Learn all about VGA to component cable, S-video cables, and connecting a computer to a TV!
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| How To Use Your TV as a Computer Monitor |
It happens to all of us. You buy a new computer, you set it up, you turn it on, and it blows you away with its blazing speed. Then a year passes, then another, and pretty soon it seems like you're mired in crashes, slowdowns, that dreaded Mac beach ball, a PC that takes ages to start up, or a computer that hangs in limbo when you try to shut it down. You’re left wondering, “How do I make my computer faster?” In the past, instead of trying to make your computer run faster, you might have just bought a new computer. But in this economy you can’t just purchase a new computer if yours is running too slow. Isn't there a way to speed up a computer without spending an arm and a leg?
Yes. There are many slow computer solutions available to help your machine run faster. From basic housekeeping to increasing your RAM, these computer tips and tricks will help you learn how to make your computer faster.
Do Some Housekeeping
Whether you have a Mac, a PC, or even a Linux box, if you haven't done regular maintenance since you got your computer, there likely are a lot of simple things you can do to increase computer speed.
“If your PC is running slow,” says PC and security expert Robert McMillan, who has written about computer technology (including ways to speed up a computer) since 1996, “uninstall apps that you're not using. See what's running in the background and remove it if you don't need it. Think about uninstalling Java. That's a major resource hog, and often a big security risk too.” So if you’re asking yourself, “How can you speed up your computer?” assess all the unnecessary programs you have running when your computer gets started.Don’t worry about spending a lot of money because you can learn how to speed up a PC for free. There are plenty of free and built-in utilities for Windows housekeeping if your computer is running slow. Startup Delayer, a free download at http://download.cnet.com/Startup-Delayer/3000-2344_4-10068235.html?tag=mncol;txt, delays programs that may be bogging down your startup time. If you find programs you never use—useless or unwanted stuff bloating your system—it’s always a good idea to uninstall it for good to get a faster computer (Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs).
For the programs you decide to keep, Startup Delayer staggers their launch time so that your computer is faster when it starts. The selected programs run in the background after your machine is already booted, giving you a faster PC. It also lets you easily remove programs entirely from startup (without deleting them from your system). If your computer is running slow, keep in mind that many programs launch by default at startup so that they can constantly scan the Internet for updates, which is not necessarily something you want them to do.
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| How To Use Your TV as a Computer Monitor |
On Windows machines, there are also built-in utilities to make a PC faster. Disk Cleanup can speed up your PC by getting rid of clutter. All those temporary Internet and Windows files, downloads you no longer need and trash you never empty all make your computer run slower. Disk Defragmenter consolidates chopped up files on your computer's hard drive, to make your computer run faster.In general, Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools will take you to these tools to fix a slow computer. Microsoft offers detailed online instructions on using these and other potentially speed-enhancing utilities to make a computer run faster—no matter what versions of Windows you’re using. For more information about how to make your PC faster for free, check out http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/maintenance/speed.aspx.
In your search for how to make your computer faster, you may have come across many online sources for what are known as registry cleaners. Unfortunately, a lot of these products are bogus programs that cost money and can actually damage your computer rather than making a computer faster. Microsoft itself has sued several producers of this so-called “scareware” to get them out of the marketplace, but many simply reappear under a different name. A registry cleaner purports to be a tool for inspecting and repairing the Windows registry—all of these tools are marketed to Windows users—and typically targets users by preying on their vulnerability. (They may have ads saying, “Are you wondering, ‘How can I make my computer faster?’ Let us fix your slow computer for free!”) Another typical tactic is persistent popups claiming to help make your PC faster. These popups may appear even on legitimate sites, and almost invariably contain alarming messages about your computer running slow or needing repairs. Back away from them by shutting down your browser—Alt F4 will close it—if necessary. Do NOT click on these popups. They will most likely harm your computer rather than improve PC performance.
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| How To Use Your TV as a Computer Monitor |
Tools for Mac and Linux
If you don’t own a PC, you may be asking, “How can I make my Mac computer faster?” Don’t worry; there are ways to speed up your computer for free if it’s a Mac, too. When it comes to Macs, many people get in the bad habit of leaving their Macs in sleep mode because it is so easy to do. Macs are hard-wired to run cleanup maintenance scripts in the early morning—but if they are always asleep or shut down, the scripts don't run, which can create a backlog of junk that can lead to slow computer problems. If you're fairly savvy at using the Terminal prompt you can run these scripts manually which may help you speed up your computer. You can find the instructions here: http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/maintscripts.html. Better yet, a free utility like Onyx will help make your computer run faster.
Onyx also assists with other cleanup, maintenance and optimization tasks, including showing you what programs you're actually starting up every time you turn on your computer which can help you identify where to start to fix a slow running computer. (Again, you may be loading things into memory that you never use.) The Onyx site (http://www.titanium.free.fr/index.php) offers downloads for most recent Mac software and hardware configurations, including Snow Leopard, Leopard, Tiger, Panther and even Jaguar.
For Linux machines, a free computer speed-up program (well, almost all Linux programs are free) called kleansweep assists in removing unnecessary files that may be taking up space and draining system resources. To fix a slow computer with kleansweep, check out http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/linux/KleanSweep-Review-38406.shtml. A program called PreLoad (http://sourceforge.net/projects/preload/) can also help a slow computer run faster because it improves overall performance on Linux machines, putting unused RAM to use.
Streamlined software alternatives can also make your Linux computer faster. If you only need basic word processing, don't use OpenOffice with its many features. A program with a smaller footprint like Koffice (http://www.koffice.org/) will be snappier and keep your computer running faster. If you’re wondering how to make your Internet faster, Opera is lighter weight than Firefox. If you're running Ubuntu (a popular version of Linux) you can speed up your boot time by fine-tuning the process with Boot-up-Manager, available for download at linux.com (http://www.linux.com/directory/Software/Boot-Up-Manager/details).
Use Common Sense
When you ask yourself how to make my computer faster, there are some basic actions you can take. Here are some of the simplest and easiest tips for slow computer troubleshooting. If you have ten programs open, you're going to be sucking a lot of resources from your CPU, causing it to run slowly. If you're not using a program—close it. The same goes for having many windows open in your web browser, or having many photos open at once in a program like PhotoShop.
I have to confess that this is one of my own worst habits. When learning how to make a computer faster, you should also learn to check your available memory. Just for fun you can press CTL-ALT-DEL on your Windows machine, then click the performance tab, and view available memory. Open a couple of basic programs—word processing software, say, and a web browser—then open PhotoShop (or another memory-intensive program) and open six or seven of those beautiful pictures you took on vacation, and watch what happens to your CPU usage and your available memory. Now you can see why your computer is running slow.
MenuMeters (http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/10451/menumeters), a free program for Mac, is a nifty little tool that supplies CPU and activity monitoring. It can clean your Mac and is thereby free software to speed up your computer. While there are other ways to clean a Mac to make it run faster, MenuMeters is a popular little add-on.
If you have a lot of large files—a video, photo or extensive music collection, for example—consider keeping them on a separate drive so your computer can run faster. When learning how to make a computer faster, keep in mind that your operating system—Mac, PC or anything else—will slow significantly if it's on a drive with little available free space. You can fix computer slow downs by using external hard drives. When buying a separate external drive, it will be worth it to spend a little bit extra and get a faster drive (7200 vs 5400 on a Mac, for example). Keep your machine updated—whatever your OS is—because this will assure that you're getting the latest updates, security patches and bug fixes which may help speed up a slow computer.
Spyware and Malware
One of the best things you can do to learn how to make a computer faster is to guard against malware, which comes in so many constantly evolving variations that it's all but impossible to keep up with.
Viruses, scareware, trojans, bots, rootkits, worms, spyware, adware—it’s all bad junk, and professionals call it malware (malicious software). Malware can help slow a computer down. For a home user, the course of transmission is through the Internet—whether by clicking a link in an infected e-mail, being attacked through a browser vulnerability, or simply visiting a malicious Web site. Unfortunately for Windows users, they have always been the primary targets of malicious software.
“The vast majority of malicious activity today targets Windows PCs, so Mac and Linux users can rightfully feel a sense of security superiority when they're on the Internet,” says Robert McMillan. “It takes time to write these computer attacks, and if the bad guys feel they'll get a lot more victims by writing something that works on Windows XP, then that's what they're going to do. That said, we're seeing some interest in the Mac platform these days. There are a few Mac Trojan horse programs out there, but they're currently not much of a threat. However, if Apple's market share keeps growing, it's only a matter of time before Mac users really start getting hit, too.” So it’s not just PC users who have to worry about how to fix a slow computer that’s caused by malware.
While malware can do tremendous damage to entire systems as it spreads, one of the likeliest and most visible consequences to an unwitting home user may be aggravating slow downs. Not only do you want to get rid of the malware, but you also want to learn how to make a computer run faster.
If the previously mentioned ways to speed up your computer don’t work, fortunately there are many quality anti-virus programs available to help your computer run more quickly.
Writer and author Neil Rubenking is an Advisory Board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization. He writes regularly for PC Magazine, and his recent article (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2372364,00.asp) ranks the current selection of free and paid anti-malware programs available for Windows users to help you learn how to make a PC faster. On the list are a range of choices for both cleanup and prevention. “A product should do both,” says Rubenking.
There are companies that now make anti-virus and anti-spyware products for Macs that can repair a slow computer. Sophos (www.sophos.com) is one of them; it recently announced its discovery of the nasty-sounding, but apparently not particularly dangerous, “Blackhole RAT,” a Trojan aimed at Macs. (Sophos offers a free anti-virus program for Mac home users: http://www.sophos.com/products/free-tools/free-mac-anti-virus/.)
It’s very important to protect your computer from malware, but, surprisingly, it probably isn’t necessary to spend money because you can find a free computer speed-up program out there.
“If I were a Mac user, I probably wouldn't buy AV (anti-virus software) right now,” explains McMillan. “But then I wouldn't pay for it on my PC either. The anti-virus industry's dirty little secret is that you really don't need to buy AV any more, especially if you avoid risky behavior online. Avoiding open Wi-Fi, risky sites and questionable documents, keeping your software patched, and using free AV such as Microsoft's OneCare (http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/safety/technologies/onecare/default.mspx) or AVG (http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage) will do a lot to keep you secure.” Learning how to make your computer fast doesn’t have to cost you a lot of cash.
There are a number of other highly regarded free sources of protection (see Neil Rubenking’s detailed article above); many of them also offer maintenance utilities which will help make the computer faster and keep it running smoothly on other fronts.
Many a time I have looked over at my 32" television and thought, why can't I just hook up my computer to that thing and play my PC games on a huge screen? I figured it would beat buying a huge computer monitor for a ton of cash, right? I mean, I can already watch TV on my computer by using Pro Video 2008 -why can't I just switch it around?
Well, I looked into it and it can be done. In fact, more and more homes are using a TV screen as a computer monitor. You can now watch movies, download on-demand movies from places like Netflix, watch YouTube videos on a big screen, watch a slide show of your own stored digital images, view home videos and more! For most folks, it is just a matter of hooking up some cables or using a converter. For others, WiFi may be used in the connection. Either way, there can be some limitations.
This article will explain how to get started -- as well as the benefits and limitations -- so you can decide for yourself if using your TV as a computer monitor is worth your while.
Computer to TV Connection: The Basics
First, you connect and can use your TV as a monitor using Windows, Mac or Linux computers. You can connect any computer to a TV either by using cables or by connecting wirelessly. The method you choose to connect the two depends on how compatible the connections are between your TV and computer (the inputs and the outputs) as well as how much money you want to spend buying additional hardware.
Before You Get Started.
Before you get started, be sure to install the latest drivers for your computer’s video card. To do so, go to the manufacturer’s website of your particular computer’s video card to download and install it. If you have cable or satellite TV, make sure that your provider offers a cable box with a DVI or HDMI output. Also consider how you will hook up sound/audio since computer speakers may not provide enough volume for certain uses. Your computer has a sound card speaker jack. Hooking up the monitor to a separate stereo can work so you can control volume through a cable/satellite box volume control.
One last thing. It might make sense to provide the meaning of the many acronyms used with this technology and within this article. Without these, this topic can be confusing. Feel free to refer to this list as you read down through the rest of the information below.
Acronymns
Video Graphics Array (VGA/XGA)
Digital Visual Interface (DVI)
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)
S-Video = Super-Video
DLP = Digital Light Processing
RGB: red, green, blue (video signals)
Digital Media Receiver (DMR)
Connecting with Cables
If you are going to connect your computer to your TV using cables, you can start by identifying inputs and outputs on the TV and the computer to see if the connections match. For example, check to see if your TV has a VGA input and your computer has a VGA output. If so, you will need a cable to connect the two. If not, you may need a converter so the computer and the TV can communicate. Next, identify the type of TV you have. Do you have an analog TV or a digital TV? An analog TV will have an S-video input. Newer, digital televisions will have an S-Video, Component Video, VGA (15-prongs), DVI (29 prongs), or HDMI inputs. Plasma, DLP, or LCD televisions and other newer TVs should have a PC compatible VGA input.
So let’s get started…
Identify your TV's input connections. Most TVs these days have three basic types of inputs.
1) A coaxial cable input (the same input as is used for your cable box or satellite)
2) An RCA composite input (the yellow, red and white inputs)
3) An S-Video input connector
Identify your computer's output connections. These days, computer manufacturers are adding TV compatible outputs on their products, making it easy to have a computer to TV connection when you hook it up. The “S-video” output in particular seems to be popping up on more and more computers, making a computer to TV S-video connector, perhaps, just what you need. You can shop for S-video cables all over the place online. Mostly you will find the usual VGA output that a regular computer monitor hooks up to (see more later on VGA cables*). The newer multimedia computers will probably have all high definition outputs that connect directly to your High Density Television (HDTV). However, for now, we will discuss what most people have for both computers and televisions. To help you decide which connection you should use, consider taking a look at the list of computer to TV connection combinations listed on this site: http://www.addictivetips.com/hardware/how-to-connect-your-computerpc-or-laptop-to-your-tv/
*A note on cables: Be careful not to buy a cheap VGA cable at a discount store. You might find a VGA cable being sold cheaply ($20 or so) that looks like a typical VGA cable. However, this cable will not allow you to connect a computer to a TV's component video input unless it is also RGB capable. The signal format is different so don’t be fooled even if the physical connections on this cable match your VGA output and component video input. This cheaper cable is usually used to connect things like a DVD player to a projector.
Find the appropriate adapter for your connections. You may need to get a computer to TV cable, or adapter, so you can hook up your computer to the TV. If you have an HDTV, you may need a VGA to component cable. A VGA to component cable connects your computer to an HDTV and acts as a converter. (Again, that computer can be either a Mac or a PC.)
You should be able to find a PC/computer to TV connector that has a VGA adapter on one end and (usually) a selection of connectors on the other (S-video, RCA composite and Component). The good thing about this connector is that you should be able to hook up a computer to any TV in your home.Connect your computer to your TV. If you have a TV compatible output on your computer, such as an S-video jack, just take an S-video cable and connect it to your computer and then to your TV. An S-video cable has a round connector on the end with 4 or 7 pins sticking up inside of it. If you do not have a TV compatible output on your computer, then you will definitely need a VGA to S-video cable or a VGA to component cable. Attach the VGA end of your adapter to your computer and use the RCA, S-video or Component Video cable to attach this cord to your TV. We should note that using a standard VGA port or using a DVI to HDMI cable to connect your computer to your TV provides a better picture quality.
After you've made all the connections, make sure you are on the correct TV video input. Using your TV remote, press the input button until you see your computer's signal. Go to "external inputs" on the menu. The default setting will need to be changed from "Video 1" to a different selection, which may be "HDMI 1" or "Video 2" depending on how you have made the connection.
Connecting Wirelessly
I highly recommend a wireless adapter to connect your computer to a TV. A wireless adapter costs a bit more but it is worthwhile because it eliminates the need for a big mess of cords and cables, and it eliminates the need to keep your computer near or next to your TV. If you happen to be connecting a PC to your TV, you will need to install something called a Wireless PC to TV system or DMR. Both of these connect to the TV by using an AV cable. Once this connection is made, it brings a WiFi connection to any computer in the home. Windows Media Center Edition (MCE) is another option if you want to connect your PC to TV wirelessly. Windows XP or Windows Vista PC can come with the MCE application included. This contains a built in wireless and will allow images and content from your computer to stream to your television.
Getting a Quality Computer to TV Connection
Pixels vs Lines of Resolution. Now, here is where things get tricky when trying to connect your computer to the TV. Your TV's usual video signal is called NTSC (PAL if you live in Europe). This signal is different than the video signal generated by your computer. Computers use signals measured by pixels: 320x200, 320x240, 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024 or 1600x1200 while most TV's can only get about 500 lines of resolution. In computers, 500 lines of resolution is equal to approximately 500 vertical pixels. The video amplifiers in a television cannot handle higher resolutions than this. So when you factor these things together, you are left with a maximum resolution of 640x480 on your TV.
Now this is not the worst thing in the world because when you connect a computer to a TV, you can play games and watch video in lower resolutions without a problem. However, you will never get close to the resolution that your computer monitor can give you. This means that images or movies that look crisp and clear on a 17" or 19" monitor may not appear as defined when stretched across a 52 inch TV screen. Also, beware of some PC to TV adapters that claim to give you more than 640x480; they will just reduce the quality of the original television signal to compensate.
You can get a VGA to component cable for an HDTV that will give you higher resolutions, but you need an HDTV and an adapter that usually costs 2-3 times more than your standard computer to TV adapter.
Response Time. Pay attention to the response time of your TV screen. Computer monitors have much better response times than LCD TV's. A slow response time can cause motion blur. This might not be desirable if you are using your TV for gaming purposes. On the other hand, if you have a plasma TV, response time should not be an issue since plasma screens use a different method of displaying pixels. Response times of LCD TV's continue to improve, getting very close to the response time of computer monitors. Just remember when buying an LCD TV for PC use to check the response timing as one of the factors when making your choice.
Viewing Distance. Don’t forget to consider what the primary use will be when connecting your computer to your TV. What will be the main function of the larger TV screen display? If the main use will be to use programs such as Word or Excel on your TV screen or you plan on browsing the internet while relaxing on the sofa, consider resolution issues as well as the distance you will be sitting from the TV screen. Often a computer monitor may be a better choice for such uses since it can provide a sharper image at a higher resolution. You don’t want to have to struggle to read any text. The main reason people connect their computer to their TV is to watch movies, home videos or look at images.
Connecting Audio/Sound. Don’t forget to connect your computer to speakers or a stereo so that you will have sound available. If you have sound card ports for connecting speakers, you will most likely need a 3.5mm (1/8 inch) stereo plug or jack to an RCA type cable. This should plug in on both pieces of equipment easily.
Limitations
Speed of the connection. The computer connection may vary depending on where you are located and how you are connected. If you lose service or your WiFi is sporadic, it may be aggravating to use your computer to view movies. However, it will be fine for playing games on a big screen.
Screen resolution. Older TVs have a much lower screen resolution than newer TVs so images from your computer may appear to have a lower quality when viewed on your television. S-Video connections will provide the lowest quality images and video.
Location/Length of cable. You will need to move your computer close to your TV due to cables and connection lengths.
Cost of new hardware. Keep your budget in mind before you set up your computer to TV connection.
Loss of remote. You will not be able to turn the TV on and off with a remote unless you have a cable box with a built in plug feature (or you buy a remote control surge protector). However, volume and channel changing can be done on the remote that controls the cable box.
Remember, if you own a Digital Video Recorders (DVR), you can watch TV directly on your computer by connecting your computer to the DVR rather than to your television. Be sure to connect the cable from the computer to the TV before turning on the computer so the computer recognizes the external display.
Whatever options you choose, it's not hard to use your TV as a computer monitor as long as you follow the few steps itemized above. A computer's liquid crystal display (LCD) screen is probably much clearer than your regular TV screen, but a plasma TV will have even better clarity than a flat screen TV, making viewing movies amazing and more fun!
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