I am thinking of getting a new computer system that has a 20-inch LCD monitor (the computer system is Dell's Dimension 8400 that I customized). This particular computer system comes with a TV tuner card and remote control so that one can hook their cable TV up to the computer and watch TV on the monitor. Is this wise to do? Would doing this just add more thing to my new computer that can "go wrong"? How "stable" is this new technology of watching TV on one's computer? Also, would it be possible to play PS2 games on the LCD monitor as well?

Any and all suggestions, comments, and recommendations are appreciated! Thanks!

Adding anything to your system is in theory "one more thing that can go wrong".

If its got a TV tuner card in then its designed to wach TV, and the way you watch TV is on a monitor, and you've got a monitor !
What's the problem?


Howard

I have a all in wonder video card and watch tv all the time. I have a lg 17" lcd montitor. Works great.

HDTV will replace the current broadcast method for all stations in the United States in a few years. But if you buy a card that only supports HDTV, then you will not be able to watch stations that haven’t switched over yet, i.e. stations still using only the legacy NTSC broadcasting format.

Also, I believe that all computer monitors will eventually have the same aspect ratio as HDTV, which is 16:9 as opposed to the 4:3 we use now. (Aspect ratio is the ratio of the width of the image to the height of the image). So if the card supports HDTV today, that will mean it will have a blank region on the top and bottom of the screen when you view with a monitor that has a 4:3 aspect ratio.

I purchased an NTSC card a few years ago, but I don’t know if I would do it now. Perhaps by the time HDTV becomes prevalent you will want a new computer and new monitor anyway. That could be as soon as three years from now, but I’m only guessing. Stations were supposed to all switch over to the new format by 2006, but that requirement has been dropped for economic reasons.

In other words, if you do buy an NTSC card and a 4:3 monitor today, expect to scrap them in a few years.

Thanks for the info, guys! Much appreciated!

I think that it is possible to play an xbox or ps2 on the monitor. You may need an adaptor, but on the tv tuner will it had a scart or those inputs which have like 3 plugs. if so then I should think you can just plug ur ps2 into that the same as a pc