Tv as a monitor?

[diddle283]

Hi guys,

Following on from the graphics card help you guys gave me yesterday, i have ordered a gtx 560 ti. Now i need a new monitor as mine is max resolution 1440x900.

I've looked at a few but in the meantime, how would my Samsung 40" led tv work as a monitor? Would it be as good, nearly as good or just utter crap compared to a decent monitor? I've always been happy with 'stock' items but im taking my gaming a little more seriously now (im far from a hardcore gamer still but prefer my pc over xbox and ps3) so my knowledge on this subject isn't great!

Any help is most appreciated!!

 

[dark_lord69]

I use a 37" TV as a monitor everyday and love it.
I'm certain your TV will work great as a monitor as well.
The differences in most cases are little to none and many times a TV works better due to higher refresh rates. Response times are similar, resolutions are similar but can be higher on a monitor.

I would just use your TV.

 

[diddle283]

Thanks for the reply, ill get a cable for it tomorrow then and give it a try!

 

[swifty_morgan]

I disagree. you have to sit 6-8 feet away to see the tv clearly negating even having a 40 incher to begin with. you can't immerse yourself into a game being that far away. A computer monitor is much clearer/crisper/cleaner for gaming.

 

[diddle283]

Must be good for fps'ers though?! Them headset should be much easier to judge when they are twice the size?!

 

[hapkido]

TVs are made to view from a distance. The pixel size and space between pixels will be noticeable up close. Get yourself a decent 1080p or 1200p monitor for gaming.

 

[neon neophyte]

the only difference between a tv and monitor is a tv has extra equipment to take in video signals and output video signals and input audio. and an atsc tuner etc

tvs ARE monitors. just look at the stats to decide if u want it.

 

[AbdullahG]

A TV for gaming is fine, but I would still consider the monitor as an option. It isn't just about screen size or resolution; pixel density also matters. Large TVs tend to have less pixels per inch vs smaller monitors (this is because TVs are much larger and use larger pixels), so the image won't look as sharp or crisp as a computer monitor. I happen to have a 1080p 36" HDTV, but after using it as a monitor out of curiosity, I prefer my smaller monitor. It didn't look as fresh and clean as on the monitor. Can I live with it? Yes, but what if I want the best image possible? I prefer the smaller monitor for that. Do this yourself and then decide.

 

[diddle283]

Ill do what.you suggest, my led has an amazing picture on its really sharp so im looking forward to seeing what the quality is like with my pc

 

[AbdullahG]

Ill do what.you suggest, my led has an amazing picture on its really sharp so im looking forward to seeing what the quality is like with my pc

Let's hope it does look great on the TV.
If I could play my games on a 1080p, 40" TV with great image quality...I would.

 

[DeadT]

It mostly boils down to the native resolution of the TV. Lets take a 40" TV thats native resolution of 1360 x 768 (even though it does 1080p it doesn't truly do 1080p unless its native 1080p). Well honestly that's to low of a resolution to sit in front of for a 40" TV. But if the native resolution is 1920x1080 (true 1080p) then it will look good but also note that its pretty big and in your face at 40". Next thing to worry about is pixel size. TV's typically have a larger pixel then a monitor, this will not bother most people but what you need to know is it will affect your eyes. Larger pixels are designed to be viewed from a distance so less eye fatigue. If your close though your eye will fatigue quicker if your too close. I run a 32" native 1080p TV for my main monitor and I love it but I do notice the eye fatigue. I used to run a 42" native 1080p and while it looked great. I couldnt use a normal desk setup and had to use a desk that was double deep just to not be to close.

Hope that helps.

DT

edit: Another thing to take note that if your TV has a decent refresh rate but not equal to a monitor what you may experience when gaming is a break in your refresh (I forgot the technical term but its a line across the screen that you see while while its refreshing). If you see this then you will need to set your 3d graphics settings in your control panel or the game itself to "vertical sync". This will lower your frames per second to match the monitor, if you need to do this then its recommended to turn on "Triple Buffering" to negate the effects of "vertical sync".