lcd help

[frad113]

I bought a 32" LCD TV (Sharp LC-32D50U) to use as my monitor, but the text looks crappy on it. More specifically, it looks like the pixels are bleeding somewhat like this:



but on a smaller scale and it gives me a headache after only 30 minutes . Is there a way to resolve this problem, or is it generally not good practice to use LCD TV's mainly as monitors? What bothers me is that I've looked at a Dell 32" TV and the text looks fine there, so maybe it's just me and I'm missing a setting somewhere. Thanks.

[GHDpro]

I've bought a 32" too, and I think I know what you mean. The effect isn't that much like the anti-alias effect in that picture though. What resolution can your TV handle? Is it 1368x768 (like mine)? Or something higher?

Also, from what distance are you viewing the "monitor"? I don't think LCD TVs are meant to be viewed from a small distance: minimum 2 meters or more is better. That way the problems with fonts are harder to notice.

Last, what application do you use to generate the text? That might have an effect too. Or were the applications the same on the Dell and your TV? In that case it could be that the Dell has a higher resolution display (true 1080p).

Personally in the few days I've had it I love my TV as a direct video player: as you can see by the sticky thread in this subforum I used to convert video to DVD to watch it on my TV, but that's no longer necessary.

[frad113]

Originally Posted by GHDpro

I've bought a 32" too, and I think I know what you mean. The effect isn't that much like the anti-alias effect in that picture though. What resolution can your TV handle? Is it 1368x768 (like mine)? Or something higher?

It handles 1366x768 (higher resolutions are impossible to look at), unfortunately, the refresh rate is at 60 Hz which for my eyes is too low.

Originally Posted by GHDpro

Also, from what distance are you viewing the "monitor"? I don't think LCD TVs are meant to be viewed from a small distance: minimum 2 meters or more is better. That way the problems with fonts are harder to notice.

0.5 meters. Don't get me wrong, I've sat in the opposite corner of my room and the video looks great (Kanon is more fantastic than usual ), but if I do programming/web design/whatever, the point of having a large screen goes out the window.

Originally Posted by GHDpro

Last, what application do you use to generate the text? That might have an effect too. Or were the applications the same on the Dell and your TV? In that case it could be that the Dell has a higher resolution display (true 1080p).

Anything from IE to notepad, to message boxes, to desktop icons. I worked at a Dell store and having looked at animesuki and google at both places, the Dell TV (albeit bad reviews) didn't have this problem.

Originally Posted by GHDpro

Personally in the few days I've had it I love my TV as a direct video player: as you can see by the sticky thread in this subforum I used to convert video to DVD to watch it on my TV, but that's no longer necessary.

You know, I've been making my DVD's with full motion menus, covers and all that other fancy stuff, but now I wonder, was it all pointless? I'm actually considering returning the TV and just getting a 30" monitor...

[GHDpro]

Originally Posted by frad113

It handles 1366x768 (higher resolutions are impossible to look at), unfortunately, the refresh rate is at 60 Hz which for my eyes is too low.

Afaik that really doesn't matter for LCD. On a CRT display 60 Hz would be noticable because a CRT display has to refresh itself at that rate, which is visible. However once a pixel is lid up on a LCD it stays that way: there is no "flicker".

Originally Posted by frad113

0.5 meters. Don't get me wrong, I've sat in the opposite corner of my room and the video looks great (Kanon is more fantastic than usual ), but if I do programming/web design/whatever, the point of having a large screen goes out the window.

[...]

You know, I've been making my DVD's with full motion menus, covers and all that other fancy stuff, but now I wonder, was it all pointless? I'm actually considering returning the TV and just getting a 30" monitor...

I think that if you just want to use it as a monitor, the native resolution of the LCD TV is to low, making individual pixels "huge" by comparison. Both Apple and Dell 30" monitor have a resolution of 2560x1600 which is twice as sharp as your TV. Unless you use Vista already, that means a ton more desktop/window space too.

[frad113]

You know, it just may be that the refresh rate thing is all in my head; unfortunately, those things in your head may be hard to get out of there. What it boils down to is that, as much as I hate to admit it, I might just end up getting a 30" monitor, because truthfully speaking, I don't even watch TV that much. Then, the question will be if anime *coughkanoncough* will look as good. I sure hope so.

[SeijiSensei]

The Dell 30" monitor (and I think the Apple as well) requires a dual-output video card. Last I saw those were about $700. The Dell 24" monitor doesn't require dual inputs and also includes the full range of choices including HDMI, VGA, SVHS, RGB, component, etc. I've thought about buying one of these to use as a bedroom TV. I love my 19" Dell Ultrasharp monitor.

BTW, I've seen lots of positive reviews for Dell's TVs. I think their current line of LCD TVs is made by a different manufacturer (LG?) than the ones they sold a couple years' back. I also like Sharp products; I have one of their conventional TVs now.

[frad113]

Hmm... I have an 128 MB ATI Radeon X300 SE, not too sure if that supports dual link or not. The 30" Dell is going to run me about $900 or so, where as the Sharp is at $1000 (but with no interest/payments for 2 years). What to do, what to do...

[Liddo]

actually it really doesnt have anything to do with refresh or AA.... first and only question tha really needs to be asked is whether you are using the video out to connect the tv to the computer or are you using the DVI? if you are using the DVI you can maintain the max resolution that the screen supports 13xx by 768. by using the DVI it makes use of the pixels in the LCD and it will be crisp lettering. if your using the video out (s-video or yellow head AV plug) it will default to a MAX resolution of 800 x 600. it doesnt matter what your max tv resolution is it will default to 800 by 600. and for those who are talking about dual head connection yes the high end apple's need those.. but that means that the video card has 2 DVI output headers. i'm not sure whether you can use VGA to DVI converters for that but i'm assuming no cause you need a digital signal. but yea thats basically the whole shbang.

[frad113]

If you use s-video for an lcd it looks horrible, but why use it if you have DVI? And about the crisp lettering, like I said before, it still looks bad even with DVI.

[Ledgem]

I use a LCD monitor, and your text reminds me of what my text used to look like before I switched resolutions. My monitor (a lower end one) basically supported two resolutions: 1024x768 and 1280x1024. At 1024x768, things looked OK, but the text looked like yours. At 1280x1024, everything was MUCH sharper. It was evident that the monitor was made for one resolution, in my mind. (Setting it to other resolutions in between would yield half a desktop and other weird things that were unworkable).

Other options are to enable ClearType in Windows (can be found under Display)... and I believe there are some other clarity measures that can be performed, but I can't think of them off-hand.

Since you're using a TV for the monitor, I'm not sure how much freedom you have to play around with the resolution. It may not even be the issue, but it's worth a try.

[frad113]

Although Cleartype is not perfect, it is noticibly better; thank you.