HDTVs

Can I use an HDTV as a computer monitor?

HDTV

Episode 1145

Norman from Los Angeles, CA

Norman is thinking of replacing his computer monitor with an HDTV. Leo advises against that. HDTVs aren't as sharp as computer monitors because he'd be sitting up too close to it. He'll see all the pixels and the resolution won't be as sharp as a monitor. He'll be paying for stuff he's not using, too, such as smart TV functions. People do it, though, and it really depends on how the computer would be used. But in general, he doesn't recommend it.

Leo suggests going to dell.com and buying a 27" monitor if he wants a large screen.

Scott Wilkinson

Episode 1143

Scott is getting questions about 4K and if it's a good idea to buy an A/V receiver to get ready for it. Scott says no, because no standards have been settled yet. And why are there so many 4K TVs out? Scott says that the TV manufacturers even caught Hollywood off guard, and even though there's some great deals out there for 4K TVs, the odds are they won't be supported in the adopted standards once they do come out. Not only that, but according to Joe Kane, the 4K TVs are just HDTVs with 4x more pixels.

Scott Wilkinson and the Value Challenge

Scott Wilkinson

Episode 1109

Scott joins us to talk about the annual Value Electronics Flat Panel Challenge. The challenge pits the top LCD, Plasma and other flat screen TVs one on one in a huge shoot out to determine what is the bottom line best HDTV on the market. They invite professional calibrators, consumers, bloggers and journalists to join them for two days of testing and for the first time, they'll be streaming the challenge live.

Scott Wilkinson

Episode 1099

Scott is back to talk about Vizio's new 70" LED LCD screen. Scott likes it because it's great value for the money and offers local dimming through back lit zones which allow for more accurate blacks and colors on the screen. Vizio has also officially killed 3D as an option on their screen. Scott says if you look at the model number that ends in the letter "A," it's a 2013 model, and "B" is a 2014 model. And 2014 models will be back lit, not edge lit. So look for "B" models. Also, 70" TVs are ideal for viewing at 10 feet. If you can afford it, that's what you should get.

Should I rewire my house for my new home theater system?

Episode 1098

Chris from Lake Elsinore, CA

Chris is getting ready to upgrade his home theater system. He's looking at a 500 watt system. Will the 14 gauge wiring in his house handle it? Scott says that 12 gauge is what he usually recommends, and David says that 14 gauge should handle it no problem. Since it's a home theater in a box, it's 100 watts per channel, so that his wiring will be more than enough. The Chatroom says to make sure that the amp isn't a class D because that has strange wattage. But since it's a basic RCA HTIB, that's likely not an issue.

What's the best HDTV for under $1000?

Episode 1098

Carla from Irvine, CA

Carla is getting ready to head over to Best Buy to buy a new HDTV because her Samsung DLP TV is dying. She's looking at a 55" TV and she doesn't really want anything bigger. Scott says it depends on how far she sits from the TV. Her budget is $1000. Scott says if she can darken the room, she can get a 60" Samsung F5300 plasma for about $800. Scott says it's very nice, but when she has a perfectly white screen, it may have a slight pinkish tinge along the bottom of the screen. But it wouldn't really be noticable on any content.

Should I buy a 4K TV?

Sony HDTV

Episode 1097

Jim from Freemont, CA

Jim's old JVC projection TV is going black, so he's in the market for a new TV. Should he buy an HDTV or go UHD? How can he future proof his purchase?

Scott says that viewing from 10' away, the optimum screen size is bigger than most would think - about 70". Scott says it isn't really necessary to buy a 4K TV right now. There's not that much content out for it and the standards like color gamut and standards aren't all that settled just yet. So a 4K TV he buys today may be obsolete tomorrow. Not only that, but some TVs upscale terribly. So it's a good idea to go with HD still.

Scott Wilkinson

Episode 1089

Leo just upgraded to Comcast's more professional internet package and it doesn't come with bandwidth shaping or caps and Netflix runs so much better. But it wasn't cheap. Scott says that moving forward, that's what you're going to need when we get into the 4K world, because ISPs are going to want to buffer the content that uses that much data.