Using a TV as your computer monitor...

[randy98ss]

Right now I am using a 22" samsung with a 3000:1 contrast ration and a 2ms response time. I have thought about buying a bigger monitor, maybe around 32-36 inches, casue bigger is better right? Or one of my friends says excess in best!

Is there any down side to doing this? Are computer monitors sold as computer monitors for a reason? Can I get a similar are better response time and frame rate?

 

[Adam]

Modern flat panel TVs work just fine as computer monitors - LCD TVs are the same technology as LCD computer monitors.

One thing to consider is the resolution of the monitor/TV panel. TVs that are "1080p" have a resolution of 1920 x 1080. Computer monitors can have higher or lower resolutions than that. My 20" widescreen Dell is 1680 x 1050, for example.

Also, a 1080 TV resolution is 16:9, but my monitor's resolution is 16:10.

 

[Seth=L]

If you intend to get a 32" plus size TV to use as a monitor be sure it's 1080p. If you have a 720p display it may hurt your eyes a bit unless you are further away from the screen (a few feet).

 

[Hi Ho]

I ocasionally use my 42" 1080p plasma as a monitor. It looks amazing. Games are particularly nice.

 

[Djizasse]

Although the tech is the same, the actual implementations are different. Apart from the 16:9 and 16:10 (which is going to disappear, thankfully), monitor screens have higher resolutions to cope with the proximity of the user. This is the aspect you need to take attention. If you're too close to the screen you might have a nice immersion in FPS and racing games, but for normal work and internet browsing it might be too tiring having to move your head to see all the parts of the screen.

I'm currently using a 32" 1080x1920 and it seems to be the maximum size I can use at +-2 feet. I normally avoid having too much white in the screen cause it becomes too bright for my taste, I use a Firefox pluggin that allows me to change background colors and avoid big light areas.

To find your maximum size TV go to the store and stand at the distance you stay from your screen at home. Find the greatest size that is not uncomfortable to watch.

 

[armaraas]

I used a 56" 720 dlp for a few years as a monitor and recently upgraded to a 61" 1080p. It has worked great for me, as others have mentioned make sure you get a 1080p if you get a tv. The tv might have some limitations on resolutions (my older tv did, but it didn't really cause me any problems), and I have found my tv's work better using the dvi out from the video card rather than the monitor out. Not sure if that is always the case or not, but if you decide to do that you'll need a dvi to hdmi cable, unless your video card has hdmi already.

 

[surferaudio]

It is not so much the resolution that you must get 1080p vs 720p. The issue is your PC itself, make sure your hardware is suitable to supply the overscan fix. I.e. graphics card is the difference maker. I have for years used tv as the monitor and currently on a 65 inch plasma 720p as a computer monitor and what makes the difference is my NVidia 8800gts that supplies clear graphics.

720p vs 1080p is a non-issue until you exceed 65 inches and enter the realm of projectors then the resolution really matters. The human eye can't distinguish the difference at close viewing, small screen size.

I have been at costco and asked the costco employee to remove the sticker price and info tag on two comparable 50 inch model that one was 1080p and the other was 720p. Then I told the employee to watch me conduct experiments on people saying which do you think is 1080p? often times, they'd pick the 720p model as the 1080p.

Case in point: that's another argument for another thread.. the issue is graphics card and connector... there's HDMI graphics cards now.

 

[Djizasse]

720p vs 1080p is a non-issue until you exceed 65 inches and enter the realm of projectors then the resolution really matters. The human eye can't distinguish the difference at close viewing, small screen size.

I can certainly see the difference between my 26" 720p and my 32" 1080p.
It all comes down to how far are you from the display.
If the 32" was 720p I would not be able to use it. Don't forget that computers can use the extra resolution.
If you're using the screen in a computer desk, then, IMO, there's no questioning wether to buy a 720p or a 1080p, unless you've got bad vision. In the desk, the real question is if the 1080 is enough


The GPU point is a good one, but for me it's more about the TV resolution compatibility. A TV screen has a limited number of resolution modes, it's very likely you fire up a game and it sets a resolution not supported by your TV. You'll just get a "resolution not supported" message on the screen.
With my 8800GTS I had to use the HDMI connection and install a nvidia fix that enables the upscalling functions on the nvidia panel. This way, if a game starts at an unsupported resolution it can be streched (with incorrect/correct aspect ratio or have black margins) and you can change the resolution to a higher one.