Help please! 1080i vs. 1080p as PC Display

[allardjd 1,853]

Looking for advice...

 

I'm considering replacing a 23" Samsung flat-screen display with a 26" 1080 HD television. I've read several articles about the differences between 1080i and 1080p standards and kind of understand them but everything I've found is mainly geared toward using them as a television or video playback device from Blue-Ray, etc. The articles I've seen kind of gloss over advantages and disadvantages of their use as PC displays.

 

Also, my existng machine's graphics card (Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX) has only DVI outputs - no HDMI ports.

 

I anticipate a new PC within a year and the new one would almost certainly have HDMI output(s). The TV I'm considering would become the primary display for that, but I don't want to change graphics cards in the existing PC at this point.

 

Questions:

 

1) For use as a PC display, is there any real difference between 1080i and 1080p?

 

2) Can a DVI output from a PC be converted/adapted/connected to a TV with only HDMI inputs? If so, how and at what cost in money and display quality/resolution?

 

3) If the TV has a VGA input, does adapting the DVI graphics card output to that result in a degradation in display quality/resolution?

 

Thanks in advance for any help with choosing the right TV for this.

 

John

[allardjd 1,853]

Thanks, I think...

 

This is why they call it HARD-ware.

 

Lots of TVs here have/had DVI and VGA input ports (usually the pair - one of each) built into them for PC connectivity - not so much now on the current models since PCs mostly seem to have HDMI output ports instead of VGA ports these days. We have two televisions that have that setup, but the new models seem to be HDMI across the board.

 

I have a DVI/VGA adapter but didn't know you could get DVI/HDMI adapter. .That solves one problem. Audio from the TV is not an issue.

 

If I go the TV route, it doesn't sound as if 1080p over 1080i is anything to worry about.

 

Thanks

 

John

[needles 1,010]

Sorry I could not help with your query John. 'I know nowt' (Lancashire phrase), about resolutions, TV's/Monitors. I just plug 'em in and hope I see what I want to see. Hope you get sorted with whatever route you go down.