monitors to attach to dvd players?

Dunno if this is possible, but I said I would ask my knowledgeable friends
so here I go.
I have a friend who does not have a telly ( sensible girl) , she doesn't
want one nor does she want to pay a license fee for one.
She does, however want to watch a film now and then, atm she has a telly
with the receiver gubbins taken out ( LOL the licensing people didn't
believe her so she made them come and check) to watch dvds via a dvd

pmj...

LOL!!!

Nice one!
:-)

Yep, so long as the Device (whether it's an ordinary type Telly,
a Video Recorder, DVD *Recorder* (but not just a DVD *Player*)
or a PC etc,) isn't "capable" of Receiving TV Signals - in other
words doesn't have a Tuner in it), then you don't need a TV Licence -
just the same as if it *is* "capable", (even if the Tuner part of it
isn't used, such as in a PC that has a TV Tuner Card or a DVD/Video
*Recorder* etc,), then yo u*do* need a Licence.

Ali...

That's not strictly true, you only need a licence to *receive* TV signals.
However if you've got a tuner, you need to convince TVLicencing (or a
jury) that you're not receiving TV signals - which is difficult, but not
impossible.

Tickettyboo...

errm yes, she is aware of that, which is why she had the receiver gubbins
taken out.

player, but its a small screen and she would like a bigger flat type one.
We were wondering, would it be possible to hook up a pc tft monitor to a

pmj...

Yes, it is...
Depending on the type of LCD Monitor that she gets & on what Outputs
the DVD Player has & on whether or not the LCD Monitor has the right
sort of Input Socket(s) to match the type of Output that the DVD
Player has.

dvd player? If so, would she need special cables to do it ( I think

pmj...

Only "special" inasmuch as it has to be the right sort!
:-)

i.e. has the right Plugs each end to fit the Sockets on the DVD
Player & LCD Monitor & it has to be wired up (internally) correctly
i.e the right Pins on the Plugs each end have to be wired to the right
Pins on the other end.

someone in the pub mentioned scart, but I was on my third g&t by then so

pmj...

*Some* (but not all) DVD Players do have SCART Outputs - others
have (either instead of or in addition to the SCART Output) sVHS
&/or Composite Video Outputs.

& almost all have a "TV out" (RF), but then you'd need an LCD Monitor
that has a TV Tuner in it (There are *lots* of those around, in all
the Consumer TV & Video type Stores) to use that Connection & then
you'd need a TV Licence for it, which is what she's trying to avoid.

(& as Jeff Gaines has Mentioned) there are now some (but not many)
DVD Players available with HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface)
Outputs, but there are far fewer LCD Monitors available at the moment
that have HDMI Inputs.

So, what Output Socket9s) does her particular DVD Player have on it?

Can you Post back more details of the actual DVD Player that she has
at the moment?

Then we can advise &/or make suggestions about what sort of Monitor
it would work with & which Connections to use.

Whatever Monitor she does eventually decide to get, make sure that
she tells the people who she buys it from, what she intends to use
it for & with.
So then, if it turns out that it doesn't do that particular job,
(even if it basically works OK & isn't faulty), she can take it back
& get a Refund.

missed that )

Jeff Gaines...

You certainly can - it's how media centre PC's work. SCART is a good way
of connecting, it is capable of passing the RGB signal - as long as the
DVD player can produce it (most do) and the monitor can receive it (would
need to be careful about that when buying).

pmj...

Yep, both of those conditions are crucial to being able to do it!
:-)

It may sound silly to point it out, but many people don't really have
any idea about what Connections the stuff they already have (or new
stuff they buy) has got.
You do have to know that (or the people selling you the stuff have
to know that, but that's the sort of thing which many Shops don't
seem to know about though), to be able to suggest the right (or best)
equipment to use.

There's also the modern option of HDMI - if she's getting a new monitor
may be worth seeing if it's available. If she gets a monitor with HDMI and
SCART then she's got a bit of future proofing when the DVD player is

Tickettyboo...

Sorry to be a pain, could you give me a ferinstance for a monitor ? I

pmj...

Have a look at somewhere like Dixons (now known as Currys.Digital)
or Currys, or Comet or any of the normal High Street Outlets, such as
Debenhams, John Lewis or Argos or Index etc. (or a proper TV/Video
Specialist store)

The Wanderer...

Hmm, but they are only box-shifters; a better source of info, and probably

pmj...

Yep - But I did also suggest/mention "or a proper TV/Video Specialist
store".
:-)

The Wanderer...

Yebbut IME they tend to be few and far between......

even cheaper, would be the local PC specialist. They seem to be springing

pmj...

I dunno about that?

The Wanderer...

Well, I had thought the choice would have to be made wisely.

Remember, what the person (that Boo is talking about) wants is a Flat
(LCD?) Screen to use with a *DVD* Player & not an ordinary PC (Computer)
LCD Monitor.

Yes, normally, for stuff for a PC it *is* a good idea to look at
(& ask in) a proper, specialist *Computer* Store/outlet, but I have
noticed that the "Box Shifter" type places (& we do have to count
Currys/Dixons Comet etc, as them, even though *some* Currys/Dixons
etc, *do* actually have good displays of stuff, as opposed to the
"Warehouse" type places, where you can't see what you're buying,
before buying it) *do* have a very good (large & varied) range of LCD
Screens which *aren't* specifically designed for Computers, but *are*
good (i.e. they have the right sort of Connectors) for using with
a (standalone) DVD Player, which is the intended use that the person
wants it for.

The Wanderer...

'Scuse my ignorance, but would any of those places have LCD screens without
tuners (i.e tv sets)? Not being argumentative for the sake of it, but I
can't see any of the High Street stores keeping 'bare' monitors - by their
very nature they are catering for the mass market, which is TVs, Tvs, and
TVs.

Like i said, *some* of those sort of things are actually perfectly
good & suitable for use as a normal PC/Computer Monitor as well.
But (I gather) taht isn't what this person wants to use it for.

up in pretty much every community these days. Certainly for what she wants,

Tickettyboo...

Give that man a coconut! Now, why didn't I think of that? We have a very
good young man at the Post Office, knows his stuff, has grown his business
from scratch himself and its a thriving concern.

pmj...

Yep.
I've noticed that.

But (in my experience) a lot of those (so-called) "PC specialist"
type places are basically just "one man band" outfits, Run by a PC
Enthusiast (& his wife) & *aren't* actually all that widely
knowledgable.

The Wanderer...

As it happens, that's exactly how my local guy operates, but he has worked
for and been trained by some of the major players, until he set up his own
business. As it happens he also does a lot of on-site work for several of
the big companies around here.

A lot of them give all sorts of half-baked stories & Info, when people
ask Questions.
:-(

& people believe what they hear in them, cos the Info is (usually)
better than (or at least as good/bad as) wghat yo uget in the places
such as Currys/Dixons etc.

& a lot of people won't actually know what is the truth & what just
sounds good.

pmj...

I disagree!
:-)

The Wanderer...

Then based on *my* experience, we must agree to disagree! :-)

If she wants (as was stated) a Display to use with a (standalone)
DVD Player (& *not* a PC or Computer), then a "PC Specialist" isn't
(necessarily) going to either know about what's best &/or most suitable
or have a decent Range of products.

Ali...

For the past twenty plus years, and disappearing just as quickly.

In my experience, all the independant PC specialists I've used over the
last 26 years, and quite a few I've noted for future use, have closed when
I went back. Fortunately, I've never needed warranty work.

A number of national chains have also gone without warning.

they'd be able to advise. I've stuck with mine for the best part of ten

pmj...

Yep - *in theory*!
But see above.

We are (she is) talking about advising on a Screen Display for a DVD
Player & not a PC, aren't we?

The Wanderer...

Yes, I don't think there's any disagreement on that.

years now - I get excellent advice, and above all, he's cheaper than the
box-shifters, and only gives you what you want.

pmj...

Great!!!

That's nice, *if* you can find a decent, reliable one.

The Wanderer...

See my comments above.

Most of the ones around here (& there have been plenty of them
opening up) have only been around for a couple of Years & then
they've disappeared.
:-(

The Wanderer...

Mine has been around for quite a bit longer than I've been using him - his
web site says since 1990. If anyone in Norfolk/North Suffolk is interested
I can post a link. :-)

My LCD monitor has speakers built in (although they are only miniatures and
I have the desktop speakers sitting alongside) and has RGB, video and audio

Tickettyboo...

Good point, maybe the nym ( nice young man) could hook the sound up to go
through the rather swish stereo system they have.

pmj...

What sort (Make & Model Number) is it?
& what Size is it?

& how long have you had it?

I ask that cos of the next (very important, if it's going to be used
for watching DVDs on) bit...

& what (actual) Resolution (& thus Aspect Ratio) is it?

If it's a typical 17 Inch or 19 Inch (1280 x 1024) LCD Monitor for
a *PC*, then that *isn't* really the best sort for watching DVDs on,
cos the Aspect Ratio of a 1280 x 1024 Screen is 5:4 (relatively Tall
& Narrow), whereas for use as a Display for DVDs, what's needed is
something like an Aspect Ratio of 16:10 or even 16:9

The Wanderer...

Err, I fully appreciate what you're saying, but I wasn't suggesting that my
monitor would be ideal for that purpose, merely that monitors these days
quite often come with built-in speakers, and that finding a good PC
specialist would be another source of information that would at least be as
good as, quite possibly better than, any of the High Street Stores.

inputs.

Most places these days have quite a good range of various differnet
types & they also have WebSites which have a lot of Info, including
the Specificatiosn, which will say what Sockets they have on them.

assume her dvd player has a scart connector, but never really crawled
round to have a look.

pmj...

Post back with the Make & Model of it & we can soon look up the Info
on it.

Just looking at it though *will* tell you if it's got a SCART Socket
on it as well!
So it would be a good idea to do that!
:-)

BUT...
Like Jeff Gaines said, you also need to make sure that the SCART
Socket *does* actually have the right Output Signals on it, so finding
out the Make & Model of the DVD Player would be a good idea.

Jeff Gaines...

Not off the top of my head but I will keep an eye out in the PC mags etc.
She'd need to be careful it doesn't have a tuner in it which would spoil
her cunning plan :-)

Only reason I have got involved is that she said 'someone at w*rk' said
she should buy an apple mac desktop cos its all in one and will play dvds.

pmj...

Yep!
Sounds like a good idea!
:-)

Those new Apple Macs (which are all in one & aren't all separate bits
& pieces like ordinary PCs) are really aimed at the sort of people who
"don't want all the faffing around with a PC".

That would set her back around �700 !!! and be a total waste of a good mac

pmj...

Not at all!!!

That's actually a very *good* use of an Apple Mac!
:-)

She can use it (most of the time) just as a (perfectly good) DVD
Player, to see all the Films she wants (they come with Software
called "Front Row" which does that & also with another little separate,
standalone Application, called "DVD Player") - They can also *Burn*
DVDs, which she might find useful.

& then, when she's not using it as a DVD Player, for watching Films
on it, she could use some of the other Features & Applications that
they have & she could (if she wanted or needed to) also Run windoze
on it & use it like a normal PC as well.

They're ideal for people who "don't want a PC"...

& yet they are also good for people who *do* want to do all the
Fiddling & Faffing around that using a PC involves, if they like
Fiddling & Faffing around with PCs.
:-)

BTW - The 700 Quid Apple iMacs only have a 17 Inch Screen.
(But with LCD Screens (as opposed to CRT - Cathode Ray Tube -
Screens, like the old Tellys & Monitors had), the 17 Inches that the
Specifications (& Adverts) talk about is the full Viewable (Diagonal)
Size, so a 17 Inch LCD has a lot bigger *Viewable* Area than an old
type 17 Inch CRT Screen.

They also make a 20 Inch Version as well as a (really nice!) 24 Inch
Version, but they cost more.

Tickettyboo...

I know this lady, a grand to watch a dvd every month or so and poota
equipment in the lounge when she already has a very good set up in the
study is definitely not on her wish list. :-)

datasmog...

A very simple answer to this question is, take details of the DVD
player, i.e. the instruction book, to your local young man in the post
office who knows about computers, (or PC World at a push) and tell him
what you want to do.
You'll probably get a much more succinct and knowledgable response than
the ones you've got here up to now ;-)

The Wanderer...

Oh dear, all the box-shifters want to do is make a sale, they don't really
care if the item is really what the person was looking for.

datasmog...

That depends on the quality of box shifter you're dealing with. Boo's
young man in the post office is more than a box shifter, which is why I
made that suggestion.
But even using PC World along with the documentation for the DVD player
will at least provide an excuse to take it back if it doesn't perform
the functions described.
Assuming the PCW drone understands the question.

Rabbit...

You mean there are some who do ??? :-)

The Wanderer...

Well said that man, I just couldn't be arsed to reply in such an apposite
manner, but you reflected my thoughts exactly.

Jeff Gaines...

Is that particular red flag you just waved driven by the G&T's.....

replaced.

Perhaps go monitor hunting before the G&T's :-))

Tickettyboo...

hmm, difficult, I am usually just at the 'between' stage :-)

datasmog...

Dell wide screen LCD's. I've just remembered my 2005FPW has s-vdeo and
composite video inputs as well as VGA and DVI.

datasmog...

Plugged my Goodmans DVD player, which is probably about 5 years old now,
into the Dell and got a really nice picture.
I'm sure Dell are not the only manufacturers to include those input
types but I can recommend them based on personal experience.
So there you go Boo, a positive answer ;-)

The innards of these are identical to the Apple cinema displays but they
are much cheaper, although not as pretty.
Check the web for prices as these Dells are quite often discounted as
newer models are introduced. They are really superb displays.