Ask HN: experience using big LCD TV (42"+) as monitor?
In an attempt to create the ultimate ergonomic workspace, I'm considering mounting a 42" or larger 1080p LCD panel to the wall about 4 feet from my desk. I'd use this as a 2nd monitor for my 17" macbook. Has anyone tried this and were you happy with the results? Is there any reason to get a panel better than what is available at Costco?
I make projected software generated art as my job, so this is also a way to have a demo environment.
16 comments
[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 23.2 ms ] threadI've found TVs to not be very effective second monitors.
The problem with other video sources is that the HDTV timings aren't what a monitor will usually get from a PC. This is particularly problematic in PAL-land, as 50Hz are unheard of on PC monitors, although I wouldn't be surprised if the NTSC "not-quite-60-Hz" caused havoc in the monitor circuitry. Of course, the reverse situation is just as bad. TVs expect TV timings on their HDMI inputs, they'll do overscan trimming, etc.
The problem is that what people really want is more pixels, and HDTVs actually have fewer than most monitors.
Monitors as TVs don't work for me because I want more than just me to be able to watch and that means moving the viewing device further back. After moving the viewing device further back it doesn't really matter how much fine-grained detail there is. Whalla! That's a TV! :)
'course I haven't "watched tv" in a couple weeks... but this is beside the point.
A 42" plasma/lcd/etc doesn't have as much resolution/pixels as even a standard 22" monitor these days. So while your image is larger, it's also going to be less crisp. Text will generally be less readable as well.
If your use is primarily graphical, then it may work very well for you. If you think it's going to function as a true second monitor for day-to-day stuff, you'll probably be disappointed.
FWIW, I have 2 42" displays and a 60" display, all with Mac Mini's attached to them (along with various other devices) at my house. They work great for watching movies, general/occasional web surfing, weather, etc. They do NOT work well (IMO) for reading emails, reading text-heavy sites (like HN), doing heavy photoshop work, etc. YMMV.
You might be able to use the TV for "skimming" email.
If you use it frequently you might strain your eyes though, focusing between near and far all the time. If you start to get a headache you could just try moving it closer.
You'd think that with HDMI being essentially the same as DVI (leaving aside audio and such) we'd be rid of this issue, but no, it's been dragged into the HD era too.
Personally, I've had the best results with the VGA (analog! gasp!) inputs on TVs that have them. Basically nothing apart from computers provide VGA signals, so the TV knows what to expect. This avoids overscan, running at the native panel resolution, etc. I realise that for something as high as 1920x1080 this might not give decent results, but I would check in the specs if your TV's panel REALLY has that resolution. I've seen all sorts of weird resolutions in TVs.
At 'couch distance' (~10 feet), normal size (10-12 pt) text is pretty much too small to read. I have 20-20 vision. 16-18 is readable, but my eyes get tired of it after a few hours of following chat on WoW.
I had no problems with crispness of image or anything of that nature.
Granted, I'm talking 10 feet and you're asking about 4, so... grain of salt.
Also, in my not so honest opinion, things you stare at all day are not things you want to go cheap on. Buy a decent TV if you buy one. If you have the time, find a model you like then set up alerts on FatWallet.com to tell you when one's on sale. I did that for my TV and got it (new) for $1000 (it's $1700 normally).
If you want an actual data point at 4 feet away from a 42" TV, I can pull a chair up to 4' away tonight and use the TV instead of my laptop. Just ask.
And on the Costco front, we checked out their stock, and they didn't have any of the models we liked. We were mainly shopping for the high end Sharp models, as most of the rest of the LCDs we looked at were a bit blocky in high movement scenes. The Sharp also had a better contrast ratio, 10000:1, than almost all of the other LCDs, which leads to clearly deeper blacks. We found a great deal on the model we wanted at BeachAudio.com (we'd intended to buy the 42", but the 46" was gonna be about the same price). Even shipped, it was about $250 cheaper than buying locally.
I don't think I'd want to run my HDTV as often or as long as I have my laptop open (which is 18-24 hrs/day). I still prefer a dedicated 2nd monitor (which I have at the studio).
My boss (day job) has a flat screen TV on his wall that he uses as a third monitor. Some observations:
* He doesn't use it very frequently for himself. * It's somewhat useful if he wants to show you some content online without you squinting at his on-desk displays * The resolution isn't that fantastic. * My boss is a Costco freak, so I'm sure the Aquos display he has is from there.
So, in my research with a sample space of one, I'd say that it's an okay thing to do, but if you were intending to use the display as a day-to-day second monitor, you'd probably be better off getting something that'll sit next to your laptop.