Most people that do that are using a video capture card. It's a PCI card that goes in the computer and has an S-Video input. Generally the software they come with can open a window of various sizes or go full screen.
Appearance? Depends on the hardware. It could be anywhere from total crap, to reeeaaaally pretty (:
If your video has composite or s-video input, you can do it like that (sony monitors and a couple hitachis) Otherwise you need a capture card. Either way, its going to look the same as a TV.
Originally posted by BrianCNorton If your video has composite or s-video input, you can do it like that (sony monitors and a couple hitachis) Otherwise you need a capture card. Either way, its going to look the same as a TV.
If you are comparing it to a Sony or Hitachi television, it would be close. But a Sony computer monitor has higher quality than a Sony television, and much higher quality than any other television.
There is a saying, "There are two kinds of monitors [tv and computer]. Those with Trinitron tubes, and those without."
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The way you'll get the best image is to use a Sony monitor with composite cabling. Composite has a seperate cable for each color, R G B. The next best would be S-Video. I've actually been playing on an OLD Panasonic TV with S-Video. It's pretty nice, but an 11 year old television tends to mess the colors up a bit. The reds and blues bleed together on the edges. I think it's time to get that 27" Sony Wega (:
For sound, the best quality is going to come from an SPDIF equipped DD 5.1 receiver. Using the digital optical sound output on the PS2 really increases sound quality. I've got a pretty nice Yamaha receiver that does all of today's standard sound fields, so in GT3 I can hear cars coming up behind me and which side they're on. It's pretty slick.
If you are comparing it to a Sony or Hitachi television, it would be close. But a Sony computer monitor has higher quality than a Sony television, and much higher quality than any other television.
You've right about a higher quality tube, but my point was that you cant expect a computer monitor to produce a picture of a higher quality than is being transmitted to it. Your playstation outputs an NTSC compatible signal. A monitor with the appropriate inputs to accept this signal has to switch operating modes from the RGB signal from your computer. At the point of the switch, the quality differences should be minimal, but noticeable.
Depending on where you are in a room, a high quality TV with the new fangled gizmometry could provide a better image because of the image preparation tools they use. (comb filters, black level control, etc)
