Help with multi-screen set up - TV's as monitors

[Condi]

I am trying to set up a WFH set up to replicate what we have in the office. Each desktop PC runs 2 large (42 inch) TV screens which work as monitors, via 2 Displayport outputs. Despite being so large, they are crystal clear displays, and icons are the same size as they are on a normal 24 inch monitor. You basically have 2 huge displays, although can use them exactly like smaller screens.

At home I have 2 laptops, each connected via a dock to 2 32 inch TV screens - one via HDMI and one via DVI to HDMI. For some reason, the ones at home are terrible resolution, quite blurry and just nowhere near as crisp as the displays in the office. The display also disappears off the bottom of the screen, and the "fit" isnt right.

The screens I have at home are the ones below, admittedly very cheap, but I wanted something cost effective. The screens are a slightly odd resolution - 1366*768, but the laptop has 1360*768 resolution setting so I thought that might be okay. The displays are scaled to 100% - which looks too much, almost like they want scaled to 50% or something?

Does anyone have any ideas how to get some nice clear displays? Are there other settings I should adjust.

https://www.ebuyer.com/1121401-finlux-32-fhd-4220-...

EDIT - fixed the issue with the screen disappearing off the bottom - "overscan" setting apparently. Doesn't fix the blurriness and large icons though.

Edited by Condi on Thursday 3rd December 00:00

[Mr Pointy]

Those screens are horrendously low resolution, which is your problem. For a 32" screen you need at least 2560x1440 & that's marginal - 3840x2160 (4k) would be better. Can you find out what type the 42" TV screens at work are?

[Condi]

Mr Pointy said:

Those screens are horrendously low resolution, which is your problem. For a 32" screen you need at least 2560x1440 & that's marginal - 3840x2160 (4k) would be better. Can you find out what type the 42" TV screens at work are?

I did think that might be the issue. Will ask the guys tomorrow what the specs are of the work screens.

32 inch 4k monitors are not cheap! It doesn't even look like you can buy a TV with anything more than full HD in that size.

Think this might have been a huge balls up.

Edited by Condi on Thursday 3rd December 00:50

[Mr Pointy]

I fear it may be - can you return them? There are several 32" monitors for around the £210 mark:

https://www.ebuyer.com/store/Computer/cat/Monitors...

The 4k ones are significantly more expensive.

[Condi]

Yes I probably can return them, still have the boxes and they still have the packaging on. Ebuyer have been good in the past when needing to return stuff.

Will the 2560 x 1440 resolution be okay or would 4k be necessary?

[survivalist]

I’m guessing the TVs you’ve been using at work a 4K resolution.

The ‘sharpness’ of the screen depends on the pixel density of the screen. So you laptop screen with a low ish resolution will look ok, as the pixel density will be significantly higher than the same resolution on a 32” screen.

2560x1440 on a 32” screen will be closer to the 4K resolution on a 42”. 4K on a 32 will appear sharper as the pixel density will be greater.

How close you sit to the screen will also be a factor, as the closer you sit the more likely you’ll be able to see the individual pixels on the screen.

You can calculate the pixels density, or pixels per inch, here

https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/technol...

ETA - I’d also check what resolution those laptops will support for external displays. If they are older machines then 4K support might not be a give. Also, the refresh rate as if you’re dealing with moving images something like 30Hz might look flickery.

Edited by survivalist on Thursday 3rd December 07:42

[Condi]

So, am I best going for a 32 inch @ 2560*1440, or 28 inch @ 2840*2160?

Given as this is just going to be used for work, and not high definition and high speed gaming, I'm guessing that the 32 inch at lower resolution will be fine?

[Type R Tom]

I use a 40" 4k Samsung TV as a monitor, connected to a GPU that can output 4k at 60hz. and it works great, very sharp. You will need to make sure your graphics card can output 60hz at 4k as 30hz can lag when moving mouse about.

[survivalist]

Condi said:

So, am I best going for a 32 inch @ 2560*1440, or 28 inch @ 2840*2160?

Given as this is just going to be used for work, and not high definition and high speed gaming, I'm guessing that the 32 inch at lower resolution will be fine?

Assuming the TVs you use at work are 4k. Then you are getting around the same sharpness (32 - 90PPI, 42 - 100PP). The 28 4k will be sharper still, but will be more expensive.

[Condi]

survivalist said:

Condi said:

So, am I best going for a 32 inch @ 2560*1440, or 28 inch @ 2840*2160?

Given as this is just going to be used for work, and not high definition and high speed gaming, I'm guessing that the 32 inch at lower resolution will be fine?

Assuming the TVs you use at work are 4k. Then you are getting around the same sharpness (32 - 90PPI, 42 - 100PP). The 28 4k will be sharper still, but will be more expensive.

Thank you, yes I had a play with the calculator above and thought they were quite similar PPI.

I now own 4 2560*1440 screens, although need more adapters to get the laptop to drive them in their full resolution. Oddly enough the old Surface Pro drives them just fine. Technology is very confusing.