Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Matt_22]

I'm thinking about buying a 32-40" LCD to use as a TV & computer monitor (for my laptop at home), but I'm unsure if that will just be a hassle. Will I need to purchase an expensive docking station, or is that unnecessary? If I don't, will I have to screw (and un-screw) in those monitor plugs every time I want to use it?

Also, does anyone have any recommendations re: brands? I don't have a consumer reports subscription, so any firsthand advice would be great.

[spliff]

This one is decent if not good for the price but only 28"....32' you're talking over 1 mill.

ViewSonic VX2835wm eSys search for it at the below link.

http://pc.danawa.com/price.html?defSite=DISPLAY&cate1=861&cate2=883

Check if this is still for sale...used is cheaper...

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=105778

[smogdonkey]

To answer your first question, no, you don't have to unscrew anything to switch between TV and PC monitor. You simply press the 'source' button on the remote, because most LCDs now have many, many different input capabilities. I'm talking about a 32" TV, not a 32" monitor. LCD TVs have many inputs; HDMI, cable in, PC monitor, composite, etc. I have mine mounted on the wall, and my ps3, cable tv, and laptop connected to it with no hassle.

I have my laptop hooked up to my 32" Pavv for movie watching (and live sports through the slingbox), and it works magnificently with HD torrents from sites like HDBits and Bit-HDTV. You just need a standard PC monitor cable. Just make sure the LCD you're looking at has all the necessary inputs (new ones will).

[Beeyee]

You can get 32" LG for around 700,000. Just look on Gmarket.

[bassexpander]

Just don't buy anything before you see how BOTH the TV and computer look on these monitors. One or the other almost always looks like crap.

Samsung has some new monitors that look awesome as TVs, and average as computer monitors. They have to be set at their native resolution to look right on computer, though, and every shop around here seems to use the wrong native resolution setting, so they look like crap as computer LCDs.

[smogdonkey]

You just have to have a graphics card and software capable of putting out the correct resolution. Most newer laptops will.

[spliff]

Yeah a decent VGA card would help a lot.

[mrsquirrel]

^ even an old Hercules EGA card would do.

[smogdonkey]

Actually it's not always as simple as that with an LCD TV. Spliffery aside, setting laptop resolution output isn't as open as it is with a desktop. Mine (Dell Inspiron E1505, maybe 1.5 years old), for example, isn't capable of doing it because I chose not to upgrade the graphics card when I bought it, and I've tried approximately 300 software fixes to the problem with no avail. For movie watching, though, I can adjust the aspect ratio to make up for it.

I apologize to the witty members of the board for trying to be helpful and destroying the healthy banter.

[Matt_22]

this is probably a real stupid question, but is there a difference between LCD TV's and Monitors? and if so, what is it? do monitors have a better refresh rate and more options as far as resolution, whereas TV's are locked into one set resolution? also, how do they compare price-wise?

[bassexpander]

They do look different. I can't explain why, but they do.

Again, the best compromise between the two seems to be the current crop of Samsung LCDs, but they do the LCD side a little more poorly than previous Samsung models, which don't do TV so well, but they're still OK. You gotta set the native resolution right, though, or they look terrible.

The TV playback really does look like a TV should, however.

http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=computersperipherals&type=monitors&subtype=lcd&model_cd=LS22PEBSFV/XAA

http://www.enuri.com/view/Detailmulti.jsp?modelno=1121833&cate=0405&Mname=&fb=1&key=popular%20DESC&factory=&search=NO&m_price=&spec=&sel_spec=&pagesize=20&page=1&keyword=&orgkeyword=&logkeyword=&spec_name=&from=list

[sunhelen]

I bought an LG LCD TV recently, and there is a button on the remote that changes the settings to adapt to different inputs. So if you use the TV as a monitor, you can change how it shows the picture without having any idea of how or why the settings are different from the broadcast or DVD settings.

[JongnoGuru]