Computer monitor as a TV? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Computer monitor as a TV?

perferd

Well-known member
So the wife and I are taking in another kid which means she will be living in our computer room. Now the computer is going into our room and the wife has always wanted a TV in here which got me thinking can we use a computer monitor as a TV screen?

Right now we have an old smaller iMac but I'm cool with getting something new and different in order to fit our needs.

Can this work or make sense? Btw we use fire TV and a fire stick...
 
With the right TV, you can use it as a computer monitor. I currently use sony x720e and x750f primarily as 4k monitors. Both have amazon prime and netflix built in (a long with more smart TV crap that I never use).

If you arent buying the cheapest monitor at the box store, many have muliple inputs including hdmi in and you could plug in your fire stick. This would likely be the cheapest way forward if you want 24" or so. As screen size climbs, monitor prices climb much faster than TV prices (for some valid reasons, but for my use case not worthwhile).
 
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Monitors and TVs are pretty much the same technology these days. The monitor will have fewer inputs types (very likely no component video) and the viewing angle is optimized for head-on viewing, whereas the TV will have a wider viewing angle. TVs also have built-in speakers and tuner. If this isnt a problem for you, then I don't see why you couldn't use a monitor as a TV.
 
Hopefully the monitor has an audio-out jack, then you can buy a cheap soundbar and plug your firestick into an Hdmi outlet and voila.

Otherwise you'll have to use your computer to access amazon or whatever other streaming service you use via a web browser... if you have an expensive graphics hard it might have an hdmi in that would allow you to plug your firestick into that, not sure...
 
They stopped selling televisions years ago. Television was analog.
They are are all digital monitors now.

Get one with at least 2 HDMI inputs, run sound off the computer sound card and you'll need a cordless keyboard/mouse.
 
Get one with at least 2 HDMI inputs, run sound off the computer sound card and you'll need a cordless keyboard/mouse.
How will he run sound from the computer sound card? As far as I know, firesticks do not have an audio-out jack - their hdmi connector is the only option.

Once again boils down to if you're going to use your PC, you don't need the firestick.
 
How will he run sound from the computer sound card? As far as I know, firesticks do not have an audio-out jack - their hdmi connector is the only option.

Once again boils down to if you're going to use your PC, you don't need the firestick.

Possibly ARC, but I'm not sure you can do that (eg. firestick in to HDMI1, audio through ARC back through HDMI2 to computer). Otherwise, most tv's (and many monitors) give you headphone out which could easily connect to a speaker system. A 'TV' will be easier to make work for the OP than a monitor as the speakers are built in, but both can work.

OP, if you are going to use a TV as a monitor, not all work satisfactorily. You could do all the research and figure out 4:4:4 color sampling or you can just choose something from here https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best/by-usage/pc-monitor . It looks like they limited their scope to 4K though so that may not be in the budget you want.
 
Right now we have an old smaller iMac but I'm cool with getting something new and different in order to fit our needs.

Can this work or make sense? Btw we use fire TV and a fire stick...

I guess we should confirm exactly what you want to do - quoting your original post it seems you have an iMac that you want to watch TV on? Well the firestick is basically a very scaled down iMac, so ignore the firestick from your equation and just use your iMac to watch amazon or netflix.

If you want a larger screen than the iMac, just buy a bigger screen and plug it into your iMac. If you really want to use your firestick or fire tv for some reason, then yes, make sure to buy a monitor that has multiple hdmi inputs and also an audio out jack.

(this also assumes the iMac is powerful enough to play amazon or netflix in a browser!!)
 
I wasnt really sure as I'm not good with any of this stuff lol.

All I know is wife wants a TV in the room and now we have to move our 21" iMac in with us but that's pretty small especially from the bed. I figured maybe a new computer with a bigger monitor but it sounds like just getting another TV is the best option. I dont know how it will look hanging on the wall directly over the iMac screen cause that's where it would have to go...
 
Go with a tv and a cheap HDMI in/out receiver. Plug the firestick into the receiver input and hdmi out to the tv.
 
The monitor will have fewer inputs types (very likely no component video) TVs also have built-in speakers and tuner. If this isnt a problem for you, then I don't see why you couldn't use a monitor as a TV.

I have 2 LG monitors on my desk. Both have built in tuners/speakers, and have HDMI, coax, RGB, AV, component, and USB inputs, so the do all monitors are out there.
 
I have 2 LG monitors on my desk. Both have built in tuners/speakers, and have HDMI, coax, RGB, AV, component, and USB inputs, so the do all monitors are out there.

Truthfully, it sounds like you have a TV on your desk.

Not *ALL* monitors have all those inputs, speaker and tuners.

In fact, here's one LG that doesn't:

https://www.lg.com/ca_en/desktop-monitors/lg-32GK650F-B

And I'm sure if you go down the list, most of them will not have the features you listed.
 
my monitor has none of those features, bet you got one of them flat screen looking things.
 

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