LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

My girlfriend and I are looking at flat screen tvs. I have heard many things on the issue of LCD vs. plasma. One person told me that video games lag and do not work well on LCD compared to plasma. Is this true? Also we are looking into a 46" to 50" just to give a general idea.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

LCDs have lower refresh rates so they will appear to lag at times both while gaming or watching high speed action(sports/movies mostly), but Plasmas are prone to burn in, the risk of which is increased when used for gaming. I think both of these problems have been toned down some in the newer models, but are still issues.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

Also which would you suggest if you had to get one today??

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

I'd get LCD, I have both and there are no problems with ghosting on the LCD but the glare on the plasma is horrible unless I turn every light off in the room and close the shades. It's quite annoying, and LCDs don't have that problem.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

I didn't think burning was a problem on plasmas unless you left the TV on a still image?

My roommate just bought a 42" lcd and we haven't had any with problems with lag when playing Halo or Madden.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

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Plasmas are prone to burn in, the risk of which is increased when used for gaming. I think both of these problems have been toned down some in the newer models, but are still issues.

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There aren't really issues with plasma burn in anymore. The following article was written by IDC in 2005, and technologies that prevent burn-in and image retention have improved since then:

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pio/pe...20-%20FINAL.pdf

Test Methodology
ISF test technicians left a static video game (Half Life 2) menu image on each TV for a period of 48 hours to simulate a full weekend "burn". Post 48-hour observations were quantified and documented as: 1 = Not Visible, 2 = Barely Visible, 3 = Somewhat Visible, 4 = Easily Visible, 5 = Readily Visible and Clearly Defined. A subsequent 24-hour movie loop was then run in an attempt to "fix" any image retention caused by the static video game menu.

Test Results
After the 48-hour test, all LCD and microdisplay rear projection televisions scored a "1", as there was no indication of any image retention after the test period. Plasma, on the other hand, did show clear signs of image retention, with all displays scoring a "5" after 48-hours of displaying the video game menu. However, after running a movie loop on each plasma display for 24 hours, ISF testers could not perceive the previously retained images while watching video on the plasmas after the 24 hour "fix". As such, plasma’s image retention score went back down to a "1".

Key Takeaway
Central to this test is the acknowledgement that our demonstration was an extreme scenario that few consumers would ever experience with their televisions. Most potential buyers scared off by the notion of plasma "burn-in" are more focused on the damage caused while pausing a football game or their favorite show on TiVo for a few minutes while running around the house. Our tests show that current plasma technology can tolerate a full 48-hour session on pause, and then resume its original state with no permanent effects after a 24-hour video loop. Thus, while it is unlikely that a consumer of a current generation (or later) plasma TV will even notice any image retention caused by 5 or 10 or even 60 minutes on pause, it is most definite that any such image retention will disappear over the course of subsequent TV watching.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

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the glare on the plasma is horrible unless I turn every light off in the room and close the shades. It's quite annoying, and LCDs don't have that problem.

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This is definitely a problem for me; I have a plasma, and ambient light control is vital to enjoying the thing. Indoor lights are fine, but outdoor light from windows can make some plasmas (like mine) unbearable to watch because of reflections and glare. If you intend on putting the TV in a room where you can't control ambient light, get an LCD, IMO.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

I would go LCD. Get a nice 1080p With 120HZ if possible.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

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I would go LCD. Get a nice 1080p With 120HZ if possible.

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exactly, get 1080p w/ 120Hz refresh rate and you're set

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

^^ what they said

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

go to a store and look at both urself

i can't stand lcds for tv/gaming personally...the edges of people look all messed up...it just doesn't look like a clean image

mileage may vary, tho

plasmas aren't burning in these days and last at least 60,000 hours until losing half the brightness = >20 years of 8 hours/day being on

plasmas have better colors, deeper blacks and no ghosting and just look better

lcds come in a bigger variety of sizes and are lighter/thinner/brighter and u can get into one cheaper

but again, go compare the two urself; u may be like me, and notice that text/edges of boxes/shapes and edges of people look bad and are distracting and it just doesn't look like clean high-def to u...or u may be like others who think it looks great

(btw, i do like lcd for web browsing/computer work)

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

Both are good imo. Playing 360 games in HD is incredible, compared to a normal tv.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

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If you intend on putting the TV in a room where you can't control ambient light, get an LCD, IMO.


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I pretty much agree with this. The burn in issues seem to have been addressed on all modern models.

I've messed around with lots of TVs but I'm most experienced with DLPs so I would probably look online to see which gamers prefer, I think this a better option than "go to the store and look" because A.) Stores tweak settings and inputs like crazy on floor models and B.) Stores pretty much never compare these mediums gaming vs. gaming side by side.

One plus for LCDS I would like to add is you can use them as a PC monitor, which is awesome IMO, I've used my 56" 1080 as a monitor hooked up to the stereo and I just can't imagine web surfing any other way at this point.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

buy a Sony Bravia. I have been very impressed with that line of HDTVs

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

Sears has a Hitatchi 42" Plasma on sale for like 600 Bucks after some deals. However i think its only 1080i/720p as all it says is 1080 HD. Is this still good enough to get? If it helps, it gets pretty good reviews.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

Guys, any issues with DLP TV's?

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

DLP's are like the ugly stepchild of next gen TV's.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

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DLP's are like the ugly stepchild of next gen TV's.

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Except they look beautiful, cost a fraction of LCD/plasma, have no dead pixel issues, no burn issues, no delay issues, etc.. Biggest downside to them is the view angles. They don't look nice when viewed at sharp horizontal or vertical angles.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

To me that is a big enough issue to disqualify them. I've seen plenty of good cheap LCD and Plasma's to never even have to think about a DLP.

Besides The issues you listed have mostly been resolved by most current TV's.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

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DLP's are like the ugly stepchild of next gen TV's.

[/ QUOTE ]Are you talking about brand new, dope ass TV's? Because my impression of DLP's is basically what Dire said.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

Personally I think that the DLP picture just looks way better than the LCD and plasmas I've seen.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

i have a plasma (pioneer and panasonic make great ones) and i love it. i really didnt like the jagged edges and slight motion blur on LCDs. i'd get a plasma unless you're putting it directly in the path of a window that you can't control light from

burn in is non-existent anymore

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

I agree with you too. Strikes me as the best overall buy as well. But, I don't know too much about all this new technology.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

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Biggest downside to them is the view angles. They don't look nice when viewed at sharp horizontal or vertical angles.

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And that isn't a big deal for most setups.

Another benefit is they are light as hell (my 42" weighs 55 lbs), user-serviceable lamps, relatively thin (mine is like 13" or 14" deep)

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

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DLP's are like the ugly stepchild of next gen TV's.

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Except they look beautiful, cost a fraction of LCD/plasma, have no dead pixel issues, no burn issues, no delay issues, etc.. Biggest downside to them is the view angles. They don't look nice when viewed at sharp horizontal or vertical angles.

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QFT

DLP's have come a LONG way in the past couple of years. Everything Dire said is true, and I am going to get a 60-65" for 2k in the next month or so. That size for a Plasma and it's at least double the price. Triple or more for an LCD. Plus the picture is just as good.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

who cares about user-serviceable lamps?

plasma will last 20 years of 8 hours/day usage before losing HALF of its brightness...u don't ever need to service it


viewing angles mattering is another pet peeve of mine (like jagged edges on lcds)...i just don't see the point when there are tvs that don't have viewing angle issues and don't have jagged edges

if u want a 60+" tv, then yeah, go dlp cause it's much cheaper than 63" plasma

but for <60", plasma rules and 1080p doesn't even matter at that small of screen size

for >60", go with a dlp projector if u can control lighting enough; otherwise, go dlp rear-projection

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

I highly recommend Samsung for these, I've had my 56" for about a year, use it a ton for gaming, movies, and as a computer monitor and love it.

Price per inch and value per inch is awesome on DLPs.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

go for LCD for gaming.

plug it into your pc and use it for poker.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

in this conversation you must realize the two different type of DLPs. The new version have the LED color wheel which eliminates the rainbow picture affect.

Re: LCD TV\'s or Plasma for gaming.
 

i will say if you go plasma do not skimp, my buddy got a low end plasma and its a nightmare to play halo 3 on, lots of lag