NeoGAF

I considered getting one of the Panasonic plasmas, but last week I finally got what I really wanted: a projector. It's been incredible, and I can't recommend it enough, if you have the space for it. DLP has real contrast equal to plasmas when it is properly set up, zero ghosting, image retention, or backlight bleed, and it disappears when you're not using it. Only drawback for me is that I can't use it during the day, but I never watch movies or game in the day anyway.

For the moment, plasma is the best choice for gaming but OLED will become the superior option when the prices finally reach reasonable levels (and this comes from someone who was buying plasmas on a yearly a basis until the last generation Kuro).

I'm dying for an OLED display at this point. Motion handling seems to be very much on par with a plasma (without the yellow trails) and the image even richer.

LCDs are outdated and I would not recommend one to anyone interested in games.

Originally Posted by Reiko

Plasma and CRT also has the edge when handling 60fps motion.

CRT remains the king. Plasma just isn't that fast but it's still much better than any LCD.

Even CRT has its own flaws in this regard, however, but it's the best overall.

DLP has real contrast equal to plasmas when it is properly set up, zero ghosting, image retention, or backlight bleed, and it disappears when you're not using it. Only drawback for me is that I can't use it during the day, but I never watch movies or game in the day anyway.

I have a projector as well but I don't feel it stacks up to the Kuro plasma I use and the fact that you project it onto a white screen prevents it from reaching the same level of richness even in a dark room. Still, if you want a big picture with good performance it IS a nice option.

Originally Posted by ShineALight

Panasonic Plasma until OLEDs become affordable.

.

Have a VT30 at the moment, eyeballing the ZT60 for sure.

Used to game on a Samsung 32" LCD for years. I had my Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii all hooked up to it.

That one got stolen during a burglary last year (together with all my consoles). I then bought myself a nice Panasonic GT50 Plasma with the insurance money. Using it for comfy couch pc gaming (never bought back the consoles). The image quality is stunning.

Sears had the Panasonic Plasma St50 for like $799 a few days ago. I bought it, it just needs to ship! Really stoked because I had the S2 and that was my favorite TV ever.. coudln't take it with me on a move so bought a LG which I hate, can't wait to go back to panasonic plasma.

Originally Posted by IceDoesntHelp

Depends on the model. I got a Viera; Model No. TC-P50U50 for $600. 1080p

Check on the the site and the model # is TC-P50UT50.

Pioneer Kuro

If you can buy one. I dread the day mine goes out :(

Ah so it was weather that's holding up my delivery.

Originally Posted by Vol5

Plasma presents the best IQ as well as low latency for gaming.

However you need to remember that games with a HUD that you play over long periods can lead to burn-in buildup. I've had a Dark Souls > CoD > DOTA2 HUD burn-in. Its not totally apparent and certainly not visible in game or watching a movie, but it is there and that was with suitable wear-in time given.

Yeah, I notice myself consciencely turning the opacity down for all HUD elements whenever possible. Luckily, quite a few games have these options (Skyrim, Dishonored) but not all of them. Since you lower the contrast of the HUD elements compared to the rest of the game, you reduce the tendency of IR.

It's the one thing I don't like about plasma's. It always remains a concern and slightly limits your freedom in utilizing the tv.

I never read up on wearing in and stuff like that. Because I was used to LCD, I kept the tv on each evening while the Olympic games were on and the logo of the channel is still burnt into the screen. It's only noticeable in certain cases, but it's there.

Originally Posted by H_Prestige

Plasma

I also have to laugh at all the CRT fanatics. No, it does not equal a solid plasma. No 1080p, has geometry problems, horrible ANSI contrast, inaccurate colors, and does not playback movies in 24p. Oh, and they're small, heavy, and ugly.

You laugh and that same TV handles 60fps motion better than your Plasma.

Plus 1080i mode offers the same clarity as 1080p mode.

It's still plasma i think.

I like a HD projector for immersion though.

Calling LCD TVs with an LED backlight "LED" TVs is like calling older LCDs "CCFLs".

Originally Posted by TheD

Calling LCD TVs with an LED backlight "LED" TVs is like calling older LCDs "CCFLs".

Thank you. I was going to complain about this. It's a marketing gimmick people, I hope you're aware of that.

Originally Posted by TheD

Calling LCD TVs with an LED backlight "LED" TVs is like calling older LCDs "CCFLs".

Sshh. Let them believe it uses actual LEDs as pixels.

I think the correct answer is just get the cheapest 1080p set you can find in the right size for your room. Many of us are doing just fine on our RCA's, Envisions, and other low-cost flat screens. They're selling 40" Toshibas at my local grocery store for $299 ffs. Unless you have truly mantis-like reflexes, lag on any of these tv's is not going to be an issue, and if it is, take it back. If the question is about the best tv for next-gen, I think the answer for most people really is wait until the cost of the new games and consoles is revealed then adjust your budget. For those actually in the market to get a 120" oled or some other high end television, carry on. The rest of us will be ok spending thousands less for something that will still look pretty great 5 years from now in our small to medium sized gaming rooms.

Originally Posted by Reiko

You laugh and that same TV handles 60fps motion better than your Plasma.

Plus 1080i mode offers the same clarity as 1080p mode.

You're right about motion but completely wrong on 1080i. Most HD CRTs (outside of the Sony super fine pitch tubes) couldn't even resolve a full 720 lines (most were closer to 600 or 640) let alone 1080. Even the SFP tubes couldn't actually resolve a full 1920x1080i let alone match the clarity of a real 1920x1080p display.

Yet...that doesn't really matter as lower resolutions can still look wonderful on a CRT. 1280x720 on a good CRT can appear cleaner and smoother than double the resolution on an LCD despite less overall picture data.

Originally Posted by dark10x

You're right about motion but completely wrong on 1080i. Most HD CRTs (outside of the Sony super fine pitch tubes) couldn't even resolve a full 720 lines (most were closer to 600 or 640) let alone 1080. Even the SFP tubes couldn't actually resolve a full 1920x1080i let alone match the clarity of a real 1920x1080p display.

Yet...that doesn't really matter as lower resolutions can still look wonderful on a CRT. 1280x720 on a good CRT can appear cleaner and smoother than double the resolution on an LCD despite less overall picture data.

Ah. Makes sense.

Have had a 51" Samsung Plasma for 6 months now and it has been great, a big improvement over my 5 year old 46" Samsung LCD. The worry I had about burn in and image retention has not been a problem. Spent over 20 hours playing Far Cry 3 and did not see any problems.

Originally Posted by krae_man

Honestly, this seems like way more trouble then it's worth. I don't want a TV that requires weekly maintenance or whatever.


I'm currently looking at buying a 40" or 46" LED in the under $1000 range. Sure maybe I won't get the best TV on the market but it will be better then what I currently have. Well minus the dick all for legacy inputs. Seriously these new TV's with one component/Composite hybrid input are pure evil. There's got to be more demand for hooking up more then one non HDMI device to a TV. I know everyone doesn't want to hook up retro systems to their TV but only one?

but that's the point, you don't have to maintain it.

set your settings correctly to start (aka, no torch mode... or on the better Pannys, if you don't want to do anything, turn on THQ mode), and don't do anything stupid like leaving the TV on and paused for three days straight.

even if you play a game for hundreds of hours with UI on, it won't leave permanent damage, especially if you're doing other things in between sessions like watching TV.

Even though it's native 720p, I love my plasma

I barely see any plasmas on sale anymore, almost everything is LCD/LED.

I now game on an optoma hd projector with a 120 inch favi screen, but also own a 50 inch LG lcd 1080p tv and a 55 inch samsung 3d television. In terms of picture quality, crispness and colors my LG which is an LCD looks way better than my Plasma.

Originally Posted by Dragon1893

I barely see any plasmas on sale anymore, almost everything is LCD/LED.

It's a god damned travesty, as far as I'm concerned. There isn't anything on the market today that can touch my 2008 Pioneer. Not a single display. I'm terrified of it breaking during my international move.

OLED can't come fast enough.

Originally Posted by Jaagen

Whatever happened to SED?

Just like FED, dead. (Due to patent wars, cost and competition from OLED)

OLED will be the clear winner as soon as the price is right.

I got a great 60 inch LED tv. Theres a game mode on it which reduces input lag and you can barely notice it.

But to be honest, I've noticed that I enjoy playing on my 27 inch led monitor more. I don't know why but it feels much simpler and more fun to play. The tv is perfect for movies and tv shows.

I recently bought a TV, decided to stay away from Plasma as the downsides are quite annoying, especially when put together:

- higher weight and thickness
- more fragile due to the glass panel
- less suitable for bright rooms (due to the glass panel again)
- higher power draw
- fear of burn-in (yes I know new Plasmas are less susceptible, but I don't want to be worrying about that)
- more noise (due to cooling fans) and possibility of buzzing

It's too early for OLED, so LED was the only real choice for me. Bought a Samsung LED and I'm really happy so far :)

Is there an actual OLED tv set which you can buy right now? OLED always seems to be just around the corner although nobody is doing reviews.

Also, anyone have any experience with laser tv's? These were new around 2008 and promised zero lag/infinite contrast. I think they were Mitsubishi tv's.

With all you guys praising the OLED stuff, does it suffer from input lag like LCDs and some LEDs? What about ghosting?

One of the best things about my plasma is theres literally no input lag, motion is smooth as silk, and color representation and black levels are so damn good.

Originally Posted by 2MF

I recently bought a TV, decided to stay away from Plasma as the downsides are quite annoying, especially when put together:

- higher weight and thickness
- more fragile due to the glass panel
- less suitable for bright rooms (due to the glass panel again)
- higher power draw
- fear of burn-in (yes I know new Plasmas are less susceptible, but I don't want to be worrying about that)
- more noise (due to cooling fans) and possibility of buzzing

It's too early for OLED, so LED was the only real choice for me. Bought a Samsung LED and I'm really happy so far :)

Yeah, I'm afraid of those things as well and am considering LED for my next TV, any idea when OLED will hit mass market? Couple of years maybe?

Originally Posted by knitoe

And, we are all looking toward OLED, but during my research, I read that they could have issues like current plasma, image retention. Current OLED smartphones show that.

Permanent burn-in even, according to LG's website:

OLED is susceptible to burn-in. If a static image remains on the screen repeatedly or often or for a long uninterrupted stretch of time, you run the risk of degrading the phosphors from overuse in certain portions of the screen. This will leave an after-image or "ghost" on the screen. This burn-in is permanent and cannot be fixed. You can however minimize the chance of burn-in by avoiding those TV broadcasts and videogames with constant logos or text displayed. Also, if you tend to pause Blu-rays when watching, see if your player offers a screensaver mode.

I was really looking forward to OLED until I read that. :/

Burn-in used to worry me, before it happened on my LCD TV and I realized that all technologies were susceptible. Now I just watch how long I leave static images up on my Plasma, and it hasn't happened to me since.

Originally Posted by EasyMode

Permanent burn-in even, according to LG's website:



I was really looking forward to OLED until I read that. :/

Yeah. That's what I read. Also, the OLEDs decays overtime so the image will get worse. Crystal LCD maybe the better solution.

led/lcd for gaming, plasma for home theater.
burn-in is still a problem for plasmas, especially games with a hp bar.

Didn't know about the burn-in issues on OLED, what a shame.

I've heard there's an issue with the colors degrading unevenly over time on OLED. Is this true?

Absolutely love my plasma, will stick with it for a few more years I reckon.

Quite interested in a OLED TVs though.

I can NEVER recommend a plasma... and I say that as an owner of a Panasonic 50GT30 plasma.

Stick with Sony, Samsung, or Sharp LCD/LED panels. And if you can control the lighting in your gaming environment to a decent extent... front projection. NOTHING beats 100"+ of screen area.

Edit:
For the folks who think standard displays are awesome... I recommend you watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imwb7N3MKdk

Originally Posted by AstroNut325

I can NEVER recommend a plasma... and I say that as an owner of a Panasonic 50GT30 plasma.

Stick with Sony, Samsung, or Sharp LCD/LED panels. And if you can control the lighting in your gaming environment to a decent extent... front projection. NOTHING beats 100"+ of screen area.

Edit:
For the folks who think standard displays are awesome... I recommend you watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imwb7N3MKdk

Samsung LCD tvs have horrible input lag.

Input lag should be the number one consideration for choosing a TV for gaming. I think Plasmas are still the best in that regard, unless that has changed recently.

Originally Posted by AstroNut325

I can NEVER recommend a plasma... and I say that as an owner of a Panasonic 50GT30 plasma.

Stick with Sony, Samsung, or Sharp LCD/LED panels. And if you can control the lighting in your gaming environment to a decent extent... front projection. NOTHING beats 100"+ of screen area.

Edit:
For the folks who think standard displays are awesome... I recommend you watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imwb7N3MKdk

Well I could never recommend an LCD so we're even.

I got a Panasonic GT50 plasma after being LCD since the CRT days. In fact, I bought a new Samsung ES8000 LED last year, hated it (great design, abysmal picture quality) and swapped it for the GT50.

And it was the best moves I ever made. 60fps games come alive with absolutely no motion blur, trailing or ghosting. Even 60fps 2D platformers feel a generation ahead compared to LED/LCD.

30fps games also look phenomenal - the blacks are truly black, the colours are vibrant and again, the motion resolution means no trailing even in dark scenes.

To top it off, with little input lag, everything is incredibly responsive. I did get some image retention every now and again for the first 1000 hours, but since then, absolutely nothing at all. Can't recommend a good quality plasma enough.

Oh, and if you like movies, then fuck me you'll appreciate the GT50. The black letter box bars? They're black. Dark scenes? Still full of depth, detail and clarify. Again, love my Panny GT50 :)

Originally Posted by spannicus

Plasma, LCD, LED, OLED, which is the best for the next gen consoles?

whichever fits your budget would be the best display technology for you. a bad game, in your opinion, won't magically become a better game if you choose a display that's beyond your budget.

Panasonic Plasma, the end... still better than OLED and significantly cheaper.

My Sony CRT still has better a better image quality than any of your LCD's, LED's or Plasmas... but it is also 100+ pounds and only a 34 inch, so it basically has been outweighed by the positives of panels at this point. Anyway, I have moved on to Plasma... I think they are better for most videogames, and definitely better for movies and such. Relatively cheap. Stuff does not look as blown out, and colors seem to flow and transition better. But they also do have their downsides. The only one that is the big factor for me is if you have a room where you cannot easily draw the shades or don't have any, but I have also seen LCD tv's that are hard to see in a sunny room. Other than that, they are a bit heavier and you can't tip them over for horizontal, but I figure that is a problem I have to figure out maybe every 10 years or so, ours rode fine in the suburban, but then again, many people don't have an extra truck sitting around.

Originally Posted by BloodMoney

Panasonic Plasma, the end... still better than OLED and significantly cheaper.

I would disagree with the notion that it's better than OLED.

What would make you say that?