Help - Surf the 'Net & Watch TV

I was wondering if any tech savvy person could help me out with these questions/situation. Please PM if you would rather speak privately but let me know in this thread to check my PM box as I might not see it.

I’m trying to set up an “entertainment center” in my bedroom.

I want to get a Dell 32" W3207c, Xbox 360, Logitech Z-2300 2.1 Speakers, and my PC and have those all connected.

What I mean is I want the Dell LCD to serve as my TV and my computer monitor, and for those speakers to work as my Computer, TV, and Xbox speakers. I want to be able to surf the net while watching television on the same screen also. Can I also be on my Xbox and be able to also surf the net? Such as a picture in picture or half screen.

Could this all be possible? What do I need besides the items I already listed?

Get a Media Center PC. Alternatively, add PVR functionality to your existing TV. I use and recommend BeyondTV:

http://store.snapstream.com/bundles-sidebar.html

You’ll be able to record shows, pause live tv, etc.

[quote]GaMeOvEr305 wrote:
I was wondering if any tech savvy person could help me out with these questions/situation. Please PM if you would rather speak privately but let me know in this thread to check my PM box as I might not see it.

I’m trying to set up an “entertainment center” in my bedroom.

I want to get a Dell 32" W3207c, Xbox 360, Logitech Z-2300 2.1 Speakers, and my PC and have those all connected.

What I mean is I want the Dell LCD to serve as my TV and my computer monitor, and for those speakers to work as my Computer, TV, and Xbox speakers. I want to be able to surf the net while watching television on the same screen also. Can I also be on my Xbox and be able to also surf the net? Such as a picture in picture or half screen.

Could this all be possible? What do I need besides the items I already listed?
[/quote]

My suggestion is to get a 32 in lcd monitor. Then add //www.digitalconnection.com/Products/Video/fusion5.asp
HDTV tuner to your pc, then you can record HDTV. Also i’d look at //www.theatertek.com/ For excellent dvd playback thru the pc.
these speakers fom m audio //www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/LX421System-main.html

That’ll get er done!

[quote]GaMeOvEr305 wrote:
I was wondering if any tech savvy person could help me out with these questions/situation. Please PM if you would rather speak privately but let me know in this thread to check my PM box as I might not see it.

I’m trying to set up an “entertainment center” in my bedroom.

I want to get a Dell 32" W3207c, Xbox 360, Logitech Z-2300 2.1 Speakers, and my PC and have those all connected.

What I mean is I want the Dell LCD to serve as my TV and my computer monitor, and for those speakers to work as my Computer, TV, and Xbox speakers. I want to be able to surf the net while watching television on the same screen also. Can I also be on my Xbox and be able to also surf the net? Such as a picture in picture or half screen.

Could this all be possible? What do I need besides the items I already listed?
[/quote]

The picture in picture will depend on the capabilities of your Dell LCD.

If you don’t have enough inputs on your montior, you will likely have to purchase a multiple component video switching device.

[quote]Curzon wrote:
GaMeOvEr305 wrote:
I was wondering if any tech savvy person could help me out with these questions/situation. Please PM if you would rather speak privately but let me know in this thread to check my PM box as I might not see it.

I’m trying to set up an “entertainment center” in my bedroom.

I want to get a Dell 32" W3207c, Xbox 360, Logitech Z-2300 2.1 Speakers, and my PC and have those all connected.

What I mean is I want the Dell LCD to serve as my TV and my computer monitor, and for those speakers to work as my Computer, TV, and Xbox speakers. I want to be able to surf the net while watching television on the same screen also. Can I also be on my Xbox and be able to also surf the net? Such as a picture in picture or half screen.

Could this all be possible? What do I need besides the items I already listed?

The picture in picture will depend on the capabilities of your Dell LCD.

If you don’t have enough inputs on your montior, you will likely have to purchase a multiple component video switching device.[/quote]

I’m pretty sure the monitor will have enough inputs. I was wondering is it possible to run an output from the monitor to the speakers so that whatever information is being put into the monitor from whatever system will play on them?

Also to be able to surf online and watch television what will I need? That option is accessible through the LCD correct as picture in picture? Or is this an option done through the computer.

Anyone have any good links where I can read up on this?

your going to need a tv tuner.

[quote]Split wrote:
your going to need a tv tuner.[/quote]

Haven’t checked my vid card yet, but don’t most cards come with a TV Tuner?

What TV Tuner do you recommend?

Where exactly is the option to go split screen half tv and half computer? Is that TV enabled or computer enabled?

[quote]GaMeOvEr305 wrote:
Split wrote:
your going to need a tv tuner.

Haven’t checked my vid card yet, but don’t most cards come with a TV Tuner?

What TV Tuner do you recommend?

Where exactly is the option to go split screen half tv and half computer? Is that TV enabled or computer enabled?

[/quote]

The fusion 5 card is a tv tuner, it’ll hune sd and hdtv. OTA channels. If you want a cable tuner youll need to go w/ a different card.

Go to DVICO.com

what kind of CPU/RAM usage does it take to have your PC push TV to a second monitor? Just curious if I could say play WoW or CS and watch TV without any serious performance issues.

Would I need a special Tuner card to run HDTV or will the comcast box and a normal TV tuner suffice?

[quote]GaMeOvEr305 wrote:
Would I need a special Tuner card to run HDTV or will the comcast box and a normal TV tuner suffice?[/quote]

Dude is your reading comprehension low???

There are several HDTV tuner cards.

if you want to run comcast hdtv, then you’ll run that into one input, preferably a dvi or hdmi and then your other options into the other input.

If you want ota hd and recording thru a pc. Then you get an hdtv tuner card, a video card. Run the pc into the tv, and the other sources into the second.

Get an LCD TV. I bought a 17" Samsung a couple years ago for around $500. I’ve got my computer, PS2, and cable hooked up to it. The PIP only works in PC mode, but that’s all I need it for.

Anyway, just make sure it has a high enough resolution (like 1024x768).