Large LCD TV as studio monitor

[gmeredith]

Has anyone used an LCD TV as a monitor in their recording setup? I was thinking of getting a reasonable sized TV (maybe 32")and using it instead of a monitor because they make cheap large LCD TV's whereas they don't make monitors as big very cheap. I'm talking about using the TV''s computer VGA input, as per a standard monitor. My 19" monitor is a fair way back on my studio desk at the moment and I wanted to mount the new setup large TV on the wall instead.

My graphics card is an old Matrox G450 dual head card - so I can run 2 monitors - the main one (LCD TV) for the multitrack page and a second smaller one for the mixer page.

Anyone done this with a TV? Any problems in setup with an LCD TV as a monitor?

Cheers, Graham

[Ashe37]

Large LCD TVs have a godawful dot pitch compared to monitors, text will be blurry, its a sure formula for eye strain.

Also, can your G450 do 1920x1080?

[Stab Frenzy]

Yeah TVs have very low res, even a 1080P HDTV has the same res as a cheap 21" monitor.

[Zamise]

I've a 26" LCD I use for PS3 hooked up thru HDMI and it looks as good as any LCD monitor I've ever used, I've not tried to hook it up to a computer though to be honest.

[Ashe37]

I've a 26" LCD I use for PS3 hooked up thru HDMI and it looks as good as any LCD monitor I've ever used, I've not tried to hook it up to a computer though to be honest.

Game platform text and graphics are designed to be readable at high 'fuzzy' dot pitch settings. LCD TVs are dfine for playing PC games but not so great for working.

[Zamise]

I've a 26" LCD I use for PS3 hooked up thru HDMI and it looks as good as any LCD monitor I've ever used, I've not tried to hook it up to a computer though to be honest.

Game platform text and graphics are designed to be readable at high 'fuzzy' dot pitch settings. LCD TVs are dfine for playing PC games but not so great for working.

All of them? I could see myself working off this screen it looks gooooood.

[Ashe37]

I've a 26" LCD I use for PS3 hooked up thru HDMI and it looks as good as any LCD monitor I've ever used, I've not tried to hook it up to a computer though to be honest.

Game platform text and graphics are designed to be readable at high 'fuzzy' dot pitch settings. LCD TVs are dfine for playing PC games but not so great for working.

All of them? I could see myself working off this screen it looks gooooood.

Some of the smaller ones might actually have LCD monitor panels in them...

[Zamise]

I just hooked it up thru VGA and guess what 1380 x760 fits perfectly on it and is better than my laptop screen, wow a lot better even.

[Ashe37]

I just hooked it up and guess what 1380 x760 fits perfectly on it and is better than my laptop screen, wow a lot better even.

odd, the resolution should be either 1280x720 or 1920x1080

[Zamise]

Any dif size I get cropping, edges, or skewing. Its a Dynex LCD26-09. Thing is tho, and maybe this means we are both wrong and right. It seems to look best at about 3 feet or a 1 meter away from it. If I get closer I can see the bigger pixels even though they are way better defined they do look big, where as my laptop's I can't make out an individual pixel even if I put my face up to it, but the lappy has to skew at this resolution meaning it is not fitting the entire screen. The lappy fits 1280x800 max before it has to skew (not sure thats the right term but hope you guys know what I mean). Also the TV at this resolution is getting a low refresh rate so I notice it flickering ever so slightly too, but a still picture from a few feet away devastates my laptop screen and text also looks way sharper and brighter too on the TV. Its sort of a give and take it seems, so I think it depends how far away from the screens you are, therefore if you've got a LCD computer and a TV both hooked up the TV will have to sit at least a couple feet back from your computer screen to make them look comparable to each others resolution. Put them side by side the computer monitor will look better up close, the TV will look better at a distance.

[Ashe37]

Its possible your tv is one of the ones that is at an in-between resolution.

[D-Collector]

I don't know, personally I have to wear my glasses and concentrate ard when using TV as monitor. Here is a picture of my friend's (and neighbour) studio, he uses a 42" LCD and it works good. Has a nice sharp picture, but text is small (and far away). I often get very tired in the eyes from it. We have to do something with the font size.

[Zamise]

You could be right there Ashe, I'm not sure. Its not an expensive TV but not bad quality for the price, I've compared it to a nice Pansonic 50" and it actually looks quite a bit better than it with blu-rays, just have to sit closer to the screen to get the same size heh. I think it seems more about the distances your eyes are away from the screens than anything else. If your looking at it from arms length you want a computer monitor, if yard or meter or two away you want a mid size LCD TV, farther you want a large screen TV. Personally, and I'm not 100% on this, if you get a large computer monitor you might as well just get a smaller one that can handle the same resolutions and put it closer to your face.

The refresh rates may be concern too, not sure all TVs will do as well as all monitors, that flickering thing can cause some strain and headaches too. Its all a valid concern, to play it safe I'd say yeah get a computer monitor for computer work, TV for TV stuff, but there are exceptions and they could be worth looking in to as well if price vrs quality depending how much headaches and eye strain matters to you.

Nice studio D-Collector

[Ashe37]

Personally, and I'm not 100% on this, if you get a large computer monitor you might as well just get a smaller one that can handle the same resolutions and put it closer to your face.

that is pretty much the case, there are actually formula e for this and everything. these days alot of people are sitting too close to giant monitors.

[D-Collector]

Nice studio D-Collector

My neighbours

Best neighbour a guy could have!