Anyone here using a TV as a display for your PC? What brand? What do you think?

[jarablue]

I have an LG C2 48in as my pc display. It seems that TVs offer better quality than monitors at this point. My TV is an OLED with a refresh rate of 120hz. Plays all my games fine and the image quality is outstanding. Do you guys use tvs for your display? What do you think about them? I am in no rush to get 240hz refresh rate because to my eyes, it's not a big difference. What are you looking forward to in upcoming new tech for displays?

 

[Macro Device]

Used a basic no-name 4K60 (43") tellie a while ago, ended up deciding I like faster panels and don't need all that size. I'll jump the gun to buy a 34" 5120x2160 display (160+ Hz) if these become a thing. 16:9 doesn't fit me all that much, residual brain damage prevents me from processing upper and lower pixels so I have about 1920x200 dead space going on if I use a standard 1080p monitor. 3840x400, in case of that TV.

My usual eye-to-display distance is 4 ft 1 in (125 cm) give or take a couple inches, this is how I use my 27" displays now. Can't afford extending that more than to 5 ft (152 cm) so these OLED TVs ain't my thing. Too huge.

 

[Solaris17]

I have an LG 65” C2 oled and I would never use it.

For my actual PC I use a Philips Evnia UW. I much prefer monitors over TVs; they just aren’t there for the response times and fidelity I want.

Not to mention I would never want apps and TV features for a monitor I use for my PC.

For the play station or switch the TV is fine. Though I will admit the onboard OS on the LG leaves much to be desired especially when connecting to off board audio sources.

 

[freeagent]

I use a cheapo 50" LG UHD, I like it. Not the best, but you could do worse..

Even better now that I have glasses. 4K is 4K, not 480p

 

[silentbogo]

I have an LG C2 48in as my pc display. It seems that TVs offer better quality than monitors at this point. My TV is an OLED with a refresh rate of 120hz.

Depends on use cases. Just for gaming and multimedia - definitely a +. For work/productivity - not so much.
I've tinkered with the idea of using a TV as a primary monitor since late 2000's. Had a PS3 running Linux for web/email stuff, and later moved on to a PC connected to a better TV for daily use, but ultimately decided that my eye sight is more precious than "eye candy" and went back to using regular monitors.
I'm a bit old-school in this regard, so right now I'm slo-o-o-o-wly but surely getting used to my new Samsung Viewfinity S6 ultrawide. However, I do use a cheap-ass 50" Xiaomi 4K TV as a secondary display. It was a dumpster-rescue: needed some work to get it running again. The LCD itself was fine, but there was an issue with power supply and backlight. I think I paid $40 for it or something like that, plus another $15 in parts and a couple hours of manual labor.

 

[unwind-protect]

I use my Mac Mini M4 on a TV.

It sucks, mainly the power and input management. If a new source comes online it switches to it, even if the current source is ongoing. The TV turns off when the device says so, but unlike a monitor it doesn't turn back on when the device comes active again.

 

[igormp]

I also have a LG C2, but the 42" model. Before it I had a 4k 43" cheap TV from LG as well, I got it when I got fed up with the idea of managing multiple monitors, and since 4x21" 1080p monitors is pretty much the same as a single 4k ~40" TV, I jumped the gun.
The real estate is amazing for multi tasking, and now that I have an OLED model using dark mode in most stuff is really nice. Reading text in a black background feels really pretty haha

Even though my TV is 120hz, due to the USB-C KVM switch I use it gets limited to 60hz (not sure if the issue is with the switch itself or the cable I'm using), but I honestly don't care at all about a higher refresh rate, so I just leave it like that.

For work/productivity - not so much.

Interesting, my use is 90% work/productivity, it makes a lot of sense for me due to the extra real estate.
A smaller display with higher res would mean either me needing to use scaling (so less real estate), or have to deal with really small fonts that'd be hard to read (even though I do have good eyesight).

However, my work/productivity stuff is mostly related to programming, so just a bunch of reading and writing stuff, nothing to do with color accuracy or anything like that. For those cases I can see a proper monitor making more sense.

 

[silentbogo]

Interesting, my use is 90% work/productivity, it makes a lot of sense for me due to the extra real estate.

Makes sense for now, but that's why I mentioned eyesight. Working on a TV from a distance of 2-2.5m is the same as working on a smaller 4k monitor from a distance of 1-1.2m.
The only difference is that most TV scalers aren't optimised for sharpness(except for some newer TVs), and also you get much more backlight blasted in your face if you are trying to maximize real estate by moving closer to a TV. It's cool at first, but it'll catch up to your eyesight later. Even tweaking BL won't do much, since you are still dealing with larger BL area.
Back in my 20s I wouldn't notice much difference in eye fatigue and would definitely go for a giant OLED TV, but today I prefer comfort over convenience. I'd like to stay glasses-free for as long as I can (I think I'm the only one in my family who doesn't wear glasses or didn't need laser correction by their 30s).

 

[Hankieroseman]

I started with a Samsung 34" Q50 for my Sim but I didn't like it. It's fine as a TV though. Had 2x 27" ASUS Gamer monitors and didn't like that either. I liked the Samsung 49" NEO G95 Odyssey for the sim. I broke it and upgraded to the 57 inch Samsung G95 and looking forward to DP2.0 GPU support although it's difficult to complain with RTX4090 it looks better in 5120x1440 but is capable of 7680x2160. One can watch 2 football games and have a browser open on 57 inches.

 

[igormp]

Working on a TV from a distance of 2-2.5m is the same as working on a smaller 4k monitor from a distance of 1-1.2m.

Forgot to mention, but I work at a 50~70cm distance.

The only difference is that most TV scalers aren't optimised for sharpness(except for some newer TVs)

I don't think the scaler is relevant given that I'm using native resolution.

and also you get much more backlight blasted in your face if you are trying to maximize real estate by moving closer to a TV. It's cool at first, but it'll catch up to your eyesight later. Even tweaking BL won't do much, since you are still dealing with larger BL area.

I guess that's one nicety of OLED, you don't have the full TV blasting BL into you since, well, you don't have any backlight to begin with. Given how I mostly use dark-themed stuff, it does great at that.

Back in my 20s I wouldn't notice much difference in eye fatigue and would definitely go for a giant OLED TV, but today I prefer comfort over convenience. I'd like to stay glasses-free for as long as I can (I think I'm the only one in my family who doesn't wear glasses or didn't need laser correction by their 30s).

Yeah, that may be because I'm still in my 20s, but I've already had laser correction due to myopia (which doesn't really have anything to do with display usage). For something like presbyopia I don't think there's much to do since it just comes with age (unless you're lucky), and so far there seems to be no indication that display usage speeds up the process.

 

[jarablue]

I sit 55 inches from my 48in C2 OLED at 300% scaling. The text is razor sharp and my eyes thank me everyday for not having tension in my brain due to tiny ass fonts. Gaming is a treat on big displays. Again, big displays is not for everyone. I know people that think 27in is too big. I personally will never buy another pc display under 42inches. Bigger is better to my eyes and my astigmatism. Get whatever makes your eyes have less tension in them. That is the best advice I can give. Staring at 100% scaling because of more screen real estate is how I thought in my early 20s. Now that I am 49, I care about my brain, eyes and head not having a headache just because of MORE REAL ESTATE. It's as if a weight has been lifted off my body. Games play in 4k regardless of your desktop scaling choice. That is all that matters to me. Comfort is my biggest concern now. I only ever have 1 web browser window open so that whole side by side apps thing isn't even on my radar for computing. I honestly do not know how you guys can do 4k resolution with 100% scaling on anything less than 50inches. You must have tension in your head like a mofo. I know I do.

 

[cal5582]

Samsung UN55NU8000
got it specifically for the freesync​

 

[thesavorings]

I use an LG C2 120Hx OLED. Its great for gaming and burn in fixed by running Pixel Refresh. I love it!

I was on a steal of a 1440p Pixio Monitor before then after I got the OLED I tried it for laughs in 2021 as my gaming monitor and haven't looked back since!

 

[unwind-protect]

I started with a Samsung 34" Q50 for my Sim but I didn't like it. It's fine as a TV though. Had 2x 27" ASUS Gamer monitors and didn't like that either. I liked the Samsung 49" NEO G95 Odyssey for the sim. I broke it and upgraded to the 57 inch Samsung G95 and looking forward to DP2.0 GPU support although it's difficult to complain with RTX4090 it looks better in 5120x1440 but is capable of 7680x2160. One can watch 2 football games and have a browser open on 57 inches.View attachment 375353

You spend too much money on modules . Good for you.

 

[Ruru]

Can't remember the model, but I have a Samsung 40" 1080p TV connected to my 2nd PC. I don't see any reason to get a high-refresh TV since that's just in console-ish usage and most consoles tops in 60fps anyway.

And at least I can max out the eyecandy in games with 6700 XT easily unlike when I had the card on my main PC with a 4K display.

 

[R-T-B]

I have an LG C2 48in as my pc display. It seems that TVs offer better quality than monitors at this point. My TV is an OLED with a refresh rate of 120hz. Plays all my games fine and the image quality is outstanding. Do you guys use tvs for your display? What do you think about them? I am in no rush to get 240hz refresh rate because to my eyes, it's not a big difference. What are you looking forward to in upcoming new tech for displays?

I use an LG B9 OLED 55" in an armchair workstation/gaming setup. 10/10 experience, frankly.

It's taken 5 years but some minor burn in is finally rearing its head. Still, I consider that an acceptable lifetime, and its not enough to bother me yet so all good.

LG tvs furthermore support Chroma 444 instead of downsampling (in PC mode) so are a very good choice for gaming/workstation hybrid usage.

 

[jarablue]

I use an LG B9 OLED 55" in an armchair workstation/gaming setup. 10/10 experience, frankly.

It's taken 5 years but some minor burn in is finally rearing its head. Still, I consider that an acceptable lifetime, and its not enough to bother me yet so all good.

LG tvs furthermore support Chroma 444 instead of downsampling (in PC mode) so are a very good choice for gaming/workstation hybrid usage.

My C2 in PC mode supports RGB 4:4:4 which is great for text rendering. I have my C2 in PC mode and also enabled 4 4 4 passthrough.

 

[R-T-B]

My C2 in PC mode supports RGB 4:4:4 which is great for text rendering. I have my C2 in PC mode and also enabled 4 4 4 passthrough.

Pretty much all LGs should. It's a nice thing.

 

[Dr. Dro]

55' LG G3 OLED. The really good stuff

 

[jarablue]

55' LG G3 OLED. The really good stuff

The G thug series is good shit man!

 

[Hankieroseman]

You spend too much money on modules . Good for you.

Can't take it with you. But I can leave it for my Grandson.

 

[Veseleil]

Yes. For a few months already, and enjoying it big time. TCL C805 50"



Although it has 144Hz support, it does come with a caveat, and it's apparently an HDMI 2.1 bandwidth limitation of 48Gbps at 4k 144Hz chroma 4:4:4. Being a native 10-bit panel up to a 120Hz, it drops to an 8-bit at 144Hz.
Even though I like the speed at 144Hz, and I was using that mode initially, I've settled to 10-bit 120Hz, as it looks noticeably better.
If you ask yourselves why it should be much better, here's a quick read randomly found on net. And if someone tell you that a 10-bit is not a noticeable improvement over an 8-bit without an HDR, tell them to have their eyes checked (this popular thread clearly shows a lot of people do have an image processing limitations, and no eye surgery nor lenses/glasses can fix that unfortunately).



I've never tried this TV's inbuilt apps, never set up a google acc on it, never tried its inbuilt speakers, it's not connected to the network, it was never updated from the firmware it came with (028) - so I can't share any thoughts on that. For those that aren't afraid of a forum megathreads, here's one dedicated to this TV. I've read through all of the pages, just for the record.

What I may say from my own experience so far is that as a monitor it works great. Pure blacks, great contrast, insane brightness levels, fast, great colours, great stand.
Software wise I can comment only on features that include its function solely as a monitor. No, you can't set it to turn on together with a PC input detected. No, it won't go into standby when you turn of your PC. No, it doesn't turn off completely by default, but rather stay in a standby. If you do set it up to turn off as a default, you'll wait for it to boot up its google OS for a while alright. Yes, you need to have the game master mode enabled to get any VRR support. Yes, the game master mode limits a lot of display settings, but not the most important ones.

I'm still a bit lazy to measure its power consumption in each of the used scenarios (standby, black desktop background with taskbar hidden and no icons, 120Hz gaming), mostly because the cables and sockets are behind a big ass screen. But when I eventually do, I'll let you know.
It has a 5 years warranty, and the TCL customer service is not bad overall (learned from "the thread"). All in all, it's an affordable gaming monitor, and a great OLED alternative picture quality wise. A lot of people coming from an OLED screens are really satisfied with this one (source: "the thread"). And if you consider that for example the LG C4 48" cost even more than a double from this one, it's really an easy choice on a tight budget. It also has an insane 98" variant at an unmatched price, for the living room couch gamers alike.

That's all for now. I hope you liked my short "review". if you have any questions, do ask. Cheers.

 

[nomdeplume]

Recently downsized from free 10 bit HDR 65" Samsung to free 8 bit HDR 55" higher end model Samsung. Still doing a bit of color management before I fully make my mind up.

The ideal for me would be a +60" high refresh rate monitor using DisplayPort that isn't readily available in the consumer sphere. I like the height of 16:9 but could see a use case for complementary second screen approximating the width dimension of ultrawide when the two are placed together. Alt+Tab isn't always great.

 

[silentbogo]

I guess that's one nicety of OLED, you don't have the full TV blasting BL into you since, well, you don't have any backlight to begin with. Given how I mostly use dark-themed stuff, it does great at that.

OLED is cool and all, but I'm still not sold on it. My previous monitor lasted me almost 6 years and it's now moving to live out the rest of its life to my office (a 24" Samsung 4k VA monitor, it was the cheapest 4k LCD back in the day). Back then I thought my next upgrade will be a high refresh rate OLED, cause surely burnout will be solved by then. Unfortunately, while all the internet reviews paint nice and rosy picture, most of my friends and clients "early adopters" had many issues with both OLED TVs(LG C1 etc) and OLED portable monitors, plus similar scary stories from feedback pages of the models I was interested in at the time... I even have a theory that kinda makes sense:

Spoiler

in Ukraine there is a much higher burnout rate on OLED monitors, because most of the magic happens during standby. We had power outages for the past 2.5+ years, and after power loss you have to coldboot your TV for all things to run properly(including all the refreshing). Most people just use it as is, which means you don't get those magic "refresh" or "pixel leveling" cycles. Hence - on average more burnouts.

 

[igormp]

I sit 55 inches from my 48in C2 OLED at 300% scaling. The text is razor sharp and my eyes thank me everyday for not having tension in my brain due to tiny ass fonts. Gaming is a treat on big displays. Again, big displays is not for everyone. I know people that think 27in is too big. I personally will never buy another pc display under 42inches. Bigger is better to my eyes and my astigmatism. Get whatever makes your eyes have less tension in them. That is the best advice I can give. Staring at 100% scaling because of more screen real estate is how I thought in my early 20s. Now that I am 49, I care about my brain, eyes and head not having a headache just because of MORE REAL ESTATE. It's as if a weight has been lifted off my body. Games play in 4k regardless of your desktop scaling choice. That is all that matters to me. Comfort is my biggest concern now. I only ever have 1 web browser window open so that whole side by side apps thing isn't even on my radar for computing. I honestly do not know how you guys can do 4k resolution with 100% scaling on anything less than 50inches. You must have tension in your head like a mofo. I know I do.

I've never had any problems staring at a screen nor reading texting, but I'm also at half the distance you're at from your display.
How far you're from a display has direct implications on how much strain you need to do to read text. I bet if you were to sit closer you'd be able to decrease the scaling amount and still be able to read text without issues (par issues with brightness and whatnot).

OLED is cool and all, but I'm still not sold on it. My previous monitor lasted me almost 6 years and it's now moving to live out the rest of its life to my office (a 24" Samsung 4k VA monitor, it was the cheapest 4k LCD back in the day). Back then I thought my next upgrade will be a high refresh rate OLED, cause surely burnout will be solved by then. Unfortunately, while all the internet reviews paint nice and rosy picture, most of my friends and clients "early adopters" had many issues with both OLED TVs(LG C1 etc) and OLED portable monitors, plus similar scary stories from feedback pages of the models I was interested in at the time... I even have a theory that kinda makes sense:

Spoiler

in Ukraine there is a much higher burnout rate on OLED monitors, because most of the magic happens during standby. We had power outages for the past 2.5+ years, and after power loss you have to coldboot your TV for all things to run properly(including all the refreshing). Most people just use it as is, which means you don't get those magic "refresh" or "pixel leveling" cycles. Hence - on average more burnouts.

Yeah, I personally don't care, I bought this TV well aware that burn in might happen. If it lasts more than 2 years I'm already happy with that.