Things may have changed in the few decades since I last looked, but generally monitors meant for TV presented some problems when you tried to use them for a computer monitor - at least way back when... Since many newer computers do have DVD etc. capabilities, a big computer monitor should be able to display TV. An immediately apparent difference now is that most TV monitors have a different aspect ratio (width/height) than computer monitors, and flat monitors don't like working at anything other than their "native" resolution. For whichever is your "other" use, you may have some blank (unusable) edges.

For multiple doc display on your computer, you'd likely be better off with two monitors, and two cheap (smaller) ones might be an improvement over one biggie. WinXP says it's pretty easy to hookup dual monitors, although I haven't had a need to do it.

Reasonably priced flat computer monitors get "uneconomical" above about 19" although larger ones are available. PC Magazine's editors gave rave reviews recently to a new HP 19 inch that's "only" about $600. The price isn't much different than others in that size, but the editors seemed to think it has some better than usual features. You might also get some ideas from the Ziff-Davis "Extreme Tech" series of articles on Display Technology. The link is to the fourth, I think most recent, article in the series, but has links to earlier ones.

For your recreational side, you might want to check out the ExtremeTech HDTV Buyers Guide. The article has a link to an earlier one with more details on what to look for and how to choose. The link is to an "update" that mostly just gives what's available now.

At the big end for computer monitors, I thought I remembered a recent announcement, I think about new a Sony 30 inch. It didn't exactly break the price/size barrier, but it made a small dent and the specs looked pretty good. I can't seem to find the note right now, but the Sony (if that's the right maker) site should have a news release from sometime in the last couple of months.

John