TV screens - YouLookFab Forum

Ugh. I’ve agreed to get a screen so this man and I can watch tv. We are generally very interactive when we watch together, and use it basically as a conversation starter/continuer. I will not permit it (or anything) to be “background noise” in my house—that is way too stressful for me—but will get something so we can stream shows. I do not expect to get cable but probably will get wifi.

So now I have to decide if I should get a monitor, which is simple and can just be hooked up to my laptop, or a tv, which is complicated, probably comes with a ridiculous remote, but is cheaper.

Question 2: what size? I had thought 32”, but the guides I’m seeing online say that’s basically desktop size.

Realistically, what trade-offs do people make between monitor size and resolution for casual viewing? Does ultra-high res even matter if we are sitting 10’ away?

ETA, my moaning and groaning is mostly in jest. There are a lot of good things to watch these days, and I’ve said for several years that I should watch some of them. Still, I was that mom whose kid didn’t know what a tv was until he was 3, and then only because his preschool used one the last hour before pickup.

2 years ago

April

Veteran

One thing I have learned from dealing with far too many tvs in our moves: the new sets are pre-programmed to a particularly awful visual style known as the "soap opera effect". You can turn if off so don't panic.

When we bought this house, there was a huge flat screen in every room except the living room and kitchen. Now there are two: one behind cabinet doors in the library and one in the basement gym for Mr. A.

Course, Mr. A has at least 12 computer monitors in his office but that's private space and he can do as he likes.

A smaller screen is certainly less intrusive than a bigger one so if that's a goal, I wouldn't fret over bigger bigger bigger.

Stagiaire Fash

Thanks April. I’ve never heard of that. With the dude and I watching movies and my son watching sports when he visits, it sounds like I’ll need to figure out what my system calls that setting and where it’s hidden.

Janet

(website)

There are good guidelines online for optimal screen size for the viewing distance you need. If you go too small, you’ll be squinting across the room — too big and the screen will dominate your space. Make sure it fits nicely on or above whatever furniture or feature is below it.

Example: our new setup in our den. This is our TV room — there are no TVs on the first floor. I was firm with my husband that this was the maximum size for the screen — any bigger and it would crowd the ceiling. As it is, I would prefer it to be no larger than the fireplace opening, but it’s close enough that it works.

This post has 1 photo. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

Kathie

My question would be how do you use your computer at home? Everyone at my house has a laptop, and we pick them up and use them everywhere, so we’ve generally ditched the need for the extra, larger monitors. (I do have one in my away-from-home office, but the resolution is not up to current standards, so I rarely use it.) If you need the monitor for your work, I would make that a priority. If you don’t, I’d save and go for the TV.

Kathie, I was startled to see that TVs are actually cheaper than external monitors. I can use an HDMI cable to hook a tv up to my laptop if I ever need to.

Idk if this belongs here or on the thread about my shopping spree, but it’s starting to look like I’m going to have a new L-shaped couch diagonally across the room from a big-a$$ TV on a corner stand.

rachylou

My brother got a 32” Samsung Smart Monitor at xmas, which is both computer screen and tv. (Lol, every time I tried to turn on my tv, I’d turn off his monitor!)

32” is a pleasantly large monitor and, like, the size of an old fashioned tv. Easy to pick up and move around. It would be a practical choice.

I gave my mom my 42” and got a 50” when her Sony Trinitron finally died (that should make people laugh, if anyone remembers the ‘80s). I will say two things: 1) my mother would not be able to handle the new tvs - the remote IS completely ridiculous: there are no numbers, just a couple of toggle buttons and 2) this weekend I was suckered into an Apple Music subscription, because playing it through the tv is absolutely brilliant. Haha!

A big a$$ tv is honestly quite fun.

MsMary

We love our TVs! I'd suggest skipping cable and getting a Fire TV stick or Roku or similar. Many of the new TV's come with that functionality already built in and it's great. We have LED colored lights behind ours and that's fun. (I think this one is 54 or 60 -- that seems to be about standard these days, I think.)

MsMary, that looks very tasteful and proportionate!

Rachylou, yeah, looks like that’s what it’s going to be.

Category