Yep, IR would be a big concern for me. Can easily imagine the wife just leaving it on the desktop or something one day and coming home to a burned in clock/date.
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PC Gaming on an HDTV, worth it?
- Thread starter ecosse_011172
- Start date
Yep, IR would be a big concern for me. Can easily imagine the wife just leaving it on the desktop or something one day and coming home to a burned in clock/date.
blahblah...blah
Member
I, too, want to hear more about this!
But yeah, to add to the resounding chorus here, I recently hooked up my computer to the 55" TV in our living room and played Skyrim with surround sound and a 360 controller. With the exception of navigation of menus, etc., I actually don't think the controller hindered the experience at all, and my god it was beautiful and immersive.
TheChewyWaffles
Member
Fed up with how old the consoles are getting I put together a beastly rig this past Nov for the first time in 10 years. It's been really nice, but I still use my consoles. The main problem I have is text being too tiny or blurry and kb/m games being uncomfortable.
Damn right it's worth it! I used to do only light PC gaming in my room/studio. Mostly 2D games (world of goo, peggle) on a 17 inch monitor. For valentines day my girl bought me a PC and I immediately hooked it up to the 73 inch tv in the den. It was like having some kind of super console, shit was crazy! Games looked awesome, everything is customizable, you can tab out and pull up YouTube or GAF....it's just a lot of freedom compared to my consoles. One day she came home and I had my favorite radio station streaming as the music for Flat-Out while I happily drifted around corners with my DFGT. She came back an hour later and I was watching random shit on YouTube with my 3D glasses on. I love my PC.
Even if it's just for the incredible game library and increased visual fidelity I would say it is more than worth it.
Even if it's just for the incredible game library and increased visual fidelity I would say it is more than worth it.
Haunted
Member
Yeah, it's honestly pretty hard to go back to consoles once you have a nice PC setup set up. At least as far as graphically "impressive" AAA big budget console games are concerned, obviously.
Hopefully the new consoles can show something that excites me again. I'm done with PS360 for these types of games.
Hopefully the new consoles can show something that excites me again. I'm done with PS360 for these types of games.
It's called pixel density. 1080p on 22" is different from 1080p on 50". That said, I vastly prefer gaming on my Plasma.
EternalGamer
Banned
I have both a comfy couch PC and a desk PC. Both are great and after being a console only gamer before last year, I am never going back.
Surprisingly, though, I really really prefer comfy chair and desk over the couch. It's more intimate experience with good headphones. There is nothing like a good first person game when you are right next to the screen, rather than slopped over on a couch. Desk gaming is more like gaming on the edge of your seat, but more comfortable.
Surprisingly, though, I really really prefer comfy chair and desk over the couch. It's more intimate experience with good headphones. There is nothing like a good first person game when you are right next to the screen, rather than slopped over on a couch. Desk gaming is more like gaming on the edge of your seat, but more comfortable.
I have a 27" monitor upstairs and a 50" Pioneer Kuro in the basement (as well as a Sony HMZ-T1 for 3D). I've been playing PC games on a TV since 2004 with my Sony CRT. Always preferable to me, really.
LCD monitors simply can't cut it when it comes to delivering rich contrast and fast motion. As I've found out even something like a Dell Ultrasharp can't deliver the kind of deep contrast I'm looking for.
I play most of my PC games on my TV using a 360 pad while busting out a mouse and keyboard when I need to. I even ran wires through the house just to pull this off when I finished the basement. Tested and Giant Bomb have been talking about this like it's some new thing but it's been awesome for years.
Oh other benefit is that, when sitting back a bit from the TV, anti-aliasing becomes a bit less important. Only when your face is pressed into an LCD monitor does it really stand out as an issue.
Do it!!
LCD monitors simply can't cut it when it comes to delivering rich contrast and fast motion. As I've found out even something like a Dell Ultrasharp can't deliver the kind of deep contrast I'm looking for.
I play most of my PC games on my TV using a 360 pad while busting out a mouse and keyboard when I need to. I even ran wires through the house just to pull this off when I finished the basement. Tested and Giant Bomb have been talking about this like it's some new thing but it's been awesome for years.
Oh other benefit is that, when sitting back a bit from the TV, anti-aliasing becomes a bit less important. Only when your face is pressed into an LCD monitor does it really stand out as an issue.
Do it!!
ecosse_011172
Banned
The overall impression is that I will notice a huge difference only one person disagrees.
The 580 doesn't seem worth it over the 570 for the relatively small performance improvement, do you agree?
The 580 doesn't seem worth it over the 570 for the relatively small performance improvement, do you agree?
dragonlife
Member
For me it isn't. My TV is only 720p while my monitor is 1080p. And for whatever reason, when I used to play my games on my TV after my old monitor died, they wouldn't run very well; I'd have to reduce the resolution/play in windowed mode. Yet those same games are fine on my monitor at full res. Don't know what the problem was.
Either way, I love my monitor.
Either way, I love my monitor.
AcceptableGhost
Member
Having a PC capable of playing modern games is always worth it.
brain_stew
Member
A factory overclocked GTX 560ti 448 core will give you the performance of the GTX 570 at a fraction of the price. If you're gaming at 1080p its the way to go.
plagiarize
Banned
of course it's worth it.
i spent a few hundred dollars getting everything i needed for a good setup. RF remote control, very long HDMI cables, and a 360 wireless pc adapter .was well worth it.
i spent a few hundred dollars getting everything i needed for a good setup. RF remote control, very long HDMI cables, and a 360 wireless pc adapter .was well worth it.
Mr.Squirrel
Tom
I own a projector, and even if you NEVER play games on it, it would be the greatest purchase you've ever made in your life.
Heh, I used to run my PC through my projector as its main display, it got pretty expensive.
A bigger screen is always worth it.
You don't hear people saying you should watch movies on a 22" monitor over a 50" TV do you?
You sit further away from a TV and don't need as much pixel density.
I'm going to assume he's running the monitor at a higher resolution.
You don't hear people saying you should watch movies on a 22" monitor over a 50" TV do you?
You sit further away from a TV and don't need as much pixel density.
joeygreco1985
Member
I have a 1080p 32" Samsung 5000 series LED HDTV that I just sit right on my desk and use regularly. Its surprisingly comfortable for desktop work and web browsing too. Games look amazing at 1920x1080. I wouldn't switch back to a regular monitor now, and part of me is thinking of moving up to a 40".
LowEndTorque
Member
This.
Except in my case I don't even own a monitor anymore. Desktop is used pretty much exclusively for gaming and is always hooked up to the plasma via HDMI. Laptops are used for all the other "computer stuff"
XOMTOR
Member
It may if your TV accepts a 1080p source input. This way, you set your game resolution at 1920x1080 and your TV downsamples to 720p and you get some free AA in the process.
RoboFu
One of the green rats
this.
Goro Majima
Kitty Genovese Member
I'm not sure if it's every television but when I did this, the blacks were all jacked up on my TV. It was like there wasn't much distinction between a dark grey and a black. Both looked black.
Maybe there's some sort of automatic image processing that's doing it but I tried both the HDMI and the VGA input and had the same result.
I think I read somewhere that my model of television (Sony KDL-46VE5) may have been the issue.
Maybe there's some sort of automatic image processing that's doing it but I tried both the HDMI and the VGA input and had the same result.
I think I read somewhere that my model of television (Sony KDL-46VE5) may have been the issue.
BigTnaples
Todd Howard's Secret GAF Account
Very worth it. I play any PC game I can on my Samsung D8000 55".
Only issue for me is that some games dont work well or at all with the 360 gamepad.
My biggest complaint right now is Battlefield 's half assed implementation.
You cannot play the campaign for more then 1 minute without using the M&KB for quicktimes. There are no proper button prompts for the controller either, making it more confusing.
In multiplayer it is a little better with the lack of quicktime events, but you still have to use the mouse to switch classes at all.
But for games like Skyrim that implement the gamepad and KB&M nicley, it sure is awesome running Skyrim with HD textures at 1080p, AA, AF, high FPS any mods I want and be able to play it just as I would on my 360.
Only issue for me is that some games dont work well or at all with the 360 gamepad.
My biggest complaint right now is Battlefield 's half assed implementation.
You cannot play the campaign for more then 1 minute without using the M&KB for quicktimes. There are no proper button prompts for the controller either, making it more confusing.
In multiplayer it is a little better with the lack of quicktime events, but you still have to use the mouse to switch classes at all.
But for games like Skyrim that implement the gamepad and KB&M nicley, it sure is awesome running Skyrim with HD textures at 1080p, AA, AF, high FPS any mods I want and be able to play it just as I would on my 360.
Caesar III
Member
Games where the controller is prefered I play on the TV. In 1080p or 720p with 3d if possible. Shooter, RTS and such are played right at the desk.
If you make something like this:
Made in less than 30 minutes, keyboard plus mouse it´s not a problem anymore.
That´s the way i play in my couch, you can rest your back and use the mouse just fine.
or if you don't care about money/can't make things
Dreams-Visions
Member
PC Gaming - Comfy Couch Edition™ is best edition.
Haint
Member
I have a 1080p 32" Samsung 5000 series LED HDTV that I just sit right on my desk and use regularly. Its surprisingly comfortable for desktop work and web browsing too. Games look amazing at 1920x1080. I wouldn't switch back to a regular monitor now, and part of me is thinking of moving up to a 40".
It's a bit of a crap shoot finding a TV that will work as a monitor though. I've used an old 32A550 for years, works perfectly. Attempted to upgrade to a 40D5005 recently, but the pixel structure wasn't even approaching PC friendly. Fine details and sharp edges had an obvious jagged sawtooth effect. I suspect the sub pixels were Chevron shaped as opposed to vertical.
I've been PC gaming on a 46" 1080p LCD for a couple years now. It's great, but I only sit a few feet away (it's my primary PC monitor/TV). I'm not sure the OP would notice the graphical upgrade at ten feet. If he really puts some money into it he'll notice the improved framerate though.
ratcliffja
Member
Yeah, I'm posting from my HDTV PC right now. It's nice being able to lounge and play PC games instead of having to sit in an office.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
I tried using a 37" as a monitor but it wasn't kind to games with a lot of jaggies, and it had a lot of input lag. So I ended up using the CRT I picked up Goodwill for $5. It has no perceptible lag and it's like having free 4xAA.
50" at 10 feet? Questionably worth it. You're going to be missing out on a lot of the benefits of 1080p at that distance, though.
It is tough. Funny enough, people seem to like the chevron pixels the best as PC monitors, as they're S-IPS panels. Haven't seen them personally.
My TV has a PVA panel that produces awesome colors and blacks for an LCD TV, though it does have a bit of ghosting. Viewing angles aren't great as you can see from the pic, though they're perfect as long as you're sitting mostly centered. This makes it a pretty nice display for PC usage, though not for communal usage.
It is tough. Funny enough, people seem to like the chevron pixels the best as PC monitors, as they're S-IPS panels. Haven't seen them personally.
My TV has a PVA panel that produces awesome colors and blacks for an LCD TV, though it does have a bit of ghosting. Viewing angles aren't great as you can see from the pic, though they're perfect as long as you're sitting mostly centered. This makes it a pretty nice display for PC usage, though not for communal usage.
jim-jam bongs
Member
Oh yes, yes it is.
I'm currently setting up Advanced Launcher in XBMC, then I'll set it to run on boot. Other than installing my Steam games (which I still need to do through Steam itself until I scrape all my AppIDs so I can just use steam://install/[AppID]) my entire TV PC now runs through XBMC and it's majestic like the Andean condor.
http://xbmc.org/
I'm currently setting up Advanced Launcher in XBMC, then I'll set it to run on boot. Other than installing my Steam games (which I still need to do through Steam itself until I scrape all my AppIDs so I can just use steam://install/[AppID]) my entire TV PC now runs through XBMC and it's majestic like the Andean condor.
http://xbmc.org/
The Hermit
Member
double post
The Hermit
Member
Playing a PC HDTV Is the way to go. I realized this after playing Crysis 2 and Skyrim on my parents LED with a 3rd party controller...hell, it was so easy I was actually pissed why I haven't done that before!!
Now the only thing missing is Dark Souls
Now the only thing missing is Dark Souls
opticalmace
Member
What about productivity with the PC hooked up to an HDTV? If I bring it down here, I'm sure games will look great, but would I still be able to do work? I would think the text would look kinda shitty but I'm just guessing.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I was just wondering this myself.
I'm replacing a weird PC monitor/PC/console setup with an actual HDTV, and I'm wondering if I can just ditch the PC monitor altogether and go big screen
jim-jam bongs
Member
Hooking your PC up to the TV is your way of saying to it "you've been a good solid workhorse, so now I'm going to let you spend the rest of your days in comfort and style". Someone might disagree, but if you still need your PC for productivity I'd advise against hooking it up to the TV. It's perfectly possible to work on your TV with your keyboard in your lap or something, but it's by no means recommended or even comfortable.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I suppose you could hook up your big TV and keep it hooked up to a small PC monitor workstation elsewhere... depending on setup, and how long of an HDMI cable you have, etc.
opticalmace
Member
Yeah, thought of this but there's no room for it. HDTV is in the (small) basement and there's nowhere to have an office-type setup.
I think I'll leave things as they are for now, and bring my PC down in May after my work dies down.
jim-jam bongs
Member
Actually that's precisely my setup :lol
The problem is that Windows is extremely stupid about handling multi-monitor configs, so you always need to explicitly switch to the display you want to use to launch a fullscreen application to it. I generally leave my monitor unplugged and use a laptop for productivity, it works better for me anyway as I work freelance.