TV or Monitor? The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Display in 2025
Choosing between a monitor and a TV isn’t as straightforward as it once was. With TVs now offering higher refresh rates and monitors now having smart features that you’d typically see on TVs, the line between the two is blurrier than ever.
However, each type of display still has its strengths, depending on your intended use. Here’s a breakdown of how monitors and TVs compare across three key usage areas; gaming, productivity, and home entertainment.
Gaming: Speed vs TV
Gamers are often faced with a critical decision; performance or immersion?
Monitors typically win when it comes to competitive and responsive gameplay. Most gaming monitors today support refresh rates of 144Hz to 360Hz, and response times as low as 1ms (GtG). For instance, the ROG Strix OLED XG27AQDPG that was announced at the start of 2025 offers a whopping 500Hz of refresh rate, which is ideal for esports titles like CS2, Valorant, and Overwatch 2. For context, 500Hz means each frame is displayed for 1/500th of a second, or 2 milliseconds.
In contrast, modern 4K TVs like the LG C3 OLED or TCL C728 QLED 4K TV now support 120Hz refresh rates with HDMI 2.1, VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode). Input lag can go as low as 5ms to 10ms, which is decent even for fast-paced console games like Call of Duty or FIFA. However, few TVs can match the sub-1ms response times or 240Hz+ refresh rates found in gaming monitors.
Distance matters too. Monitors are optimized for desktop use, about 50 to 100 cm away, while TVs are designed for couch viewing at roughly 150 to 200 cm away. A 55-inch TV on a desk would overwhelm your field of view and make competitive gaming impractical. Moreover, with TVs having lower pixel density (PPI), it wouldn’t look as good as monitors when viewing upclose as visuals will appear pixelated.
Verdict:
- Choose a monitor for PC gaming, especially if you’re into shooters or high-FPS titles.
- Monitors would also work better if you want the fastest response time possible, which is important for competitive gaming.
- Choose a TV if you’re playing from the couch or simply viewing from a distance, especially with next-gen consoles like the PS5 or Xbox Series X.
- While TVs may have quadruple or more input lag, the difference is usually hard to notice for the average joe. Be realistic and honest about your own capabilities as it can save you a lot of money, and no one will judge you for it.
Productivity: Precision and Pixel Density
Productivity tasks like document editing, coding, graphic design, and video editing benefit greatly from pixel density and screen layout.
Monitors, particularly those in the 27 to 34-inch range with 1440p or 4K resolutions, offer high PPI (pixels per inch). A 27-inch 4K monitor has a pixel density of 163 PPI, compared to just 80 PPI on a 55-inch 4K TV. This makes text appear sharper and UI elements better scaled for desk use. Curved ultrawide monitors like the LG 34WR50QK-B or Dell UltraSharp U4025QW provide expansive horizontal space, which is ideal for multitasking and timeline-based editing.
Meanwhile, using a TV for productivity comes with compromises. Text clarity suffers due to lower PPI, and input lag may be noticeable with mice and keyboards. While some 4K TVs support Chroma 4:4:4 (needed for crisp text), many default to 4:2:2 or 4:2:0, especially in HDR mode, which results in blurry edges due to chroma subsampling.
For a better understanding, ratio 4:4:4, 4:2:2, and 4:2:0 indicates how much chroma information is retained compared to the luminance information. Chroma subsampling reduces color data without a noticeable loss in perceived image quality but for professionals who deal with visuals and color, this simply won’t cut it. Imagine being shown 400 different shades of red, which can be seen with 4:4:4 but in 4:2:0 for instance, most if not all may appear as the same shade of red. As for what the ratios mean, I’ve listed it right below here:
- 4:4:4: No chroma subsampling, full color resolution.
- 4:2:2: Half the horizontal chroma resolution compared to luminance.
- 4:2:0: Half the horizontal and vertical chroma resolution compared to luminance.
Color accuracy also leans in favor of monitors. Professional monitors offer 99% AdobeRGB or DCI-P3 coverage, factory calibration, and features like hardware LUTs (Look-Up Tables). TVs are tuned for video content, not accurate color grading.
Verdict:
- Choose a monitor for any serious productivity work, especially if visuals, color accuracy, or text clarity is important.
- Monitors come with a wider variety of shapes, sizes, resolutions, and capabilities that can tailor to one’s workflow and needs.
- A TV is only practical for entertainment or as a secondary display. It’s also more general purpose for the mass audience.
Home Entertainment: Immersion and Features
When it comes to watching movies, streaming, or casual media consumption, TVs take the lead.
TVs come in larger sizes, 48 to 85 inches or more, and are equipped with features like Dolby Vision, HDR10+, local dimming, and smart TV apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+. A TV like the Sony A95L QD-OLED offers deep contrast, rich HDR, and cinematic quality that monitors can rarely match.
Monitors, even high-end ones like the ASUS ProArt PA32UCG, can rival TVs in HDR performance and color depth, but they’re expensive and rarely exceed 32 inches. Moreover, they lack built-in speakers or native streaming capabilities, making them less convenient for pure entertainment.
Audio is another factor. TVs these days usually come with decent speakers and support for eARC audio passthrough, while most monitors rely on external speakers or soundbars. While you’re able to connect speakers and audio systems directly to the TV itself, most monitors are dependent on the device that’s connected to it, such as a PC. If the PC can’t support a particular speaker (such as those eARC ones), then you’ll have to find one with the right connectivity option (3.5mm, optical, etc.) or purchase additional equipment for it (like a sound card or DAC).
Verdict:
- Choose a TV for movies, streaming, and general home entertainment.
- Modern TVs can function on its own whereas a monitor is typically dependent on the device it’s connected to.
- A monitor is better suited for occasional media playback or when paired with a dedicated sound system.
Ports and Connectivity: It’s Not About The Size, It’s How You Use It
One often overlooked yet critical difference between monitors and TVs lies in their port selection and connectivity options. It matters a lot as it not only determines the devices that can be connected to either displays, it can also mean the difference between a half-baked visual and taking full advantage of a display’s true potential.
Monitors almost always include DisplayPort (DP) connections, alongside HDMI, USB-C, and sometimes even Thunderbolt. DisplayPort is widely used in PCs and gaming setups because of its higher bandwidth, faster refresh rate support, and better compatibility with adaptive sync technologies like NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro.
As of 2025, DisplayPort 1.4 remains common in most consumer monitors, supporting 4K at 144Hz and 8K at 60Hz with DSC (Display Stream Compression). The newer DisplayPort 2.1 standard, now appearing in high-end displays, offers up to 80 Gbps bandwidth, enabling 4K at 240Hz or 8K at 120Hz without compression, making it ideal for ultra-high refresh rate gaming and future-proof setups.
TVs however almost never include DisplayPort. Instead, they rely exclusively on HDMI ports, typically HDMI 2.0 or HDMI 2.1. HDMI 2.0 maxes out at 4K 60Hz, which is sufficient for most media consumption but can be limiting for PC gaming or high-refresh-rate monitors. HDMI 2.1 significantly narrows the gap by offering 4K at 120Hz, VRR, and ALLM, but only the latest and more expensive TVs support the full spec, and even then, only on certain ports.
Another issue with HDMI is its inconsistent implementation across brands. Some HDMI 2.1 ports are limited in bandwidth (24 Gbps vs the full 48 Gbps), which can restrict functionality like 10-bit color or full RGB at higher refresh rates. Why does that matter? Imagine running in a field with one lung instead of two, where you’d obviously be less capable in the former despite both runners still being human. It’s not the same despite appearing to be the case, and that’s basically the issue with the inconsistent HDMI 2.1 implementation.
Furthermore, DisplayPort allows daisy-chaining multiple monitors through Multi-Stream Transport (MST), a feature not possible with HDMI, making it more versatile for productivity and multi-screen setups.
Verdict:
- If you’re building a PC setup or gaming rig, DisplayPort support is essential for maximizing performance.
- For PC users, HDMI connections can sometimes prevent you from seeing the BIOS screen, which will be a headache to deal with when you need to troubleshoot the machine.
- TVs may work well for consoles and media players over HDMI, but lack flexibility and optimal performance for desktop use due to the absence of DisplayPort and limited HDMI bandwidth.
Price and Value
If you’re looking for screen size per Ringgit, TVs offer more value. A 55-inch 4K TV can be found for around RM1,800–RM2,500, and sometimes even lower if you’re not picky about the brand, while a 32-inch 4K monitor can cost more and still lack smart features or HDR performance.
However, monitors offer better long-term utility for gaming and productivity, where precision and responsiveness are key. Their higher pixel density and refresh rates justify the price if you spend most of your time working or gaming at a desk.
Conclusion: The Right Tool for the Job
The best display ultimately depends on your use case:
- For gaming, monitors are superior for competitive PC play, while TVs offer a larger, more immersive experience for console gaming.
- For productivity, monitors win by a large margin in sharpness, accuracy, and ergonomic suitability.
- For entertainment, TVs offer better value and feature-rich packages for casual viewing or cinematic setups.
If you’re building a dedicated setup, whether for work, play, or movies, it’s worth investing in the display that’s optimized for that purpose. Multiple monitor setups have grown significantly popular but in some cases, having both a monitor and a TV can give you the best level of flexibility for practically any occassion. Just remember to spend wisely.
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