Comments on: HTPC, xbx360, External monitor - is there one display to rule them all?

Question: HTPC, xbx360, External monitor - is there one display to rule them all?

bartleby — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:27:47 -0800

AVfilter: Have XBox 360, Mac, and HTPC/cable box - need one display, 25 inches or larger, to use with all 3. Should I be shopping for an HDTV (no tuner req'd) or a Computer monitor?

So I'm going to lose the big ol' CRT HDTV I've grown fond of.
And I'm probably going to be moving to a smaller place.
So I'm looking for a single LCD display that can handle all my display-type needs:

Big external monitor for Mac and/or PC laptops (=DVI input)
Screen for an XBox 360 (=HDMI or Component input)
Screen for watching HDTV, either cable or more likely from a HTPC of some type, capturing/playing OTA HDTV/torrented files/DVDs/hulu, etc. (=DVI, HDMI, possibly component inputs)
Sounds like my ideal box has one each of DVI, HDMI, and Component.

I really am going to be using this as the "main" monitor for the computers I use, so it has to perform very well up close.

I don't know if HDTV LCD panels and computer monitors are pretty much interchangeable these days or what?

Set me straight, hive mind!

(TV Tuner I have taken care of on the computers, sound is a whole 'nother issue. Just looking for box that makes with the pretty pictures and the showing of them.)

By: L0

L0 — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:41:14 -0800

It's pretty simple: if you're going to be using it as a monitor, you want a monitor. Check out the refurbished Dell monitors at Dell Outlet; the prices are rather good for the quality. I recently bought a 27" (resolution is 1920x1200) and it works great for everyday computing and console gaming.

By: rokusan

rokusan — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:01:33 -0800

Yes, if you're going to be using the Mac for "work", you will want a monitor, which will then be overkill quality for the games and TV.

Note this will be way more expensive than an HDTV, but your eyes will thank you later.

By: kid_dynamite

kid_dynamite — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:06:42 -0800

The big difference is pixel density - basically if you need to read text that's coming from a computer input then get a computer monitor. If you're just watching video/playing games, you can use a tv. I have a mac mini set up as a media center and run it into a TV as opposed to a monitor; if I need to do anything that's text oriented I can access it via VNC.

By: ellF

ellF — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:24:05 -0800

Buy a 1080p LCD monitor. They're sold as HDTVs, and can do large-resolutions. I have an LVM 42-W2 from Westinghouse, which is great for all of the things you mentioned.

Note that as a monitor, it does not contain a tuner.

By: dilettanti

dilettanti — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 18:52:26 -0800

I don't have one, but Samsung makes a monitor with all three input types and a tuner - the T260HD (cheaper at Amazon). Mount options are somewhat limited (no VESA), but otherwise, it seems like a pretty amazing piece of display machinery.

By: troutforbrains

troutforbrains — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:45:04 -0800

Seconding dynamite: If you are going to use the mac for anything involving text, you'll want to buy a monitor. Personal experience (see: trying it on a roommate's TV) has shown me that text on a TV is fuzzy and a strain on the eyes due to the lower pixel density.

Also seconding L0: Check Dell Outlet. A lot of Dell monitors, especially in the size range you're talking about, have at least one, if not two HDMI inputs. And they're excellent monitors at that. I use this Dell 2709 at work and love it.

By: gchucky

gchucky — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:49:44 -0800

They are largely interchangeable, with a little of work. I have a 32" LCD HDTV that I can use as a monitor for my computer (e.g. I use it to watch movies). It doesn't have a DVI port on the back, but it does have HDMI, and I bought an HDMI-DVI cable for only a few bucks.

It sounds to me like you'd do best with a 22" or 24" monitor. I have a friend who has his 360 and computer hooked up to his monitor, and he just switches between them. Alternatively, I'd suggest a smaller HDTV and a handful of cables.

By: Netzapper

Netzapper — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:03:42 -0800

I use a 42" Samsung 1080p television for exactly the same setup. Well, I have a linux box instead of a Mac, and a PS3 instead of an xbox. But, same difference. I also used a Sharp 1080p screen as a secondary monitor at work for about a year, since I was doing graphics programming for a product that used a 1080p screen.

1080p is 1920 x 1080 pixels. The "pixel density" is determined by how big the display's screen is. Bigger television, lower density. It might be annoying to have a very large television if you're sitting up close to it. Also, do NOT buy a television that's only going to do 1080i for you--your computer won't know how to talk to it properly, and you will get a degraded picture.

I really don't find that things are fuzzy or eye-strain inducing at all. The one issue I do have is that I sit pretty far away from the screen, and so have to turn up the font size to compensate... but, in my old apartment, this wasn't an issue at all, since I sat closer.