Recently my X2Gen monitor died without any hope of getting a rebate or repair from the company (they have gone bankrupt), so now I'm using a $20 CRT 17" from a pawn shop and, naturally, thinking of buying a monitor.

But a couple of days ago I was talking to a friend of mine (he is the IT director in the company I work at) and he told me to buy an HDTV instead and use it as a monitor.

So here's my dilemma: buy a monitor (probably around 27" ) or a larger HDTV. What do you think I should do? I use my PC mostly for watching video and gaming.

HDTVs will tend to have lower pixel density, and will not look as good close up as a monitor will. However, if you look at it from far away relatively speaking, it could be a good choice. Monitors will tend to look better, especially up close. I would tend to go with a monitor, and I would probably go with a 24" rather than a 27" (same resolution, cheaper, and higher pixel density so it looks sharper from close up). The Dell 2408 ultrasharp is nice, and has incredible color and 1080p capability.