I'd like to replace my PC monitor and the family's old 24-inch CRT television with a single LCD TV/monitor, perhaps somewhere between 22 and 26 inches.
Mark McCann
In general, I don't recommend this approach, because of the practical and family problems. First, computer monitors are usually set up for viewing by one person at around a metre or less, whereas TVs are set up for viewing by two or more people two to three metres away. Second, there may well be problems when one person wants to watch a TV programme while others want to surf the net, play a game or whatever.
However, I asked Bob Raikes, who runs the Meko consultancy and is managing editor of Display Monitor. He says: "Assuming we're talking about sizes where both products might be available - broadly 15 to 26 inches - then these days, they tend to use similar LCD panels. TVs may have brighter backlights and will typically be 16:9 format to match widescreen TV. Most monitor panels are typically 16:10 (so a TV panel would be 1920 x 1080 pixels, while a monitor would be 1920 x 1200 pixels). However, this is changing as monitor makers are starting to adopt 16:9.
"Traditional TV brands are generally likely to have better video-processing than the monitor/IT brands, although there are exceptions. So, if you are using the TV to receive digital TV over the air, then a TV may be better. It should also have support for Freeview and a CI slot if you want Top Up TV, etc. The TV may also have better audio facilities and a remote control. On the other hand, if you are watching video from a PC or an upscaling DVD player, set-top box or PVR and using a good digital interface such as HDMI, then the monitor-style product should be fine. The same hardware sold in the IT department of a store is likely to cost less than from the TV department. Profit margins have historically been higher on TV, so that's what the retailers expect."
Incidentally, Raikes adds: "Viewers judge screen size by height. To get a widescreen that looks around the same size as Mark's 24-inch 4:3 screen would need a 28- 30-inch LCD."
Backchat: Niel Anderson recommends "Avermedia's AverTV Hybrid STB 1080i, a separate Freeview and analog tuner box about the size of a VHS cassette. It allows any monitor with a DVI connection (or suitable adaptor) to be either a TV or a monitor. You don't have to switch your PC on to watch TV, or you can watch TV picture-in-picture in a resizable window on the PC desktop. The quality of the TV picture is better than some dedicated TVs I've seen." Trusted Reviews liked it a lot less.
