Question OLED TV as a monitor?

[MtSeldon]

I was looking for a new monitor.
Dell 32" IPS 4k monitor was my first choice but then LG C2 42" OLED TV was mentioned.

Price seems ok for a 42" OLED but there are other technical issues. Burn-in is the first issue of course. While I'm going to use it for some gaming and movie watching, a considerable amount of time it will be used in Word, Excel, VS Code.
Another problem is the RGB placement. Subpixels have the RGBW orientation. Some reviewers say text rendering is a bit of a problem, but I don't know how big the problem is or does it get better with some tweaking in Windows Settings.

Another alternative is on the way. But there is no info about the subpixel orientation.
Philips 42M2N8900 from the Evnia 8000 series is unveiled with a 42" 4K OLED display and a 138Hz refresh rate (displayspecifications.com)

So, any advice or experience about these?

 

[Aikouka]

I use Mystify.

That's the one that I use as well. I like that it's mostly just a black screen, but I think that adding in the random swoops of colored lines is just a simple way for the TV to say, "Hey! I'm still on!" Since a full black screen on an OLED doesn't really look different from the TV being off, I didn't want a black, solid-color screensaver.

 

[igor_kavinski]

That's the one that I use as well.

The vibrant colors are really cool to look at.

 

[Muadib]

Yes, it made it less noticible until i viewed it from a white background.
When auto dim kicked in tho, it was very hard to notice it without almost kissing the monitor.
When auto dim was not on, you could see the icons, like my window was set to transparent mode.

In general, i do not think OLED is optimized for desktops.
This is probably why they are taking forever to come out, and have almost been slipped over entirely to micro leds with FALD display.
I do miss those blacks tho... you can't beat the picture and HDR a OLED brings when watching movies or playing a open world game.

Also i didnt mind the remote thing.
But i tend to wake my computer up... do some light work, and walk away.
So it idles a lot on a static screen.

I also don't like auto hiding my task bar, my background is set to black, and i use night mode on a lot of things, but text is still white, and icon, some are super bright on that OLED and there is no way to change that without changing the picture on the icons.



wins what? the best monitor?
For a console... i would get a OLED and not look back.
For a TV and Media Content OLED easily.
For a PC... QNED Class85 mini led with FALD.

But before that i would probably use a real monitor and not a TV, unless you really do not mind turning your TV off everytime ur done with it.

You get used to turning it off by remote. I had an issue with it at first though, because I didn't see mention of the issue until after I bought the C1. It wasn't a deal breaker for me though.

 

[aigomorla]

Hope you're enjoying your new setup nonetheless!

i am still waiting on the Odyssey Ark, i want to see how bottom that monitor floors before i actually buy it, or if a revision is being announced with a possibility of more FALD zones.

About the image burn, i think i got unlucky, but at the same time i think its mostly because the icons are game shortcuts which are typically very bright and fruity in color.

I can not live without icons on windows.
Maybe the TV would be OK on a HDTV setup, where you have a window in full screen covering the icons, or gaming where again full screen covers the icons, and you are not left with a static tiny HDR blown flare on the same location for hours.

But even now as i am typing this, i run a tri monitor setup, which means 2 monitors will always have a static display as i go on youtube or browse stuff.
My top window will always have a chrome task bar also shown in the same location, sometimes hours at a time.
I can change the tabs sure, but the refresh back and forward along with my shortcut links will always be in the same location.

I just advise against not using a OLED for Desktop usage.
Again media content, pure gaming, is a whole different catigory however for your PC monitor id advise against it, and would recommend the LG QNED class 85 mini LED over the LG OLED, even if we pull in the more expensive G series with its heatsink.

However im curious to see if the G series would have superior image burnin protection with the heatsink it has.
But im not willing to test it out again, as i think i will piss amazon off if i return another TV.
Not to mention taking that big thing to UPS was a pain and also scary as i was worried someone would steal it from me as i was waiting at the store.
But then again, i really can't see anyone running with that big monitor over there head as its just too big to run carrying it without help.

 

[Leeea]

2. The Explorer White windows causes the auto dimming to go crazy.
That means whenever i expanded my windows explorer window and increased the white, the entire monitor would dim.
It was not a fast dim either, but a more gradual one was it was registering more white to be displayed.
This is what i mean... i had this exact issue:

Void the warranty with a service remote and be done with it.

• Use a black, solid-color background/wallpaper.
• Set the taskbar to auto-hide.
• Remove all desktop icons and avoid using them.

Heresy.

I also don't like auto hiding my task bar, my background is set to black, and i use night mode on a lot of things, but text is still white, and icon, some are super bright on that OLED and there is no way to change that without changing the picture on the icons.

Greater Heresy.


Taskbar up all the time here, desktop icons all enabled, no issues.

My settings:
Input mode: PC
Picture profile: gamer
pixel move: on
logo adjust (GSR Enable): high ( on )
auto brightness control (TPC enable): off
warranty: voided
oled pixel brightness: 30%

Once I flipped TPC off, I discovered brightness could go way down.

 

[Leeea]

Yeah I've had some butt-pucker moments of passing out and waking up the next day with everything still on screen.

I would consider LGTV Companion to be a requirement to using the TV as a monitor.

I set my sleep to 10 minutes, and it has been working very well for me.

And if you use the remote to switch to the TV's built-in media gallery, play a media file in the TV storage (they have some good 4K HDR samples) and pause the video, the TV's own "tiny fireworks" screensaver will kick in after a few minutes.

For me, LGTV Companion solved all of my sleepy issues.

 

[Leeea]

i am still waiting on the Odyssey Ark, i want to see how bottom that monitor floors before i actually buy it, or if a revision is being announced with a possibility of more FALD zones.

About the image burn, i think i got unlucky, but at the same time i think its mostly because the icons are game shortcuts which are typically very bright and fruity in color.

I can not live without icons on windows.
Maybe the TV would be OK on a HDTV setup, where you have a window in full screen covering the icons, or gaming where again full screen covers the icons, and you are not left with a static tiny HDR blown flare on the same location for hours.

But even now as i am typing this, i run a tri monitor setup, which means 2 monitors will always have a static display as i go on youtube or browse stuff.
My top window will always have a chrome task bar also shown in the same location, sometimes hours at a time.
I can change the tabs sure, but the refresh back and forward along with my shortcut links will always be in the same location.

I just advise against not using a OLED for Desktop usage.
Again media content, pure gaming, is a whole different catigory however for your PC monitor id advise against it, and would recommend the LG QNED class 85 mini LED over the LG OLED, even if we pull in the more expensive G series with its heatsink.

However im curious to see if the G series would have superior image burnin protection with the heatsink it has.
But im not willing to test it out again, as i think i will piss amazon off if i return another TV.
Not to mention taking that big thing to UPS was a pain and also scary as i was worried someone would steal it from me as i was waiting at the store.
But then again, i really can't see anyone running with that big monitor over there head as its just too big to run carrying it without help.

yea, icons are 100% necessary, agreeing with you there. Desktop icons, taskbar, all of that.


I do agree with you that anyone who thinks they are going to set it up like any old monitor and be happy is in for a rude surprise.


But if your willing to fight with it for a bit, I think these make great monitors.


If you do not want to fight with it, buy an actual monitor with an oled panel. In this video:

Spoiler: ltt video link

Linus mentions how the AW3423DW is far less prone to burn in then lg c2 42, even though their guy has been using it longer.
Also goes into detail why you do not want a monitor with g-sync.

 

[CP5670]

That LGTV Companion app is nice. I've gotten used to turning it on and off manually with the PC, but this makes it that much more convenient.

If you're going to use an OLED as a monitor, I highly recommend you do the following:

• Use a black, solid-color background/wallpaper.
• Set the taskbar to auto-hide.
• Remove all desktop icons and avoid using them.

In regard to desktop icons, it would be nifty if there could be a pop-out tray for them. Like if you were on the desktop and moved the mouse to the side of the screen, the icons popped out. I know some folks love their desktop icons, so it would help provide a way to still have them to a degree. Also, it's important to keep in mind that any notifications in an open app or in Windows' notification system can stop the task bar from auto-hiding. There are times where I need to select something just to get the bar to hide.

In addition to this, you should keep the brightness low on the desktop (you can customize different profiles for desktop and gaming) and have a black screensaver after a few minutes. I also use a custom dark theme in Windows ("Windows Black Edition") and dark mode in most apps and websites, which I did long before going to OLED. I've had a 77" CX for two years now and it's still going strong after 7400 hours, as did the 55" E8 I had earlier. Although the majority of that time was spent on the black screensaver.

 

[CP5670]

Also, the size of these TVs can actually be a big plus, if you can rework your entire room around them and not have them on a traditional desk. Gaming close-up in a dark room is a very different experience from any PC monitor. It's like semi-VR, it fills up your field of view and you feel immersed in the game world. Regular gaming monitors just look tiny to me now.

 

[Leeea]

Also, the size of these TVs can actually be a big plus, if you can rework your entire room around them and not have them on a traditional desk. Gaming close-up in a dark room is a very different experience from any PC monitor. It's like semi-VR, it fills up your field of view and you feel immersed in the game world. Regular gaming monitors just look tiny to me now.

When using it as a desktop monitor, I use all the space.

But when gaming, it depends on the game.

TW3 for example, full TV.

MWO though, running at a lower resolution with 2 inch black bars around the outside. ( gpu scaling: yes, gpu scaling mode: center, gpu scaling integer: yes ). 27", 32", etc monitor on demand sort of thing.

 

[Leeea]

Read somewhere the lg TVs will send a screenshot back to the mothership periodically. No idea if that is actually true.

Cannot disconnect it from the WiFi because LGTVCompanion is required.

Ended up creating a firewall rule to block the TV from going to the internet.

 

[Leeea]

Spoiler: Mechwarrior Online only bug

Encountered a wierd FreeSync issue, when I alt tab in and out of MWO game it drops to 60 fps max. Going back to desktop reverts it to 120 fps.

Weird. I see several software updates are available for the TV, will try that first.


( will need to disable the stop the TV from talking to the internet firewall rule to update, but easier to update then a standard monitor )



edit:
updating to 03.21.30 did not fix the issue.

Interestingly enough, turning Freesync on or off does not fix the issue either.
turning gpu scaling on or off does not fix it

this fix:
the game only sends more then 60 fps to the monitor if it is set to "fullscreen windowed" + "vsync off". All other modes including "window mode", "full screen mode" result in only 60 fps going to the monitor reguardless of what the game claims internally.

so after further expermentation, I discovered the above only happens in MWO. My other games behave correctly.

 

[CP5670]

When using it as a desktop monitor, I use all the space.

But when gaming, it depends on the game.

TW3 for example, full TV.

MWO though, running at a lower resolution with 2 inch black bars around the outside. ( aspect ratio - orginal ). 27", 32", etc monitor on demand sort of thing.

That's true, for strategy games where you want to see the whole screen easily, I sit a few feet further away and slide the mouse/KB back (it's on a table with wheels). I also keep the OLED light at 50% since these games are usually brighter than FPS to begin with.

 

[Zor Prime]

Read somewhere the lg TVs will send a screenshot back to the mothership periodically. No idea if that is actually true.

Cannot disconnect it from the WiFi because LGTVCompanion is required.

Ended up creating a firewall rule to block the TV from going to the internet.

You can also setup an Adguard Home DNS server. Mine is blocking 1.2 million requests on average over the span of 90 days. I block about half of the requests that the TV wants to do, mostly in an effort to get rid of those goddam annoying ads every now and then that appear when you start the TV up. Still haven't got rid of them because I think they might be coming from the same server that pushes updates. Haven't had an update in foreverrrr, maybe I should just eliminate all requests from the TV.

 

[StinkyPinky]

I treated myself to a ASUS PG42UQ about a month ago. Honestly it's awesome, Cyberpunk looks like a totally different game with good quality HDR and deep blacks, and the ray tracing.

Actually good speakers on it too.

 

[aigomorla]

I treated myself to a ASUS PG42UQ about a month ago. Honestly it's awesome, Cyberpunk looks like a totally different game with good quality HDR and deep blacks, and the ray tracing.

Actually good speakers on it too.

i heard a lot of good and bad on that monitor.
Burn in i hear is worse then then a LG.
I also hear the Gsync fan is obnoxiously loud compared to dell alienware.

 

[Aikouka]

Void the warranty with a service remote and be done with it.

The dimming has been getting a bit annoying lately in TV content as well. I was watching Easy-Bake Battle (quality TV!) on Netflix last night, and in this one episode, they just kept cutting between different views every few seconds (it would given that one Liam Neeson scene from Taken 3 a run for its money), and in some of the scenes, the TV would immediately darken down, and then it would switch to another, and brighten back up immediately. I recall experiencing this effect when watching... I think it was The Punisher awhile back on my Sony x930e. There was one scene where the camera was switching from one character that had a large windowed wall as a backdrop, and another that was in the room that had no lighting apart from the windows. So, when the camera focused on the person by the windows, it was bright, but when it switched to the other person, it dimmed after about a second.

That reminds me of when I was trying to watch Ms. Marvel on Disney+, and there were points where the whole TV just looked far, far too dark for what was on the screen.

Writing all of this out... I wonder if I just need to talk to LG to find out if what I'm seeing is normal. It just seems overly aggressive and very distracting.

 

[aigomorla]

Writing all of this out... I wonder if I just need to talk to LG to find out if what I'm seeing is normal. It just seems overly aggressive and very distracting.

I think there is a setting on the TV to disable this or at least make it less aggressive.



I pulled the trigger and got the LG 48GQ900-B.AUS with 4 year geek squad replacement warrenty.
I also bought another ergotron HX arm and a 100x100 to 400x400 Vesa conversion plate.
I intend to put that monitor on an arm and mount it in portrait.
If all goes well, i should have the monitor by next month according to best buys.

 

[SKORPI0]

I pulled the trigger and got the LG 48GQ900-B.AUS with 4 year geek squad replacement warrenty.

Nice, it's now on sale for $999.99 (less $500).
So compared to a LG C2, it has a matte OLED screen, 1 DP 1.4 and 3 HDMI 2.1 input, USB 3.0, but sadly no Dolby vision and obviously no SmartTV apps/Wi-fi.

 

[zinfamous]

i heard a lot of good and bad on that monitor.
Burn in i hear is worse then then a LG.
I also hear the Gsync fan is obnoxiously loud compared to dell alienware.

you keep saying burn-in, but I wonder if you mean IR? Burn in is permanent and completely unfixable. Image Retention is fairlry common (even for some LCD), and quite fixable.

 

[aigomorla]

no Dolby vision

Well not many video players for PC can even decode in DBV.
Also, i do not think i'll ever use it as a TV, and if i do, i can always connect a shield to it.

you keep saying burn-in, but I wonder if you mean IR?

Nah i mean burn in...
I know what IR is, my LG would have that issue when i left a white window up too long.
The LG monitor and not TV i hear was designed for static images, and has better protection. (shrug)
Also i think it has a better image wipe / restore.

 

[zinfamous]

Nah i mean burn in...
I know what IR is, my LG would have that issue when i left a white window up too long.
The LG monitor and not TV i hear was designed for static images, and has better protection. (shrug)
Also i think it has a better image wipe / restore.

Ah I see. I haven't really followed OLED progress or had much real experience with them, so I was just curious. This discussion reminds me of the plasma days, of which I am and was quite versed, so it is the same sort of technology progression/problems, reality that eventually became "myth" but the old stories persist, nonetheless, haha. Deja vu had me back to where this argument has happened, before, so was wondering if we are at the same stage of "no longer a thing, really, what with pixel shifting, color wipes, just learn to take care of your product" advancements.

But I also ask because this is in the back of my mind for a few years now, and I just keep waiting for the ultimate panel, just to pounce, lol. I skip several generations.

 

[aigomorla]

Ah I see. I haven't really followed OLED progress or had much real experience with them, so I was just curious.

im like 88% confident i had image burn on the C2 i returned.
The hardware screen restore took care of like 90% of it, but i still had the retention on the really bright icons i was running.
I had like the steam white logo showing if i overlayed it with a gray background.

You really couldn't see it unless you took effort at seeing it but it was there.
I thought i was tripping and maybe my eyes were burned - in trying to find fault with monitor, but i had my cousin and little brother confirm as well, they saw a ghost image.

I am hoping the 48GQ900 will be better, as its also a real monitor, and has a matte screen, which i feel is far superior then a gloss one.

I got confirmation from best buys its arriving on the 30th, so i'll update once i get it.
But yeah, little things annoy me on a HDTV using as a monitor, unless its for a console, or a Shield.

But things i will lose out, one a HDTV, like a TV Tuner which i never use on a monitor, and Dolby Vision, which no Media Player uses, i think i won't at it over having a real monitor that will wake up and sleep, along with having the option to connect a real working display port to it.

 

[SKORPI0]

I am hoping the 48GQ900 will be better, as its also a real monitor, and has a matte screen, which i feel is far superior then a gloss one.

So much agree. Which I wished the C2 came with and LG would give the customer a choice between the two panels when purchasing.
I'll be using the C2 primarily as a TV first (news/documentaries with cable box), streaming (4K when avialable), playback of 4K UHD disc (purchased/borrowed for library),
and lasty connected to the PC (maybe some gaming- MS Flight Sim/Forza Horizon).

My messy setup.

 

[igor_kavinski]

View attachment 71705

Have mercy on your neck!