# Getting an LED-TV as a primary PC monitor



## EarlZ

Im planning to get a LED-TV as my primary PC monitor and Im looking at these choices;

LG 32LV3500 / 32LV3520 - $522
Samsung 32D5000 - $618
Samsung 32EH5000 - ??
Sony 32EX-520 - $795

I havent seen the EH5000 personally as it would be released in my country this friday but store reps have been saying that the image quality is slightly better than the D5000. LED-TV's are also quite expensive in where I live.

Will be used for gaming, movies and web browsing, viewing distance is about more than an arm's length away, if wall mounted I can get upto and arm and a half's length away. Is there anything that I should know before committing to any of the TV's above?


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## chinesekiwi

where you live?


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## EarlZ

Philippines


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## Disturbed117

Are all listed TV's 1920X1080?

I would refrain from getting a 720p TV.


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## kazenagi

I'm not sure it'll look all that great, 1080p on a 32 inch at an arm's length away would really look pixelelated probably... 1080 on a 27" looked bad enough so I'm sure a 32 inch would look even worse but then again I blame being use to 1440p haha.


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## mnkeyprince

be careful with lag though, i used my 3D bravia 32" tv, and the mouse lag is very annoying

you want something with a faster response time


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## Disturbed117

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mnkeyprince*
> 
> be careful with lag though, i used my 3D bravia 32" tv, and the mouse lag is very annoying
> you want something with a faster response time


This. I have a 40" bravia and it's horrible for pc use.


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## akafreak

From the above, i think that you should buy either Samsung 32D5000 or Samsung 32EH5000. The sony one is quite expensive and has a lot of "TV" features which you won't use as a monitor. From, my experience, among the two, get the tv with highest brightness. Go to the store and compare their brightness in real world.
For, 32" LED, around 4-6 feet is good enough. I use a 46" LED and i sit at 6-8 feet. As all of them are 1080p, and your pc is powerful enough, you will have a great gaming/movie experience.







. For internet browsing, office etc increase the dpi settting to 125% and you will be good. Also, keep the tv at your eye's level. I earlier had it at higher level and you cannot imagine the neck pain it gave me. I had to bring it down and now, its all good.









EDIT - If you are annoyed by the pixelation, just increase the distance between you and tv.


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## EarlZ

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *disturbed117*
> 
> Are all listed TV's 1920X1080?
> I would refrain from getting a 720p TV.


Yes all are 720P.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *akafreak*
> 
> From the above, i think that you should buy either Samsung 32D5000 or Samsung 32EH5000. The sony one is quite expensive and has a lot of "TV" features which you won't use as a monitor. From, my experience, among the two, get the tv with highest brightness. Go to the store and compare their brightness in real world.
> For, 32" LED, around 4-6 feet is good enough. I use a 46" LED and i sit at 6-8 feet. As all of them are 1080p, and your pc is powerful enough, you will have a great gaming/movie experience.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> . For internet browsing, office etc increase the dpi settting to 125% and you will be good. Also, keep the tv at your eye's level. I earlier had it at higher level and you cannot imagine the neck pain it gave me. I had to bring it down and now, its all good.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> EDIT - If you are annoyed by the pixelation, just increase the distance between you and tv.


Quote:


> Originally Posted by *kazenagi*
> 
> I'm not sure it'll look all that great, 1080p on a 32 inch at an arm's length away would really look pixelelated probably... 1080 on a 27" looked bad enough so I'm sure a 32 inch would look even worse but then again I blame being use to 1440p haha.


The pixelation on text is not that annoying for me, we do have a 32" LED-TV but its an older samsung model which is only 1366x768 and it looks very acceptable exactly at an arms length.
Yes I can increase the distance to a max of 2 arms length by mounting it on the wall and it will be on eye level.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mnkeyprince*
> 
> be careful with lag though, i used my 3D bravia 32" tv, and the mouse lag is very annoying
> you want something with a faster response time


Tried it on our old samsung series 4 LED-TV, i didnt percieve any mouse lag yet.. will try again later on.


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## EarlZ

Tried our 1366x768 32" TV again, I cannot perceive any mouse lag at all, this is using a VGA connection only from my netbook using a connected mouse.


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## goosh

Here's the deal, all of those TV choices are in fact only 60Hz Tv's that "overclock" the 60Hz panel to imitate a 120Hz look and feel. What you're primarily looking for in terms of a PC monitor is response time, anything 3ms and under should be perfect. Samsung d5000 is around 8ms so, no go there. the LG panels are around 3ms so worth considering, sony... not too sure but their panels are made by Sharp in any event.

In this instance the eh5000 would be my choice, as it has a response time of around 2.1ms. If you're concerned about motion blur, here's a quick run down: Refresh rate (60Hz, 120Hz, 240Hz), the higher this number is the less judder you will experience, contrary to popular belief refresh rate has nothing to do with motion blur. to combat motion blur you need the quickest response time possible (1ms, 2ms, 3ms etc) - Basically response time is the speed at which a pixel can light up and switch off, so the quicker this happens, the less motion blur you experience.

If you really want the best Panel as a monitor though I would suggest you wait for the LG 32LM6200 - 3ms response time, 120Hz (the real thing) and its a 3D TV which is just a bonus really.

And one more thing - if you're using any of these TV's as a monitor you have to set which ever HDMI port you use on the TV as a PC primary connection. this can be done through the TV's menu system. Each TV has a different menu UI but all you would need to do is find the Source list and then hover over to the HDMI port your PC is plugged into and then rename the input to "PC" - this will solve any pixelation text issues you may find, no need to increase your text size to 125%;-)

hope this helps!


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## narmour

I use a 42'' LG LED 1080p TV for my downstairs PC and it's awesome.


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## Murlocke

720p at arms length? No thanks. You could get a much better monitor for that price.

I use a 55" HX929 (Voted Best LED of 2011), which cost me about 3 grand at the time, and I still sit about 7-8 feet away. I can't recommend using a TV as a monitor until you get into 4 digit numbers and then some. Trust me, i've tried many TVs and this is the first one I prefer as a monitor... and it cost me an arm and a leg. I actually sold my 30" 2560x1600 and started using this TV full time. Most of the newer/high end TVs have modes for monitor use, which get rid of many of the annoyances you will see with cheaper TVs.

If your budget is $500-800, get a very nice monitor. I won't consider using a TV as a monitor until your in the $2000+ range, and even then, it comes down to preference.


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## EarlZ

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *goosh*
> 
> Here's the deal, all of those TV choices are in fact only 60Hz Tv's that "overclock" the 60Hz panel to imitate a 120Hz look and feel. What you're primarily looking for in terms of a PC monitor is response time, anything 3ms and under should be perfect. Samsung d5000 is around 8ms so, no go there. the LG panels are around 3ms so worth considering, sony... not too sure but their panels are made by Sharp in any event.
> In this instance the eh5000 would be my choice, as it has a response time of around 2.1ms. If you're concerned about motion blur, here's a quick run down: Refresh rate (60Hz, 120Hz, 240Hz), the higher this number is the less judder you will experience, contrary to popular belief refresh rate has nothing to do with motion blur. to combat motion blur you need the quickest response time possible (1ms, 2ms, 3ms etc) - Basically response time is the speed at which a pixel can light up and switch off, so the quicker this happens, the less motion blur you experience.
> If you really want the best Panel as a monitor though I would suggest you wait for the LG 32LM6200 - 3ms response time, 120Hz (the real thing) and its a 3D TV which is just a bonus really.
> And one more thing - if you're using any of these TV's as a monitor you have to set which ever HDMI port you use on the TV as a PC primary connection. this can be done through the TV's menu system. Each TV has a different menu UI but all you would need to do is find the Source list and then hover over to the HDMI port your PC is plugged into and then rename the input to "PC" - this will solve any pixelation text issues you may find, no need to increase your text size to 125%;-)
> hope this helps!


Thanks for all of the input, where did you find the 2.1ms refresh time specification from the EH5000 ?
I might also consider the LG 32LM6200 but there is no word when it will be locally available but it should be very soon as they are trying to get rid of the LV3500 series, so this LG also has a real 120Hz? I might need an GTX580 in SLI for heavier games to keep 120fps, but image quality wise the EH5000 and the LM6200 shouldnt be that far off?


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## EarlZ

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Murlocke*
> 
> 720p at arms length? No thanks. You could get a much better monitor for that price.
> I use a 55" HX929 (Voted Best LED of 2011), which cost me about 3 grand at the time, and I still sit about 7-8 feet away. I can't recommend using a TV as a monitor until you get into 4 digit numbers and then some. Trust me, i've tried many TVs and this is the first one I prefer as a monitor... and it cost me an arm and a leg. I actually sold my 30" 2560x1600 and started using this TV full time. Most of the newer/high end TVs have modes for monitor use, which get rid of many of the annoyances you will see with cheaper TVs.
> If your budget is $500-800, get a very nice monitor. I won't consider using a TV as a monitor until your in the $2000+ range, and even then, it comes down to preference.


1080p at arms length, the problem in where I live is that we dont have any decent monitors.. none of those Dell U2410, the best we have is either an Apple monitor which costs twice as much as the TV or the LG eIPS 236V and the incoming LG IP4S.

But I mainly want the TV for the big screen!


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## Redwoodz

I have a Panasonic 32" with an IPS and it's perfect for viewing.There is a slight lag in FPS gaming(somewhat like a normal 5-8ms panel),but the picture and extreme viewing angles are worth it to me since I'm not a huge gamer.The response time is the thing that's gonna get you if you plan on hardcore gaming.


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## goosh

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *EarlZ*
> 
> Thanks for all of the input, where did you find the 2.1ms refresh time specification from the EH5000 ?
> I might also consider the LG 32LM6200 but there is no word when it will be locally available but it should be very soon as they are trying to get rid of the LV3500 series, so this LG also has a real 120Hz? I might need an GTX580 in SLI for heavier games to keep 120fps, but image quality wise the EH5000 and the LM6200 shouldnt be that far off?


No problem, I work in the industry so have some background on the models before they come out. Samsung no longer publishes much of their specifications for some reason, it's quite annoying, even I had a hard time getting those numbers - LG has still proven to be the most honest with their numbers by the way. Yeah the LG has proper 120Hz but don't stress about a new graphics card too much, all the TV does in 120Hz is duplicate any image in the frame immediately after that image frame has displayed which basically causes the picture to appear smoother in wide angle and camera panning scenes, for gaming and what not its not too much of a concern. You would set your Display settings to 60Hz on your PC anyway and the TV would do the rest. I've used my GTX560 on my 2.4ms, 120Hz TV and its brilliant, I haven't had any issues.

If you're looking for a solution soon then I would say that the EH5000 is the way to go, the Lg will probably only be available in your region around the end of May 2012. Also, the EH5000 super efficient, it uses only 33Watts when turned on... the only thing I have against it is the look of it, its really thick for an LED, but that's no biggie. overall its a good panel.


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## ramicio

There is no such thing as a TV allowing a 120 Hz input. It will never happen. Also, there are only a handful of TVs that *do not* downsample the input signal to 4:2:2, so reading any colored text on the internet will be a horrid experience. In the beginning of HDTV it looked somewhat promising that computer use and TV use would meld together, but it's since drifted far apart...and on purpose. They want to make everything difficult, to discourage people from trying it, and to encourage people to buy a box for every specific purpose.


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## EarlZ

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Redwoodz*
> 
> I have a Panasonic 32" with an IPS and it's perfect for viewing.There is a slight lag in FPS gaming(somewhat like a normal 5-8ms panel),but the picture and extreme viewing angles are worth it to me since I'm not a huge gamer.The response time is the thing that's gonna get you if you plan on hardcore gaming.


I only play FPS games in a single player environment, its not really my type of game to play competitively but I do enjoy the casual multi-player for it, Im more into RPG/RTS so Im guessing the input latency wont be too much of an issue.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *goosh*
> 
> No problem, I work in the industry so have some background on the models before they come out. Samsung no longer publishes much of their specifications for some reason, it's quite annoying, even I had a hard time getting those numbers - LG has still proven to be the most honest with their numbers by the way. Yeah the LG has proper 120Hz but don't stress about a new graphics card too much, all the TV does in 120Hz is duplicate any image in the frame immediately after that image frame has displayed which basically causes the picture to appear smoother in wide angle and camera panning scenes, for gaming and what not its not too much of a concern. You would set your Display settings to 60Hz on your PC anyway and the TV would do the rest. I've used my GTX560 on my 2.4ms, 120Hz TV and its brilliant, I haven't had any issues.
> If you're looking for a solution soon then I would say that the EH5000 is the way to go, the Lg will probably only be available in your region around the end of May 2012. Also, the EH5000 super efficient, it uses only 33Watts when turned on... the only thing I have against it is the look of it, its really thick for an LED, but that's no biggie. overall its a good panel.


I'm looking forward to the EH5000 series and the price is quite great $738 for the 40" model, stocks for the 32" is yet to arrive.. most of the 40" models we have here costs between $950~1150. This is probably the cheapest 40" model around.. hopefully the 32" is be very cheap!

I cant find any web info pertaining to the EH5000 on why it is thicker, it does reduce the sexy points of the TV for being as thick as a regular LCD, all the sales rep told me is that samsung moved the back light directly behind the panel instead of it being at the edges.. and its also about 2kg's lighter.

Also does the EH5000 have a specific PC mode ?


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## goosh

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *EarlZ*
> 
> I only play FPS games in a single player environment, its not really my type of game to play competitively but I do enjoy the casual multi-player for it, Im more into RPG/RTS so Im guessing the input latency wont be too much of an issue.
> I'm looking forward to the EH5000 series and the price is quite great $738 for the 40" model, stocks for the 32" is yet to arrive.. most of the 40" models we have here costs between $950~1150. This is probably the cheapest 40" model around.. hopefully the 32" is be very cheap!
> I cant find any web info pertaining to the EH5000 on why it is thicker, it does reduce the sexy points of the TV for being as thick as a regular LCD, all the sales rep told me is that samsung moved the back light directly behind the panel instead of it being at the edges.. and its also about 2kg's lighter.
> Also does the EH5000 have a specific PC mode ?


You should be fine with FPS games as well hey. also, the 32EH5000 version should be quite cheap. The main reason they manufactured the TV that way is because of the lower cost to manufacture it like that thereby making it more "valuable" to the end user. It's perfectly safe though, no inferior components or anything just easier to manufacture in that frame.

I'm not sure how well Samsung's reps are being trained nowadays but all the 5 series models are still edge lit. edge lit LED's generally use around 800 LED light sources and backlit LED's use around 2000 LED light sources, this brings the cost up by nearly double in some instances. So it's still edge lit but that's still brilliant, the only real difference would be brightness and contrast that the average human eye wouldn't perceive anyway. So still a brilliant TV all round, just sad to see that Samsung is marketing so irresponsibly...

About the PC mode, yes the Samsung does have a PC mode for the HDMI inputs, you can also specify if the source of the HDMI has been converted from DVI. If using DVI you won't be able to put sound through to the TV. Using HDMI from your graphics card will enable sound.

Hope this helps;-)


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## EarlZ

I'll be using HDMI but wont be passing sound, I saw on a UK website that its clear motion rate is only 50 as compared to 100 on the D5000 model, though that feature is not really that important to me but Im wondering if ts in inferior panel , equal or slightly better?


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## goosh

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *EarlZ*
> 
> I'll be using HDMI but wont be passing sound, I saw on a UK website that its clear motion rate is only 50 as compared to 100 on the D5000 model, though that feature is not really that important to me but Im wondering if ts in inferior panel , equal or slightly better?


It also has a 100 clear motion rate, promise. also response time is better. It's not inferior at all, still a good panel. The only thing better is the LG 32LM6200 which will be around 30% more expensive and a lot thinner.

I'm considering the same panel and deal with Samsung, LG, Sony and more directly. This is the best choice in its range other than the LG, the only reason I'm not taking the LG is because I don't really use 3D and 100Hz doesn't really mean much unless you're an avid Blu-ray watcher, and I already have a TV for that so...

Overview:

D5000 - 8ms response time, 100 Clear Motion Rate(50Hz panel), edge LED

EH5000 - 2.1ms response time, 100 Clear Motion Rate(50Hz panel), edge LED, triple protection(basically a plastic coating on all circuitry inside the TV for a Long Life span)

Also the EH5000's screen has more of a matte finish which is better for PC use. Newer is better in this regard.

But your choice ultimately;-)


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## goosh

This is also a good article to read regarding some of your questions: http://www.practical-home-theater-guide.com/lcd-response-time.html


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## SpartanVXL

I've said this time and time again, HDTV's are horribad for gaming. Because of all the processing going in to make the image look good the input lag goes through the roof. Its feels like your using a ball mouse with the ball covered in gellatin.

Really google it, unless your hardly going to game and just watch movies (FPS is a definate no) HDTV's are a bad choice as a primary monitor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Display_lag

Also just because you tested input lag with a 1366x768 screen dosent mean it will be the same. The higher the resolution of the TV the longer it takes for the image to process hence the increased input dealy from your mouse. Your can test this by setting a 1080p LCD screen to 800x600, the mouse will feel alot 'snappier' simply because theres is less to display so input is a alot better.


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## EarlZ

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *SpartanVXL*
> 
> I've said this time and time again, HDTV's are horribad for gaming. Because of all the processing going in to make the image look good the input lag goes through the roof. Its feels like your using a ball mouse with the ball covered in gellatin.
> Really google it, unless your hardly going to game and just watch movies (FPS is a definate no) HDTV's are a bad choice as a primary monitor.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Display_lag
> Also just because you tested input lag with a 1366x768 screen dosent mean it will be the same. The higher the resolution of the TV the longer it takes for the image to process hence the increased input dealy from your mouse. Your can test this by setting a 1080p LCD screen to 800x600, the mouse will feel alot 'snappier' simply because theres is less to display so input is a alot better.


Maybe I am one of those who cannot notice such things, I cant even perceive the input latency of a wireless mouse vs wired. I've also testing it on 800x600 and I absolutely see no difference aside from I require a shorter swipe to move the mouse from one end to the other, based on what you've said a 30" Apple monitor at 2560x1600 should have a very high input lag as compared to a 22" 1680x1050 TN monitor, since it has more pixels to push, I cannot perceive any input lag what-so-ever.

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *goosh*
> 
> It also has a 100 clear motion rate, promise. also response time is better. It's not inferior at all, still a good panel. The only thing better is the LG 32LM6200 which will be around 30% more expensive and a lot thinner.
> I'm considering the same panel and deal with Samsung, LG, Sony and more directly. This is the best choice in its range other than the LG, the only reason I'm not taking the LG is because I don't really use 3D and 100Hz doesn't really mean much unless you're an avid Blu-ray watcher, and I already have a TV for that so...
> Overview:
> D5000 - 8ms response time, 100 Clear Motion Rate(50Hz panel), edge LED
> EH5000 - 2.1ms response time, 100 Clear Motion Rate(50Hz panel), edge LED, triple protection(basically a plastic coating on all circuitry inside the TV for a Long Life span)
> Also the EH5000's screen has more of a matte finish which is better for PC use. Newer is better in this regard.
> But your choice ultimately;-)


Chances are I will be getting the 32EH5000 since the added features on the LM6200 is something I cannot use or need for my PC monitor usage.
Quote:


> EH5000 - 2.1ms response time, 100 Clear Motion Rate(50Hz panel)


Wait, why is the panel 50Hz, isnt it supposed to be 60Hz?


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## Mygaffer

I highly, highly recommend you do not try this. I know from experience, it is not a good solution. HDTVs are just not suitable primary monitors.


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## XAslanX

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Mygaffer*
> 
> I highly, highly recommend you do not try this. I know from experience, it is not a good solution. HDTVs are just not suitable primary monitors.


I second this, most HDTV's lack the color palette that monitors have and will make your games look terrible. As Murlocke said you wont see the same kind of quality till you hit the 4 digit price range in TV's. See this comparison here:


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## gerickjohn

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mnkeyprince*
> 
> be careful with lag though, i used my 3D bravia 32" tv, and the mouse lag is very annoying
> you want something with a faster response time


Very much this, TVs generally do not make good Primary PC monitors. You must be quite rich to afford all that gear.







(I live in the Philippines too)


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## Murlocke

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *XAslanX*
> 
> I second this, most HDTV's lack the color palette that monitors have and will make your games look terrible. As Murlocke said you wont see the same kind of quality till you hit the 4 digit price range in TV's. See this comparison here:


*EDIT: You know whats funny? The guy who uploaded that video says "If only PC Monitors could have a quality like TVs...". I hope he's being sarcastic with this comparison, because the TV in that comparison is way too saturated and far from how the game intends it. I can't believe how many people crank the brightness/color up and think "this is a superior picture!!".*

I assume he's comparing a $300 TV to a $300 monitor or something. I know I've sat down with my high end 30" 2560x1600 (which cost me $1200) and compared it to my 55" HX929 (which cost me $2800), and I greatly preferred my HX929 for monitor use. I use my HX929 for everything now, movies, games, monitor, etc. I'm using it right now and the text is crisp and clear. Granted, this is still arguably the best LED TV on the market, and cost $3,600 when it launched.

I always get fustrated with the input lag and "HDTV are not good monitors" comments. It's simply not true, most TVs now have gaming modes AND monitor modes, the higher up you go the better the results. My HX929 automatically switches between them. When I go into a game it goes into game mode, and when i'm on the desktop it goes into monitor mode. When I play a movie, it goes into movie mode and that's where the input delay kicks in. I tested the input lag on this versus my 30", and the 30" had more.

Bottom line: If you are willing to spend $2,000+ on the TV, they make VERY good monitors at 6+ feet. If you aren't, then get a monitor. I would not trade my HX929 for any monitor, including 120hz and 2560x1600 monitors. I've tested them all, and I always go back to the HX929.


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## EarlZ

I can understand that some are really against using HDTVs has their primary monitor for various reasons, but surely the Samsung 32" EH5000 is not inferior to my Samsung T220?
The only IPS monitors we have locally available is the LG eIPS236V and the upcoming LG IPS4, no other IPS based panels, all we have are TN panels like the 27" Samsung which also costs more than the 32 EH5000 due to its 3d features. If it were that easy to source a Dell U2410 here in the Philippines then it would automatically solve this problem.


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## gerickjohn

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *EarlZ*
> 
> I can understand that some are really against using HDTVs has their primary monitor for various reasons, but surely the Samsung 32" EH5000 is not inferior to my Samsung T220?
> The only IPS monitors we have locally available is the LG eIPS236V and the upcoming LG IPS4, no other IPS based panels, all we have are TN panels like the 27" Samsung which also costs more than the 32 EH5000 due to its 3d features. If it were that easy to source a Dell U2410 here in the Philippines then it would automatically solve this problem.


Ordering one is the most preferred option IMO. As I myself order my gear from out of the Philippines if need be.


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## EarlZ

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gerickjohn*
> 
> Ordering one is the most preferred option IMO. As I myself order my gear from out of the Philippines if need be.


Easier said than done, its quite hard to source and ship the Dell U2410 or any expensive monitors to Philippines. It might be easier for other "gears" that are more expensive than the monitor. Looking at your PC gear Im guessing all of it is locally sourced.


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## ramicio

Haha, resolution increases lag? Please







If that was true everyone would still be gaming at 320x240. 60 Hz is 60 Hz. It doesn't matter if it's 640x480 or 1920x1080. It's time for people to read their manuals instead of thinking they know everything and spreading wrong information. The only processing that introduces lag are the motion interpolation algorithms.


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## goosh

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ramicio*
> 
> Haha, resolution increases lag? Please
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If that was true everyone would still be gaming at 320x240. 60 Hz is 60 Hz. It doesn't matter if it's 640x480 or 1920x1080. It's time for people to read their manuals instead of thinking they know everything and spreading wrong information. The only processing that introduces lag are the motion interpolation algorithms.


Thank you! I second that


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## goosh

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Murlocke*
> 
> *EDIT: You know whats funny? The guy who uploaded that video says "If only PC Monitors could have a quality like TVs...". I hope he's being sarcastic with this comparison, because the TV in that comparison is way too saturated and far from how the game intends it. I can't believe how many people crank the brightness/color up and think "this is a superior picture!!".*
> I assume he's comparing a $300 TV to a $300 monitor or something. I know I've sat down with my high end 30" 2560x1600 (which cost me $1200) and compared it to my 55" HX929 (which cost me $2800), and I greatly preferred my HX929 for monitor use. I use my HX929 for everything now, movies, games, monitor, etc. I'm using it right now and the text is crisp and clear. Granted, this is still arguably the best LED TV on the market, and cost $3,600 when it launched.
> I always get fustrated with the input lag and "HDTV are not good monitors" comments. It's simply not true, most TVs now have gaming modes AND monitor modes, the higher up you go the better the results. My HX929 automatically switches between them. When I go into a game it goes into game mode, and when i'm on the desktop it goes into monitor mode. When I play a movie, it goes into movie mode and that's where the input delay kicks in. I tested the input lag on this versus my 30", and the 30" had more.
> Bottom line: If you are willing to spend $2,000+ on the TV, they make VERY good monitors at 6+ feet. If you aren't, then get a monitor. I would not trade my HX929 for any monitor, including 120hz and 2560x1600 monitors. I've tested them all, and I always go back to the HX929.


Agreed! that video is a horrendous example of a badly setup TV or just a plain old bad TV. Seriously people, learn how to set up your equipment properly


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## ramicio

I just don't get why the screen makers can't simply connect monitor electronics to HDTV panels... Companies simply don't listen. They now make the standards, the sheeple eat it up, and the people who know anything are left screwed time and time again. Really, how hard would it be to put a damn dual-link DVI input on a 120 Hz panel, to enable real 120 Hz? How hard is it to make all TVs display 4:4:4?


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## EarlZ

How would we know if TV panel supports 4:4:4 does the Samsung EH5000 support this ?


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## ramicio

It's not likely. If it's not listed in the specs, it likely doesn't support it. They really have no need to when all normal video sources like TV and movies are only 4:2:0. It's just another niche feature found on high-end models.

I think there's also a problem with most video cards downsampling to less than 4:4:4 when the HDMI is also used for audio.


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## EarlZ

From what I understand this 4:4:4 chroma subsampling is only very obvious with colored text correct? For gaming and movies they should not be noticeable?


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## ramicio

It's also very noticeable in movies because they are only 4:2:0. Just watch any 1080p cartoon and it becomes blatantly obvious. On South Park, Stan's hat poof that is red really looks bad. 4:2:2 is still bad enough to not want to use an HDTV as a monitor.


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## EarlZ

I see, so all TN monitors are 4:4:4 ?


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## ramicio

Monitors have never done any downsampling. They traditionally have just always been RGB, and not any kind of YUV video standard garbage.


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## SGT. Peppers

I used to use my 32 inch 1080p LG tv as my monitor (non-LED). I enjoyed the size but 1080p does not look good on that size of a tv. The colors were just not as crisp and bright as they were on 21.5 inch 1080p monitor. However if you prefer size over colors then go for the TV as it is a cheap solution to those expensive 30 inch+ monitors.


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## EarlZ

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *SGT. Peppers*
> 
> I used to use my 32 inch 1080p LG tv as my monitor (non-LED). I enjoyed the size but 1080p does not look good on that size of a tv. The colors were just not as crisp and bright as they were on 21.5 inch 1080p monitor. However if you prefer size over colors then go for the TV as it is a cheap solution to those expensive 30 inch+ monitors.


What I would prefer is a bigger screen and a better image quality as compared to my current TN monitor. The cost of a 30" 2560x1600 monitor is 'ok' with me but the cost to keep the GPU updated and in SLI is something I do no want. Also with the very extremely limited selection of locally available monitors has also pushed me to looking at HDTV's instead. But yes I do prefer the size over accurate colors but I would like the colors to be as good as possible if not just equal to my current monitor, I wont be using them side by side.


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## gerickjohn

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *EarlZ*
> 
> Easier said than done, its quite hard to source and ship the Dell U2410 or any expensive monitors to Philippines. It might be easier for other "gears" that are more expensive than the monitor. Looking at your PC gear Im guessing all of it is locally sourced.


A handful of it is, I've ordered a Tablet and a Laptop internationally, How hard would a monitor be?


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## EarlZ

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *gerickjohn*
> 
> A handful of it is, I've ordered a Tablet and a Laptop internationally, How hard would a monitor be?


Should be relatively easy Im sure!


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## akafreak

I would recommend you to buy a LG 42LV4400 42" LED TV. I have finalized it as my eyefinity monitors.







They are 120 Hz and have been recommended as best LED TV for gaming in 2012. See if they fit your budget.









EDIT - For some reason, i am not able to put the hyperlink here. Just search on google. "Best HDTV for gaming 2012"


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## EarlZ

I've seen the price on that particular set, its pretty good but i dont have a space for 42"


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## akafreak

I took a look at the specs of tv you listed and here are my thoughts. The sony one is too expensive and has lots of bogus features which you won't use as a monitor such as skype, facebook twitter etc. I also couldn't find its response time anywhere. No need to spend that much if you are using it as monitor. Both samsungs have clear motion rate of 100 which is low. You may experience lag while playing fps games. The LG one has a response time of 3ms which is good. Most average lcd monitors have response time of 5ms. I would recommend to go to a store with a laptop and check out the lg one. The specs look good enough on paper but how it performs in reality is the ultimate question. So, check one out at your local store. Good Luck


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## EarlZ

http://www.samsung.com/ph/consumer/tv-audio-video/tv/led-tv/UA32EH5000RXXP

Shows 120Hz CMR, its a feature that I wont be using though so it barely matter. I'll be going with the 32EH5000, thanks for all of the help especially from goosh!


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## Redwoodz

Have you thought of getting like a 27" 120Hz monitor and using a tv tuner? I think your end result may be more appealing.
There is also this large format display
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824005212
37" screen and 5ms response time.


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## akafreak

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *EarlZ*
> 
> http://www.samsung.com/ph/consumer/tv-audio-video/tv/led-tv/UA32EH5000RXXP
> 
> Shows 120Hz CMR, *its a feature that I wont be using though* so it barely matter. I'll be going with the 32EH5000, thanks for all of the help especially from goosh!


CMR or Clear Motion Rate is the most important feature that you will be using. If it is low, then you will experience lag while playing games and there will be nothing you can do about it. My advice, get a tv with lower response time or higher CMR or atleast check the samsung 32EH5000 with a laptop at your local store before buying it. I have a 46" samsung led with CMR 200 and it is sufficient for gaming.120 may or may not be sufficient so be sure to check it out before buying it.


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## EarlZ

From what I understand CMR is an added post processing for the TV to generate additional frames to give that 'soap opera effect' the panel as 2.1ms response time and that should be plenty enough.. faster than my 5ms TN monitor. Im perfectly fine with the 60Hz motion but if that 120CMR can add a smoother motion with out the added input lag then I'll be using it. 32" is also the highest I can go given the space I have.


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## EarlZ

I got the Samsung 32EH5000 and there is no noticeable input lag on my end, text is also super crisp once set to PC mode and HDTV also supports 4:4:4 color mode, the value of this HDTV is awesome, no backlight bleeding due to direct LED and the color uniformity is also awesome! Thanks to goosh for providing me with all of the information both in posts and in private message.


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## budzos

A good choice if you can still find one is the LG 32LD450 32" HDTV 1080p IPS. No input lag and text is crisp and sharp. I will buy another if I can find one with a IPS panel.
Here is an old thread from the deals forum from when I bought mine.
http://www.overclock.net/t/963752/lg-32ld450-32-hdtv-1080p-ips-mva-339/0_40
budzos


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