Help with 7300 LE to HDTV

I just bought a Dell computer that came with an NVidia 7300LE card. I
already had a MAG HDTV. The Dell came with no video cables or manuals
for the card, but today I plugged in a SVideo cable and got a display
happening on my TV. Problem was, the quality was horrible. Blurry and
the colors were off. I shut it off and went back to my dual display
with two regular computer monitors.

How can I get the best looking display on my TV from my NVidia 7300 LE
card?

I would love to be able to watch DVDs and movies I download on my TV,
but based on what I saw today, the picture is too crappy.

FYI my card has a SVideo port, VGA out and DVI out.

Thanks,
The Original Giggle Girl
PS: Is it possible to have my two regular monitors hooked up, and now
my HDTV as well, all at the same time?
PPS: Should my Dell computer have come with video cables and manuals
for the graphics card? I kinda feel like I am in the dark here trying
to figure stuff out...

"Giggle Girl" <> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
>I just bought a Dell computer that came with an NVidia 7300LE card. I
> already had a MAG HDTV. The Dell came with no video cables or manuals
> for the card, but today I plugged in a SVideo cable and got a display
> happening on my TV. Problem was, the quality was horrible. Blurry and
> the colors were off. I shut it off and went back to my dual display
> with two regular computer monitors.
>
> How can I get the best looking display on my TV from my NVidia 7300 LE
> card?
>
> I would love to be able to watch DVDs and movies I download on my TV,
> but based on what I saw today, the picture is too crappy.
>
> FYI my card has a SVideo port, VGA out and DVI out.
>
> Thanks,
> The Original Giggle Girl
> PS: Is it possible to have my two regular monitors hooked up, and now
> my HDTV as well, all at the same time?
> PPS: Should my Dell computer have come with video cables and manuals
> for the graphics card? I kinda feel like I am in the dark here trying
> to figure stuff out...
>

What inputs does your HDTV have? Best would be DVI->DVI or DVI->HDMI, but
you might have overscan problems. Next would be VGA. For an HDTV, S-video
is worthless, as is composite.

The 7300LE likely doesn't come with the cables. You can probably order or
get off ebay (cheapest). That would add component, which would, for many
HDTVs, be best.

I'd try DVI and VGA first.

Oh, and no, two display devices max. Since S-video is lousy, that wouldn't
be a good choice anyway.

Tom

Tom Scales wrote:
> What inputs does your HDTV have? Best would be DVI->DVI or DVI->HDMI, but
> you might have overscan problems. Next would be VGA. For an HDTV, S-video
> is worthless, as is composite.
>
> I'd try DVI and VGA first.

My TV is a MAG Rx-326 32" that has:

1 HDMI
1 VGA
1 S-Video, among other things
Screen Size: 32" TFT LCD
(480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p)
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Resolution: 1366 x 768

I guess I will look for a DVI->HDMI cable and see if it looks better.
I always thought S-Video was good quality?

> The 7300LE likely doesn't come with the cables. You can probably order or
> get off ebay (cheapest). That would add component, which would, for many
> HDTVs, be best.

What do you mean "That would add component"? You mean special cables
made just for the 7300LE?

Thanks for your input -- no pun intended,
OGG

"Giggle Girl" <> wrote in message
news: oups.com
> ... I always thought S-Video was good quality?

It's better than coax cable (RG-59) and composite RCA. But not as good
as newer generation input/output.

--
Bill

"Giggle Girl" <> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
> Tom Scales wrote:
>> What inputs does your HDTV have? Best would be DVI->DVI or DVI->HDMI,
>> but
>> you might have overscan problems. Next would be VGA. For an HDTV,
>> S-video
>> is worthless, as is composite.
>>
>> I'd try DVI and VGA first.
>
> My TV is a MAG Rx-326 32" that has:
>
> 1 HDMI
> 1 VGA
> 1 S-Video, among other things
> Screen Size: 32" TFT LCD
> (480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p)
> Aspect Ratio: 16:9
> Resolution: 1366 x 768
>
> I guess I will look for a DVI->HDMI cable and see if it looks better.
> I always thought S-Video was good quality?
>
>> The 7300LE likely doesn't come with the cables. You can probably order
>> or
>> get off ebay (cheapest). That would add component, which would, for many
>> HDTVs, be best.
>
> What do you mean "That would add component"? You mean special cables
> made just for the 7300LE?
>
> Thanks for your input -- no pun intended,
> OGG
>

Component is three cables, Red-Green-Blue with RCA connections. I'd be
surprised if your TV didn't have them.

S-video is the best for Standard definition, but not High Def. Standard Def
goes to 720x480. High def is either 1280x720 (720p) or 1920x1080 (1080i or
1080p).

Your TV really doesn't do 1080i or 1080p, as it doesn't have the resolution
for it, but it automatically scales it down to fit 720p.

Tom

"Tom Scales" <> wrote in message
news:vmJYg.22163$
[...]
> S-video is the best for Standard definition, but not High Def.
> Standard Def goes to 720x480. High def is either 1280x720 (720p) or
> 1920x1080 (1080i or 1080p).
[...]

Well I hear ya... but the computer output to S-Video is just terrible (I
have had two computers with this output). And I totally agree with
Giggle Girl! As you can take a real cheap DVD player with a S-Video
output and play a DVD movie on your TV and it looks great.

Now replace the DVD player with your computer and play that same DVD
movie from the S-Video output and the video is really crappy! There is
no technical reason to explain why one is great and one is bad using the
same S-Video output.

--
Bill

That video card model, unfortunately is an inexpensive slow and low powered
card that will not give an HDTV signal. It is quite limited in its
abilities.

--
DaveW

----------------
"Giggle Girl" <> wrote in message
news: oups.com...
>I just bought a Dell computer that came with an NVidia 7300LE card. I
> already had a MAG HDTV. The Dell came with no video cables or manuals
> for the card, but today I plugged in a SVideo cable and got a display
> happening on my TV. Problem was, the quality was horrible. Blurry and
> the colors were off. I shut it off and went back to my dual display
> with two regular computer monitors.
>
> How can I get the best looking display on my TV from my NVidia 7300 LE
> card?
>
> I would love to be able to watch DVDs and movies I download on my TV,
> but based on what I saw today, the picture is too crappy.
>
> FYI my card has a SVideo port, VGA out and DVI out.
>
> Thanks,
> The Original Giggle Girl
> PS: Is it possible to have my two regular monitors hooked up, and now
> my HDTV as well, all at the same time?
> PPS: Should my Dell computer have come with video cables and manuals
> for the graphics card? I kinda feel like I am in the dark here trying
> to figure stuff out...
>

Sure it will. HDTV doesn't require that much horsepower. I drive my
1080p Samsung with the integrated GMA950 in my GX620 without problem.

My nVidia 6200 works fine too.

A 7300LE can definately handle it.

Tom
"DaveW" <> wrote in message
news:d5idnZ5YV-...
> That video card model, unfortunately is an inexpensive slow and low
> powered card that will not give an HDTV signal. It is quite limited in
> its abilities.
>
> --
> DaveW
>
> ----------------
> "Giggle Girl" <> wrote in message
> news: oups.com...
>>I just bought a Dell computer that came with an NVidia 7300LE card. I
>> already had a MAG HDTV. The Dell came with no video cables or manuals
>> for the card, but today I plugged in a SVideo cable and got a display
>> happening on my TV. Problem was, the quality was horrible. Blurry and
>> the colors were off. I shut it off and went back to my dual display
>> with two regular computer monitors.
>>
>> How can I get the best looking display on my TV from my NVidia 7300 LE
>> card?
>>
>> I would love to be able to watch DVDs and movies I download on my TV,
>> but based on what I saw today, the picture is too crappy.
>>
>> FYI my card has a SVideo port, VGA out and DVI out.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> The Original Giggle Girl
>> PS: Is it possible to have my two regular monitors hooked up, and now
>> my HDTV as well, all at the same time?
>> PPS: Should my Dell computer have come with video cables and manuals
>> for the graphics card? I kinda feel like I am in the dark here trying
>> to figure stuff out...
>>
>
>