Use a monitor as a TV?

[GH85Carrera]

I am looking to update the TV in my home office. Right now I have an old analogue TV hooked to cable TV. It sits in an entertainment center and I have 25.5 inches of width to work with. The sound is runs through my amplifier to the stereo speakers. I never use the speakers on the TV.

My thought is to skip buying a TV with a built in tuner and speakers, just get a computer monitor. Monitors usually have thin bezels so the screen can be bigger and still fit in the space. The cable box outputs both component and HDMI. My stereo does not do HDMI so I will have to go with component connections. Audio out to the stereo and the component video to the monitor.

My real question is am I missing something? Will this setup work and provide me 1080P HD video? The cable box can output full 1080P so I want a monitor that can display it properly.

Any suggestions on a good brand of monitor for this?

[porsche4life]

You gotta be careful... The aspect ratios can be all screwy... I'm not to sure that you wouldn't need a computer to drive the monitor... But don't hold me to that....

[MotoSook]

We have two "monitor" TVs.

I didn't need a tuner since every video source has a tuner
or is the video source. I can't remember the last time we actually had a TV without an external tuner.

So I bought a 32" Toshiba monitor that was designed as a tv without a tuner. It has VGA input, HDMI, RCA, S video and other component inputs. At the time a comparable TV was 300$ more. It's been a few years now and it's still going strong.

I later bought a 22" monitor (same capability as the Toshiba) for my office. I think it is a VISIO or something. Got it for maybe 20$ more than a plain computer monitor.

I would donthis again, but high quality "monitors" that are TVs w/o a tuner are hard to find. I wanted a larger one when I bought the 22",'but iirc the selection was limited.

The ones I own have speakers and a remote so you can really use it as a TV....or game console monitor

[stomachmonkey]

Do it all the time.

Main office is full of Vizios that have Direct TV, PC's and game consoles hooked up to them.

In home office have a 3 yr old Samsung TV with tuner hooked into FIOS without a box and a server plugged in via VGA.

In den have a Mac laptop connected to my 67" Samsung via HDMI.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I've wondered about this too - the other way around. I'd love to pick up a "cheap" 32" LCD TV and use it as a computer monitor for CAD/graphics work. Any issues? I imagine it should be pretty straightforward.

[TechnoViking]

Somebody told me once that TVs are smart and Monitors are dumb. Monitors rely on the graphics processing "brain" or graphics card in the computer to work. TVs have this brain built in.

But the line seems to be blurring now between TVs and Monitors. Sources (Set Top Boxes, DVD players, Consoles, etc.) may be getting smart enough to use the monitor only for your purposes.

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I've wondered about this too - the other way around. I'd love to pick up a "cheap" 32" LCD TV and use it as a computer monitor for CAD/graphics work. Any issues? I imagine it should be pretty straightforward.

I use the monitor output on my laptop to hook up to dads 42" Vizio LCD TV all the time.... Kickass for watching Top Gear.... Better HD than my laptop...

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by TechnoViking

Somebody told me once that TVs are smart and Monitors are dumb. Monitors rely on the graphics processing "brain" or graphics card in the computer to work. TVs have this brain built in.

Hence the difference in price for same size screens.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Yeah but try to find a "computer monitor" that's more than about 21" - or that uses the "latest and greatest" technology like LCD... I suppose I can plug the TV box into the thing when it's not hooked to the computer, not like I really watch television anyway.

[MotoSook]

PoP - most LCD tvs have a VGA connection. The 32"' Toshiba LCD monitor we have was connected to our computer in the family room and we streamed Netflix to it.

[GH85Carrera]

Looking around on the internet I have found some interesting sets.

M261VP - FLAT PANEL HDTVs | VIZIO

This one has all the extras that I really DON'T want. It has built in wireless! I just want something that can display 1080P HDTV from a componet YPbPr signal. The sound will come from my stereo.

[71T Targa]

Love the build in wireless of my HP TV.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by 71T Targa

Love the build in wireless of my HP TV.

OK I am curoius, what is neat about wireless on a TV?

I guess you can watch You Tube, and Hulu without a computer. What else do it do? Is it something I should spend money on?

[71T Targa]

We don't have cable or dish, so all of our 'TV' is Hulu or NetFlix etc.

I can also slide-show pictures from my computer, and listen to any MP3's I have there.