HD Tv vs 30" Monitor?

[Luigi]

Im looking to spend around £900 on a new screen, and was looking at the dell 3008wfp...

Now, my problem is, for that price I can get a 40" sony Bravia tv, which is obviously much bigger...

Does anyone use a HD tv as a monitor? How well does it work? Are games any good on them?

Thanks

 

[FarFarAway]

Do you have a GPU with HDMI out at all? That does work very well

I've used an HDTV for a monitor, but you have to have a proper fiddle to get it looking right and really it doesn't function well as a PC monitor as the screen is so big and you're sitting so close.

 

[Luigi]

Do you have a GPU with HDMI out at all? That does work very well

I've used an HDTV for a monitor, but you have to have a proper fiddle to get it looking right and really it doesn't function well as a PC monitor as the screen is so big and you're sitting so close.

hmm, It works out a lot cheaper to get HDTV, but my graphics isnt HDMI.. Ive just seen a dell 27", half the price of 30" and only 3" less... I'd like a resolution jump, but a higher quality panel is more important..

Decisions, decisions...

 

[monkey7]

I guess you do have a DVI connector? I guess a €5 convertor (often supplied with your gpu) would do.

Personally I would go for the 27" option. I'm currently using 22+24 inch, and the screens are too wide to use both outer ends. If you game on a 40" while sitting at the same distance as you would from a 24"... Ouch.

 

[FarFarAway]

Agreed, with PC gaming it's the distance. I use mine mainly for the PS3 and Blu Ray so it's fine at a distance. But for my pc it has to be my 2407WFP. I've not seen a screen as good as this one for PC gaming, for me a 30" Dell is too big, 24" is the perfect size.

You have to ask yourself what you're going to use it for and whather it's even worth paying that sort of money for a 30" PC display. For me, 30" with that crazy res is just too big for gaming.

 

[noobieocer]

30" too big for PC gaming 0.0 but if i was you, i would use it to watch movies or play console games at a distance as stated above ^ then it be quite nice personally my room a bit small so i would get a 24" ish, but that's me it depends how close you be sitting next to the tv/monitor playing console games or watching movies

 

[Luigi]

30" too big for PC gaming 0.0 but if i was you, i would use it to watch movies or play console games at a distance as stated above ^ then it be quite nice personally my room a bit small so i would get a 24" ish, but that's me it depends how close you be sitting next to the tv/monitor playing console games or watching movies

Im on 24 atm, but its a tad small for watching dvd from my sofa...

I think 27 will be enough, its far cheaper than 30... I think Ill be ordering it boxing day

 

[Rastalovich]

DVI ports will do HDMI with an adaptor.

Whilst I think the better screen in terms of quality will be the 27"/30" monitor, I`m uncertain about the size for film watching. Some films they can show too much quality.

Perhaps it depends if ur already used to 32"+ hdtv.

 

[Bungral]

Well if you've already got a 24" monitor, just but the 40" Bravia for movies and TV... Then you have the best of both worlds.. Sit close to play games and move back to the couch for TV.

 

[nathan]

i've got a 32" samsung plugged into my HDTV (only vga). Picture is perfect! Hasnt the bravia got any type of computer input?

 

[Luigi]

Im going to be selling me 24" to fund the new one...

The decision is between 32" HDTC and 27" monitor, edging towards monitor and nice wall bracket at m

 

[nathan]

Im going to be selling me 24" to fund the new one...

The decision is between 32" HDTC and 27" monitor, edging towards monitor and nice wall bracket at m

you could always just get a tv card for your pc, i think both xbox and ps3 can plug into your monitor now.

So really i think you have to look at price points.

 

[noobieocer]

a thin monitor will look much better. and you can always have a small media center or something where you cause it as a tv + web browser + media player with unlimited format range as you can install codecs

 

[FarFarAway]

What 24 is it?

I really see no point in getting a screen that's the same res - there will be a drop in clarity rather than a rise

 

[rrjwilson]

This is a QR so forgive no details.

I have a 15" TFT, 22" TFT, 28" TV, 32" HDTV and 11' projector so I can safely say I have tried using my PC on everything and will give you the low down of what I think for a good decision tomorrow as its proper later.

 

[Luigi]

What 24 is it?

I really see no point in getting a screen that's the same res - there will be a drop in clarity rather than a rise

It was a cheapo samsung panel. My screen blew last boxing day (what a great xmas gift) and I was a bit strapped for cash and it was the cheapest 24" avaliable. Id like to get something with better colour handling and detail in the blacks (the dark knight is very hard to watch on this screen) so a dell ultrasharp is what Im after, and the 27" is only £70 more..

 

[rrjwilson]

15" TFT

1024x768

32-bit colour

60Hz refresh maximum

16ms response

22" TFT

1680x1050

32-bit colour

100Hz refresh maximum

2ms response

28" TV

320x240

32-bit colour

50Hz refresh maximum

20ms response

32" HDTV

1280x720

32-bit colour

50hz refresh maximum

5ms response

11' projector

1600x1200

32-bit colour

100Hz refresh maximum

10ms response

 

[rrjwilson]

Normal TVs can ONLY show 320x240 resolution what they use is a scalar interpolation to upsize the data to relevant size. Whether you have a 14" TV or a 50" rear projection screen. They are poo for games for this very reason.

HDTVs are nothing more than a monitor with stranger connections on it. Often you will find HDTVs are worse for gaming than your monitor in clarity stakes. If you think of a 1280x720 screen native pitch size means its around 17". So any HDTV above this size is like using a magnifying glass on the screen. You can argue the scalar software to interpolate data across the larger surface will make for a clearer image but interpolation by function is blurring so basically your talking crap.

Next we come to the only alternative for watching our HD life properly. Monitors. This can now be drawn down to simple math. The larger the resolution the more impressive the picture quality.

More pixels better picture.

HDTVs

480 - Do NOT touch

720i - Do NOT touch

720p - Ok but you better buy it really cheap

1080i - Good resolution but refresh rate is 30 or 25 depending where you live and this is fine for interpolated broadcasts but for PC use its ****e.

1080p - The ONLY way to go gives you decent framerate and decent resolution but after 24" you are being interpolated and therefore loosing quality. So after 24" you better be getting it cheap.

Monitors are the ONLY way to show glorious HD material but resolution means power. Go as big as you can afford and make sure your GPU and decoder can keep up.

 

[rrjwilson]

Simple answer to your question is 30"

However the HDTV will have all the connections you need right outta the box bar a DVI-HDMI so for simplicity you could get that but it will be a waist of money for clarity.

 

[SuB]

lol get a pc screen for pc use, if you're getting a HDTV, make it LCD if you plan to have anything on it static for any length of time, pc games aren't designed to be played on plasma's and you will be plagued with image retention

30" max for pc gaming, tv use anything bigger is fine, my 46" panasonic Viera is really quite something when attached to the pc, but not as comfortable to use as my dell 24"