32" Full HD TV as a monitor 1920x1080, do you use one?

NoClue on 20/07/2015 - 09:46

I have 30" 2560 x 1600 native resolution monitor that I can't get comfortable with, so I'm thinking of buying a cheap second hand 32" full HD 1920 x 1080 TV to use as a monitor. (My 30" is designed for 2560 any other and it's rubbish)

If you use one what's it like at a distance of 2ft is the text clear and crisp or blurry and faded?
Are the icons to big or you never noticed?
Are there any vertical or horizontal black lines or is it full screen and aspect ratio is good.
Have you played a game on it and how does feel?

What ever I buy will most likely be low to mid range so as not to take to great a risk. Any user opinions are appreciated.

Computing

Comments

  • pjetson on 20/07/2015 - 11:50
    +1

    What issues can't you get comfortable with on your 30" monitor?

    What operating system are you using?

    It appears from your post that you have tried to change the resolution. Windows 7 and 8 also allow you to make the text and other items larger independently of the resolution. Have you tried that?

    • ESEMCE on 20/07/2015 - 12:22

      Or change the Dot Pitch, especially if using a Mac.

    • NoClue on 20/07/2015 - 12:59

      Tried all that, Windows 7. DPI, using large icons, increasing firefox's fonts and such. It's a constant compromise for not all software scales up correctly or at all.

      For example: running 125% DPI and all, I have Office 2007 bring and all the tool bars are tiny. I start up some other program and it's all blurry for it doesn't scale up.

      I'm looking at the task bar and the quick launch on the left next to the Windows icon has large Icons as selected but on the far right with whats running they all stay tiny.

      Don't get me wrong the monitor is excellent, you can't fault the clarity but it's too much of a compromise, It's just not proportional if you can understand.

      Another issue that hopefully will be resolved with W10 is the scaling on different monitors. I have the 30 at 125% and it's all blurry on the side monitors that run a their native resolutions.

      I'm so picky I'm willing to go backwards to a TV.

  • Forskin on 20/07/2015 - 12:06

    I purchased a 32" Medion FHD TV to use as a monitor (Aldi brand) refurbished from eBay. Was $215 at the time.

    It was no good as a PC monitor using HDMI (text was a little blurry) however I've been using a VGA cable and everything is as clear as it can be with FHD stretched out on 32".

    If you use one what's it like at a distance of 2ft is the text clear and crisp or blurry and faded?
    I sit roughly 2ft from the TV and everything is clear using the VGA cable.

    Are the icons to big or you never noticed?
    The icons are normal size.

    Are there any vertical or horizontal black lines or is it full screen and aspect ratio is good.
    Full screen & aspect ratio is good.

    Have you played a game on it and how does feel?
    Games run fine, there's no ghosting or input lag on this particular TV, everything is nice and responsive.

    Still going strong so no complaints so far. (Have had it for over 6months)

    • ESEMCE on 20/07/2015 - 12:23

      (text was a little blurry)

      Did you turn off Cleartype?

      • Forskin on 20/07/2015 - 12:29

        Yes, I tried various things such as clear type and sharpness settings on the TV but no solutions worked.
        I tried with the PS3 and the text wasn't sharp but gaming was fine as it wasn't really noticeable.
        VGA is working fine anyway so I'm not too fussed about it.

        • ESEMCE on 20/07/2015 - 12:32
          +1

          Weird that VGA is OK, but HDMI is not.. should be the other way around!
          VGA should be a bit on the fuzzy side and HDMI should be crisp as!

        • scrimshaw on 21/07/2015 - 01:04
          +1

          @scubacoles:
          Thats because on some TV's, running in 1080 resolution switches to interlaced video mode, AKA 1080i. Typically results in blurred text.

          Either that, or there's some kind of overscan or underscan issue that's causing your video to be either cropped off or resized to a small frame. If the pixels don't get a 1:1 with the actual pixels on the display, again you end up with blurry text.

    • outlander on 20/07/2015 - 22:18

      Same here. Medion 32"
      I bought a better vga cable, and that has improved the picture a bit

      My experimenting led me to believe that the screen uses interlaced mode for 60hz. If you set it to 30hz refresh, you find the picture is much clearer, but 30hz isn't much use.

  • SteveBuscemi on 20/07/2015 - 12:31

    If you do decide to use a TV as a monitor — make sure to check it has 4:4:4 chroma support (and know how to enable it). Many do (if you turn on game mode, use a specific input, or assign it a specific label such as "PC"), but a lot of cheaper models do not.

    Without 4:4:4 support, you essentially have a 1920x1080 greyscale overlayed with only 1920x540 (or even 960x540) pixels worth of colour information — resulting in a blurrier image particularly with primary colours (and ClearType antialiasing) and/or colour bleed. This is how digital video is compressed, but definitely not what you want in a "PC monitor".

    http://www.avsforum.com/forum/166-lcd-flat-panel-displays/13…
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chroma_subsampling#4:2:0

    • NoClue on 20/07/2015 - 13:05

      I'll have to read up on that. I guess I'll also have to take the PC when I take a look at prospective sets.

  • slknv on 20/07/2015 - 12:54

    Yep,I picked up a Sony 32" during an eBay 20% off deal. At first I felt it was way too big, but after a couple of weeks I got used to it and love it now :) you do have to sit back from it though. Pity you can't use your30".

    • NoClue on 20/07/2015 - 13:12

      I can use it but not everything scales up which gets annoying, there is no consistency which is why I'm after a lower resolution. None the less I've promised a friend they can have it for a couple of hundred if I find something suitable. On my left I have an old 19" wide screen monitor with 1440 x 900 and I prefer it, for it's all proportional, no fiddling around perfect strait out of the box.

      • WT on 21/07/2015 - 12:27

        why cant you just lower the resolution in the control panel for certain tasks?

  • tonyjzx on 20/07/2015 - 18:00

    I use a 40" FHD screen as a 2ndary and its fine… I dont read pages off it, just force video and games etc. to it

    use a Dell 24 as main

  • geebee on 28/07/2015 - 19:50

    A bit late to the party but, I used a 32" tv as monitor for 4 1/2 years and a few months ago upgraded to a 40".
    It is brilliant, games are incredible much more immersive, come running up to a steep drop and you will feel it in your stomach :)
    The sensation is between a monitor and an Oculus rift.

    If you use it for the internet use delumninate for chrome or something similar for others, it allows you to dim the page background as there is a lot of light surface.

    Movies are superb.

    I use the screen around 16 hours a day and have zero eye strain issues, which I had on 24" monitors, I could see clearly but the eyes would get sore toward the end of the day.
    I am using a Changhong 40" from DSE cost $309 on sale, took a lot of tweaking but it is superb as my main monitor,

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