Ok! Got the new "Toy" ... now what do I do??

Gorgeous (to me!) new (well, "Re-certified") 27" Samsung LCD 1080p Monitor/HDTV-Tuner in one . . . and, well... . . . :confused

http://reviews.cnet.com/lcd-monitors/samsung-syncmaster-p2770hd/4505-3174_7-33912090-2.html

I'm sure it's a matter of getting the right "cable set-up", or whatever...and I HAVE several different HDMI cables to use (and one port on the set), but neither the Satellite box or the DVD player player have an HDMI port...?

I "think" I have to get a DVI cable, or an adapter for the HDMI, or something...?

I dunno. But I do know, right now, the picture on this new machine is no better (none...at all), than the 10 year-old Magnavox BOX I've had sitting here/been watching for...well, 10 years. Now, this one was supposed to be "HD" - for its time - but I think it would be more like a "720p" (or maybe a "1080i"?) HD.

Any/all comments/suggestions/advice/opinions are welcome~!~

Thanks in advance . . .

 

Don't mean to "bump" this, but meant to add - the sound is dreadful...I suppose due to it being a "monitor" firstly, however, I "have" a nice (to me) set of speaks on my computer now...two small "tweeders" (?) and a woofer/sub-woofer box in between, but they won't (don't seem to) plug-in anywhere except the "MIC" jack, but the sound just goes mute when I plug-in there...?

Hoping someone can help with that as well, please.

Regards,
glenn . . .

 

Dear Admin:

Seasons Greetings!

At some point ("100 Views" maybe?), might this post be "better-placed"...(like in "Hardware", perhaps), please?

 

Once again I am too slow for the edit time-out...

Just wanted to add (in a "semi-related" mentioning) : that I am "not"/have "not" been, "Rating" my own threads as "5-Star"... however, they seem to indicate that I am/have been doing so . . . ?

 

Laura R - Thanks...lots of good info in your post, but the manual doesn't show how to hook-up if one has more than one "device" to hook-up (connect) to. In other words, I have a satellite box and a DVD device (and technically an old VHS machine, that was figured-into the prior set-up here, for some old movies which are occasionally watched, but which I'm not really too concerned with).

I do understand that the other devices would normally need the correct ports for whatever cables I might "wish" or like to hook-up, but I'm sure I read (somewhere) of "adapters" I could get to make things work for the best.

If that won't work/is not possible, I think I have an "order" I'd want to try after HDMI . . . I believe "DVI-D" (?) would be next, then perhaps an "S-Video" hook-up/connection, which the satellite box has, but (of course) which my new Monitor/TV does not.

I just would like to get the best possible picture I can (I guess that's obvious?), and I'm pretty sure the component cables (which I am currently using are not offering/providing that for me (though the "Quick Set-up Guide" I have here does say: "Component Cable Connection (up to 1080P)?

I think what I need to do is somehow figure how to get the best pic with the cables I have (and I have them all except the DVI-D, but would gladly buy), and/or get the correct "adapters?

Thanks!
PS - I think I know what all the things you listed are, except for "Composite Video" (is this the "DVI-D" connection that is here?) and, "Audio In (3.5mm)". The Audio should be good for some sort of speakers, which I will HAVE TO get, because the sound is REALLY weak on this unit . . .

 

And oh! "Calibration" ... isn't this something I should attempt, please?

I will post pictures (which won't make it into this post due to edit time-out limit), but I think with the pictures, I'm mainly wondering about is the Audio connects for some external speakers...the speakers I have (surprisingly?) won't connect with the cables they have either, so again, I think I either need an adapter for this, or another set of speakers...?

 

Having some experience calibrating computer monitors I'd say "if it aint broke, don't fix it". If you're watching a show with an American Flag waving in the background and it looks like the old glory you know, red white and blue, then just leave it. Most monitors and TVs today come pretty close to perfect as is. About the only time you'd want to screw with calibration is if you're editing graphics, images, photos, etc...

 

Thanks (relief!) ... so I'm only needing to find the proper cable/cables, and/or, adapters . . . though judging from the first few electronic-accessories sites I glanced at, this may take some time....

Either things are getting more confusing, or I'm simply getting old, and curmudgeony ?? :confused

 

You've got one Component and one Composite set. The Component is the Red Green Blue (for the Red, Green and Blue components of the video signal, no audio) set, the Composite is the familiar Yellow Red White set (Yellow is video, Red and White are left and right audio channels, also known as RCA plugs named after the RCA brand). If you look on the back of your input devices you may find that you only have Yellow Red White connections. If that's the case you'll either need to run things through a switch http://www.amazon.com/Port-Selector...8SLW/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1323443769&sr=8-8 or http://www.walmart.com/ip/RCA-4-Way-AV-Switcher-With-S-Video/3312963 for example or just plug and unplug as needed.

If one of your devices has the RGB output, you'd still need something to run the audio through (presumably your sound system) via (likely) Red and White RCA plugs. Depending on your VHS recorders inputs some of those have a number of inputs and they actually make a decent switch. Then you'd just need the cables. Some cables will be Yellow, Red, White and others will be Red, Green Blue. The color of the cable doesn't matter just so long as the color that you plug into on one end of the cable is the same color as what you plug into on the other end. So if you plug a red wire into a yellow jack on one end and a yellow jack on the other you're good. Same goes for any other color.

 

wow! thank you both SOOO much...i'm afraid this is just going to take me some time for several reasons:

1. My head/chest feel like the Hindenburg looked - big, bloated, full of *stuff* and on FIRE! :boxing :hammer :guns :banghead :tired (been fighting a bad cold for a good two weeks+ now)

2. The desktop PC which I was going to send pictures from is down...some sort of wireless-router or "connection" problem (?) ... this laptop went down too, however, Belkin tech support was able to get me up the other night, but I had to cut him short on getting the other machine going, so he gave me a case# to call-back on...I hope to do that in a few minutes . . .

3. I'm going to have to read-thru cabbiinc's post very slowly while I'm down behind the TV/Monitor and the other devices...as he mentioned, the colors aren't quite matching-up, and I'll probably have to "look...read his post...look>refer to the post...look - and re-read the post . . .

Sorry folks (and THANK YOU again) . . . . .

 

PS - and yes, the whole "color coordinating/matching thing is rather tricky, although, I already have LOTS of different types of cables and many (several of each, at least) within each type or category.

All except the DVI (DVI-D?) that is - however, I am going to contact my local "Dish" tech guy (the fellow who has installed a couple of different systems here over the years) and see about another type of SAT Box, to get HDMI or DVI connected...my current SAT box has only an "S" type connection and of course these component cables.

Actually, I "think" I read two reviews wherein people said they did better with the DVI than the HDMI on this particular set ... I'm sure I read one review to this effect . . .

 

A word of caution on the S-Video connection found on some switches. I run all of my audio visual components through an older stereo receiver (remember those things?). It has multiple S-Video ins and outs, has multiple RCA ins and outs, has multiple Component ins and outs, etc... The big rub comes when you find that the S-Video, RCA (composite), and Component inputs and outputs don't cross over. In other words if you plug an S-Video input to the receiver and tune the receiver to that device and the output from the receiver is Composite you don't get anything. S-Video in to S-Video out, but not S-Video in to Composite out. Before buying such a device I'd inquire about that functionality, read reviews, look into the user manual, etc...

They do make S-Video to RCA adapters, again S-Video is video only so you'll need to port the audio to something else. http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-SVID2COMPFM-S-Video-Composite-Adapter/dp/B0009EXWQQ It's yellow, meant for the Video channel on your Yellow Red White scheme.

I don't have any experience with HDMI yet. DVI, isn't that more for computers?

 

reading through the various threads you have started about a tv/monitor and then finally buying what is in front of you the first time i recall anything about attaching a sat receiver and dvd player to the said tv/monitor

well here's my take on what you should do

plug the pc in to the monitor via the vga dsub connector
plug audio line out from your pc into audio in ( 3.5mm ) on your tv/monitor ( should be a simple 3.5mm to 3.5mm stereo jack lead )
plug your new sat receiver with HDMI to the HDMI on the tv/monitor ( when you get your new sat box )
plug your dvd into the the composite input on tv/monitor including audio red n white ( using a phono to phono 3 way lead yellow , red , white )

to connect you external speakers to the tv/monitor connect the input lead of the speakers to the headphone socket of the tv/monitor and adjust the tv/monitor volume to suite the external speakers ( there's a good chance the tv/monitor volume is going to be very low to stop distortion but it will work )
the lead to do connect the speakers is going to be a 3.5mm stereo jack to 3.5mm stereo jack or a 3.5mm stereo jack to phono ( red n white ) depending the input type of your speakers

there ya go job done

good luck.....

 

Thanks! As far as this goes, I simply presumed/assumed that it was pretty-much "standard fare" (quite "common/normal/usual"?)...like, roughly half the population seems to have satellite (at least in my world), and probably something like 75-90% of folks have DVD-players, no?

Thanks again, and on this one, I can now see where I should have been more clear as to my intents...this set will be first and foremost a "TV/DVD-player (and perhaps in the future VHS-player?) only". I wished it to have "PC" capabilities, "just in case" I suddenly (or not-so-suddenly) needed a PC screen (monitor) to view.

I GREATLY appreciate all the Audio info, as this is something that is sorely lacking in the set (IMHO), though I am hoping sound will improve with upgrade to the HDMI receiver (set-top box).

I will have to "study" your directions a good bit, as all the numbers and terms don't connect with me quickly ... I have virtually no experience with audio stuff...at least not for 20 or more years.

Thank you again!

 

the problem you have is there isn't enough inputs on your tv/monitor to plug in everything you want so as far as your dvd and vhs player are concerned it's going to be one or the other
the way round this is to use an external RCA switch box with 2 or more inputs which will switch between them

i don't know how prominent component video ( red green blue RCA ) is in your part of the world but over here in the uk it isn't widely used but there might be options with a switch box there depending on what is on the back of your dvd player and vhs player but both would have to have component video out to be used

 

Well...things haven't quite worked-out as I had planned/hoped they would.

I reckon I didn't really "think this purchase through", even though I started posting about it well in advance of the actual purchase (as seems to be the case with most of my tech purchases), and "thought" I could "adapt" (with the proper adapters") anything that needed to be so adapted...turns-out I "must" upgrade (pay still more) to view my set as it was designed to be viewed.

Am told I "must" get an HD Sat. Box. Bah...humbug. Well I sort of shot my small load already in purchasing the machine, and it's just not in the budget to now also buy a new satellite receiver, at least not for a couple/few months . . .

However, the Audio, I would think I can get that going, and really must - as the speakers on this machine are probably the worst I've ever heard on a set of this expense...the sound (or lack thereof) is giving me headaches trying to "listen" to the "tinny-ness" of it...

So, now...the way I'm reading this (help, above) is, to (basically) plug-into the "Headphone" port ("jack"?), but I've already tried that, twice (I believe) . . . to no avail.

Would anyone happen to have any further info...a diagram perhaps, or something? Anything?

Thanks again and in advance,
g...
PS - by-the-way - I am not using this as a PC monitor, but rather as a satellite TV.

 

If you're just plain plugging some speakers into the headphone jack you'll get very low volume if anything unless the speakers are quite small. If you have a stereo receiver then running it through there first is likely the best option. RCA outs (red and white) are your best quality, but you could use the headphone jack in a pinch.

 

Hmmm.

Well, thank you for the response ... . . . never realized plugging speakers into jacks could be so complex.

God knows I have PLENTY of cables/wires/etc...all sorts of colors, sizes, lengths (RCA outs, red and white, etc., etc., etc...), and though these speakers are not exactly the HIGH-dollar jobs, neither are they simply the basic two speakers that used to come with computers either. I bought them "aftermarket".

I forget the "numbers" on them/for them (3.1 maybe??), but there are two small "tweeders", normally set-up on either side of the monitor (or a bit further-out, to the left and right) and one larger woofer "box", with an "air-hole" (?) in the back, that I usually set on the floor under the computer desk to provide some decent base.

I would do near the same with this TV set-up, if only I could get them to work, in the jack where I plug them in . . . wow...everything is sooo complicated anymore, these days . . .

I'll report-back here if I ever get them to work...I'm "guessing" I'll need to purchase some sort of adapters, even though these worked PERFECTLY well "as is" on my 3-4 year-old Dell Inspiron 531 PC (and anyone who ever heard the "sound" on this new monitor could only believe that it was meant to be UP-graded from what Samsung attached inside this thing...??).

Thanks,
glenn . . .

 

Hi Glenn,
Do you have a 3.5mm. 1/8 inch stereo mini-jack input on the back of your speakers?

If so then get a 6 foot cable with 1/8 inch stereo male plugs on each end(Radio Shack item). Plug one end into the headphone OUT jack on the monitor and the other end of the cable into the input jack on your speaker system.

Steve

 

by what he has been saying he's using a pair of active pc speakers ( 2 satalites n a sub ) there should be no problem plugging them into the headphone socket as long as he keeps the tv volume low
there might be a menu option within the tv setup to switch on headphone output if your getting no sound so thats worth a look

 

Hi Steve,

I'm not exactly sure, but I found them online http://support.creative.com/Product...ARSET=prodfaq:PRODFAQ_639,VARSET=CategoryID:4

and I took pics, which I'll have to upload in a few hours after I (if I can) get some sleep. I'll have to go downstairs to the desktop to load the pics, then I can attach them here.

Thank you for your help,
glenn . . . .

 

it isn't clear if the set of speakers you have ( the ones in the link ) are connected via usb or audio out from a sound card

which is yours ?

 

Go to Page 2 of the link and look at "Connecting a Creative Stereo speaker system" or something like that.

 

I'm not sure...?

Ok, and here are the pics (not sure if anyone can tell anything from this?).

 

One more showing more of what I have to work with...

 

the green jack in the photo presuming thats the one that you plugged into your pc for sound plugs into headphone socket on the tv
don't forget to plug the 9volt power supply into 9v ac in ( should be with the speakers ) or you'll get nothing

 

I may be the thickest-skulled mar00n on earth...I thiunkj I FORGOT to use the POWER (ac) cord!!!???!!!

THANK YOU!!!

 

thats just a generic diagram

i was referring to the first page where usb is mentioned so there is a chance the model that was linked could come with usb or analogue connections

hence the question

 

we got there in the end

 

AAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA :-D :-D :-D
- - - indeed we did ... we did indeed ~!~ :confused :-o rolleyes :cry

Thank you ALL SOOOO MUCH~!~ :wave :major

 

A picture's worth a thousand words.

 

Good call cosmicma.

Glad you got it working Glenn, sometimes it's the simplest things ain't it? I've been known to do that before also. Must be you got that much needed sleep.