LCD TVs as PC displays

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Hi All, this is a bit of a long post so bear with me please!

As some of you may know, I'm in the process of selecting the configuration for an extremely high end gaming rig which I will be purchasing in a couple of weeks or so...I've got the other details sorted out. Except, I'm now trying to decide on a display solution.

So...here's the thing...I am going to have an EXTREMELY high end graphics card - (think 8800 GTX or better) and I want a BIG monitor so I can really enjoy my games and whatnot.

I am also going to be buying a 32" - 36" LCD TV which I am going to use to set up a home theatre system in my room...I want to know whether it is practical to use this same LCD TV as my primary display for my computer as well??

I read somewhere that if you have a massive LCD TV, it has a fixed resolution (1366 x 768 IIRC) and if you use this for stuff like Office applications or general apps like Photoshop etc, the resolution ends up being all skewed. Is this true?? Is it a bad idea to use a 36" LCD TV as a monitor??

Oh yeah, and another thing... this is the model I am most likely going to pick up. What do you guys think of this?? Am I better off picking up a LCD monitor designed for a PC and just watch TV on that instead by installing a TV Tuner card??

And finally...to sort of sum up the whole thing...I was going to get a nice, big LCD TV and hook that up to my PC Tower...a wireless keyboard & mouse set and finally this little beauty which I have already. Sort of an elite gaming setup you could say!

What do you guys reckon? Is this practical for everyday use or should I pick up a 17" LCD monitor as well, just in case? Leave your comments!!

 

I wouldn't waste my money on a LCD TV as my monitor. If you're willing to drop that much money, you could get a DLP projector that supports typical computer resolutions...plus, the actual screen size could/would be bigger. IIRC, video cards don't usually support the 1366 x 768 resolution. So yes, if you tried it, your display would look pretty bad.

If you must have a large screen, I would suggest the Dell 30" LCD monitor. It has gotten very high marks in numerous tests IIRC. You'll need a video card that supports 2560 x 1600...which any NVidia 8800+ cards should support.

 

@Kitrax: You don't say! I was actually going to buy a projector but I was told that it gets annoying to use it on a daily basis...because you have to keep your lights down and all...is that not true? Because a projector was my first preference...

Uhh, small problem. I can't buy the Dell 30" monitor because they don't sell it India...atleast, they didn't when I asked about a month ago and I'm going to be picking this system up in India...however, if I did manage to get my hands on a 28"-30" monitor, could I use that as a TV as well?? Without issues?

Hm...I don't mind spending a lot of money on the TV because I can afford it, and well...I'm going to be getting a high end LCD TV for my home theater system in any case. I thought that if I could use it with my PC as well, that would just be icing on the cake!

This is the biggest LCD monitor they sell in India at the moment...24" isn't very good is it?

 

It used to be that all the LCD TV's only came in a x by 768 resolution. But now everyone is coming out with models that do 1920 x 1080 resolution. That would be better for a PC monitor. If you go too high on the native screen resolution everything is so small you have to get close to the screen to read anything. Unless you spend a lot of time tweaking the Windows settings - things like large fonts, bigger icons etc. I bought the Dell 24 inch LCD and that is my problem. I wanted to sit it farther away from me is why I went for the bigger screen. But now I cannot read anything on it when I use the full 1920x1200 resolution so I run it at 1280 x 1024 resoultion unless I am viewing photos or videos and want the full resolution. But your eyes may be better and will not have that problem
Here are some examples of 1920x1080 screens:
http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_attrib.php/page_id=197/popup2%5B%5D=160:1022
No idea if you can get one in India though.

 

Wow. Either way, I am envious of all the cool gear you are getting!

 

@Chas: Yes, I do get the 24 inch Dell monitor in India...but I dunno...24" isn't quite as big as I wanted...

I emailed Dell to ask about that 30" TV Kitrax mentioned, and they got back to me saying that its not available in India at the moment, so if I want it that badly, I'd have to get it imported which apparently costs a lot...

I was thinking...what if I get a normal 17" monitor just for using apps and stuff, and hook up the PC to my 36" TV when I'm gaming...would that work?? I'm talking about it from the resolutions and display quality point of view!

@Harb: Well, I've been saving up for this stuff since a VERY long time and now that I graduate and go back to India for good after 3 long years in Australia...its a sort of present to myself from..uh..myself.

 

Depending on the resolution of the TV you are talking about, yes that would work OK. If you get one of the 1920x1080 resolution ones I mentioned it should work pretty good. The 1200x768 would be OK also, since they are mostly discounted these days. Most games look fine at around 1220x 1000 and many cannot go over that resolution anyway. But research the LCD/graphics card combo to see what resolutions are supported. Stretching the game out from 4x3 to 16x9 will look a little strange. On my 24 inch I stretch from 4x3 to 16x10 and it is a little noticeable, but not much. If the card can display a 4x3 image centered on the screen, that would look best. BTW, the 24 inch Dell is a non-standard 16x10 format instead of a standard 16x9. That causes a little problem with videos. Whenever I see a 32 inch LCD on sale in the new 1920x1080 format I think the same thing - maybe I could use it for just games and I get an itch to buy

The 30 inch Dell has such a high resolution that you must use a video card with two DVI outputs, that normally support dual monitors, but you must hook both of them up to the one. Dell has a list of cards that can do that.

 

@Chas: The video card is the least of my worries...I'll be picking up the 8800 GTX as soon as NVIDIA sort out their fabrication kinks...because apparently they are moving to a 65 nm fabrication process and when that comes out, it will be significantly smaller than the current 11.5 inch board.

If 1200x768 would be fine on a 24" monitor would'nt it also be fine on a 32" LCD tv if I'm viewing it from a distance? Ahhhh this stuff is so confusing.

Also, its very frustrating that I can't go to a JBL or a Dick Smith for a demo because I've got exams till the 23rd...

Oh and about the 16:9 thing...I'm using a widescreen laptop monitor with a 1280x800 resolution...would that qualify as a 16:9 resolution?? Most games support custom resolutions once you muck around with the .ini files a bit so I'm not too worried about that...all I care is that the graphics should not appear to be super small or ultra flat when I play the game on my TV!

 

"If 1200x768 would be fine on a 24" monitor would'nt it also be fine on a 32" LCD tv if I'm viewing it from a distance?"

I think so. That is why I think about getting a 32 inch 1920x1080 LCD, so I can sit it back away from me a little more. Then I can relax in an easy chair to play games. My problem with the big PC monitors like the Dell 24 or 30 inch is that the resolution is too high. They do not look as good if you run them at lower than full resolution. Too much dithering and such. That is another reason I want a lower resolution "TV" LCD at 1920x1080. That sounds like a perfect resolution for games. And a 1200x768 one should also look just about the same. But, since the US HDTV standard is for 1080 not 768, I want an 1080 one. I have no idea what the India HDTV standard is.

"I'm using a widescreen laptop monitor with a 1280x800 resolution...would that qualify as a 16:9 resolution?"

Yes it does. So you are already familiar with setting up for widescreen. A 768 TV LCD will look exactly the same - just bigger.

I will have to investigate the .ini tweeking. Do you know if Infinity games (ie Baldurs Gate, etc) can be stretched? I never thought to look.

 

That all depends on the lumens you get. If you get a cheap projector that has a low lumens rating, then yes, you would need to dim the lights a bit...but a lot of projectors designed for office use, have a very high lumens rating and are plenty bright to use even in a bright room. Have a look at this site to get a feel for DLP projectors: http://www.dlp.com. Always read pro/user reviews on any piece of equipment.

That's kind of funny considering Dell's tech support is based out of India...

 

@BTA: !!!!!

Uh...okay, no projectors then! That's too much...I wanted a fix and forget kind of setup.

@Kitrax: Just because you have call centres in India doesn't mean they have their full product line up!! And yeah..funny you should mention Dell tech support...their Indian headquarters is across the road from my house (I live right in the middle of the city)...I should take a picture or something. Its a neat building!

@Chas: I am having a hard time understanding what you said just then. Uh...I'm a beginner still trying to get to grips with this stuff dude!! I'm not an expert!!

Why would I care about HDTV?? And I think the monitors selling in India have a 1080p mentioned in their specs..is this what you were talking about?

Also, if I understood you right, you are saying that the 1366x768 big screen TVs should be fine for gaming, even though they might dither stuff when using them up close?

 

Please do the world a favor and BOMB that building!!! Maybe once Dell sees the public opinion on having their call centers in India, they will move them somewhere else...like back to the US or Canada. Polls in PC World that show severe dissatisfaction with Dell's tech support don't seem to matter to Dell.

Yeah, I forgot about that. The bulbs *do* die rather quick compared to other computer equipment, and they are waaaaaay overpriced. But I guess that's the price you have to pay to be able to use an entire wall as a screen.

 

@Kitrax: I actually wouldn't mind if that stupid building WAS bombed you know. All these people and their traffic at odd hours...ehhh...its the price you pay for living in the city and not in a suburb I suppose.

Hmm...looks like my display woes have been fixed! I will be picking up the Sony 32" TV (which I linked to earlier) as well as a 17" monitor which I will pick up second hand...

Cheers SP!! You guys rock!

 

Rock? Not in this forum...you need to go one forum up if you want rock.

Always willing to lend an opinion or give some advice.

 

Philips 32PF7331/12...Do you have any info or know a place who's reviewed it? It will be my new TV....