New monitors, new resolutions

New monitors, new resolutions... what's the damage?

This probably isn't quite the right spot for this kind of thing—I’m honestly a bit lost on where else to post it—but here goes nothing...
Basically, I could use a little help. I’ve been tasked with putting together a 15-minute presentation about monitors, and then—as if that wasn't enough—I actually have to stand up there and deliver it. So, we're talking general monitor tech, key features, the whole nine yards... if anyone happens to have a link to some solid, deep-dive information that would be a lifesaver. Everything I've stumbled upon so far is incredibly thin on details, and let's be honest, I can't exactly stretch a single sheet of paper into a 15-minute speech without looking ridiculous.
Thanks! 🙂

darkowl72 said:http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=h...f65fa437f6f590
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&biw=1500...f7e4c72d7ffcbe
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=h...f65fa437f6f590
http://www.google.com/#q=how+monitor+...f7e4c72d7ffcbe

Thanks a million!! 👍

So, here’s the deal...

I'm looking to pick up a new monitor, probably spending around $500 max, so if anyone has some solid recommendations, I'm all ears. Also—and this is kind of a newbie question—could someone walk me through how to tell if I can actually hook a TV up to a monitor, or if I can plug one of these specific models into my TV? I'm wondering if I should definitely go with an LED backlit screen and just how much of a difference that actually makes in real life. Most of my time will be spent gaming, but then there's movies... and honestly, if I get something that lets me watch TV, I'll probably just end up bingeing series and films instead... I want something bigger than 22", so I found these three options online. Which one is the winner? Is that price jump of $200-$$100 actually worth it?... or should I just look at a fourth option entirely?

1.http://www.lg.com/us/common/compare/...or%2Findex.jsp

2.http://www.bestbuy.com/multimedia/monitor...cer-v243hqabd/

3.http://www.newegg.com/product_info.php?products_id=7233

If you're going LED, just grab this one:

Or otherwise, check out this one:

Honestly, doesn't matter which one you pick... though maybe go LED since the tech is newer and it comes with 72hrs of AppleCare...

A TV and a monitor aren't the same thing, and you can't just plug them together. Sure, there are monitors with built-in tuners so you can watch shows on them, but I think that's a subpar way to go. The screen quality usually sucks, plus you can only watch live broadcasts—you can't record anything.

It’s much smarter to just get a TV tuner card for your PC; then you can watch or record whatever you want right on your monitor.

Connecting a computer to a TV only makes sense if you're trying to push specific content, like a movie you have saved on your hard drive, onto the big screen. In that case, you'd hook your PC's graphics card directly to the TV...

Thanks man, and hey—I heard somewhere that if I’m running a crappy graphics card, I might get some weird screen tearing or artifacts, kind of like what happens when you don't have your drivers installed or whatever... I'm currently rocking this old card with only 256 MB of VRAM, so I was just wondering if that could actually be the culprit?

A graphics card with 256MB of VRAM isn't exactly ancient history, so everything should run just fine...

And honestly, what kind of damage are we talking about for a decent graphics card, roughly speaking?

How are you watching TV? You using cable or just an antenna?

well, you could always just run it through the antenna 😁
...

😁 antennas come in all sorts of varieties...

If you're just sticking to the basics like ABC, PBS, FOX, or maybe a local news station, then you're looking at standard over-the-air digital TV. You'll need a digital tuner. In that case, you just hook up an antenna to a receiver or grab a cheap DVB-T card, like this one or this one.

Now, if you're getting your TV through one of those cable providers—say, Xfinity, where you get a massive lineup of 30+ channels—and you're just plugging an antenna directly into the TV, then you want something like this.

If you're trying to juggle both setups, look into "hybrid" TV cards...

And honestly, if you're watching via IPTV over the internet, you probably wouldn't even be messing with an antenna in the first place.

ugh, so I'm looking at these DVB-T tuners... basically, if I just grab one of those two options and plug it straight into my PC, I'll be able to record stuff, watch movies, and all that good stuff, right?

Yeah. You just have to install the drivers and the software that comes with the card...

Hey everyone, can I get some advice on a 23" LCD monitor from Best Buy for under $467? I’ve been staring at them... just staring... and honestly, I feel like a total idiot here. I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing or which one would actually be worth the money because I don't know the first thing about specs.

AOC...

Honestly, that AOC monitor is pretty decent—better than most people give it credit for. Between the features they pack in and all the actual user feedback out there, plus that solid 3-year warranty... it's a good call.

http://www.bestbuy.com/index.php?name=...kl=100.332.113
http://techradar.com/articles/aoc-e234...r/10059-1.html
http://alatest.com/reviews/monitor-r...6,29/#overview

darkowl72 said:AOC...

Honestly, that AOC model is actually pretty decent—maybe even better than people give it credit for, depending on how you look at the specs and all the chatter online—plus, you get a solid 3-year warranty, which counts for something...

http://www.amazon.com/index.php?naziv=...kl=100.332.113
http://vr-zone.com/articles/aoc-e234...r/10059-1.html
http://alatest.com/reviews/monitor-r...6,29/#overview

Thanks for the thorough breakdown.

Now I'm just stuck deciding between...

http://www.amazon.com/index.php?naziv=...kl=100.332.080

...and the one you suggested..

So, I'm looking for some advice. Can anyone recommend a 1080p monitor that can handle playing PS3 games smoothly? Also, is there actually a difference between LCD and LED when it comes to quality? Ideally, I want a 24" screen that has built-in speakers and maybe even a TV tuner. My budget is capped at $767. Thanks in advance!

I don't know the first thing about monitors, but I see some experts hanging around here, so I'm looking for some input. Which of these two should I go with? Just a heads-up: my rig is ancient. We're talking a Pentium 4 single-core and a 128MB graphics card... basically a relic.

They might be a bit too much for your GPU and setup, honestly. Since they both have pretty similar specs, I guess it really comes down to what you're working with—I'm not entirely sure about your Dell, but I know the Samsung ones are usually decent enough, so you'll probably just have to make the call yourself.