PS3 without HDTV! The nerve you say, but rest assure I’m not referring to the use of a standard television set. Having made the successful leap to a ‘next-gen’ console with the purchase of my PS3 a week ago, I plan to continue with a Xbox 360 in a few months, and if I can find one a Wii! And even though it’s not as vitally bad an experience some would lead you to believe, a small 20′ SDTV screen and s-video cables will get your gaming on, which is by far more important 
. However, having said that I knew I was missing something far superior that only an HD screen could grant me.
Due to my current situation I was unable to hook up my new PS3 to my beloved Samsung 42″ DLP HDTV tele, and as previously mentioned was reduced to playing it on a standard 20″ Apex through s-video cables’ for shame! Now to be fair playing PS3/Xbox 360 on a standard set isn’t all that bad, granted the fact that you’re using s-video cables and not the supplied composite cables you received with your PS3. The ‘next-gen’ experience was definitely there just not as smooth and bleeding edge as it should be. Realizing this I sought out ways to get my PS3 on my only HD display in my room, and since I didn’t want to spend needless money on a new HDTV set it was an obvious choice and thankfully a much cheaper alternative to connect the PS3 to my PC monitor which can easily handle 720p. So what do you need to do if you’re in my situation? Follow these simple steps to HD gaming bliss.
This tutorial is for LCD displays, but the same can be done with CRT monitors but with more expense since you will need to purchase a component to VGA box and component cables (which I will explain in an upcoming article). And just to let you be aware, Sony hasn’t released a similar VGA cable that Microsoft so gracefully did, which would make this entire process much simpler, but I digress.
10 steps to HD Bliss
- 1. Be sure that your particular model is HDCP compliant (it actually needs to state this
) if it’s not then the PS3 will not show up on your screen simply because it uses Blu-ray disks which are HDCP enabled. - 2. Pick up an HDMI to DVI cable for no more than $10 or less because anything above isn’t necessary to get your gaming on, especially since you won’t be setting up your PS3 across the room.
- 3. You will need your original PS3 cables (yes they have some use) for audio along side with y-adapter or cable to convert from RCA red and white to a 3.5mm female input. You might have a tough time finding that particular adapter/cable around so you will need to purchase one with a 3.5mm male plug which can be purchased from any electronics retailer such as Radio Shack/The Source for no more that $7 or less. (You may also need a female coupler to plug in your headphones or PC speakers which I’ve done and that will cost around $3)
- 4. Once you’re setup and ready to go, plug your composite yellow video cable into a standard television and your HDMI to DVI cable from your PS3 to your monitor.
- 5. Browse to display settings from you PS3 xmb (cross media bar) and choose HDMI as your output.
- 6. Click right on your controller once and your SDTV should go blank
- 7. Immediately unplug your yellow composite cable and switch your monitor’s source to digital output if it wasn’t already, you should now see the PS3 xmb on your monitor yay!
- 8. Choose the resolution your monitor supports, which is usually up to 720p (1280×720) for 20′ or less monitors. If you have a monitor that supports resolutions up to 1920×1080 then you can select 1080i/1080p as well. If your monitor doesn’t support this resolution you will receive an ‘out of range’ error if applied. If that happens wait for 30secs and your PS3 will revert back to the last working display.
- 9. Now since HDMI carries sound and DVI does not, you’ll need to switch your audio source back to A/V multi in your sound settings>audio output settings as it was switched to HDMI by default
- 10. You can now plug your headphones or speakers into the y-cable setup you assembled earlier and you should now be sound enabled. You can also avoid the previous step if you use an optical output, but you will need an audio receiver around.
That’s basically all that needs to be done, it take a few minutes providing you have everything you need and it’s worth the effort since it will save you hundreds of dollars on purchasing a new HDTV. And between you and me, the monitor is still superior to many expensive television sets out there
What you will need
Screenshots
{click to view larger image}
Until next time
Related Links
Monoprice.com (if you’re an online shopper, you can buy all you need for under $10 minus s/h)
Tito A. Belgrave is currently employed as a Character Artist at Ubisoft Toronto. He's also an avid freelance game journalist. 
And Juan,
You should at least be able to get 720p.
PS: Don’t choose 1080i, 720p is better than 1080i for some reason. Well to my opinion.
Bye
Whats up peoples. Thank you lildragon for all that info. I read it, and did lots of research on monitors cables requires, and speakers, and know exactly what to do. I just have to buy it all. (Should probably get a job. though, I do have $300 lying in my desk.)
I do have one question though. I don’t remember there ever being a 720p or 1080p option in the PS3. Does that show up after you set up an HDMI. I’ve only been using the standard A/V cables supplied with my PS3. I do have an HDTV, but no HDMI. I figured it would be easy to just play it on there, but my family uses it a lot, and I almost never get to use it. So I wanted to get a monitor.
The only question I have is based on that display settings. How do you set 720 or 1080p? On the PS3 or through the monitor?
What’s up Danny!
Good thing you know on what you will do!
Okay, yes there is an option of the resolution settings.
You can find it at the setting display ( From the menu of your Ps3 ) and you will see the cable options. ( HDMI, etc. ) If you click HDMI, you will see these resolutions with boxes to tick beside them.
Now you can choose the resolution your monitor will support. – Just tick the boxes and click finish.
Thank you.
Thank you. I set HDMI at my friends house, but it kinda did it automatically. I didn’t remember anything like resolution settings. Maybe it was there and I just overlooked it. Anyways, thanks for answering the question.
Your welcome Danny.
I have given up. It was too much, i spent hours and hours trying to find a way to make it work or the button sequence but nobody was willing to give so i stick to plaing it on composite on a tiny 19″ tv.
Hey Steve. Just do what Career Gamer did. Have your regular cable (Those regular supplied RCA cables) hooked up to your tiny tv. Make sure that your HDMI is NOT plugged into your PS3 yet. But do plug it into your monitor (DVI/HDMI). and don’t forget to turn the monitor on.
Turn on your PS3 and you should see it on your tiny low res tv. (or hold it down until it beeps twice.) Once it’s on and you can actually see the PS Xmedia bar, Now, plug in your HDMI, then go to the PS settings and change the cable source to HDMI. The low res tv should go blank and you should be able to see picture on your monitor (given that you have one that supports at least 720p and is HDCP enabled.)
From there, you’re set with video settings. All you have to do now is to set up audio. You could always just leave your tiny tv on and use that for a speaker source, but that’s just weird. Actual speakers with the right connections (mentioned above) should bring you sound.
Use:
http://www.monoprice.com for accessories
http://www.cablewholesale.com for cables
http://www.newegg.com for speakers/monitors
Hi,
i have Acer x222w (like Sindri above (23rd feb)) and the new 80GB PS3. However, i get a “Input not Supported” message when i tried the above method, which is very irritating because it should work!
It automatically asked if i wanted to change the output settings to HDMI when it detected it – i said yes (was that a mistake?). But nothing appeared… the sound works though but i can’t view anything…
HELP! I have a PS3 but nothing to view it on!
I really hope i’m not missing something obvious.
Thanks for your help in advance
Hiya Will, you didn’t make a mistake, it should take but chances are it was set to 1080p by default since this is what HDMI looks for. Try holding down the power button for 2 beeps to reset it, and then choose 480p/720p and that’s it. You monitor cannot support 1080p, it can ‘possibly’ support 1080i but not 1080p. Try that and let me know.
Hey lildragon,
SUCCESS! i found this on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuXc9z6XP14&feature=related
This guy is a legend!
For anyone who needs to know how to connect an Acer x222w 22″ TFT monitor to a PS3.
And i’m running it on 1080p!
Very nice congrats! Looks like you scored a nice monitor there after all. I couldn’t get this lil cheat working on mine but it’s good that the Acer supports 1080p. At my work place we had some Samsung SyncMasters that achieve the same thing, so it’s indeed a rarity. I believe it’s an internal upscaler. Let us know of any long term effects.
1080p was a huge surprise tbh, but a very nice surprise at that! It looks so purdy i want to stroke it….eh-hem…
You’d understand how happy i am if you saw what piece of crap i was viewing the ps3 on before – a 13yr old 12″ crt TV, with a dodgy scart and no remote…it’s like going from the stone age to the space age! I also have no TV so entertainment is limited.
Yeah, i did notice the upscaler before but didn’t think that it would be compatible at 1080p with an Acer. I have a new found respect for them now. Especially that the x222w matches the PS3 so well (in terms of aesthetics). And not very expensive either.
I’ve already noticed since i bought it that other HDCP and HDMI monitors are becoming cheaper. Dell make a 24″ HDMI monitor for 200. 60 more than my 22″ but it would definitely run 1080p quite happily.
I’ll be in touch about any future troubles/quibbles.
Peas and love.
Can the PS3 connect to Hp w2007′The resolution is 1400×900 60hz…
@Sam132161
The PS3 should be able to connect to the w2007. As long as you have the right cables and the monitor is HDCP compliant, then it should be fine. You’ll have to set the resolution at 720p though, but it should be able to play fine, as long as it’s HDCP.
I also have the Acer X222W and it works fine in 1080p and looks brilliant but I cant play DVDs or ps2 games. It should be able to synch down to 480p, does anyone know why not, I have tried all of the settings have not got anywhere.
The DVDs are more important then the ps2 games if anyone knows a way round this. Cheers.
I’m not too sure about the DVD’s but the PS2 games are more dependent on what model your PS3 is. If it’s one of the original 20, 60, or 80 GB models, then it should play your PS2 games fine.
And even so, your PS3 should be able to play your DVD’s fine as well.
You might have to check your display settings and upscaler. You could also just go to the PS website and get support directly from them.
Now, this is a question. Most 22″ monitors only support 1680×1050 pixels, but how is it that people are able to get 1080p resolutions on those monitors when it shouldn’t be able to support that much.
Hi, I’ve read your main post, and even all the comments, and I still have a question.
I hooked up my PS3 to my HP W2207H 22″ HDCP-compliant monitor, via HDMI cable. On the start-up PS3 screen, where I can manage all my options, my monitor says it displays in 1080p, and my PS3 is set to 1080p as well. (This posed a slight pleasant surprise to me, as I heard a 22″ monitors aren’t capable of displaying 1080p.)
However, once I play in-game with a game such as GTA4, which supports 720p, 1080i, and 1080p resolutions, the game is only in 720p.
There is no in-game setting to change, and no way to get back to the PS3 screen while in-game to check what’s up.
Thanks for your help.
Hi, I have a Dell S2209W monitor 22″. Will a PS3 go well with it, because it uses a twisted nematic panel, which lessens the number of colors visible.
I’m not sure what you mean by “plug your composite yellow video cable into a standard television” since I’m using an External Monitor…
Your help will be appreciated!
Just get a Benq E2200, its got a hdmi input. Works great.
Hi Preston,
Go back to the Display Settings then custom, un-tick all the other resolutions but leave the 1080p ticked. After that it should force it to 1080p now.
Enjoy
Adam,
The problem is that if you don’t have enough money to get an LCD with HDMI or you already have one which is capable of HDCP.
hi.. im using a 19 inch dell e1909w, since my monitor maximum resolution is 1440 X 900 can i set my display settings to 1080i?
I just got this Monitor “ViewSonic VX2245wm 22″ Widescreen LCD Monitor with Integrated iPod Doc” for christmas and I was wondering if anyone could tell me exactly what I need to hook it up to my xbox 360.
Can you use the above same cords but substitute the hdmi to dvi with a hdmi to vga and still get the same response? I heard some cables lag, I dont know if this is true but I wanted to know. Also do you know how to connect to a laptop? I mean it would be a better idea for me because I can take my laptop to work. I know the vga connection is an output only but isnt there a cheap alternative like the usb audio video capture cards?
VGAnalogue is analogue while DigitalVI is digital, so there’s no way you would do that. To convert, you need either a special CPU or a converter which would cost you hundreds.