Techis please Help. Want to connect TV to my Laptop.

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by kevinqc, Jun 17, 2011.

  1. kevinqc

    kevinqc

    Instead of 6 monitors, I want to connect my Laptop to 55 or 65 inch TV to be used as a Large monitor to have 6 to 8 charts visible.

    Is this possible & if so what kind of extra hardware is needed ?

    I am also wondering if a Docking Station would take care of it or do I need something like PushToTV ?

    Which is the best docking station & should I go for wireless or wired one ? Brand name & Pros & Cons please.

    Thanks
     
  2. Possible without any additional hardware if:

    1) Your laptop has a HDMI out. (Most new laptops do these days)
    2) Your TV has a HDMI in. (Most TV do these days)

    Check your laptop and TV. If you don't see the HDMI port on either device, then need to figure out other connection methods.
     
  3. kevinqc

    kevinqc

    I am going to purchase both.

    Wanted to know everything before I did that.

    Your suggestion would require an HDMI cable, correct ?

    Is there a way to connect them wirelessly ? If yes, what kind of hardware would I need ?

    Also does the size of TV have anything to do with processor, Video Card or RAM etc ?

    I am getting a 17 inch Laptop with
    i-7 2720QM 2.2 GHz
    NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 555M 3GB graphics with Optimus
    8 GB RAM

    Thank You.
     
  4. LeeD

    LeeD

    TVs don't come in resolution higher than 1920x1080 (which is a resolution of a typical 23-inch monitor). So, if your set-up can drive such a monitor and has a digital video out (such as DVI-D or HDMI), it can drive a TV. For text editing and charting (unless you are running tick charts) most any computer would suffice. I wouldn't upgrade unless things indeed feel slow.

    Just to clarify, if you think that a larger TV can fit more charts, this is completely wrong. A 100-inch HD TV will have the same number of pixels as a 32-inch HD TV or as a 23-inch monitor. So, it will fit the same number of charts - just the charts will look larger and pixels will be more noticeable.
     
  5. kevinqc

    kevinqc

    First I will be using mostly tick & (Volume) charts. 90 % of the charts I use are tick & (Volume) charts.

    Will this make any difference ? Meaning would the above mentioned Laptop specs be sufficient to drive a 65 inch TV ?

    Second I do understand that a Larger TV isn't going to give me more real estate. But it will allow me to put my feet up on the table o rsit on a couch & do what I am doing sitting in front of Monitor all day. Am I correct ?

    Please give any & all feedback. I do appreciate it.

    Thanks
     
  6. Pekelo

    Pekelo

    Kevin, here is my experience posted in January when somebody wanted to do a similar set up:

    So as you can see, it is not the resolution that made my set up unusable, but the refresh rate of the laptop. (or the 2 refresh rates weren't in sync) Of course it is possible your laptop is newer and its video card can handle the load better.

    Maybe the best tip is for you to go to Bestbuy or Walmart and try to hook the laptop up to their TVs and see it in real life, then decide if you can use it or not.... It is possible that a smaller TV works better than a big one...

    If you want only 6 charts on a 55 inch TV, that would make 1 chart about 10 x 15 or so, just like 1 chart on a 17 inch laptop...
     
  7. LeeD

    LeeD

    The laptop has enough power. Just make sure you are using the right charting software. Proper charting software makes sure it doesn't redraw a chart more frequently than, say, 10 or 60 times per second. A few charting packages redraw chart on every tick. Redrawing on every tick will bring down the most powerful PC hardware in existance when applied to a "busy" symbol like S&P 500 E-mini's during spikes of market activity.

    Size is a matter of personal preference. Whatever tickles your fancy.

    I read a few people attach a duplicate monitor wirelessly so that they can monitor their positions while exercising etc...
    Refresh rate on the graphics card has nothing to do with how powerful the graphics card or laptop is. If refresh rate is 60 times per second it doesn't mean the picture is redrawn 60 times per second. It only means saved pictures is sent to the monitor 60 times per second.

    If there was flickering, it's probably due to the TV not supporting 60Hz refresh rate natively. Also there are individual incompatibilities between TVs and graphics cards that are difficult to track.

    I would suggets to double check that the TV support 60Hz refresh rate. Ideally the TV would have a digital IN: HDMI or even better DVI-D.
     
  8. 222bc

    222bc

    Just a note on wireless installation: because my brother has fat fingers, for a while he used an external Logitec wireless mouse with his notebook until his unit kept getting infected with a virus.

    It turns out that the wireless mouse was automatically looking for driver updates and some hackers created a virus mimicing a Logitec driver update.

    Also when I call Tradestation tech support for some troubleshooting they ask me if I have wireless components.

    It seems like wireless brings in additional issues that one should be at least be aware of.

    Regards,

    bc
     
  9. Match the tv resolution to the pc (laptop) resolution.

    If the tv is 1920x1080 you need to make sure the computer will provide that output. Otherwise it looks like shit.
     
  10. kevinqc

    kevinqc

    #10     Jun 21, 2011