Question TV instead of monitor?

[jfelano]

I can get a 32" 1080p smart tv for $116 vs $200+ for a monitor.
This will be for a work/productivity computer, no gaming, but do watch youtube and social media videos.
Is there going to be a big difference enough to justify the price?
If it matters I have a Ryzen 2400G with Vega 11 graphics.
Thanks.

 

[Tech Junky]

Monitor = gaming
TV is fine for everything else.

If you get a higher refresh rate on the TV then it will be better for potential gaming.

 

[igor_kavinski]

TBH, I feel 1080p TVs show horrible pixels more than 1080p monitors. Also, desktop text may appear fuzzy on a TV. If you will be doing more productivity rather than occasional productivity, go with a monitor. A TV is also not certified for viewing up close so you will be exposing yourself to more radiation than from a monitor.

 

[jfelano]

TBH, I feel 1080p TVs show horrible pixels more than 1080p monitors. Also, desktop text may appear fuzzy on a TV. If you will be doing more productivity rather than occasional productivity, go with a monitor. A TV is also not certified for viewing up close so you will be exposing yourself to more radiation than from a monitor.

What if it was a 4K tv?

 

[igor_kavinski]

What if it was a 4K tv?

4K in a 32 inch would be nice coz then the pixels are densely packed together. Picture seems sharper.

 

[OlyAR15]

I can get a 32" 1080p smart tv for $116 vs $200+ for a monitor.

Not enough info. What is the resolution of the monitor? Any 32" display that only has a resolution of 1920x1080 isn't great, especially for text. At that size, you are better off with 2560x1440, or 4k if you can afford it. Better yet if you can find a 16:10 aspect ratio monitor, although those will likely be more expensive

 

[aigomorla]

1. TV's do not have a display port.
So make sure your motherboard has a HDMI.

2. TV's do not go into sleep when the monitor goes to sleep.
They do have a passive sleep, where it will goto sleep in inactivity, but it does not have a sleep command the computer can send to put the screen in sleep mode.

3. Most TV's are on BGR while Monitors unless we go into very big ones are RGB LED layout.
Here is the difference on the two format.

RGB versus BGR – Which is the Better Subpixel Layout

RGB versus BGR has been a lingering question in the monitor market in the quest to know which is which or what is better.

monitornerds.com

.
But overall, text is more blurry on a BGR then RGB.
If your going to be sitting up close to the thing you will notice the characters a bit blurry.

4. TV's are all Glossy which means high reflection rate.
You will see every detail the screen reflects as well as glare.

$116 Smart TV will be in my book almost utter garbage. I think you need to re evaluate your budget.
Most people underscore / underbuy the monitor long with power supply which i feel is a very big mistake.
The monitor is something that typically goes with you on at least 2-3 builds.
It also helps you resist eye strain on good ones, and there is a large difference between a crap panel and a very nice one.
And i know not everyone can afford mini led monitors, but at the very least, i would look for an IPS or a very high quality VA with good color reproduction and a frame rate of at least 120hz.

 

[jfelano]

1. TV's do not have a display port.
So make sure your motherboard has a HDMI.

2. TV's do not go into sleep when the monitor goes to sleep.
They do have a passive sleep, where it will goto sleep in inactivity, but it does not have a sleep command the computer can send to put the screen in sleep mode.

3. Most TV's are on BGR while Monitors unless we go into very big ones are RGB LED layout.
Here is the difference on the two format.

RGB versus BGR – Which is the Better Subpixel Layout

RGB versus BGR has been a lingering question in the monitor market in the quest to know which is which or what is better.

monitornerds.com

.
But overall, text is more blurry on a BGR then RGB.
If your going to be sitting up close to the thing you will notice the characters a bit blurry.

4. TV's are all Glossy which means high reflection rate.
You will see every detail the screen reflects as well as glare.

$116 Smart TV will be in my book almost utter garbage. I think you need to re evaluate your budget.
Most people underscore / underbuy the monitor long with power supply which i feel is a very big mistake.
The monitor is something that typically goes with you on at least 2-3 builds.
It also helps you resist eye strain on good ones, and there is a large difference between a crap panel and a very nice one.
And i know not everyone can afford mini led monitors, but at the very least, i would look for an IPS or a very high quality VA with good color reproduction and a frame rate of at least 120hz.

I don't underbuy, my power supply has a 15 year warranty and currently have a 5 year old Dell IPS 27". You sound like your talking to a gamer, your not, nobody goes through 2-3 builds on a monitor for a office computer. There's certainly no need for "At least a 120hz panel" for Microsoft Office or YouTube video's. The only reason I'm replacing the monitor is because it doesn't have a vesa mount, and because I have neck problems I need to raise it up high so I'm looking up at it, and that requires a vesa mount.

Anyways, I'm taking everyone's advices into consideration.

 

[jfelano]

Maybe you guys could help me pick the best under $200? Here's 4 I'm looking at. Not sure if the Samsung is IPS or not.

SAMSUNG 32" Class Curved Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) Monitor - LC32R500FHNXZA - Walmart.com

Buy SAMSUNG 32" Class Curved Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) Monitor - LC32R500FHNXZA at Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

https://www.staples.com/hp-32s-display-31-5-inch-diagonal-display-black-with-silver-stand/product_24359672?gclid=Cj0KCQiA6rCgBhDVARIsAK1kGPKyBkJb3I5FFyS9mMg_XVFAAQNTFqjd3bbIowlJyTWVXU7BBXyawlIaAo5xEALw_wcB

https://www.amazon.com/ViewSonic-VX3276-MHD-Frameless-Widescreen-DisplayPort/dp/B0787WGCXT/ref=asc_df_B0787WGCXT/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309818716690&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15038705948882305845&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9012375&hvtargid=pla-578930529314&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VA329HE/dp/B09XJN7QF9/ref=asc_df_B09XJN7QF9/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=615968724865&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15038705948882305845&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9012375&hvtargid=pla-1827197268889&th=1

 

[igor_kavinski]

Based on my experience, choose HP. Their monitors are very well built. I have one that I bought in 2008. 24 inch 1920x1200. Even though it has a TN panel, it has pretty good, vibrant colors. And it is sturdier than a frickin' tank. Tilts to be able to work in portrait mode.

 

[No_Huckleberry_1514]

32 inch, 1080p..with most like 60hz refresh rate... garbage experience... I'd avoid..

 

[igor_kavinski]

32 inch, 1080p..with most like 60hz refresh rate... garbage experience... I'd avoid..

It's sRGB 99% with IPS. Kinda overspecced for basic productivity and watching Youtube, which will be OP's use case. The videos will appear vivid and beautiful, especially coming from a 5 year old Dell monitor which I don't think has sRGB 99% gamut.

 

[aigomorla]

You sound like your talking to a gamer, your not, nobody goes through 2-3 builds on a monitor for a office computer.

This is from your experience or real corporate?
I know a TON of offices which go even 5yrs+ with the same monitor and just flip the pizza box OEM PC, especially when they go complicated and use multi monitor setups.

And no its not sounding like a gamer.
60Hz is CRAP.
Most real professional office monitors now have at least a 75Hz rating unless again the monitor is crap.

60hz is utter crap because sensitive eyes can see it and some times it bothers the hell out of people.
Its not just gaming either.
Typing also has frame rate, so does object motion on windows.
Higher Hz flat out means easier on the eyes.

Sitting in Front of a Computer All Day? Go Easy on the Eyes!

Are long hours in front of the computer starting to take a toll? Commonwealth's Mike Bistis shares some simple solutions to ease your eyestrain.

www.commonwealth.com

A higher refresh rate means a smoother-looking screen that’s easier on the eyes. So, if you’re trying to ease your eyestrain, a refresh rate of 120 Hz is optimal.
Instead, try using a 120 Hz screen for a few hours, then switch back to a 60 Hz monitor. The difference between the two is so palpable your eyes will start to strain almost immediately.

But hey, its your eyes, and not mine nor my employee's.

Monitor tech has advanced so much from probably where you came from.
I was in your shoes, until i started using nice monitors for me and my workers.
Now they even buy expensive as hell monitors for home usage after using the office ones because even they admit after looking at a screen for 6-8 hours a day, it makes A LOT of difference on eye strain.

As i said i am not tring to sound like a elitist.
But you seriously get what you paid for in PC.

And also 15yr warrenty on PSU's is nothing.
First is what OEM / Vendor the PSU is. The name should roll on your tongue, and should not require making grunt or nasal noises saying the name.
Its about what power rating it has, bronze, silver, gold, platinum or titanium.
It also matters on how much you did proper power calculations with overall system and by how much you overshoot the PSU.
The biggest mistake a lot of people make that sort of erk me on the PSU is they calculate the system will draw 600W, so they buy a psu of around 550 (because they assume they will never hit peak) to 650W, because just a bit more is enough right?

This is when i typically face palm in the helps for parts section on our forum.

 

[Tech Junky]

To @aigomorla point I had a laptop panel that seemed alright but, turned out one of the polarization layers was offset by a quarter turn. Not visible to the naked eye but with polarized sunglasses it was noticable. I swapped it to a 4k60 because I couldn't find a 4k120 at the time and it made a huge difference in my eyes. With my current laptop I bought it with the intent of going mLED but everywhere I went thet didn't have stock or a huge delay or extreme pricing. I ended up going 4k120 and that feels nicer than the older laptop.

A TV will be fine though for your use case as long as you're not sitting on top of it as it will be grainy to say the least. 4k though should be better for closer viewing.

I would just order something on Amazon with a 30 day trial to see how it feels and if it doesn't work out then it's an easy return. Then you try something different, rinse, and repeat if necessary.

 

[jfelano]

Some people have no idea what "office machine" means, they just can't get video games out of mind. Overshoot my power supply? IT'S AN OFFICE MACHINE. I think a 550w Gold for a 2400G and 2 hard drives is an overshoot. LOL.

Anyways, thanks guys I think I got the picture. 75HZ IPS it is. Thanks again.

 

[bretbernhoft]

I can get a 32" 1080p smart tv for $116 vs $200+ for a monitor.
This will be for a work/productivity computer, no gaming, but do watch youtube and social media videos.
Is there going to be a big difference enough to justify the price?
If it matters I have a Ryzen 2400G with Vega 11 graphics.
Thanks.

I contemplated doing the exact same thing myself. But as other commenters have pointed out, make sure you are aware of the gaming limitations of some TVs. Otherwise, have at it!

 

[jfelano]

I stumbled on this and bought it. 3yr warranty and 1yr pixel perfect guarantee. Good price? Will this even satisfy the gamers? $188 shipped.

Robot or human?

 

[igor_kavinski]

I stumbled on this and bought it.

Let us know how it is.

 

[jfelano]

No complaints. This is a whole new setup, I had an L desk and it was more cluttered. I raised the monitor with a pole mount so it's easier on my neck. That was the entire point of this purchase actually. I'm only running the monitor at 60hz because I can't see any textual difference between 60 and 120+, it uses less energy at 60.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Seems too high for me. Maybe you are a tall person.

 

[jfelano]

I'm 6ft. That's the idea though, I have neck problems and need to get the monitor high so I'm looking up. The only reason I bought a new monitor is because mine did not have the VESA mount I needed for the pole mount. I initially had it much higher on a 3rd pole section, I since removed the 3rd pole and am just using the 2nd now.

 

[igor_kavinski]

I'm 6ft. That's the idea though, I have neck problems and need to get the monitor high so I'm looking up.

Try doing squats until your legs hurt or you get out of breath. Do them multiple times a day. I was having pretty bad problems in the upper area of my spine and my right arm was losing strength due to the discs pressing the nerve going to the arm. Now I'm literally problem free and it's so hard to believe that this was such a simple solution for it. I guess the squats get the muscles around the core bulked up which re-inforces the whole spine.

 

[jfelano]

Try doing squats until your legs hurt or you get out of breath. Do them multiple times a day. I was having pretty bad problems in the upper area of my spine and my right arm was losing strength due to the discs pressing the nerve going to the arm. Now I'm literally problem free and it's so hard to believe that this was such a simple solution for it. I guess the squats get the muscles around the core bulked up which re-inforces the whole spine.

Yeah I do regular core exercises and stretches. I've had 3 spinal fusions. My neck ended up worse from surgery. I'm 50 and I had my first back surgery when I was 16. Stretches are key. The most important for me are the Yoga exercises "child pose" and "cow pose".