Getting a 32" Full HDTV as a PC monitor

Tis all about the panel quality ;)

Im surprised no one mentioned the Panasonic 32inch 1080p TX32LZD85, its the only one with IPS panel, so extra wide viewing angles and full HD too boot, I think hdtv review site gave it 94% and said its pretty much the best one out there.

But it comes at a hefty price tag of just under 700 quid, all of a sudden the Sony/Samsung seems nicer when its around £500-600 ;)

I think for now its a hard time to justify spending that sorta money would be nice too have some uber quality regardless, but even I reckon a 24" good TFT and a 32inch LCD TV would suit my needs more.
 
Tis all about the panel quality ;)

Im surprised no one mentioned the Panasonic 32inch 1080p TX32LZD85, its the only one with IPS panel, so extra wide viewing angles and full HD too boot, I think hdtv review site gave it 94% and said its pretty much the best one out there.

But it comes at a hefty price tag of just under 700 quid, all of a sudden the Sony/Samsung seems nicer when its around £500-600 ;)

I think for now its a hard time to justify spending that sorta money would be nice too have some uber quality regardless, but even I reckon a 24" good TFT and a 32inch LCD TV would suit my needs more.
Missed the first post hey ;)

ps3ud0 :cool:
 
Mate, I game at 1366 x 768 on my 32D3000. It's fine, in fact it's very good. However, if you are a detail junkie, even with AA applied it's never jawdropping.

If you sit close, you will see the pixels. With 1080p on 32" you will struggle to see them as much (more pixels in same screen area).

If you can, try both before you part with the cash. I've had 3 good years on a 720p set but I'm now going to make the step-up to a 1080p set for PC use.
The reason I say try it is that a 720p set, with it's relatively low resolution, can actually benefit if you don't have a current gen card as you tend to get pretty decent FPS on most games.

So, if you like the look of a 720p set, 1st it'll be cheaper and 2nd'ly there's less chance you'll have to also splash out on a GPU to keep up decent FPS. Worth considering.

Thanks for your experienced input :)

I currently use a 19" samsung non wide (the one in my sig) for about 2-3 years now and am satisfied with it. Before that I used a 15" crt for 6-7 years. Moving to lcd did take some getting use to because of the increased input lag, even though the samsung claims a 2ms gtg. The increased screen size also took some adapting. I did miss my crt for colours, viewing angles and response but lcd is acceptable, and was so much sharper and can really bring out the details. Now as graphics has evolved, it becomes more likely we want to experience those game worlds on a bigger scale, which is why I've been having these urges on getting a bigger screen to game on. I am a little worried about increased input lag/response because it's a pva screen and there will be slightly more lag than my tn monitor on the sony tv but I believe the lag on the sony is still very low and one of the best in the business.

I play a lot of first person shooters so this is why input lag/response is a concern. It would take time to get used to the larger 32" size just like when I moved from a 15" crt to a 19" lcd but that's no problem I think. I think for me, seeing the games on such a big screen would appear jawdropping, at first at least, you must be so used to it now? I do love my details of course, who doesn't? I still believe there can be lots of detail visible at that res, I've tried viewing any youtube vids I can find of people gaming from their pc on a 720p lcd tv and from what I've seen the quality does look very detailed still.

Margaret says you cannot see the pixels up close, is it really that bad as you say, is it more noticeable in games? maybe the sony has a higher quality screen than what you have? I'm currently 2-3ft away which is the distance I'd first try to game on the 32" if I get it.

I'd like to get a 1080p set because it would be better for PC use but that's the only hd input I'd be giving the tv. I also hear freeview digital tv is better on a 720p than a 1080p tv because it has less upscaling to do. The prices of 1080p sets just to get a hd pc res just don't seem worth it to me.

My pc spec is in my sig, currently have 1 8800gtx. I have planned to upgrade my graphics next year when nvidia come out with 45nm models because they will be much better at power management (I know the current gtx are), but they will use less power and bring better performance. Like you say, the lower res on a 720p the more fps and higher in game detail is possible.

I suppose I do need to go and view some lcds properly in a store, and try and find the sony model I'm thinking of getting. I can always purchase it online and send it back if I'm not satisfied I suppose.

Last night I was updating myself on OLED technology, it all does sound so amazing, and will be much better than lcd once they perfect the technology more. It could be a few years before we see affordable tvs with this technology though.

That's another thing with sitting close to a 32" lcd, you might notice the motion blur more than if sitting further back. OLED is much much better at handling motion, response times are unreal.

I think for now its a hard time to justify spending that sorta money would be nice too have some uber quality regardless, but even I reckon a 24" good TFT and a 32inch LCD TV would suit my needs more.

I've been in a dilemma whether to buy a 24" tn lcd for £250 or an 32" lcd tv for my pc gaming.

24" TN
good points
- very high quality gaming on a big size
- very immersive
- lower price
- larger resolution 1920x1200
- more detail possible
- larger viewable/workable area
- very low response times/input lag (tn panel)
- lower electricity use
- lighter/less space taken
bad points
- more demanding on graphics hardware
- poor viewing angles
- lower quality colours
- less functionality
- less inputs

32" LCD TV 720p
good points
- gaming on a huge size
- ultimate immersion
- great detail easily viewable
- better picture quality
- tv has multiple uses
- excellent viewing angles
- less demanding on graphics hardware
bad points
- higher price
- lower resolution 1360x768
- detailed, but blown up
- less viewable/workable area
- increased response/input lag (pva panel)
- higher electricity use
- more space taken

anything I forgot feel free to suggest :o
 
If its any help my new Sony 32" puts my 24" LCD (VA panel) to shame, of course it's not as high res but the colours, blacks (lol) and overall composition are far superior. It's also much sharper even at 720P, but of course the screen space is nowhere near as big. :)

I use my 24" monitor for the PC and turn the TV input on for movies and tv shows, but that's about it, works well. :)

My 8800GT does pretty well at 1920x1200 still, runs Fallout 3 maxed out with 2xAA quite well, dips to the 40's sometimes but usually it's sitting comfortably at 60FPS, Dead Space maxed out never drops below 60 too. I'd imagine at 1368x768 your card will last you a good while yet, at that res Fallout 3 never drops below 60 at all for me.
 
Which monitor is it? Hows the lag on the TV?

ps3ud0 :cool:

It's the OcUK 24" :D

I don't seem to be getting any lag, I haven't noticed any at least, a review of the bigger brother of the 32" is here; http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/sony-kdl40v4000-review-20080822127.htm

Not too sure how much that review applys to the 32" model, but the black levels at least are also fantastic on the 32.

Console Gaming

With my Xbox 360 away for costly repairs (again), I instead used downloaded Playstation 3 game demos to test HD gaming performance (I use the system as a Blu-ray player and don’t actually own any games for it). I could detect no input lag at all, and input lag tests confirmed that there was between 0ms and 10ms present. This is an excellent result, and as such, the Sony KDL40V4000 should present no gaming problems at all.
 
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My 8800GT does pretty well at 1920x1200 still, runs Fallout 3 maxed out with 2xAA quite well, dips to the 40's sometimes but usually it's sitting comfortably at 60FPS, Dead Space maxed out never drops below 60 too. I'd imagine at 1368x768 your card will last you a good while yet, at that res Fallout 3 never drops below 60 at all for me.

Great performance from the 8800gt, yeah it's an excellent card! my 8800gtx handles games very well still at the moment at 1280x1024.

Problem is, I know what TN is like and already have one, so if I bought a bigger TN it just feels like oh no spending more money on TN (a bit of a waste). I just feel money should be spent on something of a higher quality, but I feel if spending £400 it can be spent on a tv rather than a monitor where a tv can offer me more than a monitor.

Margaret, is it possible you can try gaming on your 24" monitor then on your 32" tv of the same game and report your findings on differences in detail, motion and mouse lag/aiming etc? would help a lot.

You know last night I actually decided I wasn't going to get the tv, but these forum threads keep changing my mind lol

Thanks :)
 
Great performance from the 8800gt, yeah it's an excellent card! my 8800gtx handles games very well still at the moment at 1280x1024.

Problem is, I know what TN is like and already have one, so if I bought a bigger TN it just feels like oh no spending more money on TN (a bit of a waste). I just feel money should be spent on something of a higher quality, but I feel if spending £400 it can be spent on a tv rather than a monitor where a tv can offer me more than a monitor.

Margaret, is it possible you can try gaming on your 24" monitor then on your 32" tv of the same game and report your findings on differences in detail, motion and mouse lag/aiming etc? would help a lot.

You know last night I actually decided I wasn't going to get the tv, but these forum threads keep changing my mind lol

Thanks :)

I've played Fallout 3 on both, I sit a bout 5ft back from the TV and it looks better on the TV lol.

The picture is just better overall, of course I sit a bit further away so any possible jaggies are gone (I run it at 4xAA at 1368x768 so that helps even more!) I don't really notice much different really, the colours and overall picture is better on the TV, the sharpness is great and even close up it holds out well.

Aiming and what not all felt the same of course, I switched to the 360 pad when using the TV for Fallout though as having the keyboard out that far and stretching was annoying.

You could always get the 24" OcUK monitor if they still sell it (VA panel) but I'd be inclined to go that little bit extra and get the Sony 32", the black levels alone would seal the deal for me.
 
BassPwr are you going to keep the 19" monitor?

If you are then Id get the 32" 720p TV for gaming/movies and the 19" for desktop use - kinda ideal for both purposes. Personally the 1080p requirement only comes into the equation if you require it for desktop use...

EDIT: Im considering a similar setup to Jihad - though I dno if I have the space for a 24" Dell and 32" Sony/Pana...

ps3ud0 :cool:
 
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Margaret says you cannot see the pixels up close, is it really that bad as you say, is it more noticeable in games? maybe the sony has a higher quality screen than what you have? I'm currently 2-3ft away which is the distance I'd first try to game on the 32" if I get it.

I'd like to get a 1080p set because it would be better for PC use but that's the only hd input I'd be giving the tv. I also hear freeview digital tv is better on a 720p than a 1080p tv because it has less upscaling to do. The prices of 1080p sets just to get a hd pc res just don't seem worth it to me.

My 32" is a Sony.

You will only see the pixels if you are close, say within 1.25 to 1.5m.

I use a 8800GTX and it's totally fine with 1366 x 768, doesn't struggle on anything except Crysis max settings.

I've also had it hooked up to my Sony 52X3000 which is a 1080p set and the step up in resolution is instantly noticeable, far less need for AA in certain games. However, the 8800GTX does start to struggle at 1920 x 1080.

So conclusion I have come to is for my use, gaming and desktop, a 1080p set in either 32" or 40" is the way forward but only with a GPU upgrade.

EDIT: btw, digital freeview is generally pretty decent on the main channels IMO. The Sony's handle upscaling well so at 32", I'd doubt you'd notice much difference.
 
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My 32" is a Sony.

You will only see the pixels if you are close, say within 1.25 to 1.5m.

I use a 8800GTX and it's totally fine with 1366 x 768, doesn't struggle on anything except Crysis max settings.

I've also had it hooked up to my Sony 52X3000 which is a 1080p set and the step up in resolution is instantly noticeable, far less need for AA in certain games. However, the 8800GTX does start to struggle at 1920 x 1080.

So conclusion I have come to is for my use, gaming and desktop, a 1080p set in either 32" or 40" is the way forward but only with a GPU upgrade.

EDIT: btw, digital freeview is generally pretty decent on the main channels IMO. The Sony's handle upscaling well so at 32", I'd doubt you'd notice much difference.

Upping the resolution doesn't result in the need for less AA at all, never understood this.

I've gone from 1440x900 to 1680x1050 to 1920x1200 and always required the same AA.

Also used a 1920x1080 TV set, same thing. As for PC use the res will be noticeable of course, much more screen space!
 
My 37" HDTV is 720p, I hate using the PC on it for games, looks shocking. It's fine for consoles / video files.

For PC use you really need 1080p, for other stuff 720p is perfect.
 
Upping the resolution doesn't result in the need for less AA at all, never understood this.

I've gone from 1440x900 to 1680x1050 to 1920x1200 and always required the same AA.

Also used a 1920x1080 TV set, same thing. As for PC use the res will be noticeable of course, much more screen space!

I have no scientific facts to back me up so I can only go with what I see. And, having gamed at both on both 720p and 1080p TV's and can say without a shaddow of doubt that displaying the same image on both sets results in less need, IMO, for AA on a 1080p set of the same size.
 
For PC use you really need 1080p, for other stuff 720p is perfect.

Looks fine on my TV, very sharp and clear, what input do you use? Through HDMI it looks fantastic, I still hate lack of space on the desktop (too used to 1920x1200) but hey I don't use it as a monitor, just for my films and tv shows.


I have no scientific facts to back me up so I can only go with what I see. And, having gamed at both on both 720p and 1080p TV's and can say without a shaddow of doubt that displaying the same image on both sets results in less need, IMO, for AA on a 1080p set of the same size.

Hmm never noticed it myself, I guess it might depend on the game. I don't think Dead Space needs AA at 1920x1200, looks good without, maybe it's not the case at lower res?
 
Hmm never noticed it myself, I guess it might depend on the game. I don't think Dead Space needs AA at 1920x1200, looks good without, maybe it's not the case at lower res?

That's kinda the point. I wouldn't expect it to really need AA at 1920 x 1200. At 1366 x 768 I would.
 
HummuH1 is quite correct that technically you dont need as much AA as youd need at lower resolution - at the end of the day you are attempting to represent a straight line in a non-horizontal or vertical plane - due to the way a line is a graphical representation of pixels the more pixels you have at your disposal the better accuracy in this representation. All AA does is trick the eye by blending surrounding pixels to smooth out the line...

Contrast also adds to the equation (higher the contrast the more AA is needed)

ps3ud0 :cool:
 
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