LCD Computer Monitors Versus LCD TVs

The differences between LCD computer monitors and LCD TVs are often misunderstood by many. A lot of people often compare their prices even though they do not have the same basic features. One might say he or she has an LCD TV and another person says he or she has a better LCD monitor that is much cheaper. There's a reason why they have a significant difference in pricing. Let's start off with the LCD monitor.

LCD monitors are display devices dedicated for computer use. They usually have ports to accommodate signals coming from computer video cards. To put it simply, they are built to be connected to computers only.

There are a couple of ways a monitor can be hooked up to a computer. The most common is the D-Sub analog connection which is the one used even during the CRT monitor era. Next would be DVI or Digital Visual Interface. And of course, some monitors allow HDMI connection. These are all connected to the computer's graphics card.

However, if you're wondering if other devices and video signals can be used on a monitor, the answer is yes. With the help of other devices such as TV tuners, TV boxes and different types of adapters and cables, you can connect other media sources such as cable TV, TV antenna and even DVD players and consoles. The bottom line is that on its own, the LCD monitor cannot utilize them.

LCD TVs, on the other hand, are your basic televisions that have LCD panels. It has built-in tuners so that you can flip through channels from your antenna or cable connections. It also has additional ports so that you can plug-in other media sources such as DVD players, videoke players, home theater systems and so on. An LCD TV usually has a composite connection or RGB, component connection or YPbPr and S-video for cable signal. However, most of them also have a D-Sub analog port for the PC, DVI or an HDMI port. Therefore, you can also use them for your PC.

That's the main reason why LCD TVs are much more expensive compared to LCD monitors. They are capable of receiving and displaying data from several other devices. Also, LCD TVs are really meant for watching TV programs, movies and other types of home video. They usually have dimensions as big as 60 inches or more. The technologies for LCD TVs are meant to enhance video playback. The computer is more advanced though and can reach resolutions much higher than 1920x1080 which is the 1080p standard (the highest resolution thus far on an LCD TV). This is due to the powerful video cards that handle computer displays.

Come to think of it, it would be quite impractical to use a 60-inch LCD TV as a computer monitor. I have a friend who has a 32-inch LCD TV connected to his PC and it is a bit difficult looking for icons and other stuff on you desktop.

So there you have it. Those are the differences between an LCD monitor and an LCD TV. You really can't compare their pricing as they have different features. So I hope you won't confuse these 2. Just make sure that if you're considering in buying an LCD display, you base it on you purpose.

If you just need to use it for your computer, by all means go for LCD monitors since they are capable of really high resolutions and your PC games will look really good on it. If you need a display where you can use your video players for home viewing or simply a television, go for an LCD TV.

Sources:
Wikipedia '" Digital Visual Interface
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface

Wikipedia '" D-subminiature
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-subminiature

Wikipedia '" Liquid Crystal Display
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_crystal_display