PC TO TV CONVERTERS
 PC to TV converters
have had a bad reputation. Early units gave poor quality fuzzy images
and were plagued with compatibility problems. Modern units are much
improved. There are a variety of PC to TV converters to choose from.
You can typically spend from $100 and up. Some notebook computers may even come with built in PC to TV converters.
Most teachers in a small to medium sized Sunday School class can get by
with a model in the $200 range. A church looking to use one in an auditorium probably needs to get a better quality unit. If you plan to rebroadcast then you can spend several thousand dollars. For the medium to small classroom however, since many churches already have
large screen TVs then the teacher with a notebook computer (or the church's
desktop computer on a cart) can be ready to go for far less additional
price than a projector system. I used such a system for some 5 years and still use such systems on occasion. The main drawback of such PC to TV systems
is that screen size is usually limited.
Technical Considerations
PC to TV systems, however,
have several advantages other than price. The main advantage of such
converters is image brightness. TVs can almost always be used in
fully lit rooms. This allows students to take notes and read from
their own Bibles. One problem with TV’s however, is glare from overhead
lights that may reflect off of the glass of the screen.
 Older PC to TV converters often required operators to use special software
in order to get a good screen image. Modern versions require no extra
software and are as simple to operate as plugging one end of the converter
into the VGA port on your computer and plugging the other end into the
RCA or S-VIDEO port on your TV. Be aware
that few converters output to standard cable TV type coax connectors.
For a variety of reasons, such output usually doesn’t give a good quality
TV picture. Plan to use a TV with either RCA or S-Video inputs.
Not Just for Class
PC to TV
converters have uses other than in the classroom. In a church budget
meeting for example, a treasurer can easily share with a small group of
decision makers a spreadsheet showing the effects of different spending
plans. Those leading home Bible study groups can  integrate
the use of their Bible software into their group discussions. This
is especially helpful when people involved in the study are not familiar
enough with the Bible to know how to look up references. All they
have to do to follow a leader with a PC to TV converter is to be able to
watch TV! Those leading studies involving class members who have limited
English language skills can often find Windows Bible software that will
allow them to display two languages in two different windows. A teacher
could thus show both English and Spanish translations simultaneously for
that kind of mixed language group.
.
Practical Advantages
Churches
might be a bit hesitant to check out a $2,000 projector to members for
home use but may feel far less restrictive with a $100 converter. Electronic overhead projectors and panels are much larger and often have
a lot of cables. Teachers may not want to lug home a bulky overhead
projector or try to rearrange their home to set up some kind of projection
screen for group Bible studies but may find that plugging in a PC to TV
converter is quite convenient. PC to TV converters are not only small
and lightweight but typically are not nearly as fragile as LCD based units.
As more
multimedia Bible software becomes available the uses of the computer by
the church for education becomes very attractive. With a little imagination
church members will find more and more uses for this technology.
PC to TV converters
are a good way for churches with limited budgets to get started in using
the computer in the small classroom. Churches can easily spend a
lot of money on new video or computer technology. People unfamiliar
with the use of multimedia or computers in the classroom may not be supportive
of the church expending funds on such items. PC to TV converters
are a cost effective way to demonstrate the use of the new technology to
those who are unfamiliar or skeptical of the practical uses of computers
in the Bible class.
WHICH CONVERTER SHOULD I BUY?
A few years ago there weren't very
many to chose from but today there is a wide range of selection. Older technology units usually required
software to make the converters fully compatible with Windows type software.
Modern units are "flicker free", require no additional software and the
main controls are located conveniently on the converter. Some companies
even package presentation software and wireless remote controls with their
products.
The more expensive units
come with a feature called "Genlock". Genlock is usually only found on expensive broadcast units
and is not needed by the typical teacher. Genlock is a feature
that allows the converter to be used in effectively mixing regular video
images from a video camera with the computer and is usually used by those
making title screens and text overlays for motion video.
One feature
that virtually all converters have is "overscan" control. If you
look closely at your TV screen and computer monitor you will notice that
they are not the same shape. The computer screen is a lot wider than
it is tall. The computer image doesn't exactly fit on the TV screen.
The "overscan" control allows you to control how you deal with this difference
in height to width ratio. In addition, some converters allow you
to "freeze" the TV image. Such converters allow the teacher to put
an image on the TV screen, "freeze" it and then go back and work on their
computer. The class only sees the last image frozen. The teacher
or their assistant can work on their computer preparing for the next image
without disturbing or confusing the class. This can be very handy
when the teacher wants to look up some obscure reference or check some
definition.
Matching Capabilities
Some older units you might find on eBay are capable of a few thousand colors but modern units can show millions
of colors. Be careful when interpreting such information however,
your converter won't be any more powerful than your computer. I once
proudly marched into Bible class with a notebook computer and PC to TV
converter to display the beautiful million color photos that I had processed
on my home desktop computer. It was more than a little disappointing
to find out that the notebook computer I was using was only set to
display 16 colors. I told the class to just "imagine" the other
15 million colors. It was funny at the time but sure took a lot of
punch out of my presentation. No image system can project any better
image than you have set your computer to show.
 Another time I used a computer set up for an 800 by 600 display but plugged
it into an old converter that was only capable of 640 by 480. The result
was a jumble of color. I finally "dumbed" my notebook computer down
to 640 by 480 resolution only to find that in that mode the notebook was
not capable of dual screen display. The TV now showed the presentation
that I had prepared but the notebook computer screen went blank! Check
out all your color and resolution requirements before purchasing your converter. The TV will not give any better image with an 800 by 600 or greater converter
but you may loose lots of convenience on the computer side.
Wireless Controls
 Be careful also in your expectations of bundled "image capturing" software
and wireless "mouse". Image capturing software can be tricky to use
and unless you are willing to buy a top of the line wireless mouse you
may be disappointed. A remote control that uses 4 directional buttons
to control cursor movements is really more of a handheld wireless keypad. Don't get me wrong. Any kind of wireless control is handy in the
classroom but make sure you know what you are getting. Don't expect
more than what is advertised.
Some wireless controls come with special
software that give you lots of special effects like zoom, highlighting
and slide show controls. Several give you marking tools that let
you circle and underline text and images for emphasis. Many of the
remotes bundled with PC to TV converters do not act as wireless mice at
all but rather simply give you remote control over the converter's functions
such as scan control, freeze frame or zoom. Read the specifications
of your device carefully so that you won't be disappointed after the sale.
When buying a PC to
TV converter make sure to check that its output cables match the TV you
are planning to use. Some units only have RCA output plugs and others
may have RF, RCA and S-VHS. Check your TV or VCR manual for your
system. Many systems are only NTSC compatible so you may not be able
to use them overseas.
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