Connecting a display device

You can use a computer monitor, flat-panel display, TV, or other display device. Some older TVs provide a lower quality display than computer monitors or flat-panel displays that are optimized for your Family Media Center.

Your Media Center provides display outputs from a DVI (Digital Visual Interface) port, VGA (monitor) port, or an S-Video port. Select the highest quality port that your TV supports:

•DVI — Best. Use this if your TV has a DVI port.

•VGA — Better. If your TV does not have a DVI port but has a VGA port, use this.

•S-Video— Good. S-Video display quality is usually good for TV images. The display quality for the Media Center computer functions, however, is not as good as DVI or VGA output. S-Video display output is not optimized for computer video display.

If you did not purchase a display device when you purchased your Media Center and your video display does not provide the image quality that you expected, contact a Gateway sales representative to help you select a display device that is optimized for your Media Center. See “Contacting Gateway” on page 96 for Gateway contact information.

Tip:

Many TVs use interlaced video. Interlaced video displays a video frame with two passes of alternating scan lines. The TV screen first displays the video image odd lines one at a time, sequentially from top to bottom, then it fills in the other half of the video image with the even lines. Because most TVs use this interlaced method to display the picture on the screen, a standard interlaced analog television will most likely flicker when displaying thin lines and small text. An interlaced video display device will produce a lower quality display, especially when viewing and using the Family Media Center computer functions.

Progressive scan video displays a video frame with one pass of sequential scan lines. A progressive scan TV displays the entire picture, drawn sequentially from top to bottom, without the odd/even interlacing. This results in a fuller, sharper picture, and better display quality for viewing and using the Family Media Center computer functions. The progressive scan picture is also brighter and easier on your eyes.

Tip:

If you want the audio to play from the external TV that you connected to, connect the Audio out jacks (analog or digital) to your TV Audio in jacks. If you do not connect the Audio out jacks to your TV, the sound will continue to play from your Family Media Center and other sound system connected to your Media Center.

Help:

By default, if your display device was purchased with your Family Media Center computer, the computer uses a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 for computer monitors. Many TVs cannot display this high resolution and may shift, scramble, or scroll the picture. For a better picture on a TV display, you may need to lower the Family Media Center screen resolution to 800 x 600 or 640 x 480. For more information about adjusting display settings, click Start, then click Help and Support. Type the keyword changing display settings in the Search box, then press Enter.

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