{"id":20122,"date":"2022-10-17T12:21:46","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T10:21:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/g100.us\/?p=20122"},"modified":"2023-06-14T10:07:28","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T08:07:28","slug":"use-monitor-without-pc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/g100.us\/use-monitor-without-pc\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Use A Monitor Without A PC? [You can!]"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_39 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6684531d8702e\" class=\"cssicon\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #7f11e0;color:#7f11e0\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\" \/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6684531d8702e\" class=\"cssiconcheckbox\">1<\/label><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6684531d8702e\" checked><nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 \"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/use-monitor-without-pc\/#Can_You_Use_a_Monitor_Without_a_PC\" title=\"Can You Use a Monitor Without a PC?\">Can You Use a Monitor Without a PC?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/use-monitor-without-pc\/#What_Can_You_Use_With_Your_Monitor\" title=\"What Can You Use With Your Monitor?\">What Can You Use With Your Monitor?<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/use-monitor-without-pc\/#Streaming_Devices_Chromecast_NVIDIA_Shield\" title=\"Streaming Devices (Chromecast, NVIDIA Shield)\">Streaming Devices (Chromecast, NVIDIA Shield)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/use-monitor-without-pc\/#Mini-PCs_Raspberry_Pi_Intel_NUC\" title=\"Mini-PCs (Raspberry Pi, Intel NUC)\">Mini-PCs (Raspberry Pi, Intel NUC)<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/use-monitor-without-pc\/#Consoles\" title=\"Consoles\">Consoles<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/use-monitor-without-pc\/#Cable_TV\" title=\"Cable TV\">Cable TV<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/use-monitor-without-pc\/#FAQ\" title=\"FAQ\">FAQ<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/use-monitor-without-pc\/#Can_You_Play_Games_on_a_Gaming_Monitor_Without_a_PC\" title=\"Can You Play Games on a Gaming Monitor Without a PC?\">Can You Play Games on a Gaming Monitor Without a PC?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/use-monitor-without-pc\/#Can_You_Connect_a_Monitor_to_a_Laptop_Without_a_PC\" title=\"Can You Connect a Monitor to a Laptop Without a PC?\">Can You Connect a Monitor to a Laptop Without a PC?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/use-monitor-without-pc\/#Can_You_Connect_Your_Phone_to_Your_Monitor\" title=\"Can You Connect Your Phone to Your Monitor?\">Can You Connect Your Phone to Your Monitor?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/use-monitor-without-pc\/#Over_to_You\" title=\"Over to You\">Over to You<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>I think it's safe to say that modern PC monitors are having a mini-renaissance with how fast the technology is evolving with groundbreaking new additions that improve upon last year's model in pretty much every conceivable way\u2014 perhaps aside from the price.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_20123\" style=\"width: 1900px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20123\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-20123\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/dell-alienware-monitor.png\" alt=\"Dell Alienware Monitor\" width=\"1900\" height=\"760\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/dell-alienware-monitor.png 1900w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/dell-alienware-monitor-300x120.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/dell-alienware-monitor-1024x410.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/dell-alienware-monitor-768x307.png 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/dell-alienware-monitor-1536x614.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1900px) 100vw, 1900px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20123\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-20123 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201900%20760%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Dell Alienware Monitor\" width=\"1900\" height=\"760\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201900%20760%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1900px) 100vw, 1900px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/dell-alienware-monitor.png 1900w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/dell-alienware-monitor-300x120.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/dell-alienware-monitor-1024x410.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/dell-alienware-monitor-768x307.png 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/dell-alienware-monitor-1536x614.png 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/dell-alienware-monitor.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-20123\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Dell<\/p><\/div>\n<p>So when you're easily dropping a grand plus on these technological marvels, it makes you wonder; is a PC the <em>only<\/em> thing you can use your new monitor with? What else can they possibly do?<\/p>\n<p>Or did you just spend a ton of money to lock yourself into a single platform?<\/p>\n<p>The short answer is, <strong><em>no<\/em><\/strong>, you didn't just lock yourself into a single platform. Let me explain.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_You_Use_a_Monitor_Without_a_PC\"><\/span>Can You Use a Monitor Without a PC?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Yes! There are <em>plenty<\/em> of devices that you can use with your monitor aside from a PC.<\/p>\n<p>From consoles to streaming devices, and even cable TV! The gist of it is, <strong><em>pretty much anything you can do with a TV, you can do with a monitor.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20138\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Devices-you-can-connect-to-your-TV.jpg\" alt=\"Devices you can connect to your TV\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Devices-you-can-connect-to-your-TV.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Devices-you-can-connect-to-your-TV-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Devices-you-can-connect-to-your-TV-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Devices-you-can-connect-to-your-TV-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Devices-you-can-connect-to-your-TV-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20138 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Devices you can connect to your TV\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202048%201080%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Devices-you-can-connect-to-your-TV.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Devices-you-can-connect-to-your-TV-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Devices-you-can-connect-to-your-TV-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Devices-you-can-connect-to-your-TV-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Devices-you-can-connect-to-your-TV-1536x810.jpg 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Devices-you-can-connect-to-your-TV.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><em>However<\/em>, if you want to use your monitor without any such device, you'll sadly be disappointed.<\/p>\n<p>Most monitors worth talking about do not support &#8220;smart functionality&#8221;, they also don't have in-built tv receivers or Wifi \/ Lan capabilities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>This means they simply display whatever content is sent to them through the display cable by an external device, but they don't have a mini-computer inside them that can get content from some source like Netflix, YouTube, Plex, etc., by itself.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This can be a common misunderstanding because most modern TVs <em>do<\/em> have this functionality\u2014they come with a variety of pre-installed applications that allow you to use the TV <em>without<\/em> any other external device.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_20124\" style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20124\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-20124\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/lg-tv.png\" alt=\"LG TV\" width=\"1600\" height=\"850\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/lg-tv.png 1600w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/lg-tv-300x159.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/lg-tv-1024x544.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/lg-tv-768x408.png 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/lg-tv-1536x816.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20124\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-20124 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201600%20850%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"LG TV\" width=\"1600\" height=\"850\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201600%20850%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/lg-tv.png 1600w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/lg-tv-300x159.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/lg-tv-1024x544.png 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/lg-tv-768x408.png 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/lg-tv-1536x816.png 1536w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/lg-tv.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-20124\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: LG - LG TV Entertainment System<\/p><\/div>\n<p>So you might think those <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/best-4k-monitors\/\">high-end monitors<\/a> would support that functionality as well, but they sadly don't. They're made for a different purpose.<\/p>\n<p>You can think of it like this, TVs are generally more akin to a reliable consumer car. Something that allows you to do pretty much anything you want and is pretty damn good at it\u2014it'd be kitted out with lots of comfort-enhancing features, but it won't be winning any races.<\/p>\n<p>Whereas a monitor is more of a fast exotic car, something that's made for a very specific purpose, but beyond that purpose, the benefit of using it diminishes\u2014you wouldn't use an F1 car for a road trip.<\/p>\n<p>So TVs are mostly made for sitting back and enjoying cinematic content or playing less reactive games, but a monitor is made for more active uses such as high-octane gaming or <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/best-monitor-graphic-design-video-editing-3d\/\">creative &amp; visually demanding work<\/a> requiring precise color reproduction such as 3D\/2D art, color correcting, editing, graphic design etc.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Can_You_Use_With_Your_Monitor\"><\/span>What Can You Use With Your Monitor?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Just saying that you can use your monitor with anything you can use with your TV doesn't really give you much information to go off of.<\/p>\n<p>So here's a short list of potential device types you might want to use with your monitor aside from PCs!<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Streaming_Devices_Chromecast_NVIDIA_Shield\"><\/span>Streaming Devices (Chromecast, NVIDIA Shield)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_20126\" style=\"width: 668px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20126\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-20126\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/streaming-devices.jpeg\" alt=\"Streaming Devices\" width=\"668\" height=\"446\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/streaming-devices.jpeg 668w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/streaming-devices-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 668px) 100vw, 668px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20126\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-20126 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20668%20446%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Streaming Devices\" width=\"668\" height=\"446\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20668%20446%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 668w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 668px) 100vw, 668px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/streaming-devices.jpeg 668w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/streaming-devices-300x200.jpeg 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/streaming-devices.jpeg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-20126\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Google and NVIDIA<\/p><\/div>\n<p>From their inception, streaming devices such as <a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Chromecast with Google TV (4K)- Streaming Stick Entertainment with Voice Search - Watch Movies, Shows, and Live TV in 4K HDR - Snow\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/chromecast-with-google-tv-4k-streaming-stick-entertainment-with-voice-search-watch-movies-shows-and-live-tv-in-4k-hdr-snow\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\">Google Chromecast<\/a> and <a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV Pro Streaming Media Player; 4K HDR movies, live sports, Dolby Vision-Atmos, AI-enhanced upscaling, GeForce NOW cloud gaming, Google Assistant Built-In, Works with Alexa\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/nvidia-shield-android-tv-pro-streaming-media-player-4k-hdr-movies-live-sports-dolby-vision-atmos-ai-enhanced-upscaling-geforce-now-cloud-gaming-google-assistant-built-in-works-with-alexa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\">NVIDIA Shield<\/a> have gotten exceptionally popular, and it makes sense.<\/p>\n<p>They're dead easy to set up and use, they're relatively affordable, they can stream pretty much any type of video content you might want, they can very easily stream from one device to another, and some of them can even stream games!<\/p>\n<p>Streaming devices are the simplest way to upgrade your &#8220;dumb&#8221; TV or monitor into a simple computer that can provide you with a breadth of entertainment.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mini-PCs_Raspberry_Pi_Intel_NUC\"><\/span>Mini-PCs (Raspberry Pi, Intel NUC)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_20127\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20127\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-20127\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/mini-pcs.jpeg\" alt=\"Mini PCs\" width=\"500\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/mini-pcs.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/mini-pcs-300x202.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20127\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-20127 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20336%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Mini PCs\" width=\"500\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20500%20336%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/mini-pcs.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/mini-pcs-300x202.jpeg 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/mini-pcs.jpeg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-20127\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Raspberry Pi and Intel<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/reasons-for-building-itx-pc\/\">Mini-PCs<\/a> are basically the same thing as a normal PC, just in a much more compact package. They're the more involved alternative to streaming devices.<\/p>\n<p>Generally, mini-PCs offer you a lot more options when it comes to the hardware side of things when compared to simple streaming devices.<\/p>\n<p>Do you want to spend a bit more money to get a <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/laptop-processors-list-order-of-performance\/\">processor<\/a> that's strong enough to encode\/decode your high-quality 4K videos from your Plex server?<\/p>\n<p>Do you want to have more onboard <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/best-nvme-ssds\/\">storage<\/a> to be able to store your own streaming material?<\/p>\n<p>Do you want to be able to play some games on the actual device instead of streaming them?<\/p>\n<p>In these cases, a mini-PC might be what you're looking for.<\/p>\n<p>They can do almost everything a simpler streaming device can do and more! But keep in mind that the freedom that they offer is a double-edged sword.<\/p>\n<p>If you're not technically inclined enough to fiddle with the mini-PC to get it up and running, then perhaps a simpler streaming solution would be better for you.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Consoles\"><\/span>Consoles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_20130\" style=\"width: 608px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20130\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-20130\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/consoles.jpeg\" alt=\"Consoles\" width=\"608\" height=\"293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/consoles.jpeg 608w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/consoles-300x145.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 608px) 100vw, 608px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20130\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-20130 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20608%20293%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Consoles\" width=\"608\" height=\"293\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20608%20293%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 608w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 608px) 100vw, 608px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/consoles.jpeg 608w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/consoles-300x145.jpeg 300w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/consoles.jpeg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-20130\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Microsoft and Sony<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Modern consoles and monitors are a match made in heaven.<\/p>\n<p>With how much graphical fidelity a modern console can push, it becomes extremely important that you have a device actually capable of viewing those graphics in full.<\/p>\n<p>And considering that most monitors are tailor-made for such situations, I'm sure you can see why they're a good match.<\/p>\n<p>This is especially true if you plan on playing high-octane games that require split-second reaction times.<\/p>\n<p>Modern TVs have gotten exceptionally good at <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/monitor-guide-refresh-rates-response-times\/\">screen response times and refresh rates<\/a>, but unless you're ready to drop some serious money on one, a monitor generally offers those same benefits for <em>far<\/em> cheaper.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond games, most consoles these days pull double duty as great streaming devices as well.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to have a relatively minimalist and simple setup that allows you to stream any type of video content you want and pwn noobs in games at the same time, you can't go wrong with a console!<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cable_TV\"><\/span>Cable TV<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_20133\" style=\"width: 923px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20133\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-20133\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/cable-tv.png\" alt=\"Cable TV\" width=\"923\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/cable-tv.png 923w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/cable-tv-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/cable-tv-768x562.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 923px) 100vw, 923px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20133\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-border wp-image-20133 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20923%20675%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Cable TV\" width=\"923\" height=\"675\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20923%20675%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 923w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 923px) 100vw, 923px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/cable-tv.png 923w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/cable-tv-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/cable-tv-768x562.png 768w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/cable-tv.png\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-20133\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Mediasonic<\/p><\/div>\n<p>You read that right! You can watch <em>cable TV<\/em> on your brand-spanking new monitor and all you need to do that is a simple and cheap media converter!<\/p>\n<p>I'm sure most of us here remember the good old days of just kicking back and putting on something to watch on the telly, hoping there's something interesting on. But that has now mostly been supplanted by video streaming services.<\/p>\n<p>Still, you can hearken back to the old days with a simple media converter like <a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"Digital TV Converter Box, ATSC Cabal Box - ZJBOX for Analog HDTV Live1080P with TV Recording&amp;Playback,HDMI Output,Timer Setting TV Tuner Function Set Top Box Digital Channel Free\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/digital-tv-converter-box-atsc-cabal-box-zjbox-for-analog-hdtv-live1080p-with-tv-recordingplaybackhdmi-outputtimer-setting-tv-tuner-function-set-top-box-digital-channel-free\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\">this one<\/a>. Simply connect your coaxial TV cable to the converter and then attach the converter to your TV or monitor with an HDMI cable.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_You_Play_Games_on_a_Gaming_Monitor_Without_a_PC\"><\/span>Can You Play Games on a Gaming Monitor Without a PC?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. Monitors\u2014regardless of whether they're for gaming or not\u2014are created for a very specific purpose, <em>displaying content<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>To play a game, the monitor would need to actually process the game, but monitors just don't have the hardware to do that.<\/p>\n<p>That's why you need a PC. The PC processes the game and sends the image data to the monitor, and the monitor simply shows that.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_You_Connect_a_Monitor_to_a_Laptop_Without_a_PC\"><\/span>Can You Connect a Monitor to a Laptop Without a PC?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes! A laptop <em>is <\/em>a PC, and most laptops have a display out port, so you can very easily connect your laptop to a monitor.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_20139\" style=\"width: 2281px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20139\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20139\" src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor.jpg\" alt=\"Laptop connected to monitor\" width=\"2281\" height=\"1283\" srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor.jpg 2281w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-825x464.jpg 825w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-594x335.jpg 594w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-420x236.jpg 420w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2281px) 100vw, 2281px\"><\/noscript><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20139\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20139 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202281%201283%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" alt=\"Laptop connected to monitor\" width=\"2281\" height=\"1283\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%202281%201283%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E 2281w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2281px) 100vw, 2281px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor.jpg 2281w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-825x464.jpg 825w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-594x335.jpg 594w, https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor-420x236.jpg 420w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/media\/2022\/10\/Laptop-connected-to-monitor.jpg\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-20139\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dell.com\/en-us\/shop\/dell-laptops\/xps-15-laptop\/spd\/xps-15-9520-laptop\/xn9520fmgks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dell<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>If your laptop <em>doesn't<\/em> have a display out port, you might still be able to send a display signal to your monitor if you have a USB-C or Thunderbolt port.<\/p>\n<p>You will need a <a class=\"thirstylink\" title=\"USB C Hub, USB C Docking Station 13 in 1 Triple Display Type C Adapter with Dual HDMI 4K, DP, PD Charger, Gigabit Ethernet, 5 USB Ports, SD\/TF Card Reader, Mic\/Audio for MacBook Pro and Windows\" href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/recommends\/usb-c-hub-usb-c-docking-station-13-in-1-triple-display-type-c-adapter-with-dual-hdmi-4k-dp-pd-charger-gigabit-ethernet-5-usb-ports-sd-tf-card-reader-mic-audio-for-macbook-pro-and-windows\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noindex noopener noreferrer\">USB to Display Port\/HDMI converter<\/a>, but thankfully, they aren't that expensive.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_You_Connect_Your_Phone_to_Your_Monitor\"><\/span>Can You Connect Your Phone to Your Monitor?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It depends. That's a surprisingly involved question to answer.<\/p>\n<p>Most lower-end smartphones generally do not support connecting straight to a monitor with a cable through a USB converter.<\/p>\n<p><em>However<\/em>, there are certain modern phones that <em>do<\/em> support that\u2014especially offerings from Samsung and Apple.<\/p>\n<p>Because I can't list the specifics of how to do that with every possible phone here, I suggest that you search how to connect your specific phone to a monitor instead. Or you can post a question in our <a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/forum\/\">forum<\/a> and we'll help you out!<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Over_to_You\"><\/span>Over to You<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong><em>Have any other questions about PCs? Feel free to ask us in the <a href=\"#comments\">comments<\/a> or our <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/g100.us\/forum\/\"><strong><em>forum<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I think it's safe to say that modern PC monitors are having a mini-renaissance with how fast the technology is evolving with groundbreaking new additions that improve upon last year's model in pretty much every conceivable way\u2014 perhaps aside from the price. So when you're easily dropping a grand plus on these technological marvels, it...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2343,"featured_media":20125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[209],"tags":[141],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20122"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2343"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20122"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20163,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20122\/revisions\/20163"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/g100.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}