This is my first time on this forum as I am interested in information re using a small 20-22 inch LCD TV as a monitor for my PC and for regular TV as well..

I watch a lot of movies on my existing Acer 17" monitor and would like a larger screen and have been told by a friend that a TV is a better investment but there's a trade off in picture quality. Is this true?

I have considered Panasonic, Samsung, Toshiba.

A USB port for watching movies on a thumb drive would be standard?

Any suggestions and advice appreciated.:jap:

Moved to main computer section for better exposure.

As long as the TV you buy has a computer monitor connector on the back, you should be good to go. Most do- I've seen them labeled as RGB or VGA connector on different brands. I'd suggest looking for a TV that has "Full HD" resolution- 1920 by 1080 pixels, as this is a common enough monitor size, and will work well with most modern DVD players, etc.

One serious consideration will be your computer- if your video hardware can support the resolution of the TV / monitor.

Perhaps post some links to the TV's you are interested in. Also, post some info about your computer- make and model, or what video hardware card you have. This way, we could look at the specs of each and see if you will have any potential issues.

Even better would be HDMI connectors on both the TV and computer, no?

Even better would be HDMI connectors on both the TV and computer, no?

Yes, I connect my Samsung 32' LED via HDMI to my PC, and because my Video Card also supports sound, I don't need separate speakers as it will use the TV Speakers

I watch a lot of movies on my existing Acer 17" monitor and would like a larger screen and have been told by a friend that a TV is a better investment but there's a trade off in picture quality. Is this true?

if budget allow, go for 32". your eyes will adapt the change from 17" to 22" in a week :-)

also, full HD TV ( 1920x1080 ) small than 32" not many choices.

Thanks for all the replies and very helpful.

I have a 4 year old Sony 32" LCD TV but it is my main TV and I don't fancy sitting 24" away when it is on my computer desk, so will check out TVs and also find out info about my computer- make and model, and what video hardware card I have.

thanks rc.