Turning an old monitor into a TV

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Need a TV but only have an old monitor? Or do you want to save money on buying a TV for the kitchen, car or garage? We know how to help you in these situations.

In a classic Russian apartment, the TV is the head of everything. It is usually installed in every room. In general, an extra screen will never hurt, especially if it is already in the form of an old LCD monitor.

There are quite a few ways to use a monitor as a TV. You can buy a set-top box, say, Roku. You can slightly increase the budget and connect a mini-computer, such as the Raspberry Pi, to an old friend. But there is a more radical method, similar to turning a boombox into an mp3 player.

Almost all LCD monitors have an I / O interface called. If you remove the cover from the monitor and get to the insides, you can see that the connectors are located on a separate board. In addition to other stuffing, this board is connected by a rather flexible ribbon cable, similar to IDE for hard drives.

To upgrade your monitor, you will need to purchase an expansion card for this interface that has a built-in video decoder. Such devices can be purchased, for example, or. The decoder and its output will make it possible to play analog (and in the case of a more advanced board - and) television directly, without using a variety of set-top boxes and even a computer.

TTX boards:

• The frequency range is 48, 25–863, 25 MHz.
• Color system - PAL / SECAM / NTSC.
• Sound system - B / G, D / K, l, M / N, NICAM / A2, BTSC.
• The number of channels is 200.
• Teletext - 10 pages (chip 39 - 10 pages, chip 59 - 1000 pages).
• Video signal input format (VGA, HDMI) - up to 1920 × 1080 @ 60 Hz.
• Supported video resolutions - 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p.
• Sound amplifier output power - 2 × 2, 3 W (40) 1 HD + N <10% @ 1 KHz.
• Supply voltage - 12 V.

Input connectors:

• Power supply - 12 V.
• VGA input.
• HDMI input.
• Composite video and stereo audio input.
• Sound input when using the TV as a computer monitor.
• Headphone output.
• USB input (for firmware update).
• Antenna or cable input.

Actually, the simplest path ends here: the purchased board and monitor are referred to the audio-video equipment repair service. After a while, after paying a small amount, you have a new TV in your hands. All that remains is to install it and connect the antenna or cable TV wire.

A slightly more complex way of self-installation is described in detail by a colleague on the resource Mysku.ru. Let's consider it briefly.

1. The first step is to remove the back cover of the monitor.
2. Find the required expansion board and dismantle it - disconnect it from the loop. Attention! It is necessary to dismantle it with the utmost care: the train may stop working even from an unsuccessful bend.
3. At the same time, you can accurately determine the marking of the matrix and find the firmware on it, as well as determine the supply voltage.
4. Then you need to connect a new board. There are two options: order a suitable cable from the Chinese or solder it. The second process is long, tedious, but for one who has a soldering iron, nothing is impossible. It's cheaper and faster this way. Unfortunately, you need to look for the pinout for each specific model.
5. After that, you will need to decide on the modifications to the case. The new one, due to the presence of a built-in decoder for analog and / or digital television, will be larger than the previous one. In addition, you will have to make additional holes in the case to bring out new connectors.
6. After installation, you need to determine the voltage that the board will supply to the matrix, and set it using a jumper (see the instructions for the purchased device).
7. The board receives power from an external power supply. 12 V is required - this is the voltage required for the functioning of the monitor filling. So, if you want, you can power from the board and get rid of unnecessary wires.

8. A board purchased for upgrading most often includes an infrared receiver (or the option of completing it) and a remote control. In the cheapest models, you will have to take care of bringing the receiver to the front panel of the device or even go to the nearest store for it. The receiver can be connected to more expensive cards via an external port, as was the case with old PCI TV tuners. This option does not require additional cutouts and can be placed anywhere.

   

9. After installation, you can turn on the newly-made TV and set up in accordance with the instructions. If the Chinese suddenly send instructions in their native language, it is worth contacting the Runet. Fortunately, all the main models of such devices have already been considered more than once in its open spaces.
10. Let's use it!

Despite the possible problems with installation and setup, such a monitor upgrade is fully justified. Many have old, unclaimed 17- and 19-inch devices. The price of such devices in the secondary market is quite low, and the image quality is often not worse than a new TV. It turns out an ideal TV for a kitchen, small room or summer cottage for a minimal price - from 15 to 60 dollars, depending on the configuration and functionality.