PC monitor as HDTV?

[shanedude]

Is anyone out there using a PC monitor as a HDTV monitor? The cost of these LCD displays have dropped in price lately. With great response times (3-5ms), very high res (1920-1200), and a price that is way less than their 1080p HDTV cousins, these might be the best bang for the buck.

Pros: 1080p 26" for less than $600. Dual use for PC connectivity.
Cons: No atsc tuner. Limited features

I am looking to get a new tv for the bedroom. My trinitron finally bit the dust. So, why not replace it with a HD. I had hopes of running out and grabbing a 27" to replace it with and was very dissapointed at what is available in the normal HDTV options. Am using a STB in that room so I won't need a tuner.

Maybe this is a good replacement?

[Skaggs]

I know Panasonic has a line of plasmas that can be used as a computer monitor. Maybe other manufacturers do, too?

[ebo]

I have two widescreen computer monitors that I use for HDTV (three if I count my laptop with a USB HD tuner). One is a 19" Acer on an articulating arm near my seat in the living room where I have a front-screen projector, HTPC, HD DVR, hifi, etc. I use it with a KVM switch to watch the HTPC or DVR when I don't want to fire up the projector. Anything displayed on it also goes through a VGA DA to a 22" KDS in the kitchen (note to self: never buy KDS again). The KDS has internal speakers, but they sound so bad that I use a pair of Altec Lansing computer speakers instead. None of my displays can resolve 1920x1080 and neither of the computer monitors can even accept it, so I force all my HD sources to 720p.

All of the widescreen computer monitors I've seen are 16:10, not 16:9, and many stretch the picture to fill the screen, resulting in people being a bit too tall. Not unwatchable but annoying. On the plus side, most computer monitors don't overscan as many HDTV displays do.

Another problem with the KDS is that it seems determined to fill the screen even if the source is a pillarboxed 4:3 picture. Some people like Stretch-o-Vision. I'm not one of them.

Bottom line: computer monitors can make very acceptable HDTV displays, but some are more suitable than others. Try out the ones you're considering if possible or get recommendations from others. Use VGA if your sources supply it; it's the best supported and most hassle-free format. And plan to handle sound separately.

[xzi]

Another caveat to watch out or when trying to use monitors as HD displays is most of them don't support HDCP so you'll have trouble with new HD delivery formats if you don't watch out for that.