32" LCD 1080p too small for computer use?

[BoboKatt]

I wish to heck stores would start hooking up a computer for demos to at least to ONE LCD TV to show what it looks like. One thing is having 50 TV's showing a BR movie or some sport channel, but I would really like to see what a desktop or a Word document, or a webpage would look like.

It seems many are starting to use their TV's as dual purpose with their computers. Anyhow /rant off. If I use a 32" LCD 1080p TV, has anyone used this successfully not just for gaming but also for word processing, or surfing? Do the words look too small? How far or close should one sit?

I would presume that if I upgrade to say a 40" LCD 1080, same resolution but it would be "stretched" over a larger area. Is that better for computing use or does it become blurred? Anyhow have experience with this?

The cost of a real computer monitor that is 30" and does crazy resolutions is just too hard to swallow. I can get 32" 1080p LCD's for under $500 and 40" ones for around $700-800 (Cad).

 

[lavaheadache]

words definately wouldn't be too small. On a 37, 1080p looks fantastic so i imagine 32 would look just as good

 

[betasub]

Pixel pitch.
Very small = high res, laptop screen. Typically viewed from 12". Default text is very small.
Very large = low res, large TV screen. Typically viewed from 6'+. Default text is very large/blocky.

A high-res TV screen is somewhere in-between, although for most users not as balanced as a desktop LCD monitor for viewing at 2'-3'.

 

[drunknmunkys]

Usually people worry about text being too big and fuzzy on TV's that large compared to monitors, not too small, since you're just blowing up 1920x1080 resolution and decreasing the pixel density. If you aren't picky, it'll be fine. 32" and 37" are very common sizes for enthusiast TVs-as-monitors. I would recommend trying to see them in a store though, just so you know for sure.

On that note, if you plan to do a lot of word processing / document work, you probably want a real monitor. And the 30" monitors aren't bad at all. I just got a refurb Dell 3007wfp-hc for 799$ (with 3 year replacement warranty - no scratches, no dead pixels) from the Dell Outlet store where they appear pretty regularly. IMO 2560x1200 @ 30" >>> 1920x1080 @ 32"/37"

 

[postmortemIA]

most computer users have 19-22" monitors, i don't see how 32" is going to be small.

if you plan to use it primarily as TV, meaning stored on top of table in living room, and you dozens of feet away, then it is not gonna work.

 

[wwswimming]

Originally posted by: BoboKattIt seems many are starting to use their TV's as dual purpose with their computers. Anyhow /rant off. If I use a 32" LCD 1080p TV, has anyone used this successfully not just for gaming but also for word processing, or surfing? Do the words look too small? How far or close should one sit?

I would presume that if I upgrade to say a 40" LCD 1080, same resolution but it would be "stretched" over a larger area. Is that better for computing use or does it become blurred? Anyhow have experience with this?

i tried a 32" 1080p & had to sell it, way too glossy.

it depends a lot on your vision. the pixels will be about .4 mm on the 32".

best way to check it out is to see how it looks with your OS on it. at Best Buy, i managed to convince one of the laptop salesman to hook a laptop running Vista up to one of the LCD TV's.

after that whole experience, i then went & looked at 40" 1080p Samsung's & found one with a nice matte finish. i haven't bought it yet, i'm using a Samsung 26" 720P LCD TV. not the hugest laptop but good screen clarity.

 

[yacoub]

Too small?? lol, more like too big, if anything. i find it tolerable for text, but where it excels is movie watching and some forms of gaming.
Also, if you don't want glossy, get one that's not a glossy finish on the panel.

Keep in mind that when all are 1080p resolution, the smaller the size of the display, the tighter together the pixels will be, so the sharper and smoother the image will look. 32" 1080p was such a good thing to arrive on the market, considering for a while the most they offered was 720p and you had to step up to 40+ inches to get 1080p, which was way too big pixel-wise for computer usage up close.

I love my 1080p 32" HDTV (KDL32XBR9) connected to my PC as a second display. It's a non-glossy display and the Game Mode removes the input lag, which is great for using it as a PC display, let alone for gaming.