Computer Monitor vs TVs

Lateralus · Post by **Lateralus** » May 24th, 2007, 8:30

Something I've often wondered is why modern mahoosive HDTVs run at the same or similar screen resolutions as computer monitors? What is it that makes them better? I mean I'm on a 19" Dell monitor at work running at 1600x1200, so why is a TV at 1920x1080 an order of magnitude more expensive? I'm sure google has the answer, but firstly I wanted a comprehensible answer and secondly I'm too damn tired to trawl the intarweb today.

eion · Post by **eion** » May 24th, 2007, 8:45

Lateralus wrote:Something I've often wondered is why modern mahoosive HDTVs run at the same or similar screen resolutions as computer monitors? What is it that makes them better? I mean I'm on a 19" Dell monitor at work running at 1600x1200, so why is a TV at 1920x1080 an order of magnitude more expensive? I'm sure google has the answer, but firstly I wanted a comprehensible answer and secondly I'm too damn tired to trawl the intarweb today.

/resists fixing your adverbs

More inputs; better scalers; and, probably the most important factor, size. 1080p TVs tend to be a little larger than 19".

Lateralus · Post by **Lateralus** » May 24th, 2007, 8:53

I'm far too tired today to care - I've left my Grammar Nazi hat at home.

I know HDTVs are double the size, which is why the fact that they have similar resolutions to monitors has bemused me somewhat.

eion · Post by **eion** » May 24th, 2007, 9:03

Lateralus wrote:I'm far too tired today to care - I've left my Grammar Nazi hat at home. I know HDTVs are double the size, which is why the fact that they have similar resolutions to monitors has bemused me somewhat.

I have mine sewn to my scalp for convenience.

Actually if you think about it, HDTVs are a lot more than double the size - a 38" TV is actually four times the size of a 19" monitor. The reason that resolutions are similar is because they don't need to be bigger than that. Remember that you (hopefully!) sit a lot closer to your monitor than your TV, and that even 1080p TV content is still very rare.

To give an example, my old "TV" (actually a projector) had an image that was just over 10.5', at XGA (1024x768) resolution. It wasn't that great for web surfing, word processing, et cetera, but for watching television and movies on it was aces, and the relatively low resolution wasn't noticeable in any way when used for that. It was pretty decent for games, too.

Lateralus · Post by **Lateralus** » May 24th, 2007, 9:10

Since the corner-to-corner distance is always used to measure screen size, I thought I'd carry on in the same manner. I'm sufficiently awake to know that double the "size" (19"-38") equates to four times the area.

One day I intend to have a house with enough rooms to allow me a cinema room, with a decent projector and surround sound. Wouldn't work in my current place, even if I could afford a projector!

eion · Post by **eion** » May 24th, 2007, 9:21

Lateralus wrote:Since the corner-to-corner distance is always used to measure screen size, I thought I'd carry on in the same manner. I'm sufficiently awake to know that double the "size" (19"-38") equates to four times the area.

Be that as it may, the screen/panel/whatever - which I'm guessing makes up the bulk of the cost in most HDTV/monitor setup (with the exception of front or rear projection) is a lot bigger in a TV as compared to a monitor (typically).

Lateralus wrote:One day I intend to have a house with enough rooms to allow me a cinema room, with a decent projector and surround sound. Wouldn't work in my current place, even if I could afford a projector!

Projectors aren't that expensive, if you shop around. I got mine in early 2004, and it cost me the princely sum of about £400 (for an InFocus LP350 in case you care). Bulbs can get pricy, but I hear that newer projectors are a lot less bulb-hungry, as was mine after I got a PSU and firmware upgrade (all for free! InFocus customer service rocks)

My old apartment wasn't particularly large, but I was lucky to have a space that worked well for a projector - a long room with a large, empty white wall at one end. Some of the newer projectors on the market apparently have relatively wide-angle lenses for a shorter throw distance, which is very helpful if you don't have an enormous area to work with.

Gunslinger42 · Post by **Gunslinger42** » May 24th, 2007, 9:38

Just set up a spare room with virtual reality magics. Have one wall dedicated to gaming, one for interweb surfing, one for movies and one for porn.

Post by **ProfHawking** » May 24th, 2007, 9:44

Gunslinger42 wrote:Just set up a spare room with virtual reality magics. Have one wall dedicated to gaming, one for interweb surfing, one for movies and one for porn.

I like this idea. Hmm. I need a square room though....

Lateralus · Post by **Lateralus** » May 24th, 2007, 9:55

Gunslinger42 wrote:Just set up a spare room with virtual reality magics. Have one wall dedicated to gaming, one for interweb surfing, one for movies and one for porn.

Genius idea!

When my mates were looking for a house in second year of Uni, they claimed they saw a house where someone had set up a "mastabatorium" which consisted of a room with a single chair and some kleenex in it, with porn all over the walls. I suspect mild embellishment of the story, but 'tis amusing anyway.

5punk

Computer Monitor vs TVs

Computer Monitor vs TVs

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