Monitor -- LCD vs LED

[CSULB71]

I've been thinking of getting a 22" or 23" LCD HDTV to use mainly as my PC monitor, to replace my aging CRT monitor. Lately, I'm seeing more LED HDTV's for sale, and am wondering which would be better for PC monitor use?
The priority is to have clear, readable text (MS Word/Excel files and web pages), with video and photos second (no gaming). I have a direct coax cable TV-internet connection (no cable box) and will use a splitter to hook up the TV and modem, thereby eliminating HDMI/component video connections to the TV. I plan on using the DVI or VGA connection from my graphics card to the TV for PC monitor use.
Any advice or recommendations?
Thanks.

[jagabo]

The backlighting makes no difference in the readability (sharpness) of text. The difference is in the power consumption (LED uses less power than CFL) and the ability to turn off LEDs in black areas to get darker blacks.

[usually_quiet]

Get a 1080p TV. LED will use less energy and will provide deeper blacks.

Make sure the modem cable is connected at the first split, and install that splitter within a few feet of where the cable enters your home. A former cable installer advised me to ground the first splitter the last time I replaced one.

[jagabo]

Note that there are two types of LED backlighting. The ones that use hundreds or thousands of LEDs in a flat plane behind the LCD panel (backlight), and those that use LEDs around the edges. Only the backlight LED displays offer local dimming.

And local dimming has its problems too. There isn't one LED for each pixel. Typically there is only one per ~1000 pixels. That means you get halos at sharp high contrast edges and around small bright dots on black backgrounds (like star fields in SciFi movies).

[CSULB71]

OK, so I am confused a bit -- when the ads (Best Buy and Sears) say "LED HDTV", they're referring to the LED backlight of an LCD screen? There's no mention of them being an LCD screen, they just say LED HDTV. They do have other "LCD HDTV" sets in the ads.

[johns0]

They are lcd hdtv with led backlight,other lcd tv with no led backlight,same with pc lcd monitors.

[jagabo]

when the ads (Best Buy and Sears) say "LED HDTV", they're referring to the LED backlight of an LCD screen?

Yes. There are LED DLP HDTVs too (they don't require a new bulb every few years).

[johns0]

Basically any type of display being made are now are using led backlights more often.

[redwudz]

I have a Asus laptop with LED back light. Uses a lot less power and runs a lot cooler. Plus, it's thinner and lighter. And I just got a 24" Viewsonic LED monitor. It runs a lot cooler and weights a lot less.

Probably the big bonus is that the back light should outlast most florescent back lights without any deterioration in output. Both displays have more than enough brightness. I thought my old Hanns monitor had better black levels, but that is more likely related to the design, not the LEDs. The Viewsonic has a HDMI and VGA port which I needed, along with a VESA mount. The equivalent Hanns models don't.

[edDV]

Other things being equal go for the LED backlight. For a ~22" computer monitor the power savings will be small but the increased longevity has value. Right now I have one laptop (a Sony Vaio) and two LCD monitors (Viewsonic and Samsung) with dead CFL backlights. All died in a 2-4 year span.

[CSULB71]

OK, I understand now (I thought the LED referred to a new screen/display technology, not just back-lighting for a LCD screen or for DLP projection ).
Thanks for the help.

[Cornucopia]

Yeah, "LED" is a little misleading marketing. The only thing that truly uses LED direct view are HUGE corporate video signage (and the resolution is a lot coarser unless you're viewing from way far away).

Scott

[johns0]

The sony XEL-1 is the only led tv as of now.

[edDV]

OLED is a different animal. Seems like slime-o-vision. What kinds of organs were chopped for this movie?

[edDV]

Yeah, "LED" is a little misleading marketing.

"Class" is also a misleading marketing term... as in "40 class", "50 class". That is for suckers that don't know a particular manufacturer may have 10 models in that size that vary in price 2x due to processing and features.

Nothing classy about display size.

[usually_quiet]

OK, I understand now (I thought the LED referred to a new screen/display technology, not just back-lighting for a LCD screen or for DLP projection ).
Thanks for the help.

Maybe you were thinking about OLED TVs. Sony came out with one a few years ago. It had an 11-inch screen and I believe the price was in the neighborhood of $10,000. [Edit]I guess the price dropped or I misremembered. Sony's website shows it priced at a mere $2,500. They stopped making it recently.

[johns0]

OK, I understand now (I thought the LED referred to a new screen/display technology, not just back-lighting for a LCD screen or for DLP projection ).
Thanks for the help.

Maybe you were thinking about OLED TVs. Sony came out with one a few years ago. It had an 11-inch screen and I believe the price was in the neighborhood of $10,000. [Edit]I guess the price dropped or I misremembered. Sony's website shows it priced at a mere $2,500. They stopped making it recently.

The sony XEL-1 is the only led tv as of now

Maybe it was this tv i just posted above.

[jagabo]

If I recall correctly, only about 500 of the Sony OLED Tvs were ever made. A lot of small devices like cell phones use OLED displays though.

<edit>

Looks like it was a little more:

Sony may have shifted no more than 2000 of these sets worldwide

http://www.reghardware.com/2010/02/16/sony_oled_exit_japan/

[CSULB71]

No, it wasn't the OLED type I was thinking the HDTV's were, but I do remember that kind now that it's been mentioned.

So, will a 720p resolution be "good enough" for my needs (mainly as my computer monitor) or is 1080p the answer? What resolution are most computer LCD monitors (without the TV component)?

[jagabo]

You should get a 1080p HDTV with a non-overscan option to use as a computer monitor. 720p displays usually don't have a non-overscan mode unless you use a VGA input (you won't be able to see the outer edges of the frame) and they usually aren't 1280x720 but something like 1366x768. Computer monitor resolution varies depending on the size and other factors. 1680x1050 is common in ~20 inch monitors. 1920x1080 has become very common in the 22 to 24 inch range because it matches HDTV and Blu-ray. Some of the better big monitors have 2560x1600.

[edDV]

No, it wasn't the OLED type I was thinking the HDTV's were, but I do remember that kind now that it's been mentioned.

So, will a 720p resolution be "good enough" for my needs (mainly as my computer monitor) or is 1080p the answer? What resolution are most computer LCD monitors (without the TV component)?

For a 16:10 computer monitor only 1680x1050 is a good resolution but that will force a rescale for video.

I've got 1366x768 and 1920x1080 LCD-TV sets. I can say from experience 1366x768 is not adequate for a 16:9 aspect ratio computer monitor. You can get by with that for a laptop but not for serious computer apps.

1920x1080 (with pixel by pixel "Just Scan") is what you want for computer + HD video in 22-24+" size.

On the other hand, if you want a huge 50"+ screen to play movies and will be watching from >6-7 ft (2m), then a 1366x768 plasma or LCD screen will look fine.

[Wile_E]

I'm finally going to start piecing together equipment needed for a semi-pro production studio in my home. Are there any monitors that approach the broadcast quality monitors, but without the price tag? Are the Apple Cinema and Dell UltraSharp monitors along these lines?

[aedipuss]

you'd need to go with ips panels. a bit more money than normal display price range but worth the extra dough, but slow response times so not suitable for gaming.

[edDV]

An alternate approach is a good 24" LCD for your computer monitor, a good HDTV for monitor #2 and a CRT TV to check for 4:3 framing (overscan) and NTSC/PAL color and levels response.

If the client demands it, the HDTV can be replaced with a broadcast quality HD monitor.

[CSULB71]

1920x1080 (with pixel by pixel "Just Scan") is what you want for computer + HD video in 22-24+" size.

That's what I figured. But if I'm going to hook it up via direct cable connection for TV use, and VGA or DVI for monitor use, then over-scanning is not an issue?

[jagabo]

Depends on the particular tv.

[edDV]

1920x1080 (with pixel by pixel "Just Scan") is what you want for computer + HD video in 22-24+" size.

That's what I figured. But if I'm going to hook it up via direct cable connection for TV use, and VGA or DVI for monitor use, then over-scanning is not an issue?

Yes overscan is an issue. Most LCD-TV sets overscan the DVI-D/HDMI input so you would lose the perimeter menus for your OS desktop. If you compensate with a display card zoom, text quality is compromised. An LCD-TV model with pixel by pixel mode will be sharpest for computer text.

PC port (VGA) inputs usually don't have overscan but the text is sharper with DVI-D w/Just Scan.

Currently I'm using a Samsung 2333HD 1920x1080 combo LCD-TV/computer monitor. There is a huge difference in text sharpness when "Just Scan" mode is turned off. "Just Scan" mode can be applied input by input.

Samsung currently has 6 1920x1080 SyncMaster monitors with ATSC tuners. Two have LED backlights.
See XL2370HD and FX2490HD.

http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/monitors

[CSULB71]

PC port (VGA) inputs usually don't have overscan but the text is sharper with DVI-D w/Just Scan.

Currently I'm using a Samsung 2333HD 1920x1080 combo LCD-TV/computer monitor. There is a huge difference in text sharpness when "Just Scan" mode is turned off. "Just Scan" mode can be applied input by input.

Samsung currently has 6 1920x1080 SyncMaster monitors with ATSC tuners. Two have LED backlights.
See XL2370HD and FX2490HD.

http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/monitors

I was planning on using the VGA connection, so that's why I said overscan shouldn't be an issue. But if I don't think text looks sharp enough with VGA, I'll get a DVI cable and use the "Just Scan" feature. Do all 6 Samsung's SyncMaster HDTV's you refer to have the "Just Scan" mode? The XL2370HD model looks promising -- thanks for the link.

[edDV]

All Samsung LCD-TV sets that I've seen have the Just Scan feature.

My Samsung 2333HD has sharpest text with DVI-D or HDMI in Just Scan mode. My Vizio doesn't have a pixel by pixel mode. In that case, VGA is sharper.

[Wile_E]

Whatever you call it, "Just Scan", "1:1", etc...This feature just allows the TV or monitor to show the full image(1920x1080) with no overscan or scaling of the image. Manufacturers are finally getting it right on newer HDTV's. Most displays I've seen, now have 1:1 mode. I have a Toshiba that I bought earlier this year that has this mode. I verified 0% overscan with the Spears & Munsil Blu-ray disc. On a computer monitor, 1:1 is set automatically and you can turn off scaling within the display driver.

Is it advantageous to buy a workstation monitor with greater than 1920x1080? I suppose for editing, it would give you more desktop space. Most 24"+ are 2560 x 1440 or higher. I've been working with only one monitor, and it is a pain. I use Sony Vegas Pro 10, and can't fit all the scopes and stuff on my desktop. So the general consensus for an editing workstation is (2) LCD monitors (1920x1080+), and (1) HDTV with no overscan?