Can You Use A TV As A Computer Monitor?

You can connect your computer to the monitor through HDMI, VGA, or DP ports. So, if your TV has one of these ports, you can easily use it as a computer monitor.

However, there are a few factors that determine if it is a good option for you. For instance, replacing your monitor with TV is generally preferred if you wish to watch movies and stream content from your PC. But, it can be problematic to play games and do graphic designing jobs unless your TV has a higher refresh rate and response time.

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Things to Consider Before Using TV as a Computer Monitor

There are a few factors you need to consider that will help you decide whether to use a TV as a computer monitor or not. Let’s discuss some of the vital factors in brief.

Portability of TV

When it comes to portability, monitors are far more portable than TVs. You can adjust the computer monitors easily with respect to your viewing position and distance. But, the size and dimensions of the TV make it difficult to change its position. However, you can use VESA mounting adapters to adjust the position of your TV easily.

Likewise, as the TVs have a larger screen size, you need to sit at a distance from them. If you position yourself too near the TV screen, it can result in eye strain.

Therefore, if you are not among the ones who frequently need to adjust the monitor position, you can use TVs as a monitor.

Pixel Density Issues

Pixel density means the number of pixels per inch (PPI) on the display panel. TVs have a lower PPI than monitors, which makes the images on the TV screen blurry and fuzzy while you watch it from a distance.

Let us take an example. The number of pixels in a full HD monitor is 1920×1080. And it is the same for a full HD TV. And let the monitor size be 24” and the TV is 43”. So, when we divide the number of pixels by the size of the display panel, we get a higher PPI in monitors while a lower PPI in TVs.

Fewer pixels per inch means the image quality will degrade drastically. Therefore, a TV with a PPI value of more than 90 is preferred if you are into graphic-intensive tasks.

Resolution Mismatch Issues

When you view the contents of your PC on a TV, chances are there that the resolution set in the PC does not match the TV’s resolution. In such cases, the images do not appear crisp like on the monitor.

It mostly happens when your PC works over a built-in GPU. So getting a dedicated graphics card for your PC would be better. After that, you should know how to make a computer fit the TV screen.

Color Precision

Since TVs aim to provide a cinematic experience more than editing and gaming, the colors you see on the TV screen and monitor can vary widely. The color precision on the computer monitor is far more realistic than on the TVs.

Therefore, if you are into watching movies and surfing the Internet only, you can choose TVs over monitors. But we don’t recommend using TVs for graphic processing tasks like photo and video editing.

Input Delays

Input delay is the next important factor you should consider if you are planning to play games or image processing tasks on your TV. An input lag of 15 ms is generally good for gaming. But to your dismay, the TVs have a higher input lag. As a result, the commands you give the TV during gameplay can lag, ultimately degrading your gaming experience.

To overcome this issue, TVs do have a dedicated gaming mode. You can activate the gaming mode to reduce the input lags. However, if your TV does not have a gaming mode, you can turn off some graphic post-processing functions like motion blur and noise reduction. It will help reduce input delays.

Refresh Rate of TV

Refresh rate is the rate at which the display panel recreates an image on the screen. Typically, TVs have a refresh rate of 60Hz, meaning the images on your TV are refreshed 60 times per second. Meanwhile, typical monitors have a higher refresh rate of 90 Hz to 144 Hz.

The more the refresh rate, the more responsiveness, and smoothness you feel in the display. It helps decrease the motion blur as well. Not only that, a higher refresh rate helps to reduce eye strain. But since the TVs have a low refresh rate value, you can have problems working on them for a long time.

How to Use a TV as a Computer Monitor?

Now that you have decided whether to use the TV as a computer monitor or not, let’s see how to do it.

As mentioned already, you can either use VGA, HDMI, or DP cables to connect your computer system to the TV. First, check the ports available on your TV and PC and get a cable accordingly. Then, simply connect the two ends of the cable to the respective ports on the TV and PC.