Ask Engadget: What's the best 40- to 50-inch HDTV with PC inputs?

While we've already seen one particular Engadget HD reader reach out for assistance with finding a niche HDTV, this particular question just screams mainstream. Today's gamer is likely looking for a set that's multifaceted, and Sir Matthew here is no different:

"I'm considering purchasing a 1080p HDTV in the 40- to 50-inch range for use with console gaming and possibly as a PC monitor. I've got about $2,500 to spend, but would prefer to keep it well under that if possible. I'm partial to LCD HDTVs, and whatever set I get must have a couple of HDMI ports and VGA / PC audio inputs."

Picking a TV that plays nice with PC resolutions (or PowerStrip) is crucial, so we'll go ahead and assume this fellow thinks overscan is simply unacceptable. If this here question reminded you of your own quandary, send over an email to ask at engadget dawt com with your inquiry enclosed -- if the robotic overlords manning our email systems deem it worthy, it'll show up in this space in due time.

[Jesse S @ May 8th 2008 6:34PM]

HDMI DVI converter for $10.

There, every HDTV now connects to your PC.

[Jesse S @ May 8th 2008 6:36PM]

Sorry, $12.

http://bluejeanscable.com/store/dvi-cables/index.htm

[ZapBrannigan @ May 8th 2008 6:40PM]

It depends. Most TVs limit you to the "TV resolutions" when you're inputting via HDMI, with or without a DVI converter. By "TV resolutions", I mean

1920x1080p
1920x1080i
1280x720p
720x480p
720x480i

If you want to run non-standard resolutions (say 1368x768 to match the native res), you'll still need a VGA port or at least a PC-compatible DVI port. Most HDMI ports are locked down pretty tight.

[james @ May 8th 2008 6:43PM]

$3.99 Neener, Neener

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812337036

[Jesse S @ May 8th 2008 6:53PM]

TV resolutions? What do you mean?

Computers output 1080p fine. They output any res up to 2560*1600 fine, unless the videocard doesn't support it for some reason.

[Ed Haber @ May 8th 2008 7:25PM]

I recently tried connecting a PC to a Viewsonic 42" LCD HDTV and it couldn't run at 1920x1080.
It maxed out at 1680x1050 on either VGA or HDMI.

A week after we got it Viewsonic released a new display that will handle 1920x1080 over VGA or HDMI.

-Ed

[Zgradis @ May 8th 2008 7:41PM]

I'd have to say to ED, sorry but monitors don't make good tv's and tv's only recently are starting to make good monitors... My friends 32 inch viewsonic is garbage...

[Utkarsh @ May 8th 2008 7:58PM]

Your video resolution is limited by the max resolution of your primary monitor. So if your laptop can only display at 1240X1020, your TV can be 1080p and it wouldn't make a difference. As for the original question, most TVs now days have a VGA input connection. As far as LCDs go, a Samsung or Sony is a good choice. Samsung LNT4661F or LNT4665F are pretty good; and if you search around, you can find a decent price for it (~$1,500).

[ZapBrannigan @ May 8th 2008 8:00PM]

See here for list of resolutions that have beens standardized for TV use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-definition_television

Also see my previous post for an example of why you'd want to use a non-standard resolution...to match the TV's native resolution.

Another example of wanting to run at non-standard resolutions is for gaming. Some games only support the more common non-widescreen resolutions such as 1600x1200 or 1024x768.

Two major manufacturers who don't allow non-standard resolutions on the HDMI input are Sony and Panasonic. I know because I have a Panny plasma and a Sony LCD that won't accept 1680x1050 on the HDMI input. The Panny shows a blank screen and the Sony says "out of range".

I suggest the OP check the back of the manual before putting down $1000+ for a TV. My manuals actually do state the supported resolutions on the HDMI port.

Also, I suggest the OP check out www.avsforum.com. The user base there is significantly more technical and would likely have the answer you're seeking.

[Jesse S @ May 8th 2008 8:03PM]

Zap, so why don't you just output 1920*1080p? I haven't seen a videocard that can't do that resolution in years and years.

My 60" LCoS (rear-projection) Sony TV supports computers just fine.

[nec @ May 8th 2008 8:05PM]

DVI to HDMI isn't the solution. In fact, if you had paid attention, it probably won't work for this user. You are assuming that user has a DVI port on the computer, when he stated it must have "VGA / PC audio inputs."

I had this same problem as my laptop only had a VGA output. I eventually went with a Samsung LCD.

[conor @ May 9th 2008 3:09PM]

any av receiver should do fine at converting the video.

[kerunt @ May 9th 2008 4:25PM]

Utkarsh,

Resolution limited by the "primary monitor"? What?

I've got a PC with two LG 19" Widescreen monitors each running at 1440x900. I've also got a 42" Sharp QUOS 42LD64U TV hooked up to the same computer, running at 1920x1080p. One of my monitors is set to be the "primary" one.

Resolution is limited by your video card's capabilities, not your other monitors/displays.

[Chris @ May 8th 2008 6:38PM]

Buy any samsung with 120 hertz and 1080p, you wont be disappointed!

[timmah! @ May 8th 2008 6:51PM]

I second the Samsung 120hz comment, they are some of the most spectacular displays I have ever seen. The only complaints I have ever heard on these is it makes things "too real" and for those people you can just turn off the 120hz. You can find both of them at Newegg.com within your price range.

40":
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889102208

and

46":
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889102161

[argystu @ May 8th 2008 6:59PM]

Love the samsung! - i have the 46" model (ln-t4671f). No regrets.

[David @ May 8th 2008 8:04PM]

I have the Samsung LNT4665F 46" 1080p LCD HDTV, and then bought a KINGWIN ADP-02 HDMI Female (19 pin) to DVI-D Male (24+1 pin) Adapter to connect to my Dell. I am getting a clearer picture on my TV from my desktop than the dell monitor that came with it. Watching DVD's on it is amazing. Buy the newer Samsung 46" 120hz and you will be stunned.

[Brad @ May 8th 2008 8:52PM]

As a VERY proud owner of a Samsung 120hz (52A650 model) I can say that they are truly gorgeous.

However: You can not run them in 120hz mode on VGA signals. The VGA processor is limited to 60hz and the 120hz oversample mode is disabled on VGA. However, one of the converters mentioned early on is a DVI-HDMI adapter. If you have a DVI port you can run through the HDMI and then have all the 120hz you desire! That's what I did.

[Brad @ May 8th 2008 8:52PM]

As a VERY proud owner of a Samsung 120hz (52A650 model) I can say that they are truly gorgeous.

However: You can not run them in 120hz mode on VGA signals. The VGA processor is limited to 60hz and the 120hz oversample mode is disabled on VGA. However, one of the converters mentioned early on is a DVI-HDMI adapter. If you have a DVI port you can run through the HDMI and then have all the 120hz you desire! That's what I did.

[Brad @ May 8th 2008 8:52PM]

As a VERY proud owner of a Samsung 120hz (52A650 model) I can say that they are truly gorgeous.

However: You can not run them in 120hz mode on VGA signals. The VGA processor is limited to 60hz and the 120hz oversample mode is disabled on VGA. However, one of the converters mentioned early on is a DVI-HDMI adapter. If you have a DVI port you can run through the HDMI and then have all the 120hz you desire! That's what I did.

[JLTate @ May 8th 2008 9:17PM]

@timmah!
I wanted to buy my LN40A650 from the 'Egg (because they rock), but it was $250 cheaper at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-LN40A650-40-inch-1080p-120Hz/dp/B0014175NE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1210293145&sr=8-1
$1556 w/ free shipping.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ May 8th 2008 10:02PM]

Forget all that you know about Plasma TV's. They are now about the same price as LCD yet provide superior picture. With plasma, burn in is a trivial issue. It takes several days of displaying a static non moving image, before you see any signs of burn in. It's actually easier to burn a CRT than a modern plasma, especially PANASONIC or Pioneer, they make great gaming displays and work as decent computer monitors with their deep blacks and fast response times.

Whay anyone would want LCD is beyond me. LCDs do suffer from stuck pixels, motion blur, poor colour, poor contrast, and poor black levels; all of those elements are cirtical to a decent moving image and LCD fails at all metrics. LCD back lights can consume lots of energy and may burn out after just a few years of service leaving you with a $400-600 repair bill. With that in mind, I recommend Panasonic's 50 inch TH-50PZ80U Plasma with anti-reflective filter for $2,200. For a few hundred more or two hundred over budget (2,700), you can step up to the Mercedes of HDTV's, the Pioneer Kuro PDP-5010FD. If you don't believe me, head over to your nearst Kuro Dealer and see for your self.

Buying Information:
http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/shop/Televisions/VIERA-174;-Plasma-HDTVs/model.TH-50PZ80U_11002_7000000000000005702
http://www.google.com/products?q=TH-50PZ80U&oe=utf-8&scoring=p

resellerratings.com/store/Plasma_Connection_Invision_Technologies_ITC

[I Heart Sony More Than Your Life @ May 9th 2008 2:26AM]

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665153951

This is what i have and it blows that samsung out of the water... : P

[I Heart Sony More Than Your Life @ May 9th 2008 2:31AM]

@brad...
Sorry brad but the 120hz is in the tv. it doesn't matter how you have it hooked up even if it is with a coaxial. If you look at monster cables they advertise some hdmi cables to do the 120hz because its a marketing scheme.
do some research...
www.avsforum.com

[Alex Kirby @ May 9th 2008 4:54AM]

I have a 23 inch samsung with vga connector but when I conneected my pc it would black out and turn on again whenever I changed screens. Which as you realise is most of the time. And this is the high end range with 1080i

[El Taco @ May 11th 2008 10:39PM]

I am sure the samsung is great and all, but this guy needs an HDTV with VGA, not DVI. I am in the same situation and find it annoying that everyone skips this fact.

[Luke @ May 18th 2008 7:04PM]

Well my Samsung 26" has a VGA port but your going to get a better picture if you just upgrade the graphics card to one that has DVI so you could run DVI to HDMI and have a better picture. duh. El taco why don't you think...

[Ivan Tse @ May 8th 2008 6:44PM]

Picking the right TV for this situation is important. I have a Westinghouse TX-42F430S, i know its no where near the best TV, but it displays text beautifully. I had a Vizio before and i've seen Sharp Aqous' with a PC attached and i gotta say, not impressed at all. The text is pixelated and blocky. i can't really explain how it looks, you'll have to go see for yourself.

Also, you don't need a DVI->HDMI converter. just get a DVI->HDMI cable. You can get them for under 10 bucks shipped from monoprice. Look around the net. HDMI is DVI in just another form factor minus the audio.

[Ric Kaysen @ May 8th 2008 6:44PM]

One of the first things I did when I brought home a 46 inch 1080p Sony Bravia, was hook it up to one of my computers. My PS3 provided connection to the net, but the whole experience was unsatisfying. The resolution just wasn't usable for apps or surfing at the distances one would sit away from a screen that size. Games and HDTV look great, but the extra computer is back in the closet.

[yui @ May 8th 2008 10:55PM]

I have a 1080p Bravia too. I just planning to purchase a Vaio TP1 or Mac Mini and connect to it...
In this case I should use DVI --> HDMI instead of VGA
I really can't understand why Bravia XBR does not come with a DVI port...

[Luke @ May 18th 2008 7:05PM]

@ yui... DVI is an older connection which doesn't contain audio. sony won't invest several thousand on R&D and place a old connector in a bad ass tv. i have the Sony Kdl52xbr4 and it is an amazing tv.

If sony put DVI inputs into the XBR series
its like
Granite table tops in a trailer
or
a boner in sweatpants

stuff that should not happen.

[james @ May 8th 2008 6:46PM]

oops, wrong one. $4.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812226016

[Sam Zebian @ May 8th 2008 6:48PM]

Pioneer Kuro series are nice, but idk if they are pc compatible

[Mike D @ May 8th 2008 7:19PM]

Then why reply?

[Douglas Brace @ May 8th 2008 7:38PM]

The person asking the question also said that they are partial to LCD. Pioneer only makes plasma and only for the time being.

[Nick @ May 8th 2008 6:49PM]

Go for the panasonic 42inch 1080p plasma (PANASONIC TH-42PZ85U). You can get it for under 1500 bucks. The Panasonic panels are used all over Vegas and other commercial facilities and are known for a long (70,000 hour) panel life and fantastic pixel shifting technology to prevent burn in.

[Mike Cerm @ May 8th 2008 7:00PM]

Don't get a Panasonic plasma for use with a computer. Every Panasonic Plasma I know of has overscan that you cannot disable. I'd check to see if this is the case with their newest sets, but I'm pretty sure it is.

You can adjust the picture size using your video card drivers, but you'll never get 1:1 pixel-mapping, so text will always suck on a Panasonic Plasma. If you're only going to be using it for Media Center purposes, it's fine, but not if you're going to be using it like a regular monitor for any amount of time.

[Mark @ May 8th 2008 7:22PM]

I have the Panasonic TH-46PZ85U and hooked my desktop up.

The TV has a dedicated VGA input (with audio jack) for PC's. The resolution is awesome!!

Trust me...you will not be disapointed with this TV. I am only disapointed I could not wait to buy it....Now $100 less than when I bought it 5 weeks back.

[Edward @ May 8th 2008 7:43PM]

As an owner of this tv, I would suggest to get a LCD.
The plasma gets burn in quite quickly, I tried this by installing linux on the PS3, man, I could see the firefox icon in a few minutes...

-Edward

[Alan @ May 9th 2008 4:36PM]

I picked up my TH-42PZ85U a few days ago and can report that it does 1:1 @ 1920 x 1080 flawlessly (DVI to HDMI). I upgraded from an old 32" Samsung LCD and couldn't be happier!

[Mike D @ May 9th 2008 12:42PM]

I'm lovin the (calibrated) Sharp LC-46SE94U. Really thin as well, at 3.5 inches. Also, the bezel design is extremely original.

VGA input does UXGA @ 60hz.

[Mike @ May 8th 2008 6:53PM]

I would go with the Samsung LN46A650 46-inch. It is about $2,000 at Amazon.com. CNet made it their editor's choice LCD TV.

[zenmastergoose @ May 8th 2008 7:18PM]

I bought a 42" LG LCD (42LB5D, 60hz, 1080p). I'm no expert on this but I think it looks unbelievable for TV, movies, and gaming (HDMI-Xbox 360). It has a really wide viewing angle and I love the colors. It also was one of the top ten TVs according to PCWorld. I use the RGB input for the PC and it looks good to my eyes. I agree with Ric though, even after tweeking firefox and my pc settings, text and graphics are just too small at higher resolutions and I set it to a lower resolution just to make it usable (sitting about 6 foot away). With the budget you mentioned you can get this TV (now almost sub-$1000) and still get a nice laptop to use for a home pc!

[Drbasa @ May 8th 2008 6:58PM]

Go With The Sony KDL-40W4100, It is full 1080P and Also has 120Hz. Only 1900 Bucks, and of course you can never go wrong with a Sony. Also 4 HDMI ports.

[illured @ May 8th 2008 7:00PM]

I use Sony 46XBR4 connected via DVI-to-HDMI adapter to ATI Radeon HD 3450. Works perfectly fine at 1920x1080.

[Brad Backofen @ May 8th 2008 7:01PM]

Personally I'd go with a 47" Westinghouse 1080p LCD (Westinghouse LVM-47w1 - http://www.westinghousedigital.com/details.aspx?itemnum=59). My roommate uses a 37" 1080p LCD as his primary computer monitor and has never had a problem with it. Connects beautifully with either DVI or HDMI and it's pretty much plug-and-play.

I've seen this display on sale for around $1200. So if you're ready to throw down $2500, I'd get this display and spend the rest on some nice home theater audio gear.

[paulm @ May 9th 2008 1:47PM]

my 42inch westinghouse LCD does 1920x1080 and is amazing.. 2xdvi, 2xcomp, 2xhdmi. awesome PC display.
best investment i've ever made and i think i paid $899 for it on sale at newegg.

[dave @ May 8th 2008 7:01PM]

Samsung LN52A650 for $2530 with free shipping from Amazon.

[wslcrew @ May 8th 2008 7:03PM]

The lab that I'm working at just got Sharp Aquos 42" LCD tv for the new workstation. It's quite thin and can easily be mounted to a wall. We paid $1299 last December so it should be little cheaper by now.

We have two 19" monitors in addition to this TV and we primarily use it to display graphics from lab measurements. One thing we found out was that 42" HDTVs are too big to be used only as a primary display. The eyes will quickly get tired and you will feel dizzy. Therefore, you will either want to get a PC monitor in addition to TV or a wireless keyboard and mouse so that you can see the TV far away.

[Madoc @ May 8th 2008 7:03PM]

I have a 50" Samsung DLP HL-T5705S. 2 HDMI ports plus the PC input. I know it's not LCD and purely flat, but it has virtually zero blur effect for video games and TV. It is also super light and easy to move.

I post only because you can find really good deals on them (Samsung stopped making the model). I got mine for $800.