I am looking at putting a computer in my car similar to another 2gnter but I have a AVIC-N2 with a rca connect on the back. Is there any way to connect the VGA output on the tower or box to the video input on the monitor?

wouldnt the simplest solution be a video card with RCA out? youre going to hate the picture quality and its near impossible to read the fonts in windows without a VGA signal.

www.mp3car.com

read up and learn all you can, its what I did!

VGA is usually progressive synchronous data, there are 3 data lines for RGB and 2 clock lines for vertical and horizontal synchronization, a total of 5 data lines + ground. With RCA it is asynchronous data, there is 1 line for the composite of luminance (Y) + chrominance (UV), a total of 1 data line + ground. The issue going between VGA and RCA is that you will need some kind of processor to convert VGA's RGB + sync to YUV composite. Easiest way to do this is to have a video card that does this for you, but there are stand-alone devices on the market to do this conversion if your video card only does VGA.

Sorry for posting in the wrong section. Found the answer, BestBuy has a converter for an S-video to rca. That is the route I am going to go. I am not that worried about the screen because the only reason that I am doing it is to be able to data log, unless its going to be REALLY bad. I have the AVIC-N2 unit, that is what I am hooking everything up to. What do you think? Will the s-video do the job and let me read the fonts in windows?

Originally posted by Slo2g
What do you think? Will the s-video do the job and let me read the fonts in windows?

Doubtful, and if they even do show up it will have to be at your computers lowest setting- 640X480 or 800X600 etc. Be prepared to be fully dissapointed.

Originally posted by djtrickee
Doubtful, and if they even do show up it will have to be at your computers lowest setting- 640X480 or 800X600 etc. Be prepared to be fully dissapointed.

Thats a huge understatement lol, bt I totally agree. I have trouble reading the fonts on my big screen at 800x600 , I cant imagine trying to read them on a 7" monitor. RCA is fine for movies, S-Vid is ok for MAME, but you need VGA for text.

DJTrickee knows TONS when it comes to carputing, so its a good thing to listen to him, and me =)

But what about the video card that runs an s-video? I wouldn't be losing any from the s-video because I never had a VGA to s-video. Would it still be too small to read? If thats the case where can I get a converter that would allow me to use it?

Originally posted by Slo2g
But what about the video card that runs an s-video? I wouldn't be losing any from the s-video because I never had a VGA to s-video. Would it still be too small to read? If thats the case where can I get a converter that would allow me to use it?

You're missing the point entirely.

Sorry, I am not trying to be hard or anything. Just wanting to get this to work somehow. It was said earlier thought that there is a box that converts it into a useable signal. Where would I find one of those boxes? Sorry again for being difficult I just would like to have one built in to be different and to have datalogging capabilties at my fingertips.

I'll try to make this simple.

pure or converted signal doesnt matter. VGA has the best signal, and while Svid is better then RCA they both suck compared to VGA.

That VGA input on that screen was put there to use video games and DVD players, not PCs.

even more simply put:

It will be nearly impossible to use a computer on a S-Vid or RCA video connection.

What about modding the Xbox to run Windows 98? Couldn't I get the resolution to work then? Just a thought.

Windows runs like crap on an XBOX,

dont ask a question if you dont want an answer.... best advice I can give you now is to hook it up, then realize what we told you is true.

Not trying to be a smart ass but I do want answers thats why I am asking. I just thought that it might be another possibility. If it won't work then I trust you, it wont work. I guess I will just have to stick with a laptop then.

linux runs fine on a xbox. If you want to deal with it. Its not exactly car friendly, but it does work on a xbox.

Thats what I thought, but they know more about this topic then me. I am just the one asking the questions. I thought that linux would work fine on the xbox for 98, I don't know how 2000 will work if it will work and I know that tinyXP is too big for it. It was just a thought of a way to get a better picture out of it than going through a tower or laptop. Oh well no harm in asking.

if i could ask why do ppl hookup a labtop to there car and exactly how easy or expensive is it?

They run GPS, mp3's dvd, phone control, internet just to name a few.
Cost depends on your wants.
www.mp3car.com Check out the forums there, that will get you want your looking for.

Originally posted by Slo2g
Thats what I thought, but they know more about this topic then me. I am just the one asking the questions. I thought that linux would work fine on the xbox for 98, I don't know how 2000 will work if it will work and I know that tinyXP is too big for it. It was just a thought of a way to get a better picture out of it than going through a tower or laptop. Oh well no harm in asking.

You are missing the concept here. Its not the SOURCE, its the end of the chain, the DISPLAY.
Think of it this way. Lets say you own one of those old 1950's black and white tv's. They only had an antenna on the back of them and looked terrible.
Now go buy an adaptor for it and plug in a DVD player. It may work, but its still going to be B&W and its still going to look like shit. Now hook a Blue-ray or HD-DVD player to it, Even better source right? But its still going to be b&w and still look like shit.
Its not the laptop, or the xbox, or the dvd player, its the screen that was not designed to show a high-rez computer display.

I get that point but the xbox looks a little better on the smaller screen than the computer. People play games on the screen and can read the print. I know because I have an xbox on it right now. I just didn't know if the display would look better coming from the xbox than from a computer or laptop.

EDIT: N/M.

I'm out.

I get what your saying and it makes since. Like I said before I guess, oh well I guess I will just have to stick with a laptop. Thanks to everyone who put up with my stubborness and yes I know I have been annoying but I have learned something new. Again, sorry for the hardship but that is why I am a member of this site, to learn.