Saturday, May 18, 2024

Why I like monitors 03+Why we don't use TVs as computer monitors.

Oh boy. I think I've exhausted my reasons for why I prefer large monitors without resorting to become a broken record so instead, here's a screengrab from 1983's National Lampoon's Vacation.
Why National Lampoon's Vacation?

Because it's a cultural representation of how 1980s Home Computers for the masses were represented both in real-life and in movies.
In said movie, Clark Griswold is using an Apple II to plan out the family's Vacation plans to Wally World in Southern California.

As you can see, Clark Griswold is using the family TV as the display of choice for his Apple II computer.

Why were people in the 1980s using a TV as a computer display?

Because of ease of use, versatility, and cost.

Yes, It's true that people were using their TVs to display 8-bit video from their computer although unlike National Lampoon's depiction, far more people had a Commodore than they did an Apple.
so why don't people use TVs as computer monitors anymore?

Because the capabilities of Computer Monitors have evolved throughout the years that now what we demand from a Computer Monitor is not feasible on a TV meant for displaying stuff in the living room.

What capabilities?

Things like Refresh Rates, Adjustable stands, certain connectors, and other things make Dedicated monitors preferred by people who buy Prebuilds or Laptops or those who build their own machines.

Let's list them all in Detailed form:

01 Refresh Rate:
Most TVs are locked at a 60hz Refresh (50hz if you're in Europe.)

Computer Monitors on the other hand are more versatile in choice of refresh....
If they're advertised to do that.

CRT Monitors were known for their Extra Versatility on their refresh rates.

As for modern LCD Displays like my ASUS VG27AQ Monitor which I'm still using to this day since it's February Purchase, that depends on whether Manufacturers like DELL, SAMSUNG, ASUS, ViewSonic, BenQ, etc would add those features on those displays and at the price people ask for.


TVs on the other hand, it all depends on whether the manufacturers would find high refresh to be all that practical in the realm of High Refresh.

In my experience, High Refresh on TVs is not worth it.

I remember vividly how bad the HIGH REFRESH performed on TVs by seeing all those demo units in Superstore, London Drugs, Etc.

Computer Monitors handle High Refresh better than their Living Room TV counterparts do.



02 Resolution:
Right now, it's not easy to tell you this but if experience is one thing, TVs are stuck with a particular resolution regardless if it's CRT or Flat Screen.



Computer monitors on the other hand, it depends on how they're built.
Sometimes, the physical size of a CRT Monitor matters not and even a 17" monitor can display high resolution even if the physical dimensions are small.

Flat Panels on the other hand are fixed so now Resolution is dictated based on how it's advertised on the box.
Also, Flat Panels do some weird scaling for lower resolutions so that it makes low resolution graphics look less vivid than it does on a CRT.



03 Video Output:
TVs only have these main resources of getting video from a Computer:


Composite

VGA



S-Video



and HDMI


While a computer monitor might have all those above standards depending on their era, these are the Video Standards that are unique to a computer monitor:

BNC




DVI




DisplayPort




USB-C


and to a lesser extent: THUNDERBOLT.

that's all I may say. 

For adjustable stands, I realize it might all be dependent whether the manufacturer wants to do that for Monitors but TVs just come with their own base while it depends whether you want to build a stand for your tv or mount it to the wall.

For me, I haven't used my TV as a monitor for my PC and believe me, I'm going to do that anytime soon. I'm fine with my dedicated monitors for my PC.

A computer monitor does have it's own stand but it depends whether or not you use the Stand it comes with from the Factory or you buy and build your own VESA mount.

Some monitors only let you adjust the vertical angle, some like my ASUS and many Dell Monitors allow you to adjust the height.

Here's a link to an old 2013 8-BIT GUY video on his views on what he demands from a monitor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLO8Yt0OwMQ



Also, I know people are going to ask whether or not the sound heard on the TV in Nation Lampoon's Vacation is from the Apple II.

The answer is.......NO!!!!

The Apple II is not capable of polyphonic sound by itself.

I know this due to all the videos I've seen.

Also, someone on Reddit says that they may have been using a Mattel Intellivision in order to simulate the Graphics and Sound on the Griswold's TV.
 

Others might say it really may have been the Apple II but I highly doubt so.

The film was made in 1982 so a year before the Apple IIe was released.

Plus, I don't see a Mockingboard Sound Card on the Griswold Apple II so that confirms that the filmmakers were really using an Intellevision or another computer to provide the sound and Graphics.

But what doesn't make sense is, maybe the filmmakers could have used a Mockingboard which was released in 1981 but considering how poorly supported the Mockingboard was with software developers back in the day, I highly doubt that.

And for those who are wondering?

This is the MOCKINGBOARD Sound Card for the Apple II

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