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Guide TV or monitor for a wall mounted metrics dashboard?

Unless you are optimizing for cost, it doesn't much matter. TVs tend to be cheaper than monitors. They are also more likely to support wall-mounting brackets.

Monitors tend to have better color display and higher reslutions. For wall-mounted metrics displays, these characteristics don't matter that much. You are typically viewing this information from across the room. Furthermore the content is rarely image-haevy and color accuracy tends to be irrelevant for text, metrics and diagrams. Another feature of high-end monitors is high refresh rate, which are usually irrelevant for metrics display.

Modern displays don't tend to have issues with burn-in or image retention. Displays with the very cheap panels may expereince burn-in however.

Recommendation

Typically, we recommend a mid-range TV. Features that are important:

  • 1080p resolution
  • At least one HDMI input
  • HDMI CEC support
  • Removeable base and wall mount support

You don't need usually need 4K resolution as most wall mounted displays are designed to work across a room. From those distances, higher resolution isn't noticable. If the content you want to display is full of small text however, a 4K TV may be appropriate.

Simiarly, advanced color depth or refresh rate functionality isn't necessary. 10 bit color depth support may prevent banding on subtle gradients which do happen with certain dashboard designed, but this tends to be a minor cosmetic issue.

HDMI CEC is helpful because a smart enough source device is able to control the TV (on/off, input, etc.). This can help extend the life of the display if you don't need it on 24/7. If you decide to use a monitor, make sure it has DDC/CI or E-DDC support.

Most metrics TV solutions don't need Smart TV OS or features. These add complexity and often make management of the TVs more cumbersome as the remote is required to do basic operations.

LCD TVs tend to be cheaper and are recommended. LED TVs tend to be more expensive and pack advanced features that aren't necessary for metrics dispay or info-radiators. OLEDs are not recommended as burn-in has a historically larger problem with these types of displays.