Hi All - My last TV purchase was a Pioneer Elite 52" a couple of years ago and I love it, I need to add another TV (different room) and use it as a computer monitor as well as a tv. I would want split screen, pip etc. I am looking in the 52" -60" range. I have always believed in "you get what you pay for" and need some opinions on what unit is the top dog out there as far as performance, features and reliability. I probably need 57 to come out and set up all my sets as well.....been meaning to do that for quite a while. :)

Thanks!

Top of the line 3D Panny is probably the first one I would consider.

If you want 52"-60" and use it as a PC monitor, good luck. A 24" LCD monitor typically would have 1920x1200 native resolution (WUXGA), and a high-end 27" would be 2560x1440 (WQHD).

You are talking about doubling the diagonal (from 27" to 54" would put it in your range), which means the number of pixels in each direction would need to be roughly 1.41 times (and more for the 60") to allow a similar level of detail. So you'd need a monitor with over 2000 vertical resolution, and over 3600 horizontal. Even the highest-end TVs are 1080x1024, way, way, way less than what you would need from a computer monitor.

You would have to sit back far enough from it to make that 50-60" look like a 20" and then set your PC's screen resolution to something relatively low (1080x1024 or something close to that).

Bottom line, if you want to get a high-end 24" or really-high-end 27" PC monitor and use that to watch TV, sometimes, it will look awesome. But if you want to get a 50-60" TV monitor and use it for your PC, sometimes, it'll look awesome for movies, and crap for computer use.

Thanks Hugh - I'll go have a look at one. Is it the Viera S2 or VT25 Series?

wprager - So, you are not loving my idea? :D

I have used my 52" Elite as a monitor (can't remember the resolution) and it looks pretty good - or - good enough for me anyways. Will this cause any problems with the set? Thanks

Hugh (or anyone, for that matter), what's the deal with Samsung LED TVs? My sister is in the market (not the high end, though) and she liked what she saw (mind you, this was at COSTCO and I warned her about what TVs look like in showrooms). I never though of Samsung much, but checking the prices they are at the same level as a Sony (same size, similar features, even though the Sony had internet connectivity built in).

Greetings

All the lcd and plasma panels can be used for computer purposes. Send an HDMI out from the computer and display 1920x1080 resolution. No big deal.

I use a 46 inch LCD sony as my primary computer monitor and it works just fine. At 3 feet back, I don't see the pixel structure and since it is for computer use ... what do I care if I see the pixels. :)

Just that if you are intent on computer use, then a plasma might not be the best way to go given the image retention issues especially for computer stuff. A good LCD with back light LED dimming is likely a better way to go. LG lcd THX units have the best viewing angles of all the LCD units on the market at the moment.

regards

Poster posted in the Plasma forum so presumably he was asking what Plasma he should get.

Yes - Plasma is my preferred!

Greetings

do'h ...!!!

Well in that case ... make sure you exercise the TV after computer use

regards

MaxWedge, I was talking the VT series. Spent an hour with one and really was blown away both with 2D and 3D.

Don`t know what you are using this for but I consider this a unit for nice home theatre. Not sure I`d waste the money for use with a computer but that`s just one man`s opinion!

Hugh - It starts with just one mans opinion!

Half the use will be TV - Sports and Movies - The other half PC. During Nascar races I like to put the PC in PIP with the race so I can keep on eye on the live web leaderboard during commercials. I am doing this now with a Dell LCD monitor/HDTV. I also want to hook it up to my antenna (as I have with my other sets) for OTA....just to make Stampeder proud. ;)

Anyway - I just want to buy this once, so I need to get the best I can get going in.

Michael TLV - I'll take it for a few laps around my property after each use! :)

Greetings

Will expand on exercise ... eventhough you know what I mean.

Image retention. Still present and bothersome. If ignored becomes burn in before you know it.

Watch 2 w/s films let's say in a row. 4 hours ... then before you turn off the tV ... find some programming that fills the screen ... and set the sleep timer for 15 to 20 min to remove the effect of the retention.

All done. Ditto if you use the computer a lot on it.

regards

If money were free, I'd get the 58" Panasonic VT25 but since money's hard to come by these days, I'm buying the Panasonic 54" G25 tomorrow.

In my 5-6 years of owning Plasma, I've never needed to do that.

-Mike

You are talking about doubling the diagonal (from 27" to 54" would put it in your range), which means the number of pixels in each direction would need to be roughly 1.41 times (and more for the 60") to allow a similar level of detail.

Most people will sit well farther back from their 54" TV than they would from a 27" computer monitor, so do not need the same pixel density. A 54" plasma displaying a 1920x1080 (1080p) computer image will look just fine.

forget the tv get a faroudja projector!!! that's top quality.

Top of the line 3D Panny is probably the first one I would consider.
Checked one out yesterday - Wow!

I'd seriously consider waiting as glasses free 3d tv is being worked upon pretty feverishly by the major companies right now. Unless you want to be one of those poor souls who early adopts and has a couple grand of 3d glasses laying around with no content to watch it on in the near future.

But these sets do produce a great 2d picture.

The 3D is cool but the 2D is pretty darn nice....which I know is what 98% of my viewing will be.