Does anybody have any idea what to look for an HDTV primarily for gaming? I'm looking at the smaller ones, around 32" for my son. I probably can't spend that much but I'd like to at least know what is important. For example, I like sports and a fast refresh rate is supposed to be good for that.
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Smallish HDTV for gaming
- Thread starter Shann
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00ChevyScott
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Def stay away from anything 60hz. I have a 60hz samsung LCD that's alright, but I really wish it had a higher refresh rate.
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Having recently shopped for TV's, I can mention a few things:
For gaming, I'd say avoid plasma as the risk of burn-in is heightened when playing video games due to pausing the game(although plasmas have built in features to counter this to an extent these days). Plasmas also have a shorter shelf life which you may experience in a few years time if you are a heavy TV user. They are however better about refresh because they operate differently than an LCD/LED. Also, a previously mentioned, 60Hz will not be enough. Minimum 120Hz for gaming. Next, I think LED is still more hype than anything else. When comparing LED vs LCD, the difference in contrast, color, and black depth exists(LED being a slight step up), but the difference is small unless you go very high end and certainly not worth the extra coin if you are on a budget. The biggest thing with the LED's is that they are very thin...LCD's are a couple inches thick, LED's are ~.5".
All that said, I settled on a Samsung LCD with a glass screen and have been extremely happy.
For gaming, I'd say avoid plasma as the risk of burn-in is heightened when playing video games due to pausing the game(although plasmas have built in features to counter this to an extent these days). Plasmas also have a shorter shelf life which you may experience in a few years time if you are a heavy TV user. They are however better about refresh because they operate differently than an LCD/LED. Also, a previously mentioned, 60Hz will not be enough. Minimum 120Hz for gaming. Next, I think LED is still more hype than anything else. When comparing LED vs LCD, the difference in contrast, color, and black depth exists(LED being a slight step up), but the difference is small unless you go very high end and certainly not worth the extra coin if you are on a budget. The biggest thing with the LED's is that they are very thin...LCD's are a couple inches thick, LED's are ~.5".
All that said, I settled on a Samsung LCD with a glass screen and have been extremely happy.
I recently bought a PS3 (I'm a fossil, I couldn't bear the idea of dropping another pile of money to upgrade the computer to handle the new games) and hooked it up to our big 52" Sharp LCd. Looks... Wonderful.
I've been playing Skyrim, and seeing all those gorgeous landscapes on the big screen is really cool.
I've been playing Skyrim, and seeing all those gorgeous landscapes on the big screen is really cool.
Jason B.
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I purchased a 22in computer monitor that has twice the specs at half the price of flat screen the same size. I use it for gaming and its great except it won't accept cable but that can be fixed with adaptor boxes if needed.
If you do stick with a TV then make sure its good for gaming otherwise its a big waste of money.
If you do stick with a TV then make sure its good for gaming otherwise its a big waste of money.
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What's important is 1080P (P is for progressive) and a refresh rate of at least 120Hz (the screen refreshes itself 120 times per second). Also make sure that your output from your gaming system matches the TV (its in the settings of your gaming consol), and that you run it through an HDMI cable (any will do, brand and price doesn't matter).
I prefer LCD TV's. Plasma's have a chance of burning an image into the screen. Say if you leave your game on pause overnight with the TV on. What ever you had on the screen when it was paused will now forever be "burned" into the screen an a ghost image of it will appear on everything you view. I don't like LED screens because they are hard to repair. You need 3 led's for every one pixel of color, and if the manufacturer would ever come out to repair a burnt pixel, then its gonna take a while. The benefit of LED is that it is super bright and great contrast. LCD/LED is a toss up; Just depends on your budget.
Brands..... Brand loyalty really, but stay away from Dynex, Westinghouse. I prefer Samsung, Sony, Sharp. Vizio and LG are the same company so go to Costco if you want a great return policy. I don't really like the picture quality of LG.
I prefer LCD TV's. Plasma's have a chance of burning an image into the screen. Say if you leave your game on pause overnight with the TV on. What ever you had on the screen when it was paused will now forever be "burned" into the screen an a ghost image of it will appear on everything you view. I don't like LED screens because they are hard to repair. You need 3 led's for every one pixel of color, and if the manufacturer would ever come out to repair a burnt pixel, then its gonna take a while. The benefit of LED is that it is super bright and great contrast. LCD/LED is a toss up; Just depends on your budget.
Brands..... Brand loyalty really, but stay away from Dynex, Westinghouse. I prefer Samsung, Sony, Sharp. Vizio and LG are the same company so go to Costco if you want a great return policy. I don't really like the picture quality of LG.
For the curious...
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/panel_technologies.htm
If I were shopping for me, I would get one of these, now that IPS panels are available for less than an arm and a leg it really does seem like the way to go. 21.5" may be a little too small, but on a computer desk (where I have all my consoles hooked up anyway) it's not a huge deal.
For PC stuff it would be really hard for me to go back from 120hz, but none of the current consoles go over 60hz so it's kind of a moot point if you don't have gaming hardware in your computer.
If you buy a HDTV make sure it has a proper gaming mode, most tv's do a whole bunch of processing on the image to make movies look better, which puts a big delay between "button press" and "action" when playing games.
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/panel_technologies.htm
If I were shopping for me, I would get one of these, now that IPS panels are available for less than an arm and a leg it really does seem like the way to go. 21.5" may be a little too small, but on a computer desk (where I have all my consoles hooked up anyway) it's not a huge deal.
For PC stuff it would be really hard for me to go back from 120hz, but none of the current consoles go over 60hz so it's kind of a moot point if you don't have gaming hardware in your computer.
If you buy a HDTV make sure it has a proper gaming mode, most tv's do a whole bunch of processing on the image to make movies look better, which puts a big delay between "button press" and "action" when playing games.