By Jason Romney

Computer to TV connections, for publication March 30, 1994

A computer is made up of many components, the quality of which will directly determine how well it gets your job done.

There must be enough RAM for your programs to run in (8MB or more, is preferable); the hard disk must be large enough to store your programs and data (250MB or more, is preferable); the floppy drives must accept disks of the type you use (two drives, one 3.5 inch and one 5.25 inch, are preferable).

All these components are important; but no less important is the device you choose as a video display monitor. It is, afterall, something you will have your eyes glued to every moment the computer is in use.

Technologic soon will discuss what to look for in a good monitor and describe some of the options available to monitor hunters.

Before then, we describe a more unusual alternative that may appeal to some computer users.

It is possible to connect your computer to your normal TV set instead of a special video display monitor by using a device called a Pavi-Live ``encoder box" (RRP $389).

Such a box is about the size of small novel and connects to two cables: one plugs into your computer's VGA output port; the other plugs into either the S-Video or RCA video ports of your TV set.

A small memory resident program on your computer enables you to choose between video modes and text sizes for DOS sessions, and better align the computer image of both DOS and Windows sessions, on your TV screen. It is very simple.

What are some uses for such a device?

Firstly, you could give presentations to a large group using your big screen TV instead of your much smaller computer monitor (or your friends can watch you play games or participate themselves on a much bigger display).

Secondly, you can take advantage of other components in your audio-visual equipment to do some really snazzy things.

For example, say your VCR or TV have the increasingly common ``picture in picture" function which allows you to see more than one ``window" at once on your TV screen.

You might want to plug a video camera into your VCR and direct the camera at a sleeping baby in another room while you watch TV. The baby's safety can be monitored in the ``picture in picture" window.

But if, instead of a video camera, you plug in your computer, then you can watch TV (say, the NBC's Today Show) while you are replying to your electronic mail, seeing both the TV broadcast and your computer's output with the electronic mail on it, on the same TV screen.

While it is not possible to run Windows in high-resolution screen modes on a TV, as you can do on a quality (computer-specific) video monitor, standard VGA mode looks reasonably acceptable. It is also includes an option for running Windows in 800X600 resolution.

You would not want to spend a very long time doing finicky work with a TV as your monitor, however, an encoder box is an inexpensive, easy-to-use device as an alternative for a very large screen monitor.

It offers some novel display possibilities that extend, because it is an external device than can be moved from computer to computer, to use with notebook computers as well as desk-based models.

It is certainly worth investigating if you are interested in computers for teaching, business presentations or meetings - and even just using your computer and TV without getting out of bed.

* Pavi-Live encoder box is available from Micronica Computers, tel: 699 8844.