Can a TV be used as a desktop monitor?

GEC: Discuss gaming, computers and electronics and venture into the bizarre world of STGODs.

Moderator: Thanas

Post Reply
User avatar
Enigma
is a laughing fool.
Posts: 7777
Joined: 2003-04-30 10:24pm
Location: c nnyhjdyt yr 45

Can a TV be used as a desktop monitor?

Post by Enigma »

It may be a dumb question but can it?
ASVS('97)/SDN('03)

"Whilst human alchemists refer to the combustion triangle, some of their orcish counterparts see it as more of a hexagon: heat, fuel, air, laughter, screaming, fun." Dawn of the Dragons

ASSCRAVATS!
User avatar
Gandalf
SD.net White Wizard
Posts: 16285
Joined: 2002-09-16 11:13pm
Location: A video store in Australia

Re: Can a TV be used as a desktop monitor?

Post by Gandalf »

Yes it can. We use an old Macbook and Apple TV to watch streaming stuff on the telly.
"Oh no, oh yeah, tell me how can it be so fair
That we dying younger hiding from the police man over there
Just for breathing in the air they wanna leave me in the chair
Electric shocking body rocking beat streeting me to death"

- A.B. Original, Report to the Mist

"I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately."
- George Carlin
User avatar
Imperial528
Jedi Council Member
Posts: 1798
Joined: 2010-05-03 06:19pm
Location: New England

Re: Can a TV be used as a desktop monitor?

Post by Imperial528 »

They can, but you should adjust your setup accordingly. Some smaller TVs these days advertise dual functionality and work just fine as a monitor substitute, but if you're using a device advertised primarily as a TV then it probably won't work well as a desk top monitor, due to the viewing distance presumed by the device and how that affects resolution. That said, if you're willing to deal with the unconventional setup, having it at TV distance should work just fine assuming the right UI scale.
User avatar
Zaune
Emperor's Hand
Posts: 7430
Joined: 2010-06-21 11:05am
Location: In Transit
Contact:

Re: Can a TV be used as a desktop monitor?

Post by Zaune »

What are you planning to use the PC for while it's hooked up to your telly, and where are you planning to set it up?
There are hardly any excesses of the most crazed psychopath that cannot easily be duplicated by a normal kindly family man who just comes in to work every day and has a job to do.
-- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods)


Replace "ginger" with "n*gger," and suddenly it become a lot less funny, doesn't it?
-- fgalkin


Like my writing? Tip me on Patreon

I Have A Blog
User avatar
Mr Bean
Lord of Irony
Posts: 22431
Joined: 2002-07-04 08:36am

Re: Can a TV be used as a desktop monitor?

Post by Mr Bean »

To add on to what Gandalf, Zaune and Imperial have said...
Enigma wrote: 2019-12-28 11:25am It may be a dumb question but can it?
Yes but...

There's a reason why computer monitor exists with everything from refresh rates to viewing angles to the big one how close you sit. So it depends on the TV and where you setting it on how good/bad an idea is.

Nothing stopping you from hooking up an hdmi cord or dvi or an old vga to composite cable if you want but we can't always recommend it.

Imperial covered the main bits, if you can find the model manufacturer we can tell what your going to be in for. Failing that age, brand name and sizes can give us an idea.

"A cult is a religion with no political power." -Tom Wolfe
Pardon me for sounding like a dick, but I'm playing the tiniest violin in the world right now-Dalton
User avatar
Enigma
is a laughing fool.
Posts: 7777
Joined: 2003-04-30 10:24pm
Location: c nnyhjdyt yr 45

Re: Can a TV be used as a desktop monitor?

Post by Enigma »

Thanks everyone for the replies. The idea to use a TV as a desktop monitor has been shelved for the foreseeable future. But it did give me something to think about.
ASVS('97)/SDN('03)

"Whilst human alchemists refer to the combustion triangle, some of their orcish counterparts see it as more of a hexagon: heat, fuel, air, laughter, screaming, fun." Dawn of the Dragons

ASSCRAVATS!
User avatar
Starglider
Miles Dyson
Posts: 8709
Joined: 2007-04-05 09:44pm
Location: Isle of Dogs
Contact:

Re: Can a TV be used as a desktop monitor?

Post by Starglider »

Modern TVs work fine as long as the panel isn't unreasonably sized. A 30" 4K TV will make a nice display as long as you don't need twitch gamer super refresh rates or professional graphic designer colour accuracy. Considering you can get one of those for $200 now I don't know why you'd mess about with an old analogue connection unless this is explicitly an exercise in retrotech.
User avatar
Enigma
is a laughing fool.
Posts: 7777
Joined: 2003-04-30 10:24pm
Location: c nnyhjdyt yr 45

Re: Can a TV be used as a desktop monitor?

Post by Enigma »

Starglider wrote: 2019-12-29 05:56am Modern TVs work fine as long as the panel isn't unreasonably sized. A 30" 4K TV will make a nice display as long as you don't need twitch gamer super refresh rates or professional graphic designer colour accuracy. Considering you can get one of those for $200 now I don't know why you'd mess about with an old analogue connection unless this is explicitly an exercise in retrotech.
I meant a modern flat screen LED TV. But it is a moot point for now.
ASVS('97)/SDN('03)

"Whilst human alchemists refer to the combustion triangle, some of their orcish counterparts see it as more of a hexagon: heat, fuel, air, laughter, screaming, fun." Dawn of the Dragons

ASSCRAVATS!
User avatar
Darth Lucifer
Jedi Council Member
Posts: 1685
Joined: 2004-10-14 04:18am
Location: In pursuit of the Colonial Fleet

Re: Can a TV be used as a desktop monitor?

Post by Darth Lucifer »

Definitely, yes. I use a 32" widescreen and it's just awesome.

Image
Marko Dash
Jedi Knight
Posts: 718
Joined: 2006-01-29 03:42am
Location: south carolina, USA
Contact:

Re: Can a TV be used as a desktop monitor?

Post by Marko Dash »

I've used an older LCD TV as a monitor for the last year and a half, the only issues i have with it is that it has pretty bad image retention. for example if you watch a 20min youtube video without full-screening it and then switch to something else the video title and border will remain for a few minutes, or inversely for the first few minutes of doing anything fullscreen a ghost of the taskbar will remain.

similar to the 'burn in' effect from CRT TVs but not as permanent.
If a black-hawk flies over a light show and is not harmed, does that make it immune to lasers?
houser2112
Padawan Learner
Posts: 464
Joined: 2006-04-07 07:21am
Location: Charlotte, NC

Re: Can a TV be used as a desktop monitor?

Post by houser2112 »

Marko Dash wrote: 2020-01-09 05:10am I've used an older LCD TV as a monitor for the last year and a half, the only issues i have with it is that it has pretty bad image retention. for example if you watch a 20min youtube video without full-screening it and then switch to something else the video title and border will remain for a few minutes, or inversely for the first few minutes of doing anything fullscreen a ghost of the taskbar will remain.

similar to the 'burn in' effect from CRT TVs but not as permanent.
That doesn't seem like something that would be unique to the TV-computer use case, but something that would happen with that particular TV regardless of the input source. For instance, does this type of thing happen on a sports broadcast, where the score is displayed in the same place for the whole game? I've never seen that behavior on a non-CRT before.
User avatar
TimothyC
Of Sector 2814
Posts: 3793
Joined: 2005-03-23 05:31pm

Re: Can a TV be used as a desktop monitor?

Post by TimothyC »

houser2112 wrote: 2020-01-09 08:32amThat doesn't seem like something that would be unique to the TV-computer use case, but something that would happen with that particular TV regardless of the input source. For instance, does this type of thing happen on a sports broadcast, where the score is displayed in the same place for the whole game? I've never seen that behavior on a non-CRT before.
Plasma screens were and OLEDs are susceptible to burn in and ghosting.
"I believe in the future. It is wonderful because it stands on what has been achieved." - Sergei Korolev
Post Reply