Home Theater Geeks 506: TV as Computer Monitor

Summary

Home Theater Geeks 506: TV as Computer Monitor

Host: Scott Wilkinson
Date: October 30, 2025

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Overview

In this episode, Scott Wilkinson addresses a listener question about using premium large-screen TVs—specifically the Sony Bravia 8— as computer monitors, examining the pros, cons, and essential considerations for anyone thinking of replacing a traditional monitor with a high-end TV. The discussion covers screen size, pixel density, color accuracy, input lag, risk of burn-in with OLED panels, and the importance of chroma 4:4:4 support for text clarity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Listener Question: The Use Case (02:31)

• Listener John Hunter uses two 43-inch Samsung TVs as monitors and is considering a Sony Bravia 8 65-inch QD OLED for a new workstation.
• He highlights the value proposition: “Incredible screen real estate for much less cost than traditional computer monitors.”

2. TV Models & Confusion in Nomenclature (03:05)

• Scott clarifies Sony's confusing naming:
  • “The Sony Bravia 8 is a conventional OLED, what's often called WRGB or W OLED, while the Bravia 8.2 is the QD OLED...”
  • QD OLED (Quantum Dot OLED) models like Bravia 8.2 are the more advanced panel.

3. Size, Resolution & Pixel Density (04:00)

• TVs can be much larger than similarly-priced monitors, but:
  • Pixel density drops on large TVs with the same resolution:
    • “If you sit 2ft from a 65 inch TV, you're going to see those pixels, those individual pixels, and that's going to be a real problem.” (04:50)
  • Viewing angle issues arise at close distances—parts of the enormous screen will fall outside optimal viewing, causing image distortion in peripheral vision.
• Viewing angle explained (05:34):
  • For movies/TV: 30–40 degrees is ideal.
  • At 2 ft from a 65", viewing angle exceeds 90°, which is overwhelming and impractical for work.

4. Recommended Viewing Distance (05:45)

• Scott references a ratings.com chart:
  • “At 65-inch size, that's 5ft away. So at... 2ft, rather, you're going to have a viewing angle of 90 degrees or more probably. So that's, that's really big.”
  • Suggests reading the full article (link in show notes) for more data.

5. Color Accuracy & Calibration (06:45)

• Important for content creation and accuracy:
  • “Modern high end TVs do have very excellent color accuracy by default in the filmmaker mode or the cinema mode. But if you're doing content creation, you probably want to get it fully calibrated.”
  • Recommends professional calibration if you lack equipment/skills and advises turning off extra color processing.

6. Gaming on TV Monitors (10:05)

• Most high-end TVs now support variable refresh rate (VRR) for gaming:
  • “The Sony Bravia 8.2 does have VRR up to 120Hz using Nvidia's G Sync... a few TVs can go up to 144 Hz or higher.”
  • LG models may go to 165Hz and support AMD’s FreeSync.
• Input lag is vital for both gaming and standard computing tasks:
  • “Bravia 8.2 has an input lag roughly 8.6 milliseconds... whereas the LG C5 has 5.3 milliseconds, so it's better.”
  • Input lag affects mouse movement and overall responsiveness.
• OLED TVs & Burn-In Risks:
  • “If you have things on the screen that are static for long periods of time... it could cause image retention... If left on for really long periods of time, it can become permanent.” (11:35)
  • Suggests not leaving static images on-screen for hours/days.

7. Chroma 4:4:4 Support — Crucial for Text Clarity (12:15)

• Chroma 4:4:4 support means no color subsampling, essential for clear text:
  • “That's really important for text clarity.”
  • Some TVs (notably Samsung S95F, LG, TCL models) handle this well; it's unclear if the Bravia 8.2 does.
• Cites a ratings.com article for TV recommendations as monitors:
  • “They stress the importance of something called chroma 444 support... they also talk about input lag and response time, good viewing angle.”

8. Best TV Picks for Computer Monitor Use (13:25)

• Top recommendations per ratings.com:
  • Samsung S95F (QD OLED, 165Hz, great for monitor use)
  • LG B5 and C5 (good refresh rates, G Sync support)
  • TCL QM7K & QM6K (up to 144Hz)
• Advice for setup:
  • “Place your 65 inch model... more than four feet away... that way you won’t see individual pixels.”
  • “Since these TVs all handle chroma 444 properly, you'll see crisp text. They have low input lag, I'm sure, which means the mouse will... everything will be good.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On pixel density and viewing comfort:
  • “If you sit 2ft from a 65 inch TV, you're going to see those pixels, those individual pixels, and that's going to be a real problem.” — Scott Wilkinson (04:50)
• On TV vs. monitor use-cases:
  • “Large TVs are quite a bit less expensive than comparably sized computer monitors... Large monitors can be very expensive... mostly intended for corporate use or studios or something like that with deep pockets. But you and I don't have deep pockets.” — Scott Wilkinson (03:32)
• On calibration for creators:
  • “If you’re doing content creation, you probably want to get it fully calibrated. And if you don't have the skills and equipment to do that, you're going to have to hire somebody.” — Scott Wilkinson (06:45)
• On chroma 4:4:4 support:
  • “It’s an encoding of color which does not compress any of the colors in the image, and that’s really important for text clarity.” — Scott Wilkinson (12:35)
• Final advice:
  • “I would place your 65 inch model... more than four feet away... you'll see crisp text, they have low input lag, I'm sure, which means the mouse... response will be good and everything will be good.” — Scott Wilkinson (15:10)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Listener Question Introduction – [02:31]
• Size, Resolution, and Viewing Distance – [04:00–06:00]
• Color Accuracy & Calibration – [06:45]
• Gaming Features and OLED Burn-In – [10:05–12:00]
• Chroma 4:4:4 & Text Clarity – [12:15]
• Best TVs as Monitors & Setup Advice – [13:25–15:10]

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Conclusion

Scott Wilkinson thoughtfully explores whether high-end TVs make good primary computer monitors. He walks through technical considerations—pixel density, viewing distance, refresh rates, input lag, risk of image retention, and especially chroma 4:4:4 support for text clarity. For those seeking big screens at lower cost, Scott’s nuanced take is that with careful attention to model selection and setup (notably, sitting at least 4 feet from a 65" TV), a premium TV can make an impressive and practical monitor—especially if you pick one with clear text, accurate colors, and fast response.

“If you have a question for me, send it on along to htgwit TV and I'll answer as many as I can right here on the show. Until next time, geek out.” — Scott Wilkinson (15:38)

Transcript

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[C]

Home Theater, Theater Geeks, I answer a question from John Hunter who wants to use a high end TV as a computer monitor. Good idea. Or not. Stick around Podcasts you love from people you trust.

[E]

This is Twit.

[C]

Hey there Scott Wilkinson here, the home theater geek. In this episode I answer a question from John Hunter who writes, I have a question about using high end TVs as primary computer monitors. For my current setup. I use two 43 inch Samsung TVs side by side with a Mac Studio and the massive 4K workspace is fantastic. I believe this is an underappreciated use case offering incredible screen real estate for much less cost than traditional computer monitors. Now I'm building a second workstation and I'm strongly considering the new Sony Bravia 865 inch QD OLED. The problem is that most TV reviews focus on movie and gaming performance, but rarely cover the specific details for desktop use. What are your thoughts on using a premium TV like the Bravia 8 as a primary monitor for a computer like a Mac Studio? Any guidance on whether this is a brilliant idea or a costly mistake would be greatly appreciated. Well, thanks John. I appreciate the letter here. First, let's get the model number straight. The Sony Bravia 8 is a conventional OLED, what's often called WRGB or W OLED, while the Bravia 82 is the QD OLED. So that may be the one you're thinking of. Sony's nomenclature is quite confusing here, but it is what it is. You're right that large TVs are quite a bit less expensive than comparably sized computer monitors. Large monitors can be very expensive. I think they're mostly intended for corporate use or studios or something like that with deep pockets. But you and I don't have deep pockets. So what about using a big TV as a computer monitor? Well, there are several things to consider. First of all, of course, as I said, the TV is bigger. It might seem like a good thing, but let's say you have a 32 inch monitor and a 65 inch TV and they're both 4K ultra HD. They have the same number of pixels, which means that in the larger TV the pixels are much farther apart. Which means in other words to say the pixel density, it becomes much lower. If you sit 2ft from a 65 inch TV, you're going to see those pixels, those individual pixels, and that's going to be a real problem. Plus you won't be able to see the whole thing at once. You're sitting so close and the TV is so big that you're going to have to scan around to see the whole screen. It'll also feel overwhelming. I would think so. Let's take a look at this chart which I got from ratings.com it's common chart. It's around. It's been around a long time. So according to this chart which shows you the optimal viewing distance for different sizes and resolutions, if you take a look at the 65 inch along the horizontal axis and you go up to the lower line of the HD worth it area you're going to see that's at four feet. So if you sit at two feet you're definitely going to see those pixels. Another related consideration is viewing angle. With a super wide viewing angle, which is what you're going to have, if you sit really close, parts of the screen in your peripheral vision will look worse than what's right in front of you. So speaking of viewing angle for movies and TV, the recommended viewing angle, that is the angle that the TV subtends in your vision is 30 to 40 degrees. For a 50 degree angle you'd need to be around 5ft away. At 2ft away, the viewing angle is greater than 90% which you can see in this graphic. Here you can see the recommended viewing distance viewing angle of 30 to 40 degrees. 30 in orange, 40 in blue, 20 degrees doesn't really matter. In your case, 50 degrees is the green dotted line and at 65 inch size, that's 5ft away. So at, at 90 degrees or more or at 2ft rather, you're going to have a viewing angle of 90 degrees or more probably. So that's, that's really big. Now I mentioned ratings.com they have a really good article on TV size versus dist and includes considering, considering the resolution as well. But it's geared toward viewing movies and TV shows. Doesn't really have calculations for sitting very close to the screen. We'll put the link to that article in the show notes and that's something I recommend that you read for sure because it'll give you some good information, some of which I've given you here. But there's more to it. Now if you're doing content creation, color accuracy is paramount. Modern high end TVs do have very excellent color accuracy by default in the filmmaker mode or the cinema mode. But if you're doing content creation, you probably want to get it fully calibrated. And if you don't have the skills and equipment to do that, you're going to have to hire somebody. And I really highly recommend doing that. And be sure to turn off any color processing that the TV might be doing.

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[C]

You mentioned video games and you didn't seem too concerned about that. But I will mention that if you are playing video games on your computer, which so many people do, many monitors have a variable refresh rate or VRR, and TVs now are starting to have that as well. The Sony Bravia 8.2 does have VRR up to 120Hz using Nvidia's G Sync software or algorithms I guess you'd say to to manage that, a few TVs can go up to 144Hz or higher. The LG G5 goes up to 165Hz and it supports AMD's FreeSync, which is an alternative platform for variable frame rate which is free as opposed to Nvidia's which you have to manufacturers have to pay for. Now the Bravia8.2 has a game menu with the its gaming features there. But the trick is if you're going to be playing video games, you want a TV with as low an input lag as possible and you want to look for reviews that measure this, which ratings.com reviews do. The Bravia 8.2has an input lag roughly 8.6 milliseconds at best. Depends on the circumstances. It can be a lot greater than that, but that's the best case scenario. Whereas the LG C5 has 5.3 milliseconds, so it's better. And input lag and response time are also important for monitors. For overall things like mouse movements. You don't want to move your mouse and have the cursor move a perceptible time Later. Another thing to keep in mind about OLED TVs in particular is that they can suffer from image retention. So if you have things on the screen that are static for long periods of time, like say a task bar or documents that are on the screen that don't move around, then it could cause image retention, which can be temporary. But if left on for really long periods of time, it can become permanent. So you don't want to keep stuff static on the screen for hours or days because that will certainly lead to Image retention. So ratings.com also has a great article on what they consider the best TVs to use as computer monitors, addressing your very question. In that article they stress the importance of something called chroma 444 support. That's 4 colon 4 colon 4. It's a, an encoding of color which does not compress any of the colors in the image. And that's really important for text clarity. So the, the, that article really makes a point of, of that and I think it's a valid point. Absolutely. They also talk about input lag and response time being important, good viewing angle, especially if you're sitting close to a large screen. And so they give four picks for their best TVs to use as a computer monitor. Keeping these factors in mind, they include the Samsung S95F, which is Samsung's QD OLED. Very similar to the Bravia8.2, except it has a native refresh rate of 165Hz instead of 120. Doesn't support Dolby Vision, but that's not important in a computer monitor. So I think the Samsung is fine. They don't mention the Bravia 8 Mark 2 in this article. So perhaps, I'm guessing maybe it doesn't handle chroma444 very correctly. I don't know that might be true or not, but they say nothing about it. And they say nothing about it in their Bravia8.2 review either. The other TVs that they mention as being good for computer monitors are the LGB5, which is a step down from the C5, goes to 120Hz and supports G Sync and two TCL models, the QM7K and the QM6K, both of which go up to 144Hz. So I would look at one of those and I would place your 65 inch model, whatever, whichever one you happen to get more than four feet away, I hope you can do that because that way you won't see individual pixels. You'll be able to see the whole screen a little better. And since these TVs all handle chroma 444 properly, you'll see crisp text. They have low input lag, I'm sure, which means the mouse will mouse response will be good and everything will be good. So there you go. Thanks for writing in. Now, if you have a question for me, send it on along to htgwit TV and I'll answer as many as I can right here on the show. Until next time, geek out.

[A]

Morning Zoe. Got donuts.

[B]

Jeff Bridges why are you still living above our garage?

[A]

Well, I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T Mobile commercial like you.

[B]

Teach me so Dana oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly at T Mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system.

[A]

Wow, impressive. Let me try. T Mobile is the best place to get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best network.

[C]

Nice.

[B]

Jeffrey, you heard them.

[A]

T Mobile is the best place to.

[C]

Get the new iPhone 17 Pro on us with eligible traded in any condition.

[A]

So what are we having for lunch?

[B]

Dude, my work here is done.

[D]

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[E]

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