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Gaming TV - Recommendations?

B

Baghdadii

n00b
Joined
Apr 23, 2010
Messages
23
Thanks to a promotion at Future Shop, I have acquired a fair sum of store credit and I've decided to spend it on a TV. I currently own a Samsung F2380MX which is absolutely fantastic but now that I have some extra cash, I've decided to get something better. I decided to move my setup to my bedroom leaving space for a TV as large as 42".

I have been looking at a few sets and I've found some nice TV's in the 32-42 inch range. I have a budget of $700 before taxes and since this is credit, I must purchase the TV from Future Shop.

LCD
Samsung LN32C530
Samsung LC32C540
Samsung LC32C550
LG 32LD450
Sony KDL32EX400
Panasonic TCL37C22
Panasonic TCL32U22
Insignia NS-L42X-10A 120Hz

Plasma
LG 42PJ550
Panasonic TCP42C2

These are my choices so far. Feel free to recommend anything else as long as it's within my budget and sold at Future Shop.
 
Baghdadii said:
Thanks to a promotion at Future Shop, I have acquired a fair sum of store credit and I've decided to spend it on a TV. I currently own a Samsung F2380MX which is absolutely fantastic but now that I have some extra cash, I've decided to get something better. I decided to move my setup to my bedroom leaving space for a TV as large as 42".

I have been looking at a few sets and I've found some nice TV's in the 32-42 inch range. I have a budget of $700 before taxes and since this is credit, I must purchase the TV from Future Shop.

LCD
Samsung LN32C530
Samsung LC32C540
Samsung LC32C550
LG 32LD450
Sony KDL32EX400
Panasonic TCL37C22
Panasonic TCL32U22
Insignia NS-L42X-10A 120Hz

Plasma
LG 42PJ550
Panasonic TCP42C2

These are my choices so far. Feel free to recommend anything else as long as it's within my budget and sold at Future Shop.
Click to expand...

None of those TV's will be better than the MX. The only thing you will be benifiting from is larger screen size a TV tuner and better motion with 120hz options, but this only applies for movies/tv as it will introduce terrible input lag for gaming and only the Insignia is 120hz.

Panasonic LCD's have weak contrast and high black levels, same with LG's. No real reviews for the Samsung C550's, so no comment. Panny plasmas have rising black levels and the C2 is only 1024x768. You can only really go off of uniformed customer reviews for both plasmas.

The only good TV I can find is the Sony EX500 but that is 100$ over your budget. It will look as good as F2380mx as it has a 4,000:1 static contrast

Review
http://www.digitalversus.com/article-364-8374-16.html

Sony EX500
http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/prod...spx?path=b07bee37c8a3ee321d199988ffeedcd9en02

If it were me I would get the Sony EX500 instead of taking a gamble

I also suggest just getting a TV tuner for your PC and buying some other stuff you want with your credit.
 
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NCX said:
None of those TV's will be better than the MX. The only thing you will be benifiting from is larger screen size a TV tuner and better motion with 120hz options, but this only applies for movies/tv as it will introduce terrible input lag for gaming and only the Insignia is 120hz.

Panasonic LCD's have weak contrast and high black levels, same with LG's. No real reviews for the Samsung C550's, so no comment. Panny plasmas have rising black levels and the C2 is only 1024x768. You can only really go off of uniformed customer reviews for both plasmas.

The only good TV I can find is the Sony EX500 but that is 100$ over your budget. It will look as good as F2380mx as it has a 4,000:1 static contrast

Review
http://www.digitalversus.com/article-364-8374-16.html

Sony EX500
http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/prod...spx?path=b07bee37c8a3ee321d199988ffeedcd9en02

If it were me I would get the Sony EX500 instead of taking a gamble

I also suggest just getting a TV tuner for your PC and buying some other stuff you want with your credit.
Click to expand...
Yeah I was looking at that model and I read some reviews on the avs forums - all very positive. Unfortunately, I am already stretching the budget as it is so an extra $100 as little as it is will be quite tough to manage. As for the TV tuner, it will be useless to me as I watch TV shows streamed online.

I love the MX but with my new setup it really seems small. I want at least 32" for this room. At this point, unless someone convinces me otherwise, I may just end up returning the MX and use my Samsung 245BW until the price on the Sony drops.

Is there a huge difference between the EX400 and 500? I know they use different panels but are the benefits worth the $150 premium (EX400 is on sale).
 
After getting moving from a Dynex 37" 1080p and back to the Acer H243H. 24 inch seems a bit small and I want something bigger. I was also looking at the Panasonic TCL32U22 now on sale for $600 at FS. Looks pretty good with 1080p. What you guys think?

I also saw the Sony EX500 for $649 not too long ago, but the deal is gone now.
 
I'll vouch for the Panasonic U22 series if its an updated version of my TC-L37S1, no input lag!

*edit* nvm I remember reading a post here in the forums a couple months ago about the U22 sucking with input lag... find yourself an S1!
 
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i2abid said:
I'll vouch for the Panasonic U22 series if its an updated version of my TC-L37S1, no input lag!

*edit* nvm I remember reading a post here in the forums a couple months ago about the U22 sucking with input lag... find yourself an S1!
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Nah, the Panasonic U22 series turned out pretty good, it has 37ms of input lag which is very similar to how the famous Westy 37" LVM W3 performed. Not as good as our L32S1 but better than most 2010 model TV's (it's above average either way).

Renegade_09 said:
After getting moving from a Dynex 37" 1080p and back to the Acer H243H. 24 inch seems a bit small and I want something bigger. I was also looking at the Panasonic TCL32U22 now on sale for $600 at FS. Looks pretty good with 1080p. What you guys think?

I also saw the Sony EX500 for $649 not too long ago, but the deal is gone now.
Click to expand...
Are you in Canada or the US? I ask because if you are in the US you can get it for a lot less: http://www.google.com/products?q=l32u22&oe=utf-8&hl=en&scoring=p&show=dd&sa=N&lnk=next&start=50


Someone plan on using their future TV's for heavy FPS multiplayer gaming? Then give these input lag comparison threads a look before you decide since most current TV's have unacceptably high input lag:

LCD TV input lag thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1131464

Plasma Input lag thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1166196
 
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Yes I am in Canada

I just picked up the Panasonic TCL32U22 and I can't seem to get my DVI-HDMI connection working from my PC. My video card is a ATI AIW 9800PRO. It's weird because it was working fine when I tried the Dynex 37" which I returned to get this one. Can someone help me with this. I got the DVI-HDMI cable from monoprice.

I can get VGA working but it can't do 1080p for some reason. I just get a no signal when I try setting it at 1920x1080 max resolution was 1280x1024 on VGA.

I also tried changing my videos drivers three times with no luck. This is really frustrating. The 37" Dynex I had before this didn't have this problem and I didn't expect this to happen with the Panasonic. HDMI works with my PS3 but not with my DVI-HDMI PC input.

I'm really not happy with this Panasonic at all. I think I got a defective unit or something because the colors are really not that good. It seems like U22 has some black crush problems. I was playing MAG and everything seem so dark with no detail. I tried change the settings but its all the same. I'm going to return this and look for something else.

I have some options though. I'm not sure which I should choose though.

LG 32LH30 $539 (IPS panel?)
Samsung C550 $599
Toshiba 32E200U $549
Toshiba 32RV525RZ $499

Which one would you guys recommend?
 
The TV's visual quality will look terrible until you get it setup correctly, so withhold your judgement for now. forget VGA because as per the manual it is limited to 1280x1024.

Your problem is either your video card hardware (thats a really old video card) but most likely a settings issue, both TV menu settings and video card settings combined. If you still have any patience left then post your symptoms in this U22 thread. Provide them as much detail as you can about the hdmi problem including the settings you are using (help them help you).

As for that list:
LGH30 is no longer IPS, but a panel lottery of VA panels, some better and some worse.
Samsung, might be great, likely has high input lag (but may not), may also be a panel lottery with mixed results.
Toshibas are often a safe middle ground of decent input lag + visual quality.
Sharp: is likely your best bet if you do end up exchanging, they often have very low input lag numbers combined with good visual quality.
^^^ all of these may take as much work setting up as your panasonic.

I'd try posting in that U22 thread first before anything else, TV's often take a lot of work to get everything looking right, you got lucky with that easy Dynex setup, trust me on that ;)
 
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I have the C450 26" samsung and it has really low input lag in game mode as well as great black levels.
 
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Can't help you with any of the choices you've listed, unfortunately. Best I can do is say that I have a Samsung 630 and it work well for games. It has a game mode that disables some of the processing and speeds things up. I don't notice any lag with it on, though I don't notice any lag on my 2690WUXi either. Black levels are good, it is a VA panel. Over all color quality is pretty good. Doesn't match up to my NEC, but then that was over $1000 for a 26" monitor and this was under $1000 for a 46" TV.

I think it would work acceptably well as a gaming TV.
 
SJetski71 said:
Nah, the Panasonic U22 series turned out pretty good, it has 37ms of input lag which is very similar to how the famous Westy 37" LVM W3 performed. Not as good as our L32S1 but better than most 2010 model TV's (it's above average either way).

Are you in Canada or the US? I ask because if you are in the US you can get it for a lot less: http://www.google.com/products?q=l32u22&oe=utf-8&hl=en&scoring=p&show=dd&sa=N&lnk=next&start=50


Someone plan on using their future TV's for heavy FPS multiplayer gaming? Then give these input lag comparison threads a look before you decide since most current TV's have unacceptably high input lag:

LCD TV input lag thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1131464

Plasma Input lag thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1166196
Click to expand...

I don't really see him being the kind of person to notice higher input latency. People who tend to be sensitive to it already have done a small amount of research on it probably.

Some sets are however far worse so I would advise you avoid house brands like Insignia COMPLETELY. Samsung , Panasonic and LG all have "game modes" or low enough input latency that the average game player won't really notice the difference.
 
Godmachine said:
I don't really see him being the kind of person to notice higher input latency. People who tend to be sensitive to it already have done a small amount of research on it probably.

Some sets are however far worse so I would advise you avoid house brands like Insignia COMPLETELY. Samsung , Panasonic and LG all have "game modes" or low enough input latency that the average game player won't really notice the difference.
Click to expand...
Ya, you're probably right, i figured since he mentioned "gaming tv" that i may as well link him.

But otherwise the middle of the road choices (for input lag) are often good enough and sometimes bring the side benefit of being REALLY nice TV's with great features like USB + Lan etc.

There will be drawbacks whichever way you choose, it's up to the buyer to determine what features he values most.
 
I didn't bother with the U22 because the DVI-HDMI connection did not even work. I've tried the cable with my brother's setup and it was working fine. I went to Costco to look for a 37" Vizio I saw awhile ago, but couldn't find anymore left. Right now I'm using my Acer H243H until I can find something else.

Does sharp even make 32 or 37" LCD? I did not find any Sharp during me search.

Also I recently bought a Toshiba 40" E200U and found it too big and returned it
 
I tried the L32U22, and I couldn't definitely feel the "squishiness" from the input lag compared to my ZR24W. Side-by-side comparison between the two, it became very apparent.
 
Godmachine said:
you won't find a better deal.
Click to expand...
Maybe not someone else, but i can ;), BestBuy currently has 20% Bing Cashback which brings the price of the same LG TV down to $583 + tax with an in-store pickup option (Approx $630 with tax vs newegg's $670 shipped cost).

Not bad ey?

Renegade_09 said:
I didn't bother with the U22 because the DVI-HDMI connection did not even work. I've tried the cable with my brother's setup and it was working fine. I went to Costco to look for a 37" Vizio I saw awhile ago, but couldn't find anymore left. Right now I'm using my Acer H243H until I can find something else.

Does sharp even make 32 or 37" LCD? I did not find any Sharp during me search.

Also I recently bought a Toshiba 40" E200U and found it too big and returned it
Click to expand...
The hdmi port was either defective or it couldn't recognize a questionable signal coming out of a very old video card ;) (older generation video cards weren't intended to be hooked up to TV's and can be hit or miss)

Pretty sure Sharp has the 32" size.

Vizio's have high input lag, about 3 to 4 frames worth (48ms to 64ms depending on settings + model). May not be a dealbreaker if it has decent black levels and a gorgeous picture, but you will likely notice 3 or 4 frames lag even on windows desktop (mouse cursor movements etc).

Toshiba's come in 32" sizes and have moderately low input lag compared to other TV's.
 
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daddy-o said:
I tried the L32U22, and I couldn't definitely feel the "squishiness" from the input lag compared to my ZR24W. Side-by-side comparison between the two, it became very apparent.
Click to expand...
With the correct settings it would have 37ms lag.

And if you did have the correct settings, imagine how bad the other TV's would feel with 60-70-80ms lag ?
 
I definitely had the right settings, I used the avsforum posts as a guide. I can't imagine an 80ms lag screen.
 
42C2 for that price?

You can get a Panasonic TC-P42S2 for well under $1,000... much better set, probably the best at it's price point, bar none.
 
I just found a LG 37LD450 for $600 at Futureshop. What you guys think of this deal? Seems pretty decent for a brand name 37" 1080p.
 
Renegade_09 said:
I just found a LG 37LD450 for $600 at Futureshop. What you guys think of this deal? Seems pretty decent for a brand name 37" 1080p.
Click to expand...
There was a couple of opinions on it at AVS forums that claimed it had moderate to minimal input lag with capcom street-fighter games, which is a decent informal test imho since you can't pull off advanced moves with heavy input lag, otherwise i'm not 100% certain.

Not many other opinions though since it's a relatively new model, the few opinions i did read sounded somewhat positive imho.

You would be a guinea pig, sorta.
 
yeah on the AVS forums someone said they think that this new LG line isn't even using IPS panel because of the terrible viewing angles he experienced so I'm not too eager to jump on the deal after hearing that.

edit: I just found a Panasonic TCL32S1 for $600 brand new! From what I heard this is the best LCD in the market for input lag and uses a IPS-Alpha panel. Is it a good deal or should i get the LG 37LD450?
 
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Renegade_09 said:
yeah on the AVS forums someone said they think that this new LG line isn't even using IPS panel because of the terrible viewing angles he experienced so I'm not too eager to jump on the deal after hearing that.

edit: I just found a Panasonic TCL32S1 for $600 brand new! From what I heard this is the best LCD in the market for input lag and uses a IPS-Alpha panel. Is it a good deal or should i get the LG 37LD450?
Click to expand...
All that guy had to do was tap the LG screen to see if it was an IPS panel, if the screen flashes a big patch of bright white then it's a VA panel, if the pixels barely react then it's IPS . You can probably head to the store to see for yourself. TV viewing angles don't matter as much when they're being used as monitors, and i'd be the viewing angles on it would still be better than a large TN panel (larger sweetspot).

Good deal on that L32S1? Hardly imho, most of us here got it for below $450, and quite a few of us got it for below $400 shipped. Remember it's not "perfect" but it gets a lot of things right for gamers, for all we know you may not like the TV with the few flaws it has (so-so blacks, poor red and medium blue text etc). If you're still considering it for $600 then it better be a reputable dealer with a hassle-free return policy, otherwise forget it.

Another idea would be to play the LG LH30 panel lottery, both 32LH30 and 37LH30. If you can find those from a store that offers hassle-free, no questions asked returns then it may be worth a shot. You want one with either an LG IPS panel or an AUO VA panel, both of which have decently low input lag and get good reviews from it's owners when used as a PC monitor. You don't want the one with the Chi-Mei panel however. Any idea if a store near you has them?

And if you have a reputable store near you, then you can always take a chance on some Toshiba model since they have a decent track record of good picture quality combined with halfway decent input lag when using the right settings, no guarantees on low input lag though.
 
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matryx said:
Before returning it I decided to try it out on my brothers computer with DVI-HDMI cable. He has a Nvidia GT220 and it worked perfectly. So yeah it was my video card or drivers. I'm not sure if its my video card drivers or some of the settings in it, but what was weird is it didn't let me go any resolution higher than 1280x1024 with VGA input.

Thanks for the reply though, but I just returned it this morning because of the black crush. I did have black level setting at "dark". Never thought of that setting. I was adjusting the brightness, backlight, and contrast but never thought to adjust the black level setting.

Oh well its fine. It was my first Panasonic purchase and ran into too much problems that could of been fix. I'm kind of disappointed for such a highly regard TV that was pretty expensive for me at least.

On my way home I went into the local BB and found a 40" Toshiba 1080p 40E200U for the same price I paid for the Panasonic 32U22. I'm not sure what kind of panel Toshiba uses though, but it kind of caught my eye and I might go back and pick it up later.
Click to expand...
Hey i found your thread at the AVS forum, but you never shared your latest U22 findings with us [H]ere. Too bad we didn't go over that black level setting with you, we were more concerned about getting your resolution right at the time. Had i known that your brothers computer got the rez working correctly we would have moved on to that black level setting and fixed it for you.

I know it would have been a hassle to replace the video card and all, but you had the solution to your problem in the palm of your hand, almost, lol.

I'm testing it right now on my set, and that black level setting is making a very noticeable difference.

I think you may have inadvertently scared off some people from buying the U22, and even gave me second thoughts on recommending it to others, meanwhile the problem was your video card and TV menu settings all along ;). Looks like the U22 series panasonic is a viable PC monitor contender once again.

But in the meantime you're back to square one :p
 
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SJetski71 said:
All that guy had to do was tap the LG screen to see if it was an IPS panel, if the screen flashes a big patch of bright white then it's a VA panel, if the pixels barely react then it's IPS . You can probably head to the store to see for yourself. TV viewing angles don't matter as much when they're being used as monitors, and i'd be the viewing angles on it would still be better than a large TN panel (larger sweetspot).

Good deal on that L32S1? Hardly imho, most of us here got it for below $450, and quite a few of us got it for below $400 shipped. Remember it's not "perfect" but it gets a lot of things right for gamers, for all we know you may not like the TV with the few flaws it has (so-so blacks, poor red and medium blue text etc). If you're still considering it for $600 then it better be a reputable dealer with a hassle-free return policy, otherwise forget it.

Another idea would be to play the LG LH30 panel lottery, both 32LH30 and 37LH30. If you can find those from a store that offers hassle-free, no questions asked returns then it may be worth a shot. You want one with either an LG IPS panel or an AUO VA panel, both of which have decently low input lag and get good reviews from it's owners when used as a PC monitor. You don't want the one with the Chi-Mei panel however. Any idea if a store near you has them?

And if you have a reputable store near you, then you can always take a chance on some Toshiba model since they have a decent track record of good picture quality combined with halfway decent input lag when using the right settings, no guarantees on low input lag though.
Click to expand...

I don't think I can find the L32S1 in Canada for that low. Maybe in the states but not in Canada. There is the L37LH30 for $700 at FS with a 30 day no hassle return policy. There's also the Toshiba 37E200U for $600 at FS with a great return policy also. The L32S1 they sell at 2001 audio video and I'm not sure about the return policy there.
 
SJetski71 said:
But in the meantime you're back to square one :p
Click to expand...

Yeah I know. I'm still using my Acer H243H and it's fine now. It's just the terrible viewing angle that's bad when I try to watch movies 5-6 ft on my bed. It'll be great when I finally find a 37" that I'm happy with. I was actually satisfied with the 37" Dynex I got and used for 2 weeks. That only cost me $400, but I was just worried about the reliability of the brand and didn't want it to break on me within a year or two.
 
Renegade_09 said:
Yeah I know. I'm still using my Acer H243H and it's fine now. It's just the terrible viewing angle that's bad when I try to watch movies 5-6 ft on my bed. It'll be great when I finally find a 37" that I'm happy with. I was actually satisfied with the 37" Dynex I got and used for 2 weeks. That only cost me $400, but I was just worried about the reliability of the brand and didn't want it to break on me within a year or two.
Click to expand...
Had you looked into those 3 year store warranties? Usually the cheaper the TV, the cheaper the warranty ~ around $100 or so here in the states anyway.

Believe it or not, you might be better off with the same Dynex and get a cheap 3 year store warranty along with it (bestbuy.ca offers a 4 year on site warranty for $129, or 3 years for $109), or starting over with the L37U22. I'd understand if you didn't want to bother again though, to some it would be like like eating old leftovers. That Dynex has higher input lag, but you seemed to like it, and it was a heck of a deal imho.

$700 is too much for a 2009 lottery panel 37LH30 imho, they were LG's lowest end 1080P and used to go for quite a bit less.

2001 audio and video seems to have a mixed + inconsistent store return policy, some people were allowed refunds, while others were only allowed store credit. They do let you haggle up to 20% off the price supposedly. Source.

The L32S1 is extremely similar to the L37U22, same IPS-alpha panel but it likely has different circuitry, sure you'd want to spend $700 on a smaller TV that's extremely similar to the L37U22 you had?
 
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SJetski71 said:
Had you looked into those 3 year store warranties? Usually the cheaper the TV, the cheaper the warranty ~ around $100 or so here in the states anyway.

Believe it or not, you might be better off with the same Dynex and get a cheap 3 year store warranty along with it (bestbuy.ca offers a 4 year on site warranty for $129, or 3 years for $109), or starting over with the L37U22. I'd understand if you didn't want to bother again though, to some it would be like like eating old leftovers. That Dynex has higher input lag, but you seemed to like it, and it was a heck of a deal imho.

$700 is too much for a 2009 lottery panel 37LH30 imho, they were LG's lowest end 1080P and used to go for quite a bit less.

2001 audio and video seems to have a mixed + inconsistent store return policy, some people were allowed refunds, while others were only allowed store credit. They do let you haggle up to 20% off the price supposedly. Source.

The L32S1 is extremely similar to the L37U22, same IPS-alpha panel but it likely has different circuitry, sure you'd want to spend $700 on a smaller TV that's extremely similar to the L37U22 you had?
Click to expand...

Yeah I do regret returning the 37" Dynex TV I had earlier. It was actually $400 with a $50 coupon that BB was offering with their Reward Points promotion. I actually did get the 4 yr warranty for an extra $100, but after reading a bit more on the brand and people swaying more to dish out more for a brand I finally decided to returned it.

And from what I heard Dynex might be using similair panel found in 37" version of Sony EX500 (the panel is made by AUO)
http://forums.redflagdeals.com/dynex-37-a11-1080p-60hz-399-bestbuy-898559/#post10939475

At Canadian RFD forum, someone posted a macro shot to check a panel type

pixels.png


looks exactly like the "AUO (A-MVA3(2'nd type))" rotated 180degrees
from this post http://www.avforums.com/forums/lcd-led-lcd-tvs/1113353-lcd-matrices-differences-what-models-placed.html#post10716984
MVA panel?
 
Oh heck yea, many brands and models are using AUO panels, they seem to be a good middle of the road VA type, and on a bargain model it's probably a great panel to have. Some people complain about motion smearing on them but the amount of smearing varied between the different AUO panels and most TV's have their drawbacks anyways so pick your poison :p Unless it also had noticeably high input lag and it bothered you (?).

You had the 4 year at-home/on-site warranty already? You had nothing to worry about imho :(

That was a deal and a half you cobbled together on a decent size 1080P screen.
 
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SJetski71 said:
Oh heck yea, many brands and models are using AUO panels, they seem to be a good middle of the road VA type, and on a bargain model it's probably a great panel to have. Some people complain about motion smearing on them but the amount of smearing varied between the different AUO panels and most TV's have their drawbacks anyways so pick your poison :p Unless it also had noticeably high input lag and it bothered you (?).

You had the 4 year at-home/on-site warranty already? You had nothing to worry about imho :(

That was a deal and a half you cobbled together on a decent size 1080P screen.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure the Dynex will go on sale again. I'm not in no hurry. I'd rather wait for a deal to come by.
 
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