so i'm considering getting a dell 24" widescreen display. I was on the dell sight and there's this link saying to consider the 26" lcd tv as well. Both are about the same price and i was wondering what the difference would be. I don't have an hdtv so could i use the 24" computer display to watch tv in hd if i got a tuner? and with the xbox360 coming out soon i'll want to play those games in hd as well. what are the advatanges/disadvantages of using a computer monitor for movies/video games vs using a tv for computer applications?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
difference between a lcd monitor and a lcd tv?
- Thread starter jbuba
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
LCD TV's are generally a low resolution in comparison to LCD monitors. The 24" Dell monitor is 1920x1200, the 26" TV is probably 1280x768 at best.
i was in this EXACT same situation the other day!! what I have found is this : the lcd TV is just that..a TV w/ a vga input...it has a lower resolution even though the screen is larger. The 24" dell has your vga, dvi-d, s-vid, composite, and regular video...I already have a tv so I was shopping for a monitor and i bought jsut that...a monitor..and it is BEAUTIFUL!!! even thought the one i recieved had a small crack in it and i am sending it back...the rest of it is beautful..it can hook up my mac, PC, tv, and xbox, all to one monitor if i wanted, they all come out gorgeous and they can be switched by one button...the 24" dell is amazing! So if you want a monitor, I would say, get a monitor...If you need a tv also ... think about the dell lcd tv cause they are great tv's also
I manage a number of computers at a recording studio. We have a number of recording booths with analogue and digital monitor outputs. Due to certain limitations, the screens are analogue inside the booths and digital outside. The digital connection is much, much better, even if the screens are identical. So look at the monitor input also. Dell makes great screens, Aquos, and Planar also get high grades in my book. Supposedly Dell was rebadgeing Planar monitors for a time. The 20" dell is really nice, I just installed 2 in the admin offices. If it has composit and S-video in, then go with the 20" and get a tuner box or VCR.
so essentially with a set of speakers and a tv tuner, the 24" monitor is basically as functional as the 26" tv but with a much greater resolution? is there any problems with watching tv and playing video games on a regular basis with a computer monitor?
No problem at all! just press a button and bam your there...the external speakers you get will probably be better than the tv's speakers and w/ the monitor i know you can do Picutre in Picture or Picture BY picture so you can do your comp and watch movies at once...im pretty sure the tv could but i have never tried...so yeajbuba said:
> difference between a lcd monitor and a lcd tv?
There isn't as much cr@p programming on the LCD monitor??
There isn't as much cr@p programming on the LCD monitor??
so i guess i'll be getting the 24" monitor. now only if they made a g5 in the mac mini form factor...but that's a whole other discussion. i was thinking of getting the 20" imac but i think i would rather have the verstility of an external monitor instead of the increased computing power. although i doubt the gpu in the mini can handle a monitor that size. unsure about that one. if only the new upgraded mini's had a better graphics card and not just more memory. does anyone with a mini have the 24" dell or one of the larger apple displays? i asked this in another post but got no reponses.
just to answer my own question, i looked up the specs on both and it seems that they should be compatable. the Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW says the system must be able to support WUXGA resolution (1920x1200). the mac mini specs says that it has DVI video output for digital resolutions up to 1920 x 1200 pixel.
jbuba said:
LCD TVs are 16:9 ratio and the 24" Dell you are talking about is 16:10 so expect borders around the TV/DVDs (larger than normal), and video games might look a bit pixellated if you aren't playing them in their native resolution.
I have a Sony KLV series 26" LCD HD TV and an Apple 20" ACD both are good at what they are meant to do, but TV (HD/SD digital), and DVDs both look much better on the LCD TV than they do on the monitor (I have an El Gato EyeTV 400 for HD/SD digital TV), but I guess I am comparing an AUD$1200 monitor to an AUD$4000 TV I'd hope the TV looks a lot better.
Edit: Here's a picture of the boarder you can expect to see on a 16:10 monitor with 16:9 TV
risc said:
On my 2005FPW they, IMO, look like crap, at least when hooked up with the composite connection. Looks fine enough if you play in 1:1, but then the picture becomes way to small. Scale the image and it turns ugly.
I'd rather play it on my old 20" TV...
Maybe it looks better with S-Video or Component, but I haven't tried that. (The 20" doesn't have component, and I don't have the neccessary cables for S-Video)
dubbz said:
I thought as much, although you can expect a clearer picture using s-video/component video they will look just as bad scaled up just brighter and more colours to look at.
dubbz said:
but do recall the original poster said that he would be playing video games using xbox 360 which nativly supports HD which should really rock on the dell monitor!
Does anyone have a screen shot comparing the 2. I would really love to see the difference first hand.
wPod said:
The 360 can do 720p and 1080i which means only at 1080i (interlaced 30 fps) would it look any good, but you'd still have black bars at the top/bottom of the screen. 720p which imho is the best option (progresive scan, 60 fps) available on the 360 would have a HUGE border (all around the picture).