Composite video question

tbone · 08-06-2001, 04:51 PM

If I get a tft that has a composite (RCA-style) video input, will I get a decent picture? I've hooked my laptop up to my TV before and was disappointed with the quality. How is a 6" tft different than a tv, or is it? What resolution will i need to set my computer to in order to get the best results?

Sorry these are kind of basic questions.

AVGeek · 08-06-2001, 05:35 PM

Composite is the lowest form of video transmission. There needs to be a lot of encoding and decoding to translate your high resolution computer signal to a low resolution composite video signal. If you didn't like the image quality on your home TV (I'm assuming something in the 20"-27" range) then no way are you going to like the image on a tiny 6" screen

DarkWolf · 08-06-2001, 05:45 PM

I'm not so sure that it will be bad in respects to a 6" LCD. Understand that with a TV, the image from the computer is greatly enlarged. With a smaller screen it should be fine and dandy. I'll let you know how mine looks and stick up some high quality photo's so you can see it when I get it in.

Scott--

gerard · 08-07-2001, 03:18 AM

when i was building my car computer and hooked it up at home on my 36" tv i thought: what a pile of junk this videocard.
it looked like crap.
but indeed on the small screen it looks good becouse everything is pressed together.

SkinnyBoy · 08-07-2001, 05:21 AM

Yeah, I would agreee with that...

cenwesi · 08-07-2001, 06:02 AM

gerard_NL is right. You will get better picture quality if u hook it up to a smaller screnn 4-8" TFT. TV screens usually have huge blocks or what ever u want to call it. But on smaller TV screens like TFT those blocks are small.... and pictures are somewhat compressed... Anyway take it from me it is better than the quality u would get on TV's. On the other hands, it depends on how the information u are sending to the device is stored. The higher the quality then the better it will look. I have couple of movies + music video that on TV looks better than some. Turns out some of those movies/music videos where compressed with higher resolution or something. One music video is Tina Turner's - Golden Eye, i think that is what it is called. Anyway it looked REALLY good on TV and even BETTER on the TFT screen. Now if you are really worried about the quality of the TFT then i suggest you get one of the screens i got. What u need to be looking for are ACTIVE matrix screens or VGA. VGA will cost u an arm and a leg ($700 or more) but active matrix like the one i have will cost u $425 if u get one from me

If you want more info on mine search this BB u will see couple links i have and u can see mine online http://cobra.mp3coupe.com
I hope this info helps.

LCDcrazy · 08-07-2001, 01:26 PM

I think this has been discussed before, but just to clarify something, technically TFT and "active matrix" are two different features which coexist with each other. In commercial terms, a TFT display is an active matrix display is a TFT display.

Technically speaking, active matrix displays are composed of a rear glass substrate patterned with thin-film transistors (TFTs). TFT is in a sense a method of manufacturing and active matrix is how the trtansitors are used to display a pciture.

VGA, SVGA, etc. are video graphic standards. For example, a DSTN (dual-scan, passive matrix) display can be VGA, SVGA, etc. just as an active matrix display can be VGA, SVGA, etc.

True VGA (as set out by IBM) supports 16 colors at 640x480 resolution, or 256 colors at 320x200 resolution (and not 256 colors at 640x480, even though many people think it does). VGA colors are chosen from a palette of 262,144 colors (not 16.7 million) because VGA uses 6 bits to specify each color, instead of the 8 that is the standard today.

SVGA is really no one set of standards since there is no body behind it (like IBM to VGA). Commonly SVGA is used to refer to resolutions of 800x600.

Suffice it to say, what we are looking for ideally are Active matrix, TFT, displays with at least VGA capabilities. The trouble we run into is that with the smaller LCDs, though it may run on active matrix, TFT technology, it is not capable of delivering VGA standard resolution and color depth.

[ 08-07-2001: Message edited by: LCD crazy ]

tbone · 08-07-2001, 03:51 PM

Quote:

In commercial terms, a TFT display is an active matrix display is a TFT display

I didn't follow this part.

So what about all these flip down displays? Since they are intended primarily for TV use, I assume they are not ideal. Is this correct?

If I see displays like these what can expect? They list max resolution modes. Are these similar to the ones I'm already familiar with in computers?

thanks.

gerard · 08-08-2001, 03:22 AM

all those monitors will do fine on your mp3 installation.
especially if u use the cobra front end.

LCDcrazy · 08-08-2001, 10:11 AM

A rose is a rose is a rose. I just meant that if you see something marketed as "TFT" and something else as "Active matrix" - they are both active matrix, TFT screens.

The key to the screens you listed is the resolution - not VGA. Whats not listed is the color depth, but, as Mr. Enwisi noted, they are certainly not up to the VGA standard. However, you do not need VGA quality to view certain sources just fine (e.g., VCR).

Normally problems creep up when trying to display a computer-based system on these sub-VGA screens. However, thanks to certain very kind people, we have been given programs like Cobra which take this into account and make these screens look great.

I think its pretty tough to find an active matrix, VGA display smaller than 8.4" that is not prohibitively expensive.