Using an LCD TV as a monitor

noobybooby · 12 Dec 2011 at 03:21

I'm planning on getting a large LCD TV to use as a second monitor for my computer (when using it some distance away - for gaming & general use), as well as it being used by my XBox.

I'm looking at the LG 42LK450U:

http://m.lg.com/uk/tv-audio-video/televisions/LG-lcd-tv-42LK450U.jsp

because its relatively cheap for a 42", and seems to be of good quality. Though expert reviews are non-existant.

Among its specifications is a refresh rate of 50Hz. Is this going to cause me problems when hooking up to my computer? I have an MSI Twin Frozr 3 6950 2GB, if its relevant. I wasn't sure if monitors needed to be either 60Hz or 120Hz - I didn't really know if a 50Hz screen would work.

Also, are there any other technical issues that I should be aware of as part of this setup?

I would think that viewing angles shouldn't be too bad, seeing as how this is a TV. I'm not expecting IPS viewing angles, but something better than my current 27" Samsung LCD, which gets pretty noticeable colour distortion - especially on the vertical axis.

cmndr_andi · 12 Dec 2011 at 05:29

Hi there,

I actually have this exact TV sitting next to me running off a HD 6970 as a second monitor. I must say it is a really nice bit of kit considering the price and is actually one of the best TVs around for running as a monitor.

That is because (so long as you get one with a "Y" in the fourth position of the model number on the box - eg. "42LK450-UB.CWMYLH") they come with S-IPS type panels, have low input lag for a TV (around 16ms) and fast response times (6ms). Once you have it set up (use the info on this thread to help you) you can get a really lovely and clean image out of it. As for the advertised 50Hz this is just to show that it supports EU PAL standards, it also supports 60Hz fine- mine is running at 60Hz right now.

I basically traded with my parents and they got my old LG 32LD450 TV (as they thought 42in was too big), if you search for "32LD450" then much of it is relevant to the 42in you are looking at- as it is effectively the same TV, just this years model and a bit bigger (here is a very interesting thread on AVS forums on the LD450 series - the LK450 series seems to be essentially the same).

As for viewing angles, as it is a S-IPS panel the viewing angles are great and better than my S-PVA panel Dell monitor.

CaptainCrash · 12 Dec 2011 at 08:48

cmndr_andi said:
That is because (so long as you get one with a "Y" in the fourth position of the model number on the box - eg. "42LK450-UB.CWMYLH") they come with S-IPS type panels

I think this might be a sticking point - "Y" variants seem to be increasingly thin on the ground, and you're more likely these days to get a "D" (A-MVA) or a "J" (S-MVA), in the UK market at least. By all accounts they're not necessarily inferior for general TV use, but I've seen suggestions that only the IPS version will do 4:4:4 chroma subsampling, which would make the *VA versions less than ideal for PC use (don't know if this has been confirmed though).

I guess the obvious thing to do would be to shop around in B&M stores where you can see what you're getting, but you might miss out on some of the best online deals, and you wouldn't have your DSR no-questions-asked right to return if things didn't work out for whatever reason.

There's also a thread at Hardforum with some useful information - the second post in particular makes some very good general points for anyone wanting to use an HDTV as a PC monitor. I think the negative aspects are probably less important if the TV is being used as a secondary or special-purpose monitor, but there's no doubt that you'll need to do a fair amount of tweaking to get the best results.

cmndr_andi · 12 Dec 2011 at 09:45

That is a shame that the IPS variants are becoming rare.

The place that seems to sell these TVs cheapest at the moment (a rich sounding place) has some very good customer service - it may be worth dropping in a local store and seeing if they have any of the "Y" variants in stock.

noobybooby · 13 Dec 2011 at 23:51

Thanks for the responses.

I really couldn't have asked for more detailled information, so I really appreciate it.

In light of the comments, I'm going to try and hunt down an S-IPS version.

A rich sounding place will be my first port of call. Where did you guys get your 'Y' versions from - same place? PM if appropriate.

cmndr_andi · 14 Dec 2011 at 02:37

I got mine from that very place (well my parents did, before we swapped TVs) but they just got lucky getting a IPS one - as it was phone ordered, since there isn't a branch in Aberdeen.

CaptainCrash · 14 Dec 2011 at 09:20

noobybooby said:
A rich sounding place will be my first port of call. Where did you guys get your 'Y' versions from - same place? PM if appropriate.

I bought mine online from the place that rhymes with an impeached US president - I'd already seen the 'Y' version in their high-street counterpart which sounds like Indian food, so I figured it would be a good bet for an online purchase (they had a discount offer running at the time, plus there was cashback available). This was a couple of months ago though, so I don't know if things have changed in the meantime.

The manufacture date of my TV is May 2011 - I think anything manufactured from midsummer onwards is likely to be a VA of some description, so I guess retailers who operate an aggressive "just in time" approach to stock ordering are less likely to have any of the older IPS versions kicking around.

Having said that, I'm only going by what I've seen personally, and I don't have any concrete evidence that LG have made a permanent switch to VA panels for this model. There's always been a panel lottery, and I'd imagine they just use whatever's available (and most profitable, obviously) for each production run.

noobybooby · 18 Dec 2011 at 16:53

Thanks guys

noobybooby · 23 Jan 2012 at 01:51

Hi,

I was looking around and I think I finally found the right kind of model number.

The example that you guys quoted was: "42LK450-UB.CWMYLH"

I know this was only an example, and the important thing was that the Y was in the 4th position after the full stop.

I found a model number "42LK450-ZH.BEJYLJH" - so it seems fine.

The only thing unusual is that there are 7 letters after the fullstop, not 6 - which is unusual, as I haven't seen that before (and I checked a LOT of these TVs in B&M stores to find the right one). Before I go ahead and order, I was wondering if you guys think that that sounds ok, and that my 4th postition Y panel should be a genuine IPS, even if the model code does seem to have an extra letter.

I know I'm probably being stupidly anal, but I thought I'd just double check if you guys thought this was a red flag

cmndr_andi · 23 Jan 2012 at 02:07

I'm pretty sure that one will be fine - it really is the "Y" in the fourth position after the fullstop that counts.

For example the guy in post #1538 on this page got one of these TVs (the model up) with 7 letters after the fullstop and the "Y" in the fourth position - it was an IPS panel.

I finally was able to confirm the pixel shape of my LG 42" Lk530-UC.AUSYLJR TV that I purchased back in October 2011 using a 20x magnifier lens. It is indeed chevron-shaped pixels(<<<<<) pointed in a direction that resembles a (Less Than) Math symbol. I know I'm late in confirming the pixel shape but I guess it's better late than never. I'm feeling rejoice as my LK530 is in the S-IPS club.

noobybooby · 29 Jan 2012 at 22:27

cmndr_andi said:
I'm pretty sure that one will be fine - it really is the "Y" in the fourth position after the fullstop that counts.

For example the guy in post #1538 on this page got one of these TVs (the model up) with 7 letters after the fullstop and the "Y" in the fourth position - it was an IPS panel.

Many thanks for that info. However it was in vain, as the TV turned out to be unavailable.

The only 'Y' versions I have been able to find are display/ex-display models in the sister chains of "a shop where you might buy a chicken tikka masala" and "a globe of information technology". But I'm very dubious about buying ex-display - especially as they offer almost no discount.

I think I will wait for April when LG release their new line up. As mentionned earlier on this thread, they seem to release models initially with IPS screens, then replace them with MVA/PVA ones - so I guess I'll try to catch the next line-up early.

It's predominantly LED - so hopefully no backlight issues. The LS5600 (which could well be the LK450's successor) also supposedly has 120Hz refresh rate, as its a nerfed 2D version of higher specc'd 3D models - which I guess will be a bonus.