Big Screen on a Budget

I just posted an Update on this, but then I decided to write an article too. I have thought about doing this for a long time, but wasn't sure if the text on the big TV would be clear enough to read.

Let me put you at ease, it's easier than reading it on the 19" computer monitor I have on the same system. I have used two 19" monitors to get more workspace for several years and still ran out of room or lost windows I had open or forgot I had them open and opened another one, you get the picture.

So while visiting the TV department, I used to dream about having all that space to do my computer work on. Now the only thing I am sorry about is I waited too long! I might even get a bigger table and swap out the other 19" monitor for another 32" TV next year. (actually I may go back to just one big screen)

I did some reading online and there are a few things I learned that could help anyone getting ready to try this. First off, I thought maybe I should go with 22" to 27" to get more definition, but now I am glad I went with 32". I had tried it on my living room 42" plasma, but this new LED HD TV is better for computer work. It could be that my big screen is 780P and the new one is 1080P, so go for the higher resolution even though it's a few dollars more.

The other thing I wrestled with, is using RCA Composite to hook it up (since I have an older PC), but I bought a Converter for $30 that is plug and play simple and I am convinced it was the way to go. They have some cables for less than $10, but they all warn you that they may not work with your video card, so I decided to play it safe.

Another trick I used, is to download a free version of the MultiMon Taskbar so it shows me all the Windows I have open across both screens. I set the resolution on the big screen to 1920X1080 and left the 19" monitor at 1024X768.

The other thing I had to do to accommodate the MultiMon Taskbar, was go into Ratio on the TV and set it to Just Scan, instead of setting the Aspect Ratio to 16:9 like you would think. I'm sure that with all the different screens and video setups, you might need to play a little like I did. I guarantee it will be a conversation starter if anyone comes over and sees it.

Think about it!