Turbo Television: What You Need To Build A PC/TV
The giant screens of the new PC/TVs can set any computer or TV aficionado to dreaming of possibilities. Imagine playing Duke Nukem 3D on that huge screen in full stereo sound, or surfing the Web from the comfort of the couch, showing the kids that site on King Tut's tomb, or watching the incredible video and audio of the new Digital Versatile Disc movies. For many of us, it's a dream that fades pretty quickly when we look at the price tags on these high-end units, but it doesn't have to be that way.
At the heart of every PC/TV unit lies a standard computer and a TV-two items that you probably already own. In this article we'll explain how, by adding a few key components, you can turn your existing system into a fully functional PC/TV. A PC/TV brings silicon intelligence to your television, opening the living room to a world of new content and allowing you unprecedented access to entertainment, information and any other type of television content you enjoy. To build or convert your own system, you'll need only a basic knowledge of how to install computer hardware (or an evening or two from someone who does), various device driver software, and a general grasp of computer terminology.
Scan Converters
A good scan converter is the single most important component in building your own PC/TV and the one that will deliver the most bang for your buck in terms of viewing quality. Standard computer video cards generate their pictures in a format called Video Graphics Array (VGA), which isn't compatible with home televisions. PC/TVs require a VGA-to-NTSC converter, which converts standard computer output into a format ready to be input to TV via coaxial cable, S-Video, or standard composite RCA jack. It's called a scan converter because it converts an image in a progressive scan format (which is what a computer monitor uses) to an interlace format (which is what a television uses).
When comparing scan converters, key features to consider are maximum resolution, whether the converter is external or internal, and which video output sources (coaxial, composite or S-video) it supports. Because most computer video cards can generate resolutions at 640x480, 600x800 or even 1024x768 (resolution is expressed in terms of number of horizontal and vertical pixels displayed on the screen), a scan converter that can convert these higher resolutions presents a better picture on the TV. Most TVs will only support a 640x480 resolution, but more and more big screen TV sets are 600x800 capable, and in the near future, as digital televisions and the new category of TV-VGA monitors become more popular, the resolutions available in the living room will begin mirror that of the PC monitor.
A scan converter can be installed inside the computer on a card, or installed externally between the computer and monitor. For internal scan conversion, many of the newest video cards on the market, especially those that support the latest 3-D graphics technology and chipsets, have a video-out jack along with VGA and SVGA. These cards have scan conversion capabilities on the board and are capable of delivering either standard monitor output or a TV-ready signal. As with most internal PC cards, a scan converter card requires fitting the card in a free slot on the motherboard, then loading the device driver software. The ATI 3D Pro Turbo PC2TV card (www.atitech.com) is a good example of a graphics accelerator that plugs into your computer's PCI slot and allows for either TV or standard monitor output. Similarly equipped is Matrox's Rainbow Runner TV (www.matrox.com), which boasts a variety of TV-based applications, including a TV tuner and the ability to record closed-captioned TV text. For a variety of price and feature levels, AiTech's Pro PC/TV series (www.aitech.com) which includes cards ranging from basic plug-and-play internal converters to external remote units, is another popular choice. Some of the best selling 3-D gaming cards by Intergraph (www.intergraph.com), Canopus (www.canopuscorp.com), California Graphics (www.calgraph.com) and Diamond Multimedia (www.diamondmm.com) also feature on-board scan conversion (expressed as "TV-out" in marketing literature). The ability to get the latest Rage or Voodoo graphics acceleration technology plus scan conversion makes these cards more functional, and more expensive.
Unlike an internal card, which takes up space in the computer box and requires you to crack the computer case and (in many cases) replace your existing video card, an external scan converter unit doesn't replace your existing video hardware. External converters work between your PC and your TV set to convert video signals on the fly. They feature the same selection of price and quality as the internal cards, but they also offer portability, making them ideal for users who travel or those who wish to output business presentations. In addition, many external models are also compatible with Macintosh video output.
For external converters, a good choice is Focus Enhancements (www.focusinfo.com) and its TView line of converter products, based on the FOCUS Scan 300 digital video processor chip. The Focus Enhancements TView Gold is the highest resolution external scan converter on the market, affording resolutions up to 1024x768. AverMedia (www.avermedia.com) offers a series of external converters ranging from the PC-only AverKey Plus to the all-in-one Mac/PC compatible AverKey7. Also cross compatible is Extron's RGB series (www.extron.com) which includes units designed especially for output on large-screen and projection TV's. A portable unit is UMAX's TV Mini (www.umax.com), which offers simultaneous TV and computer display in a pocket-sized component. The scan converter is also very important because of the software it supports. Good scan converters will come with intuitive, functional and easy-to-use PC/TV software utilities that will help you maximize your PC signal to look its best on your lower resolution television.
Tuners
While a TV tuner card is an optional component in a home-built PC/TV, it is also the element that provides for a true integration of television and computing. Sure, you can always use your existing broadcast, cable, or satellite tuner to view regular TV, but a good tuner card will allow you to run computer applications and TV broadcasts simultaneously. This is one of the most exciting features of a PC/TV. For example while watching your favorite educational program you could also be surfing the program's Web site, or while viewing a premium movie channel you could also be checking the service's online schedule for upcoming movies.
Like an internal scan converter, installing a tuner card requires a free PCI slot on the motherboard. ATI, with its All-In-Wonder and All-in-Wonder Pro cards, is the only company that manufactures internal cards with both tuning and scan conversion capabilities. ATI also has a less expensive TV tuner and video capture card, the ATI-TV. Hauppauge Computer Works (www.hauppauge.com) manufactures a variety of tuner cards, ranging from the TV- and FM-radio ready WinTV boards to the hi-res digital WinTV Celebrity and HQ units. ADS Technologies' Channel Surfer is similarly equipped with a TV tuner and FM radio. AverMedia has the Fun TV-Lite (www.avermedia.com), a solid low-cost unit offering full-screen TV viewing capability, and the TV Genie for greater resolution.
An additional feature to consider in a TV tuner card is the ability to receive and decode Intercast (www.intercast.com) and WaveTop (www.wavetop.com) content. Intercast and WaveTop are different flavors of "data broadcasting," where Internet-style Web pages are embedded on the vertical blanking interval of a standard TV signal. The VBI is currently used to broadcast closed-caption information and both Intercast and WaveTop use the same basic technology to attach the HTML Web data to the signal. The main difference is in content. Intercast involves attaching Web-style content to a TV signal that relates to the program being broadcast: game statistics or player profiles with a sporting event, for example. WaveTop involves using the airwaves to "push" Web content to users who have previously requested various categories of information: stock prices or breaking national news, for example.
A PC must have a tuner card and Intercast/WaveTop decoding capabilities to receive data broadcast. Both Hauppauge and ADS cards have these decoders, and more will become available as the technology gains popularity and more diverse content is available.
Couch-Friendly Input
The input device you use to control your PC/TV cursor--whether keyboard, remote control or something else--may seem like an incidental consideration. It's not. The comfort and ease with which you manipulate your pointer as you relax by yourself or with family and friends in the living room, will be vital. A keyboard and mouse extension cable is probably the cheapest solution, but you have to content with wires running from the PC to the couch and find a place for your mouse on the coffee table. Wireless is a more popular and still affordable option (see the Couch-Friendly Input Buyer's Guide, page XXX). With most wireless keyboards and PC/TV remote controls, mouse functions are built-in. The main pointer control options are arrow keys, trackballs, mini-joysticks (I-points) and touch pads. Comfort with the physical feel of the remote or keyboard is important. Most wireless keyboards use direct site infrared (which means you have to be in direct line of site to the IR receiver to use it). For PC/TV purposes, this means the PC has to be near the television for wireless infrared input to work. In instances where this is acceptable, there are a host of well-designed ergonomic wireless keyboards with a variety of trackball, touch pad and joy stick pointing options to choose from, including models from Sejin, (www.sejin.com), Interlink (www.interlinkelec.com), Key Tronic (www.keytronic.com), Logitech and Focus Enhancements (see Couch-Friendly Input Buyer's Guide, page XXX).
If you absolutely don't want your PC in the same room as the television, then you need to consider different options for pointing and input. The Wireless Surfboard by Wireless Computing and the GyroPoint Pro II by iXMicro both use radio frequencies (RF) to transmit their data (as opposed to infrared). Because RF signals penetrate walls, these input devices can be located in one room to control a PC in another.
Infrared and radio frequency devices can also be combined for a fully wireless room-to-room PC/TV connection. These integrated packages use a 6.4 GHz, low-power transmitter to send an image from a PC in one room to a receiver connected to a TV in another. Key and mouse commands from an infrared wireless keyboard are converted to RF for the trip across the house, then converted back to infrared at the PC. These packages also include a scan converter (even though the image is sent wirelessly across the house, it still has to be in a format the TV can understand), and PC/TV utility software. The AiTech Airlink, RF-Link PC@TV, X-10 BigPicture and Laral UnWired PC Hub all follow this basic configuration.
Multimedia, Modems, and More
While the above components will get your PC functioning on your TV set, you're only getting half the true PC/TV experience if your computer's other components aren't up to snuff. To appreciate multimedia and get the most out of your Web browsing, you may want to consider upgrading the following items as well.
- Sound
To get the most from an easy-chair computing experience, users will need a sound card of average to excellent quality. Our minimum configurations call for a 16-bit sound card like Creative Labs' Soundblaster 16 (www.creativelabs.com) or a good generic equivalent. Most new systems are shipped with decent card that will allow for CD-quality sound reproduction. Generally the weak spot lies in stock PC-grade speakers, which-at best-will approximate the sound quality of a low-end portable tape deck. For PC/TVs, a better option is to connect your sound card's output directly to your TV or VCR audio input using adapter cables that are readily available from most computer and electronics suppliers. Even better is a connection to a separate stereo unit, which is also a simple task using common adapters. Higher-end sound cards such as Creative Labs' AWE 64 will offer slightly better sound quality overall, and distinctly less hum and buzz in quiet passages. In addition, higher-end soundcards are usually equipped with wavetable synthesis, which can drastically improve the playback of MIDI files commonly used on the Web. On a cheap soundcard, MIDI files may sound like the blurps and bleeps of a vintage video game, while pricier units will substitute actual instrument samples for the gimmicky electronic sounds. - Modem
There are no special requirements for the modem in a PC/TV other than that it be capable of 56 Kbps. Since the units are designed to take advantage of multimedia on the Net, you will need a reasonable transfer rate to achieve good results. The new 56K modems are far preferable for their ability to better handle streaming video and audio feeds, but note that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) must also be equipped with 56K modems on the receiving end for you to see improvement at home. Also promising for the TV-Internet connection, if they are available where you live and reasonably priced, are cable modems, digital satellite Internet services, ISDN and digital subscriber line--. (See The Killer Connection, Smart TV Spring 98). - DVD and Multimedia
One of the most compelling reasons to try PC/TV is the DVD experience. Movies, games and software are all available via this stunning new disc medium, but you can only tap the full potential of Digital Versatile Disc with the power of a PC. (see DVD Demystified, page XXX). If you plan to use a DVD drive in a PC/TV make sure it has a separate MPEG-2 decoder, which will allow you to watch DVD movies. In addition to DVD discs, DVD-ROM drives will also play CDs, making DVD a smart upgrade. If DVD is still a little too expensive or experimental for you, at least load up with one of the higher speed CD-ROM drives. 16x, 24x and 32x speed drives are all priced around or below $100.
The Disclaimer
So that's the rundown on the most common options for building your own PC/TV. If it were a perfect world, every component would install painlessly and bug-free and work the first time to display the Internet, CDs and DVDs and all your PC applications perfectly on your TV. But we all know the world is far from perfect. Be patient, don't make rash decisions faced with confusing dialog boxes or error messages, and read the manuals. When in doubt, download the latest device drivers from the Internet (try the Web site of the particular component manufacturer first). Fine tuning the PC/TV, depending on all your individual factors, can be a challenging but ultimately rewarding experience. Be sure to read our story next issue about optimizing browsers, running plug-ins and using assorted PC/TV software utilities for maximum PC/TV power.
Taking Inventory
Like any multimedia computer, a home-built PC/TV works best when it has a fast processor, plenty of RAM and hard disk capacity, a modem, a keyboard, a pointing device, and optionally, high-quality sound components and a CD-ROM or DVD drive. To get the most out of viewing your computer's output on TV, you should have the following minimum configuration:
- A TV with a 19" or larger display
- An Pentium-120 MHz processor or compatible
- A motherboard with at least 512k cache
- 32 Megabytes of RAM
- 1 Gigabyte hard disk
- A 3.5" 1.44 MB floppy disk drive
- A 4x or faster CD-ROM drive
- A 16-bit sound card
- A 101-key computer keyboard
- A two-button pointing device (mouse or trackball)
The Bare Minimum:
- A scan converter to turn your PCs monitor output into TV-ready input
- An extension for your keyboard and mouse cords
For Better Performance Add:
- A 25" or larger television
- A high-resolution scan converter
- A wireless keyboard and keyboard input splitter
- A tuner card to allow you to view computer and broadcast signals simultaneously
- A 32-bit sound card and audio system
- Increased RAM and hard-disk storage for better performance and application compatibility
- A 56K modem, ISDN, xDSL, cable, or satellite access
For Best Performance Add:
- A TV-VGA monitor
- A DVD-equipped PC with MPEG-2 decoder
- A Dolby AC-3 audio system for use with DVD movies
PC/TV Component Buyer's Guide
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