Amber and the monitor

[Naldru]

I'm not sure about this, but can't you plug your computer's input cords into a normal TV and use the TV as a monitor?

Computers use VGA or DVI connectors with horizontal scan frequencies of 30 kilohertz or greater.  (There are a few exceptions but I assume that we aren't talking about a Commodore Amiga computer.)  Normal televisions have a scan frequency of 15 kilohertz and use composite video.

On the other hand, some of the high definition televisions have connectors so that they can be used as computer monitors.  Most have one or more of the following: VGA, DVI, and HDMI.  

The end result is that a normal NTSC (Canada, United States, Japan) or PAL (most of Europe) television can't be used as a computer monitor.  However, there are some televisions (mostly high definition) that can.

Edit:

I was thinking about NTSC rather than the new digital models.  My mistake.  I assume that you have one of the new digital models.  If so, I would think that you would still be limited to straight VGA ( a fairly low resolution ) unless it was high definition or had been modified for use with higher resolutions.

[Turnsky]

i won't give you much of a reccomendation, but here goes.

http://www.viewsonic.com/products/archive/vx2235wm.htm
this is the monitor i swear by, the any 'color shift' is negligible i've found, as for it to do it, you'd have be looking at the monitor at a mighty odd angle relative to it. it's served me well for quite a while now, so whatever comparable  model viewsonic has out now to it, i'd seriously look into, if i were you.. Price maaaay be a sticking point, i dunno, i managed to haggle the price down for mine (and get an extra three years warranty on it, too)

i will give you the one advantage the wide flatpanels have over the CRT's these days, and it isn't weight (neither you or me are LAN gamers, so why does it freaking matter?) and that's -real estate- as in, how much screenage you can take up with photoshop.. more space means those toolbars, etc have somewhere to lurk, and you have more place to see what you're actually doing.

as for size? 22" is a nice middling size to work with, it's not teeny small, but again, it's not "OMGHUEG", either.

[Lego3400]

The end result is that a normal NTSC (Canada, United States, Japan) or PAL (most of Europe) television can't be used as a computer monitor.  However, there are some televisions (mostly high definition) that can.

Indeed they do exist. I have a TV that can sitting in my kitchen.

[ooklah]

Unless the shipper has all the packing materials that a monitor came in when you bought it, (even then it might not work) the us post office/ fed ex/ ups will absolutely refuse it. If you managed to mail one, you got lucky. I've tried several times and get flat out denied. They won't take them because they break far too frequently when not in original packaging. This from the people behind the counter. (both CRT and LCD monitors)

Also don't get a 19in widescreen. Sure it's widescreen but it's like the bastard child between a 20in widescreen and a normal 17in monitor. It lacks in the pixel height that could be gotten out of a 17in lcd. Or maybe I was just lucky and had a gimpy monitor.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I'm not sure about this, but can't you plug your computer's input cords into a normal TV and use the TV as a monitor?

Sometimes, yes, but your average TV has a resolution on the order of 640x480... or, at least, it did back when last I looked. I think they've improved since then, but not as much as monitors have.

The difference is, a TV is designed to be watched from the other side of the room, so large pixels are a requirement. A monitor is designed to be watched from ~1-2 feet away, so small pixels. Unless you have an extremely expensive TV...

Edit: Oh, bugger. Page fold. :-/

[Lucheek]

I'm not sure about this, but can't you plug your computer's input cords into a normal TV and use the TV as a monitor?

Sometimes, yes, but your average TV has a resolution on the order of 640x480... or, at least, it did back when last I looked. I think they've improved since then, but not as much as monitors have.

The difference is, a TV is designed to be watched from the other side of the room, so large pixels are a requirement. A monitor is designed to be watched from ~1-2 feet away, so small pixels. Unless you have an extremely expensive TV...

Edit: Oh, bugger. Page fold. :-/

Aah. Alright. Well, hope you can find a moniter cheap, amber!