Home audio & video forum: High-end PC monitors as HDTVs...

Hear me out... It seems like PC monitors/displays are more versatile than they used to be these days. You always think of these are being displays so you can just surf the internet, play a couple of games of Solitaire or World of Warcraft, watch a quick DVD or read an e-mail, then call it a day. However, there are those that forget those "side" features that people don't seem to be putting more emphasis on.

Let's take the Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP, for example. The connectivity alone is one reason that it should be used for more than just giving you an "ooh" and "ahh" for your PC. Let's say, you subscribe to a digital cable or satellite service, and you have component connection cables. There hasn't been a way to hook up cable boxes to anything other than a television unless you hook up an HDMI cable which will run you a good $30 - $80 for that option on top of a monitor that uses HDMI only. For Dell to include component connectivity is a big bonus, and to me, this just tells me that not only does Dell want you to have a crisp, eye-candy PC monitor, but if you have a small dorm room, bedroom, or need that office television, you can just take your cable/satellite box, hook it up to the monitor, hook in a 2.1 speaker system, and BOOM, instant HDTV. Plus, since I believe you have PIP, you can be watching HBO on one display, and playing World of Warcraft on the other display.

That leads to mind the question... With this versitality, do you think that we're moving more towards PC monitors for anything in terms of HDTVs smaller than 26" this day in age? Not only is it a way to get 1080p broadcasts in a small real estate, but it's definitely getting better in terms of picture quality and motion for gaming as well as watching sports or action movies. Who knows? Maybe the next generation of Dell UltraSharps may include an HDTV tuner (ATSC/QAM), and have LED backlighting. Sounds like a good way to bring a combo display into a dorm room, if you ask me.