LCD TV as full time computer monitor?

[iGas]

Last year I got a 47" LG 47LH55 LCD 1080p @240HZ, and IMHO the colour isn't as nice as my brother 3 years old Samsung plasma TV.

I'm now thinking of turning the 47" LG into a dedicated computer monitor and get myself a new 60" plasma for movies.

Would the 47" LG do a good job as a monitor, or should I stay with tradition and get a 24"~28" LCD monitor?

The only game that I play is Civilization 4, and maybe Civ 5 in a few months.

Thanks

 

[Bill Brasky]

I tried hooking up my comp to the 46" Samsung lcd in my living room, and I thought it looked like balls. The text was hard to read and the input lag was fairly noticeable in my opinion. If you already have the tv, why not hook it up and see what it's like? Also, how far will you be sitting from the tv/monitor?

 

[busydude]

nm

 

[Skurge]

Text really is hard to read on a LCD TV, surfing the web was painful.

 

[TemjinGold]

It depends on the TV to be honest. As you can see in my sig, I'm using a 32" LED and I would NEVER go back to a normal monitor.

 

[ModestGamer]

Text really is hard to read on a LCD TV, surfing the web was painful.

but its not hard to read on a lcd monitor using the exact same panel ?

Sounds like the resolution wasn't set correctly.

 

[lsv]

I use a 46" Sony LCD TV and set Windows to 150% text size. easy to read from 10ft away.

 

[tweakboy]

I wouldnt do it it would ruin my eyes and what not. The TV pixels are larger and thus the quality of text is horrible. pictures are ok but your main monitor should be a PC monitor soo its crisp and clear go high res and what not. Thanks

 

[Soundmanred]

Similar:
I use a 42" 1080p LCD TV and set Windows to 140% text size. Easy to read from 8ft away.
I lie on the couch and use a wireless mouse and keyboard.
I can't imagine having a "computer desk" ever again.

 

[thescreensavers]

lol wut? I have a 43inch LCD I hook up my computer by HDMI and I can read everything

 

[Keysplayr]

I have hooked up my Samsung 46" 120Hz LCD to my laptop on occasion. I make sure the res is set correctly to 1920x1080. Test is sharp, picture is beautiful, nothing is blurry or blocky. If I could, I'd use it on my desktop but it's far too large.

 

[dpodblood]

If you are running the desktop at native resolution for the TV, and are sitting the appropriate distance away it should work fine. I have tried it out before on my Sharp 1080p and it looked fine, and I was able to read text perfectly even at the default size.

 

[Voo]

If you are running the desktop at native resolution for the TV, and are sitting the appropriate distance away it should work fine. I have tried it out before on my Sharp 1080p and it looked fine, and I was able to read text perfectly even at the default size.

Yeah IF you're sitting far enough away it's ok, but using it on a normal desk? Horrible at least for me.. with those giant dot pitches you really see the single pixels (maybe I'm only really sensitive who knows?).. and if you're sitting 8m away, how exactly is that 40" panel more view filling than a 24" from 1m away?

Sounds like a nice idea for surfing the web from the couch, but other than that I personally don't like it.

 

[dpodblood]

Yeah IF you're sitting far enough away it's ok, but using it on a normal desk? Horrible at least for me.. with those giant dot pitches you really see the single pixels (maybe I'm only really sensitive who knows?).. and if you're sitting 8m away, how exactly is that 40" panel more view filling than a 24" from 1m away?

Sounds like a nice idea for surfing the web from the couch, but other than that I personally don't like it.

Same here I will always prefer a conventional monitor/sitting at a desk. If you were to put a 40% screen on a desk right in front of your face of course its going to be blurry. TV's aren't meant to be viewed from that close (at least not a TV that large).

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Sit about 5 ft away from my 42" LCD in my living room. Use a tall coffee table as a makeshift desk and use one of those gaming chair/rocker for a seat. Wireless mouse and keyboard. Kind of a different setup but I love it. It can work if you have the right setup and LCD. I get no ghosting, lag, blurriness, etc.. I personally think hdtv's are built to a higher standard than monitors. I can stand almost completely sideways from my 42" and still get a good picture. Or even lay directly below it and get a good picture. Try that with a monitor and see what happens.

 

[lsv]

Similar:
I use a 42" 1080p LCD TV and set Windows to 140% text size. Easy to read from 8ft away.
I lie on the couch and use a wireless mouse and keyboard.
I can't imagine having a "computer desk" ever again.

Agreed, I have a computer desk for my night job but for regular browsing/watching movies that's just perfect

 

[ModestGamer]

I wouldnt do it it would ruin my eyes and what not. The TV pixels are larger and thus the quality of text is horrible. pictures are ok but your main monitor should be a PC monitor soo its crisp and clear go high res and what not. Thanks

well thats how TV's are. Most of it is font and text size though. SAME LCD panels though.

 

[AdamK47]

I have used two Samsungs and now an LG as computer monitors. The text is not blurry when using PC mode on either HDTV. With PC mode you get perfect 1:1 pixel mapping. It also reduces input lag on the Samsungs. I tried out a 27" ViewSonic monitor earlier this month and could not stand it. It used a 6-bit TN panel. The 32" LG LD450 I have now has an S-IPS panel. It has very low input lag, no black streaking, low pixel response time, even backlighting, dark blacks, bright colors, excellent viewing angles, simple clean look, and it's a great size to use as a monitor. It was $469. The ViewSonic is $380. Well worth the extra $90.

 

[blanketyblank]

Sit about 5 ft away from my 42" LCD in my living room. Use a tall coffee table as a makeshift desk and use one of those gaming chair/rocker for a seat. Wireless mouse and keyboard. Kind of a different setup but I love it. It can work if you have the right setup and LCD. I get no ghosting, lag, blurriness, etc.. I personally think hdtv's are built to a higher standard than monitors. I can stand almost completely sideways from my 42" and still get a good picture. Or even lay directly below it and get a good picture. Try that with a monitor and see what happens.

Actually they are since for TVs you are more likely to get a VA or IPS panel than in a monitor due to the larger viewing angles expected of a TV. That's probably why you can lie down or look sideways and get a good picture while your monitor will look horrible from a bad angle.
Of course if you have a really nice monitor it's a different story, but you are going to pay for the difference.

 

[AdamK47]

I wouldnt do it it would ruin my eyes and what not. The TV pixels are larger and thus the quality of text is horrible. pictures are ok but your main monitor should be a PC monitor soo its crisp and clear go high res and what not. Thanks

That's an incorrect assessment on the quality of the text. Perhaps the one you viewed wasn't setup correctly for PC operation.

 

[Voo]

That's an incorrect assessment on the quality of the text. Perhaps the one you viewed wasn't setup correctly for PC operation.

He's insofar correct (ugh, did I really have to write that? Tweakboy?) as you just can't discuss 0.5mm dot pitch or more away, text just CAN'T look as sharp on a 42" 1920x1080 TV as on a 30" 2560x1600 screen - that's just impossible..

 

[AdamK47]

He's insofar correct (ugh, did I really have to write that? Tweakboy?) as you just can't discuss 0.5mm dot pitch or more away, text just CAN'T look as sharp on a 42" 1920x1080 TV as on a 30" 2560x1600 screen - that's just impossible..

I was thinking more towards pixel clarity (ie. sharpness / ghosting) than the number or size of the pixels that make up text. In this respect, modern LCD HDTVs match traditional LCD monitors.

 

[Voo]

I was thinking more towards pixel clarity (ie. sharpness / ghosting) than the number or size of the pixels that make up text. In this respect, modern LCD HDTVs match traditional LCD monitors.

Yeah in that regard you're correct - no reason why modern TV panels should be worse.. that just depends on the used panel, which also applies to pc monitors (and since TVs are larger you don't end up with cheap TN panels)

 

[konakona]

I tried hooking up my comp to the 46" Samsung lcd in my living room, and I thought it looked like balls. The text was hard to read and the input lag was fairly noticeable in my opinion. If you already have the tv, why not hook it up and see what it's like? Also, how far will you be sitting from the tv/monitor?

Input lag is totally YMMV (gotta do some research and find a good TV), but text is mostly fine as long as you have 1080p and turn off ALL of the postprocessing crap (e.g. "sharpness").

I have noticed this exact topic comes up a few times every week. Not that there is any harm, just saying..

For me, a LCD tv was a definite win over monitors. For one, I knew i was getting a quality IPS-alpha, and for the other the cost was easily 1/3 of a monitor with comparable size with much less GPU overhead to boot. Though I never have had a pleasure of viewing a 30'' 2560x1600 IPS + multi-GPU setup, it is simply waaaaay out of my spending limit. Higher pixel pitch helps I hear, but TV is no slouch either; I don't feel there is anything lacking compared to my previous 24'' 1920x1200 monitor.

As for the size, a 32'' is just fine for desktop use unless you have a super tiny desk. Actually it's near perfect according to this calculator: http://myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html
I gave a hard look at 37'' versions and concluded 32'' is the sweet spot for desktop use. Never looked back ever since I got this: http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-VIER.../dp/B001U3YK48 (paid $375 shipped after BCB)

 

[AdamK47]

I actually went from a 2 year old Samsung 37" to my current LG 32". I agree, 32" is the sweet spot.