High-resolution and vivid color can be delivered by a good graphics card.
Getting video content off the Web and onto your computer is one thing, but delivering that content to a TV so you can watch it on the couch is another thing entirely. Fortunately, if your computer and TV are near one another, this is quite easy. Most modern graphics cards have a "TV-Out" port that can be used for this purpose, and the whole setup can be configured and controlled using the Control Panel in Windows.
Instructions
1. Click "Start," then "Control Panel," then "Display," then the "Settings" tab. You'll see a diagram of all the displays you have connected. Right-click on the secondary display and select "Enable" to enable it, if it is not enabled already.
2. Press the drop-down menu next to "Display" and select your preferred configuration. You can choose to have one display cloned on the other, or to extend your desktop from one display to the other.
3. Click the secondary display to select it, then click "Resolution" and select your preferred resolution for that display. A good resolution for non-HD TVs is 800 by 600, whereas HDTVs can typically handle any resolution your graphics card throws at it.
4. Check the box next to "Use this device as the primary monitor" while in Extended Desktop mode to set a display as primary. The primary display will have have all your desktop icons on it. If you are unsure which monitor is your primary monitor, click the "Identify" button and each display's will show its number.
5. Click and drag a display while in Extended Desktop mode to reposition it relative to other displays. For instance, if Display 2 is to the right of Display 1, your mouse will disappear off the right edge of Display 1 and appear on the left edge of Display 2.
6. Select the drop-down menu under "Color Quality" and select the color quality for each display. "Highest (32-bit)" should be fine for both displays.
7. Click the "Advanced" button to adjust settings that are particular to the card you are using. This will open your graphics card control center, where you can adjust things like anti-aliasing, 3D and overclocking. These settings are typically used for video game optimization, and are unlikely to affect your dual-view experience.
Tags: graphics card, Control Panel, Desktop mode, display select, display will, drop-down menu