TV or Monitor and speakers

[satkin2]

I currently run a 13" MacBook Air (Mid 2012) and have finally got a desk for my house and am wanting to get an external screen so that I can work in clamshell mode.

I don't need a big screen, I'm thinking something around the 22"-24" range, but having never purchased a monitor before, I hadn't realised that they tend not to come with speakers built in.

Whilst looking around quite aimlessly on the internet, I've seen that TVs in this range are often quoted as being suitable as a monitor too. These obviously have the advantage of having built in speakers too. I've not got a massive budget, I don't want to spend more than £200 (circa $315) in total.

I won't be gaming, so don't need to have the greatest specs to be capable of this. I just use my Air for photos, the very occasional bit of iMovie, browsing the internet etc; nothing too taxing.

I'm looking for advice on what would be the best approach to go. If I get a TV, then obviously I can use it as a TV, where as if I get a monitor, I've then got to get speakers too.

Any comments or advice would be greatly received. Thanks.

 

[theluggage]

Two points:

1. LCD TVs tend not to have brilliant speakers. If you're listening to music or watching movies you might end up wanting some decent speakers anyway.

2. LCD TVs are 16:9 aspect ratio (widescreen TV) and 1920x1080 resolution. Your budget should stretch to a 24" monitor with 16:10 ratio (squarer, but still wider than old-school TV) and 1920x1200 resolution - unless your primary purpose is TV and movies, I'd always prefer the latter for a computer display - space for an actual-size A4 page + an icon bar/menu.

A TV should be OK if you're on a budget and want a TV too, though. The only potential problem is that TVs are usually set to 'overscan' - i.e. enlarge the image slightly and crop off the edges. I have no idea how that analog-era nonsense made it on to modern digital TVs, but there we are. TVs suitable as computer displays will have some way of disabling overscan: if there's a 'PC' setting or the instructions say to use a particular HDMI input, that's probably why.

 

[bmxracer]

I currently run a 13" MacBook Air (Mid 2012) and have finally got a desk for my house and am wanting to get an external screen so that I can work in clamshell mode.

I don't need a big screen, I'm thinking something around the 22"-24" range, but having never purchased a monitor before, I hadn't realised that they tend not to come with speakers built in.

Whilst looking around quite aimlessly on the internet, I've seen that TVs in this range are often quoted as being suitable as a monitor too. These obviously have the advantage of having built in speakers too. I've not got a massive budget, I don't want to spend more than £200 (circa $315) in total.

I won't be gaming, so don't need to have the greatest specs to be capable of this. I just use my Air for photos, the very occasional bit of iMovie, browsing the internet etc; nothing too taxing.

I'm looking for advice on what would be the best approach to go. If I get a TV, then obviously I can use it as a TV, where as if I get a monitor, I've then got to get speakers too.

Any comments or advice would be greatly received. Thanks.

At that size i'd go with a computer monitor and some nice speakers, unless you need another TV to.

 

[satkin2]

So I took your advice and have found a monitor that has speakers. They don't need to be amazing, but I did want sound.

I ended up getting this http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/comput...23-ips-led-monitor-with-mhl-10026356-pdt.html and I'm very happy with it.

Thanks for the guidance.