Computers and Televisions

[Jeff Zylstra]

I'm considering connecting a television of some kind, to a desktop computer so that our Life and Health producer can show power point presentations in his office.   I'm thinking of a 32" flat panel TV of some kind.   I have many questions, like...

What resolution will I need in order for it to look good at approximately 10' of distance? 

What type of TV should I get?  I would think that an LCD of some kind would be the choice, but I don't follow this nearly enough to know.  I would think that a low refresh rate would be fine, but wondering about brightness and all the rest...

Do I need a special TV tuner type card to output the signal in NTSC format is it? 

I'm thinking I can do this for $300-$400, but I'm not sure if that is realistic or not.  If not, I might just go for a 24-27" flat panel monitor that will accept standard VGA output.  Any help is appreciated.

[Bloody Jack Kidd]

you need an LCD TV preferably, and the more input options it has the better - for max compatibility a VGA in would be nice, otherwise DVI and HDMI (pretty much a given) can also be used if your notebook has the output, or an adapter.  Full HD is 1920x1080 (hence the term 1080p)

From about 10' with a 32" set, I'd say you may want a resolution more like 1024x768 (or the wide screen equiv.) so things are rendered a bit bigger.  I'd stick with the big guns though - Sharp, Toshiba, Samsung, Sony

[Hans Manhave]

I have not had any special requirements hooking up a desktop or laptop to a LCD tv.  Woot.com often has a special during the month at a decent price.  37" is quite nice.  I have done bigger, but not smaller.  You can also get long (25 ft) HDMI cables inexpensively that work fine.  Maybe get a bit experience in swapping video/sound to the TV if it is not used as a second screen or mirror continuously.  Also great for home use.

[Jeff Zylstra]

That gets me on the right track.  Thanks, gentlemen!