Using an 8K TV as a Monitor

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Experiences with TVs as Monitors

  • Several people happily use 43–55" 4K TVs (and a few 8K) as primary monitors; others tried and reverted to ~27–32" monitors.
  • Reported issues: text at the edges hard to focus on when sitting close, especially on large flat panels; significant heat and higher power draw than typical monitors; sometimes noticeable input lag if “game/PC mode” isn’t enabled.
  • Some note mouse lag at 30 Hz or via under‑specced docks/cables; switching to 60–120 Hz and proper HDMI/DP adapters fixes it.
  • Smart TV UX, tracking, and “post‑processing” features are widely disliked; many disable all processing, never connect TVs to the internet, and use “game/PC mode.”

Resolution, Pixel Density, and Text Quality

  • Strong split between “1080p is fine” and “after 4K/HiDPI I can’t go back.”
  • 55–65" 8K TVs have ~135 PPI; some say that’s effectively “retina” at normal desk distances, others argue true retina is closer to 200+ PPI.
  • Cheap TVs with non‑RGB subpixels and some OLED/WRGB or non‑standard subpixel layouts can make text fringe and look bad; high PPI mitigates this but doesn’t always eliminate it.
  • Several people want smaller 8K (≈40–42") or 5K/6K monitors; current options (e.g., 27" 5K, 32" 6K/8K) are few and expensive.

Ergonomics and Health

  • Many find flat screens above ~30–32" uncomfortable up close; curved ultrawides (32–49") are often praised as more natural.
  • Others successfully use 48–65" TVs by placing them further away, lowering brightness, and focusing work near the center/bottom.
  • Neck pain from multi‑monitor setups is real for some and nonexistent for others; mounting angle and head position matter more than monitor count.
  • Conventional advice (top of screen at eye level) doesn’t work for everyone; several prefer eye level at mid‑screen and frequent posture changes.

Window Management and Screen Sharing

  • Big single displays require good window management: tiling WMs (i3/sway, yabai, AeroSpace), FancyZones, BetterTouchTool, Rectangle, etc. are heavily discussed.
  • Some value physical bezels as cognitive boundaries; others see bezels as pure distraction and love one continuous canvas.
  • Screen sharing is a recurring pain point with huge or ultrawide displays: shared views become too small. Workarounds include:
    • Sharing only one “virtual monitor” region.
    • OS tools that expose subregions as separate displays.
    • App‑level window sharing instead of whole‑screen sharing.

Hardware, OS Support, and Power Use

  • Modern GPUs (RTX 3000/4000, AMD 6000/7000) and HDMI 2.1 can drive 8K60 RGB; DP 1.4 with DSC and active adapters can also work.
  • On Linux, AMD’s open drivers are reportedly blocked from full HDMI 2.1 by licensing; Nvidia’s drivers support it.
  • macOS: recent Apple silicon with HDMI 2.1/Thunderbolt 5 can drive 8K or 4K120 cleanly; older Macs need adapters and EDID tweaking.
  • Power draw of 8K TVs is debated: one side claims 150–400 W “energy hogs,” others cite measurements around 130–140 W typical and compare favorably to car commutes or multiple 4K monitors.

Market, Cost, and Form Factors

  • TVs are repeatedly described as the best value per pixel; 55" 8K sets have been bought for under $1000–1400, while 32" 8K monitors cost similar or more and have quirks.
  • Some feel the monitor market is “broken”: either low‑end, low‑PPI panels or very expensive niche HiDPI options, with few mid‑size, high‑density choices (e.g., 40–42" 8K, 5K2K curved).
  • Non‑technical constraints matter: desk depth, stand/arm capacity, standing‑desk cost, and “spouse tolerance” all limit how big people can realistically go.