A new video setup

Mazille · #1 by **Mazille** » Nov 06, 2017 10:19 pm

Alright, so here's the thing.
I don't have a TV. Haven't had one for almost a decade. I watch my shows on the computer, or a tablet or whatever. I don't watch TV and I don't miss it.
I used to play my games on the computer too, but recently I got my first console since the N64 and I love my Switch, but I would enjoy playing it on a big screen. Seeing as that is the case, I might as well enjoy my shows and movies on said screen as well.

Thing is, as I said, I don't want TV capabilities. Firstly because I don't need them, secondly because - by law - if I had a machine capable of recieving the terrestrial TV signal I'd have to pay a fee that would run me a good 300€ a year to the public broadcasting company. I obviously don't want that, since I don't use terrestrial - or any other kind - of TV. So, I was thinking of either getting a projector, since I happen to have a large white wall in my living room, or get some sort of big monitor I can hook my stuff up to. How do you guys do it?
So, what do I want it to do? Ideally I want one thing I can plug into a power outlet and plug one dongle into that streams my shit from my PC, my phone, my Switch, Youtuve, Amazon Video etc. over WiFi, or via cable to a HDMI port. I would prefer not to have to screw something into my living room ceiling and have cables dangling down.
I don't mind spending money on shit, but I'd prefer the solution to be reasonably priced. I'm not going to go for a 3000€ 4k smart TV; I just don't care that much.
So, does anyone more AV-minded than me have a solution for me?

Mazille · #2 by **Mazille** » Nov 06, 2017 10:29 pm

ETA double

Macdoc · #3 by **Macdoc** » Nov 07, 2017 1:18 am

Smart TVs are just monitors and they are very good value and rocking the boat in the value for money arena

https://geizhals.at/tcl-u49p6046-a1588520.html

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TCL-U49P6046-U ... skept01-21

Skip the projector idea,

I just bought one for similar use. $359 US ... the one above is a model step up. These are designed entirely around streaming and FOV is fine at one meter for use as a monitor which is my use ..you could drop to the 43" if space is tighter ,,,4k is 4k so bith will be detailed.

Do not go upmarket in 4k LED screens as OLED which are far superior are coming down rapidly

These machines need a STB ( set top box ) to recieve TV so you should be fine.

Do you understand nearfield FOV ( field of view ) ??

Seabass · #4 by **Seabass** » Nov 07, 2017 2:08 am

Macdoc wrote:Smart TVs are just monitors

Not necessarily. Monitors tend to be much better for gaming. Less input lag, faster response time, sharper image. Text tends to be easier to read on monitors. Monitors tend to have better color accuracy. Gsync and Freesync are very nice for PC gaming (I don't know if consoles work with adaptive sync). I absolutely love adaptive sync for gaming; I will never go back to normal sync.

TVs give you more area per unit of currency and I think they are adopting HDR earlier. They come with the TV features of course, but they are moot if Maz isn't interested.

If you're just playing Switch on the couch, I'm sure a TV is fine, but if you're into PC gaming, particularly any sort competitive online gaming, you want a monitor.

Macdoc · #5 by **Macdoc** » Nov 07, 2017 4:38 am

Smart TVs are just monitors ....period full stop .....AFTER that you can discuss various panel types, refresh rate etc
Quality colour comes from IPS panels but they are slow for gaming. It's a very complex set of trade offs

Bottom line no one should be spending any significant money on monitors/smartLED4k until OLED settles in.

What exactly does "sharper image" mean in a 4k world .... :roll:

I really don't think you understand the business very well..or you are buying into or paying for inaccurate hype

Lots of good info here.

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk

Bottom line the TCL line is offering the best value for money at the moment and decent quality and the type of panel is suitable for gaming since it has a very narrow accurate FOV - IPS tend to have a much wider sweet spot for viewing, more accurate colour and are slower.

Spending more is not advised as OLED blows all LED based products away.

felltoearth · #6 by **felltoearth** » Nov 07, 2017 4:53 am

Mazille wrote:

Thing is, as I said, I don't want TV capabilities. Firstly because I don't need them, secondly because - by law - if I had a machine capable of recieving the terrestrial TV signal I'd have to pay a fee that would run me a good 300€ a year to the public broadcasting company. I obviously don't want that, since I don't use terrestrial - or any other kind - of TV.

You missed a detail regarding your TV recommendation, macdoc.

Macdoc · #7 by **Macdoc** » Nov 07, 2017 5:29 am

I did not ...

These machines need a STB ( set top box ) to recieve TV so you should be fine.

Many TVs these days are not equipped with tuners - they rely on a settop box to receive a TV signal.

Vizio Makes ATSC Tuner-Free 4KTVs | TvTechnology
www.tvtechnology.com/news/0002/vizio-ma ... tvs/278312
Apr 4, 2016 - Without tuners, Vizio's new line legally can't be referred to as “TVs.” ... From The Verge: “Vizio's new P-Series reinvents the 'smart' TV with

New flat-panel TVs do not necessarily have a tuner, and there is a movement toward removing the tuner in all new sets. I believe it includes only top-end models, but tuners are no longer universal.

http://www.startribune.com/sound-advice ... 392159891/

A set top box is just one input amongst multiple options to feed a monitor a signal. An internal tuner is another that few ever use as STBs are close to universal.

They are ALL monitors,

Seabass · #8 by **Seabass** » Nov 07, 2017 5:35 am

Macdoc wrote:Smart TVs are just monitors ....period full stop .....AFTER that you can discuss various panel types, refresh rate etc
Quality colour comes from IPS panels but they are slow for gaming. It's a very complex set of trade offs

Bottom line no one should be spending any significant money on monitors/smartLED4k until OLED settles in.

What exactly does "sharper image" mean in a 4k world ....
I really don't think you understand the business very well..or you are buying into or paying for inaccurate hype

Lots of good info here.

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk

Bottom line the TCL line is offering the best value for money at the moment and decent quality and the type of panel is suitable for gaming since it has a very narrow accurate FOV - IPS tend to have a much wider sweet spot for viewing, more accurate colour and are slower.

Spending more is not advised as OLED blows all LED based products away.

I'm sure you're right about sharpness not being an issue anymore with 4k. I still have a 1080p tv. I tend to go through monitors faster than TVs. At one point though, both my monitor and tv were 1080p, and I would swear that text was sharper on the monitor. Anyway, I have a 1440p monitor now, so I can no longer compare the two. But I digress...

IPS monitors aren't that slow these days. My current monitor is a 4ms IPS with really low input/display lag. It's plenty fast for most gaming needs. You can get 1-2ms from a TN panel, but the picture is terrible by comparison.

I check tftcentral before every monitor purchase. This is another good one:
https://displaylag.com/display-database/
Both sites provide input/display lag info which is kind of important if you like to play the occasional online shooter...

Mazille · #9 by **Mazille** » Nov 07, 2017 8:59 am

Well, it's really more for watching shows and using the Switch. I still do my serious gaming at my desk, in front of my PC, mouse and keyboard in hand. I prefer it that way.

As for the fee (a TV tax is what it really is): Technically I'd have to declare my now being in possession of a TV capable, permanent device and then start paying. One could of course just not declare it and simply refuse to let the dudes working for the GIS - which is the semi-governmental body that handles public broadcasting fees - in should they come round, which they always did once or twice after I've moved into a new place. While I see that as morally justified, since I dislike paying for something I don't use and am not a big fan of in the first place, I'd rather not have that chink in my armour, so to speak.
The first one you linked to, mac, does have a DVB-T/etc. tuner, so yes, even though I would need a set top box to actually decrypt the signal, it still qualifies as a capable device under public broadcasting law, hence I'd have to declare and pay.

Oh, and thanks for your suggestions so far. :cheers:

Macdoc · **#10** by **Macdoc** » Nov 07, 2017 12:36 pm

Kinda weird law as techically an STB can run into your gaming monitor.
My main caution is to stay in the budget category - find a 4k Smart with no tuner and good reviews....or wait until OLED comes down and live happy for a good while.

What is your viewing distance ??

Once you get hooked on 4k - if your gaming monitor is 1080p - you may be toast

I couldn't wait either once my small 500 nit LG 4k sold and I ran out of 24" 4k Dells ,....2k replacement didn't cut it and I can't buy a decent 4k monitor for less than I got the TV for ....plus I have Netflix 4k streaming in place already and scored a 4k AppleTV cheap.
Converging situation and staying here for a Canadian winter for the fist time in years - it was either spend $400 now or succumb to $1500 for an OLED ...need my eye candy fix :whistle:

Mazille · **#11** by **Mazille** » Nov 07, 2017 1:04 pm

Macdoc wrote:Kinda weird law as techically an STB can run into your gaming monitor.

Yes. The law stems from the early 50ies and legislature just isn't up to the task of staying with technology.

My main caution is to stay in the budget category - find a 4k Smart with no tuner and good reviews....or wait until OLED comes down and live happy for a good while.

Is there such a thing as one without a tuner, though? Public viewing displays, maybe, but those are fucking expensive.

What is your viewing distance ??

2,5 metres, I'd say. Depends on what I get, I suppose.

Macdoc · **#12** by **Macdoc** » Nov 07, 2017 1:43 pm

Yes - there are 4k without tuners.

Vizio M50-E1
Vizio M50-E1
Almost as good

This 2017 Vizio has HDR and WCG, but it doesn’t look quite as good as our other picks.
$600 from Walmart
While TCL’s P-Series is reinventing the cheap 4K TV category, we still think Vizio makes some great TVs. The Vizio M50-E1 is the company’s 2017 model we have tested and recommend. It supports HDR10, Dolby Vision, and wide color gamut. Its integrated streaming interface isn’t as smooth as it could be, there’s no built-in tuner for using an HD antenna, and there are TVs with better HDR performance (like our main pick, the TCL). But it does offer exceptional image quality, producing bright highlights and dim shadows, and 271 million different colors in SDR
.

this as well and no tuner

Vizio E48u-D0
Still one of the best out there

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best- ... -a-budget/

This is why I opted for the TCL

After spending 80 hours testing new models for 2017, we found that the 55-inch TCL 55P607 is the best 4K TV if you’re on a budget. Not only that, but it’s also our pick for the best TV, period. Even when viewed side by side with TVs that cost two and a half times as much, the TCL won over our viewing panel. It’s simply the greatest value we have ever seen in a TV.

It does appear TCL is in Europe ..impressive with some informative info.
http://www.tcl.eu/en/

Mike_L · **#13** by **Mike_L** » Nov 07, 2017 2:00 pm

A video headset might meet your needs. :dunno:

Apparently, they create the illusion of a big screen. And because separate images can be sent to each eye, they're automatically enabled for stereoscopy (i.e. for 3D).

https://gearpatrol.com/2016/09/07/best-video-headsets/

Macdoc · **#14** by **Macdoc** » Nov 07, 2017 2:05 pm

except

HD display (1280 x 720 pixels)

not on.

Mike_L · **#15** by **Mike_L** » Nov 07, 2017 2:21 pm

Ah yes, resolution will be an issue there.

felltoearth · **#16** by **felltoearth** » Nov 09, 2017 12:34 am

Mike_L wrote:A video headset might meet your needs.

Apparently, they create the illusion of a big screen. And because separate images can be sent to each eye, they're automatically enabled for stereoscopy (i.e. for 3D).

https://gearpatrol.com/2016/09/07/best-video-headsets/

Netflix and chill with a video headset? Doesn't work.

Mazille · **#17** by **Mazille** » Nov 09, 2017 1:31 am

No, I don't think I want to sit down with big, fuck-off goggles on.

Macdoc · **#18** by **Macdoc** » Nov 10, 2017 2:12 am

Pretty happy with this purchase

the banding is a camera artifact.
Easy to set up ....I'm a little too close when working but I have another 12-14" I can move it back tho it's mostly okay and lovely for spreadshetts wetc

That screen is sitting 12" beyond the laptop screen FYI
Blacks are better than expected to that's a treat

A new video setup

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