Using ibook display as TV screen

you mean use just the display?
http://www.applefritter.com/holygrail

Thanks for the reply. . I don't have the cash, nor do I intend on spending any, so I though I would just create a converter. I have some programable chips, do it shouldn't be too hard. ^_^

If I end up having luck with it, I'll post how I did it. ^_^

If it ws really that simple, it would have been done. What you are planning is to take a dirty analogue signal, feed it into an A/D, feed that into a FPGA or something, and output custom LVDS to the LCD panel, and have the proper wiring between it all. Well, that's the argument in the holygrail link, but you want to do the controller section on your own. I don't mean to come off hard on you, but there are real EEs and people with other degrees around here, and they don't seem to think it's very easy or desirable to try. I've got a little hardware knowledge under my belt but no degree in that area to back it up. It's really not 'as simple as pasting a few wires together' and adding a custom controller, FWIK. Do you know the signalling limitations of LVDS? How dirty can the digital signal get before the LCD can't process it? Can you reasonably create your own controller solution cheaper than what the manufactures put into a *complete* Walmart $180 15" LCD display panel? It's the ROI (return on investment) that get the whole thing set aside. Is it really worth the time and effort to build your own controller setup when you could just sell off the parts and buy a finished and *guaranteed* LCD solution?

Welcome ot AF, BTW. We aren't trying to pick on you, but we get the LCD conversion question quite often, and you got me on a sit_down_and_write_a_lengthy_explanation kinda day. Cheers!

When it comes to forums, I've gotten harsher posts from users who like to talk harshly of others. Anyway, being the stubborn fool I am, I'm going to still give it a try.

well... maybe a little. You CAN do this./ You will spend easily twice as much as buying a premade LCD, it will look like ish* and take up a great deal of your time (if you do it properly, and actually read up on how it would all work before you start plugging and sticking wires to things.)
In the long run, the person unwilling to spend any money on the project and looking to build a screen for free will have spent a ton of money to prove the point that yes, he can be a stubborn fool and try to build a piece of crap.
In the end i still believe it to be a foolish move, throwing good money after bad.
(and by the way, ANGRY is spelled A-N-G-R-Y [no "E"])

Yes I know it's not spelled like that, I just did it that way. Also it's hard to make something shitty if you put effort into it the only difference is if it works or not and this isn't just to make a cheap monitor, I'm building it into my xbox as a built in screen.

Never tell anyone it can't be done. If that person is determined enough and has the expertease, Well ya never know. We might be looking a his mod working on that Xbox. go for it!, I for one want to see you do it.

What has been said is that it is faster and cheaper to buy an LCD monitor than it is to track down and buy a controller that will work with that particular ibook screen.

This project can't be done without spending money, and given that our poster doesn't want to spend any, then I would say it won't happen. This really isn't something that can be cobbled together on a rainy weekend out of spare parts, or as Jon said, we'd all have done it.

But I can't fault the enthusiasm.

Good Luck with it then, I do look forward to seeing it. My Xbox is currently rocking an executer3 modchip and a 120gig maxtor drive. I just did one for a friend with 3 120 gig drives (i believe he is looking to BACKUP his entire collection of games... he must own a blockbuster..) and an executer3 (best damn modchip out there for the soon to be outdated system) they also make a replacement front panel with an LCD in it that is awesome... built in BIOS status LED's, smooth integration of the bank switching switches, and a nice little LCD. I know you have probably seen the screens that are made to sit on top of the xbox (heres an example at $88.00: http://www.digitallyunique.com/g8270.html ) yes, they are smaller than an ibook screen, but they are already made for analog video... another part that might help you along your way is from a company called key digital it's the Key Digital KD-XB (found here for $170.00 http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/kd-xb.htm ) the circut inside this box will take the component video signal that is output from the Xbox analog section and convert it into straight VGA [I have one since I dont own an HDTV, but most modern VGA monitors fall within the spec to display HD... and it looks REALLY good] another good source for xbox parts is the llama ( http://www.llama.com/xbox/ ) and EarthLCD has been a great source of knowledge and parts for my previous LCD experiments ( http://www.earthlcd.com/ ) good luck, and let us know how it turns out.

Bill

(by the way i mainly use my xbox to run linux, use XBMC the xbox media center-- great program; even plays quicktime trailers on your tv right from the web! and to run emulators of all the old school systems)

actually, i think i found a controller that you could probably squeeze into your xbox that would work with this panel.... . $169.00 Check it out...

http://store.earthlcd.com/s.nl/sc.7/category.98/it.A/id.4297/.f

Controller Features -

Capable of 640x480, 800x600, & 1024x768 resolutions - Non-Interlaced VGA, SVGA, & XGA modes
Analog RGB (NTSC) input, with 75Hz max. vertical refresh rate
16.7 Million Color output
Compatible with multiple types of TFT LCD panels (firmware specific)
Requires 12V DC power input
TTL panel signal
Provides 3.3V, 5V, & 12V power for LCD panels
Dimensions - 3.710" W x 5.805" L x .555" H
OSD (On-Screen Display) functions include
Auto-Detect/Setup
Brightness & Contrast adujustments
Image position adjustment
RGB adjustment
Color temperature controls

The folks at EarthLCD are very helpful, ive bought several replacement panels for various high end remotes from them (pronto, AMX, Crestron) If you give them the info from the back of the iBook's LCD panel they should be able to tell you if this will work with it.

Anyone familiar with SCART video out put? I was looking at the different video out puts and SCART was one of them. I found it here: http://www.gamesx.com/avpinouts/xbox.htm

SCART is a european video connector almost standard... its pretty out dated...
The Scart (Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorécepteurs et Téléviseurs) connector is used for combined audio and video connections.
The connector is also known as Pertitel connector or Euroconnector.
A formal description is given in the CENELEC EN 50 049-1:1989 standard or in the IEC 933-1 standard.
Different pin-configurations exist. Which confirations are available depends on the video device used. Sometimes one can choose the configuration (like composite or S-video) by changing a software setting.
Two status signals define (partly) which video signals are active. A video device can use these status signals to automatically switch between internal or external audio/video signals.
Although interesting that MS decided to activate support for SCART on a device as modern as an XBOX (if you have a SCART tv and would like to hook them up you can get a cable at Lik-Sang for only $4.99 great if you live in europe or australia http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=83&products_id=1599& ) doesnt get you any closer to the LCD though.

again, there you go.
By the way, i do know a bit about video I am a CEDIA certified installer and Designer, and i have done literally hundreds of installations in homes and businesses.

Well, its been a couple of days... any headway?

I applaud your enthusiasm, however, I believe that realistically you won't be successful mating your ibook lcd with the xbox without spending any money. Take a look at a professionally made converter board to see what it takes to create one-- it is indeed much more than soldering wires together.

That being said, why not take a different approach. It sounds like you might have access to several broken iBooks. Why not take them apart and sell the salvaged parts on ebay or on other forums? iBook parts are always in demand, and you should be able to make more than enough money to buy a pre-made XBox LCD.