# Make your own tv? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 1, 2005, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-your-own-tv/333536 "2005-12-01T08:13:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-your-own-tv/333536/1 "2005-12-01T08:13:13Z")
I recently read an article which described how to assemble a lcd tv using a monitor and a tuner and have it cost much less than a ready made lcd tv. I don’t remember the details, but [here](http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?id=539348) is the basis of a cheap 19 inch lcd Sony tv for under $200. Can anyone tell me what else I need to do? ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-your-own-tv/333536/2 "2005-12-01T08:26:35Z")
> [@galen](#): > > Can anyone tell me what else I need to do? Explain how you plan to pay less than $200 when the monitor in your link costs $450? Assuming ‘Everywhere’ is in the 'states, [cheap tuner cards](http://www.tigerdirect.com/Applications/Category/category_slc.asp?CatId=1427) can be had for \> 30$. Slap one of those in your PC and you’re about done. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-your-own-tv/333536/3 "2005-12-01T08:36:59Z")
I’m reminded of the old Onion article: “New $5000 multimedia computer system downloads live TV programs, displays them on screen.” ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-your-own-tv/333536/4 "2005-12-01T15:55:59Z")
> [@galen](#): > > I recently read an article which described how to assemble a lcd tv using a monitor and a tuner and have it cost much less than a ready made lcd tv. I don’t remember the details, but [here](http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?id=539348) is the basis of a cheap 19 inch lcd Sony tv for under $200. > > Can anyone tell me what else I need to do? Well, the difference between an LCD monitor meant for someone sitting right in front of it while using a keyboard, and an LCD television designed for multiple viewing angles and a lot fo fast action can be considerable. Here at work, they (for some reason) bought us 18" LCD monitors for our PCs. They’re nice, but if you put a DVD in and watch anything with a lot of movement (say, the Matrix, or an FPS), it is noticably ghosted. LCD TVs will often be much brighter and with a much better response time, and also have a much wider viewing angle. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-your-own-tv/333536/5 "2005-12-01T19:31:51Z")
> [@galen](#): > > I recently read an article which described how to assemble a lcd tv using a monitor and a tuner and have it cost much less than a ready made lcd tv. I don’t remember the details, but [here](http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?id=539348) is the basis of a cheap 19 inch lcd Sony tv for under $200. > > Can anyone tell me what else I need to do? Well, the difference between an LCD monitor meant for someone sitting right in front of it while using a keyboard, and an LCD television designed for multiple viewing angles and a lot fo fast action can be considerable. Here at work, they (for some reason) bought us 18" LCD monitors for our PCs. They’re nice, but if you put a DVD in and watch anything with a lot of movement (say, the Matrix, or an FPS), it is noticably ghosted. LCD TVs will often be much brighter and with a much better response time, and also have a much wider viewing angle. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-your-own-tv/333536/6 "2005-12-01T19:53:57Z")
Wow, that’s one whachek double-post, 4 hours later., ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-your-own-tv/333536/7 "2005-12-02T00:27:55Z")
> [@](#): > > …Here at work, they (for some reason) bought us 18" LCD monitors for our PCs. They’re nice, but if you put a DVD in and watch anything with a lot of movement (say, the Matrix, or an FPS), it is noticably ghosted… - - - This is the reason I still don’t like LCD monitors for general computer use. To get a 17" LCD that has a good a picture as a $100 17" CRT, you **still** have to spend $300-$400 or more. With CRT’s, the computer ones are a higher quality than the ones used for common televisions. With LCD’s, it seems to be the other way around… ~ ---
**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-your-own-tv/333536/8 "2005-12-02T02:49:06Z")
> [@Nanoda](#): > > Explain how you plan to pay less than $200 when the monitor in your link costs $450? > > Assuming ‘Everywhere’ is in the 'states, [cheap tuner cards](http://www.tigerdirect.com/Applications/Category/category_slc.asp?CatId=1427) can be had for \> 30$. Slap one of those in your PC and you’re about done. Sorry. [Over here](http://techbargains.com/query.cfm) : Sony 19in LCD $169.99 shipped free - November 30, 2005 Office Depot has the sony SDM-HS95/B 19" LCD Monitor, 16ms response, 500:1 contrast $449.99 - $30 off $150 (Excludes memory, Networking, drives, other items) Coupon (Exp 12/31) - $150 rebate (Exp 1/1/06) - $100 rebate (Exp 12/31) = $169.99 shipped free. Really good deal on a 19 inch monitor, if nothing else. Also, this site, [Techbargains.com](http://Techbargains.com) is a great place for deals on all kinds of gear, updated many times a day. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-your-own-tv/333536/9 "2005-12-02T02:54:29Z")
> [@crazyjoe](#): > > Well, the difference between an LCD monitor meant for someone sitting right in front of it while using a keyboard, and an LCD television designed for multiple viewing angles and a lot fo fast action can be considerable. > > Here at work, they (for some reason) bought us 18" LCD monitors for our PCs. They’re nice, but if you put a DVD in and watch anything with a lot of movement (say, the Matrix, or an FPS), it is noticably ghosted. > > LCD TVs will often be much brighter and with a much better response time, and also have a much wider viewing angle. The difference between an LCD monitor meant for a computer and an LCD monitor meant for TV is a different sticker on the plastic housing around the LCD screen. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-your-own-tv/333536/10 "2005-12-02T03:41:20Z")
> [@gazpacho](#): > > The difference between an LCD monitor meant for a computer and an LCD monitor meant for TV is a different sticker on the plastic housing around the LCD screen. I’d like to see a cite for that. You can easily compare response time, brightness, viewing angles, etc for monitors for computers vs televisions. At the time I did it, there was a significant difference. If it were really that easy to take a 5 dollar piece of tuning electronics and put it on an LCD monitor for a computer and have television, the market wouldn’t be flooded with 800 dollar 15" LCD TVs. Market dynamics and all… ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/make-your-own-tv/333536/11 "2005-12-02T04:06:59Z")
> [@crazyjoe](#): > > I’d like to see a cite for that. > > You can easily compare response time, brightness, viewing angles, etc for monitors for computers vs televisions. At the time I did it, there was a significant difference. > > If it were really that easy to take a 5 dollar piece of tuning electronics and put it on an LCD monitor for a computer and have television, the market wouldn’t be flooded with 800 dollar 15" LCD TVs. Market dynamics and all… The market is flooded with 300 dollar 15" LCD TVs.