HDTV vs Monitors

/* Posted May 21st, 2008 at 11:03am */
/* Filed under HDTV, Hardware, PC */

/* */

winxp running in an hdtv monitor

With the influx of new HDTV’s at 1080p, I was wondering to myself, why do we even need computer monitors anymore?

HDTV Numbers

Native resolution Commonly called Meets definition of high-def? Frequency Typical TV types
1,920×1,080 1080p Yes Rare but getting more common especially in larger TVs Flat-panel LCD; DLP, LCD, and LCoS projection; very high-end plasma
1,366×768 768p Yes Very common in all screen sizes Flat-panel LCD; 50-inch plasma
1,280×720 720p Yes Common in rear-projection but not flat-panels DLP, LCD, and LCoS projection
1,024×768 HDTV plasma Yes The most common plasma resolution 37- and 42-inch plasma
852×480 EDTV plasma No Increasingly rare 37- and 42-inch plasma
640×480 VGA No Increasingly rare Small LCD TVs

A 1080p set is 1920 x 1080 = 2.07 million pixels, which is high compared to even an old high-end monitor at 1600 x 1200 = 1.92 million pixels. A friend of mine bought a 40″ Samsung set for his PlayStation 3 and quickly discovered his gaming PC was perfectly usable on it from back on the sofa, especially with a wireless keyboard and mouse, of course.

Forty inches is probably a bit over the top for most needs – and the pixel per inch number for large sets is still quite far from high quality monitors – but it is more viable now than ever before. If you use a screen from anything but very close range, an HDTV can be a compelling alternative on price vs. picture size and pixels.

Computer monitors pixels are much smaller, and squeezed together tighter. They are clearer, whereas a television will be blurry. A monitor’s optimal viewing distance is about 28″ whereas a television, let’s say a 32″ for case being, has an optimal viewing distance of 7 to 8 feet.

The main test: take a 24″ monitor @ 1080p, and a 24″ TV @ 1080p resolution. Display a word document or a web page. Read the text on each. You’ll strain your eyes and squint at how blurry the television would be.

This is also why those crazy computer gamers with a a huge LCD TVs on their desks are all going blind.

Also, per size, you get far better resolution with a monitor.

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One Response to “HDTV vs Monitors”

  • Comment from Mitchell

    Super-informative site! I am loving it!! Will come back again – taking you feeds also, Thanks.


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