Claire E
are there drawbacksto using a tv? Can I still watch tv on it?
Answer
YES, you can use a LED TV for your computer. Most LED TV have a VGA and multiple HDMI ports to connect to your PC. (Regular LCD TV's have the same type of connections). You can still watch your TV channels since there are multiple port connections.
Drawbacks in using a TV as your monitor is that the display can only show at best 1080p. Since some computer monitors can display higher resolution at 1900x 1200 ( which is typical for 24 in monitors), the larger PC monitor displays can go up to as high 2560 x 1600. The TV's at best is 1080p, equivalent to approximately 1900 x 1080.
Good luck.
YES, you can use a LED TV for your computer. Most LED TV have a VGA and multiple HDMI ports to connect to your PC. (Regular LCD TV's have the same type of connections). You can still watch your TV channels since there are multiple port connections.
Drawbacks in using a TV as your monitor is that the display can only show at best 1080p. Since some computer monitors can display higher resolution at 1900x 1200 ( which is typical for 24 in monitors), the larger PC monitor displays can go up to as high 2560 x 1600. The TV's at best is 1080p, equivalent to approximately 1900 x 1080.
Good luck.
LED TV as Computer Monitor?
chmacqueen
How good are LED TVs as a computer monitor for gaming? Any cutbacks or negatives? Are actual computer monitors better still these days and if so how so?
Thanks!
Answer
There are several manufacturers that have specific models designed to serve as both a television and computer monitor in the same unit. They're not common in the larger electronics outlets, but they're readily available online.
Around last December, I did research to find out what could work well as both a TV and computer monitor, because an inverter board went out on a three-year-old Sony Vaio laptop taking out the CCD lighting behind the screen. Since Sony didn't have a replacement board on this continent, that was the only way I'd have use of the laptop in the short-term.
What I got was a Samsung T24B350ND set that has an NTSC/ATSC/QAM digital tuner, HDMI input, standard VGA, composite cable, USB, and antenna inputs. It's pretty comprehensive for how the LED screen can accept and process a high definition signal. I'm very impressed, and the unit I got has a great image. It also improved significantly on a 3 1/2 year old Samsung monitor that was purchased as a separate component for an older desktop. I'm thinking this latest unit may be a 240 Mhz LED with a 5 ms lag time, which indicates it should be a capable performer for gaming.
The only potential issue, depending on whether you're asking about a main TV that would fill a room and impress watchers in addition to yourself, is the size. The Samsung models I favored when researching what I wanted had a line of 22", 24", and 27" sets. The 24" unit I purchased is really an impressive monitor, but it's unlikely to serve well for more than two people watching it at a limited distance. The 27" unit might pass for a nice bedroom television and strong performer for gaming, at the same time. The group I selected from matched Samsung's and every other computer monitor manufacturer's computer specific monitors for performance. But I don't recall having seen any that separated from around 30", so it becomes a question of what size television you're looking for, whether you can get an LED display capable of industry-standard monitor performance.
Other lines I looked at included LG and Hitachi. Each of those had a representative from the model line (but only one or two sizes) available at Best Buy stores in our area. The Samsung wasn't an in stock item, but I looked at the closest model that didn't include the television capability with a tuner and the five various input connections. Most LED's set up strictly as computer monitors have just the HDMI and VGA inputs, occasionally with a third option. Going with the high-end monitor TV combination was only $30 to $50 more than the computer monitor alone, so it seemed like precisely what I wanted. Once the unit was hooked up with the Vaio, it was impressive and didn't disappoint. It's been, if anything, a better monitor than I'd hoped or expected. Again, the only caveat for the lines I was looking at and did research for at the end of last year was the size limitation that may have topped out with one of the other manufacturers around 30". The Samsung models went to just 27".
I'm happy to make a suggestion, if you haven't done a lot of research already. You're unlikely to be satisfied with anything having a refresh rate slower than 120 Mhz, and a 240 Mhz rate promises to be faster and, potentially, more impressive. The response time specifications shouldn't be much above 5 ms for the kind of performance gaming enthusiasts want, and 2 ms is still probably the best you'll find. Larger sets tend to be slower.
There are several manufacturers that have specific models designed to serve as both a television and computer monitor in the same unit. They're not common in the larger electronics outlets, but they're readily available online.
Around last December, I did research to find out what could work well as both a TV and computer monitor, because an inverter board went out on a three-year-old Sony Vaio laptop taking out the CCD lighting behind the screen. Since Sony didn't have a replacement board on this continent, that was the only way I'd have use of the laptop in the short-term.
What I got was a Samsung T24B350ND set that has an NTSC/ATSC/QAM digital tuner, HDMI input, standard VGA, composite cable, USB, and antenna inputs. It's pretty comprehensive for how the LED screen can accept and process a high definition signal. I'm very impressed, and the unit I got has a great image. It also improved significantly on a 3 1/2 year old Samsung monitor that was purchased as a separate component for an older desktop. I'm thinking this latest unit may be a 240 Mhz LED with a 5 ms lag time, which indicates it should be a capable performer for gaming.
The only potential issue, depending on whether you're asking about a main TV that would fill a room and impress watchers in addition to yourself, is the size. The Samsung models I favored when researching what I wanted had a line of 22", 24", and 27" sets. The 24" unit I purchased is really an impressive monitor, but it's unlikely to serve well for more than two people watching it at a limited distance. The 27" unit might pass for a nice bedroom television and strong performer for gaming, at the same time. The group I selected from matched Samsung's and every other computer monitor manufacturer's computer specific monitors for performance. But I don't recall having seen any that separated from around 30", so it becomes a question of what size television you're looking for, whether you can get an LED display capable of industry-standard monitor performance.
Other lines I looked at included LG and Hitachi. Each of those had a representative from the model line (but only one or two sizes) available at Best Buy stores in our area. The Samsung wasn't an in stock item, but I looked at the closest model that didn't include the television capability with a tuner and the five various input connections. Most LED's set up strictly as computer monitors have just the HDMI and VGA inputs, occasionally with a third option. Going with the high-end monitor TV combination was only $30 to $50 more than the computer monitor alone, so it seemed like precisely what I wanted. Once the unit was hooked up with the Vaio, it was impressive and didn't disappoint. It's been, if anything, a better monitor than I'd hoped or expected. Again, the only caveat for the lines I was looking at and did research for at the end of last year was the size limitation that may have topped out with one of the other manufacturers around 30". The Samsung models went to just 27".
I'm happy to make a suggestion, if you haven't done a lot of research already. You're unlikely to be satisfied with anything having a refresh rate slower than 120 Mhz, and a 240 Mhz rate promises to be faster and, potentially, more impressive. The response time specifications shouldn't be much above 5 ms for the kind of performance gaming enthusiasts want, and 2 ms is still probably the best you'll find. Larger sets tend to be slower.
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