Looking for a good LCD TV to use as a main computer monitor

Xtek · 01-27-2009, 01:14 AM

I have very poor vision and I've been using this ProView (pretty crappy) 22" Widescreen for about 3-4 years. May have been a cheap monitor from walmart but I've had no major issues with it.

Anyway, I was looking into getting a nice 28-30" monitor since I'm a C#/Web developer and spend 10+ hours a day coding in front of my monitor at home. So I found a nice 28" monitor from Hanns-G on newegg for only $399 which is a steal in my opnion.

After that I started looking at the HP/Dells and figured if I'm gonna get a new one I might as well go for broke and go for a very nice monitor. Then saw they were the same price as a 42/46" LCD. Currently I'm still using some crappy 32" CRT TV as I was waiting for prices to come down more on the LCD TVs.

So, I'm ultimately looking for a 42-46" LCD TV (Under $1100) that can double as a PC monitor and that can support the full 1080p resolutions (1920x1080) when hooked up to DVI so that I can actually have a high-quality monitor and not get stuck with something like 1240x720 or whatever it is.

Thanks for you advice.

Xtek · 01-27-2009, 02:49 PM

For those interested I decided to go with the Phillips 42PFL3603D/27. It supports basically every resolution in the spectrum and has 4 HDMIs with a nice contrast ratio.

Good deal too...

DexterMorgan · 01-28-2009, 01:32 PM

very nice. when you say you have poor vision, are you near sighted or farsighted? Farsighted would be nice because you could code on the larger screen that is at a further distance.

Xtek · 01-30-2009, 04:18 AM

Well, technically I'm both. I have a rare eye disease that just makes things look smaller, it's hard to explain but for me bigger is better. I went and picked it up from the depot today and got it setup. I know first impressions of people seeing this would be "Overkill," but again this finally allows me to use my monitor like normal people (people with 20/20) use a 22" widescreen... being able to site more than a foot away from it.

With my glasses my eyesight is 20/100 so what I could see from 20ft away with my glasses someone with 20/20 could see from 100ft away. I'll post a picture when I finish with the wiring... love it though.

**rbinck** · 01-30-2009, 08:16 AM

My wife is visually impaired and uses a 37" LCD 1080p Westinghouse monitor as her TV. She can even read some of the pages, so enjoy your monitor. I use a 42" as both a HDTV and computer monitor and with a wireless keyboard I can sit about 10 feet away and work from my recliner. So you are not alone.

Xtek · 01-30-2009, 05:30 PM

Hah, I wish I could sit that far away. Currently at 1920x1080 I can sit maybe 2-3 ft away and I have to scale up web pages... might just try 120 dpi.

Oh and I am enjoying it, it's nice that when I wanna take a break from work I can unlock my chair, throw my feet up and watch some HDTV right in the same spot.

**rbinck** · 01-30-2009, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xtek

Hah, I wish I could sit that far away. Currently at 1920x1080 I can sit maybe 2-3 ft away and I have to scale up web pages... might just try 120 dpi.

Oh and I am enjoying it, it's nice that when I wanna take a break from work I can unlock my chair, throw my feet up and watch some HDTV right in the same spot.

Sounds like my wife. She used to have to be right on top of her 27" and now she sits about 2-3 feet away. Hard to watch TV with her because you end up watching the back of her head!

For web pages I have a cable run into her TV room from my computer so I can navigate for her. We use the phone as an intercom. I will do that for photos as well as she can't see well enough to be able to select them even.

Xtek · 01-31-2009, 05:42 PM

Yeah, about to post a pic of it now, this is just a post so I can get to 5 and input an image.

Xtek · 01-31-2009, 05:43 PM

As promised...

01-27-2009, 01:14 AM	#1
Xtek My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 6	Looking for a good LCD TV to use as a main computer monitor I have very poor vision and I've been using this ProView (pretty crappy) 22" Widescreen for about 3-4 years. May have been a cheap monitor from walmart but I've had no major issues with it. Anyway, I was looking into getting a nice 28-30" monitor since I'm a C#/Web developer and spend 10+ hours a day coding in front of my monitor at home. So I found a nice 28" monitor from Hanns-G on newegg for only $399 which is a steal in my opnion. After that I started looking at the HP/Dells and figured if I'm gonna get a new one I might as well go for broke and go for a very nice monitor. Then saw they were the same price as a 42/46" LCD. Currently I'm still using some crappy 32" CRT TV as I was waiting for prices to come down more on the LCD TVs. So, I'm ultimately looking for a 42-46" LCD TV (Under $1100) that can double as a PC monitor and that can support the full 1080p resolutions (1920x1080) when hooked up to DVI so that I can actually have a high-quality monitor and not get stuck with something like 1240x720 or whatever it is. Thanks for you advice.

01-30-2009, 08:16 AM	#5
rbinck Administrator Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Katy, Texas Posts: 12,338	My wife is visually impaired and uses a 37" LCD 1080p Westinghouse monitor as her TV. She can even read some of the pages, so enjoy your monitor. I use a 42" as both a HDTV and computer monitor and with a wireless keyboard I can sit about 10 feet away and work from my recliner. So you are not alone. __________________ www.highdefinitionblog.com www.BlogOfHawaii.com

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01-27-2009, 02:49 PM	#2
Xtek My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 6	For those interested I decided to go with the Phillips 42PFL3603D/27. It supports basically every resolution in the spectrum and has 4 HDMIs with a nice contrast ratio. Good deal too...

01-28-2009, 01:32 PM	#3
DexterMorgan HTPC Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 220	very nice. when you say you have poor vision, are you near sighted or farsighted? Farsighted would be nice because you could code on the larger screen that is at a further distance.

01-30-2009, 04:18 AM	#4
Xtek My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 6	Well, technically I'm both. I have a rare eye disease that just makes things look smaller, it's hard to explain but for me bigger is better. I went and picked it up from the depot today and got it setup. I know first impressions of people seeing this would be "Overkill," but again this finally allows me to use my monitor like normal people (people with 20/20) use a 22" widescreen... being able to site more than a foot away from it. With my glasses my eyesight is 20/100 so what I could see from 20ft away with my glasses someone with 20/20 could see from 100ft away. I'll post a picture when I finish with the wiring... love it though.

01-30-2009, 05:30 PM	#6
Xtek My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 6	Hah, I wish I could sit that far away. Currently at 1920x1080 I can sit maybe 2-3 ft away and I have to scale up web pages... might just try 120 dpi. Oh and I am enjoying it, it's nice that when I wanna take a break from work I can unlock my chair, throw my feet up and watch some HDTV right in the same spot.

01-31-2009, 05:42 PM	#8
Xtek My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 6	Yeah, about to post a pic of it now, this is just a post so I can get to 5 and input an image.

01-31-2009, 05:43 PM	#9
Xtek My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 6	As promised...