Using TV screen as a computer desktop

[z3r0aCc3Ss]

Alrite,
I have bought a big screen TV and it has excellent picture quality. Now, the problem is, my computer LCD screen is very short, just 21 inches, and I need to use my TV screen as my computer screen. TV has 4 HDMI ports, 2 USB ports and 1 VGA port and some ports for RCA connectors.
1) If I just use VGA cable, I won't be able to hear sound from my TV, which I want, as the distance between my TV and computer is quite long.
2) My computer doesn't have HDMI port. I have Intel Core2Duo E4500, 82945G Express chipset, MSI motherboard.
3) TV doesn't supports MKV format, so even if I want to watch HD movies by directly attaching portable drive to TV, I can't watch, as almost all HD movies are in MKV format.
4) Is there any USB to HDMI converter available so that I can connect one end of HDMI cable 2 computer and second end to the TV? What would be the cost?
5) Also, to watch HD movies, I must watch via HDMI cables (as mentioned on the TV manual). Can't watch via USB.
6) HDMI delivers sound too? Or just video?
7) Now, another blunder question is, how do I do that? The distance between my computer and my TV is 10 feet. Is there any longer cable available?
What could be the optimum solution for using my TV as a computer screen? (I want to use TV speakers only.)

[bad_brain]

hm, tricky.
even if you could use HDMI you would need a long cable, and the longer the cable the better the quality has to be (shielding and wires), else you lose a lot of signal quality...and a good quality cable of 10 feet is at least 100 bucks (my 3 feet cable was already about 70 bucks). of course you can get one for 20 bucks too, but when you already have a good TV and good video files it would be a total waste to spoil the quality by a crappy cable, wouldn't it?

I am not aware of a USB->HDMI converter, if there is one I am sure it will cause a huge quality loss because of the limited bandwidth of USB compared to HDMI.

and yes, HDMI delivers audio too.

so the best way to do this is either an external media player plus external HDD or a decent g-card plus good HDMI cable. both options have pros and cons, with a g-card you would have benefits for gaming too, but with a external media player you could watch TV with the computer turned off or use the computer AND watch TV at the same time.

the way I do it is with an external player, the WD Media player is pretty cheap and plays pretty every video format (except .flv), .mkv is supported, and of course full HD support:
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additionally you need an external HDD, I use 2 of those:
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together with a short HDMI cable you would have an awesome movie library for about 250 bucks all together. a g-card with HDMI output plus long HDMI cable in decent quality should cost about the same.

update: just found USB to HDMI converters, but the price is about the one of the WD Media Player, so it's pretty pointless imo.

[z3r0aCc3Ss]

Alrite, thanks for the much help...
So, the only solution I'm left with is external HD media player...
I searched about WD HD media player, and I think its quite good. But, still it's a bit costly...
Are you sure that after buying that media player, all problems will be solved? There will be no quality loss and no loss of money? I am looking forward to buy this...

[bad_brain]

I am using the WD Media Player since over a year already, and I am totally happy with it, the quality is simply great and it's totally silent because it has no fan in it (I had the iomega media player before, the fan drove me nuts).
so with the player you simply move all movies to the external HDD and you have a fully independent media archive, and all you need to connect it is a short HDMI cable if you place it next to the TV...it even blends in really well as you can see:


oh, and with a hub you can connect as many external HDDs as you want (the box itself has 2 USB ports).

so go for it, you will not be disappointed.

[DNR]

the HDMI port is great - my laptop has one as the TV. I can hear video and sound, the cable is 8ft but you can get a 15'. I play my captured youtube music videos streamed from my laptop to the TV. I have also used the TV to present graphics during a lecture this way. The only issue, even with the TV's 1080dpi, 120hz - the pixels are too big for some details you can see on the laptop.

DNR

[lilrofl]

I do the same with HDMI. Programming is more fun when you can actually code on one screen and watch the debugging on the other

/agree

[z3r0aCc3Ss]

Ok, I'm gonna buy WD HD media player in couple of days. Will post the pics then.
1 question still, my TV doesn't supports MKV format. So, how it is gonna display? Or is it like all the processing will be done at the media player and audio/video will only be transferred to the TV via HDMI so that TV just plays what comes via HDMI cable?

[bad_brain]

yep, all the processing is done through the media player, so the HDMI output is a regular TV signal...

[z3r0aCc3Ss]

Hey b_b, another problem.
I searched about WD Media Player, but it's very difficult to find, as most of the shops in my country have WD Live Hub or Internet + Network hub, which costs around $210-$260, which is too costly for me.
I just want WD HD media player. Another brand for the same thing? Iomega was there, but that was with 1 TB internal, so it was also very costly.
My budget is $140, MAX.

What else can I do?
(Still I will search whether I can get that or not)

[bad_brain]

hm, I have no personal experience with other media players, the only good one I know is the WD one....forget the Iomega one, it totally sucks (loud, no .wmv, internal HDD).

can't you order at amazon? or maybe look at ebay?

[z3r0aCc3Ss]

hm, I have no personal experience with other media players, the only good one I know is the WD one....forget the Iomega one, it totally sucks (loud, no .wmv, internal HDD).

can't you order at amazon? or maybe look at ebay?

Nope, no amazon. Coz they don't ship electronic items in the country I live in. No trust with eBay...

[bad_brain]

hm, then you only chance is when someone from another country buys it and sends it to you I guess....

[z3r0aCc3Ss]

I have found Iomega and Seagate media players. Iomega is $100 and seagate is $156.
Which one is preferable?

[bergmann]

hey i use the VLC player and it is free , and it playes blueray to
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bad_brain]

@z3r0aCc3Ss
I had an iomega player, and it sucked, the inbuilt fan was so loud, it was horrible....no idea if the newer models are better but I kinda doubt it.
have a link to the seagate one?