42" 4k TVs as monitors!

[Algr]

I'm using a 4k TV as a monitor, (Following a friend's example) and I recommend it highly! MacOS works well at 100 dpi or 200 dpi, but gets awkward between 120-180 dpi. So I worked out how big a 4k screen would be if it was 100 dpi. The result was 42", so I bought one! It took a couple of days to get used to it, but now it is great. It's not retna, but but in practical use, the added space is more valuable than the extra detail. Not that I'd mind 8k, but my Mac Studio can't output that.

I used to have an iMac with 2880x1440 display. I'd use a 1080p TV as a second monitor. This worked for video editing, but was awkward for most other tasks as the second screen was too far out of my field of view. A single big monitor is much better than two smaller ones, as it is more flexible.

Some details:
- My eyes are typically about 24-30 inches from the screen.
- You have to turn off motion smoothing in order to prevent lag and a delay in the mouse moving around. My TV has a "Graphics mode" that does this.
- For some reason, not all the HDMI inputs work with my Mac.
- Some devices can turn a TV on and off via the HDMI port, but my Studio can't seem to do this.
- Some TVs crop the edges of the display, and enlarge the image so the screen pixels don't match the computer pixels. This softens the image, particularly text. This can be turned off, but you might have to hunt through menus on your TV to do it. Don't use the displays control panel to do this if you can avoid it, because that is another layer of scaling.
- I already had external speakers for my old iMac, so I don't run sound through the TV. I think this would work okay, I just haven't tried it.

Edit: I forgot an important sentence up top.

 

[Algr]

Wow, no one? What advantage does dual monitors have over a bigger monitor?

 

[i486dx2-66]

MacOS works well at 100 dpi

It really doesn't. It used to, before Apple removed OS-level sub-pixel antialiasing, but it doesn't anymore.
Apple targets 218 PPI for MacOS now.

Wow, no one? What advantage does dual monitors have over a bigger monitor?

A larger non-curved monitor gives a much greater viewing distance difference between the area directly in front of you and the outer extents (corners being the worst). Having a single display naturally encourages the user to maximize applications and spread their work across it. Moving your visual focus between those forces your eyes re-focus constantly, back and forth and back and forth, in ways that increase eyestrain. Turning your head doesn't help - those edges are simply further away.

Two smaller monitors have a natural separation. We instinctively group and separate applications to single screens, and spend a much larger amount of time on one monitor, glancing at the other when needed. Being smaller, but at the same viewing distance, the visual focus difference between each monitor's center and edges is significantly less, reducing how much our eye muscles have to work. Even more beneficial, the two monitors are angled inward, roughly along an arc. Turning your head DOES help here, and the monitors can be positioned so their centers are both at equal distances from your viewpoint, minimizing focus changes when switching between them. All of this goes a LONG way toward reducing eyestrain.

 

[Algr]

Well, I didn't really notice that. The above is a screen grab from my monitor. I've never owned a retina display, but I've tried them in stores. As I said, I did used to have a dual monitor setup, (Dual 27") and simply find 42" superior. I'm aware of the distance/focus issue, but it was far worse with dual monitors. Turning your head doesn't help, but leaning a bit does, and I can just keep whatever is important near the center. It took me maybe a day to get used to it. I don't run most programs full screen, not even youtube videos, unless they are 4k and particularly visual.

I do run Final Cut full screen. When I am editing 4k video, leaning in close to inspect details is handy. I suppose a curved screen would be nice.

And finally, my 42" TV cost less than half what a 27" 5k monitor does. And if I want "Retina" I can just lean back.

 

[Michael.S]

May I ask what brand and type of tv you use?
Is it an OLED screen?
Do you experience any burn in?
I also think about going this way but fear exactly the burn in that could happen due to static things on the screen or a lot of white space over a longer period of time.
Which happens when you write a lot or do some photo editing.
Also, does your studio already support more than 60Hz over HDMI?