Hi,

Can someone help me with the following technical query.  I am hoping to replace my old but excellent LaCie 22inch CRT monitor in the near future, I've been looking at various IT retailers for computer displays. But now LCD computer displays look almost identical to LCD flat panel TV's thus my question is No.1) can I just buy an ordinary LCD TV and successfully use it as a computer display screen?  No.2 are there some vital yet subtle differences between LCD monitors for PC's and LCD TV's that I'm missing or ignorant of, if so can someone kindly explain the technical differences or advantages/disadvantages.

**Ideally I'd like to purchase a screen size a bit above my 22inch (24 inch or 26 inch)?

 Ivan

Even though my lcd tv as a D-Sub input the quality never looks as good as it does on a lcd monitor.

You can get lcd monitors with TV tuners built in (the same but the other way round :)

I believe that some TV's are better than others at displaying computer outputs and "I think" it probably  as a lot to do with if the TV display can handle the resolution you want to use.

LCD TV's will have a maximum resolution of 720p or 1080p depending on the set you have, typically when you reach sizes of 32" or larger a computer monitor will give you significantly higher resolution than an LCD TV of the same size.

LCD TV's typically have HDMI inputs and D-SUB analogue monitor input, neither provide the same quality as a DVI input from a PC however there would be little difference to the untrained eye but if you do any colour-sensitive work it would make a difference.

PC monitors typically don't have multimedia interfaces however like composite or component inputs so it won't take feeds from a digibox or satellite receiver etc. Monitor/TV hybrids mentioned in a previous post often do however so are a happy medium.

When I hooked my home TV to my laptop (via D-SUB) it identified itself as an LG 50" whereas my model is a 42" version of the same TV, it also didn't detect the dot-pitch correctly resulting in unreadably under-scaled fonts. I have a feeling that TV manufacturers don't always bother adjusting the configuration for different size models like they would for a monitor but it could be just me. However, I have a friend who uses his PC with a 32" TV quite happily, but it's a matter of taste, personally I don't like moving my head to hunt around the screen.

You should also consider your eyes, large screen TVs are designed for remote viewing, if you plan on sitting up close the screen may default to being very bright and need adjusting.

Hi again,

Thank You!! your comments (to both of you) they are very helpful indeed. I knew there must be some differences between LCD TV's & LCD displays for PC's, its quite a confusing area I think for many people. I think in my case what I want is actually a true monitor as I'm not really going to want to watch conventional TV (apart perhaps from the odd iPlayer program streamed over the web).

**I think probably a 24inch LCD or 26inch LCD is what I want.

**YES! I agree above 24/26inch the screen size's do become a bit too large for good viewing.

**I've just had a look at whats on offer from LaCie but at £1,000+ for even the smaller end displays I will definitely be giving these a miss. I have seen & been recommended that Samsung LCD monitors have had very good reviews indeed. They also score high on price & value for money.

Ivan

£1000? I bought a 24" widescreen LCD monitor for about £150 a few months ago (with 1920 x 1080 resolution ie the same as a 1080p TV)
Its nothing special, but I'm very happy with it.

Generally I'd prefer a monitor over a TV for computer use. For one thing there's likely to be a lower input lag (probably only important to gamers, but still).

But if you're after a really big screen (ie 30" or larger) then I might go for a LCD TV instead, as it'll be cheaper for the size. So long as it has a HDMI input you can use it with any graphics card with a DVI output as there are cheap converters you can get to convert DVI -> HDMI

I dread the day I have to swop from a real CRT.

I always look at the modern alternatives when I happen to be in Currys/PC World/etc but they are not as good.

OOhh!! that makes me feel MUCH better, I bought my LaCie Electron Blue 22inch CRT monitor after much research & it has been a very good buy although it was very expensive at the time. Its a fine quality piece of kit & used to be highly rated by many graphic designers, there is nothing in terms of features that you cannot tweak or adjust to suit your needs. However the downside is I've had it 10 years almost & it is starting to look a bit dated perhaps.  Its rather big & bulky, & it weighs an incredible amount ( I can just about lift it) & the tube housing at the back takes up a good deal of desktop real estate.

**Would like to have a slightly larger screen size & a display that doesn't take up quite so much space.

**I was impressed when I saw a Samsung Flat panel display of a client who I did some work for, she required a very top quality display as she works as a professional film animator. So the Samsung kind of stuck in my memory.

Ivan

I have a few LCD monitors and 2 LCD TV's, one big one in the living room and the smaller one in the kitchen. 

The monitors are decent enough for messing about on the pc's and the TV's are really great for watching HD material on but, when it comes to watching standard def TV, none of my LCD panels can beat or even come close to my 32 inch panasonic crt TV that got relegated to upstairs when the lcd tv's got bought.

This crt tv is simply beautiful to watch SD stuff on, ok the thing in itself is a big hulking plastic piece of shizznit to look at and weighs a ton, but once turned on it simply is a beauty and the lcd panels cannot compete with the picture quality when it comes to watching SD material.

I have yet to find/see a single lcd panel that can show SD transmissions decently, maybe I am wrong, but every single one of them that I have seen, seem to be worse at showing SD transmissions than the last generation of crt's were, probably because the lcd panels have a larger res and then stretch Sd transmissions so they fit the tv, thus making the pic quality c-rap in the process ? I dunno.

I guess we will have to put up with it until 100% full HD coverage is launched, which cant happen fast enough if you ask me.

Hi again,

Just an observation really. I was recently selling some old SLR equipment on Gumtree free classified adverts but what really struck me as VERY interesting was the sheer number of people selling new or almost new LCD flat panel TV's of all sizes & makes. There were loads of people selling LCD TV's I put it down to the fact that Freeview is such a load of utter blathering rubbish (40 channels & nothing no worth watching). i.e. nothing wrong with the TV's its the lack of decent watchable content.

**Yet more proof (as if we needed it) that the UK is becoming even more like the US :-((

Ivan

Market forces, dear boy.

Once we had it about right in this country; then the unions went overboard; currently the capatilists are behaving in exactly the same way the unions did in the '70s and are in need of a good fecking in a similar fashion to how the brothers got it.

Perhaps we might end up just about right again (or, more likely I think, one hell of a blood-bath).

Of course, provided Jack's allright he won't give a toss: problem currently for the establishment is that Jack's outnumbered; they can't buy the majority off anymore with a few barbles as they used to do until recently, everyone's just about screwed at the moment.

We live in more than usually interesting times.

Quote: We live in more than usually interesting times.

Ans: Thats a f**king understatement mate, I'd say its nothing short of organized chaos. And you ain't seen nothing yet, oh! and gourd help us if toff Tory desperate Dave Cam sham gets his filthy hands on the slippery rains of power. 

Ivan

If it were organised then it'd not be a problem: it could be fixed.   It's not organised, though.

There are, IMO, 3 problems:

1) Overpopulation

2) Greed

3) Everyone is so full of bull-*** that I find it difficult to talk to most people for more than baout 1 minuite at a time.

No.1 UK a Small Island off Europe and too far away from the US (thank goodness too) i.e. limited resources

No.2 People DON'T really listen too each other these days, the average attention span seems to be about 3nano seconds before they have to answer the F***ng mobile yet again. This leads to a loss of mutual respect.

No.3 GREED itself is as old as the hills, nothing new but what has changed is that greed was made far far more acceptable under Margaret Thatcher's time in office, and the problem we have now is that we are still suffering the effects of a post thatcheristic mentality. Tony Blair under new labor continued the Thatcheristic political philosophy (Tony Blair the best Leader the Tories never had) all be it in a somewhat watered down way. Continuing on from Blair now we have Gordon Brown who has taken Blairs new labor philosophy and watered that down yet again but essentially its ALL STILL a watered down form of Thatcherism and it has done incredible damaged to this country.

No.4 The bottom line in my opinion is that until we get rid of (wipe out) the post Thatcheristic political philosophy then nothing in this country will change. Whatever David Cameron says its basically a pack of lies because if the Tories get into power they will make the rich richer via taxation and the poor working people will end up worse off. Sorry! but in my opinion Leopards never change their spots and neither have the Tories.

**Vince Cable is one of the very few politicians that talks any sense and who I have any respect left for. I'm hoping for a solidly hung parliament at the next election.

OOPS Yes! a bit off topic sorry!

Ivan