[DM-MUG] display size quest

[Matthew Nuzum]

On Thu, Nov 13, 2008 at 11:46 AM, Sharalyn
<homeonthefarm at iowatelecom.net> wrote:
>
>
> I think I saw this posted recently but can't find it so I have to ask anew:
>
> What is the correct screen size if one is using an external monitor (in this
> case a 32" Samsung LCT TV)?
> I've heard that if you don't use the right size it can hurt either the tv or
> the computer.

No, neither will be hurt on modern (under 10 years old) systems.

> The options closest to the numbers I remembered were 1024 x 768 but that
> looks a little stretched and weird. It looks best at 1280 x 720.
>

720p is 1280x720. 1080p is 1920x1080.

The best resolution is often the "native resolution" supported by the
screen. Sometimes this is a different value. For example, see this TV
whose native resolution is 1366x768:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4173086&csid=ITD&body=MAIN#detailspecs
This seems to be a common resolution for budget HD TVs advertised as
720p.

Also, LCD pixels take a (very brief) moment to reach full brightness.
For this reason you will often get better image quality at lower
refresh rates of 50-60 Hz. This is in contrast to old tube screens
that had a noticeable flicker as the refresh rate was set lower.

-- 
Matthew Nuzum
newz2000 on freenode