Psuedo Video Input

I'm going to college next year with my M14X. I don't have a TV, but I have a PS3 that needs to hook up to something and there's a cable TV outlet in the dorm.

I found out I could get the cable TV at pretty cheap price through a USB TV Tuner. I don't know what the quality would be like or if there would be any lag (lag between the audio and the video).

As for the PS3, I'm not exactly sure what to do. I saw a USB capture card, but from reading reviews about it, it seemed to only record the input into a videofile rather than displaying it in real-time. Is there any way to use my laptop screen to play my PS3 games on without lag?

If you have experience/knowledge about either problem, any recommendation would be great.

 

The HDMI on the laptop is/probably only HDMI Out.

Meaning no...

I remember asking about this/thinking about it and thought it would be genius if you could do that but sadly no...

You need a HDMI Input on a laptop to do that

 

I know there is no dedicated video input. I'm just wondering if there is some work around (hence the "psuedo" in the title) to get a my PS3 and cable TV on the laptop screen. Maybe it's not possible. I don't know. Given the thousands and thousands of gadgets we have available, I thought there would be some USB device that some company created to make this possible.

 

I can only recommend a top top tuner, it is going to be very expensive, not really meant for residential use really.
Blackmagic intensity shuttle

It uses USB3 so fine with m14x

 

Honestly, just buy a monitor. My Acer 23" was $135 and is 1080p, has HDMI VGA and DVI inputs. Buy a $40 USB tuner if you want to watch TV. You *could* plug the PS3 into the TV tuner, but the lag would be horrendous (>1000ms on mine)

 

Yes, definitely don't try the tv tuner usb method. It will lag or be expensive or both. Just pick up a cheap LED HDMI monitor. I got my Asus one 22" for 130 shipped I think. Oh yeah not to mention the video quality and sound will probably suck too.

 

The blackmagic I mentioned is incredibly good, at a hefty price
Blackmagic Design: Intensity Tech Specs

My mate is using it to record game video and edit, he made some awesome fullhd pictures and video with it. I remember you said you are a photoshop master in some other thread, so this might be useful.

 

Haha. I'm definitely not a photoshop master (maybe you have me confused with someone else?). I am a Computer Science Major though and will work a good deal with graphics.

Would you be able to just view the input without recording?

Edit: Without lag?

 

Actually with a bit of research it seems the device is a little tricky on capturing PS3/Xbox360 via HDMI due to HDCP protection. Seems some HDMI splitter could remove the encryption.

Maybe the video review on youtube helps. Since I dont own the device I cannot really give you much accurate info on this, sorry mate

 

You might be able to get around that by using the analog component cables.

 

Killer Juice, any solution to your situation is probably going to cost at least $100. You could probably get a decent sized monitor (20 inches or a bit more) for a little over $100. The monitor has the added benefit of working as an output for your laptop as well, so you can have a dual screen setup, or even output laptop games onto the larger screen. The other option would be to use a recording device that will probably cost you around $200 or more. You'll need to do research to find one that won't introduce lag, but if you get something good, you'll have the added benefit of being able to record gameplay.
I would go with the monitor myself. It's cheaper, probably more useful, and more certain to meet your needs.

Sadly, since there is no dedicated video input port on the computer, there is no easy or cheap way to get video onto the laptop's screen.

 

Agreed, by the time you find a way to get this all working, itll probably be close to the amount of a nice monitor and may even be a bit buggy.

Ex. Newegg.com - ViewSonic VX2250wm-LED Black 21.5" 5ms Full HD LED Backlight LCD monitor Slim Design 250 cd/m2 DC 10,000,000:1 (1,000:1) w/Speakers
not bad for 160 bucks

EDIT: it also has speakers so it would do audio, so its almost like a cheap HD small TV

 

Yeah. I began investigating other solutions and nothing is perfect. One device that looked really promising was the Spawn HD 720, but even that suffers from input lag.

I'll just get a cheap monitor such as the one you recommended. Why pay $200+ to get a half working input connector when you can just buy a monitor for $150

 

not sure if this has been suggested...but why not get a TV? ...i mean like a legit 30+inch TV

if you have a roomate, you could consider splitting the costs, and maybe one of you buys it (to keep it) at the end of the year (or you sell on craigslist)

by doing this, you can have a pretty social room when it comes to movies/sports/pre-gaming activities (no i dont mean pre-video gaming, i mean pre-gaming)
xbox/PS3 are also invaluable with hallmates/roomates in college.

seriously something to consider, it can really add to your freshman year IMO

 

I actually own a 32inch LCD TV that I bought a year ago with money I saved up. I just didn't plan on bringing it because I thought it would be awkwardly large. Thanks for the info! I'm really considering bringing it to college now.

 

Yeah, I mean. What if you bring a nice lady to your dorm and you don't even have a good TV to watch a movie with? Evening ruin-er imo

Yeah, a bit off subject, but had to say for lols