Need monitor/video card upgrade help

[djkoz]

I currently have only one monitor and my graphics card only supports 4:3 as far as I know. I want to upgrade to widescreen 16:9, and ultimately be able to handle HD (not an issue now, but maybe in a year or two) but I have a few questions:

1.
Would I be better off getting 2 widscreen monitors, say 22" LCDs or 1 larger 26" widescreen monitor?

2.
Could I use a LCD TV in lieu of a monitor? or would that cause distortion or other problems?

3.
What resolution and other specifications do I need to be aware of?

4.
Is there a brand/model of monitor/TV that is measurably better than the others?

5.
When upgrading my video card, other than digital output, 16:9 format and lots on onboard RAM, are there other specifications I need to consider?

Thanks,

I appreciate all the advice.

Dan

 

[David Jimerson]

0) I don't think any graphics card is limited to 4:3. Your monitor may be, which is why you only see those choices.

1) Two 22".

2) No. Not the same thing at all, especially if you're looking at SD TVs, which would be the only things less expensive than the same-size monitors.

3) With monitors as big as you're looking at, you'll be fine. You might not get full 1920x1080 with a 22" monitor, but 1680x1050 will be plenty good enough, especialy when you're first starting out.

4) "Better" can mean a lot of different things. What are you looking for?

5) Again, depends on what you're planning to do. For Vegas, pretty much any video card is fine. You want two DVI outs (not one DVI and one analog), though.