37" 1080p desktop display?

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TheRapture

Supreme [H]ardness
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What's the current desktop big screen people are using? I am in the market for another one, the venerable Westy is still holding on, but it has a small nagging issue for me, not a big deal breaker, but it is going to be replaced sometime in then next year or less....I might even go to the hassle of having my Amex extended warranty kick in and get me the refund for a defective product...


Basically, the Westy has some darker areas in the upper right, lower left, and upper middle of the screen, they never change, and on lighter backgrounds, it just looks...ugly. Almost like shadowing, seems I have read about this occuring....

edit: this seems like a likely candidate for a 37"... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889253137


...and a 42" of the same line, for only 20 bucks more.....!!!! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889253162
 
Wouldn't buy a monitor from NewEgg. (Anything else, but not a monitor...)

Would want a place that has an easy return policy...
 
How far are you sitting away from the monitor? I tried a 42" as my monitor and I needed at least 3ft otherwise it was way too huge. If you're close, I would stick with 37".
 
I tried my 37" on my desk. Even 3ft is too close. 5ft was more like it, but then that is not a practical desk sitting location. 32" might be a better size for desk usage.
 
I would also go with a 32" 1080p monitor if this is will be your only display because of the higher pixel density over the bigger screens. It really all depends on your distance from the screen like the two people above me stated.
 
I bought a 37" off brand and really got burned after a few months of use. If I were you, I'd look towards name brands being sold in stores. This way if you get screwed, you can return the item. Where "3 year warranties" feel like a sham on most electronic gear... with 1080p TV's it's almost a necessity.

SH1 said:
Wouldn't buy a monitor from NewEgg. (Anything else, but not a monitor...)

Would want a place that has an easy return policy...
Click to expand...

Exactly.
 
You guys forget, I already HAVE a 37", and I will not be going smaller to a 32". I sit 2.5 to 3 feet away and the 37" is perfect for me. It's crisp, it's large, and it's nice. I will not go smaller, period :p

The Toshiba is still the leader at this point, feature wise and price wise. The question is, 37 or 42 ;)
 
Snowdog said:
I tried my 37" on my desk. Even 3ft is too close. 5ft was more like it, but then that is not a practical desk sitting location. 32" might be a better size for desk usage.
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He already has a 37" so why would a 37" not work for him? :confused:
 
TheRapture said:
You guys forget, I already HAVE a 37", and I will not be going smaller to a 32". I sit 2.5 to 3 feet away and the 37" is perfect for me. It's crisp, it's large, and it's nice. I will not go smaller, period :p

The Toshiba is still the leader at this point, feature wise and price wise. The question is, 37 or 42 ;)
Click to expand...

For all I know, the Toshiba might suck as a PC monitor, who knows. It's a TV first, so I'd make sure you've read up on professional reviews comparing it to others and also that you're up on the experiences of people trying to use it for a PC specifically (e.g., text reproduction, viewing angles, settings to defeat input lag inducing video processing).

That said, in terms of a 37" or 42" something, I'd recommend a 37". Even though I've managed to lower the top of my 40" quite a bit, and it's ok, it's still kind of high...
 
Riptide_NVN said:
What do you guys think of the Samsung A550 37"? Good for PC use?
Click to expand...

I have the A530 37" which is likely the same screen. Other than poor viewing angles, it is probably fine. If you don't mind a lot of color shift. Go for it.

I have it hooked up to my computer but I don't use it as a monitor. I use it to watch downloaded shows/movies.

For a monitor where viewing angle matters. I would go with the Panasonic I mention above.
 
Color shift? What's that?

Viewing angles aren't that big of a deal since I'll be sitting in front of it for PC usage and directly in front but back 5-6' for watching movies.

I understand the 550 has a semi-matte screen vs. the glossy on the 530. Individual preference on which one is better there I suppose.
 
I too have been debating the A550 myself. I can't make up my mind because I have been using a 24 inch LG. I am not sure if I will like the increase in size over the decrease in pixels.
 
Riptide_NVN said:
Color shift? What's that?

Viewing angles aren't that big of a deal since I'll be sitting in front of it for PC usage and directly in front but back 5-6' for watching movies.

I understand the 550 has a semi-matte screen vs. the glossy on the 530. Individual preference on which one is better there I suppose.
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Off angle the color and contrast shift. With a 37" screen if you are sitting monitor distance away (like 3 feet) you will notice it on the screen edges and it will shift with each motion of your head. At 5-6 feet it will be fine, because the angular changes will be reduced.

The Samsung has an MVA screen with a lot of shift, that is why I recommend the Panasonic with Alpha IPS screen. No shift. I only bought the Samsung because it was MUCH cheaper and I am using it from 7 feet away where viewing angle doesn't matter that much (until you stand up, walk around etc..).

The 530 has a semi-matte screen as well. It is the same monitor with slightly different packaging.
 
Riptide_NVN said:
Color shift? What's that?

Viewing angles aren't that big of a deal since I'll be sitting in front of it for PC usage and directly in front but back 5-6' for watching movies.

I understand the 550 has a semi-matte screen vs. the glossy on the 530. Individual preference on which one is better there I suppose.
Click to expand...

That Samsung should be very PC compatible if it's like the prior year's models, but it has the aforementioned color shifts...

The Panasonic is also the one I want to like for computer use, but can't, because it apparently does not provide a way to defeat some video processing that causes certain text to be blurry.

However, to many the text issue is no big deal. Please search the forum for examples regarding the text issue and other experiences with the Panasonic.

And, if you can wait, Panasonic is coming out with a new line of displays across the board. (Sorry, I don't know pricing and ETA...)

http://panasonic.net/avc/viera/
 
Guess it's the lesser of two evils and it depends on what problem you are going to hate the most.

Based on what you guys are saying I think the viewing angle issues are going to bug me less. Text needs to be perfectly clear or it will absolutely drive me insane.
 
If sharp text is important then the Westy is your only option. I've been through a lot of sets and they all fail in this regard... Sony, Sharp (the worst), Toshiba, LG, etc. The only sets I have not tried is the Samsung's. At the time I could not get over their ugly cabinets but I would buy one now in a heartbeat if they produced sharp clear text.

My current Westy replaced an old 1080p 37" Digimate and these are the only sets I have ever seen that produced clear sharp text. They had one major thing in common and that was zero video processing on their digital interfaces.

Manufactures have been talking about television/computer convergence for years but I have yet to see it. Slapping on a VGA port doesn't count. I would not even entertain the idea of using VGA, let this interface die already. I just wish standard computer monitors were sold at these large sizes. The 30" is too small and that .25 dot pitch is way too microscopic for text (my eye sight is perfectly fine).

I've been through a lot of monitors/HDTV sets and as it stands now the Westy is the perfect monitor.
 
AFAIK the Panasonic TEXT issues are only with colored text Blue or Red... that tends to be hard to read anyway. Anyone doing Red or Blue text really shouldn't.

I will also note that on my Samsung you need to name the input "PC" to shut off processing and get sharp red and blue text. When you do that, the picture is bland in the extreme and you have no controls left to fix it.

As a result, I turned the processing back on and live with a bit of red/blue text blur. So I am probably in the same boat as just getting the Panasonic. Except with the Panasonic, I would have also had very good viewing angles.
 
I'm kinda waffling around here on what to do. I'm taking a 40XBR6 sony back to BB tonight. I just can't decide on whether to get the 37A550, the Panny, or say screwit and go back to the set I started with which was a 32XBR6.
 
The 32XBR6 is nice but I would assume that it will leave you wanting after having the 40". :p

FWIW, I had a 42" Westy that had fuzzy red and blue text and it drove me up the wall.
 
Snowdog said:
AFAIK the Panasonic TEXT issues are only with colored text Blue or Red... that tends to be hard to read anyway. Anyone doing Red or Blue text really shouldn't.

I will also note that on my Samsung you need to name the input "PC" to shut off processing and get sharp red and blue text. When you do that, the picture is bland in the extreme and you have no controls left to fix it.

As a result, I turned the processing back on and live with a bit of red/blue text blur. So I am probably in the same boat as just getting the Panasonic. Except with the Panasonic, I would have also had very good viewing angles.
Click to expand...

You've never explained (or maybe you have and I didn't see it), why you can't restore the relevant controls in PC mode via the "Home Theater PC" option. Or adjust the display via your graphics card within PC mode?

(Not saying you're wrong. I don't have a 5 series. But I'm just curious...)
 
What "home theater PC" option? You either select "PC" and get extremely weak color and contrast, and no controls left or you accept the processing (every other naming option turns on processing) and live with slightly blurry text. It was no choice for me. I went with processing on. BTW I got about the same lag either way.

Personally I don't like mucking with the graphics card controls. I had a bad experience trying to do this with my 8800GT and Dell 3007-HC. If you have to resort to graphics card tweaks with any monitor, you are likely going to have issues IMO, unless it is very minor.

What I saw needed a lot more than minor tweaks. YMMV.

The slight blurring on color text is irrelevant because I don't sit close enough to see it anyway.
 
Riptide_NVN said:
Guess it's the lesser of two evils and it depends on what problem you are going to hate the most.

Based on what you guys are saying I think the viewing angle issues are going to bug me less. Text needs to be perfectly clear or it will absolutely drive me insane.
Click to expand...

Sharp text at 1920x1080 is the most important thing for me!!!!! So that takes the Panasonic out of the running....looks like a Samsung is my next best bet....or get my Westy fixed/replaced.

edit: crappy text on the samsung as well? Jeesh....my Westy has nice, crisp text. Looks like I might need to get it fixed.
 
Snowdog said:
What "home theater PC" option? You either select "PC" and get extremely weak color and contrast, and no controls left or you accept the processing (every other naming option turns on processing) and live with slightly blurry text. It was no choice for me. I went with processing on. BTW I got about the same lag either way.

Personally I don't like mucking with the graphics card controls. I had a bad experience trying to do this with my 8800GT and Dell 3007-HC. If you have to resort to graphics card tweaks with any monitor, you are likely going to have issues IMO, unless it is very minor.

What I saw needed a lot more than minor tweaks. YMMV.

The slight blurring on color text is irrelevant because I don't sit close enough to see it anyway.
Click to expand...

On my older set, 4065F, you have to switch it to "home theater pc" or the details menu is totally greyed out...

Looked at the manuals...On the newer 5 & 6 series, it looks like the following controls are available in the detail menu, without such a switch, FWIW -- dynamic contrast, gamma, and white balance...

(Sharpness, color, and tint, are not available of course, but I assume they would be from the video software...)

Back when I was trying out sets, the default color of the 71F for pc use was not quite right either compared to the 65F. Maybe it's at the whim of the firmware authors or some such thing...
 
paranoyd said:
If sharp text is important then the Westy is your only option. I've been through a lot of sets and they all fail in this regard... The 30" is too small and that .25 dot pitch is way too microscopic for text (my eye sight is perfectly fine).

I've been through a lot of monitors/HDTV sets and as it stands now the Westy is the perfect monitor.
Click to expand...


Well....I am gonna keep this beast then it looks like, and get this one fixed. Or get it refunded on my Amex and get the 42" version....
 
Well in the end I made a different choice than I was considering earlier. Instead of getting the A550 or the Panny I decided to go back to the Sony. However I went with the 37XBR6 instead of the 32.

So far so good. The PQ seems to be a step up over my old 37W3. This display was more expensive than the Samsung or the Panasonic but it seemed a bit less of a risk to me considering how nice the 32XBR6 was.

Hopefully I can be happy with it. IMO the 40XBR6 sucked for a computer display. The 40" and higher models use a different panel and both displays I had showed some really strange text artifacts that were driving me nuts. Plus some stuck red pixels. I've read the 40 was a better panel but IME the opposite seems to be true. At least for computer usage.
 
As with any LCD, I'd suggest giving it thorough workouts during your return policy. Pixels, uniformity (especially "clouding" during dark scenes), text, etc., etc...

And making sure you can turn off its dynamic and auto-dim features...(the auto-dim, which dimmed the display even with other dynamic functions off, was a previous challenge for PC use. However, I think someone mentioned it could be defeated now...)
 
paranoyd said:
If sharp text is important then the Westy is your only option. I've been through a lot of sets and they all fail in this regard... Sony, Sharp (the worst), Toshiba, LG, etc. The only sets I have not tried is the Samsung's. At the time I could not get over their ugly cabinets but I would buy one now in a heartbeat if they produced sharp clear text.

My current Westy replaced an old 1080p 37" Digimate and these are the only sets I have ever seen that produced clear sharp text. They had one major thing in common and that was zero video processing on their digital interfaces.

Manufactures have been talking about television/computer convergence for years but I have yet to see it. Slapping on a VGA port doesn't count. I would not even entertain the idea of using VGA, let this interface die already. I just wish standard computer monitors were sold at these large sizes. The 30" is too small and that .25 dot pitch is way too microscopic for text (my eye sight is perfectly fine).

I've been through a lot of monitors/HDTV sets and as it stands now the Westy is the perfect monitor.
Click to expand...

Odd, my sharp aquos 37" has crystal clear text. I'm posting from it right now. Though I do use HDMI instead of the VGA input.
 
@SH1

Oh believe me if anything pops up in the next 29 days that I can't live with then I will take it back. I don't expect perfection from an LCD panel - even a Sony. A dead pixel or two is fine with me as long as they aren't in a spot I can't handle. Backlight uniformity must be good but even then I don't expect perfection.
 
Riptide_NVN said:
Well in the end I made a different choice than I was considering earlier. Instead of getting the A550 or the Panny I decided to go back to the Sony. However I went with the 37XBR6 instead of the 32.

So far so good. The PQ seems to be a step up over my old 37W3.
Click to expand...

This is interesting. I went through every new Sony set at a Sony store several months back. Hooked up my computer over DVI to the XBR's and the V/W/Z series in the 40" range. I could only get decent text in "Photo" mode but even then text felt like it was ultra bold. It wasn't bad but not as crisp as the Westy. Also I can't remember if the XBR's did this but the V/W/Z series sets would auto dim without being able to turn it off, it made the sets unusable as a monitor even if the text was clear. So with the XBR side by side with your Westy, text sharpness is identical?
 
paranoyd said:
I've been through a lot of monitors/HDTV sets and as it stands now the Westy is the perfect monitor.
Click to expand...

That's what I used to think too.

Till it just "died" randomly out of the blue.

I'm still in their RMA fiasco, and I am never buying a Westinghouse product, ever again.

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1366392

After all, why should I?

Value ? No fucking way. I got it for 799, al beit 1-2 years ago, but I would have much rather spent extra for a LG/Samsung/Sharp if it wouldn't die on me like that, so quick.

It just decided to oopps invert all my colors one day.

Customer Service? What a joke. Read my thread if yours ever dies and to save yourself the hassle of wanting to kill yourself for being in their RMA process.

That westinghouse is FAR from the "perfect monitor".
 
saedrin said:
Odd, my sharp aquos 37" has crystal clear text. I'm posting from it right now. Though I do use HDMI instead of the VGA input.
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A friend of mine has a 37" sharp and it's far from crisp, DVI to DVI. No matter what we tried we could never get it to look like the westy. Also threads I've read on avsforum suggest that due to Sharp's pixel layout differing from the standard square screen door pattern doesn't make it a great monitor where text is concerned. I haven't tested the newer sets though so maybe things are different.

Last summer I purchased a 40" Toshiba 350, with the ultra slim bezel, based on comments of how sharp the text was. That would be the last time I bought a set without testing it first because I quickly learned other peoples version of sharp isn't the same as mine :). I returned the Toshiba.
 
Several things are at work:

You definitely can't trust other peoples definition of sharp.

There are many panel types with many pixel structures. There is no consistency in the industry which manufacturer uses which panel and it change model to mode and even within panels (ie A panel lotto). Some of these structures aren't the best for displaying text.

The big one remains processing and the degree to which it can be defeated. 1:1 or Just scan must be selected, sharpness must be turned OFF. But even then some processing can remain. This kind of thing tends to be manufacturer dependent.

On my samsung it is pretty bad out of the box, but with 1:1 and sharpness at 0. Text is quite good. I only notice issues on colored text. Select "PC" mode and there are no more issues at all, but the picture suffers significantly.
 
I got 3 years out of my Wester 37W3. Vertical banding started showing up on gray backgrounds. Other than that it was still OK. In fact, it looked pretty good for the most part and I wish I had been able to keep it when I got the replacement. The banding wasn't getting much worse over time. But it was enough of an issue I wanted to activate my BB service plan and have it taken care of.

As for the text sharpness on the 37XBR6 - to me it looks as good as it did on the 37W3. Photo mode is a necessity along with setting it to "Full Pixel" mode. Once I set it up like that the text was fine. Leastways to my eyes. Haven't noticed any red text blur on black backgrounds but I've only had it for a couple days now.

The Westinghouse monitors have good PQ over DVI but they don't seem to last very long. Mine had problems within 3 years. A friend of mine had a 37W3 that only made it 1 year before he had to get it replaced - horrible image persistence problems.

Regarding the auto dim functions they are there on the Sony but you can turn it off in the menu system. As far as I can tell so far it is totally defeated.

A note regarding sharpness. If I keep mine at -0- then text quality to me looks a bit fuzzy. I like to keep it turned up to -5-, which is about 15%. That sharpens it up nicely.
 
paranoyd said:
A friend of mine has a 37" sharp and it's far from crisp, DVI to DVI. No matter what we tried we could never get it to look like the westy. Also threads I've read on avsforum suggest that due to Sharp's pixel layout differing from the standard square screen door pattern doesn't make it a great monitor where text is concerned. I haven't tested the newer sets though so maybe things are different.

Last summer I purchased a 40" Toshiba 350, with the ultra slim bezel, based on comments of how sharp the text was. That would be the last time I bought a set without testing it first because I quickly learned other peoples version of sharp isn't the same as mine :). I returned the Toshiba.
Click to expand...

He might have a different screen, I have no DVI input on this TV. Only HDMI, component, the standard shitty stuff, and VGA.
 
Just wanted to mention to you guys. The auto dim function on the Sony XBR6 series. I was wrong. It can't be completely defeated. If you turn the light sensor off that helps a lot but the screen appears to have some sort of built in contrast enhancement that will crank the backlight up and down automatically when transitioning between heavily dark and light scenes. It's a bit of an annoyance and I wish you could shut it off but there is no way that I'm aware of ATM. Luckily this "feature" doesn't seem to come up that often and as such it's livable for me.
 
If you buy a super expensive 26" I would be pissed about any dead pixels but honestly once you go 32" you will sit sufficiently far enough that you probably won't care that much about dead pixels.

I bought retail for both my tvs, first a 47" and second a 32", both of which I used for PC screens at one time or the other, and I honestly didn't care when each had a dead pixel. For the amount I paid I got a huge amount of real estate.

When I bought an NEC 26" I was PISSED when I got a dead pixel and paid $1300 when it first came out.

Location matters too, if its in the top corners its probably the least relevant.
 
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