[John151]

I am setting up a work station in the basement, thought it might make sense to get a 1080P TV instead of a monitor.  Specifically, I was thinking of a "smart" TV with built in WiFI (such as the VIZIO M322i-B1 32-Inch 1080p Smart LED TV) so it could be used for w/o the computer or any cabling or other hardware.

 Most of the small TVs are 720P until you get up to 28" or 32".  Just wondering how large is too large for serious work while sitting at a desk? 

Any input on this topic will be greatly appreciated. 

[WGH]

Although you can use a computer monitor as a TV, using a TV as a computer monitor, especially for serious work (whatever that is) is a real bad idea.

Read this --> it makes more sense than anything I could write --> http://lifehacker.com/5884040/is-it-okay-to-use-an-hdtv-as-a-computer-monitor

A good 27" IPS monitor will have a native resolution of 2560 x 1400, go larger and text will get real small.
http://pcmonitors.info/articles/2560-x-1440-vs-1920-x-1080/

[xr2]

It all depends on your view distance.  I've been using an HDTV as my main monitor for years (first a 37 in, then a 55 in).  I do this for several reasons.  First, I'm trying to put off needing glasses as long as possible and want to stare at something for than a couple feet away.  The other is they I can sit in a comfortable recliner instead of an office chair or use a computer while on my treadmill.

If you want a little extra distance, then go for it.  If you want to sit at a typical distance, 32in will seem huge.  Also make sure you get a tv with a game mode.  Nothing like visible lag with every mouse movement to make life difficult.

[John151]

especially for serious work (whatever that is) is a real bad idea.

By serious work I mean sitting down for hours at a time and working on the computer.  IMHO, prolonged durations working on the computer require that ergonomics and what not are as good as possible to prevent head aches, neck aches, fatigue, etc. 

[John151]

It all depends on your view distance.  I've been using an HDTV as my main monitor for years (first a 37 in, then a 55 in).  I do this for several reasons.  First, I'm trying to put off needing glasses as long as possible and want to stare at something for than a couple feet away.  The other is they I can sit in a comfortable recliner instead of an office chair or use a computer while on my treadmill.

If you want a little extra distance, then go for it.  If you want to sit at a typical distance, 32in will seem huge.  Also make sure you get a tv with a game mode.  Nothing like visible lag with every mouse movement to make life difficult.

I will be sitting in a task chair at a desk (with a key board tray) so not very far away - this is the root of my question  - how large will just be too large or weird.  I also don't want too tall as that will cause neck pain (from looking up).  I already set up one computer work station in the past that had a monitor too high up - that was awful. 

I was not aware of the game mode.  Thanks for that tip.

The one challenge when looking in the stores is the 24" monitors look tiny since they are surrounded by huge TVs and up high on a shelf.  This really makes it hard to get a feel for the size. 

Currently leaning towards just getting a quality 24"  monitor and nixing the idea of mixed usage. 

[machine]

I'm a developer and sit all day at a desk in front of a 39" Seki 4k HDTV I picked up for ~ $500.
Only does 30Hz refresh, but for non-game stuff works great.
People also complained about mouse lag, but I don't see it/it doesn't bother me.
It should do 60Hz refresh in lower resolutions which many people use for gaming.

My office computer had 2 Dell 30" 2560 x 1600 monitors which also worked great if you have the space.
Since working from home, those monitors have gone AWOL and I now have 2 x 21" dells!

[John151]

After researching countless monitors and spinning my wheels, I got frustrated and just purchased a nice 24" monitor with speakers (ASUS VX238H). 

[John151]

After researching countless monitors and spinning my wheels, I got frustrated and just purchased a nice 24" monitor with speakers (ASUS VX238H, 1080p, 2 HDMI ports).

[Phil A]

My main PC has a 25.5 inch monitor (which also has a built in TV tuner) and I sit about 2 feet away.  I have a 22 inch monitor on the back-up computer.  I prefer a bigger monitor.

[JLM]

Questions for the I.T. gurus:

I look at full sized architectural plans at work that includes a need to view two at the same time and we're investigating doing it on computer, all using PDFs via special software that adds features we need.  So far the proposal is going along the lines of two 42 inch screens (plus a normal sized screen for text work).  Viewing distance would be roughly 18 - 30 inches (inside typical cubicles).  Does that make sense?  Are there monitors available that size?  Currently we're using networked laptops (3 year old nondescript Dells) and the word is they'd be able to support all three monitors, is that possible?  Wouldn't the file sizes for a project that often run 100 drawings but could run 1,000 drawings be huge?  Reportedly the budget for all this is huge too (in the neighborhood of $50,000 per workstation for hardware/software).  Note that "real" CAD software is very complex, not easy to use, is constantly being updated (like all software, whether it needs to be or not), and varies significantly between vendors - thus the simple/secure PDF format approach.

Fortunately I'll be retired before all this will come to pass, but still curious.