Can you use a 4k TV as a computer monitor?
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- Опубликовано: 10 июн 2022
- daviddas.com -- After the demise of my young and beloved LG 34" monitor, I decided to experiment with using a 4k television in place of the computer monitor. There are lots of pros and cons to weigh, and I explore them in this video.
Related and recommended links:
David Zhang's video that was mentioned: • OLED 4K TV as a PC Mon...
Rtings.com reviews: www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/bes...
The CostCo-purchased LG TV I tested in this video: www.costco.com/lg-50%22-class...
#4k #computer #monitor 
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Well done. I also use a tv as a DAW monitor, and 99% of the YT vids on this topic are from a gamer-centric stance. Us composers have very different evaluation criteria. TY again.
After the making of this video, I did eventually decide to commit to the 50" TV, have been using it for the past few months, and don't think I can ever look back. Even though colors are rendered somewhat different, the drastic zoom and increased space and clarity have been well worth the minor tradeoffs (again, as you said, for our specific evaluation criteria, that may not apply to other industries).
Exactly. I WFH as a security engineer. I don't give a damn about gaming, I want to know if I can read small text and scroll through data logs.
I too have been using that same LG tv for the same use scenario, music. I have the 50" on top of the desk bookcase riser and 32" on the desk in the hole. In addition , I have a 27" HP monitor in portrait mode off to the right. I guess to count even more screens, I have 2 original I-Pads that are used for controller messages thru RTP and finally a stream deck for more controller and app use. All work like a dream !😁🎵🎹🎵 Play On
You just did the perfect review that i was expecting. Its impressive, your concerns and thoughts are same as mine. You also did somehting that no one did on many reviews i wathced, the usage of a entry (cehap) version of 4k tv. Good work! Thanks for this video
thanx for this elaboration David,i was thinking of using a TV,after seeing this i'm considering it
I've been using my 65 inch 4K LG TV as a monitor and am delighted with the result. One thing I bought it for is to play my drone videos on it. When viewed close up it gives an eerily perfect illusion that I'm in an aircraft flying over the landscape. Needless to say, I'm extremely pleased with it.
OLED? no burn in (fears)?
@@p.m.8316 No, these LG's don't get burn ins.... Those are really thing of the past.. probably over 5 years
I made the leap into using TV monitors about 5 years ago. Currently, I have two 32" televisions on an M2 Mac Mini: one is a Sharp and the other is a TCL Roku television. They are mounted on a dual-arm monitor stand clamped to the back edge of my motorized standing desk. Now that I have an M2 Mini, I am considering a larger, single screen, that can handle 4K. I'm nearly 70 and love the larger images!
Great information, thank you for the key points to consider.
Thank you for a detailed, but concise reference.
This was very helpful, thank you so much.
Thanks mate I have found this video quite informative!
Thanks, David, as usual!
I'm running DP 11.11 with an older Vizio 37" VO370M, and I really like it. I use MacOS 10.13.6's Spaces feature to keep 4 discreet virtual screens a key-combo away. it's only 1080p HD, but using it in 1600x900, the letters are so big that the minimum fuzziness is more like text smoothing. No glasses necessary. Luxurious, agreed! And I wouldn't want to work without it.
As a content consumer, I too appreciate large real estate. Watching videos and live streams, participating in live chat. Being able to see it all and more without squinting at tiny text is amazing. You ref DZ and I agree, once on 40+, going back to 27-32" monitors or laptop screens is just too small, cramped as you put it. Great video, thanks for sharing. Note, microsoft powertoys fancy zones is great for managing Windows, as DZ suggests.
Informative. Thank you. I have been using an LCD TV 35 inch for 10 years, I have had none of the problems you listed.
Is it the same tv for the whole ten years?
And what model it is?
Been using a 50 inch Hisense TV for about 3 years now and love it. Video card is currently an RX-6600 set to 60Hz and 8 bit RGB. Used this for displaying schematics and PCB art work and love having the large space for working in. Never had any issues as far as scaling goes and the edge of the window matches the screen edge perfectly.
Do you happen to have the model of your TV? I just saw a Hisense 50" on sale at my local Walmart and was thinking about using it as a monitor, but got cold feet after watching this video. But yours looks like it doesn't have that issue with latency.
Thanks much!!!
Fantastic review
You sold me on getting to see music score so large, what a dream. And the DAW, yes, all that stuff no longer crunched or out of sight.
Yup. It's been a revelation to me too.
I did a ton of research. I wanted a larger monitor with a higher refresh rate, but they are all pretty expensive. I ended up with a 55" Hisense U7G for $500 US. It has local dimming and 120hz, which is what I wanted for gaming. I then bought two 50" models for surround gaming (I like simulators). I've been happy with my decision, but the notes you make are true.
One word of advice if you're looking at a TV for a monitor: make sure you have the proper cable. I had to upgrade to high bandwidth 8k cables in order to support 4:4:4 at 4k 120hz
I wish I could do that in AU, but your $600 turns into $900+ down here from shipping/conversion (feel free to prove me wrong if you can find an equivalent you can point me to) and even still, you have to spend around $2000 AU before they even give you TWO YEARS of normal warranty, and when the "primary screen you use" stays on sometimes for 12+ hours each day or might get a ton of OFF/ON from moving around the house doing other stuff, the "first part to die" always seems to be the power board or the backlight and its never worth the repair cost out of warranty.
@@MarcoPiampiani Hisense reviews show low reliability.
Great comments, especially monitor height.
I've been using HDTV's as monitors for years. I love it. For me, a 42/43 inch is the right size for my desk.
Brilliant! Thank you.
Thanks very much for the review.
Back around 1980 the early "home computers" sometimes used a TV for a monitor.
Back then, the video performance was not very good.
I've used a TV as monitor for years, at first I didn't think I would like it as the screen was a bit off compared to my normal monitor but I got used to it and I liked the size of the screen alot.
Thanks for the video! Very informative. I now catch my wife sneaking into my home office to use my desktop computer for surfing (43" 4K 2021 Vizio M Quantum TV ($279)). She is hooked on the 43" 4K TV monitor. I may have to get one for her to plug her laptop into. I am thrilled with the clarity and extra screen size while working. I have a video card on the way in case I want to do any gaming on it.
Thanks for the video. Thumbs UP!. I have considered getting a 4k TV as PC monitor and know just enough that buying the wrong one can really suck as a PC monitor. Several years ago I got lucky and bought a 1080p 42-inch TV that turned out to be a great PC monitor. It has 120hz refresh rate. I just got lucky and picked the right one without knowing much about what I was buying.
Very informative & well presented. This is exactly the conundrum I'm at now, as I will be upgrading to a Large Screen 4K TV & also my work @ home PC/Monitor solution. Naturally, the desire & money savings in getting a 2-for-1 solution for both needs has always been a goal of mine & it seems like now is the time. Thanks for all the info & links.
David, good list of the basic pros and cons for non-gamers. I greatly appreciate the larger physical size of a 4K TV over any reasonably-priced monitor. As I've aged, I've found visually smaller text harder to read. On the computer (27" Intel iMac), I have the text size for the TVs set to 1 step smaller than default (so I have margin as my eyes age 🙂).
I've been using two Samsung 43" 4K smart TVs for about 2 years and would never go back to a smaller monitor. Found them on sale at Costco for about $270.
The 'smart' aspect is handy to watch streaming channels when concentration on the computer isn't needed. I agree with the issue of avoiding looking up to the top of the screen. I adjusted the TV height to float 1" above the desk and set up the desk so my eyes are about 2" from the screen top.
The auto-turn-off is disabled, but the TVs still shut off after a few hours of non-use. I haven't found it to be an issue and my 27" Intel iMac doesn't seem to mind.
I mainly started because I have one really bad eye and a so-so second eye. You get less eye strain when everything is just larger sizes, and when gaming you can move a bit back if all the flashing from a larger area starts to get to you. I have not done it YET but the best option to get whatever spacing result you want seems to be to buy a monitor arm/clamp system so you can just move any where you want. Since the average desk is almost 1 meter in depth, you can push a TV all the way there to get a different effect in one game to another.
I have not used a TV for a monitor yet. But I have went from smaller screens to bigger screens and multiple ones. You are right about the smaller ones seeming real small after using larger ones. I also found helpful other tips like height that you mentioned. Thanks for the great video!
Main computer has a 43" LG as the monitor my 2nd computer that I only use to run my internet radio station Phat Beats Radio it has a 21.5" monitor it does not even look that big vs the 43" LG/
Tell me more about your station. I like supporting up and coming artists.
great advice.
Sick setup
Good video, and great point about buying from a retailer with a good returns policy, and also setting it up to avoid neck strain. I use a 43” LG 4K set I bought back in 2014, it has 4:2:0 colour space, runs at 4k30Hz - and for my non-games use with a HP laptop provided by my employer since WFH, it is perfect. The overscan issue is a setting on the TV which can be changed to native resolution, or PC compatible. It originally was provided as early TV programmes recorded in the days of CRT had junk on the extremes of the picture. I would avoid worrying about refresh rate unless you are an extreme gamer. For photography use, I would recommend a proper monitor.
Agree with all this, especially the last comment that if color accuracy is important to you (e.g. photo or video editors) then a TV is probably not a good solution.
Interesting and funny both. I have two computer systems that I use on a regular basis. One that I have primarily used for trading on the market that originally used 4 22" monitors (wall mounted with VESA mounts) and for years has used 2 HP 27" 1080p monitors. I would love to replace them as they produce a lot of heat as the sole problem. They were the perfect fit as the space above the counter has cabinets that are 18" above. These monitors have mounts that allow them to go low enough to fit under the cabinets. At the time I bought them (2012) nothing else on the market would fit. My other system was designed as a gaming system and began life with a Visio 55" TV as the main monitor (2014). It is viewed a longer distance from a leather recliner. Later I added a 43" TCL 4K TV above it as a second monitor (2016). The Visio TV has better blacks and the TCL 4K offers no advantage at all, except when using it as a Roku TV. Sometimes space restrictions are harder to manage that anything else.
Interesting. I never would have thought of this and I would have bought a TV and had the latency and thought it was my machine. Good thinking, Thanks.
had an 85" Hisense 4k TV mounted on the far wall in my living room, and, connected to either of two computers (4k or 1080P), it looks fantastic!(Seated about 9-10 feet away and using a wireless mouse/keyboard from the couch, it is just perfect!
i forgot all about the burn in when i used my old tv as a computer monitor and i don't want to do that again. Thanks for the info!
I bought a 4K (Non-OLED) TV to use as a PC monitor during last Christmas sales. I bought the Hisense based on some RUclips video reviews. I will never go back to a standard monitor. I my old 34in monitors mounted vertically on either side of the TV as extra realestate. The 50in 4K is the primary display. The setup is perfect for gaming (DCS, Elite, and Racing sims), Photoshop, movies, and web browsing, all the things I use the PC for. Perfection!!!! Highly recommended.
Glad to read this. I don't know that I'd call it "perfect" (my colors aren't perfect, and there's a tiny bit of ghosting), however, for me the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, dramatically so. I ended up staying with the 4k non-OLED 50" TV and I have really adapted well to it.
I bought the 50" TCL UHD4k and it was $300 at the time (1 year ago) I have no complaints at all. Gaming is awesome and watching movies is amazing. I would recommend a TV as a monitor more today than I would 5 years ago.
I am 68 years old, and have difficulty sitting at my desk for extended periods of time, and my eyesight is not quite what it was. I set up a 75" Samsung Q90 and a very cushy reclining chair, and I use a laptop tray to hold a key board and mouse. It works very well, except I have to use a timer to make sure I get up once an hour to get exercise 🙂
It is a game changer. Gaming is fantastic.
Drawback, fine print can be difficult to see in a setup like this as appose to sitting in front of a monitor that you can lean toward.
I have been using an LG 55 inch OLED TV as my computer monitor for years, and I love it!
There's a lot of us out there!
How far do u still off the screen?
@@MrWanted000 I'm a little further than an arm's distance away from the 50".
Thanks for this review esp coming from a composer
I have been using a 4k 43" LG TV since December 2021.
It's nice. However I think it is pretty damn big for what it is...
The screen burning problem used to happen with the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors. That's why we had screen savers.
One difference he didnt mention is that TVs tend to me glossy and reflective of lights, monitors tend to be matte and non-reflective.
That said, I love my 43 inch TV as a monitor, and cant justify the extra cost to get a dedicated monitor.
Also, built in speakers is a bonus, as well as being able to watch normal tv if you want to.
I use my LGC165 OLED as a tv/monitor and IT IS AWESOME. Low latency, perfect blacks, tons of screen to work with. Just toggle your desktop icons on/off once in awhile and put all your popular programs in the taskbar and use black screen as wallpaper and you'll never see any burn in. Plus its a great tv with lots of great apps.
I've been using a 4k 55" tv as a monitor for ~4 years. Watching on it right now. Works for me. Also have 2-32" 4k and a 24" monitor on my other computer.
Best useful video!!
Your eyes will thank you if you use 50"+ 4k UHD TV as a Computer Monitor. Just bought one today from Amazon (Insignia 50" UHD tv) to use it as a primary monitor for my iMac 27 2020 (Core i7 with 8GB Radeon Pro 5500 XT GPU).
You answered a lot of questions.
Just caught this video, David! Like it! Several months ago I changed over to a 43" Samsung 4K TV (a TU700 I think that I also got at Costco) for my main monitor and so far so good. Definitely if you get right up on it, text isn't quite as sharp. I have a Game Mode and latency is no problem. Overall I love it and wouldn't go back to my 30" Cinema HD display. I'm now using it as my secondary display off to the side and I'm actually GLAD I retained it because of one of the main drawbacks you mentioned... color accuracy! For music and audio apps the Samsung TV is just fine, but if I'm doing anything in Photoshop, I absolutely have to work on the Cinema Display or I just get really poor results. I just can't trust it. But again, it's no big deal... I just move the Photoshop window over to the 30" and work away. It might be safe to say that for anyone who is going to do graphic design or video editing where they're going to make color adjustments, you don't want it to be your ONLY monitor. Again, I found I have the best of both worlds by having the 43" as my MAIN monitor and a proper "computer monitor" as my SECONDARY monitor. Just work in whichever one is most appropriate for the application. Anyway... nice video David and some good tips!!!
Thanks! And great to hear from you James. Yep, you landed exactly where I landed. Since the making of this video, I re-tested a 35" monitor and now found that there was no going back. I love the extra space and dimension of the 50" TV, despite its shortcomings, which I determined I could live with. I agree, anyone concerned with pixel-perfect accuracy should have a true monitor at hand for color correction and similar tasks. And anyone who depends on graphic accuracy for a living should not consider a TV. But for the rest of us...there are some nice bargains to be had in TV land.
Been using a 70 inch sharp flatscreen for a decade now, Paired with a bose cinamate 2 and wireless keyboard. Love it, even though its older everything is crystal clear after all this time, with no burn in. Movies are a cinima experience, streaming is flawless and no latency. Xbox was incredible, a bit of vertigo at first, then it goes away.
Going for big 65 inch tv for both work and entertainment was the best choice I've made in years. It takes few weeks to adjust to but it is impossible to go back to small screens. It's just impossible. The freedom and space it gives is awesome. And QD OLED is a bit more resistant to burn in so I hope it will stay good for a few years. Anyway I highly recommend it.
Agree.
I have been using a TV as monitor for 4 years. And I use it to watch TV as well. Happy with the experience. Bigger size, less money. But for the future I might consider one of those ultra wide screen computer monitors for my desk.
LG makes a monster 38 inch ultrawide. I have one of their 34 inch ultrawide monitors and it is simply fantastic. I wish TV manufacturers would make an ultrawide TV, 55-75 inches as many movies are shot in that format. Even the 1968 movie Grand Prix looked fantastic on an ultrawide. There are no black bars. The more square ones are better for photographers who are into extreme detail.
I have used a 1920x1200 24" with a 1080p LG television for 10 years. The second monitor was useful for movies and discussions. My dual screen use goes back to 1996 days and Windows NT 4 back then being 21" CRT screens.
I upgraded the main monitor to 4K and hit the problem that when moving any window to the second large screen it would bounce back. I needed to scale the frame down, move to the top of the screen and then across. So I got a second large screen display panel. A 4K touch panel.
Being able to stand up and work on the screen with a up to four pens at the same time is more useful that it sounds. Demonstrations and discussions are at a new level of sharing. OLED are far better for movies but still have the burn-in problems. If only used for movie watching that would be okay. I sometimes have window frames up for several hours. The one I have is 60Hz, not the 144Hz that gamers would prefer.
The downsides to the 65" 4K display panel:-
Cost - three times that of a better movie watching TV of the same refresh and size.
As a touch panel too easy to use use your finger and then have to wipe the marks off later.
It times out after not being used by touch; pops up in the middle of movie.
Being touch screen it has a thick glass panel, it weights far more - I have it on a trolley and not wall mounted but this does mean I can move it to dust and to another room.
It has no HDMI eARC to a sound bar, powered/active stereo speakers or surround sound system - there are ways but you are on your own to set up.
The positive aspects:-
It is built to run 24/7.
It has a heavy glass screen that takes the pressure of writing on it.
It is industrially solid built - a steel backing and hardly any plastic parts
It can take an i7 Intel computer internally in the slot (expensive)
It has Android OS and can be used to cast from tablets, laptops and mobile phones - a classroom feature but makes sense when someone says look what I have and sticks a phone in your face that you can't even focus on.
great info thanks. I'm using 55" Class Samsung Neo QLED 4K QN85B (2022) but i find I have issues leaving the refresh @120Hz all the time have you found any issues?
i started using tvs for monitors during the rear projection days, lol .now im using a hisense u6 55, awesome choice
It works great in my living room provided the video card can drive that resolution without straining. I have 2 computers hooked up, a new Ryzen and a really old Athlon with a matching video card. The old PC maxes out at 1080p but the new one looks great. I route the audio through my HDMI receiver for surround sound. HDR is possible too if the cables and video card connections can support the bandwidth. Since my receiver is used as an HDMI switch it needs to support the bandwidth as well.
This goes back a long way: I have never known a screen be delivered with the right settings for where you want to use it. The black level you can see depends on the general reflection of the. light level in the room. That's still "brightness". The "contrast" setting is for the white level.
I came to this from photography, and the film recorded a wider brightness range than could be visible on paper. One "stop" in photography is the same 2:1 ratio as 1 bit in a computer image.
There is still that difference between the screen and the printer, and ways of adjusting the digital image to get the right resuli. And, whether TV or monitor, you will see a difference between the effects of the daylight through a window and artificial lighting.
Even a picture intended for somebody else's monitor needs a little space at the limits. You need to allow for the extremes blending into one. Everything above 250 might look the same (I am thinking of a grey-scale).
Both the screen (TV or monitor) and the computer will have their own controls. Set them up right.
great review ! thank you for the insight I have a question lol
If you're in C major/ A - relative, and you borrow A Bm , and the chord preccding is a c major 9 where did that chord come from?
have you watched a K drama or heard an OST their harmony is fucking amazing
the song is called Gather my tears.,
Great information. I forgot about some of the pros/cons. The overscan issue is what made me go back to monitors. Apple removed that adjustment and made it necessary to not go down the tv as a monitor road.
I don't yet have clarity on what's going on with the overscan issue. I don't have the ability to control overscan if I connect HDMI through a USB-C or TB hub/dock, but I *do* have the ability to control it if connected directly to the MBP's HDMI port.
@@daviddas Tech here -
Set up the TV for "just scan". I use macs and windows machines no adjusting either computer.
I’ve been using a tv for many years. First 60hz, now 120hz. 4K HDR.
You got an LG, & a Hisense brand TV. What other brands did you look at, compare, & consider? Thank you 🤓
This was very useful indeed, David, thank you for making and sharing it (still using RecutPro for this sort of thing?). One thing omitted: Do you miss the 21.9 aspect ratio which seems perfect for your video editing, as well as useful for DAW timelines and mixing board layouts, or do you like the higher vertical space (and black bars when doing video editing)? Or do you edit your videos now on your MBP display for color accuracy? This is a topic that's important in my decisions as I'm about to buy a new Apple silicon MacBook Pro myself, and then have to retire my old iMac (which won't even work as just a display) and will need a new monitor. I was eying an Ultrawidescreen 34" LG monitor, but your video makes me wonder if the higher vertical space can be of use.
Everyone's priorities might be slightly different. To me, the loss of 21:9 was no big deal. I don't really mind WHERE the pixels are on the screen -- I just mind that I have enough of them. I was able to work fluidly in 21:9, and I'm able to work just as fluidly (in both DAW and video editing) in 16:9. I did do coloring on the MBP screen, which rendered the colors quite differently than the LG TV. Yes, still using Recut! Life saver.
neoqled 43 qn90b working pretty well so far. Couple issues:
-A little bit of ghosting compared to my 165 hz 1 ms 2k monitor.
-Its hard to max out a game at 4k 144 hz
-Due to size issues I had to somewhat reconfigure my desk set up.
Its hard to commit to that as my main monitor, even though I love to play non esports games on it and watch content on it.
One things about "gaming at 4K": You don't actually have to. I know its REALLY REALLY tempting, but you have to remember a few things: A) the larger the screen and the closer it is, the more "pixels" are sitting OUTSIDE of your center view, and eyes have incredibly shitty resolution outside a very narrow center range. Some VR headsets that have built in eye tracking actually exploit this problem by drawing everything at reduced settings AWAY from what your eyes are centered on, so 75% or more of that "higher res" is wasted unless you directly stare at that particular spot B) The higher quality TV's upscale/downscale really well, so you can run 1920x1080 and not notice any difference, and also. video cards are starting to add stuff like "AI Upscaling" or NVidia NIS, so you still get a little extra gain in visual quality without pushing your frame rates into the toilet or need a Video Card that costs a fortune and doubles a room heater.
A bit over 20 years ago now I upgraded to a flat screen monitor from a CRT monitor and it was a big improvement, the next upgrade I did was change the monitor to a flat screen TV, huge better sound and the picture was a lot easier on the eyes as well, I then upgraded the TV to a larger TV and then I upgraded my PC to a new PC and a new 40 inch monitor, it is way better again but it has no sound so I bought a second hand high end Yamaha Soundbar and Subwoofer to use for my speaker, now I have a really good picture as well as really good suround sound to back it up, what my next move in upgrading is going to be I have no idea until it happens in a few more years??????? I am very happy with my new set up and hope that it will last a good while as my ears and eyes I doubt will notice any difference if / when I do my next upgrade.
I have been using a 43" 4K TV as a monitor on my M1 Mac Mini for the last two years. It took about 30 minutes to tweak and "tune" the display to my needs. I also spent 15 extra bucks for a decent cable to ensure a solid 60hz refresh. I could never go back to using anything smaller on my desktop.
nice im thinking of getting a 43' 4k tv for gaming plus i can use it to watch basic tv to if i want.
@@grandcanyon2 don’t go too cheap. Look for a “Mid-grade” TV with “local dimming zones” for blacker blacks
Been using a 65" for a few years and upgraded to 120Hz last year. I don't need colour accuracy for daily work, and then Flight Sim at night is simply brilliant and close to real world scale.
Definitely have been considering this. I love my ultrawide but hate quitting. It’s especially difficult because my monitor is too far away so if I squint then I have to stand up and get closer. But as you said, “First world problems.”
I was particularly interested in your reply since you are video-centric. The colors I see on the LG TV are definitely not representative of true color (no matter what mode I try and put the LG TV into). It doesn't bother me in music, nor even really in casual TV (streaming) viewing, but it would seriously bother me if I was a video producer.
@@daviddas Which is the reason I haven’t pulled the trigger. That, and my Dell Ultrawide is still running strong. But my eyes ain’t what they used to be. 🤣
I have been just plugging my PC's into Tv's for the last 16 years, but I am looking to upgrade. 1080 P was the standard when I got them ( actually one is 1080 i, a sony WEGA). Im looking to get under 48 inches and thank you for the link so I can do more research. Not that you asked, but watching this yoututbe video and leaving comments from my vizo VL320M. I sit about 5-7 feet from teh screen
I have been using a 4k tv as a monitor for several years. I don't have cable and don't want it, but I am not suffering from lack of material to watch, such as TV shows and movies, and I have ready-available internet with RUclips, and various social media, at my fingertips. I am forced to used HDMI, but it's fine since the picture is great and I also have surround sound hooked up. BTW - this 65-inch RCA cost me $500 three summers ago.
I've fixed a plasma TV and an LCD TV by replacing bad capacitors (being safe, discharging caps and researching on each first). I've also replaced caps and resistors to fix gen 3 Rokit monitors notorious for some epoxy goop being placed on a couple areas and that becomes conductive over time. Each of the things would have been trashed, but instead of buying new, I still use the monitors daily and use the LCD TV in my bedroom occasionally. The ex got the plasma TV, which was working fine and used daily still, like 5 or 6 years after fixing it. If I have a screen stop working or acting up, unless I just want a different type of monitor, I'll attempt to fix it myself. But I have used a large TV as a monitor and have actually been working on a setup with a 43" 4k TV to connect both a gaming PC (set up like a console) as well as one for media purposes. Thanks for posting the video.
when my computer monitor first went out, i decided to buy a new one.. the 2nd one stopped workin in less time than the first one.. so i decided to look on the back of my 42" LCD tv, and i seen a vga connection.. i hooked up my computer to my tv, and i havent looked back.. been over 10yrs now.. and when i get my first LED, im gonna do it again.. its like a smart tv for me.
One might consider, if they have the wall space, a projector made for computer use. The tech has been continuously refined over the last 20 years and the prices are quite reasonable. It might reduce eye strain, too, but you’ll need a light controlled room. You can use a bare wall or hang a screen made for improved light and color.
Interesting thought. I've never looked into this, but my #1 concern would be the brightness and then the clarity. When you're using a computer, you're needing to see pixels to read text. (This is less of an issue with TV/film; even subtitles are a nice healthy size that's optimized for across-the-room viewing.) Also, with a projector, the ambient light in the room plays a large factor. If it's a room with a window, you might have a situation where visibility is one way during the day and another way during the night. If the room is always kept dark, that negates the issue, but do you always want to work in a. dark room. Anyway...interesting thought that might be worth investigating for some.
Right now the only option I see is the Lg C2 42" ... Is almost half of the price of similar 4k >42 >120hz "gaming" monitors out there... I bought one and waiting for it to arrive
I'm using a 72" 4k tv right now, with 2 42" ones in prorate mode next to it for ultrawide format.
I have been using a 4K 43" Samsung LED TV for a couple of years on my PC, and it's perfect! Can't go back to regular sized monitors any more.
I sometimes use my TV for my laptop with a wireless keyboard & mouse; works great for surfing and emails, but you can't watch or listen to TV at the same time. I'm across the room, so clarity isn't an issue. But a little off subject, and hear me out, I bought two 19" flat LG LCD monitors from Best Buy in 2004 for $720 each (at the same time); they work now as they were new, back when some were using CRTs. They wanted to scare me into a service plan for like $140 each ($280 are you kidding?), saying that, "one day your pixels will fail", explaining that one by one, these little squares in the panel would turn white" and look like hell.
They swore this happens with every monitor sold and that if I didn't buy the plan, I would be wasting my money on the monitor, because after the warranty, "at least 7 pixels will go". In fact it got to the point I had to ask, "Are you going to sell me these monitors without that damn plan or not"? Now, nearly 20 years later, I've no real reason to replace them. I know it's $10 at Goodwill, but hey, they were very expensive then and in comparison to today, and after staring at it for that long, I'm still satisfied. Comes out to $37 per year, per monitor and the beauty of it is, the price paid goes down $3 a year as I own them. That means in another 20 years, the average annual price would be $18!
And yes, I'm being silly, yet highly accurate. No, it's not wide-creen, but I've never had one that was, so I'm not missing anything. If I used it for a regular and serious purpose, that would be different, but I detail cars so I don't care. Great video, thank you!
I took the same plunge...after only doing a small amount of research, and the results have been pretty good. I bought a Samsung 43" 4K at Sam's Club. I'm finding that the large, flat screen really requires my head to be in different locations to focus on different areas of the screen. What this has translated to is the following: When seated, I don't use the top one third of the screen, and mainly use the center area. When standing, I'm in a position to move around easily, and I take advantage of all the real estate, using Divy to place my windows just so. I'm finding I take advantage of the space much more than I did with a triple monitor setup, where my side monitors were rarely used. I can't imagine going with something larger like a 50".
I also got a 43" Samsung 4K from Sam's Club a couple years back. But mine is a curved display. Also using it for my main computer screen. Works fine.
Very informative Vid, thanks…. But looking at he monitor behind you, it looks as if the recommended Equilateral Triangle monitor configuration is not possible with a screen this big. I wonder how much of a compromise is that?
You're correct in saying that this may be a concern, though it depends on the dimensions of your desk/space to decide how much of a concern it is. In my personal setup, it's *almost* equilateral and doesn't bother me too much. I'm still in the sweet spot for my speakers. In other setups, it may be more of a concern.
well, I just give my mom's old fire TV a go and see what happens. At least I know it's possible. I don't really want to pay for another monitor. LOL! Thanx for the information.
im using a 45 inch vizio and 2x 65 inch sharp TV's as monitors and i'm actually very happy with them.
I've been using a series of 50" and now 65" 4K TVs for work. As long as they have 4:4:4 Chroma and HDMI 2.0, you are fine. Even 60 refresh is fine for text, browsing, programming, etc. This said...
1. You have to sit back a good distance. I use a wireless keyboard from an ergo chair.
2. Less than 4' is probably too close (they don't curve). Beyond 6'-7' you might as well use a smaller monitor and sit closer.
3. You probably have to UI scale Windows up 150% or so. Thus, don't expect as much real-estate in terms of text -- documents, code, etc. Beyond 150% you start to lose the benefits for desktop use.
4. Ergo is key. Mounting height, lighting (most reflect light differently than a monitor so you get glare), angle (they don't tilt baring a wall mount), distance (you can't easily move them a few inches closer/further), chair, etc. are all important.
5. Connections and how it handles resolution switching can be important. Many TVs will be HDMI (not DP) so you start running into issues running 120Hz. Further, since most PCs won't run 4K games, you may be switching to 1080p. Watch how your monitor reacts to that -- many display long info screens, remember their old resolution, etc. Sound might also be an issue. Some TVs may also have wake or power-on issues and you may have issues with multiple monitors -- due to your graphics card connections, Windows, and the order in which the are detected on power up/wake.
6. Burn-in is not that big of an issue with most modern (last 3 years) screens.
IMO, they are fine (with the right setup) for most desktop work -- writing, basic office work, web browsing, etc., etc. However, it's best to have actual monitors for work requiring multiple screens as, even at 4k, it isn't ideal for side-by-side work -- such as development.
I have a Mac Mini M1 connected to a 43" Samsung The Frame 2022 model 4K QLED. Best thing I ever did, since now I'm working mostly from home. And the screen with no reflection is just amazing...
Still happy? Have C1 48" but to glossy, cant work. How about quality, text, dark? What you prefer Oled vs The frame 43"?
@@metalstar01 for working The Frame is way better! I'm telling you, the lack of reflection (I have a window on the back, to the right and I can't actually see it on the screen) it's amazing! I use many programs on it, Word, Excel, InDesign, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro X, Pixelmator Pro 3, never had an issue with clarity of text or images.
@@paolocardinali3951 thank you. I will buy The Frame. I can't work on oled. unusable tv during the day (window). I can't see word, excel,PS, www... but I can see my window ; )
thanks
I've been using a TV as a monitor ever since the first Samsung Series 5 HD Ready 32" TV was released over a decade ago. I'm currently using a TCL 65" C725 QLED Android 11 TV as a monitor connected to my Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon X1 laptop. The picture quality of this TV as a monitor is Outstanding.
But with everything settled, how did it LOOK. Crisp? Colors?
I didn't have to shop. I already had a 49 inch TCL ROKU tv that became available for use as a monitor. Also I already had an HDMI cable that would reach OK, so everything was plug and play. I later discovered this was important. When I experimented with using the tv as a wireless display, it worked but I couldn't get 4K resolution.
The sheer height of big TVs renders their usefulness as a monitor somewhat in doubt. But they can work if you get the distances and angles right. About a year ago I bought a Hisense 43" 4K based on its ability to use 4.4.4 chroma key. No blue shadows around black text. I have it wall mounted with its chin bezel about 1/2" above the top of my desk, just leaving room for cables to pass. My "production" desk is 34" deep, so my eye-to-screen distance is 46-50" depending on what I'm doing, and the top of the screen is at the same level as the top of my head. This eliminates neck craning because my eyes alone have enough movement to see whatever is high on the screen. With scaling set to 125%, this is darn near perfect for me, even with old eyes that need some help. A properly made set of glasses (specifically prescribed for best focus at 48") rounds out the set up.
Thanks for your comment! What is the model of your Hisense 43" 4k?
As a fellow composer, I've been using a 4k TV as a computer display for over a year, and I never want to go back. However, today a Windows update seems to have removed my computer's ability to detect my 4k TV altogether. I've tried everything, but somehow my 4k TV is completely invisible. I'm now using a single 34" ultrawide display, like some sort of peasant. I gotta get my 4k TV working again, I feel like I'm reading a newspaper using binoculars! 😭
Great to hear your experience -- I think there's going to be more of us moving in this direction in the future! Weird about the Windows update; outputting to a 4k display should be pretty basic and standard, not something that's likely to break with a routine update.
@@daviddas You would think so, hahaha! Once I get it working again, I might try having the 4k TV rotated to be tall. I tend to want more vertical space than horizontal. Would be nice to see more tracks without having to scroll.
@@AlexWalkerSmith 🤣🤣
Your overscan issue, did you cycle thru the TV's aspect ratios? I used to use a TV as a monitor and had the same issue, but found that one of the Aspect ratios fixed the problem. Primarily a gamer now so a high refresh rate monitor is essential for me. Very interesting, I've been trying to talk mu nephew into investing in a proper monitor, he uses a QLED TV for gaming but I remember how nasty the lag felt.
Set up the TV for "just scan". You might have to use the tech menu to do this.
I've been using a 55 4k Vizio for 4years as a monitor. It's one of those geared for internet, etc, no tuner. Works great
Used to use a 1080p 42" Vizio. Only way to go. I've used Televisions as monitors forever.
What Hisense model u got?
I've been using TV's as PC screens since about 2004 when they were all 1366x768 (fine for most games, terrible desktop resolution). Unless you are doing very specific color related work you can use the crappiest, cheapest TV's you want. This will cover general work, gaming, and everything in between, even on ones that have the refresh rates down to 50HZ. I mean, most of the time in shooters there is so much rainbow-level explosions going off every second that it's very, very hard to notice color or refresh problems, unless again, "professional level gaming" is what you do as a living. It will cost you around $250-$300 US for a cheap 50 inch. Never actually plan for it to last more that the warranty (usually 1Y), but you almost always get at least 2, and after 2 years, the next one at around the same price will be better quality anyway and the money-over-time-usage is well worth it. Rinse and repeat. You can always do "specialized" level work dual screen anyway if you have no choice, just use a much smaller monitor for that, and the TV for the other 95% of things you will normally do, and remember that you can always research the TV's much better first and make sure that they have higher refresh or better color features or sound etc etc, but then you can easily leave the "cheap throw away" region that makes using them so attractive.
I just got myself Hisense 40A4KV as a monitor, it's been hard to configure it and I'm still not satisfied with how it looks but everyday I'm making an improvement
I've been using TV's as my computer monitor since about 2013, but I am seated back from my screen in my recliner and use a wireless keyboard/ mouse setup.
I have been using the TV as a monitor for decades! 1080, 4K, they all work good!
You probably need to adjust the overscan mode on the TV itself (try using the remote to go to the “menu” screen and look under video settings for something like overscan or picture shape. From the video it sounds like you only tried methods of changing overscan settings within the operating system of the computer, but most TVs let you adjust overscan in their menus and there is likely a setting you can change it to so any computer plugged into it will correctly be displayed.
so damn accurate. great video. A major drawback with Apple M series laptops is that the HMDI port is extremely loose. The slightest jiggle disconnects the port. For a machine that expensive this shouldn't be happening.
YES.
Was using a 49" 30Hz TV as a monitor on my desk for years, it eventually died, so replaced it with a 75" 60Hz one, which I now use from my sofa.
When it dies, I'll likely replace it with an 86" 120Hz model.
I have been using an LG C1 48 inch OLED as my main computer display for over a year now, and I can whole-heartedly say, its the best computer investment I've done in a long time, its a dream end-game monitor for far less than the dell oled substitutes , 120hz , OLED, HDR, 4K, its a dream come true
also, consider using LGTV Companion for using LG TVs with PCs
I would check the power supply for failed bulging or visibly leaking capacitors.
my entertainment system in my bedroom is ancient tech at this point, and i've been looking to upgrade. swapping my xbox one S for a series S because of overheating issues, and looking at a mini PC, my 40" RCA from 7+ years ago with cigarette tar on it from where i used to live isnt gonna cut it.
Up until about 2 years ago I've been using flatscreen TV's for monitors for a minute. I'm not a gamer (I don't even own a game) so though not perfect for what we do here they were perfect for the price.
Been using a Sceptre U40 TV for BIM Drafting for almost five years. At the time I couldn't find 4k any smaller. Saved my company a lot of money vs a monitor of similar size. I wouldn't want it any bigger.