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How big a monitor and how big of a room?
A friend told me to look on newegg and amazon.com to compare prices, but I really don't know a good deal when I see it. I'm looking for an LCD or LED TV to double as my desktop monitor, so I don't need anything too big. 1080p is preferable, but I'm not sure how necessary it is w/ the smaller screen size. I wanted the ability to use this for both computer gaming and Blu-Ray watching (assuming, of course, that the new computer I'm building comes w/ a Blu-Ray drive).
A guy at Best Buy (don't laugh) told me that if I wanted to use this screen for both, I'd be better off looking for a TV to use as a monitor, and not the other way around...something about resolution and not all monitors being able to switch back and forth easily.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Just point me in the right direction.
How big a monitor and how big of a room?
For my bedroom, which isn't very big (can't give you a good estimate of sq ft, 'cause I have absolutely no idea), and I assumed somewhere in the 26" range, give or take. Big enough to watch TV from my bed, but not so big that I'm overwhelmed when surfing the web or FINALLY jumping on SC2.
length x width
You wanna measure it for me?length x width
Do it right, and get a 24 to 30 inch 1920 x 1280 monitor, with HDMI input.
Your computer will love you.
Either 1920x1080 (16:9) or 1920x1200 (16:10)...
That said, what equipment do you have?
Does the computer currently have DVI, HDMI or VGA output?
How about your cable/satellite box, what kind of outputs do you have there?
Samsung LEDs are really nice, but I've noticed lately that they don't make 120Hz models, which is kind of a showstopper (at least for me).
What kind of money are you looking to spend?
Look at your foot. Now, look at the wall, and think roughly how many of those would fit in said wall. Repeat with the adjacent wall. Multiply the two values.
Come back and tell us.
get that 65 inch....do it
My friend put together a computer for me, but for the goddamn LIFE a' me, I can't find the link to the one he suggested. My cable box is a Verizon Fios HD DVR w/ 2 HDMI ports and a USB port, among random, presumably less important others.
Seeing as how both you AND WC recommended monitors, I take it what the Best Buy clerk warned against isn't a significant problem?
As far as what I'm looking to spend, I don't wanna go MUCH higher than $500 if I can help it.
Look at your foot. Now, look at the wall, and think roughly how many of those would fit in said wall. Repeat with the adjacent wall. Multiply the two values.
Come back and tell us.
If it makes any difference, the entire 1 bed/1 bath apt is a modest 550 sq ft.
I just wanted to make sure you didn't have any old equipment that required some oddball connector. Most new computers will have either a DVI connector or a HDMI connector. It's important to know what you have so you know that the monitor/tv you purchase needs to have for inputs. (ie: Most monitors only have 1 HDMI input)
What did he say?
I was actually referring to a TV set, not a monitor. This is what the main differences are:
Monitor: Normally has less inputs than a TV set (1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 DVI seem to be pretty standard these days). Normally it doesn't include an ATSC tuner, to pick up digital TV off the air (You have a FIOS TV box, so this shouldn't be much of a concern). They also have a much better response time (1-2ms these days), and this can be important for fast paced video games. Most don't include speakers, but do offer a digital audio output so you can connect the sound coming from the HDMI to an audio receiver.
TV set: Normally include more inputs than a Monitor, although current sets rarely include a DVI connector, and only offer HDMI and VGA for PC connectivity. You can purchase a DVI to HDMI cable, but you need to add that to the cost if you need it.
They all include an ATSC tuner. The response time can vary between as low as 3ms to as high as 12+ms which is arguably pretty good even if it's not as good as a monitor. TV sets all pretty much include speakers.
You should be able to get something good for under $500. Monitors are generally cheaper than TV sets, but as noted, they have less inputs and normally no speakers built-in.
You should shop around and see what kind of deals are out there. For example, if you don't care too much about name brands, the Walmart online store has a Element 32" TV set which is LED backlit and 120Hz for $399. Free site to store shipping. For Monitors, look what Viewsonic has available. I heard they started to add ATSC tuners to some models and even cheap speakers.
I have a 27" viewsonic (no tuner or speakers, 1920x1200 res) that I use with my Mac and my Xbox 360, and that set me back about $350 about a year and a half ago. I bought it in Costco.
well i have the vizio chocolate 32 inch 1080p tv.. it's great for that price range.. i got mine for 549 about a year ago
this video has my tv in the back.. yeah.. ignore the dog.. and my voice lol.. but that's the picture during a tennis game.. that's without cable.. it was feeding straight off the antenna.. (digital not rabbit ears)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xFASoZ5AfA
http://www.amazon.com/VIZIO-quot-108.../dp/B001GKK14I
actual TV
I just bought this http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-LN46C6...1533137&sr=1-1 last month.
Amazon is cheap as and has free shipping (an no tax). Don't be afraid to go through them.
I love using my tv as my laptop monitor. I just use a 15 ft. vga cable with audio jack though. I tried buying the pci-e (or whatever it is called) to HDMI adapter but it would not work.
If I want full 1080P I just load a movie onto a usb key and plug it into my tv. Looks great. Using a tv for a monitor is awesome. I barely watch cable tv anymore.
Also, even though my tv is 120hz I don't think I have ever utilized it because no source is ever 120hz??? I'm kind of confused on this tech aspect.
The 120Hz rate is used all the time. The TV will even interpolate two frames if the source doesn't provide 120 fps. To really tell the difference, go to any store that has a 60Hz and a 120Hz TV side by side and look at the movement of the image. The 60Hz one will look jerky right away. It's really noticeable when you compare them. Obviously, if you have nothing to compare against, the 60Hz is actually quite passable.
im using a 32 inch hdtv via HDMI connection and i will never go back to using anything smaller.
I believe computers max out at 60hz. Other sources can display 120hz or higher.
Thanks for all the info, Nono (and the rest). I didn't expect that kind've in depth feedback, but I certainly appreciate it.
He said something about monitors having difficulty with resolution or something similar when switching back and forth from computer to cable/satellite use.
Depends on the monitor. At this point, the difference between TVs and Monitors is becoming more and more marginal. Viewsonic even sells TV sets these days.
If you find a nice 1080P TV set go for it. You really can't go wrong.
My next PC screen will probably be a TV set.
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