Is My Screen Too Big For Me? (My Tiny Laptop Delilah Now Hooked Up With Big Samsung)

[MrGaoMungGawn]

These days, it really does not seem to matter too much the size of your computer.

I have a Asus laptop with 4 GB of RAM and a INTEL i3 CPU running at around 3.3Ghz.

But "you would not know it" because I have it hooked up to a giant Samsung digital TV which is about 33.3 centimeters from my nose.

I find that this gives me a crick in my neck, and looking from right to left as I follow my cursor makes me sometimes wonder if I am at Wimbledon.

So what is your strategy to save your neck muscles while in front of a huge screen?

Can lcd screens ever get too big?

Do these huge screens make you long for the super sharp CRT technology of yesteryear?

These are some of the things that I wonder about waiting to download my 4.3GB ISO of Opensuse 13.1.

(I had a disc before, but it got damaged or somehow corrupted)

And it made me think that some of you might be feeling the same way --- You go out and pay your money for some giant screen, and then you are too embarrassed to admit that it is just too big for you, sort of like buying a giant dildo, but not quite THAT embarrassing.

Edited December 31, 2013 by MrGaoMungGawn

[narkeddiver]

Your screen isn't too big - you are too close to it

[sustento]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimum_HDTV_viewing_distance

[MrGaoMungGawn]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimum_HDTV_viewing_distance

I checked your good link.

And what they say is:

How close? “As close as you can stand it”.

Well, that was part of my original question and topic here, how close can you stand it?

I think the problem is that you sort of get enticed and seduced, by the sirens in the screen apparently, into getting as close as you can, which is probably too close, and then you wind up with a painful crick in your neck.

[Dancealot]

An alternative to the screen...

[sustento]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimum_HDTV_viewing_distance

I checked your good link.

And what they say is:

How close? “As close as you can stand it”.

You're supposed to read the whole thing not just the first two lines...

[MrGaoMungGawn]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimum_HDTV_viewing_distance

I checked your good link.

And what they say is:

How close? “As close as you can stand it”.

You're supposed to read the whole thing not just the first two lines...

OK, I will.

But those other lines seem about a mile away, on the other side of the room almost.

Seriously though, I have been using this Samsung digital TV in place of my normal lcd monitor, just to see if I would like to get a larger monitor,

And where I initially thought it awkward, I now am quickly adjusting.

When I go to switch back to my normal screen, which is a S230HL, then it will seem miniscule in comparison.

• 1920 x 1080 5ms

• 100,000,000:1
• D-Sub, DVI
• This seems to be a 23 inch computer monitor from ACER. And I thought it was big when I bought it. Now, I have a Samsung attached and about One Foot from my nose, and this Samsung now seems mighty nice.

  The only problem with the TV is that it does not have the resolution.

  But I don't have a graphics card,

  I am just using the i5 second generation 4670 CPU with integrated graphics in the CPU.

  So if I buy a really huge monitor, I think I will like it.

  But I also think I will often have a crick in my neck.

[MrGaoMungGawn]

I just noticed in this experiment with the Big Samsung

That I can have many more tabs open in the Chrome browser

Now, I have about 20 tabs open, each ThaiVisa tabs.

It sure is fun to have a giant screen.

And I no longer feel as though I have a crick in my neck.

Edited January 1, 2014 by MrGaoMungGawn

[impulse]

Easy to get spoiled by the big screen. I use a 32" at 1920x1080 on my desk. Today, my 24" at 1920x1080 seems small, and I can barely stand working remotely on my 14" laptop at 1366x768.

Toying with the idea of going to a 40-46", but that may force me to sit too far away to enjoy the benefits and still see what's up in the corners.

Looking forward to the price of 3640x2160 monitors to get down lower than an arm and a leg... But then I'll have to upgrade my video card, which means a new laptop and even more $$$.

One caveat I found about big screen monitors is that the VGA connection may not support the maximum resolution. I have to use an HDMI connection to get the 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) from my Toshiba 24", while my Samsung 32" gladly displays full HD through the VGA port. All's good if the laptop has HDMI, though.

That means I can't use the Toshiba 24" with one of my older laptops that also has a serial port that I need for plotting on my old HPGL plotter. It's pre-HDMI. And I don't want to spend thousands of $$$ updating my obsolete, but perfectly serviceable sign making and cutting software to work on my newer laptops.

Or maybe I'm missing something?

[MrGaoMungGawn]

Easy to get spoiled by the big screen. I use a 32" at 1920x1080 on my desk. Today, my 24" at 1920x1080 seems small, and I can barely stand working remotely on my 14" laptop at 1366x768.

Toying with the idea of going to a 40-46", but that may force me to sit too far away to enjoy the benefits and still see what's up in the corners.

Looking forward to the price of 3640x2160 monitors to get down lower than an arm and a leg... But then I'll have to upgrade my video card, which means a new laptop and even more $$$.

One caveat I found about big screen monitors is that the VGA connection may not support the maximum resolution. I have to use an HDMI connection to get the 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) from my Toshiba 24", while my Samsung 32" gladly displays full HD through the VGA port. All's good if the laptop has HDMI, though.

That means I can't use the Toshiba 24" with one of my older laptops that also has a serial port that I need for plotting on my old HPGL plotter. It's pre-HDMI. And I don't want to spend thousands of $$$ updating my obsolete, but perfectly serviceable sign making and cutting software to work on my newer laptops.

Or maybe I'm missing something?

I just happened to think that this screen size thing is just about like the yacht thing.

You get one boat, then you need a bigger boat.

You buy the bigger boat, and then is seems too small,

So you buy yet a bigger boat.

Never ending, boat size.

You are never satisfied until you own the titanic or something I guess.

That is the problem with the lcd and new technology.

There seems no limit to the size they can get.

But with the old CRT, then you did break your back once you got up to a 25 incher,

Which weighed like 120 pounds or something.

[HowieKnows]

So long as you know that you shouldn't keep using the TV. They seem like great value compared to similar sized TVs but apparently it is not just the resolution that is the problem, they are designed to be viewed from a considerable distance and have different shaped pixels.

[MrGaoMungGawn]

So long as you know that you shouldn't keep using the TV. They seem like great value compared to similar sized TVs but apparently it is not just the resolution that is the problem, they are designed to be viewed from a considerable distance and have different shaped pixels.

Maybe so.

But please do not tell us that this will somehow hurt our eyesight, which is not true.

I am already very aware that the viewing experience using this TV I am experimenting with is definitely not an option for the long term, because as you say it is not the normal computer monitor screen.

The problem is that I am quickly becoming used to the bigger screen, and even after just one day, I no longer want to go back to my 23 incher.

[sammycic]

I love my Dell 27" 2560 X 1440.

[MrGaoMungGawn]

I love my Dell 27" 2560 X 1440.

I believe you, because I am starting to fall in love with Samsung.

But I have an idea, maybe to save some money I can just buy an extra graphics card and then have the 30 inch Samsung and the 23 inch Acer simultaneously connected to my i5 PC.

This way I should have plenty of real estate for moving back and forth output from VirtualBox and also text document from Word, or LibreOffice (which still needs improvement).

I am just not sure if you can use the CPU graphics of i5 with a separate GPU and have them both function at the same time.

Maybe not.

(but, anyway, I am getting ready to go down to install opensuse 13.1 all over again to correct the VirtualBox kernel problem, hopefully)

Bye for now.

Edited January 1, 2014 by MrGaoMungGawn

[impulse]

Just noticed an article in the Bangkok Post today stating that Samsung has a new 110" screen, LCD Ultra HD monitor.

Only 4.9 Million Baht.

Hmm................

In 3 years, they'll be at Fortune Tower for 150,000 Baht.

Edited January 1, 2014 by impulse

[guzzi850m2]

I love my Dell 27" 2560 X 1440.

Yes I have the Ultra-sharp as well, it's awesome to watch a HD movie on it.

I also run an old 22" Samsung, so my son can watch YouTube on that and I use the 27".

The Dell was not cheap at +18.000 but still well worth the money I think.

When the Samsung "dies" I will buy a cheap 22" replacement, it's nice to have 2 monitors.

The +6 year old Samsung have been repaired one time last year at a Samsung service center, first they quoted me 5000 baht but I told them that I can buy a new 22" for that price.

The service guy then promised me to see if he could fix it without replacement parts and they called me 2 days later and told it was fixed, and it was free!! Needles to say I gave the service guy a 200 baht tip.

I don't think I want to go bigger than 27". Remember the old days? A 26" TV was the top of the range you could get, LOL.

I run a desk top PC and I will keep doing so despite all media writes that they will be gone in 10 years time.

[MrGaoMungGawn]

Just noticed an article in the Bangkok Post today stating that Samsung has a new 110" screen, LCD Ultra HD monitor.

Only 4.9 Million Baht.

Hmm................

In 3 years, they'll be at Fortune Tower for 150,000 Baht.

If that is not the Titanic of present day computer monitors,

What is?

I wonder if they guarantee no bad pixels.

And how far away you need to sit to be able to see the whole thing.

[sammycic]

My next TV will ultraHD. Saw one while back in Aus. 85" awesome picture quality. About $6,000. Need hdmi 2.0 to run it. 4k monitors will be the norm before long.

[sammycic]

I am running my Dell using Intel Hd4600 on board graphics and display port cable. DVI wouldn't give me the full resolution using intel card. If the display port hadn't worked i would have had to buy a graphics card. Cable $20 from Dell in AUS. 1,500bht here.

[ignis]

My old Dell 24" is in the spare room, using for past 6 months a 32" Philips, the size is perfect, best picture I could get was with connectiong via HDMi from my 9800 GTX Graphics card..... could not get a good picture or resolution with a VGA cable

[Mobi]

22 Inch Samsung TV right in front of me, together with a 15.6 inch Acer monitor to my right as the second (split) screen works brilliantly. Everything is clear as a bell for browsing, writing and video/TV viewing.

As the OP says, anything bigger tends to be a bit overwhelming...

Unless I want to sit and relax in my lounge and watch a movie, in which case the larger the screen the better.

[smccolley]

I am running 2 Dell U3014's (30 inch, 2560x1600) and I love them. They were a bit spendy at 45k baht each but worth every penny. I did get a bit dizzy when I first plugged them in but in no time they grew on me. not sure I could go back to smaller monitors any more.

[MrGaoMungGawn]

I am running 2 Dell U3014's (30 inch, 2560x1600) and I love them. They were a bit spendy at 45k baht each but worth every penny. I did get a bit dizzy when I first plugged them in but in no time they grew on me. not sure I could go back to smaller monitors any more.

How true.

You do get dizzy at first.

Then they become a must have.

I don't have anything like the screenpower you have, but I did connect my laptop with NO discrete GPU to my 23 inch acer and 30 to 35 inch Samsung digital TV.

I think that most people may not know this but even with just the integrated CPU + GPU on the Intel i5, this is still enough to run 2 big monitors. (And very easy to attach using the HDMI cable to the TV, and the VGA cable to the computer monitor)

Also, this is really worth doing because when you put them side by side, even though they are of two different sizes, this doubles your screen area.

For example you can slide text documents across from one to the other screen, and put one document on the giant Samsung, and then a spreadsheet on the 23 inch Acer.

So now, after fooling around with this for awhile, I will definitely say that probably 3 screens would be the right number, and as you say, 30 inches would be about right, if you could get the high resolution.

But for this, then you will need a much better GPU capability than I have.

Anyway, if I now fall out of my computer chair, then I will know why,

But it will still be worth it.

Everyone should try this, because once you do, you will never want to unhook your TV,

And I never watch TV, so this thing was just sitting idle.

Try it, you will like it.

Edited January 3, 2014 by MrGaoMungGawn

[MrGaoMungGawn]

By the way, I forgot to mention that I am using Linux opensuse 13.1 and now with two large screens side by side the cursor works really nicely and seamlessly going from one screen to the next.

I don't know how this works in Windows since I am actually hooked up to my PC with an i5 4670, and no discrete GPU.

Truly beautiful.

I recall what computers were like in 1968 when I first used Fortran in batch mode.

This is a totally different ball game.

SOME say that the pyramids are a superhuman show of engineering and almost beyond men's capability at that time.

But I say that computers, the software, the hardware that has been continuously built and improved over the last 50 years, is the real superhuman engineering miracle, and it boggles the mind how big and complex it has become.

If you want to marvel at something, don't go to Egypt and get shot at,

Just look in your bedroom at your own machine!

[MrGaoMungGawn]

It has been a few days since using two screens, a 23 inch on the left,

And a 30 inch digital TV on the right.

These are hooked up simultaneously, using HDMI cable and the VGA cables with no discrete GPU.

I cannot describe just how FANTASTIC this feels with one smaller one and one fairly huge one,

Both working at the same time.

I can slide my cursor from one to the other, seamlessly, and move spreadsheets from the monitor to the TV and keep them there for reference,

While I work on other things in the smaller monitor.

And, I keep the big one far enough to the right of where I am sitting, although it is still touching my smaller screen,

So that I do not get a crick in my neck.

Now that I tried this experiment, I really do not know why I had not done it earlier,

Just laziness I guess, and maybe that I am a fool, obviously.

So, please do not delay, if you are.

You should go get your TV and hook it up.

You will thank me for it.

I am not sure, but this size TV may cost a lot less than the same size monitor.

If so, the TV seems to be high enough resolution for me, and the pixels are OK for me,

So I do not really need anything better than this, for the moment.

Go out and try this experiment if you have not.

It makes your work more than twice as efficient.

[stiggy]

Do your shoes fit? Maybe it's easier to answer that.Ill start with no.