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What is the resolution of the screen on the primary system you use to access SoylentNews?
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Cum tacent, clamant. When they are silent, they shout. -Cicero
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Immerman on Wednesday March 17 2021, @06:36PM (2 children)
>I find working at 16:9 always missing height, perhaps I simply need a larger monitor
Agreed. I used to use my monitor in portrait mode for programming, just so I could get some decent height. Unfortunately very few screens handle off-axis viewing from above/below very well, so portrait mode means a very narrow "sweet spot" before weird fading kicks in - it's very unpleasant when your eyes are seeing different things.
So I finally went with a bigger screen. A much bigger one: Originally a 40" 1080p TV (serious compromises there), and I'm currently using a 42" 4K TV which works wonderfully. I'd have preferred something a bit smaller - I feel like 35" would probably be about ideal, but that was the smallest 4K screen available at the time. Effectively it's a seamless 2x2 grid of 21" 1080p monitors, delivering over 20" of vertical screen space. Very often I'll use it split-screen - effectively having two nice tall portrait mode screens side by side, with the added bonus of being able to shift space between them as desired. The size can be a little overwhelming, but often I end up centering myself with one side of the screen, leving the other half as a "second monitor" off to one side, and that works much better.
Should anyone be considering such a thing - be aware that most TVs have various issues that make them poorly suited to being used as monitors, so be sure to look at monitor-focussed reviews of the specific brand and model you're considering. There can sometimes even be variation within a given model series. And there are unavoidable compromises to be made - most prominently, lag times. 10ms is astoundingly good for a TV, 60+ms fairly common. So if a 1ms gaming monitor appeals to you, steer clear of TVs.
That said, a couple years ago I did a bunch of research and settled on the TCL 4 series as pretty much the best budget option available. Though Samsung had a very similar option with better color but a narrower viewing range. $200 for a 42" 4K monitor with 15ms lag. Technically HDR, but it's barely brighter than a standard TV - but then TVs tend to be a lot brighter than monitors anyway, and I keep the brightness cranked way down. Haven't regretted it for a minute, and even convinced work to buy me the same screen.
I will say I found a monitor arm a wonderful investment at home as well I can point the same monitor at desk chair, recliner, or sofa depending on what I'm doing (working, gaming, movies) and avoid the need for a separate TV. As well as sometimes tilting it like a drafting table, which provides a good eye workout, and ironically less eye strain from maintaining a fixed depth of focus for long periods. Ignore the screen size recommendations on the arms - you won't find anything but a few ultra-high dollar ones - look at the weight instead. I like to aim for at least 2x my screen's weight for the sake of stability and longevity.
(Score: 2) by lentilla on Friday March 19 2021, @03:13AM (1 child)
I've only ever used televisions as monitors for fun - and they have always been older models. Aside from the lag you mentioned, what worried me was the amount of heat coming off the screen - it felt like my face was being irradiated! (Before you ask: they were LCD technology; not plasma; which would probably give me a nice tan!) Do you find heat to be an issue?
The other, other thing to keep in mind is overscan. (Where the bezel covers some pixels at left, right, top and bottom.) As I mentioned above, I've only used older televisions, so this might be a non-issue given that nobody uses VCRs or analogue television anymore which necessitated overscan.
A television as a monitor is definitely something worth looking in to, so thanks for the suggestions and commentary. I'll have to build a new desk - my current setup fits neatly into a corner with the monitor floating above the desk suspended by arms attached to the walls. A larger monitor means I'll have to move further out of the corner so the increased width can fit. Such is life - nothing lasts forever!
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Friday March 19 2021, @02:17PM
My old 3+" thick Samsung put off a fair amount of heat - presumably mostly from the old CCFL backlight. My TCL is considerably cooler - it uses the newer LED backlighting and is rated at 85W, but I have power-saving (=backlight brightness - tinker with how that and contrast/brightness interact) cranked pretty high so it's probably closer to 2/3 that, and most of it vents out the back. I can still feel it shining on my face, but I have to pay attention unless it's already pretty hot in the room. It's a big flat lightbulb - that light will unavoidably heat up what it's shining on.
But I also find I sit a lot further away unless I'm working on something that requires focus - e.g. right now I'm in my recliner where I can just reach the screen with my toes, with a wireless keyboard and mouse on a lap desk rather than using the wired versions sitting on my desk: don't be afraid of multiples - just make sure the cat (or partner) doesn't have access to the wireless mouse while you're working with the other.
For a long time I had the TV mounted in a homemade entertainment center designed to accomodate a wall-mounted arm, with the PC hidden away on a shelf behind the TV, and connected to a small rolling desk that could tuck away underneath by a long USB cable - actually an extension cable plus the USB-hub cable, mechanically secured at either end so that any tripping would cause the cable to break away neatly in the middle rather than damaging the ports. With a curtain to hide the desk when tucked away, you'd never know there was a computer there at all.
I've never had any issue with overscan - with an LCD display the pixels are in a fixed location, so that'd mostly be the result of shoddy manufacturing.
I will say, plan to spend some time tinkering with the TV settings to really get the best experience. Make sure it knows it's being used as a PC monitor, or it'll likely look terrible due to image "enhancement". My old Samsung had terrible halos around text that resisted all attempts to fix with picture adjustments and nearly drove me to despair, until I stumbled across an online comment saying to set the source name to PC. No mention that that was anything but a cosmetic choice in the manual, which described everything else in detail.
Another big one for the TCL - you can set which source it defaults to when powered on. I think it defaults to antenna, and you don't want to have to cycle through sources every time. Game mode if it has it reduces lag to a minimum (and often disables more "enhancements" as well)
Oh, one last thought for a TV on an arm - I finally found a simple and secure way to mount decent speakers to the TV so they'd always be pointing in the right direction: a thin piece of wood (1+1/2" x 1/2"?) a bit longer than the TV is wide, balanced along the top bezel TV, with the speakers screwed on (I unscrewed the bases) to hang down beside the top of the TV in the world's fattest "T". A little black velcro tape wrapped over the TVs top bezel near the sides, with matching tape wrapped around the board, keeps it from falling off. I'm a big fan of velcro tape on the back of the TV for cable management, switch boxes, Raspberry Pi's, etc., but it never worked well for actually supporting the protruding weight of the speakers. With the board supporting the weight, the velcro only has to provide stability. Oh, and personally I tend to put the hook side of the velcro on the TV - looks cleaner, engages nicely with quality double-sided velcro cable wraps (not so much the ultra-thin style that comes in rolls), and doesn't wear out over time and need to be replaced the way the fuzzy side does.