I was wondering what types of HDTV connections will allow he to use my TV as a PC monitor.

Is DVI a possibility for connection or not.

Allison Weeks, Palmer, ACT

You can do it the other way round! The DGTec 2000 set top box -- the main HDTV receiver -- comes with a standard 15 pin D-sub socket, that you can plug a PC monitor. It's discussed by Dan Rutter at http://www.dansdata.com/hdtv.htm

I've tried it and it works. Sort of. The main problem is that you need to make sure your PC monitor controls are flexible enough to enable the wide screen (16:9) viewing ratio. It was a stretch for my Gateway VX700. I got great digital TV on my monitor but it was not in the correct format.

There are possibilities with the DVI connection. There has been movement in this area in the US. See for example, the release from Sony about its HDTV-DVI interface at http://news.sel.sony.com/pressrelease/2587

However it's not relevant to Australian HDTV standards, so far as I can tell.

It might be worth your re-posting your question to a forum on the Digital Broadcasting Australia at http://www.dba.org.au/forums/ . Local installers, hardened enthusiasts and HDTV engineers seem to populate and inform many of their discussions.

A cursory check suggests your issue has not been covered yet.

-John Hilvert

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Hi Allison. Some of the new HDTV screens (especially the Plasma ones) have a PC video socket included. They make marvellous PC monitors if you can afford $10k plus.

Are any readers using their PC's by feeding them directly to their large screen TV sets via a proper PC video connection? (Not by TV-out and composite video or S-Video leads, as this is a very poor solution).

-Paul Zucker

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John Hilvert and Paul Zucker