TV and Monitor question

I have a VCR next to my computer with a 19" TV, and I a fairly new computer running xp. My computer can run almost any new stuff that is supported by xp, but I am wondering if there is a way that I could use my tv as almost a dual monitor? I know there are cards out there that connect your tv to your pc, but I am wondering if I could for example have my computer play a dvd on my tv while programming or something like that. I asked a few friends of mine, but they weren't really sure if it was possible.

At work we have muitple monitors up, but we have two different vid cards. I don't suspect it'd be any different in your case.

that is what I was thinking, but I had heard that the tv can only mirror your computer or the other way around, not using it as another monitor, although I think there may still be a way...

> the tv can only mirror your computer or the other way around, not using it as another monitor, although I think there may still be a way...

Well, yeah - since the TV'd be hooked to the computer, it'd just show what would normally be on the monitor (or that half of the screen, if you used 2 cards). You could always jsut use the right side of the screen to watch movies, but I doubt that'd be the best way. I'm sure there's some software or hardware out there for thsi - try google.

Didnt old computers use TV's as monitors all the time? How did they do that? Was a TV connector standard on a computer back then?

I think part of that had to do with that tvs used different types of input cables then

> How did they do that? Was a TV connector standard on a computer back then?

I don't know how they did, but I know that now, many new video cards come with S-Video out, including my new one (if I could only get the damn thing to work)