Monitor or LCD TV for PC?

I am planning on putting a PC in my kitchen and am wondering whether I should buy a monitor or LCD TV to hook up to it. I will primarily use this display for watching TV (cable box feeding into PC and PC feeding into TV) but I will also use the PC for surfing the net (and possibly some other apps but primarily net surfing).

Reading other threads, if I go the TV route, I will need a 1080p display. What are the pros and cons of either option? My preference is a 32 inch display but I can go smaller (preferably not smaller than 27 inches).

First start with your cable feed, is it HD? 1080P without true HD signal will look terrible regardless of using LCD monitor or LCD TV. Next, does your PC have a reliable HDMI video card output? Are you watching a lot of HD content using BluRay?

You can use a LCD TV for a PC monitor but the text will be terrible. You can't expect a LCD TV to reproduce a monitor's sharpness. There are models out there but it's not worth paying the premium. In the opposite vein, do you want to spend top dollars on 24"-30" LCD monitor that will be damaged in a kitchen?

A LCD TV has built-in tuner and speakers and remote control. A LCD monitor relies on your HTPC to drive applications and software. You can build compromises but you want to keep things hassle free. In your situation I would select a LCD TV for ease of use.

Originally Posted by 7jaii

In the opposite vein, do you want to spend top dollars on 24"-30" LCD monitor that will be damaged in a kitchen?

Thanks for the reply. Just wondering why you are commenting that the LCD monitor will be damaged in the kitchen. I should have commented that we are putting an armoire in the kitchen and planning on keeping the screen in there. However, are there some things in a kitchen environment that I need to consider when putting a monitor there?

Originally Posted by Weener

I should have commented that we are putting an armoire in the kitchen and planning on keeping the screen in there. However, are there some things in a kitchen environment that I need to consider when putting a monitor there?

Kids & pets top the list...but if your kitchen is large enough to fit an armoire then wow, buy a 30" LCD Monitor. You won't be disappointed.

The kitchen environment has extreme fluctuations in temperature & humidity. Don't forget there's smoke & oil that will dirty your LCD surface. The kitchen is a really difficult environment to maintain. That's why you see so many "throw-a-way" radios & 15" TVs sold at Canadiantire. Since you have an armoire you can apply felt tape along the door openings to trap dust & oil.

Originally Posted by 7jaii

First start with your cable feed, is it HD? 1080P without true HD signal will look terrible regardless of using LCD monitor or LCD TV. Next, does your PC have a reliable HDMI video card output? Are you watching a lot of HD content using BluRay?

You can use a LCD TV for a PC monitor but the text will be terrible. You can't expect a LCD TV to reproduce a monitor's sharpness. There are models out there but it's not worth paying the premium. In the opposite vein, do you want to spend top dollars on 24"-30" LCD monitor that will be damaged in a kitchen?

A LCD TV has built-in tuner and speakers and remote control. A LCD monitor relies on your HTPC to drive applications and software. You can build compromises but you want to keep things hassle free. In your situation I would select a LCD TV for ease of use.

As long as the LCD TV is set at native resolution, the text will be tag sharp and very readable. The resolution is lower so you lose some screen real estate, but then the text is going to be bigger without any tweaks at all. For the occasional PC use, LCD TV is the way to go.