An archive of the South African PCFormat forums.
https://tuhinga.ron2k.za.net/pcformat/
These FAQs are reposted from [H], but I am the original author --linear
Q: How can I stick a laptop LCD in my desktop case?
A:You need (at minimum) a controller. Laptop LCDs do not interface directly to VGA. You may also need an inverter for the backlight.
Q: Where can I get a controller for a laptop LCD?
A: EarthLCD has them. Expect to pay a couple hundred US dollars for it. You can also buy complete kits there.
Q: Can this actually be done? It sounds very difficult!
A: Yes. It's been done, by tiberius on [H] foums. (no link currently available)
Q: what are my other LCD options? I don't want to plonk down that kind of cash.
A: Somewhat less expensive is to use an with NTSC video input (like these mobile video units), and drive it with a vid card that has a TV out. This is the approach used by widefault with his LCD mods. You can read more at his site as well as in various threads on [H] forum.
Q: I'd like to get something working on a color LCD for under a hundred bucks. What are my options?
EIO deals in overstock LCDs and occasionally has usable color units for around $100, but you need to check their site fairly often.
Timeline also has cheap LCD displays on a sporadic basis, however many do not have a controller, and won't be easy to interface with your PC. Serious hackers only.
Q: What are my color LCD options above a hundred bucks?
A: PartsExpress
EarthLCD has NTSC displays
EarthLCD has VGA (and better) kits with a PCI or ISA controller.
Various other electronics houses carry LCD displays for mobile video applications.
Q: Will one of these NTSC displays look as good as a VGA LCD monitor?
A: No. But it can certainly look good.
Q: What do you mean by NTSC video?
A: NTSC stands for National Television System Committee. For purposes of driving a display, NTSC (or composite) video is the signal fed from a video source using an RCA connector.
Outside of North America, other video formats are standard. PAL is the standard for Europe. Most vidcards should allow you to select NTSC or PAL format on the TV output.
Q: I'd like to hack the LCD from a GameBoy into my case somehow, can I do it?
A: According to Jeff Frohwein's GameBoy FAQ it is possible but complicated. The LCD interface to GameBoy is very similar to other large screen LCDs in that a CRT controller is really required. The reason for this is that all 23,040 pixels (160x144) have to be written or "refreshed" 60 times a second the same way that a TV has to constantly redraw or else there won't be any picture. This is required even if what your trying to display is static and never changes. This is all the info I have at the moment.
(note that the above FAQ does not appear to be actively maintained.)