Why You Shouldn't Use a 4K TV as a Computer Monitor

A 4K TV will work as a computer monitor but if you choose the wrong one you'll end up with an inferior experience. Specifically you'll want to watch out for chroma subsampling and input lag.

If you're curious about all the product mentioned, links are below:

*I'm still using an old Panasonic Plasma TV because they are still awesome.

------------------------

Learn about 4:4:4 / 4:2:2 / 4:4:4 chroma subsampling here:

------------------------

Intro - JPB - High [NCS Release]
Background - Soul Catalyst - Solstice

► For More Awesome Gear ◄

[HelloDavid]

*For anyone who is too lazy to watch the whole video:*
- You CAN use a 4K TV as your computer monitor (most people won't even notice the problems)
- The main issues to consider are 4:4:4 Chroma Subsampling & Input Lag
- Not all TVs have these issues, some are perfectly acceptable as monitors if you don't mind the size
- The important point is that you are aware so you can identify and research on your own

lol. you people are funny but it's good to try and keep everything honest.

[senpaif]

I'm a time traveler, I want to tell you that you'll be using an LG TV as a monitor in 2020

[cwehden]

I have a 43 inch 4k TV for pc and it's amazing would never go back.

[cyberlord]

I play a couple videos, get up to make myself some tea, autoplay is on, this video starts to play...
Listening: 0:01 "This is a 32 inch monitor from BenQ. It costs *a* hundred dollars"...
I came running from the kitchen with the excitement of a 10yo boy on Christmas morning and went back in... disappointed...
oh well...

[inky]

I moved to 4k TV's as a replacement monitor and will never go back to a traditional PC monitor. The lag is in the real of negligible, the screen real estate is superb, game play is out of this world and as an editor, nothing come close for ease of use.

It's down to which TV you get, your PC's horsepower, your knowledge and budget - it's that simple!

YouTube is awash with misinformation.

[seefore]

I'm a programmer and I've been using a 32" 4k tv as my main monitor for over a year and it works great. Never notice any input lag if it's there. A tv is fine, even better considering cost and size, if it makes sense with your setup and you're not concerned with minutia.

[veritas]

I use a LG OLED55B6P. I can't tell you enough how these points don't apply at all. Text is perfect. Colors amazing. And if there is input lag, I don't notice it at all.

[nolanburton]

I’m using a 40” Visio 4K V Series TV with my new Mac Mini — $219 at Sam’s. It’s stunningly beautiful! No lag, very responsive and text is clear and easy to read. Just need to add a camera and microphone. I don’t see any problems. It is amazing!

[LukeLane]

I use a recent 49" 4K LG TV as a computer monitor, and I'm actually pretty happy with it. In high-paced FPS games input lag isn't that noticeable. It supports chroma 4:4:4 at 60Hz. I have it on my desk so I can sit in front of it and play games with mouse and keyboard, or I can lay back on my bed and watch movies or play games with a controller. Perfect setup for me personally.

[dogcrick]

Sony xbr43x800d. 43", 4k, 4:4:4 Chroma, 60hz, somewhat low input lag and thin as fuck. You can read text perfectly at full resolution, game exceptionally well at 4k and tune it for an absolutely stunning image. I use 2 of them in a split setup off of the same desktop. I use one for pc sim racing and the other as a playback screen stacked on top of the 21:9 LG workflow monitor that I will be picking up next. I started with just one to see if I would like it and I did. So I gotta say it is actually really nice to have a 4k tv as a monitor.

[rllinlacs]

Been using TV's as monitors since LCD went mainstream.

First TV was a 32" 1080p Insignia with a VGA input in about 2007. The size alone made me never look back to those tiny inferior pc "monitors".

Upgraded to a 46" 1080p Insignia in about 2010 with yet another VGA input. Great experience again.

Next was a 55" Samsung 4k in 2014, one of the first ones ever out. I was stuck at 30hz until the DP to HDMI 2.0 adapters came out. But I still loved the experience.

Next was a 50" Samsung 4k, 4k had matured a bit so the picture was much better, especially the contrast and and blacks.

Now on a 55" Samsung 4k Q6F quantum dot TV. Just amazing. Everything I could ever ask for. Amazing color, amazing blacks, amazing motion for watching movies on my PC. Gaming with my 290x is also amazing.

Always had 4:4:4 chroma and never had any input lag on any of my TV's except when I was stuck at 30hz waiting for the adapters. Y'all are late to the party!

[BennygProductionz]

Dude I have to say your desk and living room setup is impeccable. So clean it's beautiful.

[seanmcc]

I have the Samsung 6300 that does 4:4:4 4K/60hz with low lag. It's not my primary PC display, but it works great as a monitor.

[Tendro]

my dude, you trippin, 4k tv as a tv monitor is awesome.

[tripakastayw]

My tv is literally the size of a monitor

[sanggingbs]

I still use my 32 inch bravia tv as pc monitor for almost 8 years !!!

[Continus]

For the input lag (if you notice it), it's probably due to the T.V. automatically setting your frame rates to 30 fps. This is so video gets a priority so it looks smoother in animation. To somewhat fix this, go to your display settings > Display Adapter Properties > on the top tab click on monitor > and select the refresh rate of 60 and click apply. In some cases (depending on your pc) this will revert to 59 Hertz.
Other problems with using a T.V. as a monitor are with games. Some games like to switch to 30 fps automatically because of what your T.V. is reporting to your graphics card. And that is a whole other topic.

[PurestPosition]

Got a $400 Sceptre 49" 4k tv and use it as my computer monitor, as my pc is my work, gaming, and movie watching machine. Works fantastic, and couldn't be happier.

[buranainstitute]

I use my 24" 1080 TV as a monitor for a long time now. I mostly use it for office work: word documents, excel sheets etc. The text readability is fine. Lately, I tried to upgrade my monitor/TV and connect my PC to 32" 1080 HCL TV. I immediately noticed a problem: the text readability is immensely poor. On 24" screen 1080 pixels were showing fine, but on 32" size, there is obviously less amount of pixels for such size even though it is only 32. I tried to upscale the text size in settings in Windows, but the screen real estate drops dramatically. I cannot properly open two word files side by side and work because the text is too big and uncomfortable.

I think the solution is to get at least 2K TV for monitors larger than 27 for better work experience. If you are a gamer, I guess you will experience no problems with monitors larger than 27 on 1080. But for office work and text readability, get 2k or 4K for larger size TVs.

[TechLineHD]

very useful video, thanks! saving money for a decent 4k monitor