lcd hdtv or computer monitor for best picture?

[teevee]

I have a collection of avi clips which I watch using windows media player and want to get a bigger monitor. Would video clips played in windows media player look better on a 30" monitor with a native 2560 x 1600 resolution, or on a slightly larger lcd hdtv with a native resolution of 1920 x 1080? I was thinking maybe the 30" monitor because there would be more pixels per inch on the monitor than the lcd hdtv...on the other hand, maybe the hdtvs are optimized better for video playback? Thanks for any advice.

In case it matters, the avi clips are 720 x 480, some in widescreen and some in 4 x 3 mode. I let windows media player play the clips in shuffle mode, with media player set to full screen. Windows media player will adjust from 4 x 3 mode to widescreen on it's own, so if the clip is in widescreen mode, the video will expand to reach the sides of my current 16 x 9 monitor, with black bars on the top and bottom. If the clip is in 4 x 3 mode, the clip will expand to reach the top and bottom of the monitor, with bars on the sides. I was thinking, would windows media player be able to adjust itself just as well on a lcd hdtv as it does on a computer monitor? I guess it probably would, as long as I have the hdtv set to work at it's 1920 x 1080 resolution. I'm just not sure if there would be any weird incompatibilities between hd lcd tvs and computers.

[guns1inger]

It is not the number of pixels, but the way the image is processed and the other features such as contrast ratio etc. LCD Monitors are designed to do computer functions well, but are very poor for most video displays. If you want the best image for video playback, get a good quality LCD TV instead. The Bravia series from Sony have very good image processing technology in them. Even the 720p series will produce a better quality image from your SD source material than your computer monitor. I have seen 720p Pioneer Curo plasma TVs that leave most 1080p LCDs for dead, and the 1080p models are even better again.

Pixel numbers are not the be-all and end-all of image quality. Even camera makers are starting to understand that a 6.1 megapixel camera with quality optics will always produce a better image than a 12 megapixel camera with crappy optics. So it is for displays.

[teevee]

Ok guns1inger, thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I guess I could try a 40" lcd tv to see how it works out. First I'll try to find some more information based on your explanation.

[Krispy Kritter]

You also have to keep in the mind the quality of the original files, especially when you bring up your "collection of avi clips".

When/if you start comparing TV's and LCD's, you should be doing it using the highest quality source available, which at a minimum would be DVD.

EDIT: Also, your viewing distance comes into play. You don't want to sit 2-3' from a large display and try and judge video playback quality.

[teevee]

You also have to keep in the mind the quality of the original files, especially when you bring up your "collection of avi clips".

When/if you start comparing TV's and LCD's, you should be doing it using the highest quality source available, which at a minimum would be DVD.

EDIT: Also, your viewing distance comes into play. You don't want to sit 2-3' from a large display and try and judge video playback quality.

Thanks Krispy. The quality of the clips, ...I'm not sure I could tell the difference between the clips and the original dvds I got them from,... although I haven't scrutinized them closely side by side, I'd say they are dvd quality or close enough. On Sunday I got a 32" tv with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, it's about 4 to 4.5 feet away from my eyes. I can recommend it as a good idea, especially for people like me with blurry vision ... my vision used to be good, but several years staring at a computer monitor close to my face = bad eyesight so now I need glasses. Using a tv for a monitor allows me to focus my eyes 4 feet away, which I think is easier on the eyes than having to focus up close for a long time. I'd say the clips on my 27" monitor look a bit better than on the 32" tv when there's little or no motion but when there's motion the clips are more blurry on the 27" monitor. However the bigger picture on the 32" monitor helps make the clips more enjoyable to watch, especially as the distance increases. I haven't done much comparing yet, but those are my feelings so far. I imagine a 30" monitor with a higher dpi than my 27" monitor would show video with more detail, but I wouldn't want to use it for reading text because the higher dpi would make for increased eyestrain. The 32" tv I got is supposed to accept a 1920 x 1080 dot by dot signal from the computer but so far I can't get it to accept computer input higher than 1360 x 768. I think the videos would look a bit better from 4 feet away if I could get it to 1920 x 1080. If I can't get it to accept a 1920 x 1080 dot by dot signal from the computer I'll take it back and get a 40", since I can't find any other 32" tvs that have a 1920 x 1080 resolution.

[Video Head]

Pixel numbers are not the be-all and end-all of image quality. Even camera makers are starting to understand that a 6.1 megapixel camera with quality optics will always produce a better image than a 12 megapixel camera with crappy optics. So it is for displays.

Camera makers have always understood this...marketing departments have not. Pixels and DPI have been the marketing "buzz" words of the last two decades.

[Krispy Kritter]

If you are connecting the PC to the TV via VGA, then you need to adjust the resolution AND refresh rate to match what the TV accepts as input. In your case, this will likely be 1920x1080@60hz. But I don't know for sure without knowing the brand and model of the TV. The specs should be listed in the manual. You will likely need to make changes and then reboot (with the TV powered ON).

[jason]

If you want to find the quality, download MediaInfo. It's simple and easy to use. It shows you everything as far as video and audio.

[teevee]

If you are connecting the PC to the TV via VGA, then you need to adjust the resolution AND refresh rate to match what the TV accepts as input. In your case, this will likely be 1920x1080@60hz. But I don't know for sure without knowing the brand and model of the TV. The specs should be listed in the manual. You will likely need to make changes and then reboot (with the TV powered ON).

Thanks. I already checked that though, in the windows display properties section it does say 60hz...and doesn't give me the option to change it. A guy where I bought the tv gave me a phone number to call the tv manufacturer's representative, so I called and left a message. If he can't help me I'm going to try it with a new computer because I'm having a new one put together...bleeding edge. If it still doesn't work the guy at the store said he'd take the tv back so I can get a different one.

[teevee]

If you want to find the quality, download MediaInfo. It's simple and easy to use. It shows you everything as far as video and audio.

thanks ... I bookmarked the link.