Computer Monitor or HDTV for PC monitor

[tom95521]

I want to buy a 1080p (not 4K) monitor for one of my desktop computers. All I need is hdmi (no vga or dvi).

For the price of a 27" (69 cm) Samsung computer monitor I can buy a 32" (82 cm) Samsung HDTV. I have no idea what color profile(s) they both support. I'm guessing sRGB for both of them. The cost is about $200 U.S. dollars.

Question. What advantage does a computer monitor provide compared to a HDTV. I think most LCD devices use LED back lighting instead of the older LED edge lighting or fluorescent light. Most newer HDTVs have mp4 USB player that computer monitors do not provide.

Is it because of IPS?

Is it because of refresh rate?

Is it because the PPI is higher on the monitor (27" compared to 32")?

The image quality looks identical to me. The stand on the computer monitor might be higher quality. As long as it does 60Hz refresh rate or higher it should be fine?

Is anyone using a HDTV for their primary PC monitor?

Thanks,

Tom

[Lin Evans]

Hi Tom,

There are a couple considerations which may or may not be important in your use. Most computer displays support more than one resolution while most televisions are fixed. So with a television for a display, you may not have the same opportunities to change resolution. Then there is the issue of actual image quality. 1080p looks far better on a 27" computer display than on a 32 inch TV (or computer display with the 1080p resolution). Also you have issues perhaps with input lag. Will the response be as fast as with the display designed for the GUI?

In some cases it won't matter but in others there will be a major difference. Their will, as you suspect, also be a difference in refresh rate. Motion pictures and pro video use tricks such as leading edge blur to make motion look smoother. These are things we don't yet have with our slideshow software so that animation may indeed look quite different on the TV than on a display with faster refresh.

The largest issue I would have with using a 32" TV at 1080P is image quality. Trying to read text unless the TV is mounted on a wall a good distance away might indeed be problematic. I have a 30" 2650x1600 resolution display and it is excellent. These have dropped in price so that they are available for as low as $340 these days. Assuming you have a video card up to driving one, that would be perhaps the better choice.

Best regards,

Lin

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Hi Tom

When I bought my last PC monitor, it was the refresh rate that persuaded me which model to go for. If you are viewing video or animation, the monitor with a high refresh rate will give better results, the figure of 4.5 comes to mind when I bought my Benq. I believe things have gone much higher since then (2.5 years). Also the larger the screen the further the viewing distance you need to adopt to let your eyes take in the full view.

Regards Eric

Yachtsman1.

[tom95521]

Thanks for your answers. There seems to be multiple reasons why HDTVs do not make good primary display monitors. The refresh rate and response time are slower and the pixel density for the same resolution is lower due to the larger screens which will make text appear fuzzy when viewed close. A computer monitor larger than 27" screen should be higher resolution than 1920x1080.

So I will wait until my local Costco has a higher resolution display on sale.

Thanks,

Tom

[jt49]

.... For the price of a 27" (69 cm) Samsung computer monitor I can buy a 32" (82 cm) Samsung HDTV. I have no idea what color profile(s) they both support. I'm guessing sRGB for both of them. The cost is about $200 U.S. dollars ...

At a price of 200 $ (or €) you cannot expect much regarding image quality and large color spaces. A monitor at this low price will not even cover sRGB at 100%. I think that you have to look at a monitor like Dell U2413, or ever better, go for NEC or Eizo if you want to cover sRGB at 100% and AdobeRGB at almost 100%.

Regards,

jt

[cjdnzl]

I believe that most TVs 32 inches or smaller are in fact 720p and not 1080p. That fact alone will be responsible for a poorer picture on a TV compared with a 1920x1080 monitor.

Also, a TV is probably not capable of having its display color-balanced, so you are stuck with probably inaccurate color as well. Get a proper monitor.

[davegee]

Colin,

I think that you will find that 32" TVs can be EITHER 720p or 1080p.

My 32" is 1080p Full HD.

DG

[cjdnzl]

Colin,

I think that you will find that 32" TVs can be EITHER 720p or 1080p.

My 32" is 1080p Full HD.

DG

Hi Dave,

Yes, that is right, but nevertheless some cheaper sets are 720p only. I have in my dining room a 29 inch Chinese TV, excellent picture, but it's 720p only, and doubtless there are others of similar size that are the same. It's a point worth considering, especially as the OP didn't mention it in his opening post.

Regards,

Colin

[Barry Beckham]

I have noticed that some camera clubs have bought large flat screen TV's rather then use a projector. I have to say the results are terrible and not a patch on a monitor or decent projector. Quality/colour is bad and In addition anyone more than a few feet away can't see any demo that is being given anyway.