Hi guys.I currently own a MacBook air 13. I know I can connect it to a monitor as a second monitor through hdmi/VGA/dvi but I'm guessing hdmi is best (correct me if I'm wrong please !) So I need a monitor which is good for ocassionaly watching movies/playing games on my ps3 but also one which is good aS a second Photoshop monitor (basically for stuff like Photoshop /music production stuff /final cut). I don't want there to be lag between my laptop and the second screen as it would make work impossible . I have seen a few monitors ,but one with full hd 1080x720,2ms response and IPs and hdmi has caught my eye. Can anyone recommend anything for me?I am truly lost. By the way the budget is up to 160£,and the size,24" or bigger. Thanks!
HDMI is best,yes,far more recent technology than VGA or DVI I'd personally buy the HP - Pavilion 23" IPS LED HD Monitor I have an older model from 2008 and It's perfectly working since and it looks good too. You cannot get anything bigger than 23" without paying more. I would not buy a TV screen because tv screens are made to be seen from far away,pc monitors seem to have a lot smaller pixels,so much more detailed image if near the screen. Other choices: HP ENVY 23 23-inch Diagonal IPS LED Backlit Monitor HP Pavilion 23xi 23-inch Diagonal IPS LED Backlit Monitor I don't really think that there is a quality difference between brands,just the looks,and I prefer HP for the looks.
Hey. I was checking the monitors. What size do you think is best? I was looking at 24 but I don't know if it will be better getting a 27 one as the 24 one seems like it might feel small in a year's time. Also,would you say there is a great difference between a TV and a monitor? I've seen lots of TV's for like £160 which are 32" full hd,hdmi etc... but I'm guessing the response time is worse and etc... Would you recommend a TV to plugin to my PC or a monitor?
Say for example you took a 27" monitor, plus a 27" TV, and both had the same specs like resolution and such ... there really is no difference in the picture. I got one of those black-friday deals on a 26" TV the year before last with the intent to use it as a monitor...its a bit too big for the stand the computer is on, so its still sitting in its original box LOL - so also consider the space you have. I've plugged my main TV into a computer & used it as a 2nd monitor for watching downloaded videos & such works for the most part ok (only issues arrise due to TV and the regular Monitor being different resolutions - windows doesn't always work perfectly with that setup)
Thing that worries me... As I am using it for software where I need it to be perfectly in time and not lag (final cut pro , etc , where I need it to be the same time as the audio I can hear through my speakers) ... I keep on reading stuff about the MS response and stuff. What is the best normal MS response? The monitor I am looking at is 2ms response, which I think is really good,but there is one with the same specs and 5ms response for like £30 less. What do you think? Also,so you think TV/monitor should be the same as long as it's got the same specs? Oh,and thankfully space isn't a problem at the moment as I've got a big room I know I can handle doing my work on a 24" , but I am worried if I ever use it for gaming/movies , 24" is going to be too small as I am used to 32"/40" . Never been so confused about something so stupid in my life lol. Cheers for answering
Noone would ever be able to see the diff between 2ms & 5ms (thats 3ms - or 3 1-thousandths of a second). Response time is how fast the a pixel can change from black to white to black again. I did some looking to double check things... looks like *some* TV's can have a slight delay - so if you are using a HDMI cable you would best use the TV's speakers (which would eliminate any video/audio delay issues, as it is also designed to compensate for this).. <this can be an issue with monitors too, but to a lesser extent> If you use a VGA or DVI cable instead of HDMI delay is not so much problem If you need to use HDMI and separate speakers, just make sure the TV has a 'game mode'. ------ Personally I have a regular monitor, and then have the computer's audio connected to my stereo for way better audio quality than computer speakers. I'll have to take a look sometime with the one computer that has both a and monitor & TV (VGA & HDMI respectively) and see if I can even notice any sorta delay. Looking around at things has me curious now. (that PC has same setup as my main computer, audio goes to the stereo...) 40" would be way too big to sit up close to comfortably, I'd have to sit way back from that LOL ... if I sat close I'd need something with double (or more) the standard 1920x1080p resolution. -------------- here's a link with some info about delay (lag) on LCD Monitors & TV's : Lag In HDTV Or Monitor
Ok...I decided I am going to buy a 27 inch monitor. Is 27 too big? I am going to use it for movies too so keep that in mind.It's either 24 or 27 ,but I think 27 is probably better as I know in a few months I would want a 27 one if I bought the 24 one. Also. Is this any good? LG 27EA33V 27-inch IPS LED Monitor: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
You wanted to know if 27" is too big. Honestly it depends on your desk for the most part. I used to have a 20 inch monitor. Why? my Desk couldn't support a larger monitor. Now that I have space, I have two 23" monitors that fit perfectly on my desk. If you have a one display setup and have room for it, sure why not go for a 27". However, if you lack space or money, go with a 23". I typically use one monitor for premiere while using the other for other stuff. Same with coding. I'll have a life preview on one and the code editor on the other. My basic rule of thumb is if you have the space and money, go with a larger display. I personally prefer HP and Asus monitors as they produce a great picture for a good price. The LG monitor isn't bad though. ---------- Post added 9th Jan 2014 at 04:50 PM ---------- Also don't forget that you'll need a way to plugin your macbook air to your display. You can either get a mini display to hdmi converter and an HDMI cable or you can just get a cable that goes from mini display to HDMI. Also note most displays don't include one so you'll want to get one off amazon if you go that route. Cable Matters Gold Plated Mini DisplayPort | Thunderbolt to HDMI Cable in White 3 Metres
27" seems like a good size (hence the reason I originally went for a 26" (didn't quite work out since my space is too small)) Since you said you've got the space, I'd say go for the larger one - especially if you're also gonna watch movies on it too...