What are your input on an 32" LCD TV as a computer monitor. Since black friday is coming up I figure this would be a good time to buy them. Would 720p be good enough for a 32" or would it be better to just get a 1080p. However with the 1080p I haven't found any screen size smaller than 40". Is 1366 resolution good enough for games on that size monitor? I will be viewing the screen at about 8ft away. The brands I have consider was Sony, Panasonic, and HP. I want to keep my budget at around $1000, lower if possible. Will also consider any other suggestions or alternatives. Thanks for the inputs, much appreciated.

A 20" monitor will have more resolution that one with 1366 versus 1680x1050, thats 1680 progressive.

dude if you gonna get a TV it's either 1080p or nothing

Could you be more descriptive?

The situation in question is the resolution. 32" 720p monitors have a 1366x768 resolution which is unforgiveable as a pc monitor. Especially considering that it is a 32" display...The pixels are massive so therefore it's not good for close computer monitors. If you are at a large distance away it may be beneficial.

If you are considering a tv monitor for a computer display. To have a beneficial experience at far and close range...you NEED a 1080p display. Their resolution of 1920x1080 will atleast make it a much more pleasant experience. Personally I would never purchase a tv for a computer monitor since they are inferior in my eyes. The dot pitch is just too massive...I'd rather purchase a high quality IPS panel monitor.

But if you do plan to go the TV route. Don't go for anything below 1080p. Otherwise you'll be here complaining once you've purchased it about a blurry picture.

What Systemlord was referring to is the difference between tv and computer displays. Tv's resolution are smaller then computer made panels. 1080p tv set is 1920x1080..Meanwhile a 24 inch LCD computer display has a resolution of 1920x1200. 30" computer monitors display 2560x1600. Computer based monitors have a more/smaller pixels for their size. Which means a higher resolution and smaller dot pitch. The smaller the dot pitch (size of the pixel), the sharper the image.

Hope this helps.

A TV that mentions 1080p in the ad will normally also work as a monitor at 1920x1080. Other TVs including most 32" versions only have 1366x768, which is a lousy resolution. A 20" or 22" monitor will support 1680x1050, which is MUCH better. If you have an 8800 GT or GTX and enough cash buy an 1080p TV. If not, buy a 22" monitor. Either way, I wouldn't buy a 32" TV to play games on it. I suspect that's what he meant, he just didn't want to spend half an hour typing

Edit: never mind, Kamrooz got there first.

Go all the way and the fact that 720p on 32" my 17" has better resolution

Thanks for the replies. I currently have a Sony VG2030 at 1680. But I wanted to get the biggest TV monitor I can get for a computer display that would also look good enough or better. I'm in the process of building a new reg with a 8800GTX or better. I want to keep my budget for the tower and monitor to be under 3g. If the TV monitor would not be a good idea, would moving down to a 24" computer monitor be better? Any other suggestions? I really would like to get around a 32" or bigger. I will use it mostly for "researching" over the net, movies, gaming, and occansionally photoshop.

People think I'm crazy when I say I want to spend $400 on a 24" LCD monitor instead of getting a 32" 720p LCD TV. Overall, a monitor is way better than a TV for PC uses unless it's a 1080p TV like this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6889101108

get the sharp, they also have a more expensive model for gamers, dunno if its worth the extra

Indeed...

Runswindow95: If people think you're crazy for wanting to purchase of 400 dollar monitor. They must think I'm literally insane for willing to spend 1400-1800....lol

Was originally planning to get a Nec 2690WUXI. But decided for the 2490 instead. But the only downside is it doesn't have a wide gamut display. The 2690 does.....I then changed my mind for the dell 30 incher. Only to change my mind again for a gateway XHD3000 until I found out it's a PVA panel and not IPS.

Overall I'm confused...I'm even willing to dump 700 on a refurbished grade a- Sony FW900 widescreen 24" crt. But the fact that it's refurbished with a 700 dollar price tag kinda makes me just want to nab a LCD even though I DESPISE lcd's...Bah...I want FED now! >_<. Personally I think LCD's have way too many faults to outweigh the benefits. If I'm planning to spend 500+ or even 1400+..I want 0 dead pixels...none of this "you can replace it if you have 7 or more dead pixels" bs. Also input lag and response time is an issue for extremely tight video editing which I do. Therefore I somewhat need a LCD...::sighs::..

I might just nab one of the expensive monitors I've mentioned...and a sony fw900 off ebay or something..Time will tell.

junglicious: If you do go the TV route...get a 1080p set. If you plan to go for a computer based monitor. You might want to research deeper into LCD's. There is no perfect LCD monitor out there. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. The key to nabbing the best LCD for your needs is to buy one that shares it's strength with what you plan to use it for.

Here's a forum that has a VERY active LCD section. Honestly...I would never purchase any LCD without reading reviews from this forum. Very informative...As well as diving upon the weaknesses and faults of all LCD monitors.

http://www.hardforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=78

Just look around in the first 5-10 pages or so of the forum. You'll notice some threads that are 50-150 pages long or even more. This forum has dedicated threads to many different LCD's...It'll help you make a better informed choice. Also make sure you read this..

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1039222

It will help you understand TFT technology more. Last but not least. Here's another link to another site that gets really in depth if you want to get into it more.

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/

Honestly, I really recommend reading both these pages. It makes everything a lot easier on picking the perfect monitor for you. Last thing you want to do is spend 500 dollars on something that ends up being horrid for your uses...just because someone who doesn't know any better says "Yea...This is a great monitor, I recommend it"...

With lcd's..don't gamble. Research a little and learn the technology. Then read what other people have posted on that forum regarding the different monitors. They even have some threads about using TV based monitors as well which if you're still interested are pretty informative. Enjoy ^_^.

1366x768 isn't 720p. 1280x720 is 720p and I've used 720p on a 37" and a 42" lcd and it's fine for movies and tv. For gaming you might want more resolutions such as a 1080p - but you might want to investigate what resolutions your games support, first. Not all games are wide screen friendly.

I almost forgot - my buddy wasn't convinced until I basically forced my 720p 37" Viewsonic on him - now he swears by it. But then again he only does video and photo editing.

Check out the Samsung 275T monitor. 27", 1920x1200. It's C$969 at FutureShop where I live. Fantastic reviews...

typo...lol...

Kamrooz, thanks for the links. I took a peek and it looks great for info.

utaka95, i just figure 1366 was max on 720p since all monitor that advertise 720p has a max resolution of 1366.

So far from what i gather, I might just a 1080p and up my screen size because i have yet not found a 32" that offers 1080p.

keep in mind though. 1080p sets average around the 37" size. They do have a few from Sharp and maybe some other brands for a 32" 1080p monitor.

Keep in mind the distance that you sit from your monitor is EXTREMELY important. Even if it is 1080p...If you get a 37 inch display, the pixels are still massive. These solutions are not meant for close up viewing. I'm talking about 4 or 5 feet and above is good If you are dead set on getting a 1080p monitor. Expect to pay anywhere from 800 for really cheap ones up to around 1700 for top notch ones. They do have quite a few within the 1000-1400 dollar range. But honestly though....It's a big investment. I would recommend going to circuit city or any other store and get really close to one depending on how far you sit away from your computer screen. To really see what it's like. Also keep in mind that the video they will show at these stores aren't a desktop configuration. So it'll be worse when you're looking at the desktop since the pixels are larger..You don't get that sharp of text. Honestly..If you are dead set on a 1080p monitor...The smaller the better. the smaller the dot pitch the sharper the quality. ..If you are gonna be sitting a good amount of distance away from the monitor...37" would be fine also.

But to tell you the truth, these monitors are straight up not a replacement for computer based monitors. Computer monitors always end up being sharper in the higher quality range in terms of picture clarity and color. Almost all tv's use PVA/MVA panels....They can't compare to a high quality IPS panel monitor...

Choice is yours. But tread carefully. Analyze every aspect otherwise you might be regretting it. For a budget of 1,000 as you suggested..you're in the very low range of 1080p monitors...You will be getting 1080p...but they do cut corners for that low of a price tag.

I'm going to be getting myself a new rig in the following months. So far have my eyes set on either a Nec 2490 WUXI, Dell 3007WFP-HC, or a gateway XHD3000...I'll be putting down roughly 1400 to 1700 dollars for the monitor. But their quality is top notch. If you want to go the computer display route. You can get yourself a nice 24 incher for around 500-700. Even higher up they have better choices...IPS would be ideal but they are becoming more and more rare thanks to consumers "Wow!...a 26 inch lcd for 200 dollars!..I'm there!" ideology. TN panels have flooded the market, IPS has become scarce. You'll only see IPS panels in the upper segments now-a-days. But even a high quality PVA monitor should be good...Heck..I'm not willing to dump 1700 on a Gateway XHD3000 for no reason. =P...But the fact that it's a PVA panel is somewhat discouraging to the Nec and Dells IPS panel.

sorry to type a long message...But the point I'm trying to make is research. Think carefully if you want a tv solution or a desktop monitor solution....After all, 1,000 dollars is the low budget of 1080p monitors...While in the desktop monitor market that can get you a pretty nice high quality monitor.

I've got a buddy with a 32" 1366 by 768 that he uses for a TV and computer monitor and it is fine for both. Yeah you can see pixels if you view it from a foot away but you can get a 32" LCD for under $600!

Best thing you can do is get your fanny to a brick and morter store and see for yourself. Go look at a 32" and view it from the distance you plan to view it from at your home. My guess is so long as you are at least 3-4 feet away the pixels will not bother you. If they do bother you will need to save up some more money and invest in a 1080p tv/monitor, which will be a lot more expensive.

Dot pitch is what determines how close you can be before the pixels become noticeable. Because a 40 inch is bigger than a 32 inch it will have bigger dots/bixels at the same resolution so you will need to sit farther away from a 40" than a 32" all things equal.

Games look awesome on my friends 32" LCD and even better on my 50" 1366 by 768 plasma. Yeah a 22/24" monitor has higher res but it doesn't matter. Trust me a 24 inch monitor looks like a PSP compared to a 32 or 50 inch HD screen.

Don't take my word for it, go look at a store. Heck if you are in my area you can come over and look at mine. PM me if you are interested.

One word of warning: Avoid non-HD EDTV panels. Their res is only 480p and that really is not enough to be used as a monitor. You need 720p minimum.