PC Gaming on huge TV

A

almalino

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Advise needed :)

I have been playing BF2, BF2142, BFBC2 and BF3 Beta on 24 inch Dell monitor for last 4 years. Last week I've just bought an 55 inch TV with good response time planning to start playing those PC games on it. Why? Because I beleive games looks so much better on 55 inch full led TV :)

I'm quite sure that singleplayer experience will be cool on the big TV. However, I fear a bit that it would be more difficult to play multiplayer FPS on it since it is so big and I need to sit 2-3 meters away from the TV.

Can anyone enlight me what kind of experience should I expect playing multiplayer FPS games on big TV? Will hurt my K/D ratio? And why?

PS: I plan to use wired mouse a keyboard playing on big TV.
 
Mind the input lag—it could stand to be the #1 issue of using a modern HDTV with a PC setup.
 
The more you have to turn your head to see stuff the worse your reactions will be
 
almalino said:
Advise needed :)

I have been playing BF2, BF2142, BFBC2 and BF3 Beta on 24 inch Dell monitor for last 4 years. Last week I've just bought an 55 inch TV with good response time planning to start playing those PC games on it. Why? Because I beleive games looks so much better on 55 inch full led TV :)

I'm quite sure that singleplayer experience will be cool on the big TV. However, I fear a bit that it would be more difficult to play multiplayer FPS on it since it is so big and I need to sit 2-3 meters away from the TV.

Can anyone enlight me what kind of experience should I expect playing multiplayer FPS games on big TV? Will hurt my K/D ratio? And why?

PS: I plan to use wired mouse a keyboard playing on big TV.
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I play on a 40" 1080p set. I got it mainly for the huge screen real estate for programming without bezels interrupting my view, and the ability to take my glasses off. I prefer sitting close for gaming. I find I can track movement much easier, and my response is much more accurate.

Gaming from across the room is perfectly doable, and that's what I do if I want to kick back in a recliner, but it does hurt my scores. If I'm feeling competitive I get up close and personal. I keep two keyboards and mice hooked up. One up close with a dpi selectable mouse, and a wireless for across the room since I can't leverage the increased precision very well from that distance.
 
Roscowgo said:
I play on a 40" 1080p set. I got it mainly for the huge screen real estate for programming without bezels interrupting my view, and the ability to take my glasses off. I prefer sitting close for gaming. I find I can track movement much easier, and my response is much more accurate.

Gaming from across the room is perfectly doable, and that's what I do if I want to kick back in a recliner, but it does hurt my scores. If I'm feeling competitive I get up close and personal. I keep two keyboards and mice hooked up. One up close with a dpi selectable mouse, and a wireless for across the room since I can't leverage the increased precision very well from that distance.
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Thank you for the reply! Looks like I will be happy with the purchase :) Though, I still need to build new Gaming HTPC before I can tell if I'm happy or not :)
 
I think you will be. Every one of my serious gamer friends (where I decided to go bigger over more monitors) seem to like the bigger single over the higher res multis.

I would REALLY like to try an eyefinity or the like setup with 1080p projectors. Giant screen, High res, comfy chair. /drool

Oh, switching over to using a normal sized monitor once you adjust will just piss you off royally. What the hell is that spec?
 
One issue that I have with larger screens is detail level. When they are that big, the lack of pixel density seems to make the picture fuzzy compared to a 22 or 24" with the smae resolution.
 
spaceman said:
One issue that I have with larger screens is detail level. When they are that big, the lack of pixel density seems to make the picture fuzzy compared to a 22 or 24" with the smae resolution.
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Could be the problem. From the other hand it would be easier to see distant snipers that looks like 10 pixels size - on big TV they will be clearly visible due to pixel size :)
 
almalino said:
Could be the problem. From the other hand it would be easier to see distant snipers that looks like 10 pixels size - on big TV they will be clearly visible due to pixel size :)
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I just played a quick minute or two, I don't know if my eyes are that bad. Or if I'm just used to it, but while playing at normal desk space, I don't really notice any pixelation.

I do however notice that I can't find my anchor for my tripod. Damnit. :mad:
 
almalino said:
Could be the problem. From the other hand it would be easier to see distant snipers that looks like 10 pixels size - on big TV they will be clearly visible due to pixel size :)
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I've found that it doesn't really work that way. Like other have said, the larger screen size makes it so you have to shift your focus all over the screen to see everything. Focus on the part wrong part of the screen for a second, and you're dead. Not a problem when using a regular monitor and you don't have to shift your focus all the time.
 
simonizor said:
I've found that it doesn't really work that way. Like other have said, the larger screen size makes it so you have to shift your focus all over the screen to see everything. Focus on the part wrong part of the screen for a second, and you're dead. Not a problem when using a regular monitor and you don't have to shift your focus all the time.
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What if you sit 2 meters away fro the TV? You do not need to shif the focus anymore?
 
When you sit 2-3 meters away from the TV you defeat the purpose of its size. In fact I'd wager its smaller in your view able area than sitting 24" from a 24" screen.

Add that TV's generally have much worse response/input lag makes them fail for gaming.

Large TV's are designed so that groups of people can sit on a couch and watch something. A computer monitor is designed to be viewed by one at close distance. Computer monitors are far better than TV's in just about every single respect.
 
Vega said:
When you sit 2-3 meters away from the TV you defeat the purpose of its size. In fact I'd wager its smaller in your view able area than sitting 24" from a 24" screen.
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That true but , for some reason, I prefer to watch movies on 55 inch TV sitting 2 meters away from it then on 24 inch LCD sitting close to it. Why? The size of the picture is the same having different viewing distances.
 
almalino said:
What if you sit 2 meters away fro the TV? You do not need to shif the focus anymore?
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Why not just sit right next to your monitor? IMO, it's harder to play FPS on a large screen, regardless of how you try to do it.
 
I play PC games on my 122" projector screen, first person shooter games are fun but with the mouse and keyboard on the sofa it is a pain and the K/D ratio goes down, I think that's in part because it's easier to focus on a smaller screen, the actual detailed part of your vision is pretty tiny and that means you have to look around more with a screen filling more of your screen.

The pixel density of a 1080p TV @ 50" or anything bigger becomes a problem, so generally speaking you need to sit appropriately far back to make sure you can't discern individual pixels.

It's a good experience using the big screen, it's more cinematic but less accurate, so really you'll get the most out of it playing singleplayer games and story driven stuff.
 
simonizor said:
Why not just sit right next to your monitor? IMO, it's harder to play FPS on a large screen, regardless of how you try to do it.
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I have the opposite experience. I have much more trouble on smaller screens. Mainly because I have to examine something for a much longer time to identify it.

This does beg the question though, do people running 3 and up monitors for gaming have the same complaint? For instance, 3x19" monitors. Since I have no idea, let's say most 19" monitors are 15" wide. That's 45" of image space, interspersed with bezels, although at a higher resolution that one massive display.
 
I played for a year or so using my TV in the living room. I had a fold-able table that was just the right height to slide over the arms of my EZ chair. I eventually returned to the desk, because I felt much more alert sitting more upright in a desk chair and with the keyboard and mouse sitting lower relative to me. I've since expanded to multiple monitors, so there is definitely no way I'll return to the living room.
 
Vega said:
When you sit 2-3 meters away from the TV you defeat the purpose of its size. In fact I'd wager its smaller in your view able area than sitting 24" from a 24" screen.

Add that TV's generally have much worse response/input lag makes them fail for gaming.

Large TV's are designed so that groups of people can sit on a couch and watch something. A computer monitor is designed to be viewed by one at close distance. Computer monitors are far better than TV's in just about every single respect.
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that's exactly what it is, and also the cause of the large discrepancy in fov settings for console oriented games. many of the problems here are just the result of poorly tuned fov in relation to distance, not the resolution or actual size of the screen. this has a greater effect on your response times than anything else, if you want to sit further away you need to reduce the fov (zoom further IN to the scene) to compensate for the smaller perspective, but then you lose peripheral vision.

bigger screens at lower (relative) res are just inherently worse for gaming, because your room design will rarely match the proper viewing distance, when you intend to fit furniture and other people in it. this is also why any home theater guide will tell you to choose the size of your screen based on the planned viewing distance, or how much room you have to compensate for this.
 
Yet I play appreciably better and enjoy my games more on the larger screen.

I will try the lessened fov from farther away though. I hadn't thought of that.
 
i have a 27" 1080p panel with 5ms lag. i notice it up next to a 2ms 22" panel but it is far from unplayable. much more enjoyable than my 22" is.
 
If you're using an LCD TV, you may see some pixel refresh rate issues as they tend to be slower than a high end LCD monitor and can cause motion blurring in fast moving scenes. If you're using a DLP or Plasma TV, you won't have any refresh rate issues and your gaming will be as smooth as any monitor. I play all my games on a 67" DLP TV these days, I still have my trusty Dell 24" monitor too but its much more fun on the 67".
 
The only time I've ever experienced the motion blur thing on my vizio was watching one of those PBS woodworking shows, and a closeup of a jigsaw.
 
I ues my 42 in 1080p plamsa tv and the pq on it is amazing vs any lcd I ever tired to ues on my pc
 
If you're trying to improve your score in games, a TV wont really help. If you're just looking for added immersion, a TV is a great option. For a while I hooked up my PC to my Dad's Samsung TV and it was great (given that I dont actually own a HDTV of my own :p). The picture quality was far better than a PC monitor, and I dont care what people say, bigger is better even if you sit further away from it. I'd rather sit 2 to 3 meters from a 55" TV with a well set up surround sound system than 1 meter from a 27" monitor at my desk even though I know the effective FOV for the TV is the same or possibly smaller, bigger is better :p

Input lag can be a problem, but that depends on a) how much you care b) how much you notice it c) what TV you're using.
 
Input latency is a big concern but another thing to keep in mind. TV's aren't made to be viewed close up , they are designed to be viewed from around 6 feet or more away from the TV. When you are sitting up close against a TV set you'll begin to notice things like uniformity issues with CCFL panels and the tolerance levels are different as well. If you are 6 feet away you might not notice a certain dead pixel sitting on the screen but if you are staring right at it up close you'll be more apt to notice it.

Just some things to keep in mind. TV's can make great PC gaming monitors but they can also make poor ones. Make sure to not to be like 2 feet away from it , you'll end up stressing out your neck (this is worse on 40+ inch TV's) and you'll bug out your eyes and you'll get headaches in turn.
 
Been playing on my 67" DLP TV for over a year now and I have no input latency. I'm not sure where you guys are getting that from. PC to TV is no different than 360/PS3 to TV gaming.
 
Blkout said:
Been playing on my 67" DLP TV for over a year now and I have no input latency. I'm not sure where you guys are getting that from. PC to TV is no different than 360/PS3 to TV gaming.
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Input lag varies by TV, most these days probably have a GAME mode. Impossible to play games well on my Samsung plasma without turning it on.
 
My toshiba has this god-awful motion engine built in that makes me feel like throwing up any time I watch anything on it. First thing I do when I turn my tv on is turn it on game mode. I'd like it if just did that by default.
 
BeavermanA said:
Input lag varies by TV, most these days probably have a GAME mode. Impossible to play games well on my Samsung plasma without turning it on.
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My TV has Game mode and HDMI PC mode.Pure Game mode is unplayable for me due to lag.Game mode + HDMI PC mode is much more accepåtable because it switches off ALL postprocessing. But it also impacts PQ a bit because it switchess off local dimming etc.
 
kcmastrpc said:
i have a 27" 1080p panel with 5ms lag. i notice it up next to a 2ms 22" panel but it is far from unplayable. much more enjoyable than my 22" is.
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Feeling the difference 5ms vs 2ms is like feeling the difference driving the car at 200 mph or 210mph. I would not feel any :)
 
almalino said:
Feeling the difference 5ms vs 2ms is like feeling the difference driving the car at 200 mph or 210mph. I would not feel any :)
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5ms is still acceptable for gaming. Much more, though, and you'll start to notice the difference pretty easily.
 
Been using a 1080p TV myself for years now and never had any issues with gaming or general computer use, works better than a normal monitor.
 
I use Game Mode via the DVI HDMI port with my 55" Samsung LCDTV.

Have to sit about six feet back, which is fine for me since that's where I place my couch with enough room for a coffee table in front where my keyboard and mouse go. Doesn't look as sharp as my Dell but still more than adequate.

Great for movie playback, good for gaming, and fine for reading and browsing though I have to crank the text size a couple of notches to be comfortable. I was suprised how well my tv handles various resolutions outside the 1920x1080, though it's best at native.
 
I swapped over to using my TV for a monitor 4 years ago and I don't think I'll ever go back to a monitor again.
As long as you have a pretty decent response time, you won't have any problems in most cases. I certainly wouldn't enter a Counter Strike tournament or anything, but I do fine playing casually...and I'm using a wireless KB/M and 360 controller, too.

Honestly, the controller is one of the nicest things about PC gaming on a TV. It's essentially just like playing on whatever the "Xbox 720" will end up being right now. I play games like Bioshock, Rage, Darksiders, Witcher 2, Dirt 2 &3, etc. with the details up at 1080p right now.
"Console ports" don't bother me because I'm still paying less than I would for the other systems and playing a better looking version.
 
Domingo said:
I swapped over to using my TV for a monitor 4 years ago and I don't think I'll ever go back to a monitor again.
As long as you have a pretty decent response time, you won't have any problems in most cases. I certainly wouldn't enter a Counter Strike tournament or anything, but I do fine playing casually...and I'm using a wireless KB/M and 360 controller, too.

Honestly, the controller is one of the nicest things about PC gaming on a TV. It's essentially just like playing on whatever the "Xbox 720" will end up being right now. I play games like Bioshock, Rage, Darksiders, Witcher 2, Dirt 2 &3, etc. with the details up at 1080p right now.
"Console ports" don't bother me because I'm still paying less than I would for the other systems and playing a better looking version.
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Thank you for your answer! Unfortunatelly , I tried XBOX controller and I cannot play any FPS games with it. So, mouse and keyboard is my choice.. I'm a casual player but since I play mostly BF games for the last 5 years I often get first second or third places in the scoreboard. But I do so not by K/D ratio but by capturing objectives, healing teammates, helping my team to advance, destroying vehicels etc. Sure, I also want to be able to shoot people but that is not the first priority. I guess I could be fine with that style of gameplay on a big TV with somewhat acceptable input lag.
 
I do occasionally play some PC games on my 58" Plasma and my 100" Projection screen. I don't experience any additional lag or anything. The size difference does take some getting use too and I still prefer a smaller screen for online multiplayer.
 
I am looking for a 50" plasma or 46" LCD TV mostly for watching TV, but I would like it to be good for Xbox and maybe for PC gaming at some point.

All I can find is conflicting info: Some say the Samsung LED TVs are great, some say they are horrible (input lag).

I am leaning towards a 50" plasma right now. I prefer the picture, but I worry about burn in. I doubt I would do much more than play a few driving games as I mostly play on the PC.
 
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