How-To Geek

Hello everyone,

I am an old geek, with a degree of electronic engineer, never use what I learn but with a burning desire to build my own PC..
Reasson for never using my learned skills, when I study back in 1991, computer where not a household item.. can even say they where in pampers.. lol
And to make things worst I had an accident leaving me wheelchair bound the rest of my life, and because of it,
there where a lot of more important things to deal with than to secure a thechnitian position for minimun wages..

now I would like to get all the parts and build my own set up, but I am going to ask that you help me like I don’t know squat..
I need to use this pc from bed, and was thinking of using a 46 to 55 inch LCD TV.. this TV would be around 15 to 17 feet away from me..
The cord for the computer-TV hook-up would be like 27 feet long..

This set up is for crunching numbers, working with pictures and very large programs, not games..

I was hopping to build this set up without having to drain my complete savings..

Ok here is the question, if you where in my shoes, what system would you build, and what TV woulkd you use with it?

Any help would be highly apreciated..

Manny

Manny, this is an interesting project. Although I have never used a large screen LCD TV as a monitor, I've always wondered how well it would work. I have used CRT TVs and they make terrible monitors. So, one of my first thoughts is that you will want to have a digital signal from the computer to the monitor -- HDMI preferred, DVI-D next in preference, and component video (analog) only if there is no other way. Also, a 27 foot cable run would be better in digital than analog, though it's doable for all 3 connector types. With LCD TVs coming down in price, it's a great time to buy. Also, some are coming in 1080p native resolution (1920x1080) and that extra resolution will make a sharper image. HDMI connectors are quite common, especially on a set that's 1080p, DVI-D is less common, and component inputs usually don't do 1080p.

Another thought I had was about other peripherals connected to the PC. For example, if there are speakers up near the monitor, that's another 27 foot cable run of digital audio. You might consider putting the PC up near the monitor with shorter (and cheaper) video and audio cables. A wireless bluetooth keyboard and mouse would prevent the need for any wire runs. However, now you can't access the DVD tray easily. I suppose the layout that you choose will depend on the layout of the room and the nature of the peripherals.

If I were in your shoes, I would not build this PC, but buy it. Building a PC is for folks who want to control the components, for gamers who need max performance, and tweakers who want to overclock or mod. You described the function, said no games, and made no mention of tweaking. You can buy a pre-built system for less money which meets another of your criteria: don't drain the savings. That's one man's opinion. What do you think?

thanks a million Scott, I was hopping you stop by!

ok get a made up computer .. with good conponents in it.. I think a nice DELL would do the trick..

now let me research for the wireless bluetooth keyboard and mouse!

any recomendation on the brand of TV ?? I kind of like Samsung, and they have a nice 46 In.. 1080P..

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm.....tDetail.do

what do you think ?

Scott, would I need a special video card ??

thanks

Manny