Using my laptop as 'TV'

[Mosquito]

Hi,

I have a laptop (ThinkPad A31p) and I have been using this to watch DVD-movies. This has been working OK, but recently I've been experiencing some problems with subtitles (no-show) and jaggy/jumpy action. Since this was not a problem before, I suspect it is a SW-problem (I have been updating some codecs; translation: I've messed up the codecs) that I don't seem to be able to fix. I do NOT want to reformat and reinstall all my programs...

So my solution to this problem was to buy a cheap DVD-player of the normal kind, with a S-video output that I connect to my laptop. This works great. Now I can grab movies at full resolution to my disk (but not watch them, as my codecs... )

Problem is that I don't have any interest in grabbing the movies, as my interest in them is merely to watch them. And the grabbing SW only shows a panoramic 160*120 pixels or so, which is not good.

Does anybody know how to watch the movies full screen? Should be some programs out there that can do this, but my googling turned up zilch of use, though a ton of useless information on how to connect to your TV.

I know I can buy a TV and watch the movies there, but I do not want to buy a TV, I am saving up to buy a projector, but can't buy one yet. I do not have any interest in watching TV, as I consider it garbage, though I like to watch movies.

For any help: Thanks

Mosquito

 

[Mosquito]

Hi,

I have a laptop (ThinkPad A31p) and I have been using this to watch DVD-movies. This has been working OK, but recently I've been experiencing some problems with subtitles (no-show) and jaggy/jumpy action. Since this was not a problem before, I suspect it is a SW-problem (I have been updating some codecs; translation: I've messed up the codecs) that I don't seem to be able to fix. I do NOT want to reformat and reinstall all my programs...

So my solution to this problem was to buy a cheap DVD-player of the normal kind, with a S-video output that I connect to my laptop. This works great. Now I can grab movies at full resolution to my disk (but not watch them, as my codecs... )

Problem is that I don't have any interest in grabbing the movies, as my interest in them is merely to watch them. And the grabbing SW only shows a panoramic 160*120 pixels or so, which is not good.

Does anybody know how to watch the movies full screen? Should be some programs out there that can do this, but my googling turned up zilch of use, though a ton of useless information on how to connect to your TV.

I know I can buy a TV and watch the movies there, but I do not want to buy a TV, I am saving up to buy a projector, but can't buy one yet. I do not have any interest in watching TV, as I consider it garbage, though I like to watch movies.

For any help: Thanks

Mosquito

That's a very interesting problem you have there. I sincerely hope someone can help you.

Mosquito aka Sockpuppet aka bumping my own dying thread

 

[Stimpson J. Cat]

I wish I could help you. I remember that a couple of years ago when I was visiting my mother for several weeks, I had the same problem. Also with a Thinkpad. I found a free program which would display whatever was coming through the TV-in port, either windowed or fullscreen. It worked quite well. I can't remember what it was, though.

Sorry.

Dr. Stupid

 

[El Greco]

Download and install K-Lite codec pack. This should solve all your codec problems.

Alternatively, PowerVCR II 3.0 can show the input from TV fullscreen or at whatever window size you want.

Here are lots of other capture utilities to experiment with, some of them freeware.

 

[Mosquito]

Download and install K-Lite codec pack. This should solve all your codec problems.

Alternatively, PowerVCR II 3.0 can show the input from TV fullscreen or at whatever window size you want.

Here are lots of other capture utilities to experiment with, some of them freeware.

OK, this is my new reality:

I went to the sites you linked me to, and downloaded the codecs and a couple of free videotools.

Since the K-Lite told me to uninstall all previous codecs, I removed my DivX5 installation.

Then I went home, hooked up my equipment and tried the first program (FullscreenTV). Capable of full screen, but BAD quality. Totally unwatchable. I tried switching the setting for signal type, trying all NTSC, PAL and SECAM options, none worked. Then I tried the MGI grabber, which worked before, but no. I installed the K-Lite, hoping it would help (desperation makes a great teacher, though not necesarily a knowledgable one, and I HAD removed some codecs just prior). It didn't.

I installed another small program (Virtual VCR), but got the same results. Depressing.

Next thing I did was check the cable (since the signal looked a little like it missed the sync). Voila! Not properly connected. Fixed this and now it works! I can watch my movies without any codec-problems or zone-dependency.

Of course, there is no sound... But that is due to missing cable(s) connecting the player to anything like a speaker, which I can fix.

All in all: Huge success, the FullscreenTV-program is small (260kB, one exe no weird files anywhere on my disk) and crashes on shutdown, but who cares? it works for showing movies.

Thank you for the links! Made my day

Mosquito (knows about google, but seems to be incompetent in using it)

Best wishes for the equinox holidays coming up!

 

[EdB]

Don't honestly know if it will help, but look for a program called Powerstrip.exe. You can mess about with the settings for screen sizes and stuff.

It has a forum, so maybe someone, has had the same problem and solved it.

I used it for a prob I had with a lcd screen and found someone who had the same problem and solved it, so I didn't even have to play around with the settings, just copied someone else's.

editied, coz i'm an idiot and can't speel. Oh and nix on the Google.com, try Dogpile.com, if your hosts file lets it do its work, you get less paid for advertising stuff at the start of the search.