Using a television as a monitor?

[MaddJon]

So i'm planning my first proper PC build (i've been on a laptop for the last few years) and i don't have a monitor for it, mainly because i have a 24 inch lg tv which i use with my PS4. Would i be ok using the tv as a monitor until i can save up for a good monitor? When i use it as a second screen for my laptop the colours and quality are different so i was thinking an actual monitor might be better?

[Oshino Shinobu]

For general use, it's okay. For gaming, the additional post processing of most TVs in introduce undesirable input delay. 

 

In general, you'll want to use a purpose designed PC monitor for use with a PC. 

[ClobberXD]

2 minutes ago, MaddJon said:

So i'm planning my first proper PC build (i've been on a laptop for the last few years) and i don't have a monitor for it, mainly because i have a 24 inch lg tv which i use with my PS4. Would i be ok using the tv as a monitor until i can save up for a good monitor? When i use it as a second screen for my laptop the colours and quality are different so i was thinking an actual monitor might be better?

It's perfectly alright - it won't harm your equipment or your experience any way!

[Ichi]

Of course a monitor would be better if you want a 'proper' build.

But it will be fine as a temporary solution.

[Lethal Seraph]

It'll be okay but the response time is subpar for optimal gaming esp on heavier titles.

[Torna]

I've done it.  Let's just say it really really makes you appreciate the monitor when you get it. 

[MaddJon]

Thanks for the advice guys, i'll probably stick with it for a while and then upgrade to an actual monitor after i've got the actual pc sorted, it does run at 1080p which is what i'm aiming for but an upgrade to an actual monitor would probably be best

[manikyath]

if the TV was at least okay with your playstation, it's not the high delay garbage people seem to usually think of when talking about wiring a TV up to your PC.

 

it's NOT the low latency kind of display people seem to drool all over, but if you have it already, you may as well stick to it for a while if it means you can get better hardware.

[Jefferson480]

I'm using a 22in tv to. But I have a and anthlon 64 x2, 8gb DDR2 ram,  a dieing GTS 450, a hyper 212 evo,  a plain mobo, and a decent gaming case that was a present to me. So I can't tell the diff. I never played game that run well. 

 

Edited July 18, 2016 by Jefferson480

[Jefferson480]

I'm 15 birthdays on Tuesday. I'm also trying to get a job in cali

[ARikozuM]

13 minutes ago, MaddJon said:

Thanks for the advice guys, i'll probably stick with it for a while and then upgrade to an actual monitor after i've got the actual pc sorted, it does run at 1080p which is what i'm aiming for but an upgrade to an actual monitor would probably be best

You may want to check if your TV supports disabling its postprocessing effects.

[Venator Insontis]

I used a TV for a while as it was what i had on hand and i managed to find and turn on a "Gaming Mode" which drastically reduced the postproccesing on the image. It went from unbearable delay to bearable. I did notice the delay in rhytm games as the display was lagging behind the sound. It ran other titles fine. I suggest you take a look at the TV settings

[Cracklingice]

I used to use a 32" TV back in the day.  That was a bit too big.  It worked just fine though (aside from having to turn my head to see both sides).

[spartaman64]

8 minutes ago, Venator Insontis said:

I used a TV for a while as it was what i had on hand and i managed to find and turn on a "Gaming Mode" which drastically reduced the postproccesing on the image. It went from unbearable delay to bearable. I did notice the delay in rhytm games as the display was lagging behind the sound. It ran other titles fine. I suggest you take a look at the TV settings

i tried to play osu on a tv ... emphasis on tried

[Venator Insontis]

2 minutes ago, spartaman64 said:

i tried to play osu on a tv ... emphasis on tried

Yup. That's how i figured out too

[pwn_intended]

31 minutes ago, MaddJon said:

-snip-

Definitely go into the TV's menu and disable every "feature" that has "auto" or "dynamic" in the name. Also put it into "game" or "PC" picture mode to get the best possible response time.

With that it should perform pretty well, not as good as a good gaming monitor but should be totally playable.

[Jon Jon]

As others have said, be sure to turn off post processing on the TV.

The easiest way to do this, is to just set the TV to "Game Mode".

 

I have an LG Plasma I actually game on, and that's what I have my inputs set to that I only use for gaming.

 

However, it is worth mentioning that LG TVs do have a higher latency with gaming when compared to other TVs in their class, even in Game Mode.

 

However, I use mine fine for playing Overwatch and Destiny on my PS4, and the other games i play from my PC via the Steam Controller.

[nuttysandwich]

2 hours ago, MaddJon said:

So i'm planning my first proper PC build (i've been on a laptop for the last few years) and i don't have a monitor for it, mainly because i have a 24 inch lg tv which i use with my PS4. Would i be ok using the tv as a monitor until i can save up for a good monitor? When i use it as a second screen for my laptop the colours and quality are different so i was thinking an actual monitor might be better?

I use a 32in Samsung 1080p tv as a monitor and i game on it, I see no issues with it. I play games like Rise of the tomb raider, project cars, etc... the only issue i have is that words are a bit blurry on websites and Ms word, but videos and games are perfectly fine.