How to use monitor as a TV

If you are planning to buy a HD LED TV to  watch HD Channels but your budget is very tight and not allowing you to spend Rs. 20000 – 40000/- on an LED high definition TV; you can take a look on this post for various TV viewing option to use monitor as a tv on your computer LED monitor without paying a huge amount on LED HDTV. In every option you have to use external speakers to listen sound as monitors not having speakers. Some monitors also now coming with speakers now, in that case your monitor will serve both the work for viewing video and to listen audio.

Buy a LED monitor with HDMI Port to use monitor as a TV-

If you are going to purchase a monitor in place of TV than buy a monitor that is having HDMI port also along with traditional VGA or DVI port. Now most of the DTH TV service providers like Tata Sky, Airtel , Dish TV, Big TV are providing their set-top box with HDMI out port (please confirm individual service providers customer care and web site before purchasing). Using HDMI port you can watch video and listen audio via same cable on a HDTV. HDMI transmit the signals over digital mode so that you view the videos on their original resolution level e.g. 1080p or 720p true digital. In case you are watching video on a monitor you will get HD display only.

Take a look on some of the DTH set top box comparison below –

Also see tata-sky HD set top box back panel for various ports available –

Some of the example for LED monitors with HDMI ports to use monitor as a tv are –

LG 21.5″ LED Monitor E2260V

Samsung Monitors with HDMI port

 S27B750V , S23B370H and S24B370H

 24 inch BenQ LCD Monitor Full HD HDMI Port – G2420HD

In these LED monitors you can not only watch HD movies using your laptop HDMI port but can also be used for other purpose like HDTV Channels watching, Sony play station etc.

If you are already having a monitor with VGA port than see the following solutions to use monitor as a tv–

Updated version of this post is now available with options to convert normal monitor with VGA port only to TV using HDMI to VGA adapter that includes sound output also using 3.5mm audio jack.

Many modern monitor are now coming with HDMI in and audio our port for easily watch DTH channels like from HD set top box as Airtel, Jio Fibre, Tata Sky etc.

You can also connect Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick, and many android box with these monitors.

Option 1 – Use monitor as a TV using internal or external TV tuner card

This is a very old and traditional concept to use monitor as a TV. You can use a TV tuner card that can be fitted inside your desktop CPU or laptop. In this case your computer will do the task to convert TV RF signals to convert on VGA signals and using VGA ports you can connect monitor to watch TV. But in this case you have to always keep on your computer/laptop.

The other disadvantage in this option is that video quality using TV tuner card is not as good as in traditional TV with audio/video cables. If you are not having TV tuner card inside your TV and don’t want to use keep running your PC, you can purchase external TV tuner cards also like Intex, Frontech , Zebronics, Iball etc. these are available in markets around Rs. 2000- 5000/-.

Option 2 – Use monitor as a TV using HDMI to VGA converter –

VGA signals are analog and HDMI signals are digital, in case you want to watch TV on your monitor that is having only VGA port than you have to purchase some third party HDMI to VGA converters , these are some costly in the range of Rs. 6000 – 8000/- and also their reliability is not sure. As concern about their video quality it may also not as good as like original HDMI digital signals. So this option is not a good option to adopt.

If you are already having a monitor with DVI-D port than see the following solutions use monitor as a TV–

Some monitors are having both the ports for analog VGA and for digital DVI ports, VGA is genrally having blue adapters and DVI with white.

If you are having DVI ports than you can use HDMI to DVI adapter or HDMI to DVI cable to watch HDTV signals inside your monitor. In this adapter and cable you will only get Video signals for audio you have to use external monitors.

See the some of HDMI to DVI cable here-

 

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_5092585_convert-hdmi-dvid.html

See Video from youtube aslo –