Have you ever wondered what it might be like to sit in front of high quality a 40" LDC TV as your regular computer monitor.  I've been wondering for a year or more and finally made the leap.  The transformation was instant.  I'll N-E-V-E-R go back!  (Still true 1-21-2012!)

The big deal for me was the quality of the display.  We have a vintage 2005 Sony KV-32HS510 32'' (<-- see our review) Trinitron High Definition TV from Costco that I fixed up with a Windows Media Center PC.  It was just a little ahead of it's time, but quickly out-paced by digital recorders like TiVo and the cable company offerings.  It was fun to have a PC using that big 37" display, but the limited 800 x 600 resolution was not easy on the eyes.  So I was pre-disposed to be skeptical.

My fears were immediately eliminated by the Sony® BRAVIA KDL -40EX-Series 40" 1080p (e.g. 1920 x 1080, Sony model: KDL40EX400) LCD HDTV the first time I plugged it in.  At just $579 ($529 0n 2-26-11) from the local Costco it comes with connectors that include 4-HDMI, 1, VGA, 1 coaxial and 2 each component video and component audio (e.g. RCA) connectors.  I had gone to some trouble to be sure my next PC had an upgraded video card and both HDMI an Display Port connectors.  But it turns our that the HDMI and Display Port connections are only slightly better quality than the VGA.  After contemplating this for months and seriously considering the use of two (2) 23" or 24" monitors that together would have cost about $100+ less I'm delighted 'NOT-TO-SAVE' the money!

The impact on my productivity was immediate and I'm still learning about how to best use the larger screen real-estate.  I have already learned that the recent versions of Quicken and QuickBooks respond well to more space allowing me to place windows side-by-side that I was accustomed to minimizing and restoring one-by-one.  I'd guess I'm saving 20 or 25 minutes a day simply by NOT constantly navigating E-mail messages inside of Outlook's folders.  And, as an IT consultant it's worth at least half the price I paid just to be able to set aside a remote computer connection where I can monitor it's progress visually while also focusing on another local application.  One of the expected benefits that is hard to appreciate until you see it is the value of having everything blown up on the bigger screen.  The actual result on my 40-inch monitor is about a 25% increase so a 1"-by-1" box appears on screen in the actual space of 1.25"-by-1.25". As a member of the well-over 50-years-old set I find the larger type a welcome change and in the first weeks I've found and corrected at least a dozen accidently transposed titles, subjects, file names, etc. that I apparently could not see before.  Following is a picture that includes a printed page being held up to the same page on-screen with a 6" ruler in my hand.

So I'm enthusiastic about the decision, and I expect it won't be long before more-and-more folks discover the BIG value of spending more than twice the normal cost of a single PC monitor.  The savings are justifying that difference MUCH QUICKER than I expected... And now still justifying it almost a year later!

Specifications?  In evaluating the current crop of big screen TVs I was sold on the in-store appearance of Sony's 140,000 to 1 contrast ratio, and light sensor technology to adjust brightness.  I suspect any of it's competitors would do well, but not all of them came with the VGA port and Sony brand name that were also BIG sales points for me.  If I could get it for about the same price I'd opt for 120 Hz rather than 60 Hz speed but that difference is only apparent (and minimally so) when playing videos.  I'm also looking forward to taking advantage of the built-in speakers and picture-in-picture features that I am still wiring up.

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