26inch HDTV vs 28inch LCD computer monitor

[darkflames]

Right now i just recently bought the Westinghouse 26inch LCD HDTV for 300. Well while browsing on the internet today, i found that tigerdirect is selling a 28" LCD monitor for the same price. The only problem is it only has 1 hdmi port and no dvi port and i was looking to plug my computer and 360 into it. I also would still want to watch tv so i would be forced to also buy a tv tuner. What would you guys pick? Also i dont sit that far away from my monitor ~just over a foot away.

 

[sivart]

Check the contrast ratio and response time. My guess is the TV will be much better and provide a better TV viewing experience.

 

[krotchy]

Most of the 1920x1200 monitors on the market that are a decent price are TN panels which means they will have a much weaker viewing angle than the TV, also their colors will likely not be as accurate. Response time on the monitor will likely be faster than a TV but not noticeably different overall. I don't think any 28" monitors that are available are anything but TN btw.

That being said I bought a Samsung T260HD (25.5") to use as a 2nd computer monitor and HDTV and I think it looks great and it has tons of inputs and an internal tuner. Being a TN panel is does look a bit worse than my Dell 2407 that I use as a main monitor, but not by much.

 

[darkflames]

How can i tell if my hdtv has a TN panel? And yeah i agree with the inputs, its nice having several HDMI ports and all the other hd ports, etc.. But im only using a vga cable atm on my hdtv currently waiting for my dvi to hdmi cable to arrive. Will i notice a different between using a vga cable and a hdmi cable?

 

[krotchy]

I don't think I have ever seen a true TV that is a TN panel, they are exclusive to monitors for the most part. The easiest way to tell is to look at your TV from a steep low or high angle as they will often shift to a white or purple color pretty drastically (PVA/IPS will often have a minor shift). Look at some anandtech.com monitor reviews. If you find a TN and a S-PVA review and look at the angle pics they take it is obvious.

Also HDMI will look better at higher resolutions because VGA bandwidth can soften edges sometimes. However its tough to notice unless you have a super eye.

 

[darkflames]

well i stood pretty much at a high angle and the color still seems to be the same. And as for the res, my tv says the native res is 1366x768