Ducati Monster Forum

Local Clubs => OZ monsters => Topic started by: monstermick58 on August 18, 2011, 08:13:44 PM

Title: Geek Stuff
Post by: monstermick58 on August 18, 2011, 08:13:44 PM
A mate of mine gave me a bunch of movies put on my external hard drive which I can look at on my laptop no problem, but I want to watch them on my flat screen TV. My laptop has 3 USB ports and I believe a VGA and a square looking port beside the VGA one, I believe I need some sort of converter? And I would like to buy local if possible oh, the sound through the telly or stereo too!

Thanks guys






                                       Mmick
Title: Re: Geek Stuff
Post by: cabron on August 18, 2011, 08:28:06 PM
There are a few option, maybe even more...however here some

One option is to get a Multiable Media Center / Player or the like from Dick Smith / Harvey Norman etc.
There are a few types:

For option 1&2 is to get a Media Center or the like from Dick Smith / Harvey Norman etc.

http://dicksmith.com.au/product/XH1208/wdtv-hd-live-media-player (http://dicksmith.com.au/product/XH1208/wdtv-hd-live-media-player)   (No Hard Drive)

http://dicksmith.com.au/product/XM1270/wdtv-live-hub-1tb-media-drive (http://dicksmith.com.au/product/XM1270/wdtv-live-hub-1tb-media-drive)  (1Tb Hard Drive)

1) Has a internal harddrive which you save your movies/photos/music etc to, then it connects to your TV like a video/DVD player etc, and has it's own remote control

2) Same as above, however it is just the convertor, you plug a external hard drive / usb into it, and it plays (handy as if the hard drive die's, you just plug a new one into it)

For option 1&2 is to get a Media Center or the like from Dick Smith / Harvey Norman etc.

3) A TV converter for your PC (a little out dated now) though they have some very funky wireless versions now

4) If it is a newer digital/ plasma/LCD TV it should  have a PC input, and a funky cable which plugs into your monitor out port on your PC, you will then also need to use another cable to connect your speaker output to a input on your TV/DVD. however you will need to start/stop/pause movie from our PC, and if you have a screen saver that kicks in automatically when a movie is playing it tends to drive you to  [bang]

Title: Re: Geek Stuff
Post by: braando on August 19, 2011, 02:18:20 AM
Quote from: cabron on August 18, 2011, 08:28:06 PM
There are a few option,


Go and buy the bloody movies Mmmmmmmmick, you tight ars      ;D
Title: Re: Geek Stuff
Post by: rod796 on August 19, 2011, 03:36:05 AM
If your tv has usb ports on the back, just plug your external usb hdd into the back of the tv with a usb cable! FREE nothing else needed.

then just use your tv remote control "input selector" (ie: tv, av1, av2, usb) and select whatever corresponds to your USB HDD and select movie, press play!

(geek note: depending on the codec's used to encode the movies and brand of tv, some movies may/may not play, some movies may play but no sound, or sound outta synch. Then the cheapest option then would be to use option 4 from cabron)
Title: Re: Geek Stuff
Post by: timeforpoptarts on August 19, 2011, 03:48:38 AM
Quote from: monstermick58 on August 18, 2011, 08:13:44 PM
A mate of mine gave me a bunch of movies put on my external hard drive which I can look at on my laptop no problem, but I want to watch them on my flat screen TV. My laptop has 3 USB ports and I believe a VGA and a square looking port beside the VGA one, I believe I need some sort of converter? And I would like to buy local if possible oh, the sound through the telly or stereo too!
Easiest way is to figure out if you have a VGA port (most laptops do) and buy a 10ft VGA cable that'll go to a composite video input. Then buy another 10ft cable for stereo mini to stereo television input (e.g. mini jack to red/white cable connectors). You can grab all of those from http://monoprice.com (http://monoprice.com) on the cheap.
Title: Re: Geek Stuff
Post by: goldFiSh on August 20, 2011, 04:58:26 PM
Send me the model of your TV and will point you in the right direction of what you will need.

Cabron 's point 4 is the one to go for as the cheapest option.



Title: Re: Geek Stuff
Post by: monstermick58 on August 21, 2011, 02:04:17 AM
Thanks Nick,
     I cannot find the manual (found other manuals for equipment we dont have) but I have the invoice.

    Toshiba 40CV550 102cm HD LCD TV





                         Mmick
Title: Re: Geek Stuff
Post by: goldFiSh on August 22, 2011, 06:39:52 AM
Ok Mmick, had a look. All you will need is a standard Vga cable with mini jack audio. The LCD panel's resolution is 1920x1080, which the PC may or may not deliver, depend on it's age. If it's a it older, a simple trick is to make sure it's only sending video to either the internal or external display, not both. You can set the PC to a different resolution, but it will loom the next at the LCD labels native resolution..

With regard to the cable, here's somewhere for you to get a reasonable cost one:

http://www.dueltek.com.au/store/products.asp?T1=1&T2=3&T3=1&Brand= (http://www.dueltek.com.au/store/products.asp?T1=1&T2=3&T3=1&Brand=)



Title: Re: Geek Stuff
Post by: Wells on August 22, 2011, 03:51:35 PM
Quote from: goldFiSh on August 22, 2011, 06:39:52 AM
http://www.dueltek.com.au/store/products.asp?T1=1&T2=3&T3=1&Brand= (http://www.dueltek.com.au/store/products.asp?T1=1&T2=3&T3=1&Brand=)

Goldie... Surely an audio industry professional, such as yourself, would only recommend a premium quality cable which feature "high speed" analogue signal technology.   [roll] [roll] [roll]
http://www.monstercable.com/digital_life/categories/vga.asp (http://www.monstercable.com/digital_life/categories/vga.asp)
http://www.monstercable.com/home_av/audio_cables/1_8_inch.asp (http://www.monstercable.com/home_av/audio_cables/1_8_inch.asp)

Mick another option is popping down to the local computer shop and grabbing a VGA cable and a separate audio cable.
http://www.msy.com.au/Parts/PARTS.pdf (http://www.msy.com.au/Parts/PARTS.pdf)
5m M-M High Definition VGA Cable A-Power -- $8
Ritmo For iPod - DC3.5 Male Input Cable / Audio Cable -- $3 or $7  (you're just after a 3.5mm male stereo <--> 3.5mm male stereo connector.. surely one of these is it)


The following is from page 30 of your TV's User Manual.
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6206/6070791123_8df3054db1.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/max_hobbs/6070791123/)
mick (http://www.flickr.com/photos/max_hobbs/6070791123/#) by max_hobbs (http://www.flickr.com/people/max_hobbs/), on Flickr

Let us know if you're stuck... I can grab you the bits you need on Thursday and give them to you on Thursday night if you're coming up?


Cheers,
M
Title: Re: Geek Stuff
Post by: monstermick58 on August 23, 2011, 02:32:41 AM
Youse blokes are tops.  [thumbsup]

             When I can get into town I will grab these cables.





                                    Mmick
Title: Re: Geek Stuff
Post by: loony888 on August 23, 2011, 02:36:13 AM
Quote from: cabron on August 18, 2011, 08:28:06 PM

One option is to get a Multiable Media Center / Player or the like from Dick Smith / Harvey Norman etc.
There are a few types:

For option 1&2 is to get a Media Center or the like from Dick Smith / Harvey Norman etc.

[bang]




as both dick smith and gerry harvey are lobbying pretty hard to reduce the import free threshold to zero (the greedy bastards) i for one have decided to shop elsewhere.
just food for thought
Title: Re: Geek Stuff
Post by: goldFiSh on August 23, 2011, 06:03:00 AM
Max, in all seriousness, I would not bother going to that length with a short haul cable, and by that I am talking 5 meters or less, which is the likely scenario for an adhoc (not installed) analogue connection.

Very different story for digital connections, by the way..

And in terms of quality cable, I would point you in the direction of Extron cables or similar.. Cables of known design and manufacture used in professional applications; well regarded and supported..

Then integrated cable was a suggestion based on the best functional outcome over technical, list a lot easier to loose 2 cables than one. Anyway, your suggestion of cables from msy or similar will also work!
Title: Re: Geek Stuff
Post by: bigiain on August 23, 2011, 05:34:20 PM
Quote from: Wells on August 22, 2011, 03:51:35 PM
Goldie... Surely an audio industry professional, such as yourself, would only recommend a premium quality cable which feature "high speed" analogue signal technology.   [roll] [roll] [roll]
http://www.monstercable.com/digital_life/categories/vga.asp (http://www.monstercable.com/digital_life/categories/vga.asp)
http://www.monstercable.com/home_av/audio_cables/1_8_inch.asp (http://www.monstercable.com/home_av/audio_cables/1_8_inch.asp)


You know those frauds sent a nastygram to TOB claiming we were infringing on their "Monster" copyright a bunch of years back? It was decisively ignored and we never heard back from them...

Title: Re: Geek Stuff
Post by: goldFiSh on August 25, 2011, 01:59:29 PM
Quote from: bigiain on August 23, 2011, 05:34:20 PM
You know those frauds sent a nastygram to TOB claiming we were infringing on their "Monster" copyright a bunch of years back? It was decisively ignored and we never heard back from them...



that's pretty funny!

Oh big, while I remember, I'm soon to be the proud owner of a Baratza Virtuoso Prescio and Essato combination - should be here today! <end threadjack>
Title: Re: Geek Stuff
Post by: monstermick58 on August 26, 2011, 04:03:57 AM
Quote from: goldFiSh on August 25, 2011, 01:59:29 PM
that's pretty funny!

Oh big, while I remember, I'm soon to be the proud owner of a Baratza Virtuoso Prescio and Essato combination - should be here today! <end threadjack>



Sooo, we will have to come visit  [coffee] [coffee]




                                        Mmick
Title: Re: Geek Stuff
Post by: bigiain on August 26, 2011, 06:32:29 AM
Quote from: goldFiSh on August 25, 2011, 01:59:29 PM
that's pretty funny!

Oh big, while I remember, I'm soon to be the proud owner of a Baratza Virtuoso Prescio and Essato combination - should be here today! <end threadjack>


Heh - just like this Virtuoso Prescio on my bench here?

big