Best 32/37 in. LCD TV for gaming?

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TwYsTeD

Senior member
Nov 11, 2003
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I've been searching here and on avsforum for some definitive answer to this question but have been unable to find one.

First of all, this tv will be strictly for htpc type uses. DVD's, music, consoles, pc games (ie: bf2, WoW).

So far, I have heard the best choice is the new Westinghouse LVM-37w1. But I checked out the 32 inch model at the local best buy and ghosting was extremely apparent (not sure if its the same panel as the 37).

Any TV input/reccomendations are apreciated.
 
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FlyingPenguin

Golden Member
Nov 1, 2000
1,793
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I just bought a 44" Panasonic LCD HDTV (Model PT-44LCX65). It has a standard PC SVGA monitor input on it (in addition to the usual component, s-video, HDMI, etc). No screwing around with DVI which can be very problematic as HDTV DVI isn't always fully compatible with PC DVI. Your only other alternative is component (but video cards with component output are usually VERY expensive - like a Radeon x800) and s-video, which is fine for movies and Media Center, but looks like crap for text and games.

Basically this Panasonic is detected as a LARGE 1280x768 60Hz LCD display.

My Media Center PC looks stunning on it in it's native 1280 x 768 resolution. I can even do internet browsing comfortably from my recliner - desktop text is sharp as a tack. Needless to say, movies in Media Center look great. I'm extremely happy with it. My only complaint is that the SVGA input is on the front instead of the back (I guess they were intending it for occasional use with a laptop).

I bought it at Best Buy just a few weeks ago for $1999. The HDTV image quality blew me away - even compared to more expensive DLP projectors it was sitting next to.

The display is VERY bright, and sharp as a tack.

I don't use it for gaming, but I don't see why it shouldn't look great for games.

You need a video card that supports 1280 x 768, but most decent cards do. I'm using a Radeon 9800 Pro on mine.

You'll need to buy a KVM type 15-pin male to male monitor cable (not a male to female monitor extension). Best Buy should carry those as well.

Specs here: http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/st...11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702

I have some photos of mine with Media Center and a Firefox browser page displayed on it here: http://www.pcabusers.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=40247

Feel free to email me if you have some detailed questions.
 
rise

rise

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2004
9,116
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that looks sweet FP, i'm curious how games would be on it. do you have any games you could try out on it?

how do you like that CM case? i was thinking on that before deciding on the siverstone lc-13. i couldn't get past that analog dial. do you have any use for it?

OP, i'm in the same situation as you. i'm torn between keeping or selling my htpc. if sell it whole i need a new tv/monitor. i've seen the westinghouse listed but not in person. others mention the olevia but i haven't got to see it in person yet.
 
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FlyingPenguin

Golden Member
Nov 1, 2000
1,793
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Rise: I only have an Athlon 1200 on that Media PC - ample for an HTPC but not exactly a gaming system. I also don't want to install anything uneccessary - I find Media PCs work best with clean installs.

HOWEVER, if I find some time this week, I'll hook up my LAN party rig to the TV and take some pictures of Counter Strike Source on it. I admit I've been more than a little curious to see what a game looks like on it, although I don't think it would be very practical (I only play first person shooters, and can't imagine playing without a mouse).

I like the CM case. I think the meter looks very retro - I like it. I originally chose it because it was relatively inexpensive but good looking (got it from Directron). I bought the version with the 300w PSU but they make a 350w version. I built this Media PC on the cheap - I had a spare mobo, CPU, ram and vid card lying around.

My only complaint about the case is the power and HDD LEDs are those annoying intensely bright blue ones. I had to disconnect them, but you don't need them. The meter lights up to indicate power, and who needs a HDD light on a Media PC? The meter DOES work. I don't really make any use of it, but it looks cool.

Good review on the case here (this review sold me on it): http://www.xtremeresources.com/modules....file=index&req=showcontent&id=6&page=1

I removed the small rear fans. They were uneccesary and were too noisy. I replaced the left side intake fan with a super quiet Nexus 80mm fan. The PSU fan is very quiet and draws a lot of air.



 
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TwYsTeD

Senior member
Nov 11, 2003
288
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Thats a nice setup you have. If you end up trying cs on it, shoot me a PM :)

Thanks for your input!
 
rise

rise

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2004
9,116
46
91
no PMs keep it here :p

seriously though FP, if you have time that would be great.

you did what i did, took an extra cpu, psu, mobo, ram and hdd and made mine. i think i did ok. hardest part was cooling the vga but i have that done now.

that is a sharp looking case. looks better in action than it does on the white backgrounds you see in reviews. really looks nice.
 
P

Philippine Mango

Diamond Member
Oct 29, 2004
5,594
0
0
Originally posted by: FlyingPenguin
I just bought a 44" Panasonic LCD HDTV (Model PT-44LCX65). It has a standard PC SVGA monitor input on it (in addition to the usual component, s-video, HDMI, etc). No screwing around with DVI which can be very problematic as HDTV DVI isn't always fully compatible with PC DVI. Your only other alternative is component (but video cards with component output are usually VERY expensive - like a Radeon x800) and s-video, which is fine for movies and Media Center, but looks like crap for text and games.

Basically this Panasonic is detected as a LARGE 1280x768 60Hz LCD display.

My Media Center PC looks stunning on it in it's native 1280 x 768 resolution. I can even do internet browsing comfortably from my recliner - desktop text is sharp as a tack. Needless to say, movies in Media Center look great. I'm extremely happy with it. My only complaint is that the SVGA input is on the front instead of the back (I guess they were intending it for occasional use with a laptop).

I bought it at Best Buy just a few weeks ago for $1999. The HDTV image quality blew me away - even compared to more expensive DLP projectors it was sitting next to.

The display is VERY bright, and sharp as a tack.

I don't use it for gaming, but I don't see why it shouldn't look great for games.

You need a video card that supports 1280 x 768, but most decent cards do. I'm using a Radeon 9800 Pro on mine.

You'll need to buy a KVM type 15-pin male to male monitor cable (not a male to female monitor extension). Best Buy should carry those as well.

Specs here: http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/st...11002&cachePartner=7000000000000005702

I have some photos of mine with Media Center and a Firefox browser page displayed on it here: http://www.pcabusers.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=40247

Feel free to email me if you have some detailed questions.
Click to expand...

No you didn't buy an LCD HDTV, you bought an LCD PROJECTION HD tv...
 
F

FlyingPenguin

Golden Member
Nov 1, 2000
1,793
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FYI - that's not the TV stand that Panasonic sells for it. The Panasonic stand has a back board that would have prevented the HTPC from fitting comfortably. The shelves were also too narrowly spaced to fit the HTPC.

This is the TV stand I wound up buying: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp...=5303174&type=product&id=1051806240692

It has no back board so the HTPC can hang out the back as far as you like, and the shelves are adjustable.

 
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Philippine Mango

Diamond Member
Oct 29, 2004
5,594
0
0
Originally posted by: TwYsTeD
No you didn't buy an LCD HDTV, you bought an LCD PROJECTION HD tv...
Click to expand...

I'm open to all suggestions :)
Click to expand...

More Than Just a TV?Web Browsing and PC Gaming
The PC inputs on our LCD projection TVs make them ideal for use as large multimedia monitors. Connect a PC and experience web surfing, gaming, and even DVD playback using a large, crisp, high-resolution display.
Click to expand...

 
S

shud

Golden Member
Mar 24, 2003
1,200
0
0
If you're buying an LCD TV and getting anything but an Aquos you're probably wasting your money.
 
bob4432

bob4432

Lifer
Sep 6, 2003
11,726
45
91
Originally posted by: FlyingPenguin
Okay, I posted some photos of my HDTV with HL2, CS: Source and UT2K4 running here:

http://www.pcabusers.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=40347

All I can say was I was blown away.
Click to expand...

nice, my wife and i are re-doing our bedroom and we already have a 55" in there now, but when it dies(i think it is 7 yrs old now), i think i will go ~44" and probably do the htpc/gaming machine setup. with your setup, is there any ghosting like with a slow lcd monitor? what about burn in on those tvs? hopefully finding a tv with a vga connector will not be a problem when i look....
 
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FlyingPenguin

Golden Member
Nov 1, 2000
1,793
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Well I don't game on it but I played a few rounds of CS: Source that day and I didn't notice any ghosting. Since it's an LCD projector, there should be no burn-in issues. LCDs don't burn in.
 
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ND40oz

Golden Member
Jul 31, 2004
1,264
0
86
The sharp is overpriced. Get this Benq, 1080p and 37" for 1999.

Benq

That being said, I have a Sammy DLP HLN50W1 and a Sony KDF-60XS955 and gaming on either of them from the pc is great. Infact, I had the buy the Sony because the wife would kick me out of the living room so she could get some TV time with the Samsung.
 
bob4432

bob4432

Lifer
Sep 6, 2003
11,726
45
91
Originally posted by: ND40oz
The sharp is overpriced. Get this Benq, 1080p and 37" for 1999.

Benq

That being said, I have a Sammy DLP HLN50W1 and a Sony KDF-60XS955 and gaming on either of them from the pc is great. Infact, I had the buy the Sony because the wife would kick me out of the living room so she could get some TV time with the Samsung.
Click to expand...

1920x1080 - damn, how do these look at resolutions other than native? for that kind of resolution to game on i would need a mean ass video card....
 
rise

rise

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2004
9,116
46
91
thanks for the update FP.

i'm looking at the sammy LN-268w right now. any thoughts on this. i'd love to have room for the 32" model, and the $$ :p but its not practical for me.

seems like the models are really nice though, 12ms response dynamic 3000:1 contrast.

i'm not sure how much to worry about the hdtv tuner though. i'm not clear on what all the regs/laws are supposed to be with the anti whatever its called is that will eventually (maybe) block recording/burning shows.

edit-btw OP here is the link for the sammy 26". the 32" can be found on the pull down menu. i didn't check your specs but from reading AVS forums the sammy clearly outclasses the sharp and olevia and is more feature rich than the panasonics. the westinghouse got good marks too and i think compared favorably with the samsung.
 
bob4432

bob4432

Lifer
Sep 6, 2003
11,726
45
91
one more question - why do i read about problems with dvi connectors on t.v.s and using them with video cards that have dvi out? does it have to do with the dvi being protected on the t.v., as far as copy protections?
 
N

ND40oz

Golden Member
Jul 31, 2004
1,264
0
86
Your copy protections come from the source. You're video card shouldn't be putting copy proctection on the signal it sends out and most tv's now are hdcp compliant. They had some misshaps a few years ago with early hi-def televisions not supporting hdcp compliant dvd players, but now you mainly only see front projectors that do not support hdcp.

Any of the newest ati/nvidia drivers should support hdtv resolutions.
 
bob4432

bob4432

Lifer
Sep 6, 2003
11,726
45
91
Originally posted by: ND40oz
Your copy protections come from the source. You're video card shouldn't be putting copy proctection on the signal it sends out and most tv's now are hdcp compliant. They had some misshaps a few years ago with early hi-def televisions not supporting hdcp compliant dvd players, but now you mainly only see front projectors that do not support hdcp.

Any of the newest ati/nvidia drivers should support hdtv resolutions.
Click to expand...

so, in theory, it should be safe to use dvi out on my video card to a dvi in on a hdtv? or should i still look fo a t.v. that has a vga port, just to make sure. is there a noticeable differenence on a hdtv going from vga -> dvi like there is going from composite to component?
 
Todd33

Todd33

Diamond Member
Oct 16, 2003
7,842
2
81
Originally posted by: bob4432
Originally posted by: ND40oz
The sharp is overpriced. Get this Benq, 1080p and 37" for 1999.

Benq

That being said, I have a Sammy DLP HLN50W1 and a Sony KDF-60XS955 and gaming on either of them from the pc is great. Infact, I had the buy the Sony because the wife would kick me out of the living room so she could get some TV time with the Samsung.
Click to expand...

1920x1080 - damn, how do these look at resolutions other than native? for that kind of resolution to game on i would need a mean ass video card....
Click to expand...

It's almost the same number of pixels as 1600x1200.

 
bob4432

bob4432

Lifer
Sep 6, 2003
11,726
45
91
Originally posted by: Todd33
Originally posted by: bob4432
Originally posted by: ND40oz
The sharp is overpriced. Get this Benq, 1080p and 37" for 1999.

Benq

That being said, I have a Sammy DLP HLN50W1 and a Sony KDF-60XS955 and gaming on either of them from the pc is great. Infact, I had the buy the Sony because the wife would kick me out of the living room so she could get some TV time with the Samsung.
Click to expand...

1920x1080 - damn, how do these look at resolutions other than native? for that kind of resolution to game on i would need a mean ass video card....
Click to expand...

It's almost the same number of pixels as 1600x1200.
Click to expand...

true, but i am currently gaming in bf2 @ 800x600... so i would need atleast a 6800GT. how do the tv scale with different resolutions?
 
T

TwYsTeD

Senior member
Nov 11, 2003
288
0
0
Originally posted by: ND40oz
The sharp is overpriced. Get this Benq, 1080p and 37" for 1999.

Benq

That being said, I have a Sammy DLP HLN50W1 and a Sony KDF-60XS955 and gaming on either of them from the pc is great. Infact, I had the buy the Sony because the wife would kick me out of the living room so she could get some TV time with the Samsung.
Click to expand...

Nice price on the Benq. I can't really find any info on it. Also, I'm hearing that this tv is backordered for a looong time.

 
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