Looking for a TV to double as a monitor

I'll open up by saying I know nothing about modern TV's, and that I would probably be better off asking on an A/V forum or an HTPC forum. I've never even lived in a house with an LCD TV, though I've been around them of course.

I'm hoping to find something around the 42 inch range, 1080p, and decent performance displaying a computer screen - I would probably play some games on it, but I typically play stuff 3-4 years after it comes out and even then I don't expect the most impressive settings (I'm currently playing unmodded Oblivion at native res, no AA, medium settings, sometimes dropping below 30 FPS, and I'm fine with that). Most of the use would be playing video files and maybe dabbling in HTPC territory, but I'd love it if gaming and word-processing worked well.

I know people talk about this TV not working well as a monitor or that TV being really good for gaming, so there are definitely some variables I'm not aware of. I don't really care to get deep into the tech and science of TVs as computer monitors, I just want something that gives a good picture and a good experience when I plug it into my computer.

3D is a non-factor - I'd only consider it if the price were comparable or the overall user experience significantly better.

Here's the x-factor: I live in China. Whenever I go to a store selling TV's, they're all Skyworth, TCL, Konka... Maybe I don't know what to look for, and maybe it's a problem with the videos they use to preview the TVs (some of them use torrented 320p cartoons, and we're talking about major brand stores), but they all look like crap and they're way more expensive than they would be in the US. Fortunately, with Taobao and Amazon.cn, I can get most TVs (or the 220v equivalent) in China, and even for better prices than the in-store versions, so I'm open to all suggestions.

I'd definitely like to keep it under $1000 - I could probably get what I want for about $500 in the US, maybe even less, but I know I'm going to have to pay a premium here and I can handle that.

Oh, and one more thing - I don't want to buy another TV in two years, so reliability and longevity would be appreciated.

tl;dr - I want a ~42", 1080p TV with HDMI or DisplayPort to use primarily as a monitor for my laptop in a living room setting. Buying in China, but most TVs are probably available here. Suggestions?

 

Make sure you're getting a 1920x1080 display first and foremost, some list 1080p capable but downscale. Second is make sure whatever you get can do 1:1 pixel mapping. Stay away from the 120Hz+ sets as they add input lag, which is quite annoying for gaming (and don't feature a easy way to turn it off in some cases).

I got an LG set for about 500 that fit most of that, save for the 120Hz part, but it wasn't too noticeable, but I don't remember which it was exactly.. if I come across it I'll post a link.

 

Although the parts and/or assembly is still Chinese so same difference.

Any TV can be used as a monitor although specification may differ widely. Choose wisely as some are not as easy to calibrate as others.

 

Does anybody here actually have much experience hooking their TV to a laptop? If not, I guess I'll just sign up for some A/V forum and ask there...

 

as mentioned you want a simple screen with no extra processing.
look for one with a 'pc mode' or 'game mode'

HDMI can add problems, just because its digital doesn't always mean you get a direct 1:1 untouched image, so look for a setting like 'just fit' or 'exact scale'

try researching the panel type, panasonic are a good brand and use quality IPS panels.

the panasonic TX-L42E3B is a good example. i think it should do 1:1 pixel map (matching every pixel to its exact location just like a monitor)

http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_...+LCD+TV/TX-L42E3B/Overview/7285876/index.html

not sure what the china or us equivalent is though.

hope this helps somewhat

 

I can help you here. I used to use a 32" HDTV as a computer monitor for both my desktop and laptop.
New Toy: Sharp 32" 1080p LCD HDTV as monitor - Sharky Forums




My advice to you:

* Buy a 1080p display. 720p displays (1366x768 resolution) are useless for use as a computer monitor, because the resolution is too low.

* Don't buy anything above 32". Bigger is not better, especially if you are going to use this screen for any kind of text. Remember that a 1080p HDTV contains the same number of pixels, regardless of how large the screen is. Once you start using very large screens, the pixels become so large that the image looks terrible.

To give you an idea, a 32" 1080p has a pixel density of 81ppi (pixels per inch). This pixel density is equivalent to running 1024x768 resolution on a 15" display. A 42" 1080p has a pixel density of 52ppi. This pixel density is the equivalent of running 1024x768 on a 24" display. You would never run 1024x768 on a 24" display, because the image would look terrible. So don't force yourself into a similar situation by buying a 42" 1080p HDTV.

The other problem is that a 42" HDTV forces you to sit too far away. The ideal viewing distance of a 32" display is 4.5' to 12' (1.5m - 3.5m). The ideal viewing distance of a 42" display is 6' to 17' (1.8m - 5.2m). A 42" HDTV forces you to sit so far away to read text, that it would cause you eyestrain after a few hours of use.


* Don't buy 120Hz. The 120Hz effect is handled by a built-in video processor that performs motion interpolation. The problem is that this processing adds about 50ms - 100ms delay to the video signal. For video content, this is not a problem. However, for gaming, this is an unacceptable amount of lag. If you must buy a 120Hz screen, be sure to buy one that has a "gaming mode" or "pass through mode" that bypasses the built-in video processor.


* Image quality is the most important factor; price is not. Have you ever wondered why a 30" monitor costs over $1000, whereas a 32" 1080p HDTV can be bought for $400?

The fact is, most HDTVs use cheap LCD panels that have very poor image quality, color reproduction, and contrast ratios. This is not that big of a deal with an HDTV being used to display video content. And HDTV manufacturers will use things like dynamic contrast ratios, image sharpness enhancements, video filters, etc to make video look acceptable on these cheap panels.

The problem is that if you use one of these cheap panels as a computer monitor, you can tell right away that the image looks terrible. Contrast ratios look bad. Colors look washed out. Text becomes so ugly that it becomes hard to read.

My recommendation is that you do research on AV forums, and find an HDTV that uses an LCD panel with high quality. If you just go and buy the cheapest HDTV you can, the image will look terrible. If you just go and buy an HDTV based on the manufacturer specifications, the image will look terrible (manufacturers have ways to "cheat" on specifications like contrast ratio and response time). If you just go and buy an HDTV based on price, you are not guaranteed to get a high image quality display (because a lot of the money spent on HDTVs are spent on features that you don't want, like 120Hz / 240Hz image processing). The only way to be sure you are buying a high-quality panel is to do your research on AV forums.

 

Nice advice.. wil use it for my next investment

 

I've got a 40 inch Toshiba LED LCD hooked up to my notebook, and I love it. I use it for about exactly what your saying, although I put new games on it as well. I also use it for text alot.



What Kent1146 mentioned about pixel density does make some sense, but you have to realize that you generally have a larger distance between yourself and a 40" screen than you would yourself and a 24" screen.

 

Usually LCD TV's under 32" are regular TN monitors with added HDTV Tuner.
32" and up are usually IPS or PVA/whatever and in general offer better image quality.

Naturally other displays are still better and some are outright horrible, just leave those 19" -> 27" Televisions alone They are simple to detect when you look at them in the store, image will look like a negative/distorted.

 

There's the NBR I know and love!

I'm looking in the 40's because I'll be using this from a couch 10-12 feet away. I know that the pixel density will be horrible, but that should be largely negated by the distance, right?. I expect that I'll mostly use it when I'm doing multimedia (for example, using it as a second screen when my girlfriend just has to watch 非诚勿扰 and I've got work to do [/rant]) and gaming, as well as using it as an actual TV in all likelihood.

I wasn't planning on buying 120 Hz, but I might have if I felt like I was getting a bargain - good to know it's not a good idea.

I guess my best bet is to hit up an AV forum for suggestions from the pros. They might even know model numbers for China. What sucks about buying here is that I can't find any stores displaying any well-known international brand names like Sony, Panasonic, LG, etc., so the only TVs I can see in person are low-quality and overpriced. Not that lesser-known brands can't produce good products, I just haven't seen any yet.