Robert , thank you for the advice . You were correct in that the vga port was output only and a usb video converter would do the job. Thought I'd mention a few things incase someone else is contemplating this. The converter devices require drivers and some people have had problems geting the correct ones. Video capture software is needed to view the conversion, most devices supply a basic program. A twain supported device will allow use of video capture software other than the basic program bundled with the device. You want a program that will allow full screen preview viewing in real time without needing to capture the video. There are many companies making these converters , here is one product that the company says will work for my conversion of ntsc analog, startech SVID2USB22 with twain, $50 at tigerdirect. Also need the hb video output cable.
From posts in this forum it appears that the video output is the same resolution as the 998screen, so I won't have the clarity I was looking for. The 998 manual states the unit will output a video signal if it detects a connected moniter, I wonder if the above setup will be detected , anyone know? I'd like to hear from anyone using a 998 or 1197 video output with a laptop. I was thinking about selling a perfectly good 997 to get a 998 and have hummviewer like resolution on a large screen on the water, now having second thoughts. What do folks with video feed to moniters think?