TV and computer monitor... have you tried it ?


I would like to keep equipment to a minimum. I want to use a plasma,DLP or LCD screen for dual purpose of cable television viewing and also as a computer monitor . I am interested in something around 30" to 35". Do you have any experience or suggestions ?
Thank You.
saki70
make sure not to get an EDTV resolution screen, get HDTV resolution screen with 1024x1024 or 1280x768 or 1280x720 or 1366x768 and use a VGA or even better yet a DVI cable to the Display, do not use the SVHS output from the PC to the TV.

Check out a 2005 Media Center Computer with wireless remote so and keyboard to surf on your plasma and watch DVD's and record TV programs like a TIVO. if you don't already have a PC. A quiet PC is critical for a living room.
www.ecost.com has some refurbs on HP media Center 2004 XP boxes for ~$800 P4 3.0-3.4 gHz machines with DVD burners and everything.

Check out www.avsforum.com for both the HTPC forum and the Flat panel forums.
you can actually output a high definition resolution computer image onto a high definition TV/monitor using several different ati radeon video cards alot of information regarding this can be found at avs forum
Thanks Cytocycle and Mejames.
I know that the connection can be made. I am not sure of the ability of TV's to project a display that one can read for a length of time such as would be needed when surfing the net. I have spoken to someone who tried this and was not able to get printed graphics of sufficient quality on his LCD projection TV.
He did not state what type of connection that he was using.
I have been told that the resolution numbers of tv's is not the same as computer monitors and can not be compared.
I will try at the AVS forum.
Plasma and LCD can have high enough resolution to make text readable but the key is the computer resolution must be set exactly 1:1 to the pixels on the LCD or plasma screens that are just like a computer (or DLP), a conventional TV doesn't have enough bandwidth and refreshes at 50hz (interlased and flickers). EDTV sets are only 800x480 and this shows big pixels. If you use the SVHS out on a computer or the RCA out the text is barely readable, but using the computer VGA or DVI out it should be readable no problems. There is a program called powerstrip that is shareware that allows for exact 1:1 mapping, the ATI cards work pretty easy (I use a 9600xt (I've used a 7500 and an 9000 pro also) on my projector that has 1280x720 or 720P is what this works out to via the DVI and/or the VGA.

Post this question about models of TV you are looking for on AVSFORUM.COM and you will get guided perfectly.
I'd look at LCD or DLP but not at plasma for this purpose because plasma can burn in static images. Computer screens have a lot of static images, such as desktop icons.