1080p 32" LCD TV as main pc monitor?

[Momou]

Upgrading my current PC monitor which I use for both PC and gaming because I'm getting annoyed at having to go behind my monitor to switch the 360 and pc over, so basically want to go for something bigger with a good amount of inputs.

I'm tied between getting a big pc monitor like the Dell 2709w with a 27" 1920x1200 screen or going for a 32" 1920x1080 LCD TV... I have a budget of around £350 if it matters. I'm thinking an LCD TV would be great for my games consoles (360 over HDMI, Wii/PS2 over component) and look great with movies on my PC but I'm worried the screen might be a bit big for PC tasks like web browsing, photoshop and 3D work.

Does anyone have any experience or thoughts with using a 32" 1920x1080 TV as their main monitor?

[andy1249]

The answer to that is that it will depend on the TV.

The issue that you may run into here is that monitors are designed to be sat in front off and TV's are designed to be watched from at least a few feet away.

Looking at a TV showing a computer screen may mean that text is not readable or at least not as sharp as it would be on a monitor.

TV's can be great for browsing the net from a sofa and are especially good at things like HTPC's for showing media center and so on , but may be very tiring on the eyes if its on a desk right in front of you for everyday computer work.

For that reason , I would definitely try before you buy if you go the TV route , though you may find it very difficult to get anyone to let you hook up a PC to a TV before you buy it.

I would be inclined to go with a large 1920 x 1200 widescreen monitor.

[Maniac618]

If you connect the PC via DVI or HDMI to HDMI on the TV and the TV supports 1x1 pixel mapping then your image will be crystal clear.

1080p (1920x1080) on a 32" will be fine and not too large.