Computer VGA to Component Output

OK, if you’ve got a flat panel TV and want to project say some movies from your computer, how do you do it. You need a magic box called a “VGA to TV Convertor”:http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/PC-TV_video_adapter.html. Ram has one for $99 that takes VGA analog output and then converts it into component video (those three cables) or into S-Video or Composite. With component, you can get up to 1600×1200 (although most TV panels are really at most 1080i). With S-Video or Composite, you’ll get 480i maximum. “Ram”:http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/PC-TV_video.html#pctv has lots of these devices from $80 to $350.

Why is this all needed. Well, its a standards thing. Computer output analog video as RGBHV (they have one pin for Red, Green and Blue and then an H for Horizontal sync and V for vertical sync) whicle Component Video is dont as Y Pr Pb (which is Y the green signal plus sync and the difference from red called Pr and the difference from blue called Pb). See “Digital Connection”:http://www.digitalconnection.com/Support/cliffnotes_17.asp for the cliff notes or “Atlona.com”:http://www.atlona.com/pages.php?pageid=15

The cool thing about this box is that it is powered by a USB input, that’s how little power it needs. Kind of cool