Should the TV be used as a computer monitor?

Perhaps some of you when buying a computer monitor have asked yourself this question: Why do I have to buy a separate monitor? Why not use a super large TV screen at home?

In theory, the idea of ​​using a TV as a computer monitor sounds great, but there are a few things you need to consider before you cross “new computer monitor” off your shopping list.

What do you use the computer for?

To know if a TV monitor should be used for a computer, we need to know what you usually use your computer for. You’ll use your computer for a lot of things every day, but it’s likely to fall into one of two basic categories: general computer users or computer users for entertainment.

Casual day-to-day work includes everything from emailing to working with Photoshop all day, while entertainment is mostly watching movies or playing games.

With that in mind, let’s dig deeper into what TV screens mean for these two groups of users:

For normal computer users, do not play games or stream

If you spend most of your time surfing the web, reading emails, composing emails, or the like, the biggest issue you have to worry about when using a large TV screen is its resolution.

Remember, when it comes to screens, resolution is most important. 32-inch TVs have the same resolution as 27-inch computer monitors (assuming they’re all 1080p), but will be 5 inches wider. This makes things a bit blurry and harder to read. Pushing up to the 42-inch 1080p screen, you’ll be uncomfortable looking at the screen – it lacks clarity.

Another problem is the working position in front of the TV screen. You’ll want your eye level to be 2 to 3 inches below the top edge of the screen. This is quite difficult for a large screen unless you are extremely tall or sit in a particularly tall chair. Put the 44-inch screen on the table, you will have to frown, roll your eyes, turn your head constantly to see everything on the screen – it will be very annoying.

Still, there’s a lot to help YouTube and movie viewers prefer HDTVs over traditional computer screens. Here are the TV requirements that this group of people often look for:

• Minimum 4K resolution.
• Refresh rate at least 60Hz.
• Supports Chroma 4:4:4 subsampling (to avoid blurry text).
• HDMI 2.0 (and the right cables) to achieve the above elements.
• Low latency – this you can only verify for yourself once you have attached the TV to the machine. Read reviews of the monitor you plan to buy in advance, or choose a retailer that has a guaranteed return policy, so that everything on the screen moves slower than what’s actually happening on the computer.
• VESA mount. If using the giant TV on a table, you may want to position it in a better position, instead of using the default stand on the table.
• Built-in speaker. This choice is up to you, but having additional built-in speakers is always better if you don’t already have your own speakers for your computer.

As for the computer, you’ll want the rig to at least pull 4K resolution at 60Hz. The machine should use Intel 7th or 8th generation CPU (if using integrated card) or own a powerful enough discrete graphics card. It is best to double check the specifications of the computer.

Chances are you’ll end up using an HDMI cable, as modern TVs rarely have a DisplayPort connector – the reason why TV manufacturers don’t think you’ll connect the TV to a computer. If you only have a DisplayPort port on your device, you may need to buy an additional cable.

ENTERTAINMENT

If you want to play games or watch movies on your HDTV screen, you have a few more options to consider. Most importantly, you’ll probably want to use a 4K TV as a second monitor (a PC uses two monitors).

This way, you will keep the main screen for daily tasks – that is, you will still have a good experience surfing the web, typing, sending emails, etc. When you change to movie and game modes, you will change to the screen. Big TV next to it.

As long as the keyboard and mouse (or controller) can be used far enough away from the screen, you’ll enjoy this design more than just using a TV screen as the only monitor of your PC.

Depending on what you’re watching (or the font size in the game), you may want to sit away from TVs that have lower specs than the requirements mentioned above. If you just watch movies, you won’t need to care about the TV’s lag or refresh rate.

If you play games, you will certainly care about latency and refresh rate. Watch the video below to understand the difference between a computer monitor and some TVs (with poor latency and refresh rate) when playing games.

Picture quality is more important if you’re watching a John Wick movie or playing Doom Eternal, than typing. As a result, you’ll probably want to buy a TV (and graphics card/HDMI 2.0a) that supports HDR10 for more accurate pictures and colors.

According to Lifehacker