20-22" TV or PC Monitor - is it worth it on a PS3?

Aidan.

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hey, i'm looking to get a ps3 soon, and, at most, i can fit a 22" television, or pc monitor in my room. now, i've read somewhere (can't recall where), that you won't notice much of a difference from standard definition, unless you go for a tv/monitor of 32" and upwards. common sense tells me there's truth in that :D so, obviously the tv/monitor i'm getting can't do true hd (1080p), so will games and blu-ray films look standard definition on a 20-22" tv/monitor, but a little nicer? basically, is there no point getting a ps3 if it's going to be viewed on a 20-22" screen? ta much guys.
 
People who say that you won't notice a higher res on a smaller screen are wrong.

Get a 20" crt and get a 20" hd tv and tell me that you can't notice a difference in resolution.

Pc monitors are primarily small and you notice a jump in resolution.

Play crisis on a 24" monitor at 1920x1200 and tell me you can't notice any difference.

To answer your question depending on your budget I'd say pick up a 23" samsung hd tv. Great tv for gaming and would suit your needs perfectly. :thumbsup:
 
New Era, thanks for putting my mind at ease :D now, this may seem a silly question, but would a pc monitor, or a tv look better playing a ps3 on - or would they look identical? cheers.
 
New Era, thanks for putting my mind at ease :D now, this may seem a silly question, but would a pc monitor, or a tv look better playing a ps3 on - or would they look identical? cheers.

It really does depend on the actual set, some monitors for example have component inputs but they aren't as good as a component input on a tv.

Every monitor and tv handles some inputs better than others.

I'd avoid a monitor to be honest, as a monitor the size you're looking at will have a res of 1680x1050 and the ps3 doesn't look pretty when it's upscaled from 1280x720 upwards.

Those monitors with a res of 1680x1050 can accept a 1080p signal and downscale it but the ps3 doesn't upscale games so most of the time you'll be playing at 720p.

I would suggest going for a 20" sony hd tv or a samsung 23".
 
New Era, very useful to know, thanks :)

as a monitor the size you're looking at will have a res of 1680x1050

so, what's the ideal resolution for a tv of 20-23" then? thanks again, you've been most helpful :)
 
It all depends on viewing distance really.

I have my PS3 fed to 3 different screens, an sd plasma a 1280x720 projector and a 1650x1080 22" computer monitor.

If you are going to be sitting at pc like distances from the 22" monitor then you really can make out the extra detail, games look just as good if not better on my 22"monitor as they do on my 2m wide projector.

I would personally go for a monitor over a tv as they usually have a higher resolution and faster response times, although they will have poorer viewing angles unless you go for an expensive pva or sips panel.

If you do go the pc monitor route just make sure it is hdcp compliant and that it can do 1:1 pixel mapping, if in doubt ask for some advice in the monitor forum
 
New Era, very useful to know, thanks :)



so, what's the ideal resolution for a tv of 20-23" then? thanks again, you've been most helpful :)

There is no ideal resolution.

Basically hdtvs at that size will have a res of 1366x768.

Monitors that are 20" upwards will have a res of 1680x1050. 19" monitors will have a res of 1440x900.

24" monitors have a res of 1900x1200.

I had a 22" samsung (monitor with tv tuner)and I thought the ps3 looked awful via hdmi, jaggies everywhere due to the scaling.
 
Jonstone is right with regards to pixel mapping, unfortunately most smaller monitors don't have it, and for a decent monitor 24" for example you need to spend a decent amount.

I keep saying it but go for the LE23R88 you will not be disappointed. (On sale at currys etc :D)

What is your budget as that will help to narrow it down.
 
wormvortex, interesting to know that, thanks. any other suggestions?
 
New Era, i don't really want to spend that on a tv, seeing as it's for the bedroom :D
 
I bought the BenQ G2400W from play.com.

You can get it for about £215 I think if you use the 'experience08' discount and quidco for an extra 4% off.

Great for a 24" monitor and it's stunning compared to my crappy old TV.

Does the job nicely.

EDIT: Just thought I'd add. I spent days looking for a suitable monitor that supports 1:1 pixel mapping. But now I don't even use it for my games! I prefer full screen so definitely take a look before you choose. It's always nice to have the option though for when I watch films I sometimes change it.
 
I recently bought a HannsG HG216DP lcd monitor for my Xbox 360 and the quality looked amazing via VGA cable. but now i have sold my 360 and i am going to buy a PS3 which i am going to connect via HDMI cable, will there be any problems??
 
ive got an LG 22" 22LS4R hooked up to my ps3, and it looks fantastic, it is a 16:10 format monitor, however there is no scaling, but can see that there is just a slight overscan on the sides of the picture but looks fantastic none the less.

On a student budget it'll do till i can afford better
 
Is there's any chance you could wall mount the screen if you're short of space?

If so, there's a good 32" hdtv on ebuyer for £269. Otherwise the cheapest 'pc' monitor with 1:1 pixel mapping is the Dell 2007wfp which is around £245 from overclockers.
 
One thing I have never understood about monitors is why you only seem to find 1:1 pixel mapping on more expensive monitors when logically 1:1 mapping is the simplest and easiest way of displaying an incoming signal
 
ive got an LG 22" 22LS4R hooked up to my ps3, and it looks fantastic, it is a 16:10 format monitor, however there is no scaling, but can see that there is just a slight overscan on the sides of the picture but looks fantastic none the less.

On a student budget it'll do till i can afford better

I have a 16:10 monitor and mine stretches the image vertically whereas yours is clearly zooming in slightly so that the image fills the screen top and bottom but causes you to lose some image to either side.

Both involve scaling and although it is probably preferable to have 1:1 pixel mapping neither of the above two methods is very bad once you get used to it.

My wifes monitor however is absolutely fantastic for pc use but feed it a 16:9 source and it zooms it by a lot, much more than it needs to, so I would suggest checking how the monitor deals with this issue before purchasing one if thats the route you take
 
I have just got the Benq G2400w monitor and picture wise I find it excellent with my PS3!

I have this set up in my home office as I never seem to get to play the PS3 when it is plugged into my plasma, mainly because of the kids watching cartoon network or whatever!

Can anyone tell me how they have got the sound set up? :smashin:
 

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