VGA/HDMI resolutions of LCD tv's

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raytaylor

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#160224 28-Dec-2014 23:26

Hi All
A couple of years ago I bought a samsung 32" LCD and a 42" plasma tv for using as computer monitors.
The native resolutions of them are 1024x768 which is really stretched on a 16:9 widescreen panel so I run them at a non-native 1280x720 resolution with enlarged text.

Now I see some amazing prices on those LED backlit LCD's at the warehouse and DSE.
Has anyone bought a cheap one in the last few months and know what the native resolutions are like these days when using them as a computer monitor?

As a side note, went to harvey norman on boxing day - was packed almost shoulder to shoulder in the napier branch (whiteware/electrical only)
Two doors down across the other end of the carpark is DSE and it was dead quiet - only 6 people in the shop, 2 of them staff.
Am really dissappointed in them - they only had half a display of digital cameras and the new modern shop design feels cold and unwelcoming so while i was in there i figured they wont be lasting much longer.

Ray Taylor

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richms

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#1205206 29-Dec-2014 00:02

Last 2 cheapies from the warehouse seem to be from the same vendor.

1360x 768 res, hdmi. Not tried VGA because why would you, not even sure if they have it.

One catch is older intel video will not output audio to them, as it comes up as DVI not HDMI, found some thread that goes on about there being 2 parts to the EDID and intel reading the monitor one to get the prefered resolution and not the one that adds audio. No biggie, as I dont put the audio to the TV in anycase on that one since it goes to a amp over a USB to optical adapter.

Now, the viewing angles on the small ones are _horrible_ - 10degress below straight on and whites and greys are swapping places with each other. Black level is so bad it may as well be #101010 on any other screen.

I cant speak for this years models, but the 2 I got for the garage last year on clearance were 39", have 3 HDMI, a bloody coax audio out (WTF has coax really) and a smallish vesa mount so work on cheap articualted brackets just fine.

Richard rich.ms

dimsim

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#1205229 29-Dec-2014 07:29

most quality audio manufacturers prefer coax over optical.

khull

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#1205266 29-Dec-2014 08:35

Not really sure what your question is. I presume that you are referring to the VGA adapter rather than VGA resolution. You'd be surprised the resolutions the adapter will support even output at 1080, really depends on what graphics card that drives it

trig42

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#1205273 29-Dec-2014 08:45

Most new TVs do not have a VGA socket any more.
I think some of the off-brand (Veon, Soniq, Konka) may still have them, but none of the main brands have them any more.
You would think HDMI would do the resolution of the panel (1920 x 1080 in most Full HD panels).

raytaylor

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#1205661 29-Dec-2014 18:14

Yeah you would think

The instruction manual makes multiple references to 1024x768 being the optimal resolution.
Of course on a 16:9 screen, that shows up very elongated - even though its very crisp and clear.

I have to run it at 1280x720 to fix the aspect ratio, and although the vertical pixels match the panel, the horizontal resolution doesnt match - so the result is it is blurry and not very crisp. To use the screen I have enlarged the text using windows disability options.

Basically I am asking what the cheap new screens are like these days - can you expect to plug in via hdmi, set the resolution to the panel resolution and have a nice clean crisp image?

https://i.imgur.com/MuZ9uRQ.png

Ray Taylor

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Dunnersfella

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#1205694 29-Dec-2014 19:27

raytaylor: Hi All
A couple of years ago I bought a samsung 32" LCD and a 42" plasma tv for using as computer monitors.
The native resolutions of them are 1024x768 which is really stretched on a 16:9 widescreen panel so I run them at a non-native 1280x720 resolution with enlarged text.

Now I see some amazing prices on those LED backlit LCD's at the warehouse and DSE.
Has anyone bought a cheap one in the last few months and know what the native resolutions are like these days when using them as a computer monitor?

As a side note, went to harvey norman on boxing day - was packed almost shoulder to shoulder in the napier branch (whiteware/electrical only)
Two doors down across the other end of the carpark is DSE and it was dead quiet - only 6 people in the shop, 2 of them staff.
Am really dissappointed in them - they only had half a display of digital cameras and the new modern shop design feels cold and unwelcoming so while i was in there i figured they wont be lasting much longer.

Cheap TV's from the Warehouse / DSE / HNorman etc...
Well, you do get what you pay for.
Poor picture, useless off-axis performance, bizarre HDMI handshake issues, connectivity issues with audio systems.
Then there's the incredibly slow channel + input changes, ropey construction (bases especially) and often poor resolution.

And yes, DSE are...
Well, there's threads on this site that have probably hit the nail on the head.

Dunnersfella

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#1205696 29-Dec-2014 19:30

dimsim: most quality audio manufacturers prefer coax over optical.

Most quality audio manufacturers implement coax AND optical.
And they do so in a manner that ensures top notch audio performance... not something I can say for Veon / Transonic / DSE / JVC / Konka etc etc.

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richms

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#1205704 29-Dec-2014 19:40

Optical is immune to ground loops. Carrying a digital signal on a single ended connection between 2 devices which are both usually ground referenced to different places is IMO a really really stupid idea because of all the dropouts that happen when there is noise on the electrical ground.

Soundbars tend to have optical in because that is what most quality brand TV's have as the output. The saving of using an RCA socket instead of an SPDIF transmitter is a couple of cents at best, but its a corner they have cut.

Richard rich.ms

khull

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#1205732 29-Dec-2014 20:40

raytaylor: Yeah you would think

The instruction manual makes multiple references to 1024x768 being the optimal resolution.
Of course on a 16:9 screen, that shows up very elongated - even though its very crisp and clear.

I have to run it at 1280x720 to fix the aspect ratio, and although the vertical pixels match the panel, the horizontal resolution doesnt match - so the result is it is blurry and not very crisp. To use the screen I have enlarged the text using windows disability options.

Basically I am asking what the cheap new screens are like these days - can you expect to plug in via hdmi, set the resolution to the panel resolution and have a nice clean crisp image?

sounds like the issue you have if I read correctly (sorry might be just me not understanding your long post) - you bought a screen that is 16:9 however with native xGA resolutions. That would imply that the TV pixels are not 'square' and your pixel aspect ratio is something like 12:11 rather than 16:11. Not much you can do about it as the native resolution - the screen was marketed as a 'wide' screen DISPLAY aspect ratio with a 4:3 PIXEL aspect ratio

In your next purchase look for native W(x)GA resolutions that would avoid the stretching behaviour