Monitors vs. Televisions

[jpaul]

Hi, I was wondering what the primary differences are between monitor-style televisions, such as the Westinghouse LVM-37w3, and proper televisions, such as the Sony Bravia XBR line. Specifically, what sorts of things are different about the digital processing hardware (and perhaps the panel/backlight itself)? I am aware of the lack of tuner on the Westinghouse, of course, but I am asking about hardware more than specification comparisons.


What kind of picture quality differences do these differences imply? I was looking very seriously at the Sony XBR line, which is quite expensive, but I then stumbled across the Westinghouse mentioned above, and the 1080p resolution and DVI inputs would make it ideal for a HTPC application, which I anticipate in the coming months. I do wonder, however, about the quality of standard cable and DVD performance relative to the more television-for-the-sake-of-television sony xbr line. Any thoughts?

[Gary McCoy]

A monitor is a good choice for HTPC use. Monitors do not force you to pay for a digital tuner when what you may need is a satellite receiver or a cable box or combination of one of these and a DVR - saving about $300. However, the primary advantage of a 1080p display is the dual-usage nature of it. You can view the 1080p display at 1.5X to 2X the screen width for immersive video experience in a well lighted room, as well as view it at very close range for conventional monitor usage.

The quality of SD programming is as good as the deinterlacer/scaler in the HTPC. I reccomend an analog tuner board and Dscaler software, that's as good as SD gets on any HD-capable display.

The Westinghouse has an appealing price/performance ratio, due to average or slightly above average video performance at a very low price point, for a 1080p monitor. There is no better value as long as it meets your requirements. If you do not have the requirement of closeup computer monitor usage, then a 720p display would perform just as well for video, without the ability to be used as a close computer monitor.

Gary