13 replies to this topic

[typographie]

I'll start by explaining what I want to do, and then ask a few questions after.

I want to connect my computer to a TV on the other side of the room, mostly for Netflix and other videos as I don't have a console gaming device. I measured as accurately as I could and found that a ~28 ft HDMI cable should do the job. My television has two HDMI outputs, and my video card (Geforce GTX 460) has a mini-HDMI output and an included adapter.

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First of all, does this plan even make sense? For all I know of computers, I'm pathetically new to modern TV technology. I'm basically assuming it will behave like a computer monitor, with a desktop extension, etc.

What do I look for in an HDMI cable suitable for this distance? I am aware through some research that long HDMI cables can cause degradation of the signal, but I'm seeing mixed information on whether or not 28 ft is long enough to cause a problem.

I'm confused about how HDMI audio works. I know the cable carries audio, and I know that the Nvidia driver includes an "HD Audio" component. Does this mean that my video card will become my PC's default audio device while I'm using the television?

Thanks for your help.

[Scizzor]

Hey, I would bet that would work. I hook up my computer to my tv (and other people's tv when im at other people's houses) on a daily basis to watch videos/movies etc. As long as your TV does have an HDMI port, I would assume it would work. You would have to change the input (usually a button on the remote) on the tv to display the video/audio from the computer. Also many times you will have to change the resolution on your computer to get the screen to display correctly on the tv.

By default, when I hook my computer to my tv via HDMI, the computer would displays on both screens. You can change which monitor it displays on by going to the control panel for your computer. (For windows 7, you can right click on the desktop and go to "Screen Resolution" to change the settings)

There's lots of tutorials/information online for hooking your computer to a TV via HDMI!

Edited by Scizzor, 09 January 2013 - 08:34 PM.

[tijo]

The TV will essentially work as a monitor, however, you may have to play with the scaling settings a little to make everything fit perfectly. Your GPU may be set to underscan or overscan when connected to a TV by default. Also check your TV's manual sometimes there are important details in there.

For the audio, it is possible that you may have to set the HDMI out as the default device manually, but once that is done, the sound will carry over perfectly.

28ft shouldn't cause problems for a digital signal.

Edited by tijo, 09 January 2013 - 09:00 PM.

[typographie]

tijo, on 09 January 2013 - 09:00 PM, said:

For the audio, it is possible that you may have to set the HDMI out as the default device manually, but once that is done, the sound will carry over perfectly.

So if I set the HDMI output as the default audio device, I assume that that is the only audio that will come from my computer, correct? So like, no gaming on my monitor with separate audio while I'm also using the television, right?

Additional question.. I already have two monitors via the dual DVI outputs on my video card. As I understand it, only AMD HD 5000 and newer cards support three monitors. Since I'm using a Nvidia card, will I have to disconnect my secondary display to make this happen?

[Flavvor]

typographie, on 09 January 2013 - 09:21 PM, said:

So if I set the HDMI output as the default audio device, I assume that that is the only audio that will come from my computer, correct? So like, no gaming on my monitor with separate audio while I'm also using the television, right?

Additional question.. I already have two monitors via the dual DVI outputs on my video card. As I understand it, only AMD HD 5000 and newer cards support three monitors. Since I'm using a Nvidia card, will I have to disconnect my secondary display to make this happen?

I use my laptop on my TV all the time. When you hook up the HDMI to your tv, then to your pc it pickes it up. It usually sets the audio to your tv along with the picture automaticly.( you go to "controll panel" and click on " Commonly used mobility settings". You can adjust what goues through your HDMI cable to your tv. When i dont get any sound I unplug the HDMI to my PC and wait 30 seconds then plug it back in and that fixes it. Also as the poster above said you will have to go into your options and tweek it a bit to make the screen fit. Also the distance of the cable doesn't matter. Ig you loose quality it's so minute you can never tell.

You can also  buy a shorter HDMI cable then buy a long usb cable and hook up a keyboard. Also a wireless mouse is great to. It might be cheaper this way.

Edited by Flavvor, 09 January 2013 - 09:37 PM.

[tijo]

Yeah, you will have to remove one monitor or you could get a supper crappy and cheap ENGT210 and use it for HDMI out.

I haven't found a way to split the audio between multiple devices in windows unless the program itself (i.e. Ventrilo, Skype, etc.) lets you select an audio device other than the default one.

some programs also keep the default audio device that was set when they were launched so you can trick the system by keeping the speakers as the default, launching the program and then switching the default device. WMP 11 in Vista used to do that, dunno about more recent versions or other programs, but just letting you know I've seen that behavior before.

Edited by tijo, 09 January 2013 - 10:02 PM.

[MisterB]

tijo, on 09 January 2013 - 09:00 PM, said:

28ft shouldn't cause problems for a digital signal.

You would think that, but the HDMI standard is terrible. It was designed to fail to transmit a signal(HDCP).

When buying HDMI cable, try to select a retailer with a good refund policy. I like Monoprice in the US. Their cables, prices, and return policies are good.

[Kable]

typographie, on 09 January 2013 - 08:20 PM, said:

I'll start by explaining what I want to do, and then ask a few questions after.

I want to connect my computer to a TV on the other side of the room, mostly for Netflix and other videos as I don't have a console gaming device. I measured as accurately as I could and found that a ~28 ft HDMI cable should do the job. My television has two HDMI outputs, and my video card (Geforce GTX 460) has a mini-HDMI output and an included adapter.

---

First of all, does this plan even make sense? For all I know of computers, I'm pathetically new to modern TV technology. I'm basically assuming it will behave like a computer monitor, with a desktop extension, etc.

What do I look for in an HDMI cable suitable for this distance? I am aware through some research that long HDMI cables can cause degradation of the signal, but I'm seeing mixed information on whether or not 28 ft is long enough to cause a problem.

I'm confused about how HDMI audio works. I know the cable carries audio, and I know that the Nvidia driver includes an "HD Audio" component. Does this mean that my video card will become my PC's default audio device while I'm using the television?

Thanks for your help.

A few things here...
As far as I know, if you are using a DVI to hdmi adapter you will probably not get audio out. If you are using a true HDMI output from your computer you should be able to get audio.

I use a 570 nvidia card and had no troubles plugging in my hdmi. I plugged it ino my surround sound which then handled the audio and sent video to my tv. I could crank it to the highest setting 1080p and had great gaming with settings close to max on most games I play.

HDMI distance becomes an issue after 20 feet. If you go to 25 feet you will want to get one that is kind of expensive and has plenty of shielding. You will be able to tell if the picture has a kind of thin sparkle effect of white. That means it is not good enough quality cable. Also some sound cards will allow you to use a USB headset as a secondary audio source called monitor while the HDMI is main. The multi audio out is a challenge for most people though.

[Elder III]

I have a 30' HDMI cable in my office that I occasionally hook up to a tv across the room and it works great.... it's an IoGear brand if I recall, I also have Bittech, NaponLabs, and various generic HDMI cables of differing lengths that work well.  Just make sure that it has gold plated connectors and you should be all set.

[Kor]

MisterB, on 09 January 2013 - 10:20 PM, said:

When buying HDMI cable, try to select a retailer with a good refund policy. I like Monoprice in the US. Their cables, prices, and return policies are good.

I'll second the Monoprice if you're looking for a supplier in the US.  Excellent prices, good quality.  I've bought a few dozen ethernet, audio, coaxial, hdmi and other video cables from them in varying lengths from 6" to 30 odd feet; never had a dud.

[Tellia]

cables like hdmi are rated with a system called AWG. basically this refers to the thickness of the cable. a thicker cable will carry a signal without degradation further, and yes this can be a problem with hdmi even though its digital. its still an electrical signal and any lag or inconsistency in the rate the signal is sent through the cable, or poor conductivity from length, will create artifacts in the picture. this can be especially problematic with hdmi because it is a very high bandwidth interface.

a lower awg will mean a thicker cable, and better conductivity. most standard short or cheap hdmi cables are 28 or even 30 awg. for cables in the vicinity of 30 feet id personally be looking for 22 awg hdmi cables at least.

[typographie]

I ended up going with a cheap one from Newegg, advertised as High speed and having gold connectors as recommended.

I know I may have better luck with the more expensive cables, but at the end of the day I'm mostly just doing this to mess around and try to learn a bit about this tech. I'd rather pay less and risk having problems to solve, than pay $40 for an expensive cable to start with. Plus, I'm not sure my cheap TV even supports full 1080p, and my understanding is that 720p and 1080i are less susceptible to signal loss via cable length. Its okay if its not perfect.

Thanks everyone for your help.

[Lunar Eclipse]

typographie, on 11 January 2013 - 06:15 AM, said:

I ended up going with a cheap one from Newegg, advertised as High speed and having gold connectors as recommended.

I know I may have better luck with the more expensive cables, but at the end of the day I'm mostly just doing this to mess around and try to learn a bit about this tech. I'd rather pay less and risk having problems to solve, than pay $40 for an expensive cable to start with. Plus, I'm not sure my cheap TV even supports full 1080p, and my understanding is that 720p and 1080i are less susceptible to signal loss via cable length. Its okay if its not perfect.

Thanks everyone for your help.

And i assumed it worked? Im interested to try this myself too.

[typographie]

Lunar Eclipse, on 11 January 2013 - 07:49 AM, said:

And i assumed it worked? Im interested to try this myself too.

Well, I need a couple days for shipping. I'll post with my results once I have a chance to try it.

Edit: I got the cable today. I just wish I didn't have to crawl around under my desk to swap my television with my secondary monitor every time I want to use it, and I wish more games allowed me to set a specific audio device, but otherwise it appears to work fine.

Edited by typographie, 17 January 2013 - 02:21 AM.