DVD Playback on a Computer CRT

[goatcheese]

Is it fairly simple to display the output from a standard DVD player (not a PC's DVD drive) onto a computer monitor?

The monitor is a Sony CPD-G400 which has both "a captive 15 pin mini D-sub and a 15 pin mini D-sub" for inputs. There is a switch on the monitor to flip between the two inputs.

I'm tired of booting up the PC just to watch a CD, and the lack of a remote. Plus the fans are distracting. But I don't have room for a TV set. So I'm thinking of just buying a standard cheap DVD player, and somehow plugging it in to the computer monitor. Sound easy, or impossible?

What will the picture quality be like? Any advantage to buying a progressive scan player, or will the quality be the same?

Thanks in advance!

 

[GoSharks]

You need one of these

http://shop.monitorsdirect.com/product.asp?sku=2204055

Jim Witkowski
Chief Hardware Engineer
MonitorsDirect.com

<A HREF="http://www.monitorsdirect.com" target="_new">MonitorsDirect.com</A>

 

[Teq]

Hi GoSharks,

Hey thanks for the link!

You learn the darndest things on these web-boards <G>



<b>(</b>Press CTRL-ALT-DEL for IQ Test<b>)</b>

 

[goatcheese]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for your post. I must say you are very intelligent for posting about your products here. I think that's great... help others and help your business at the same time! Win-win 🙂

The product you mention looks interesting, but I think it is way overkill for my needs. It has a TV tuner in it, which I don't need, and I don't think I need a remote as I'm sure the DVD player will have one. If the unit only cost $30-$45, I would just ignore the extra features and buy it. But at $99 (plus shipping and maybe tax), it's going to cost more than the DVD player itself!

Do you know of a simpler version (read: lower cost) that just will take the signal from the DVD player and make it work on the monitor? I wonder if any DVD players even have this functionality built-in.

BTW, any idea of the quality of the output from these units? Any plus to getting a progressive scan DVD player?

 

[GoSharks]

I do not know of any other version. Video quality is OK, not great. Then again video quality (TV) on a computer monitor will never look great.

Jim Witkowski
Chief Hardware Engineer
MonitorsDirect.com

<A HREF="http://www.monitorsdirect.com" target="_new">MonitorsDirect.com</A>

 

[goatcheese]

hmmm... so the output of a cheap computer with a dvd drive onto a CRT monitor will look better than the output of a standalone dvd player onto a CRT monitor (through the Planar Video-EX device)?

 

[GoSharks]

No the video interface (DVI) has little to do with it. It is the conversion of a TV signal to a signal that a Monitor can display that is the problem. If you want good DVD playback buy a TV. If you want good computer video buy a monitor. While TV's and MOnitors share mnany aspects they are designed for completly different applications.

Jim Witkowski
Chief Hardware Engineer
MonitorsDirect.com

<A HREF="http://www.monitorsdirect.com" target="_new">MonitorsDirect.com</A>