3 Ways to Display Your Raspberry Pi On a Monitor Or TV

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, home computers didn’t rely on dedicated monitors to display operating systems, applications and games. In those days, things were far simpler. Instead of paying extra for a monitor, the majority of home computer and console owners were happy to use their televisions. It might seem odd now, but 30 years ago people thought little of ignoring TV programs to play video games.

For some, the situation hasn’t changed all that much, with games consoles often connected to the family TV. But as far as computers go, the PC model of a dedicated monitor was eventually widely adopted. It would be unusual to see a home PC connected to a television, even if it isn’t impossible.

If you think about it though, the option to connect to different types of display unit is pretty flexible. This must surely have been in the minds of the Raspberry Pi developers when they were deciding upon how their users might use the computer. Despite its modest dimensions, the Raspberry Pi supports three methods of visual output, enough to cover pretty much any domestic display unit.

What The Developers Say…

When I spoke to Raspberry Pi Foundation co-founder Eben Upton recently, he explained that the stripped down computer was borne from the spirit of the 8-bit era.

“It’s a very cheap Linux PC, device in the spirit of the 1980s, a device which turns your TV into a computer, plug in to TV, plug a mouse and a keyboard in, give it some power and some kind of storage, an operating system and you’ve got a PC.”

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Three different connections are supported from the Raspberry Pi – HDMI, VGA and RCA. Yet the device only has two connections, HDMI and RCA – so what is going on? How do you connect a Raspberry Pi TV display?

It’s Got HDMI!

One of the most exciting things about the Raspberry Pi is that it comes equipped with a HDMI connector, meaning that anyone with a HDMI-compatible TV (which is the majority of people in North America and Europe) can easily connect the device to their living room television with an inexpensive cable.

Of course these days, many families have televisions in ancillary rooms and bedrooms, many of which are flat screen devices usually equipped with a HDMI connector.

Along with the SD card and power supply, the HDMI cable is one of the most important pieces of equipment that you can use with your Raspberry Pi, which means that in theory you can connect it to a wide selection of televisions and even modern desktop computer monitors.

Sadly, not all televisions and monitors have HDMI connectors.

Using a HDMI To VGA Adaptor

In the event that your chosen display unit doesn’t have an HDMI connector, the first thing you should do is check whether or not it has a VGA connector – the D-shaped connector that has been commonly found on computer monitors for the past 20-plus years. If your monitor is VGA-compatible, then all you will need is a HDMI to VGA adaptor in order to use your Raspberry Pi with that device or cable type.

You will also need to make a small change to the config.txt file that Raspberry Pi uses when it boots.

Using a memory card reader on your desktop computer, insert the Raspberry Pi SD card and open config.txt in your preferred text editor.

Look for the following lines:

#hdmi_force_hotplug=1

#hdmi_drive=2

Both options need to be enabled, which you can do by removing the hash symbol and saving. These options enable VGA output through an HDMI adaptor and sets the screen resolution to a low 640 x 480.

If you want a higher resolution Raspberry Pi TV display, remove the hash symbols from the following lines:

#hdmi_group=1

#hdmi_mode= 4

You will also need to edit these two lines, changing hdmi_group to 2 and hdmi_mode to 16. Remember to save your changes before safely removing and replacing in your Raspberry Pi.

Display Output Using RCA

A third option for displaying output on the Raspberry Pi exists – the RCA connector. This is found on the opposite side of the device to the HDMI port, just next to the audio port.

Using a standard RCA cable you can connect your Raspberry Pi to any compatible TV or monitor (the vast majority of those produced in the last 25 years), although note that as soon as an HDMI cable is connected the Pi will switch to that output.

Depending on your screen resolution, you may need to alter the way in which the Raspberry Pi displays windows. This will affect you if the monitor has a low resolution, but by changing the overscan settings in config.txt you can configure the video output to suit your monitor.

Conclusion

The Raspberry Pi continues to be a remarkably flexible device, surprising users in so many different ways. I had mine for several weeks before I discovered the RCA port (to be honest, I was too busy playing with operating systems and software) and the news that HDMI to VGA adaptors can also be used is just another reason for anyone who doesn’t already own the Raspberry Pi to head out and buy one.

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Awesome Computer Speakers You Can Buy For Under $100

Good PC ownership is a lot like good car ownership. You do more than just use it, you learn something about how it works. You don’t need to be a PC technician or a mechanic, but you should be able to identify certain signs of trouble so you can get your rig in for maintenance. Unfortunately, testing your PC for failing hardware isn’t quite as hands-on and easy to do as checking your car for worn tires or dirty oil. Fortunately, you have access to the minds of MakeUseOf.com and a wide web of free tools to test for failing hardware. Or, more appropriately, to check on the health of your hardware.

If you’ve ever opened up your computer, you know there is a lot of hardware in there, a lot of potential points of failure. That’s how pessimists and engineers talk. However, there are certain points which are more prime for failure than others. Those pieces of hardware that either generate heat or have moving parts tend to be the ones that fail most often.

Now that you’re thinking along those lines, you’re probably thinking of fans, hard disk drives, and CPU’s or GPU’s. You’d be correct that those are probably the most common points of failure in a system. RAM also tends to fail too, since it is constantly being written and re-written to, or flashed as they say in the electronics world. Solid-state memory can only handle so many flashes before it begins to fail, and this also applies to solid-state hard drives.

Windows 7 & 8

Windows 7 and 8 have some great utilities already built into them. In fact, there is so much inWindows that most of us don’t even know about, that we go and buy software that already does what Windows does. Even so-called power users can get caught in this trap. It’s almost like having a Swiss Army knife with so many blades, that we just go out and buy a normal pocket knife.

Resource & Performance Monitor

Both of these operating systems have a built-in diagnostic tool you might not have ever known about. To access the Resource and Performance Monitor, simply hold down your Windows key and press the letter R. A new window will open and you can type in the command perfmon /report, then click on OK.

A new window will open and will begin collecting data. This process takes a minute.

Then you’ll get a report with more information than you or I will probably ever know what to do with. The main report that you want to look at though is the Diagnostic Results - Warningsand the Resource Overview. The Diagnostic Results Warning only comes up if there are some warnings.

What’s nice about this is that there are links to more information about the situation and how to remedy it.

The Resource Overview is going to give you the red-yellow-green light overview of the major parts of your system. This gives you an instant overview of the health of these major components. Apparently my computer could use some more RAM, as I have a red light on my Memory. Or I could close a few applications I don’t need running right now.

There are several other reports available from the Performance Monitor, but most of those are advanced information. If you want to take the time to read up on them and understand them better, then good for you! You will become more intimate and proficient with your Windows system than you ever thought possible. Go for it!

Test Your RAM - Windows Memory Diagnostic

Another Windows feature is the ability to test your RAM, or memory, and see how that’s all working. What you’re looking for is the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool. You can find that on your Start Menu > Administrative Tools > Windows Memory Diagnostic.

Once you click on that, you’ll be given the option to either restart the computer and test the memory now, or to test the memory on the next system restart. Unless you’re in a rush right now to find out, go ahead and choose the restart option.

Now, when you restart your computer you are going to see a text-based screen telling you that the memory test is being performed. There are things about the test that you can change, but it will run a Standard Test by default. That will be good enough for our purposes. Once the test is done, if there are errors, Windows Memory Diagnostic will try to figure out what memory module is causing the problem and tell you. That’s a good time to replace that bit of RAM.

Error messages will also be recorded in the system log in that you can access via the Event Viewer – another cool piece of Windows software you might not have known about. We have an article that delves into that a lot more by Saikat – it’s an oldie but a goodie and still applies - How To Solve Any Windows Problem with Event ID.

What Else Can I Do To Check My Hardware?

Seriously? That’s not enough for you? Oh alright, I guess we do have a reputation of providing you with information about awesome freeware to uphold. Here’s a trio to get you started.

PC Wizard – CPUID

Great software, just be a little bit careful on the installation or you’re going to end up with the Ask.com toolbar installed and have your homepage changed to Ask.com. Minor annoyances really, when you look at the value of the software package. It will tell you everything you’d ever want to know about your hardware, system configuration, resources, and help you set benchmarks for testing your hardware.

That way, you can have a historical view of how your hardware is performing and identify any decline over time.

Speccy – Piriform

I’m a Piriform fanboy. Since I first started using CCleaner and Defraggler back before 2009, I’ve liked the way they design their software and user interfaces. Unobtrusive, instinctive, and they just plain work. Speccy, like PC Wizard, will tell you all about your hardware and then some. The Summary page gives you a great overview of where things are at, at a glance.

Sandra Lite – SiSoftware

SiSoftware is another long time player in the bench marking software world. I recall getting a trial version of this on a CD that came with a PC magazine back when I was in college. Yes that was last century. I was excited!! I have no idea what system I ran it on or what it told me, but I knew that it was industry standard software. There wasn’t a whole lot of freeware or even trials back in those days.

Sandra is still an industry standard and you can get a Lite version of her for free. If you’re looking for more details on this version, it’s worth the time to read Matt’s article, Benchmark & Explore Your PC With SiSoft Sandra 2011 Lite. All of the benchmarks are still in the newest version, whether it be your GPU, CPU, RAM, or HDD, Sandra will tell you where you are at.

The Take Away

What you should get from this article is that with just a little work and planning, you really should be able to avoid hardware failure surprises. Much like checking your tire pressure weekly, and changing the oil every 5000 km, computer maintenance by you should be habit and require the simplest of tools. You’ve already got them at your disposal, so why not make them part of your routine? You might save yourself a few bucks and you’ll definitely save yourself a LOT of heartaches.

Did you find this article useful? Learn a little something that you didn’t know? How about any other good tools to test PC hardware or monitor your hardware health? We’re always open and sharing – after all, we all in this together. Hit us up in the comments.

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How Can Hackers Hijack My PC?

Malware is usually very specific in what it does to your PC, whether that’s displaying ads, taking over your browser homepage and search bar, or nagging you to pay for some fake anti-virus. Hijacking however is potentially far more devastating, giving the hacker backdoor remote access to your entire PC.

This is the holy grail for how hackers hack, so it’s important to understand how it can occur and what you can do to protect yourself.

Social Engineering

This is the most common attack method, and we’ve given a full account of one such process before, involving a scam technical support call that goes something like this:

• “Hi, I’m from the security team at Microsoft and we’ve detected a virus warning from your Windows PC”
• They instruct you to open the event viewer, where there are lots of warning messages awaiting you, proving there must be something wrong!
• They offer to fix it for you, you just need to go to this remote support site and download the remote control software.
• They gain control of your PC, and proceed to do meaningless fixes, like opening file property dialogs.
• The login details are passed onto a criminal network who now have full access to your PC anytime they wish, and a tidy commission is paid to the guy who made the call.

The fake technical support scam isn’t the only way this can occur of course – if you leave your computer in the hands of someone you can’t completely trust, there’s always a chance backdoor software could be installed. Although there’s no cases recorded, a Best Buyemployee was found stealing raunchy pictures from a user’s PC – so there’s nothing to stop rogue repair technicians installing trojan software either.

While rogue technicians are certainly rare – the fake technical support scam is all too prevalent, and I’ve personally had to deal with the aftermath on family machines where they’ve fallen for it. The key to protecting yourself and your family is education – explain to less technically capable friends and family that these support calls are fake and they should simply hang up.

For single user computers, it’s also quite likely they’re using the administrator account by default. The safest thing to do would be to set up a restricted user account for them to use on a daily basis, and ask them to never use the administrator account without talking to you first.

Also, note that while Microsoft will never call you personally, they do sometimes contact home users – but only via their ISP so that they can confirm they are an existing customer, and charges will never be made.  This happened recently in 2010, when Microsoft set about cleaning 6.5 million computers of the botnet they were a part of.

Browser Vulnerabilities – Flash & Java

Modern browsers are themselves rather secure. Chrome and more recently others run website tabs in their own sandboxed environment, where no changes can be made to the local filesystem. However, plugins such as Java operate outside of this sandbox, so these remain a concern.

If these plugins are enabled and not blocked by the browser, malicious Java or Flash code can be run as soon as you visit an infected site, or even loaded through the untrusted ad-network of a trusted site.

Thankfully, most of these problems are mitigated by simply :

• running the latest version of a browser.
• keeping up to date.
• enabling “click to play” (so code doesn’t run automatically).
• uninstalling the Java plugin completely.

Really, no decent website uses Java anymore (note: Java and Javascript are completely different), and the average home user does not run Java applications.

Chris has explained the problem of browser plugin security before, so I’ll point you there for ways of either disabling or checking your particular browser and setup.

Port Scanning

I’m listing this last as it’s the least likely to affect home computers that are connected via arouter. If you’ve read our explanation of what port forwarding is, you’ll understand that any application that needs to receive information over the network is required to open a port. Sometimes these are predetermined – such as a web server on port 80 – and other times they’re just random. By default, unused ports are closed, so that’s where the difficulties around port forwarding arise.

If you want to run a web server from your home PC, you’ll need to configure the router specifically to take incoming traffic for port 80 and forward it to your PC. Some applications and devices use uPnP, which handles this configuration of opening ports as and when required. If you have an Xbox 360 for instance and regularly play online, it’s using this to configure ports dynamically.

Port mapping involves a hacker scanning your router from the outside and systematically talking to every single port number, looking for open services. Once the services are found, the hacker is able to check certain characteristics that identify the version of software being run (“software footprints”). The version is then cross-checked against a database of known vulnerabilities, and if a match is found they can proceed with the exploit. Although this sounds laborious, in practice it’s a single tool to scan, cross-check and deliver the exploit.

Unless you’re doing things like setting up your own network servers and performing manual port forwarding, it’s unlikely you’re vulnerable to simple port scanning. However, if you’re curious about what ports are open on your home network, there’s a quick Internet-based tool available here, though you’re limited to the standard ports and 500 others. If you run Linux, check out the nmap tool for a more full test.

The exception to being protected by a router is when you’re connected to public Wifi. You’re placed on the same network as everyone else, and any one of them could be running a port scanner looking for vulnerable services.

Finally, Matt wrote a great PDF guide - HackerProof, Your Guide to PC Security - which should be considered essential reading on the topic.

Have you ever had your computer hijacked, and if so, what happened? Do you know how they got in?

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Never Buy a Phone From Your Carrier! Buy Unlocked Phones and Save Hundreds

Did you know it’s much cheaper to buy your phone independent of a carrier? The big cell companies sell phones at a tremendous markup, disguising their overpricing through subterfuge: The true price of the phone gets rolled into the monthly cellular bill.

Never buy a smartphone from a carrier—ever. Most consumers don’t know that they can purchase their phones from retailers and pay less than if they did from the carrier. The key word that you’re looking for is unlocked. Unlocked phones can work withMVNO plans, which offer the same service as the big carriers for about half as much.

The six phones presented in this article provide excellent value, with prices starting at $120 and going as high as $650. However, if you are looking to sign a contract with a carrier (and I strongly suggest that you do not), check out Matt Smith’s list of the best phones you can buy right now—he’s absolutely correct. However, if you need reasons to dump your carrier and hook up with an MVNO, read about it here.

Two Kinds of Phones

As I’ve mentioned before, there exist two kinds of unlocked phones—those that work with GSM networks, those that work with CDMA. I should note at this point that other technologies exist, but they’re not entirely mainstream and largely based on the ubiquitous GSM standard.

CDMA: CDMA technology semi-locks phones into a single network, so while these phones can unlock, there’s all kinds of associated hassles in transferring them from one carrier to another. For GSM phones, however, phones can migrate to another network by simply changing the SIM card. CDMA technology in comparison does not use any kind of card.

• In the US: Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, MetroPCS and US Cellular.
• In Japan: DoCoMo.

GSM: Internationally, GSM remains the dominant cell technology. CDMA does exist in almost all markets, although it’s generally associated with third tier carriers. It’s only in the US that it possesses the lion’s share of the market. Consequently, most dual-SIM international phones are GSM based.

• In the US: T-Mobile and AT&T.
• In India: Airtel, Reliance Communications and Idea Cellular
• In the United Kingdom: O2, EE andVodafone

The phones presented in this article are specifically labeled with the correct network that they function on. When purchasing a phone, always make sure you’re buying the right model for your network. If you’re switching to an MVNO, the MVNO will correspond with a particular network—for example, Ptel (which rents spectrum from T-Mobile) only works with GSM phones, both AT&T and T-Mobile. I explain in detail in this article.

Criteria

I use three factors in determining the phone’s final grade: First, the best features of the phone are weighed. Second, the worst features of the phone are weighed. Third, I divide the price of the device by the aggregated consumer feedback scores from Amazon, Newegg or other review websites (whichever was available). The final result shows how much you pay per star of rating. This measure isn’t intended as a serious metric, although it should indicate better overall value, rather than raw performance.

BLU Dash 4.0 ($119.46 via Amazon)

BLU Product’s Dash 4.0 is the cheapest Android 4.0 smartphone you can buy unlocked,anywhere. While the manufacturer is a newcomer, their products have been getting solid reviews. And they’re also the only manufacturer that specializes in unlocked cell phones.

Networks: GSM

Pros:

• The lowest priced, unlocked Android phone with Ice Cream Sandwich.
• Dual SIM for international travelers.
• Good value for its performance and features.
• Great value and lowest total price for a brand-new phone.

Cons:

• This phone may not receive an update to JellyBean.
• No root access or custom ROM community.

Per star rating: $119.46/3.8 stars = $31 per star.

Apple iPhone 3G 8GB ($174.94 via Amazon)

Apple’s iPhone 3G still works great, even though it’s aging. If you’re locked into the iOS app environment, the 3G provides the cheapest entry point for a mobile device that’s still functionally modern. Also, for refurbished phones, consider purchasing an after-market replacement plan.

Networks: GSM

Pros:

• The cheapest entry point for iOS.
• Inexpensive replacement parts.
• Inexpensive cases and peripheral devices on secondary markets.

Cons:

• Old: The iPhone 3G is already several years old.
• Poor value: For what you pay, this is a very poor deal.
• Refurbished.
• No iOS 6: While a jailbroken 3G in theory might take iOS 6, the performance would likely be terrible.

Per star rating: $174.94 / 2.8 stars = $62.48 per star

HTC Nexus One ($155 via Amazon.com)

HTC built the first phone in the Nexus series. While the phone’s single core CPU is starting to feel its age, it retains one of the strongest followings within the Android development community. Also, for refurbished phones, consider purchasing an after-market replacementplan.

Networks: GSM

Pros:

• Strong custom ROM support and easy to root—support for JellyBean!
• Inexpensive replacement parts.
• Inexpensive cases and peripheral devices on secondary markets.

Cons:

• Old: The 1GHz single core CPU
• No warranty.
• Refurbished.

Per star rating: $155 / 3.7 stars = $41.90 per star.

BLU Vivo 4.3 ($188.99 via Expansys)

BLU Products manufactures a range of low-cost Android smartphones. Although an relative unknown in the US, it provides some of the best deals on an unlocked phone around. Additionally, it recently committed to upgrading the Vivo 4.3 to JellyBean. As a result, the Vivo provides a great deal to those who want a good performing phone, without the potential for modifying the ROM.

Networks: GSM

Pros:

• OS Upgrade forthcoming: JellyBean (Android 4.1)
• Decent quality camera.
• Pentaband (high compatibility with GSM networks) and dual-SIM.

Cons:

• Development support for unlocked phones unlikely.
• Dual core processor not comparable to cutting edge smartphones.
• Lack of LTE.
• Not rootable and no custom ROM community.

Per star rating: $188.99 / 4.2 stars = $45 per star.

LG Nexus 4 (8GB $299, 16GB $349)

The Nexus 4 is part of Google’s Nexus program, where Google picks the parts and the manufacturer produces it. The Nexus series remains one of the best performing phones on the market. As an added bonus, these phones are highly prized because they can easily be rooted and modified with a custom ROM. Full disclosure: I own a LG Nexus 4 and love it more than my own family.

Networks: GSM, rumors of a Sprint and Verizon CDMA model on the horizon.

Pros:

• Best valued smartphone in terms of cost-to-performance.
• Great custom ROM support and easy to root.
• High quality construction.
• Good camera.

Cons:

• No microSD support.
• No official LTE support.
• Partially sealed in battery: The Nexus 4 battery isn’t entirely user replaceable. Removing the battery requires a Torqx screwdriver and a hairdryer or heat-gun.
• Fragile: The glass back shatters easily.

Per star rating: $299 / 4.5 stars = $66 per star and $349 / 4.5 stars = $77 per star.

Samsung Galaxy S3 ($439.95)

Samsung, recently scandalized by possible phony HTC reviews, currently dominates the smartphone market. Their flagship phone, the S3, comes well regarded and is compatible on all major networks in the US. However, the GSM version works great internationally.

Networks: GSM, Verizon-CDMA, Sprint-CDMA

Pros:

• Remains one of the fastest handsets around.
• Android 4.0 (ICS).
• Large Super AMOLED screen at 4.8″.
• Good community support for rooting and installing custom ROMs.

Cons:

• Soon to be replaced by the Galaxy S4.
• Samsung does not update their phone’s operating systems.
• International edition doesn’t have LTE, although it does have a quad core CPU.

Per star rating: $439.95 / 4 stars = $110 per star.

iPhone 5 ($650 via Apple Store)

The most ubiquitous brand in this article, Apple created the smartphone market.

Networks: GSM (requires contract for Verizon-CDMA and Sprint-CDMA)

Pros:

• Latest, state-of-the-art product from Apple.
• Cutting edge features.
• iOS, if you are locked into the Apple app ecosystem.

Cons:

• Most expensive phone you can buy.
• Small screen, although high quality Retina display.

Per star rating: $650/3.7 stars = $175 per star.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for an unlocked cell phone with good value, BLU Products Dash 4.0 or the BLU Vivo 4.3 provide the best products on the market. Unfortunately, because of the relative obscurity of their manufacturer, few reviewers have given credit to otherwise value-packed phones.

On the other hand, the best reviewed, unlocked cell phone on the market is the Nexus 4. Personally, if I weren’t so obsessed with custom ROMs, I would have preferred the Dash or the Vivo over my Nexus. Combined with the right plan from an MVNO, you can save hundreds of dollars a year and still have a great phone.

Anyone own a BLU phone? Or does anyone else prefer MVNOs/prepaid plans? Let us know in the comments.

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