Do you game with an LCD or a Plasma

[bl4ckfl4g]

I'm getting ready to finally buy an HD tv at the beginning of Feb. and I've heard alot of different things but since the people in this forum are gamers, I'd ask you guys.

What are your experiences with your Plasmas and LCD. I've heard Plasma has better response but is a PITA with burn in period and IR.

Mainly I'm concerned about buying an LCD and having it mess me up in Street Fighter 4.

I guess this could go in the AV forum but I'm more concerned with what other gamers specifically think. Move this if you have to.


I can probably spend about 1000-1200 so if you have specific reccomendations keep that in mind.

 

[R Nilla]

I game on a plasma--Panasonic TH-42PX60U. After really long sessions of gaming, I will sometimes notice IR from health bars, etc., but only if the screen is completely white. It fades away after a while (usually after a few minutes) and isn't that noticeable. After playing games for shorter periods of time, like 1-3 hours, I usually don't notice anything.

The same thing happens with letterboxed movies. I will notice the lines where the bars were, but these disappear almost immediately.

I don't have any permanent burn in problems, but I suppose you could say it's still something I worry about somewhat since I do see IR occur. I am always conscious of trying to not leave menus and static images on the screen for too long.

So although it isn't an issue, it's something I am always thinking about in the back of my mind, and I suppose it would be nice to not have to worry about it at all. But again, I haven't had any major or long term issues. The picture quality is superb and dark games like Gears of War look fantastic.

My next TV will probably be an LCD so I can use the PS2 with it and play 4:3 games without even having to think about it.

 

[R Nilla]

And as far as recommendations go, you need to consider how you will be using your HDTV and where it will be placed. How much time do you anticipate using it for gaming vs. TV or movie viewing? Will it be in a brightly lit room or a dark basement? Do you plan to display a lot of 4:3 content natively (instead of using a fill or stretch setting to fill the screen)?

LCDs (and Plasmas) have come a long way, so I don't think you can really go wrong with either one. Since this is your first HDTV, I think you'll be blown away and happy regardless of which route you choose.

 

[StageLeft]

I believe that these days it barely matters which you pick, but in my experience 11 months ago, LCD options are more prevalent, and I did go that route. I paid about $995 for a 42" 1080P by westinghouse or something like that. Since I'd never heard of that company, I got an extended warranty (a philosophy I normally eschew but endorse for "cheaper" electronics or first gen consoles).

Anyway, the tv is basically 100% badass, although that is moving up from a 27" cube tv. I'm using the HDMI interface with a 360 and it's very crisp. Also, unlike the big screens of yesteryear that had about a 2 degree viewable range and then complete blackness to the side, this one is perfect; like a picture; I can be way off to the side/lying on the floor, etc. and to me it appears every bit as bright as in the front. Win!

BTW, also, these new flat panels do not look like a rotten ass with low-quality cable, like the old ones used to. A few years ago bigscreens looked like a pixelated hellacious mess if you were not in hd or dvd. These days that issue is gone. They're finally worth owning.

 

[coldmeat]

I bought a plasma in September. A Samsung PN42A450. It's a low-end tv but still looks great.

Burn in is basically not an issue anymore. The anti-burn in technology in the tv settings is really good (pixel-shift), and between cut scenes and pause menus, there shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Like R Nilla, I do get IR, but I only notice it on black screens rather than white. It does go away really fast.

If I'm playing for a long time, I will usually turn on the scrolling feature for a few minutes while I go get some food, or just turn on some full screen cable tv.

For 1000-1200 you will get a pretty nice tv, as long as you're not looking for something real big. Prices in Canada suck, but there are some good deals in the US.

 

[Gunslinger08]

Plasma. I have a newer LCD in my bedroom and the image quality is definitely much better on the plasma (both 1080p Samsungs). Don't have issues with burn-in.

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

Thanks for the reccomendations guys. It seemed from what I've read that Plasma would be better for gaming but I was worried about the image retention issues. It sounds like that might not be a big deal anymore.

This tv will be exclusively for gaming and movies.

 

[SnipeMasterJ13]

I bought a 40" Samsung 1080p LCD a couple years ago. I went with LCD over plasma due to using it quite a bit for gaming. That, and when I was shopping the LCD screens were so much brighter than the plasma. I went with the intentions of picking up a cheaper Westinghouse, but when I saw the difference in pictures side by side, the Westinghouse's contract ratio just didn't compare.

I was also concerned with burn in, but as others have said, both technologies have come a long ways. I agree that you will be happy with whichever you decide to go with.

 

[acheron]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I paid about $995 for a 42" 1080P by westinghouse or something like that. Since I'd never heard of that company, I got an extended warranty (a philosophy I normally eschew but endorse for "cheaper" electronics or first gen consoles).

Yeah, who's heard of Westinghouse? They only, you know, invented alternating current power transmission. Who uses THAT? Besides, they've only been around since 1886.

(Though the Westinghouse that makes TVs is apparently some Taiwan company that just licenses the name "Westinghouse", so it's not really them, but still at "never heard of that company".)

 

[HomerSapien]

Projector. Plasmas/LCDs just are big enough yet.

I am curious about Plasmas. Do you have to have them periodically recharged/refilled? Am I passing on a false rumor I heard about them?

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: acheron

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I paid about $995 for a 42" 1080P by westinghouse or something like that. Since I'd never heard of that company, I got an extended warranty (a philosophy I normally eschew but endorse for "cheaper" electronics or first gen consoles).

Yeah, who's heard of Westinghouse? They only, you know, invented alternating current power transmission. Who uses THAT? Besides, they've only been around since 1886.

(Though the Westinghouse that makes TVs is apparently some Taiwan company that just licenses the name "Westinghouse", so it's not really them, but still at "never heard of that company".)

I think you just owned yourself.

 

[Kabob]

You won't go wrong with either option. Originally Plasmas had much higher contrast ratios and (IMHO) less ghosting/faster response times, but LCD's have caught up and personally I'd go with an LCD. Also, once upon a time LCD's didn't really come in "big" sized, that too has changed.

As mentioned above anti-burn in is here so that's not a big issue anymore. I just prefer the LCD's picture. I've only got a 720p TV (Toshiba 42HL67) but from my playing distances it looks phenominal. Although I secretly yearn for a bigger screen...my wife will hear none of it!

For plasma monitors personally I think Panasonic's plasmas are second to none and can typically be had cheaper than an equally sized LCD, I'd give 'em a look.

If you want an LCD I'd recommend Sony (overpriced IMHO), Samsung, Toshiba, or JVC.

 

[mmntech]

Plasma has better contrast ratio and probably has far better response times, especially in lower end models. I know my Samsung LCD TV has minor ghosting issues. Burn in really isn't an issue anymore, provided you game for a reasonable amount on end. 12 hours strait of Gears of War 2 or MGS4 is probably a bad idea anyway. I highly recommend Samsung TVs. Try to find one that has at least 5ms response time.

 

[Childs]

Panasonic's 42" 1080p plasma can be had for around $1100 or less these days. I have a Samsung 40" 1080p LCD and a friend has a Pioneer 50" 720p plasma, and while I paid 1/3 the price I must admit his picture is better. Colors and blacks are just solid. Its comparable to a CRT monitor in HD. But with 32" 720p LCDs from major manufacturers going for under $500 it depends on how much you want to spend and what size you want. Anything greater 40" I'd go with a Panasonic 1080p plasma. Best bang for the buck. I havent seen the new LED 120Hz LCDs, but imo LCDs are playing catch up in image quality still.

 

[Schfifty Five]

I've gamed on both Plasma and LCD. I had a 42" plasma and now have a 46" Samsung LN46A950 LED backlit LCD TV.

Gaming on both is fine. I noticed 0 lag on either sets and I did get a tiny little bit of Burn In on my plasma from tons of CoD4, but the plasma is like nearly 3 years old so i'm sure today's Plasmas are much better about it.

I love my current LCD and gaming definitely looks better as the PQ is levels beyond my old plasma, but still gaming on both were and are fine to me.

 

[JoPh]

1080p samsung 46 LCD.
FLAWLESS

 

[SandEagle]

for now, 57' projection tv..... hitachi, 1080i/720p. may have to get a few of these 46 LCD 1080p sets...they're gettin cheaper

 

[sswingle]

My 3 year old plasma has quite a bit of IR, but you can only see it on a white screen, and it fades after a couple hours.

 

[leglez]

DLP but if I only had a choice of LCD or Plasma I would definantly go with LCD.

 

[ViviTheMage]

LCD, crystal clear.

42" 1080p/720 works great.

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

Do you think the response times on LCD will mess me up if I'm trying to do like a reversal in Super Street Fighter 2 that requires 1 frame of timing? 1/60 seconds

 

[JackBurton]

I game on my plasma and the thing is AWESOME! I love it! My friend has a Samsung LN52A650 LCD and his is nice too. But you really need to put it in game mode to get close to 0 lag. The difference was night and day playing MKII on standard mode and game mode. Game mode seemed super responsive after playing in the standard mode. The only negative to putting it in game mode on the Samsungs is, the picture controls are locked which means you can't make any adjustments to the picture. It still looks pretty good though.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: acheron

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I paid about $995 for a 42" 1080P by westinghouse or something like that. Since I'd never heard of that company, I got an extended warranty (a philosophy I normally eschew but endorse for "cheaper" electronics or first gen consoles).

Yeah, who's heard of Westinghouse? They only, you know, invented alternating current power transmission. Who uses THAT? Besides, they've only been around since 1886.

(Though the Westinghouse that makes TVs is apparently some Taiwan company that just licenses the name "Westinghouse", so it's not really them, but still at "never heard of that company".)

Sorry to burst your bubble but Westinghouse didn't invent AC, Tesla sold his patent to him.

 

[spidey07]

I game on my plasma, LCD and DLP. The LCD looks the worst - it's a color/contrast thing.

 

[amdhunter]

T240HD Samsung 24" 1080p HDTV - LCD

I absolutely love it.

I hate the "softiness" of Plasmas and would probably never buy one. I never really seen a plasma that made me go "wow..."