Need help on deciding between LCD TV or monitor for gaming

[Gepidae]

Hi guys,

So I've been racking my brains out trying to figure out if I should get a ~42'' LCD TV or say a 25-27'' monitor for gaming. I will mostly be using it for gaming with the occasional movie and actual tv watching, lol.

My budget is $850 tops and I figured that if I do get TV then I would have to rearrange my whole room to get a comfortable viewing distance. As of right now I'm 1.5 ft away from my monitor (22''). I don't like to wear glasses so I tend to sit closer.

If anyone can tell me why they would go with one or the other, it would be helpful. I am in no particular rush to buy immediately but would like to get either or soon.

Thanks

 

[AlgaeEater]

I was in your shoes two years ago. I broke down my list as follows; freel free to use it if you want.

TV
(+) Tuner built in - Can watch tv
(+) Bigger size vs money spent
(+) Lots of outputs / inputs - Yet again more versatile
(-) 1080P is the best resolution you can get for a TV
(-) TV resolution vs size always makes the images slightly blurrier
(-) Horrible refresh rate for gaming on most TV's
(-) Lower lifespan - bad resale value

Monitor
(+) Absolutely sharp graphics
(+) Much higher resolutions
(+) Excellent response times for gaming
(+) Longer lifespan - higher resale value
(-) Not as versatile - often few if only 2 ports
(-) Very expensive for their size
(-) Some models have useless low powered speakers - waste of $$$

I personally ended up buying a 32" inch 1080P LCD TV. This was a strictly personal opinion since I tend to upgrade my rig every 2 years, and I sometimes even replace my monitor. A TV would be a better value in the long run since I can always use it for other stuff than my monitor.

Also it may sound childish - but I get a lot of "Ooo ahh!" when guests come over and I'm playing games on my TV versus hunched over a small little monitor.

 

[Gepidae]

May I ask during that time how much did you end up spending for the 32''

 

[AlgaeEater]

May I ask during that time how much did you end up spending for the 32''

Back in January 2008, I paid $400 flat for the 32" 1080P Vizio. At the time, a 26-27 Inch LCD monitor was close to $550.

Today, a 26-27 inch LCD monitor from Samsung, HP or LG is roughly $400-$450 without taxes or recycling fee at my local City of Industry Fry's Electronics. I can still get a Vizio today for about the same price, at 37" with better features.

So it pretty much boils down to 26-27 inch high quality monitor vs 37" 1080P Vizio TV in my area in that price bracket (Under $500). Since you're willing to spend more, you have a bigger price gap to decide.

 

[Gepidae]

**Moving post to the video card and graphics forum**

 

[mfenn]

$850 will buy you TWO very nice monitors. I would say to go with that.

 

[DyslexicHobo]

IMO, go with a cheap 28" monitor. My setup:
Main monitor: 28" I-Inc monitor (2ms response time = no ghosting!)
Secondary: 42" 1080p LG 42LH40 LCD TV

If using a TV as a monitor I strongly suggest you go with 1080p. Anything less and it will be difficult to read text.

I don't suggest using a TV as a primary monitor for gaming because of the very large input delay. Just remember... fast response time DOES NOT MEAN no input lag. Input lag and response times are two different things. Monitors usually have a very low input lag, usually between 5 and 20ms. TVs have an input lag of closer to 80-100ms which becomes noticeable in FPS games and can also make mouse control seem weird (at first you may misclick very often or overshoot things when moving your mouse).

If very good colors are important to you then it's going to be tough to find something big with good response time and no input lag. You just need to prioritize what's important to you. To me, low input lag and low response times are the most important thing for me; if they aren't low then I won't be able to play games as well.

If you tend to watch movies a lot on your monitor then you might want to consider a TV and just deal with the slower response.

Or if you're like me and don't mind spending a couple extra bucks, get both!

 

[caboob]

I have a 30" monitor that does 2560x1600 and a 55" LED w 240Hz refresh.

For games, the 55" is more immersive and silky smooth. For movies, I like the smoothness of the high refresh that movie purists detest.

If I had to do it over again I would have gone with the largest TV with highest refresh i can afford. I would love to do Eyefinity with these TVs.

PS. your 4850 should have no problem driving 1920x1080

 

[Gepidae]

Thanks for the input guys. Please continue posting at the **Video card and graphics thread**

 

[klopas]

I have a 52" LCD HDTV with 240Hz refresh in my bedroom, which I sometimes use to play PC games on. I much prefer the 24" LCD mostly because of neck strain, but also due to ease of use.