LCD TV as Monitor?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Al Franz
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A

Al Franz

Confused when I see LCD TV's advertised with VGA or DVI adapters on them.
Does this mean it can function as a computer monitor or would the picture on
a LCD TV be of much less lower quality then a product labeled LCD MONITOR?

Thanks.
 
the gill-equipped said:
Confused when I see LCD TV's advertised with VGA or DVI adapters on
them. Does this mean it can function as a computer monitor or would
the picture on a LCD TV be of much less lower quality then a product
labeled LCD MONITOR?
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Sometimes it's difficult to find the specs but all the LCD TVs that I have
checked have a very low resolution if used as a PC monitor. I am used to
1600 x 1200 so even 1024 x 768 seems far too small but they were lower
still.

--
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it. There is, however, a class of fancies of exquisite delicacy which
are not thoughts, and to which as yet I have found it absolutely
impossible to adapt to language. These fancies arise in the soul, alas
how rarely. Only at epochs of most intense tranquillity, when the
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of time, where the confines of the waking world blend with the world of
dreams. And so I captured this fancy, where all that we see, or seem,
is but a dream within a dream.
 
An LCD TV has far fewer pixels, thus lower resolution, than an equivalent
size LCD monitor.
 
An LCD TV has far fewer pixels, thus lower resolution, than an equivalent
size LCD monitor.
Click to expand...

Ok

But can I ask the reverse question then?

Does a LCD monitor and PC with TV card in it make a
better "TV" than an LCD TV?
 
Ok

But can I ask the reverse question then?

Does a LCD monitor and PC with TV card in it make a
better "TV" than an LCD TV?
Click to expand...
Not in a million years. Even the LCD PC monitors WITH a dedicated TV
tuner in look shite.
 
A TV or even a CRT monitor with a TV tuner card.
Click to expand...

Not arguing with you but the LCD TVs I've seen look ok

What exactly do you see in the LCD units that isn't up
to par?
 
Not arguing with you but the LCD TVs I've seen look ok

What exactly do you see in the LCD units that isn't up
to par?
Click to expand...

Pixellation, poor tonal scale. Take it from someone with an external
Viewsonic N6 TV tuner who has hooked it up to both my 17" LCD and
upscaled it to 1280x1024 and hooked up to my 19" CRT upscaled to
1024x768, the CRT looks superior. LCD looks passable and is great with
cartoons but when it comes to contiuous tone images it is inferior. I
could live with LCD monitor for TV but I own a CRT monitor too so I
don't have to.
 
Not arguing with you but the LCD TVs I've seen look ok
Click to expand...
Yes..proper dedicated LCD TVs. These run at a far lower resolution than
a LCD monitor. TV broadcasts for NTSC for example are at 720x480. What
this means on a LCD monitor running at a native 1280x1024 is that it
has to use interpolation. This results in a massive degredation of
image quality.

Basically you realise just how low quality TV pictures are compared to
the average resolution of a PC.
What exactly do you see in the LCD units that isn't up
to par?
Click to expand...
Noise, blurring, moire patterns for example.
 
Viewsonic N6 TV tuner

I've always wondered how well those devices work!

So how do you like yours and why did you buy such an
external tuner to make a TV out of a monitor?

Bottom line...sounds like you are a die hard CRT
monitor fan. Yes?
 
Yes..proper dedicated LCD TVs. These run at a far lower resolution than
a LCD monitor. TV broadcasts for NTSC for example are at 720x480. What
this means on a LCD monitor running at a native 1280x1024 is that it
has to use interpolation. This results in a massive degredation of
image quality.

Basically you realise just how low quality TV pictures are compared to
the average resolution of a PC.
Click to expand...

Ahh.... I see.... I didn't know this.

I always assumed that buying one of those Hauppauge TV
tuner cards and installing it in a PC makes it into a
decent "TV".

No?
 
I always assumed that buying one of those Hauppauge TV
tuner cards and installing it in a PC makes it into a
decent "TV".

No?
Click to expand...
Only if you're using a CRT monitor and even then, the results will be
less than astounding because of all the electrical noise inside a PC.
Also when you compare the resolution and dot pitch of a TV and a CRT
monitor, you really realise how crap TV is. TV broadcast is of very low
resolution. HDTV will address alot of this and hopefully TV will look
better on a PC but IMO it will never be as good.
 
I've always wondered how well those devices work!

So how do you like yours and why did you buy such an
external tuner to make a TV out of a monitor?
Click to expand...

I bought it because I was dissapointed with an internal TV tuner I
bought, on some channels I was getting RF interference - it was a
Pinnacle brand. Internal TV tuners can be prone to RF interference and
external tuners are not. Plus with the N6 I can hook up a game console
system or other peripherals to my computer monitor if I should ever
desire to. It costs more than an internal tuner but it was worth it to
me as I don't own a TV and just use my computer monitor to watch TV.
Plus being able to upscale the resolution makes the image a little
sharper even though the TV signal is not high res.
Bottom line...sounds like you are a die hard CRT
monitor fan. Yes?
Click to expand...

Yes. I have two PC's and one is hooked to an LCD but for gaming, DVD
viewing, TV viewing I much prefer the CRT. LCD's are getting better
though but the stuck at native resolution thing is a real thorn, IMO.
When I drop an LCD down to 1024x768 from 1280x1024 I can easily see
the image degradation due to interpolation.
 
TV broadcasts for NTSC for example are at 720x480.
Click to expand...

NTSC is no where near that resolution. I don't know the exact figures
but I know it's not 720x480. PAL is not even that high and PAL is
broadcast at a higher res than NTSC.
 
I don't own a TV and just use my computer monitor to watch TV.

well that's what I want to do as well. I sold my TV
awhile back in effort to downsize a bit

I want to use my PCs as a "TV"

Hence the question abt using an internal TV tuner such
as the Hauppauge cards

But I assumed an LCD display would be fine for that

Matter of fact I was thinking abt buying the big Dell
24" wide screen LCD display for this purpose
 
Hence the question abt using an internal TV tuner such
as the Hauppauge cards

But I assumed an LCD display would be fine for that

Matter of fact I was thinking abt buying the big Dell
24" wide screen LCD display for this purpose
Click to expand...

I set up a Sony HS95P 19" LCD monitor recently with a WinTV card. The
picture's fine for watching TV programmes as and when, but not nearly as
detailed as a television set. It's most noticeable when there are large
areas of dark, or where there are areas of light (such as sunshine) on
an object. The light areas especially look unfocussed or blurry, it's
difficult to explain. Perfectly watchable, just don't expect the same
clarity as a television. I wouldn't get one to use specifically as a TV,
but if it gets used as a TV occasionally you should be happy with the
result. I used an analogue aerial signal to the card, maybe using a
digital transmission (such as a Freeview box in the UK) and card that
accepts digital input would have cleared up the picture even more.
 
NTSC is no where near that resolution. I don't know the exact figures
but I know it's not 720x480. PAL is not even that high and PAL is
broadcast at a higher res than NTSC.
Click to expand...
Its what I found on Google.
 
well that's what I want to do as well. I sold my TV
awhile back in effort to downsize a bit

I want to use my PCs as a "TV"

Hence the question abt using an internal TV tuner such
as the Hauppauge cards

But I assumed an LCD display would be fine for that

Matter of fact I was thinking abt buying the big Dell
24" wide screen LCD display for this purpose
Click to expand...

The Viewsonic N6 allows you to watch TV on your monitor without having
your computer on so no computer noise while watching TV. It also does
16:9 ratio too.
 
Its what I found on Google.
Click to expand...

That's for DVD. TV broadcast in North America is low res until we all
have HDTV. I believe the UK has the highest broadcast TV res in the
world.

http://www.videohelp.com/forum/userguides/94382.php
720 X 576 (480 NTSC). Used by most DVD.

http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/vidres.htm

http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/vidcolor.htm

NTSC Broadcasts (composite) – 120 lines best, 40 - 48 lines typical
for reddish orange and greenish blue; 40 - 48 lines for most other
color transitions.

http://nemesis.lonestar.org/reference/internet/web/color/ntsc_primer.html

The number of lines of horizontal resolution in NTSC broadcast video
is about 333 lines across the screen. Think of being able to display a
maximum of 166.5 pairs of alternating black and white stripes, drawn
vertically on the screen. That's the horizontal luminance resolution,
so it only covers the resolution of the black and white detail of the
image. Many television makers neglect to mention the "luminance" word
when giving their specifications, and incorrectly describe their lines
of resolution specification value as covering everything. It does not.
 
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