PC monitor = HDTV?

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Sliverwarrior

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#1 Sliverwarrior
Member since 2003 • 928 Posts
If I play my console on a PC monitor. Do I get a picture that is on-par with HDTV or on-par with SDTV? I've always wondered. Thanks
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daveg1

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#2 daveg1
Member since 2005 • 20405 Posts

closer to a hdtv easy..

the trouble is you will find it hard to find a decent size monitor thats native to 720p..

ive noticed that if you drop below the native res on your monitor it can look bad..

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-CUBE-

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#3 -CUBE-
Member since 2006 • 708 Posts

On par with an HDTV, since your monitor will most likely support higher resolutions than an SDTV :)

Edit: Just like daveg said, even though montiors suppurts a high number of resolutions, the size also matters. Playing on a game on a high resolution with a small screen or vice versa will only make the image quality worst.

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DAZZER7

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#4 DAZZER7
Member since 2004 • 2422 Posts

If I play my console on a PC monitor. Do I get a picture that is on-par with HDTV or on-par with SDTV? I've always wondered. ThanksSliverwarrior

At the very least you will have something around 720p unless you have a very small and old crt. So yeah the very basic monitors out now, like what I have is 1440*900 which is between 1360*768 (720p) and 1920*1080 (1080p).

So the answer is YES your monitor is bound to be atleast 720p :)

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Franko_3

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#5 Franko_3
Member since 2003 • 5729 Posts
You guy are all noob!!! Pc can't do HD :D
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-CUBE-

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#6 -CUBE-
Member since 2006 • 708 Posts

You guy are all noob!!! Pc can't do HD :DFranko_3

damn...how did I forget that...poor TC :(

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DAZZER7

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#7 DAZZER7
Member since 2004 • 2422 Posts

[QUOTE="Franko_3"]You guy are all noob!!! Pc can't do HD :D-CUBE-

damn...how did I forget that...poor TC :(

Yep, Wok7 did try to tell us all but noooo lol we wouldn't listen

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skrat_01

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#8 skrat_01
Member since 2007 • 33767 Posts

HDTV.

Heck monitors have been in 'HD' standard for well over a decade now.

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AnnoyedDragon

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#9 AnnoyedDragon
Member since 2006 • 9948 Posts

It is allot harder to find a monitor that cannot do 720p than one that can. you would have to be looking at below 17" for 1280x720 support to be a problem.

That said consoles get away with visual optimisations that you wouldn't notice stretched across a large screen on the other side of the room. If you played it on a monitor close to your face details like jaggies and texture filtering are going to stand out allot more.

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McJugga

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#10 McJugga
Member since 2007 • 9453 Posts
What is the native resolution of the monitor?
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IgGy621985

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#11 IgGy621985
Member since 2004 • 5922 Posts

What is the native resolution of the monitor?McJugga

Well, depends. EG, 22'' = 1680x1050

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carsales

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#12 carsales
Member since 2006 • 1143 Posts
the problem with most monitors that are wide screen is that the aspect ratio is usually 16x10 not 16x9, usually it will stretch the image.
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Ren_eko

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#13 Ren_eko
Member since 2008 • 764 Posts
Does a Pc monitor look better than a 50 inch HD TV?
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XaosII

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#14 XaosII
Member since 2003 • 16705 Posts

Does a Pc monitor look better than a 50 inch HD TV?Ren_eko

Depends on the content. Size doesn't really have much to do with it.

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DAZZER7

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#15 DAZZER7
Member since 2004 • 2422 Posts

Does a Pc monitor look better than a 50 inch HD TV?Ren_eko

If the 50 inch HDTV only does 720p, then yeah the pc monitor looks better lol.

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AnnoyedDragon

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#16 AnnoyedDragon
Member since 2006 • 9948 Posts

Does a Pc monitor look better than a 50 inch HD TV?Ren_eko

A 50" HDTV won't have a resolution advantage over a 24" monitor, of course the majority of console games render at 720p so won't benefit from 1920x1080. The difference really depends on the type of displays used, you can get HDTVs with better contrast and refresh rate than most monitors but other than that it is just sheer size.

Regardless of the differences a TV is the best for a console game because they were built to be played on them, the image will be 16:9 regardless of the display.

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Ren_eko

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#17 Ren_eko
Member since 2008 • 764 Posts

[QUOTE="Ren_eko"]Does a Pc monitor look better than a 50 inch HD TV?XaosII

Depends on the content. Size doesn't really have much to do with it.

A Sony Bravia , im thinking of buying one of the new W1 Bravia series Sony will be releasing(as soon as it hits European market) , of course if i can get better/equal gaming performance and quality. from a Pc monitor i see no point in blowing so much money.

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stappy

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#18 stappy
Member since 2004 • 611 Posts
You should get much better picture on a monitor, since they're designed for games.
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skrat_01

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#19 skrat_01
Member since 2007 • 33767 Posts

Does a Pc monitor look better than a 50 inch HD TV?Ren_eko
*looks at 22" monitor"

*looks at 32" HD TV above it*

Yes, yes it does.

The picture quality is far better - sharper and whatnot.

However size wise, why bother comparing - one is for long distance couch viewing, and the other is far more close up and personal.

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FirstDiscovery

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#20 FirstDiscovery
Member since 2008 • 5508 Posts
Yep i played my 360 on a PC for a long while, its HD so itll be a world better than an SDTV
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Salt_The_Fries

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#21 Salt_The_Fries
Member since 2008 • 12480 Posts
I play my 360 on PC CRT 21'' monitor and it's capable of even greater resolutions than full HD (2048x1536 to be exact).
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Ren_eko

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#22 Ren_eko
Member since 2008 • 764 Posts
[QUOTE="XaosII"]

[QUOTE="Ren_eko"]Does a Pc monitor look better than a 50 inch HD TV?Ren_eko

Depends on the content. Size doesn't really have much to do with it.

A Sony Bravia , im thinking of buying one of the new W1 Bravia series Sony will be releasing(as soon as it hits European market) , of course if i can get better/equal gaming performance and quality. from a Pc monitor i see no point in blowing so much money.

I really would like an answer please.

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agentfred

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#23 agentfred
Member since 2003 • 5666 Posts

I really would like an answer please. Ren_eko

Skrat touched on the answer, but didn't really go in depth. The biggest difference you'll find between the monitor and the TV is the obvious size difference. One will be roughly 20 some inches, the other will be 50 inches. The importance of that is how close you will need to sit by the screen.

If you're sitting on a couch, and are at lest several feet away, I think the TV is the way to go. If you are going to be sitting close to the screen (just a few feet away, or less) than the monitor will give you more bang for your buck.

Other than that, there are some differences, but nothing very significant.

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lowe0

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#24 lowe0
Member since 2004 • 13692 Posts

I really would like an answer please.

Ren_eko

The Bravia's going to look pretty damn good, and be quite a bit bigger than a PC monitor. I play on a 56" Samsung DLP, and I love it. My PC is on a 22" Samsung LCD, and it looks good too, but there's no substitute for size. That said, a 1080p projector is perfect, if you have the room for it (large amount of blank wall, good light control).

The Bravia, at 1920x1080, is also going to sit somewhere between the typical PC monitor res (1680x1050) and the highest-end monitors (2560x1600). Your games, however, will play at 1280x720, and the display (PS3) or console (for 360) will scale it to the display's native resolution.

If you have a PS3, get the Bravia. Two reasons: 1, the PS3 requires HDCP, which not all PC monitors support, and 2, the Bravia will support x.v.Color, which is nice for Blu-ray (not useful, otherwise). If you have the 360, it's really a tossup between size and cost.

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voxware00

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#25 voxware00
Member since 2004 • 5018 Posts

i got a nice big widescreen monitor for my pc.. then my vid card died

so i got the cables to hook my 360 up to it.. well, that died yesterday sadly

now since i don't have cable any more i'm taking advantage of it for replacing my tv.. so it's always worth it to get a nice flat hd widescreen monitor.. mine is a viewsonic

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AdobeArtist

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#26 AdobeArtist  Moderator
Member since 2006 • 25184 Posts

I've heard this discussion before about using your PC's LCD as a makeshift HDTV. But something I gotta ask;

Would you rather game on a 32" flat screen EDTV (has component inputs) or a 17" LCD (1280x1024 so not the widescreen format)?

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clembo1990

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#27 clembo1990
Member since 2005 • 9976 Posts
Yes and you can play games in real HD 1080p unlikne any of the games i have in my sig :D
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#28 stappy
Member since 2004 • 611 Posts

I've heard this discussion before about using your PC's LCD as a makeshift HDTV. But something I gotta ask;

Would you rather game on a 32" flat screen EDTV (has component inputs) or a 17" LCD (1280x1024 so not the widescreen format)?

AdobeArtist

I'd still go with the 17" LCD, since it's designed for the main purpose of gaming.

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lowe0

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#29 lowe0
Member since 2004 • 13692 Posts
[QUOTE="AdobeArtist"]

I've heard this discussion before about using your PC's LCD as a makeshift HDTV. But something I gotta ask;

Would you rather game on a 32" flat screen EDTV (has component inputs) or a 17" LCD (1280x1024 so not the widescreen format)?

stappy

I'd still go with the 17" LCD, since it's designed for the main purpose of gaming.

How so? What specific features of the monitor were implemented for the purpose of gaming?
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FirstDiscovery

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#30 FirstDiscovery
Member since 2008 • 5508 Posts

I've heard this discussion before about using your PC's LCD as a makeshift HDTV. But something I gotta ask;

Would you rather game on a 32" flat screen EDTV (has component inputs) or a 17" LCD (1280x1024 so not the widescreen format)?

AdobeArtist
Good question, but some games at 480p look really blurry, whereas at 480i not so much

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FirstDiscovery

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#31 FirstDiscovery
Member since 2008 • 5508 Posts
[QUOTE="stappy"][QUOTE="AdobeArtist"]

I've heard this discussion before about using your PC's LCD as a makeshift HDTV. But something I gotta ask;

Would you rather game on a 32" flat screen EDTV (has component inputs) or a 17" LCD (1280x1024 so not the widescreen format)?

lowe0

I'd still go with the 17" LCD, since it's designed for the main purpose of gaming.

How so? What specific features of the monitor were implemented for the purpose of gaming?

Faster refresh, and importantly higher resolution:?
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AIH_PSP

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#32 AIH_PSP
Member since 2005 • 2318 Posts
It will have a full 1080P resolution, but since it's a monitor and you're sitting close to the screen, you will see the upscaling/jaggies/artifacts a lot easier (especially with "certain" console games out there;)).
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Gaming_Guru_Guy

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#33 Gaming_Guru_Guy
Member since 2008 • 485 Posts

[QUOTE="Ren_eko"]Does a Pc monitor look better than a 50 inch HD TV?XaosII

Depends on the content. Size doesn't really have much to do with it.

Was that a freudian slip?

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audioaxes

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#34 audioaxes
Member since 2004 • 1570 Posts

many newer monitors have resolutions higher than the 1080p standard but who wants to use a 24-26" monitor for consoles?

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lowe0

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#36 lowe0
Member since 2004 • 13692 Posts
[QUOTE="lowe0"][QUOTE="stappy"][QUOTE="AdobeArtist"]

I've heard this discussion before about using your PC's LCD as a makeshift HDTV. But something I gotta ask;

Would you rather game on a 32" flat screen EDTV (has component inputs) or a 17" LCD (1280x1024 so not the widescreen format)?

FirstDiscovery

I'd still go with the 17" LCD, since it's designed for the main purpose of gaming.

How so? What specific features of the monitor were implemented for the purpose of gaming?

Faster refresh, and importantly higher resolution:?

So you're saying that they put higher resolution in monitors specifically for gaming. It doesn't have anything at all to do with Photoshop, or Final Cut, or AutoCAD, or medical imaging or GIS apps?

And as for faster refresh, if that's true, then why do I not see a ton of 120 Hz LCDs at Fry's? There are plenty of TVs that do it, but not a lot of monitors.

I'm looking for you to provide specific evidence that PC monitors are designed with gaming as their primary purpose. So far, you haven't proven a damn thing.

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True_Gamer_

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#37 True_Gamer_
Member since 2006 • 6750 Posts
[QUOTE="FirstDiscovery"][QUOTE="lowe0"][QUOTE="stappy"][QUOTE="AdobeArtist"]

I've heard this discussion before about using your PC's LCD as a makeshift HDTV. But something I gotta ask;

Would you rather game on a 32" flat screen EDTV (has component inputs) or a 17" LCD (1280x1024 so not the widescreen format)?

lowe0

I'd still go with the 17" LCD, since it's designed for the main purpose of gaming.

How so? What specific features of the monitor were implemented for the purpose of gaming?

Faster refresh, and importantly higher resolution:?

So you're saying that they put higher resolution in monitors specifically for gaming. It doesn't have anything at all to do with Photoshop, or Final Cut, or AutoCAD, or medical imaging or GIS apps?

And as for faster refresh, if that's true, then why do I not see a ton of 120 Hz LCDs at Fry's? There are plenty of TVs that do it, but not a lot of monitors.

I'm looking for you to provide specific evidence that PC monitors are designed with gaming as their primary purpose. So far, you haven't proven a damn thing.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OsBln1V8MgI

/thread

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omgimba

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#38 omgimba
Member since 2007 • 2645 Posts
[QUOTE="-CUBE-"]

[QUOTE="Franko_3"]You guy are all noob!!! Pc can't do HD :DDAZZER7

damn...how did I forget that...poor TC :(

Yep, Wok7 did try to tell us all but noooo lol we wouldn't listen

THat thread was probably the best ever :)

That or "Who the hell are the zerg?" Poor thugpikachu.

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-CUBE-

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#39 -CUBE-
Member since 2006 • 708 Posts

I play my 360 on PC CRT 21'' monitor and it's capable of even greater resolutions than full HD (2048x1536 to be exact).Salt_The_Fries

Although My monitor does support resolutions higher than my TV. I still prefer playing the games on my TV because of the image quality.

I'm not saying TV's image quality are always better than the monitors, it's just what I noticed from comparing a variety of TVs and monitors.

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muscleserge

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#40 muscleserge
Member since 2005 • 3307 Posts
PC monitors look sharper than HDTVs of any size because of smaller pixels. So for certain games like Crysis I prefer my monitor, because it makes the game look even more realistic, but for games like Dead Space, I prefer my TV. BTW my Monitor is 22" WS, and my TV is 32" 720P/1080P
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AdobeArtist

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#41 AdobeArtist  Moderator
Member since 2006 • 25184 Posts
[QUOTE="FirstDiscovery"][QUOTE="lowe0"][QUOTE="stappy"][QUOTE="AdobeArtist"]

I've heard this discussion before about using your PC's LCD as a makeshift HDTV. But something I gotta ask;

Would you rather game on a 32" flat screen EDTV (has component inputs) or a 17" LCD (1280x1024 so not the widescreen format)?

lowe0

I'd still go with the 17" LCD, since it's designed for the main purpose of gaming.

How so? What specific features of the monitor were implemented for the purpose of gaming?

Faster refresh, and importantly higher resolution:?

So you're saying that they put higher resolution in monitors specifically for gaming. It doesn't have anything at all to do with Photoshop, or Final Cut, or AutoCAD, or medical imaging or GIS apps?

And as for faster refresh, if that's true, then why do I not see a ton of 120 Hz LCDs at Fry's? There are plenty of TVs that do it, but not a lot of monitors.

I'm looking for you to provide specific evidence that PC monitors are designed with gaming as their primary purpose. So far, you haven't proven a damn thing.

I really think people make too much of an issue of resolution. As if "if it ain't 1080p, it's crap". Yet we see games like COD4 which is only 640p and looks stellar. I once made a thread about how people put too much emphasis on resolution, yet my expereince has shown me, that what makes great visuals is an overall balance of the various graphical factors - res, poly-count, textures (moreso about artistic rendering than their resolution), and to an even greater degree lighting. If all these are implemented well enough and are designed to complement one another in just the right way, the game will look amazing even if it isn't 1080p.

So taking all the afformentioned into consideration, I can't see why I would play my games on a smaller screen just for the benefit of some extra lines of resolution. On my 32" EDTV (again, with component) I can see the substantial difference in 360 games over the old Xbox games. I can still get the benefit of higher poly-count, more detailed textures, particle effects, more advanced lighting, enhanced animations.

In short, while I may not have that HD "crispness", by my eyes, Gears 2, Bioshock, Assassin's Creed, COD4, RainbowSix Vegas, SoulCal 4, Force Unleashed, GRAW, and many others, are still a visual feast for the eyes. And I really enjoy seeing them on my big TV (maybe not the biggest there is but 32" is still big by most standards) that helps immerse me in these worlds.

Can anybody really attest that there is such a remarkable difference in the visuals, like "zomg, HD vs standard is like comparing 360 to PS1"? Is there really that much to justify the sacrifice of screen size and presentation of the experience?