What are some good 32-40" TV's that double as monitors?

Blue_Max

Diamond Member
Jul 7, 2011
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As the title says, what are some good 32-40" TV's that double as monitors?

LG has a 5300-something-or-other that got glowing reviews as a monitor, crystal clear and 4:4:4 colour...
...but I can't find one locally. :(

Any other TV's you can think of that have great picture and can perfectly double as a monitor - one screen to do it all.
 

Skott

Diamond Member
Oct 4, 2005
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Removed post due to new settings and calibration and re-evaluating for more testing.


Edit: Sears & BB had the 39LN5300 for $399.99 and Tiger Direct had it for $379.99. All in local store and in stock.
 
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monkeydelmagico

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Nov 16, 2011
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Just a general recommendation for Samsung. I've been using one of their TV's as a monitor for a few years now and been happy with it.
 

Blue_Max

Diamond Member
Jul 7, 2011
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Some definitely can, as well as reduce colour accuracy, colour, etc.

Only a handful of TV's make decent monitors, hence the thread. ;)
 

cbn

Lifer
Mar 27, 2009
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39", 4K resolution, $577 --->http://www.amazon.com/Seiki-Digital-.../dp/B00DOPGO2G

A fairly in depth (non gaming) video I found on you tube comparing the Seiki 39" 4K to Apple 27" Monitor (2560 x 1440) and Dell 30" Monitor (2560 x 1600): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo8WvBku-3Q

Here is his one week follow-up review--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-MarXCiXg8

P.S. Keep in mind refresh rate is 30Hz at 4K resolution due to the current HDMI standard. (Refresh rate increases to 60Hz at lower resolutions though)
 
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Skott

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Oct 4, 2005
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Ok, after finding some better calibration via tinkering and finding a post from someone else who has one and using their settings I think I got my LG 39LN5300 about as good as it will get without some sort of professional calibration. I'm just a normal guy who likes to game and don't have any of those colormeters or whatever they are called used for calibration.

I came from a I-INC 28" 1920x1200 TN LCD. I wanted to keep to the 1080/1200 res and yet go bigger screen if possible. So unless I wanted to get a 27" 1080p my choices were TV or projector. Projectors are a more expensive set up so that threw me back to TVs. I heard the LG 39LN5300 was a good tv used as a gaming monitor. I bought mine at BB but shop around because you can find them for well under $400. $370-$400 seems to be the common in store prices. Catch a sale and you might get them even cheaper.

For watching movies or anything on TV/cable the picture is quite good IMO. Gaming is pretty decent. This model tends to have a dark black but tinkering with the calibration helps and adjusting a game's gamma setting can greatly help as well. The difference from 28" to 39" is huge in games. Much much more screen real estate and fov. There probably is some input lag but if there is I'm not feeling or seeing it.

The one main downside to this TV, and its common in all TVs I hear, is the text. Compared to a gaming monitor the text is blurry or as some call it pixelated. And as all gamers know there is text in games. I'm not just talking about dialog text some character may say but also text from HUD, UI interface, and the like. I found that if I sit back 3.5ft -4ft away really helps. Anything more than 4 foot and you are no longer sitting at a desk and that is how I'm reviewing this tv. Gaming at a desk. Not a couch. Surfing the web the text is still blurry and pixelated though so I would recommend a separate pc monitor or a laptop for the web surfing and pc work. For normal gaming though the 39LN5300 is fine. You should enjoy it. I do. I'll admit up front I'm not one of those extreme demanding types. Some people get so obssed with it they become anal retentive. I'm nothing like that.

Now are there better TVs? Probably. I hear people say they game on 60" TVs and I hear plasma is supposed to be really good too. I know pc monitors are certainly better. If you are like me though and want something cheaper than those $1000+ 30" LCDs, want to keep to 1080p but something larger than 27", and okay with 60Hz, then the LG 39LN5300 is a good choice for a gaming monitor. Just remember that for web surfing and reading things in text you will want a separate monitor for that. I also looked at the 5400 & 5700 LG series and supposedly they have more input lag and ghosting issues when it came to gaming.

I'd like to buy two more of these TVs and go triple screen gaming but I need to wait until the new house is built and I have the room to do it. I'll want to build a new beefier rig as well. It has to wait until next Spring unfortunately.

I hope this little review(more of a over view actually) helps anyone considering buying this tv. You could do like I did and buy one and if isn't what you wanted for gaming just use it as an extra tv in the house. Its quite good for that. That's how i justified getting it and testing it for gaming. <g>

Edit: I game on the V354 rig in sig below and the one I use the 39LN5300 with.
 
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bonehead123

Senior member
Nov 6, 2013
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Just a general recommendation for Samsung. I've been using one of their TV's as a monitor for a few years now and been happy with it.

2nd that, in all respects.....been there, doing that N O W with a 39" Samsung....has mucho inputs for everything from analog/rca to DVI, VGA, HDMI, USB, and DP......

These are NOT cheap, but IMHO, well worth it, if nothing else but to avoid having seperate screens for 'putin, PS gamin, and streamin tv.....
 

Blue_Max

Diamond Member
Jul 7, 2011
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First, I grabbed a 27" IPS monitor that was on sale... not much of a size increase from my 24" and terrible red blotches in the corners from some sort of backlight or whatever.

I returned that and got myself the highly-recommended Samsung 32" 5300 TV.

Text, like Facebook, etc. is okay... will need some tweaking and fine tuning to find that "sweet spot" of the best quality of text.

Then I loaded up SC2.
OMG OMG ZOMG it's just so freakin' awesome! Words cannot describe the experience. :D I'm-a keepin' my 32 Samsung TV "monitor".

Besides, once I get a larger desk I can use my old, laggy IPS 4:3 monitor for text. ;)
 

arkcom

Golden Member
Mar 25, 2003
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The one main downside to this TV, and its common in all TVs I hear, is the text.

Maybe your still missing a setting somewhere, cleartype might help. Text on my 42" seems fine. Kinda hard to get a good picture of text off a monitor.
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arkcom

Golden Member
Mar 25, 2003
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It's possible the settings have changed with the new model but here's what I have.
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