Home theater system plug in computer monitor to watch dvds?

Question

Short Story:
I have no TV(and don't want to get one)
I do have a new flat screen computer monitor.

I would like to purchase a home theater system & plug in my computer monitor so that I can watch DVDs on a larger screen(as opposed to my laptop - which is where I currently watch DVDs)

Is this possible? If so -
What specifically would the "specs" of the monitor need to be?
What specifically would the "specs" of the home theater system need to be?

Answer 1

why don't you set up your computer to play dvds? i used that for a while, and it worked pretty good. i just hooked up my digital sound card to the reciever for surround sound, and watched the movie on my monitor. if you have a nice flat screen, you can use the dvi connector to get higher quality. most computer monitors are capable of higher resolutions than HDTV, and many are available in the 16/9 ratio (widescreen). just about any would work very well. if you just want to use the computer monitor as a tv screen with no computer, that's kind of weird but maybe you just got a good deal on it. if your laptop has digital audio out, you can continue to use that as a dvd player. connect your laptop to the reciever with a digital cable and, using a long rgb male-to-male connector cable, you can use your laptop's monitor out to send a signal to your large flat screen. you may even have a dvi out on that laptop, which would be even better. pretty much any surround sound setup would work, just make sure that it has both coax digital AND optical digital connections so you can keep your options open.

Answer 2

Looks like you want a theater in the box, that includes the DVD player, the AVR, and speakers.
You say you already have a new monitor, so it is a little bit late to ask for monitor specs now, but I do hope it has a digital DVI input.
If it has component inputs, that will also make your life much easier.

Your theater in the box needs to have outputs that match your monitor. Composite or S-video will work, but you will get a better picture with component. If it has HDMI output then you will need an HDMI to DVI cable to connect it to the monitor - if available.

In general, at comparable sizes, computer monitors are far more expensive than HD-Ready TVs (TVs with HD resolution, but with no Tuner)

Answer 3

Your question was answered correctly the first time (by Vomit). The Radeon 5450 is a very slow entry-level video card. Even the older 9800GT was more than twice as fast (easily). The solution is to buy a better video card. I would get a GeForce GTS 450 or above --which would include a Radeon 5770, Radeon 6850, or GeForce GTX 460. Confirm that your current power supply meets the requirements of any video card you intend to buy (paying particular attention to the combined amps on the +12V rails), or plan to upgrade it. (Your primary mistake is persisting in the idea that a Radeon 5450 "should" be fast enough to run all your games adequately, and then obstinately looking for some other cause.)