Should I use an LCD TV as my computer monitor?

[Skig]

Hello, as some of you know, I'm building my own computer (http://forum.blockland.us/index.php?topic=257725.0) and I may get myself a monitor since my dad found a really good deal on a parts combo. It saved me almost $100 so I can spend some more if I'm feeling generous. I was wanting to know what the pros and cons are to using an LCD TV as a monitor. All I have heard of so far if possible screen burn-ins but are there any other problems? The upside, I can use my computer monitor as a TV and save money and convenience.

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[Alyx Vance]

If you can use your television than go for it. Unless you're like a lot of people and don't like it when people can see what you're doing. Burn ins are a thing for everything, CRT screens do it too. Thats what a screensaver is for.

[Ipquarx]

Burn ins are a thing for everything, CRT screens do it too. Thats what a screensaver is for.

Burn ins are only a thing for CRTs. LCDs do not have this issue and screensavers actually reduce the life of LCD monitors.

[Mr.Noßody]

When you use a TV with a bigger resolution than your computer can handle, you're going to get stretching and pixilation.
I wouldn't unless you have an HD TV.

[Skig]

I was going to maybe buy like a 20 something inch LCD and use it as my primary monitor. My brother got a 21 inch for Christmas and it wouldn't make a bad screen

Burn ins are only a thing for CRTs. LCDs do not have this issue and screensavers actually reduce the life of LCD monitors.

How do they reduce the life of them?

When you use a TV with a bigger resolution than your computer can handle, you're going to get stretching and pixilation.
I wouldn't unless you have an HD TV.

Yeah I could do an HD

[Ipquarx]

How do they reduce the life of them?

In the sense that they're just being used more constantly if you do have a screensaver, it does "reduce" the lifetime of the monitor. It's really better just to have the computer go into sleep mode after whatever time delay you have set for your screensaver.

[ßlöükfáce]

Make sure you adjust the settings so colors are the most obvious
My screen was set so the colors looked ugly compared to my laptop, so I adjusted the TV's settings and they looked a lot better

I suggest everyone do this on their TVs and computer monitors

[Skig]

Make sure you adjust the settings so colors are the most obvious
My screen was set so the colors looked ugly compared to my laptop, so I adjusted the TV's settings and they looked a lot better

I suggest everyone do this on their TVs and computer monitors

Ok, thanks

So for example, I could use this as a monitor and it would probably work fine?

[ßlöükfáce]

32 inch

[Skig]

32 inch

I'm good with a 20 something. Sure if I can find a good deal, I'll go bigger

[Tokthree]

Don't HDTV's use different colour balance and resolutions to computer monitors? I can set my monitor to run as a HDTV but if I do then I don't get resolutions like 1920x1080 I just get resolutions listed as "HDTV 1080p" or "HDTV 720p", the image that results from using those resolutions is blurry and the colours aren't quite right.

[Skig]

I already have a Hanns-G 16 inch or something monitor but its kinda small and its a square. I will be wanting a TV anyway so I thought I could combine them sorta since my friend did it once

[Tokthree]

Unfortunately I'm the kind of person who doesn't see the point in watching TV in my room when I can go downstairs and watch it on the TV that my parents bought for us to watch TV on.

[Night Fox]

screensavers actually reduce the life of LCD monitors.

please explain, and provide sources, because I'm about 99% sure that's bs

[Tokthree]

please explain, and provide sources, because I'm about 99% sure that's bs

The pipes are actually stealing all the light that's contained inside your monitor, once it runs out your monitor stops working :(