to be near the monitor, while TV can be watched at a decent distance;

• displays have only advanced frame scan;
• monitors do not have remote control capabilities.

And one more important difference: monitors are cheaper than TVs. So you can save a lot if, for example, you have an old display and no TV for a summer residence. But for such a rework, you need to know some details of the device and the principles of the display.

What you need to know about sound

Modern monitors may have built-in speakers for sound reproduction, but they tend to be too weak. Such sound for watching TV programs is unlikely to suit you, so you need to consider connecting external audio playback devices. And again we return to the starting point - the release date of the monitor. The relatively recent models have a speaker outlet. Connecting sound in this case is very simple - you just need to insert the outputs of the equipment into the corresponding connectors. No. 4. Connectors are marked in different colors, usually white and red

All that remains is to adjust the playback volume. Instead of speakers, you can use headphones if that's convenient for you. For displays that do not have an output for speakers, you will have to connect the sound in a roundabout way - through an additional board or TV-box to the monitor.

Specificity of the video signal

The main difference between displaying a picture on a monitor and a TV is in the screen resolution. In the display, the pixels are smaller, the resolution is higher. For this reason, it is more difficult to adjust the image and record the program. Why is TV quality better than a monitor in terms of image quality?

The first reason is in the matrix. On a TV, it is adapted so that the image is clearer at different viewing angles. In monitors, the matrix is ​​much more primitive. Her task is to bring the picture to the person sitting directly opposite.

The second reason is that there is no interference suppressor in the monitor. In principle, they are not in a computer video signal, but in a television signal, even digital, they are. And finally, the third reason is the lack of brightness control on most display models. There are, of course, exceptions, but they are expensive, and hardly anyone seriously thinks about how to use such a monitor as a TV.

What are the external TV tuners for the monitor?

Tuners for receiving a TV signal are built-in and external. If you are going to make a TV instead of a monitor, you will most likely need an external tuner. This fixture connects to a wall outlet, antenna and display. External tuners are divided into two types.

It turns out that a standalone tuner is able to turn a monitor into a full-fledged TV. With it, you can select a different screen scale: 4: 3 or 16: 9.

ADVICE!

There is a huge selection of TV tuners on sale now. Do not rush to make a purchase, carefully study the capabilities of the model and its compatibility with your monitor.

Choosing and connecting a TV tuner for your computer

The most affordable way to make a TV out of a computer monitor is to connect an external tuner to it. Let's figure out how to choose it correctly and connect it correctly.

How to choose a digital TV receiver and monitor converter

How to choose the right TV tuner to make a TV out of a computer monitor? The first is to match it to the broadcast standard. For a monitor, it is better to take DVB-T, it is not so modern, but it will certainly suit you. Second, if you want to view movies downloaded from torrents on the Internet through the set-top box, you need it to support avi and (or) mkv formats with AC-3 sound support.

For a country TV, there is no need to install a satellite dish. You can completely limit yourself to the simplest Chinese option. It will be quite worthy to receive a decimeter signal. In places with reliable reception, you can completely do with a homemade wire antenna. About the nuances of choosing a converter in this small video.

How to connect a TV tuner to use your monitor as a TV

To connect a TV tuner to a computer screen, you need to additionally purchase a special cable, an antenna cable and the antenna itself. In addition, there should be two sockets in the area where the tuner is located: for it and the display. Accordingly, the antenna is connected to the tuner through the antenna cable, and the device itself to the monitor through the digital cable.

Standalone tuners have integrated speakers, but they are weak. Better to connect an external acoustic device - speakers. And if possible, then a subwoofer. Don't expect a tandem display and an HD picture tuner, but otherwise everything will work just fine, especially if you have an LCD monitor. For a summer residence or kitchen, it will do quite well.

NOTE!

Standalone tuners may have a VGA input, and not all displays have one.

How you can remake a monitor to make a TV out of it without a computer

The success of the whole business depends on the quality of the source material. So before starting a direct conversation about how to make a monitor from a TV with your own hands, we note that the easiest way is to work with products of Korean origin. The displays from Samsung are the most picky in this regard. In second place are LG and Sony. The rest of the monitors are more capricious in the alteration.

How to make a TV out of a monitor - we remake a CRT

Illustration	Description of action
	Older screens do not have an output for digital data transmission. Therefore, you will need an adapter. On the one hand, there is a common contact for a computer video card, on the other, HDMI.
	An external TV tuner is required for signal processing. It is a simple device with cable, HDMI and audio outputs.
	Connect the monitor cable to the adapter.
	Connect the adapter to the TV tuner.
	Insert the antenna cable into the corresponding connector.
	Plug the display and tuner into a power outlet and check for a signal. Search for channels.
	Use the buttons on the front of the monitor to adjust the position of the picture.
	You will need a cord with bells to extract sound through the stereo. Connect them using the connectors of the corresponding color.
	Set the volume on the stereo to maximum and then adjust the sound level with the TV tuner remote.

How easy it is to make a TV from an LCD monitor with your own hands

Connecting an LCD display is practically no different from the previous algorithm.

Illustration	Description of action
	Use the same TV tuner to receive the signal and an indoor antenna.
	Connect the VGA cable to the adapter. If you have USB speakers, choose an audio-out adapter.
	To power the speakers, connect them to the USB port on the tuner.

The rest of the settings are the same as on the CRT monitor.

And if on the contrary, a TV instead of a monitor

The temptation to put, instead of a conventional display, a TV with a large diagonal is very great. Imagine how gorgeous modern toys will look with a detailed picture on such an area. And one more curious observation: if you take TVs with a small diagonal, then they are more expensive than monitors of the same size. But with a large diagonal, for some reason, the opposite is true - the price of a 27-inch display is comparable to a 32-inch TV. So, of course, in this case it is more interesting to take TV.

Fundamentally: which is better TV or monitor for a computer

Here the question immediately arises: what if suddenly you no longer need a large screen for games? Well, in this case, the TV can be used for its intended purpose, but the display will have to be completed or altered. It so happens that the TV as a monitor for a computer is universal.

Diagonals from 49 will be simply luxurious in this role. For advanced gamers, it's hard to imagine anything better. Unmatched sensations and full immersion in virtual reality are provided to you. If you are a fan of tanks, try at least once on the 60-inch diagonal, just remember to return to the real world.

How to combine TV and PC

Now consider,. The first step is to select the appropriate cable for connecting your PC. There are three types of video output in computers:

• HDMI- to connect high standard picture and sound;
• DVI- for transmission of images in digital mode;
• VGA- for transferring images in analog quality.

In our case, it is best to use HDMI, you will get the best image quality. The main thing is to have a similar connector on TV.

What's the bottom line? A TV and a monitor are interchangeable things. To redesign the display, you can use an external TV tuner and, and in order to use the TV as a monitor, just an HDMI cable.

If you have experience in such alterations, share it in the comments to this material!

The question of the advisability of using TVs as monitors arises against the background of a steady trend of reducing the cost of the first and improving the quality of the image and the size of the diagonal. Let's try to find the answer to it.

I must say that in addition to its main purpose - broadcasting television programs, modern televisions are used as multimedia players (a screen in a home theater), as well as devices that display images from game consoles. And models with SmartTV support can generally be an alternative to a computer. And all this is good, is the TV capable of providing full-fledged work with text files, graphic images or video editing?

The bulk of TV models does not imply a prolonged presence of a person in front of their screen. A picture characterized by extreme brightness, contrast and saturation is tiring on the eyes. And the presence of all kinds of uluchshayers, the purpose of which is to make the image as realistic as possible when viewed from a considerable distance, leads to a deterioration in the clarity of the text on the display. In addition, the presence of an embellished color rendition, and besides, the narrowness of the coverage of sRGB color spaces, not to mention AdobeRGB, does not allow video and photo editors to work correctly.

Of course, the whole aspect of the capabilities of TVs opens up if you are watching movies on the Internet or active gaming. This statement especially applies to TVs with a large screen diagonal, which significantly increases the realism of everything that happens on the screen. The strengths and weaknesses of TVs when used as monitors for a computer are discussed below.

Positive sides

1 - The absolute trump cards of TVs include their cost, taking into account the size of the screen diagonal. The purchase of a TV will allow you to significantly save money, since its cost is significantly lower than that of monitors with similar dimensions.

2 - TVs have special operating modes that allow, for example, to dynamically highlight dark scenes when watching movies or playing games. Actually, this technology was first used on televisions, and only much later it began to be used on monitors.

3 - The large screen allows you to comfortably work with small details, which is important when editing video. Many videographers have to use two monitors for this, which are installed very close to each other. And of course it is much easier when all the same can be done on one TV with a large diagonal.

4 - An important advantage of a large television screen is the presence of the effect of immersion in the depths of what is happening, regardless of whether you are watching a very interesting film, or an action scene appears in a computer game.

Negative sides

1 - TVs with IPS-matrix have an increased level of contrast, and this inevitably leads to the fact that there is a loss of detail in black shades. This is especially striking if the screen is located at a great distance.

2 - For embellished pictures on TVs, the saturation is too high, and this has a negative effect on the ability to perceive colors and does not allow working in photo editors in the correct mode.

3 - The TV does not provide such clarity as on the monitor if you are surfing the Internet, or you are working with texts. As a rule, this is the fault of the system designed to process images in order to embellish them. On some models it is possible to solve this problem by disabling text anti-aliasing.

4 - If the model with a large screen is installed at a close distance, then on the screen you can see the individual pixels that are components of any image. For this reason, for TVs with a diagonal of more than 32 ″, it is recommended not to use a screen resolution lower than FullHD (1920 × 1080).

5 - If I work for a long time using the TV screen, my eyes get very tired. To a large extent, this is also facilitated by the need to constantly shift the gaze to the left and right on the surface of the large screen, and even more tiring is the movement of the eyes up and down.

6 - A large number of TVs have a picture lag (Input Lag). Intzut lag (not to be confused with the time required for the response of the matrix) is the length of time it takes for the TV to display the signal sent to it on the screen. Simply put, with each action taken, there will be a delay by the value of Input Lag, which can last from 30 ms to 150. While watching a TV show or a movie, this function is practically invisible. The majority of modern TVs have special modes, the use of which can significantly reduce the size of the output delay. In addition, today there are models, such as the Sony KDL-32WD603, in which it was possible to reduce this effect to a minimum level, due to which there is almost no effect on the perception of the picture.

In what ways can you connect a TV to a computer

Connecting a TV to a computer can be done using one of the three main interfaces: VGA (D-Sub), DVI and HDMI. And if with the help of the latter it is possible to broadcast in FullHD quality, then the use of the first two is recommended only when it is not possible to carry out other pairing scenarios.
1 - Connection using the VGA connector. The main interface that allows you to connect a monitor to a computer is the analog VGA port. And therefore, if a decision is made to use a TV as a device with which information will be output, it is quite possible to use this connector. However, it should be remembered that you should not wait for the maximum resolution of the transmitted picture at the FullHD level, so it will be equal to 1600x1200 pixels. In addition, you will have to additionally use a cable with "tulips" (RGA) or "minijack" (3.5 Jack) for sound transmission.

2 - Connection via the DVI interface. Most computer video cards have a DVI port - an upgraded version of the VGA interface. It can be in three forms:

An analog version of DVI-A, which is almost impossible to find, since it is distinguished by low image quality, which is due to the need to convert it into an analog digital signal.

The digital version of DVI-D is perhaps the most widespread type with high signal quality. Two-channel subspecies Dual Link provides a resolution of 2560x1600 pixels at a frequency of 60 Hz, and a single-channel Single Link - 1920x1200 pixels, a frequency of 60 Hz.

The combined version of DVI-I consists of one digital and one analog transmission channel (Single Link). It can also consist of two digital and one analog channels (Dual Link), which work independently of each other. In cases where this port is not among the TV connectors, if it is available on the computer's video card, you can use special DVI-VGA or DVI-HDMI adapters.

3 - HDMI connection. This port is considered the most optimal when the TV is connected to a computer. With its help, it is possible to transmit video with a high resolution level (up to 3840x2160 pixels) and multichannel audio using one cable. Often in the interfaces of TVs there are two to three HDMI-connectors, which makes it possible to simultaneously connect multiple devices. Today, the disadvantages of HDMI connection include a limited cable length (no more than 10 m) and a rather high price.
The disadvantage of connecting with DVI and VGA cables is that the connectors are screwed. And this means that in the event that someone accidentally touches these cables with his foot, damage to both the TV and the video card of the computer occurs.

When planning the purchase of a TV, for its use as a monitor, you need to clearly understand what scenarios it will be intended for in the first place. So if you plan to actively work with office applications and browsing on the Internet, then you can limit yourself to a 32-inch TV. But for gaming or watching videos with maximum immersion, you should choose models with a diagonal in the range from 36 ″ to 50.

If the PC system unit is hopelessly outdated and is not at all suitable both for use as a music center and for upgrading it in order to “turn” it into a “TV”, then we can advise one more method.

To do this, you need to use the so-called external TV tuner for monitor(TV - television).

An external TV tuner is an independent device that is connected to the electrical network to the TV antenna, to the PC system unit and to the PC monitor.

More precisely, the external TV tuner for the monitor is connected as if by a break in the cable connecting the PC system unit and the PC monitor. Only this cable does not actually break, and the TV tuner is connected instead of the monitor to the PC system unit, at the same time the monitor is connected to the TV tuner.

The external TV tuner has a remote control. Connected to the mains, to the monitor, PC system unit and to the TV antenna, this TV tuner becomes a regular TV, which is also controlled like a regular home TV using a remote control.

With the help of the remote control, such a "TV" can be turned on and on, you can increase and decrease the sound volume, switch and tune channels, adjust brightness, contrast, color and other parameters.

It is important that such an external TV tuner does not need a PC system unit for its work. The connection to the system unit is retained if there is a desire to use this system unit in the future. Otherwise, it is enough to have an external TV tuner and a computer monitor in order to assemble a familiar TV from these two devices.

In the absence of a PC system unit, such a "TV" only needs a monitor and sound speakers, which should be connected to the corresponding connectors of the TV tuner. And then the PC system unit can be sent "to the dustbin of history."

By the way, some people use the option described above in order to the new computer monitor worked like a TV... More precisely, they buy a new cheap (liquid crystal) LCD monitor, and also an external TV tuner for the monitor is purchased for this monitor. Connect and use the computer monitor as an LCD TV, for example in the kitchen.

A rather exotic option for using an obsolete computer running under no longer supported operating systems (for example, Windows 3.1) is that it can be used to safely access any Internet sites without fear of all kinds of viruses.

There are no viruses for outdated operating systems, and "new" viruses "do not take" them! True, the browsers of these obsolete computers are also outdated, and are not always able to display all the information contained on the sites.

As you can see, it is quite possible to extend the life of an old computer (laptop or stationary computer). At the same time, you can extend the joy of owning them, if it gives pleasure.

P.S. The article is over, but you can still read it.

In a classic Russian apartment, the TV is the head of everything. It is usually installed in every room. In general, an extra screen will never hurt, especially if it is already in the form of an old LCD monitor.

There are quite a few ways to use a monitor as a TV. You can buy a set-top box, say, a Roku. You can slightly increase your budget and connect a mini-computer, such as the Raspberry Pi, to an old friend. But there is a more radical method, similar to.

Almost all LCD monitors have an I / O interface called LVDS. If you remove the cover from the monitor and get to the insides, you can see that the connectors are located on a separate board. In addition to other stuffing, this board is connected with a rather flexible ribbon cable, similar to IDE for hard drives.

To upgrade the monitor, you will need to purchase an expansion card for this interface that has a built-in video decoder. Such devices can be purchased, for example, or. The decoder and its output will make it possible to play analog (and in the case of a more advanced board, digital) television directly, without using a variety of set-top boxes and even a computer.

TTX boards:

• The frequency range is 48.25-863.25 MHz.
• Color system - PAL / SECAM / NTSC.
• Sound system - B / G, D / K, l, M / N, NICAM / A2, BTSC.
• The number of channels is 200.
• Teletext - 10 pages (chip 39 - 10 pages, chip 59 - 1000 pages).
• The video signal input format (VGA, HDMI) is up to 1920 × 1080 @ 60 Hz.
• Supported video resolutions - 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p.
• Sound amplifier output power - 2 × 2.3 W (40) 1 HD + N< 10% @ 1 KHz.
• Supply voltage - 12 V.

Input connectors:

• Power supply - 12 V.
• VGA input.
• HDMI input.
• Composite video and stereo audio input.
• Sound input when using the TV as a computer monitor.
• Headphone output.
• USB input (for firmware update).
• Antenna or cable input.

Actually, the simplest path ends here: the purchased board and monitor are referred to the audio-video equipment repair service. After a while, after paying a small amount, you have a new TV in your hands. All that remains is to install it and connect the antenna or cable TV wire.

A slightly more complex way of self-installation is described in detail by a colleague on the resource Mysku.ru. Let's consider it briefly.

Despite the possible problems with installation and setup, such a monitor upgrade is fully justified. Many have old, unclaimed 17- and 19-inch devices. The price of such devices in the secondary market is quite low, and the image quality is often not worse than a new TV. It turns out an ideal TV for a kitchen, small room or summer cottage for a minimal price - from 15 to 60 dollars, depending on the configuration and functionality.