Monitor or TV?

[Saracen999]

I'm looking at a monitor/TV for use in the bedroom. Mostly, it'll be driven either from a laptop (1440, 165HZ) or gaming PC (not sure yet). Perhaps even a MiniPC.

Usage will be watching streamed video (mostly from my own media server), some TV (probably from an nVidia Shield Pro, and of course, some computing from said laptop, etc. A subscription streaming service (Amazon, Netflix, etc? Yeah, maybe, probably for a month or two from this service, then a bit from that, but most of the year, probaby none of those, but my own server only.

Viewing distance from sitting in bed, around 4 feet, i.e. RIGHT at the end of the bed.

My initial thought was OLED TV, but the more I think about it, I'm leaning towards a good monitor. I'm a bit uncomfortable at the thought of the computing bit on a TV, and as I didn't actually need (and probably wouldn't use) any built-in tuners, etc, well ... a monitor seems a better choice. Better choice of resolution, faster refresh, less laggy, probably better colour accuracy etc.

Price, howver? Not so great. Which brings me to budget. I am prepared to go to a reasonably steep price, but not go silly. Which to me, means :-

- up to £1000, no problem
- £100 to £1300-ish, yeah, if necessary to get it right.
- £1300 to £1500, it's possible given a really, REALLY good reason,
- above £1500? I won't 100% rule it out but it needs to be extraordinaly good reason.

Oh, and my sight isn't great these days, which is why I'm willing to spend even those sums to get someting .... comfortable.

Ambient light will be mostly low, not strong sunlight. I'll have some gentle lighting going on, as a screen in a pitch black room is a recipe for a bad headache for me.

Finally, that media library will be serving DVD to 1440 content the vast bulk of the time. Very, VERY rarely, maybe 4k/Bluray, but so rarely it's not a consideration here. A 4k screen is probably wasted for this purpose.

If anyone with more experience than me in this (not a high bar to reach), thoughts and/or suggestions appreciated.

TIA.

Oh, nearly forgot .... from what I can find online, at 4 feet viewing distance, probably about 40"-ish is about right. I don't really want much bigger than that. Current thought is 42" Asus PG42UQ, which I gather from Monitors Unboxed is the same panel as an LG C2 TV, but configured as a monitor, not a TV, hence my thinking about that as an issue.

[b0redom]

I'm currently using a 4k samsung 40" TV as a monitor. Elsewhere in the house I've got various OLEDs with PCs etc attached to them. If you can afford it, I'd consider an OLED TV - even if you don't use the tuners, they've got all the smart gubbins built in, and equally importantly, speakers.

Something like this would seem to fit the bill?

https://www.richersounds.com/lg-oled55g26la.html

[DanceswithUnix]

For work I have this odd 32" Samsung screen that is basically a TV that can't have an aerial plugged in. I got it because it can handle things like old 625i video which probably isn't an issue for most people.

https://www.whathifi.com/news/samsun...ithout-a-tuner

Won't compete with OLED for quality, but mine was pretty cheap.

[Saracen999]

For work I have this odd 32" Samsung screen that is basically a TV that can't have an aerial plugged in. I got it because it can handle things like old 625i video which probably isn't an issue for most people.

https://www.whathifi.com/news/samsun...ithout-a-tuner

Won't compete with OLED for quality, but mine was pretty cheap.

Funnily enough, 625 is a thing with me .... just not on this set. I have an old Sony set, several HD-DVR recorders and an S-VHS recorder set up, together with an Elgato USB capture card for VHS, etc.

The current set is a very different kettle of fish, though.

[Saracen999]

I'm currently using a 4k samsung 40" TV as a monitor. Elsewhere in the house I've got various OLEDs with PCs etc attached to them. If you can afford it, I'd consider an OLED TV - even if you don't use the tuners, they've got all the smart gubbins built in, and equally importantly, speakers.

Something like this would seem to fit the bill?

https://www.richersounds.com/lg-oled55g26la.html

The 55 is too big for where it has to go, but otherwise, it's a thought. As it happens, we have an LG 55 OLED in the lounge. I wonder if the wife would notice it ... erm ... missing? Sadly, probably about as much as I'd notice my gonads missing.

It's that set that started me thinking this way, though ... but it's a C1 (Ithink), not a G-series. That said, te current 42" (or 43", whichever it was) C3 is a bit cheaper than that older by higher-end G2, and the C3 benefits from HDMI 2.1, though.

But that's party why I'm thinking monitor - HDMI 2.1 yeah, but also Displayport, and even USB-C, for inputs.

One possily big difference - the LG OLED tv WE HAVE (and the C3 apparently) have high-gloss screens whereas the Asus monitor, while the same LG panel, has an anti-reflection matte. There's ups and downs to both options, but I'm more inclined to the matte for PC use.

What might kill that Asus monitor option, though .... mountig it. It MUST have a VESA mount. The TVs do, but it didn't LOOK like the Asus monitor did. Stand, yeah, but ... and I'm just going by pictures, didn't look like it had holes for VESA. That said, they could be under some kind of removable trim panel. Right now, it's fairy late, I've got a headache and am giving up for the day and going to sleep it off. Tomorrow = a few YT reviews, and hitting up Asus' website for detailed specs on the monitor.

Thanks for the ideas, both. Appreciated.