Do you use a T.v as a monitor for post work.

shaylou

shaylou

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I'm sorry if this is a dumb question but I am in the market for a new T.V and someone told me that I can hook up my laptop to the t.v. Of course that made me wonder if I could use the big screen to do editing. I'm not sure if this can be done or if it is something that is a good idea. So, do you use a big flat screen 55'' to do post work?

Thanks for the help.
 
It's a terrible idea. They'll be others along soon to tell you it's not just because they already do it, but they're idiots.

The gamma curve of TVs is different, and while you can calibrate a TV, I bet you've no intention of doing so. Secondly, the size vs. resolution is awful: A 55" inch screen that's only 1920x1080 pixels? Unless you're on the other side of the room, that will be terrible, as the pixel pitch is massive!

Decent monitor, decent colorimeter, and calibrate it properly.
 
(shrug)
 
Unfortunatley @Pookeyhead is correct. Im typing this now on a pc connected to my 40" tv, Its fine for movies etc. If i want to edit and be serious about it, my calibrated set-up is my choice.

I have to ask though, why ask for advice and dismiss it when its given?
 
Have to agree with Pooks. He's absolutely right. If you want to produce some really quality images then this is not the way forward but try it for yourself. If you want to view your images from the sofa only then it will be perfectly adequate.
 
I have a 24in TV in my study that I use as a second screen, fine for checking between edits, while leaving main image on monitor but I wouldnt like to use anything much bigger.
 
dizidav said:
I have a 24in TV in my study that I use as a second screen, fine for checking between edits, while leaving main image on monitor but I wouldnt like to use anything much bigger.
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That's the same pixel pitch as a 24" monitor though, which is pretty much the average size for a 1920x1080 computer monitor... however, scale up to 55" and still keep the same low resolution, then that's when things look terrible unless you also move further away.

This is why bigger computer monitors are also higher resolution - because they're designed to be viewed at the same distance, regardless of size. So my 30" here has the same pixel pitch approximately as a 24" screen, but has more pixels (2560x1600). The net result is the quality is the same when viewed as the same distance.

TVs of the size the OP has in mind are designed to be viewed from the other side of a reasonable sized room.

If you are editing with a 55inch screen on the other side of the room, then fine, but why would you do that?
 
Pookeyhead said:
If you are editing with a 55inch screen on the other side of the room, then fine, but why would you do that?
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Feet up on the LazeeBoy chair, easy reach to beer and popcorn.... ;)
 
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I hook my macbook pro up to a 23 inch Apple Cinema display but that is a proper screen and has been correctly calibrated for editing. I sometimes hook the same machine up to a 26" Panasonic TV in the kitchen to watch football and the difference is night and day. Basically the Mac display is for professional use and the TV screen is for watching TV!
 
33L said:
Unfortunatley @Pookeyhead is correct. Im typing this now on a pc connected to my 40" tv, Its fine for movies etc. If i want to edit and be serious about it, my calibrated set-up is my choice.

I have to ask though, why ask for advice and dismiss it when its given?
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I will send you a personal message explaining it later. I do not want to pollute my thread with negative things. Thanks.
 
shaylou said:
I will send you a personal message explaining it later. I do not want to pollute my thread with negative things. Thanks.
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Nothing negative. You seem to think I have some beef with you.. I don't. If you genuinely have a reason to be editing from the other side of teh room, then yeah.. a 55" screen may actually be a good call. My initial advice against it, is because most people would want to sit at a desk, with a proper keyboard, mouse, or graphics tablet because its hard to edit without those things - and if you're at a desk, the ideal solution is a monitor on that desk.

If you have a reason to not do these things, then that changes stuff a bit, but probably something you could have done with mentioning in the first post, then everyone's advice may have been different.
 
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shaylou said:
I will send you a personal message explaining it later. I do not want to pollute my thread with negative things. Thanks.
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You don't need to message me, i have got the gist of what is happening and quite happy to stay neutral and out of it. It was more of a rhetorical question to be honest.
 
I use my Samsung 40" TV as a monitor and for photo editing and I certainly don't sit miles away from it unless watching a film.

I sit about 18" away for editing (and reading this etc) and the photos certainly don't look jagged even from a foot away.

One good thing I find is that it shows up any problems a lot better than a small monitor.

I have 2 PCs and wireless K/B and mouse and I change between the two using a KVM switch.

I connect through a HDMI cable from my Video card.

If you have an HDMI output from your PC why not simply get a cheapish cable from Amazon and try it?

My cables cost me about a fiver each.
.
 
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Size and resolution are secondary concern. The biggest and main problem using a TV is this:

Pookeyhead said:
The gamma curve of TVs is different, and while you can calibrate a TV, I bet you've no intention of doing so.

Decent monitor, decent colorimeter, and calibrate it properly.
Click to expand...

Calibrated monitor using IPS or *VA panel technology is the correct way to edit photos. TN panel monitors are horrific.

See this useful tool to check panel technology: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/panelsearch.htm
 
If you want TV as well why not just get a decent 30" monitor and a TV tuner card for your PC?
 
wuyanxu said:
Size and resolution are secondary concern. The biggest and main problem using a TV is this:



Calibrated monitor using IPS or *VA panel technology is the correct way to edit photos. TN panel monitors are horrific.

See this useful tool to check panel technology: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/panelsearch.htm
Click to expand...

Calibrating was mentioned before. I have a calibrator and use it so I could see how a t.v could be a road block when it comes to that.
 
shaylou said:
Calibrating was mentioned before. I have a calibrator and use it so I could see how a t.v could be a road block when it comes to that.
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You can calibrate a TV. When most people use a calibrator, what they're actually calibrating is the graphics card, not the screen. You can calibrate your TV with no problems, but as it's the graphics card you're calibrating, it will only be calibrated for the TV.. when you use the actual monitor it may well be out. The only way around this is to use two profiles and switch between the two depending on what screen you have. You could also run the TV as a second screen on an expended desktop if your calibration software allows calibration of a multi-monitor desktop.
 
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