I currently have a 19" monitor, would the 24" model look just as good/better?
 

I currently use this monitor for X-Box 360 and for displaying HD-quality (.mkv) movie files from my macbook:

HP 19" Widescreen Flat-Panel TFT-LCD Monitor

It looks great for both, but for movies I'd like a bigger screen. I'm not one to need a huge display; I saw this one in Officemax today and thought it was a perfect size:

HP 24" Widescreen Flat-Panel TFT-LCD Monitor

It has HDMI input and built-in speakers (don't know how good they are but if they aren't I'll just use my own) which would be good for when I get a blu-ray player. Besides extra bell-and-whistle features, the only difference is size and max resolution. I have three questions:

Will the 24" model have just as good picture quality as the 19"?

If I get HD cable from my provider (Comcast) can I use this monitor as a TV, or does it need some type of decoder? (I think Comcast would give me some type of set-top box but wasn't sure how it all worked.

Would this 24" model display 1080i and/or 1080p?

Thanks for any help!

Re: I currently have a 19" monitor, would the 24" model look just as good/better?
 

It has a higher native resolution, so theoretically the picture quality would be better than the 19". I don't know how noticable this would be to you though.

If it has HDMI in, and your HD cable box has HDMI out, you are good to go. If not, you will just have to find the right cable/adaptor to make the connection. You would definitely need a set top box though, the monitor doesn't have any kind of tuner in it.

The monitor's native resolution is more than 1080p actually, but it will display 1080p just fine.

I have the 22" version of this HP monitor. I'm happy with it, and the Blu-ray discs and HD DVDs I play from my computer look great on it. It's internal speakers aren't that great though, so if you are watching movies/TV on it, I'd recommend some good external speakers.

Re: I currently have a 19" monitor, would the 24" model look just as good/better?
 

If you want local channels in HD (like free from an antenna), you probably just need a TV rather than a monitor. There are options, but probably cheaper to just pay more for a TV model up front.

If you want cable channels like TNT, ESPN in HD, you need an HD box from Comcast. (or other TV provider) They will "give" you a box....for a monthly fee. And that should work fine with a monitor with HDMI.

Re: I currently have a 19" monitor, would the 24" model look just as good/better?
 

I have Comcast, too, and my computer only gets channels 1-74 and all the 75-500 channels that go to my tv through the digital receiver box thingy don't show up for me on the computer.

Re: I currently have a 19" monitor, would the 24" model look just as good/better?
 

You would have to use the monitor as you would a TV to get the higher channels. Run HDMI from the cable box to the monitor directly, no computer involvement. I presume you have a TV tuner card in the PC that is accessing the analog cable to give you the lower channels.