Can I display my PC on my Plasma TV's, Yes Plural!!!

[Sky_Captain]

For those in the know, is it possible to connect my PC to two plasma tv's in my place and allow the display to come up on both? The PC i'm using is a Dell with 1 DVI output and 1 VGA output. And I have HDMI to DVI-D cables to connect to the HDMI input on the tv's.

Also, will the cables allow for both sound and picture to come through or am I missing anything?

Many Thanks,

S.C.

[Bushfiva]

Almost certainly yes. The plasma TVs won't have particularly good resolution compared to the average computer monitor. DVI doesn't support sound, so you'd have to pipe that through another cable. You'll be able to configure the monitors via the screen settings as side by side or whatever.

[bnt]

When you start up the PC after making the connections, the graphics card driver ought to detect that you have two screens attached, and show them in Graphics Properties. There you can set the resolutions, and depending on your graphics card you may have other options. Extended desktops can be fun: drag applications between screens, watch a movie on one screen while surfing on the other. With MS FS you can have the main window on one full screen, and instruments on the other.

[Sky_Captain]

Thanks for the info guys, but regarding sound, what sort of cable do I require to run sound if the DVI to HDMI cable won't carry it. The Dell is an inspiron 530, so descent graphics and sound cards are part of.

First time trying to set this up, so i'm learning as I go. MS FS sounds like fun combined on both, might try that when I create my own aircraft on the programme!!!

S.C.

[Saab Dastard]

Check your sound card outputs. You will probably have analogue mini-jacks as well as some form of digital-out, but as there are several flavours - including optical - it is simplest to just consult your documentation.

Then see what inputs your plasma screens accept. I have not come across an audio output splitter, but it may be possible to send the signal to more than one device.

But I would ask if it is necessary to connect the audio output to the screens at all - surely you can use the existing PC sound system, assuming you have got some form of 4.1 / 5.1 speakers?

SD

[Sky_Captain]

SD,

Need sound on at least one TV, Inputs on the tv are as follows:

Video & Audio Inputs
Independent HDMI 1.3 4 (With PC Support, 2 w/analog audio)
Component 2
Composite 3
S-Video 1
Antenna A & B
USB (Mass Storage Class)
PC
LAN (10/100 Base-T Ethernet)

Output from the PC is:

Externally Accessible
Video: 1 DVI, VGA and 1 S-Video (with add-in PCI-Express video card)
IEEE 1394 (optional): 1 6-pin serial connector
USB: 10 ports (4 Front, 4 back) + 2 internal
Audio: Six back-panel connectors for line-in, line-out, microphone, rear surround, side surround, two front-panel connectors for headphones/microphone, integrated 7.1 channel sound
Network: Integrated 10/100 network interface

Expansion Slots
PCI: 2 Slots
PCIe x1: 1 Slot
PCIe x16 (Graphics): 1 Slots
Sound Blaster X-FiTM XtremeMusic with Dolby 5.1
Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio

I'm trying to keep the PC hidden and would rather keep the sound through the tv surround speakers if possible?

S.C.

[Avtrician]

For your audio out, just use the line out connectors, make or buy a splitter and feed to the L/R audio in connectors on the TVs (if it is neccessary to feed both).

You should be able to feed the DVI connector to the PC connector on one TV, and the svideo to the other.

[Sky_Captain]

I know this may sound stupid, but what cable exactly do i need to run from the line out audio connection to the TV, even if i only want to have sound one one tv? Or is it just easier to connect to one tv using a VGA cable that I presume will support both picture and sound?

S.C.

[Saab Dastard]

VGA is graphics only.

Looking at the information you have provided, it does not appear to be possible to drive the TV speakers from a non-HDMI external source - i.e., there is no LINE IN.

Unless this is the Component 2 or Composite 3?

Your PC cannot supply a HDMI-compatible interface that also contains the audio signal - yes, you may be able to adapt the DVI to feed the TV's HDMI, but as has already been pointed out, DVI is purely video (as is S-video).

I still think that you would be best served with a decent 5.1 (or 7.1) audio system with inputs from the TVs and the PC. You can still hide the PC - it's the speakers you will see!

SD

[Sky_Captain]

Thanks SD,
Even sticking with the one tv, i'd still like sound coming through the tv for a bit of gaming and also for internet sound. What i'm trying to understand is what cable can I use from the audio out of the PC to connect with the old audio in on the tv, you know the white and red end cables?
Unless there is a computer out there other than dell that has a HDMI out port?
Sorry for all the questions, but i'm on a time line to finish my place and have this in!!!
S.C.

[bnt]

What i'm trying to understand is what cable can I use from the audio out of the PC to connect with the old audio in on the tv, you know the white and red end cables?

"white and red end" - are those RCA connectors, that look like the ones in this picture?

The V is composite video, L & R are left and right audio. You can get a cable with RCA plugs on one end, and a 3.5mm plug on the other for the PC.

However, audio and video go together, so if you select a particular video input, the audio has to be coming in through the correct sockets for that video input. So, if you select "PC" on the TV, both the video and audio have to go in through the "PC" inputs. In the case of my LCD TV, the PC audio input is a 3.5mm socket, not RCA, so I use a cable with a 3.5mm stereo plug on each end.

Can you tell us the make and model of the graphics card, and the TVs? Your graphics card might be able output VGA from the DVI socket (with an adaptor), so you'd use that, so you don't have the worry about converting DVI to HDMI. Then we might be able to see what audio input sockets correspond to the PC inputs.