I'm looking to purchase a new LCD monitor primarily for use as a
computer monitor. There must be built in speakers to conserve desk
space. I also would like to be able to use it as a TV connected to my
cable service.

I presently have a 15" Samsung SyncMaster 150MP which has all the
features described above.

I would like to upgrade in size and quality of image. I would be
considering somewhere between a 19" and 23" display. 90% of the usage
would be as a computer monitor and 10% as a TV or picture in a
picture. (Computer & TV)

The "computer Monitors" I've looked at with the features I want don't
seem to have the sharpness and color balance I would like. I found
several LCD HDTV televisions that have a computer input jack.

I'd like to know what the best "computer monitors" are with built in
speakers and a TV tuner. I would also like to know if a LCD HDTV can
be used 90% of the time as a computer monitor or are they designed to
be a TV 90% of the time and 10% as a computer monitor.

I like the picture quality of the Panasonic HDTV LCD and the Zenith
23" LCD HDTV model # L23W36. I know I would pay more than double for a
LCD HDTV and that is fine as long as I can use it primarily as a
computer monitor.

Who has the best computer monitor in the 19" range and who has the
best LCD HDTV that can be used as  computer monitor?

---

Request for Question Clarification by techtor-ga on 16 Jan 2004 03:06 PST

Hello Trayduh,
Does your video card in your system have a DVI-DVO or S-video
connector? Also, in your range of 19" to 23", do you think bigger is
better, or otherwise? What is your ceiling for your budget for this
new display? I also know that your Samsung model has much bigger
versions, though I saw on Samsung's site that availability is
uncertain.

In my opinion, HDTVs that are connectable to computers can be used as
monitors without any real problem. It is just a question of the
durability of the brand.

---

Clarification of Question by trayduh-ga on 16 Jan 2004 07:01 PST

I don't beleive I have a DVI-DVO or S-video input.

I think for my needs a 19" - 21" is fine. 23" may be too large since
most of my viewing will be as a computer and the monitor is about 3
feet from my face.

Budget would be no more than $2100.00

I hope this clarifies my question.

TRAYDUH

---

Request for Question Clarification by techtor-ga on 16 Jan 2004 08:45 PST

Hello again Trayduh,
In case you are not familiar, S-Video and DVI are other connectors at
the back of the video card (either connector should appear beside the
one from where the monitor cable behind the CPU leads to your
monitor). Are either indeed absent? Then that means only the standard
monitor cable could be used to connect to the display device.

---

Clarification of Question by trayduh-ga on 16 Jan 2004 11:00 PST

Yes only the standard monitor cable will work with my computer. Unless
I'm mistaken, the computer is an HP Pavillion 8665C.

Hope this helps.

Trayduh

Hello Trayduh,
I've decided to post now the list I created of several products you
can choose from. Do tell me if you need more.

When it comes to displays, what I know to be the best is usually Sony.
Sony is the world leader in display unit quality, and was the
originator of the world-leading Trinitron CRT technology, so I'm sure
it maintains its quality in LCD technology. The catch, though, is
Sony's expensiveness.

Let me give you links to some Sony products, as well as some
suggestions on other lower-priced brands that would also do as well.
Your Samsung 150MP has a bigger version, the 192MP, listed below,
though I am not sure of its availability. Samsung has very good
quality.

After looking at the specs of the HP Pavilion 8665c, it becomes clear
what your system's video is not on a video card. Rather, it is built
into the motherboard, so I realize you really have only the monitor's
cable to use.

The products in the list are a mix of monitors and LCD TV sets, but
I'm sure these days, LCD TV will have support for pc monitor
connections (I believe it's called the d-sub connector), but best call
the dealer to make sure.


Sony products: 
SonyStyle USA - KLV-21SR2 - $1,499
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=qPSm9J-75Rmmzd-8awCs_9C0nINUxBPnwPo=?CategoryName=tv_lcd&ProductSKU=KLV21SR2&Dept=tv

Dealtime.com - Sony KLV-23HR1 23 in. Flat Panel Television, w/ NTSC tuner
http://att.dealtime.com/xPF-Sony_KLV_23HR1
- Price ranges from $1680-$2400.


Others:
PC Connection: Samsung Monitors - 19" 192MP LCD Monitor - Silver with TV Tuner
$880
http://shop.pcconnection.com/web/Shopping/Product.htm?MSCSProfile=&NRMODE=Published&NRORIGINALURL=%2fweb%2fshopping%2fproduct%2ehtm%3fproduct_id%3d4801147%26SourceID%3dk22350&SourceID=k22350&product_id=4801147&NRNODEGUID=%7bC03E868D-1CEF-4F98-8F00-45BF12FCEA4E%7d&NRQUERYTERMINATOR=1&cookie%5Ftest=1
- Since you mentioned you have a Samsung, I spotted this one. 

Philips Consumer Electronics - 20PF7835 23PF9945 plasma TV w/ speakers
and NTSC tuner
http://www.consumer.philips.com/global/b2c/ce/catalog/product.jhtml;jsessionid=0PHWIMCKIOYXNJ0RMRERX13HKFSEKHAW?divId=0&groupId=TV_GR&catId=FLAT_TV_CA&subCatId=20_32_FLAT_TV_SU&productId=20PF7835_17
- $1200

Philips Consumer Electronics - 23PF9945 plasma TV w/ speakers and NTSC tuner
http://www.consumer.philips.com/global/b2c/ce/catalog/product.jhtml;jsessionid=3PZT40GYSR1NZJ0RMRERX13HKFSEKHAW?divId=0&groupId=TV_GR&catId=FLAT_TV_CA&subCatId=20_32_FLAT_TV_SU&productId=23PF9945_37
- Cheapest I saw is $1700.

Dell - Software & Peripherals: GVISION F9AH-TG 19-inch LCD Multimedia Monitor/TV
$854.95
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=A0187939&cs=19&c=us&l=en

19 Silver LCD TV Monitor+Spk+3Yr Wrt+TVTuner - Yahoo! Auctions:
http://page.auctions.shopping.yahoo.com/auction/83733239?aucview=froogle
- $639 at the current bid.

Dealtime.com -  Panasonic TC-20LA1 20 in. Flat Panel Television: Overview
http://att.dealtime.com/xPO-Panasonic_TC_20LA1
- Around $900+ to $1000+.

ViewSonic Products: LCD Displays: N2000
- $1100
http://www.viewsonic.com/products/lcd_n2000.htm

Viewsonic VX2000 iewPanel TFT LCD Color Display 20" HDTV-ready LCD
http://store.yahoo.com/uricom-com/viewvxiewtft.html
- $1200

Walmart.com - Panasonic TC20LA1 20" LCD TV with Tuner, LCD TV
$1300
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=2432058&sourceid=0100000030660804302498

AQUOS 4:3 lcd television | LC-20S2U-S 20"
http://www.sharpusa.com/products/ModelLanding/0,1058,1198,00.html
- $1200

AQUOS 4:3 lcd television | LC-20E1U 20"
http://www.sharpusa.com/products/ModelLanding/0,1058,924,00.html
- $1100

Batesias 20.1" HDTV Ready LCD Monitor w/ TV, Super High Contrast Ratio
& 3D Edge Filtering, Retail
http://store.yahoo.com/str8buy/ba20hdrelcdm.html
- $800
- An alternative, but may not be as good as the above displays. 


General links:
LCD Flat Panel Televisions - Prices and Reviews at DealTime
http://att.dealtime.com/xPP-Flat_Panel_Televisions--flat_panel_type_lcd
- Where I got a few of the results above.


Search terms on Froogle.com:
lcd tv 19
lcd tv
21 lcd monitor tv 
20 lcd monitor tv 
hdtv monitor
hdtv 23
lcd pc monitor review

Search terms on Google.com:
lcd tv tuner review

I also took model nos. and searched them on google to get the prices,
and looked at manufacturer sites for information.

I hope this has been a most helpful answer. If you need anything else,
or have a problem with the answer, do please post a Request for
Clarification before rating and I shall respond as soon as I can.
Thank you.

---

Request for Answer Clarification by trayduh-ga on 16 Jan 2004 13:42 PST

I'm not so sure Sony is the best product in the LCD market. The LCD's
I've seen were OK but they did not have a TV tuner built in.

Please keep in mind i need:

1. 19" - 23" LCD
2. TV Tuner built in.
3. Speakers built in.
4. Able to plug into my HP computer.

Can you find any consumer ratings? I don't need a list of the products
I can't use just the ones that meet the above criteria.

I hope this helps narrow the field.

Trayduh

---

Clarification of Answer by techtor-ga on 17 Jan 2004 00:48 PST

Trayduh,
What I listed are all LCD TVs and monitors with TV tuners. Even the
Sony LCDs I showed have tuners and speakers. I made a mistake just
with the Viewsonic VX2000, since I realized it had no TV tuner. Or are
you looking for a PAL format tuner instead of NTSC? And all are
certain to be connectable to your monitor's standard cable.

Of course, my mention that Sony is usually the world leader in
displays is my opinion and the opinion of some reviewers on the Web,
like those at tomshardware.com and basichardware.com.

Here are review sites for some models:

Nextag.com review - Sony KLV21SR2
http://www3.nextag.com/SONY_21_IN_KLV21SR2~59675257z5znz500014z4z1z500014zzmainz1-htm
- It got 4/5 rating here.

Sony KLV-21SR2 lcd televisie - reviews
http://www.kieskeurig.nl/nl/review.nsf/id/4483B0ADCACE9EA8C1256DA8005DE46B.htm
- While In German, I hope you can understand the rating stars and bars.

Amazon.com: Electronics: Philips 20PF9925 20" LCD Flat-Panel TV
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006FRLV/ref=nosim/justaboutever-20/002-8472424-9111222?dev-t=D2Y5TUCCVJ7DGE
- Editorial reviews only one of the newer Philips products.

Sharp Aquos LC-20B2U 20 in. Flat Panel Television Reviews - DealTime
http://www2.dealtime.com/xPR-Sharp_LC_20B2UB
- One review

Amazon.com: Electronics: Sharp LC-20B4US 20" AQUOS LCD Flat-Panel TV:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000CAPT8/ref=nosim/justaboutever-20/002-8472424-9111222?dev-t=D2Y5TUCCVJ7DGE
- Another sharp product which would be superior to the above product.

Amazon.com: Electronics: Panasonic TC-20LA1 20" Flat-Panel LCD TV
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00009V1VK/ref=nosim/justaboutever-20/002-8472424-9111222?dev-t=D2Y5TUCCVJ7DGE


There were some products I couldn't find reviews or even ratings for,
probably because they are relatively new on the market. I hope you can
do with these reviews for now, as they are reviews of the better
products in the list. I will see if there are more. Thank you.

---

Request for Answer Clarification by trayduh-ga on 17 Jan 2004 16:05 PST

This is what the review said about the Panasonic.
Monitor: No (includes 181-channel NTSC tuner)

The Sharp review also said it cannot be used as a monitor.

I think you are just grabbing links and throwing them at me.

I'm not happy with your answers.

---

Clarification of Answer by techtor-ga on 17 Jan 2004 22:50 PST

Trayduh,
Please allow me some more time to find more products to see if I can
find other monitors. If I am unable to find more that suit your needs,
I can withdraw my answer.

---

Clarification of Answer by techtor-ga on 18 Jan 2004 03:10 PST

Hello again Trayduh,
Sorry to have been amiss on some of my finds, and you were right about
the products I presented, they will not connect to your computer's
video output. It turned out to be harder than I thought to find LCD
TVs with the D-sub monitor connector at the size range you want, since
most new LCD TVs I realize use S-video or DVI connectors for
connecting to PCs. There seem to be only a few monitors with TV that
use the D-sub connectors.

This will be my last (or not) hurrah before your next decision. These
are the LCD products that most certainly have TV, speakers and the
D-sub pc monitor connector:


Philips 180MT and Reviews:
Amazon.com: Technical data: Philips 180MT13P 18.1" LCD Flat Panel Monitor/TV
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006L4G5/ref=e_de_a_td/002-8472424-9111222?v=glance&s=electronics&n=172282&vi=tech-data
- Costs Just over $1000, but is an 18" monitor

180MT 18-inch LCD Multimedia Monitor/TV
http://www.permutator-reviews.com/dell/monitors-fulfilled/17-lcd-tv/180MT-15006736.html

Designtechnica Reviews - Philips 180MT 18in. LCD Monitor/TV Review -
Your source for digital cameras, laptop computers, computer hardware
and new technology
http://reviews.designtechnica.com/review425.html

Hardwarezone.com Articles - Coolest Hardware, Hottest Reviews: Philips
180MT 18-inch LCD Monitor/TV
http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?cid=5&id=506&pg=

Philips 180MT (18.1 in.) Flat Panel (TFT) Monitor Reviews at Shopping.com
http://www.shopping.com/xPR-Philips_180MT_18_1_in~RD-98880097924


Viewsonic N2000 and reviews:
ViewSonic Products: LCD Displays: N2000
- $1100
http://www.viewsonic.com/products/lcd_n2000.htm

ViewSonic N2000 - Compare Prices & Read Reviews at DealTime
http://att.dealtime.com/xPO-ViewSonic_N2000

Designtechnica News - Viewsonic announces new LCD TV 's - Your source
for digital cameras, laptop computers, computer hardware and new
technology
http://news.designtechnica.com/article1186.html
- Announces the release of the N2000, which would make it a relatively
new product as well.

ViewSonic N2700w and N2000 LCD Televisions at Image-Aquire.com
http://www.image-acquire.com/viewsonic/viewsonic_n2700w/viewsonic_n2700w.html


RCA LCDS2022B and reviews:
Buy.com - RCA LCDS2022B 20'' LCD TFT Panel, NTSC Tuner, Cenema Screen,
Down conversion of HD to 600P. Composit, S-Vid, RGB/VGA with Component
Adapter
- $1300
http://www.buy.com/retail/electronics/product.asp?loc=6689&sku=90128885

RCA LCDS2022B 20" LCD Flat Panel HD-Compatible TV - Electronics
http://www.buy-everything-online.com/electronics/PID/ldxjdz0ly5/RCA_LCDS2022B_20__LCD_Flat_Panel_HD_Compatible_TV/
- Here's a site which gives the RCA product a user rating of 4/5. 

RCA LCDS2022B 20" LCD Television
http://pac-2000.com/lcds2022b.html
- Specs mention a D-sub connector, so this can be used for your computer.


Samsung 192MP and reviews:
Samsung 192MP-Silver 19" FlatPanel Display
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/upsource/808067.html
- Around $900

SAMSUNG's Digital World - Products
http://www.samsungusa.com/cgi-bin/nabc/product/b2c_product_detail.jsp?eUser=&prod_id=RB19NSSS&selTab=Specifications
- Samsung's own page on the Syncmaster 192MP.

TWICE - Samsung Adds Three LCD Monitors - Nov. 14, 2003
http://www.twice.com/index.asp?layout=story&doc_id=128482&display=breakingNews
- Another article mentioning the Samsung 192MP. It's quite a new
product, as you can note by the date, so there may not be reviews of
it for a while.

Digit Magazine Online - Samsung unveils LCDs, printers - Nov. 14, 2003
http://www.digitmag.co.uk/news/display_news.cfm?NewsID=3486
- Here is a magazine article mentioning the Samsun 192MP, though
without any critical comment.


GVISION F9AH-TG :
Dell - Software & Peripherals: GVISION F9AH-TG 19-inch LCD Multimedia Monitor/TV
$854.95
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=A0187939&cs=19&c=us&l=en

F9AH-TG 19-inch LCD Multimedia Monitor/TV
http://www.permutator-reviews.com/dell/monitors-fulfilled/17-lcd-tv/F9AH-15009778.html
- Only review I could find of the GVISION F9AH-TG


I finally found a Sharp product that's an LCD monitor w/ TV and
speakers, but it's only up to 17" in size:
http://www.sharpsystems.com/products/lcd_monitors/lcd_tv_monitors/ll-m17w1/


Sorry that there are not really many user reviews, or even user
ratings of the products, since these products are still quite new.
Please tell me if you are satisfied with the results, or if not, we
can discuss other options. Thank you.