LED HDTV for PC Monitor and PC Gaming

[Johnshardware73]

Hi,

Was considering getting a HDTV for my computer. I have a EVGA GTX 580 video card that has a max resolution 2560x1600.

Currently I have a viewsonic 23" monitor that has a max resolution of 1680 x 1050. I understand that there can be some video lag 🙁 from the pc to the HDTV if the TV is 120 hz refresh rate and the TV may have a gaming mode that reduces lag.

The reason I am considering a HDTV is I can get a larger screen (looking at about 40") and I feel I am not making full use of the gtx 580 with my current monitor. I also am watching movies and tv on Netflix. This is my primary entertainment source.

Any thoughts on actual lag for pc gaming or just simple pc use with an LCD HDTV ?

Thanks

 

[azeem40]

HDTV's resolution is native. Connecting it to a computer will lower the resolution, unless you go much larger.

 

[Johnshardware73]

But if the GTX 580 has an HDMI connection and the LCD HDTV has a resolution of 1980x1020 and the GTX can run at that resolution then the image won't be at a lower resolution. Right ?

 

[azeem40]

A TV's resolution when connected to the PC is not the same thing as a TV's resolution without HDMI connected. An HDTV's Resolution won't match a monitor's, even if the TV is a 1080p.

In short, the PC's resolution won't match what the TV can actually put out.
EDIT: TVs have a lot of extra bulk to them. You also have to chose tv's carefully. Not all of them will happily accept digital input from a computer without totally screwing it up.
Also, the pixels will be too big.

 

[ssddx]

@azeem

what are you smoking....

@OP

you can hook up your pc to a 1080p lcdtv and it will display at a resolution of 1920x1080. this is the native resolution of the monitor.

keep in mind that the resolution, while larger, is spread across a larger screen. this means that your actual pixels per inch rating is much lower on a tv which means that when viewed from the same distance away the tv will look less sharp than the pc monitor. however, if you sit back an extra two feet the lcdtv does things that the pc monitor never could.

first of all, if you watch movies you realize how much better they look when viewed on a larger screen. second of all any games you play feel more immersive on a larger screen. i use a 40" myself and i can tell you that its great for a generic home media station.

the downsides are that some things like text editing or doing actual work feels more natural on a monitor due to the increased ppi. another downside is that in general the ppi is lower which can make certain things a little harder to read such as text but its not bad to the point of not using a tv.

some gaming mode (60hz) still cause input lag on televisions. it depends on brand and model it seems as people claim different results. personally i would suggest going with a 60hz led 1080p lcdtv for zero issues.

clarify what azeem stated:

as far as bulk... the new led tv versions are very thin and relatively light. not sure what azeem is trying to hint at here.

as far as signals go... most tvs accept hdmi. some video cards export hdmi. if your card exports dvi then use a dvi-to-hdmi cable and it should connect fine. i can personally verify that this works as i use the same setup myself.

of course the pixels will be larger, however that doesnt mean it will not work as a monitor. i could say the same thing about a 20" monitor compared to a 26", the pixels are too big! while true to a point (the image will be less sharp) what you can gain from a larger screen can be worth this. in general if you plan to use this as a media station with little work being done a television will be fine. if you intend to do alot of office work then normal monitors are a better choice.

"HDTV's resolution is native. Connecting it to a computer will lower the resolution, unless you go much larger." ignore this. we are talking about resolution here and not pixels per inch as azeem most likely is hinting at.

---

other info:

if what you want is a screen with more pixels per inch AND a larger screen you need one of those 2560x1600 monitors from dell or other brand. they are 30" i believe. keep in mind that if you view 1080p movies even though the monitor has a high resolution a 1080p native monitor of the same size will most likely show a slightly better image (for that 1080p stream). games and windows will look sharper on the higher resolution screen.

keep in mind that running at a higher resolution will place greater strain on your system. bumping up to 1080p from x1050 isnt going to strain your system much more.

 

[jaguarskx]

The GTX 580 is powerful enough to play games at 1920x1080 so you don't need to worry about taking too much of a performance hit.

Just switch your HDTV to 60Hz when playing games and a long as you sit far enough from the HDTV it should be fine to play games and surfing the net.

 

[DsmithBFL]

Make your gaming experience memorable by connecting your monitor to a home theater system and play the game seating on a home theater seating. Comfort and sound effect will be double bonanza for you.