# Playstation -\> Computer Monitor **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 6, 2001, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449 "2001-07-06T04:33:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MrWhy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9f8e36/32.png) [@MrWhy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrWhy)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449/1 "2001-07-06T04:33:58Z")
I want to connect my Playstation to my computer monitor (because my television is broken and I don’t want to buy a new one just for the Playstation). The Playstation has an RCA plug for the video output but the computer monitor, or course, has the regular plug. Is there a way to connect the two? ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449/2 "2001-07-06T04:56:50Z")
You can buy a special card that has slots to accept video and audio and has the same connectors as your TV. I can’t name of the exact type of card it is, but I’m sure you could call a computer retail store and they could point you in the right direction. Anyway it’ll probably cost you a couple of bills, at least. ---
**Author:** ![MrWhy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9f8e36/32.png) [@MrWhy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrWhy)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449/3 "2001-07-06T05:08:01Z")
**wishbone** , is that a video capture card? I think they are a bit expensive for what I want. ☹ I was hoping for some simple kind of adaptor or something. Or don’t you think such a thing exits? ---
**Author:** ![Prez2032](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58f4c7/32.png) [@Prez2032](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prez2032)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449/4 "2001-07-06T07:02:26Z")
What you want is called a VGA box. I don’t know if they’re made for Playstations, but I KNOW they are made for the Sega Dreamcast. Since both systems use the standard A/V out cables, you’d think they’re compatible. Maybe someone who knows video can help you out more, I’m just a video gamer. ---
**Author:** ![Mikahw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Mikahw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikahw)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449/5 "2001-07-06T09:45:55Z")
No, the DC’s VGA box is not compatible with the PSX. The DC outputs a VGA signal to the box. All the box has to do is route the signal to the right pins on the monitor cable. The PSX doesn’t output VGA, so the DC’s VGA box can’t be used. I have heard of a device that will change a composite A/V signal to VGA. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the name. Web searches are just turning up blanks. I’ll be able to find it eventually… ---
**Author:** ![Mikahw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Mikahw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikahw)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449/6 "2001-07-06T10:12:50Z")
[found one.](http://www3.goldenshop.com.hk/AI-trad/Misc_htm/m-vgabox.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Gartog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/22d042/32.png) [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449/7 "2001-07-06T10:48:52Z")
I’m not sure how much better quality you’d get from a monitor as I _belive_ the resoulution of Console games is fixed to match TV resoulution. ---
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449/8 "2001-07-06T11:17:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gartog \* > \*\*I’m not sure how much better quality you’d get from a monitor as I _belive_ the resoulution of Console games is fixed to match TV resoulution. \*\* Console games look awful on monitors. You’d be better off buying a cheap 14" tv just for the Playstation. ---
**Author:** ![bauble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@bauble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bauble)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449/9 "2001-07-06T12:31:48Z")
I got a TV card (by Hauppage) for my PC for about $30 US. It only has mono output, but that’s all my TV had, so it wasn’t a big deal. You could also try Bleem! ( [http://www.bleem.com](http://www.bleem.com) ); it’s a PSX emulator for the PC that’s supposed to be pretty good. They claim to get better resolution from PSX games than the PSX itself (haven’t tried this one myself, so I can’t say). ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449/10 "2001-07-06T13:26:43Z")
AAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH. DON’T BUY BLEEM! [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=76400](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=76400) I’m not going to retype my usual rant about Bleem. Just read my last post on the thread above, then buy VGS if you want a good emulator. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![bauble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@bauble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bauble)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449/11 "2001-07-06T16:23:38Z")
Unfortunately, Connectix isn’t currently shipping VGS (after slortar’s comments, I had to check it out). Was the VGS only avaiable on-line, or are there retailers out there who might still have copies for sale ? ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449/12 "2001-07-06T17:47:08Z")
That’s a damn shame. Do they still offer it for on-line download through Digital River? It’s only a 3 mb file and a damn fine example of good programming. If that’s not the case, ePSXe is the best bet. That’s available through [zophar.net](http://zophar.net) as well. While it might not be quite ready for prime time at the moment, I can almost guarantee it’ll be the best PSX emulator out there within a year. Its hardware mode is quite impressive–all the sharpness of Bleem, without the throttling problems and rendering quirks. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449/13 "2001-07-06T18:17:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bryanmaguire \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Gartog \* > > \*\*I’m not sure how much better quality you’d get from a monitor as I _belive_ the resoulution of Console games is fixed to match TV resoulution. \*\* > > Console games look awful on monitors. You’d be better off buying a cheap 14" tv just for the Playstation. \*\* The Commodore 1702 Monitor is great for use with a console game or VCR. There’s some on eBay for as little as $10. ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2001, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449/14 "2001-07-06T19:12:36Z")
Nearly all of the old Commodore monitors for the C64 and early Amiga systems had a composite input. The best one for use with a console or VCR is the 1084S. The “S” stands for Stereo and it has built-in stereo speakers. I have one in my bedroom hooked up through a wireless video receiver to my cable converter, DVD, and VCR. Combined with an X10 multifunction RF remote, it works great. Avoid the 1950/1960/1942 monitors. They did not have composite inputs, IIRC. Another great monitor for multipurpose use was the old Mitsubishi DiamondScan 1381. It could handle analog RGB from 15.75KHz(Amiga) to 36KHz(PC VGA), digital RGB (CGA/EGA), and composite RGB. ---
**Author:** ![MrWhy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9f8e36/32.png) [@MrWhy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrWhy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playstation-computer-monitor/71449/15 "2001-07-08T23:02:42Z")
Thanks for your ideas everybody. It seems there are a number of solutions to my problem. Nice to be spoiled for choice. 🙂