TV or monitor

[angelface]

I am thinking of buying an LCD screen for my home cinema

system.

TV's come with loads of things I don't need :Upset:...

1. Tuner - I use digital satellite so I don't need a tuner

2. Speakers - I use my home cinema amp all the time

3. Teletext - Text on satellite is obsolete

So would it be worth buying a 16/9 LCD monitor?

Potential problems are ...

1. Connection is normally DVI instead of HDMI but I've seen cables to convert

2.Size - I've not seen bigger than 28 inch monitors

Are there any other problems?

Anybody tried it?

[Polarbear]

Consider a Fujisu plasma monitor, they are highly recomended. They do a very nice 50" monitor.



A DVi,HDMI converter is easy to obtain, I use one with my Naim DVD5.



Another plus is there are no TV speakers to resonate when using your hi-fi speakers.

I recently moved my 32"CRT out of my lounge and it made a huge difference in sound quality,



Regards



PB

[Anthony]

i remember reading something once that pointed out the computer monitors are optimized for near field viewing, and TVs for far field. therefore a monitor used for far field viewing would always be compromised.

don't know if it's true or not, but at least worth looking into.

There's not much difference in price. In fact if you compare apples with apples then a TV might be cheaperbecause that's a larger volume market compared to computer monitors at this screen size.

For TV use a computer monitor is going to give you several problems:

• DVI is more restrictive connection format than HDMI. The display probablyrefuse to show a picture at 576i and it may be fussy about progressive scan signals at 50Hz. And no, it won't make a difference if you use a HDMI adapter
• Computers don't use HDCP (yet) so the DVI inputs on computermonitor don't need to be HDCP compatible either. Not so important with a PC, but very important if you plan to use a scaling DVD player. Most copyrighted DVD films will cause the HDCP to switch on from the player. If the monitor isn't HDCP compatible then there'll be no picture.
• Even if you do get a signal in to the display there's no guarantee the picture will be as good as a regual TV. That's because a PC monitor is expecting to be connected to a graphics card that will handle picture processing duties; particularly scaling. At least a TV will have some form of onboard processing to take a variety of resolutions and scale them to the correct resolution for the panel.

PBs' suggestion of a Fujitsu or other TV monitor is the way to go, but they won't be cheaper either.You'll be buying the quality and convenience of extra picture processing and modularity rather than saving money because of the lack of a tuner or text.

Regards



Chris

[Defiant]

Extract from here http://www.ausmedia.com.au/projectors.html - pay particular attention to the bottom, may be of interest regarding what DVI/HDMI can do....

What is HDMI?
HDMI is basically DVI with sound, for the purpose of projecting an image. Theatre projectors don't require sound signals so either will give high quality digital images.
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the first industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. HDMI provides an interface between any audio/video source, such as a set-top box, DVD player, and A/V receiver and an audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV). Backed by some of the industry's biggest names, High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) enables true high-definition audio/video content for consumers.
HDMI combines high-definition video and multi-channel audio in a single digital interface to provide crystal-clear digital quality over a single cable. One cable for audio and video dramatically simplifies home theater system installation and eliminates the cable mess behind entertainment system components. HDMI offers significant advantages over analog A/V connections, including the ability to transmit uncompressed digital video and audio content. Hollywood studios and cable and satellite operators support HDMI.
HDMI is based on Silicon Image's TMDS® technology and is fully backward compatible with the Digital Visual Interface (DVI) standard. HDMI systems will automatically configure to display content in the most effective format.
HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC HDTV standards and supports 8-channel digital audio, with bandwidth to spare to accommodate future enhancements and requirements.
How do consumers benefit from HDMI?
The new HDMI digital interconnect provides:
Superior, uncompressed digital video and audio quality
Simple, user-friendly connector that replaces the maze of cabling behind the entertainment center
Integrated remote control..
Does HDMI provide a secure interface?
HDMI, when used in combination with HDCP, provides a secure audio/video interface that meets the security requirements of content providers and systems operators.
What are the advantages of HDMI over existing analog interfaces such as composite, S-Video and component video?
Quality: HDMI transfers uncompressed digital audio and video for the highest, crispest image quality.
All-Digital: HDMI ensures an all-digital rendering of video without the losses associated with analog interfaces and their unnecessary digital-to-analog conversions.
Low-cost: HDMI provides the quality and functionality of a digital interface while also supporting uncompressed video formats in a simple, cost-effective manner.
Audio: HDMI supports multiple audio formats, from standard stereo to multi-channel surround-sound.

Ease-of-use: HDMI combines video and multi-channel audio into a single cable, eliminating the cost, complexity, and confusion of multiple cables currently used in A/V systems.
Intelligence: HDMI supports communication between the video source (such as a DVD player) and the DTV, enabling new functionality. Includes YUV color space support.

FAQ's
Is HDMI backward-compatible with DVI (Digital Visual Interface)?
[align=left] [align=left] [align=left] [align=center] [align=left] [align=left]Yes, HDMI is fully backward-compatible with DVI using the CEA-861 profile for DTVs. HDMI DTVs will display video received from existing DVI-equipped products, and DVI-equipped TVs will display video from HDMI sources including DVI-based PCs so you can display PC gaming or entertainment content on your HDTV. [/align] [/align] [/align] [/align] [/align] [/align] [align=left] [align=left] [align=left] [align=center] [align=left] [align=left] Will current HD TVs and set-top boxes using DVI-HDTV be compatible with HDMI devices?
[/align] [/align] [/align] [/align] [/align] [/align] [align=left] [align=left] [align=left] [align=center] [align=left] [align=left]Yes. Currently there are TVs with DVI-HDTV inputs available from a wide variety of manufacturers. These devices will be compatible with future HDMI-equipped products.[/align] [/align] [/align] [/align] [/align] [/align] [align=left] [align=left] [align=left] [align=center] [align=left] [align=left] What types of video does HDMI support?
[/align] [/align] [/align] [/align] [/align] [/align] [align=left] [align=left] [align=left] [align=center] [align=left] [align=left]HDMI has the capacity to support existing high-definition video formats (720p, 1080i, and even 1080p). It also has the flexibility to support enhanced definition formats such as 480p, as well as standard definition formats such as NTSC or PAL. [/align] [/align] [/align] [/align] [/align] [/align] DVI is a high-speed digital interface to transport uncompressed digital video content to a display. DVI's high speed (up to 5Gbps) can transmit uncompressed HD streams. Other digital interfaces require HD content to be compressed, the compression process may slightly degrades picture quality.
DVI is popular in set-top boxes, DVD players etc. It can transport 720p and 1080i streams it offers unparalleled picture quality.
High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) protocol is to transport secured content from a source device (set-top box, DVD player, etc.) to a display device. (Projector etc.) It does not permit recording to digital VCRs or other recording devices.

Everything Defiant posted is true, but I'm not sure if it helps or makes things more confusing re DVI / HDMI.

A device with a HDMI socket will always use a HDCP encryption chip. If the software or signal is anti-copy flagged then HDCP goes live and any non-compatible displays or devices get excluded.

DVI equipped devices come in two flavours - those with HDCP encryption and those without.The choice is left to the manufacturer. Philips used HDCP compatible DVI sockets on their flat screen TVs.



By all means buy a DVI equipped display. Just make sure that it is HDCP compatible if you think there's any chance it will see aHDCP encrypted signal.

Regards

Chris

[hifinut]

look in richer sounds fora good deal I just brough a 32 philips for £600 retail is £1995 !:shocked:has hdmi and superb picture and usual high quality adjustments anything in this bracket is normally crap from Bush/Goodmans and pictures suffer from ghostly images poor sound etc.

Some are cheap cos ex display or no original box do we look at the box after tv set up think dustman may thats it

http://www.richersounds.com/home.php...79861abdb6a3fe

[Defiant]

movieman wrote:

Everything Defiant posted is true, but I'm not sure if it helps or makes things more confusing re DVI / HDMI.

Nowt to do with me, just posted what others have said, to much info can be a bad thing, but in this case it's probably best since the whole thing is becoming increasingly complex by the day. What you said about the HDCP seems to tally up with this, which is taken from here http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volum...s-11-2004.html

HDCP and Devices
There are two primary sources for digital video based content: Satellite and DVD. With the proliferation and popularity of digital display devices, DVI has become the best option for video performance, with component video second. The advantage lies in that with DVI there is no Digital to Analog to Digital conversion for digital display devices. The signal stays digital all the way from source to display, eliminating one more potential for image quality degradation.
Both major satellite manufacturers (Dish and DirecTV) are now using HDCP in the DVI connections with the satellite boxes. DVD manufacturers are required to use it for DVD-based material. Thus, if you really want to use DVI, you need to be HDCP compliant, from the source to the display. This means processors, buffers, amplifiers, and switches all must be HDCP compliant. If you bought an HD TV/Projector with DVI that doesn't support HDCP, you have a problem.

You can get 30" monitors, Apple and Dell both make one. The Dell is better (that's why I have one).
As mentioned earlier, monitors are for near-field viewing, and trust me, you have to be at least 2' away from a 30" to see it all. They're still £1000+, but imo worth it.

You say you use your home cinema system sound, well it depends if you fancy having a pc in your living room (or wherever your home cinema system is).

[Lucifer]

Theoneandonly wrote:

You can get 30" monitors, Apple and Dell both make one. The Dell is better (that's why I have one).

Can you explain why the Dell is better? I always thought that Apple had the edge when it came to graphics/video.

[angelface]

Thanks for all the information especially technical differences HDMI/DVI

The thing about near and distance viewing seems to be a worrying limitation.

Perhaps I'll just have to wait until the prices of LCD TV's come down a bit!

I also want loads of connections as I am thinking of buying audio only home cinema

amp (from Cyrus ) so I need to do video switching on TV.

I would need3 HDMI's for satellite, DVD/Blueray and PS3

AND 3 analogue as none of my sources have HDMI at the moment ;)!

[hifinut]

Bloody hell thats a list of requirements phew!why not go for a Linn,Naim or simlar dvd player amp reciver all in oneand save space too but suppose you maybe want cheapness in the equasion?

Lucifer wrote:

Theoneandonly wrote:

You can get 30" monitors, Apple and Dell both make one. The Dell is better (that's why I have one).

Can you explain why the Dell is better? I always thought that Apple had the edge when it came to graphics/video.

Sure. The Dell has:
Faster Response time
Better Viewing angle
Higher Contrast
Less deep
Lighter
2 years more of warranty (3 overall)
2 more usb ports.

And the Dell has very good colour seperation. A friend of mine said the Apple is cheaper in some places too. But the Dell is still better.

I don't know where you get the idea of Apple being better. Maybe about 5 years ago the macs were good for designing, but that's it. And it's also no longer the case.