TV vs Monitor

[KevinH]

Okay, here's my dilemma. Can someone tell me the exact benefits of an LCD with a built in TV tuner versus using a regular computer monitor that has an HDMI input?

Here's my situation. I have Cable TV. I assume I will need a Cable Box to get all my channels right? If so, couldn't I just plug it directly via HDMI into a regular monitor? Exactly what is the point of a Tuner in a situation like mine?

I'm basically looking for a 2nd monitor to watch TV, do some extra work and am trying to figure out this TV hooking up thingie.

Any help would be appreciated guys!

 

[zerocool84]

Well a TV will have a TV tuner so you can watch OTA TV, change channel on the TV, etc, and will have a scaler to scale video that isn't in it's native resolution. Watch something that's 720p and you have a 1080p TV and it'll help make it look better with the scaler. Watch something 720p on a regular monitor and it will look fuzzy as LCD's don't look good without video that's at it's native resolution.

 

[Emulex]

tv's have nifty things like remotes - remember digital audio like DTS is passed thru - unadultered by the o/s (hopefully) so you can enjoy it - the negative of this is that volume control is only at the endpoint. the pc can't adjust the output of the tv using hdmi (i wish); which then goes back to the remote - oh crap most monitors don't come with remotes. they can have speakers but no remote WTF?! yup.

I have that in my bedroom a crapspree 28" no remote monitor that has no deinterlacer so if you watch 1080i you get flicker due to interlaced input; it has no scaler so 480p looks like a small box in the center when directly fed - again no remote to tell it to change to zoom mode.

I should have just bought a cheap 42" (honest to god 42" 1080p are cheaper than 37 or 32")

 

[sivart]

Most TV's have a better contrast ratio than a monitor and thus a better picture. On my next "monitor" I will be looking for a 1080p TV with good specs in the size I want and not a monitor.

 

[kalrith]

In addition to TVs scaling images better, some computer monitors won't accept an interlaced signal. I had to set my DirecTV DVR to output 720p for all channels, because nothing appeared on my monitor with it outputting 480i or 1080i.

If you already have the monitor, then it's fine to try it out first before replacing it with a TV. I had a 20" 4:3 monitor. I upgraded to a 32" 1080p TV and put the 20" in portrait mode as the second monitor. The TV looks GREAT for TV, movies, and games. I paid $380 shipped for the TV, which is about how much the non-TN 24" computer monitors cost. And with the two monitors, I have a ton of screen real estate for general desktop usage.

 

[lupi]

If you have cablke and get a TV with a qam tuner, you can watch all non-digital cable and should also be able to get the local broadcast channels in HD.

 

[electroju]

The contrast ratio between a computer monitor and a TV is they are similar. A TV does not have a better contrast ratios. A computer monitor does have better dot pitch. A 30 inch computer monitor has a dot pitch of about 0.26 mm while a 32 inch 1080p TV has a dot pitch of about 0.36 mm. There is your difference. It is the dot pitch. Also it is the resolution because the 30 inch computer monitor has more resolution than a TV.

QAM and ATSC are digital. NTSC is analog. If your cable provider still sends out NTSC, any tuner can be used to get basic cable.

 

[Koing]

The contrast ratio between a computer monitor and a TV is they are similar. A TV does not have a better contrast ratios. A computer monitor does have better dot pitch. A 30 inch computer monitor has a dot pitch of about 0.26 mm while a 32 inch 1080p TV has a dot pitch of about 0.36 mm. There is your difference. It is the dot pitch. Also it is the resolution because the 30 inch computer monitor has more resolution than a TV.

QAM and ATSC are digital. NTSC is analog. If your cable provider still sends out NTSC, any tuner can be used to get basic cable.

Watching even 1080p stuff on a 30" monitor would look like ass...the 30" monitors resolution would be too high...

If you watch more tv, get a tv. It's easier in the long run.

The lcd monitor won't have sound so you need to have speakers/ pc on to watch tv...

Koing

 

[electroju]

Watching even 1080p stuff on a 30" monitor would look like ass...the 30" monitors resolution would be too high...

If you watch more tv, get a tv. It's easier in the long run.

The lcd monitor won't have sound so you need to have speakers/ pc on to watch tv...

Koing

Like a billboard, you will be at a distance. Same thing here, you will be at a distance. Eventually, 1080p will be obsolete just like 720p.

All TV have crappy sound. In order to get good sound and I am not saying great sound, you will need to use your own set of speakers. Using a stereo amplifier is all is needed.

I did use my computer to watch TV and the audio is hooked up to my AV receiver. I used ShowShifter with ATI Radeon 64 VIVO (Rage Theater) in Windows. Then in Linux, I used tvtime with LifeView FlyVideo 3000 (Philips SAA7133). The resolution that I used was about two to three times the resolution of TV. When I watched it about 3 to 4 feet, I can not tell the difference. Though if you add up scalers that are used in HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, and surround sound processors, the quality will seem about equal to what you will see on a TV.