Found a UK LCD supplier who has no minimum order

**Skraggy_uk** · 06-11-2002, 01:58 AM

Originally posted by Fruitloaf
These guys (http://www.merconnet.com/main2.html) ship to the UK and now seem to have a distribution point in the UK too.

5.6" LCD w remote and speaker $160 w shipping, no tax that works out at GBP105 so it aint all that bad.

Thats not a bad screen, but it's an AV screen. We are looking, if possible for a VGA screen to get better resolutions.

Useful backup plan though.

**Andrew Chappell** · 06-11-2002, 12:19 PM

Wow - I spoke to some other lcd screen people a while back. Microview or something like that - i have the url nocking around somewhere...

Anyway, they wanted well over £250 for a controller plus more for an invertor e.t.c - ouch!

So, that price looks pretty good.

**EddyP** · 06-11-2002, 12:57 PM

guys i can sell you 6.4" lcd screens composite feed for £70 +postage and im in the uk.
see the classifieds for more details and mail me ehmp1@le.ac.uk if ur interested

**Skraggy_uk** · 06-12-2002, 10:15 AM

Originally posted by Andrew Chappell
Good move! I'll suggest that someone makes a mp3car europe site with all the details for all the suppliers who will supply to europe - I'm up for it if people would find it useful - sourcing some parts has proved very difficult.

Andrew

Have had an update back from Hero Elec.

"Hi Carl,although Sharp have 8.4" in both 640x480, and 800x600, I would suggest you go for a 6.4". This size is more popular and will be supported with a new high brightness and wide temp. for automotive application. It will be a drop in replacement for the existing module so development can continue until it becomes available. I can offer the following kit.
LQ64D341 (6.4" VGA, TFT.) £294.00
CXA0214 ( backlight inverter ) £22.70
HEKAB-51021-0500 (inverter power cable ) £1.54
HEAC9511V3 ( VGA interface board ) £129.00
HE420687401 ( data cable ) £14.20
HE410680450 (OSD board + cable ) £19.70
95638 (6.4" resistive touch screen ) £43.71
RES4-EVAL-KIT (SC4 controller,Cables, Driver software and manual ) £167.57
All parts are available from stock.
I have tried to make the kit as close to "plug and play" as was possible.
I have attached the relevant data.
Best regards
John Leather"

How do the prices compare, especially for the datacables and boards?

I've attached a Zip of the Datasheets from Hero, if that is any help too.

**Andrew Chappell** · 06-12-2002, 11:16 AM

I think I'll stick with a composite screen for now - that 6.4" for £70 seems pretty good to me!

Hope it works out though - just gotta wait till my cd player on ebay sells...

Andrew

**Skraggy_uk** · 06-12-2002, 11:22 AM

Originally posted by Andrew Chappell
I think I'll stick with a composite screen for now - that 6.4" for £70 seems pretty good to me!

Hope it works out though - just gotta wait till my cd player on ebay sells...

Andrew

At the moment I'm just toying whether to look for a 12" desk LCD (and re-case it), or to go composite initally, or or to order the parts and custom put together (I know it would be more expensive).

Which is the best way to get a good composite picture? Svideo TVout, or through a Scan converter over Svideo?

BTW the datasheets didn't attach, but their control boards and their TFT sheets both mention hi-rose cables, and the diagrams show 31pins. And at £14 for the datacable that has to be good.

£150 would get you an interface board, and Hirose.
Another £25 for the Inverter and power cable.

And you could wire in a budget Ebay sharp panel

**Andrew Chappell** · 06-12-2002, 11:33 AM

That is a damn good price for a controller, but I have just bought a new laptop so have very little cash at the moment...

In my final setup, I Ideally want a large (desktop style) removable monitor in the front of the car (its a ford galaxy btw so plenty of room), with two or three (ouch!) lcd's in the back to watch films on for long distance drives with the family.

To get dual head, I plan to use a cheap ATI radeon and a microatx socket A board. This should cope with gps on the main screen and dvd on the back composite screens.

I have never used a composite LCD with a tv output enabled graphics card, but I can say that the output quality on tv with movies is very good - we watch all our dvds on our domestic family pc with a geforce tv out. I'm guessing that as long as you can enable overscan on your tv output an lcd will work fine (for nvidia cards get tvtool from www.tvtool.de for this).

I plan to get a composite and build a tiny case for it, then for now velcro (hehe) it onto the dash somewhere - no cutting up yet! If it is ok I may mount it permenantly instead of a larger screen - if not I'll bung it in the back and watch dvds on it (not while driving!).

**Skraggy_uk** · 06-12-2002, 11:45 AM

I've just had a reply back from Hero.
The screen is 31 pin Hir-rose.
But the controller is a 32way DF11 Hirose

But I suppose with the controller and cable you could hook up any compatable screen.

I've got a movie player PC downstairs. I'ts hooked up throgh my Schneider 28" widescreen. Very Nice.

I've got the Svideo TV out from a Matrox G450 doing the duties.
I've also hooked up the RCA connector from the matrox to a scart cable converter, so I can put DivX and VCDs onto VHS for loaning to friends.

And I have a WinTV card connected to the Analogue output of my Sky Gigibox, and have viewed Sky channels through the PC onto the TVout. Which technically means I should be able video one of the encrypted movie channels(pay per view) by paying for the movie once, then playing it through the PC out on to tape. It would end up being widescreen through RCA, but it is perfectly viewable.

I know the Vids I have made of movies are sometimes a little quiet (and Hissy when turned up), because the Audio is comming from the Soundcard, rather than through an Amped Sub, but if you had a decent surround sound system, you wouldn't get the his because the volume wouldn't need to be so loud.

**Andrew Chappell** · 06-12-2002, 12:39 PM

When recording to vhs, have you made sure everything apart from the playback (wave) channel is muted? Often soundcards humm from the line input, microphone or cd input even if there is nothing connected to them. I put dvd's onto vhs for my family (macrovision removal care of tvtool) as they don't have a dvd player but love to watch all the special features and play the games on their pc upstairs.

I've decided I'm gonna buy a microatx board and stick an ati radeon ve in there - cheap and chearful - all from ebuyer.com

Pc Chips 810LMR Board - £46.76
Duron 900 - £25.26
256mb ram - £25.41
Radeon VE - Dual monitor out and tv out - £31.23
One of those composite LCD screens - £70

I've got a dvd drive and small (6gb) hdd which will do for now. Later I'll get a 40gb drive, a firewire bridge and a firewire card and mount it up front.

Cheers

Andrew