32" LED TV for computer monitor ?

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › 32" LED TV for computer monitor ?

grant_k

3539 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 124

Trusted

#110104 3-Oct-2012 11:09

My trusty 24" LG monitor has died after 4 years, and I'm facing a tough decision as to what I should replace it with. At present, we have a small cottage which only has room for 1 decent-sized screen so my monitor doubles as our TV. The LG monitor was 1920x1200 resolution, which obviously I am not going to get in a TV because everything decent is 1920x1080 i.e. Full HD.

Questions:

1) Do any 32" LED TVs have non-glossy screens? (I really need a matte/non-reflective screen for editing code and other text-based tasks).

2) If I cannot find a non-reflective 32" screen, I will probably opt for a 27" monitor of some sort. Most of these have resolutions well above Full HD, so what happens if you poke a 1080i/50 signal into their HDMI input? Do they upscale the image to full screen size, or is it "postage stamped" in the centre?

Any comments and suggestions are welcome.

ajobbins

5053 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1279

Trusted

#695412 3-Oct-2012 11:26

It will likely give you the option to 'postage stamp' or scale it, or just scale it. Shouldn't be an issue.

As for matte LED TV's - don't think I've ever seen one.

Twitter: ajobbins

grant_k

3539 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 124

Trusted

#695471 3-Oct-2012 12:39

ajobbins: As for matte LED TV's - don't think I've ever seen one.

Thanks for that Adam. Looks like 27" is the way to go then. I've been looking through last month's 27" monitor thread for suggestions:

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=50&topicid=108614

Ragnor

8279 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 585

Trusted

#695538 3-Oct-2012 14:45

TV's are designed to be viewed from a distance, monitors are designed to be viewed close up.

A 32" TV with a native resolution of 1920x1080 will have a much higher dot pitch than a 22-24" LCD monitor with native resolution of 1920x1080.

Text will be harder to read and harder on the eyes generally with higher dot pitch.

Most decent 27" monitor's will have a native resolution of 2560 x 1440 to preserve small dot pitch for close viewing.

grant_k

3539 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 124

Trusted

#695546 3-Oct-2012 14:59

Ragnor: TV's are designed to be viewed from a distance, monitors are designed to be viewed close up.

A 32" TV with a native resolution of 1920x1080 will have a much higher dot pitch than a 22-24" LCD monitor with native resolution of 1920x1080.

Text will be harder to read and harder on the eyes generally with higher dot pitch.

Thanks Ragnor. After reading a couple more old threads, along with your comment, I've come to the conclusion that the TV idea is a non-starter.

Ragnor:Most decent 27" monitor's will have a native resolution of 2560 x 1440 to preserve small dot pitch for close viewing.

At this point I've found two monitors that might suit my requirements:

http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?z=p&p=MONLGL2770&name=%28-Back-order-available-now-%29-LG-IPS277L-BN-27-Prem

I know the dot pitch will be higher on this one, but I don't mind sitting a bit further away from it. The uber-thin bezel looks nice.

http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?z=p&p=MONDEL2711&name=Dell-U2711-27-Monitor-with-PremierColor-IPS-%28In-Pl

This would be the ultimate without going over the top and getting a 30" Dell. I think I'd best pay a visit to PB Tech. or Playtech and look at each of them in the flesh. Then decide whether the extra $460 is worth it for mostly web browsing, text editing, some coding and some TV viewing.

kiwijunglist

2983 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 135

ID Verified

#696535 5-Oct-2012 01:32

You also could have a look into the catleap thread on gpforums.co.nz , this involves importing monitors from overseas at considerable savings.

HTPC / Home automation (home assistant) enthusiast.

grant_k

3539 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 124

Trusted

#696672 5-Oct-2012 10:56

kiwijunglist: You also could have a look into the catleap thread on gpforums.co.nz , this involves importing monitors from overseas at considerable savings.

Thanks for that suggestion. I was aware of the Catleap QHD monitors, but we are in the Far North, and any failure would be a big inconvenience for me. The idea of buying from an Auckland supplier with 3-year onsite replacement warranty seems much better to me.