32" 1080p or 720p for computer monitor?

Chris1111 · Oct 5, 2009

I bought a 32" 720p lcd tv today and hooked it up to my macbook pro to use as the monitor at my desk. For as cheap as it was it actually works awesome. All I did was plug it in and it worked flawlessly. The only thing is, I somehow believed that using a monitor twice the size of my mbp's would yield me twice the working space. Instead, all its given me is a larger screen with equally larger application windows.
And when I 'zoom' the windows or change the fonts they end up not looking right.
So my question is, if I return this 720p for a 1080p will I be able to 'scale'(or whatever the term is) the windows down smaller, giving me more working space? I've already been playing with the display controls in system preferences and changing the resolutions and that has basically been a dead end.
Thanks,
-CHRIS

pigoo3 · Oct 5, 2009

Chris1111 said:
I bought a 32" 720p lcd tv today and hooked it up to my macbook pro to use as the monitor at my desk. For as cheap as it was it actually works awesome. All I did was plug it in and it worked flawlessly. The only thing is, I somehow believed that using a monitor twice the size of my mbp's would yield me twice the working space. Instead, all its given me is a larger screen with equally larger application windows.
And when I 'zoom' the windows or change the fonts they end up not looking right.
So my question is, if I return this 720p for a 1080p will I be able to 'scale'(or whatever the term is) the windows down smaller, giving me more working space? I've already been playing with the display controls in system preferences and changing the resolutions and that has basically been a dead end.
Thanks,
-CHRIS

You purchased a Television...not a "true" computer monitor capable of higher resolutions.

The maximum resolution on that 720p 32" TV is much lower than what you would get on a large computer monitor...probably something like 1366 x 768.

Obviously of you compare the price of many 32" LCD TV's...which can be purchased for around $300-$500 dollars...and compare that to the 30" Apple LCD display which costs $1799...there's got to be a difference! If there wasn't, many of us would have a 32" computer monitor!

If you really need a larger (more computing space) computer monitor, return that 32" LCD TV, and purchase a 24" LCD computer monitor which will provide you with a 1920 x 1080 resolution.

Hope this helps,

- Nick

ADKhikerVW · Oct 5, 2009

Yeah, TVs are not at all suited for use as computer monitors. Just as a comparison, your 32" TV has a resolution of 1366x768, while a 30" Computer monitor has a resolution of 2560x1600, which is a HUGE difference. Your MacBook Pro likely has a higher resolution on it's built in display than the TV does.

Chris1111 · Oct 5, 2009

Ahhhhhhh, I see. Thanks for the schooling, I get it now.

32" 1080p or 720p for computer monitor?

Chris1111

pigoo3

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ADKhikerVW

Chris1111

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