How to connect a Nintendo NES to a computer monitor?

January 21, 2008 6:35 PM

I have an old school Nintendo NES that I would like to use with an LCD monitor. Is there an adapter for this or am I SOL?

I love my Nintendo but we don't have a TV.

The NES has the female video/ audio composite and the monitor has DVI and VGA connections.

Any suggestions on what I can do to connect the two?

posted by whycurious to Computers & Internet (11 answers total)

Something like this should get you up and running.
posted by nitsuj at 6:41 PM on January 21, 2008

Yup, the device nitsuj linked to will do the trick. You're looking to convert a composite video signal to VGA (DVI would be much more expensive and have no additional benefit). You can find similar devices used sometimes at videogame shops like Gamespot and the like.
posted by j.edwards at 7:00 PM on January 21, 2008

I bought this a while back for this same purpose.

It was a nightmare, due to the awful picture quality and delay from controller input to picture output. I returned it.

I still have and use my FC twin, but I much prefer to play old games in Virtual Console on my Wii.
posted by SlyBevel at 7:38 PM on January 21, 2008

Oh, and since it might come up: FC Twin. Awesome.
posted by SlyBevel at 7:51 PM on January 21, 2008

I have one of these. It works fine, but normal NTSC looks like ass on my 22" widescreen LCD. It's cool that you can connect the computer into the DVI port and the tuner into the VGA port and switch between them with the push of a button though.
posted by ODiV at 9:19 PM on January 21, 2008

CNET article with info about various LCD-compatible TV tuner options.
posted by nanojath at 9:49 PM on January 21, 2008

The only problem with running the NES through an LCD monitor is that the gun for Duck Hunt won't work...
posted by fvox13 at 10:45 PM on January 21, 2008

normal NTSC looks like ass on my 22" widescreen LCD

See, mine looked like ass on my standard format (4:3) 17" LCD. Maybe I just bought a bad model. It was cheap.
posted by SlyBevel at 10:46 PM on January 21, 2008

I have a video capture card on my PC. Maybe not what you are looking for, but you could 'capture' your NES signal (you don't have to record it though) and just play NES on your computer screen. It can run full screen too... All you need is composite or RF inputs and you are good to go. I have a Haupaugge unit, just search for them if you are interested. Mine was about $80 and has RF and composite in and out. My other card, a Pinnacle, has firewire and s-video in.
posted by Leenie at 12:00 AM on January 22, 2008

If you don't have moral qualms with emulation, you can get one of these bad boys.
posted by ejoey at 3:33 AM on January 22, 2008

All or most consoles have internal RGB signals people have already figured out how to access. So if you're handy with a soldering iron it's certainly a doable project. I don't think there's anything particularly tricky about going from RGB to VGA aside from getting the voltages and sync correct.

Here is a discussion or an RGB mod for the NES.
posted by 6550 at 8:19 AM on January 22, 2008