After getting a PS4, I found myself revisiting my need for a new TV to succeed my reliable servant, a 40-in Samsung Series 5 LCD bought for RM2,650 in 2009. It has served me well but PS4's arrival expedited my upgrade.
First of all, to be able to appreciate the clarity and nuanced details of a full 1080p picture, a 42-in TV is the starting point. Undoubtedly, larger screens of 46 or even 55 offer even better cinematic experience, as a videogamer, there are several points to consider.
1. Viewing Distance
My gameroom's view distance of 5ft is not suitable for any screen larger than 42-in
2. Picture Processing
For videogame consoles, TV's built-in picture processing is not required, therefore features such as Game Mode is something to lookout for. Although many vendors advertise this, your mileage may vary, so if possible you need to look out for factor number 3, input lag.
3. Input Lag
This terminology simply describes how much delay a signal encounters from the time it enters the TV's input to the time it gets displayed. Benchmark testers uses high-speed photography to see the time differential between a custom clock connected to the TV via HDMI. The lower input lag the better it is for gamers. This is especially true for fighting games where the timing of specific button presses are key to pulling off that superhit combo. Unfortunately, input lag is not something you normally find on your TV specsheet.
So, how did I shop for my new TV? I found it through a tech forum recommendation.
It is a Sony W-series 42W674, which normally retails for RM1, 999 but can be had for RM1, 700 during promotion. If budget was not a constraint, I might have gone for 46-in W904 but getting a TV for more than RM5, 000 is really too expensive.
W674 is very good for my needs, the input lag is 14.5ms (every processing turned off). A recommended setting offered by a forumer to handle both P3 and PS4 yields an input lag of 19ms.
So, there you go, my recommended TV for gaming in 2013/2014 that is under RM2, 000, my new gaming partner, Sony 42W674.
Below are the settings provided by Lowyat forumer, SSJBen
Game Mode
Backlight: 6 or 7 (6 if I turn off all the lights)
Contrast: 93
Brightness: 49
Color temp: Warm 1
Sharpness: 50
Gamma: -1
White Balance
All default except blue gain at -2, this is to account for setting Clear White at Low
Post process settings
All disabled except - Clear White (Low) and Smooth Gradation (Medium)
Using these settings, I've managed to get delta errors to less than 3 which is the optimal limit for a mid-range LCD LED TV.
Measured gamma point is at 2.38 which is just 0.2 point away from the standard set by ITU and THX as a reference level.
Input lag with these settings is at 19ms, (+4ms from an everything disabled 14.5ms W6).
By rule of thumb, anything under 30ms is optimal for games, under 20ms is exceptional in today's standards.
W674 is very good for my needs, the input lag is 14.5ms (every processing turned off). A recommended setting offered by a forumer to handle both P3 and PS4 yields an input lag of 19ms.
So, there you go, my recommended TV for gaming in 2013/2014 that is under RM2, 000, my new gaming partner, Sony 42W674.
Below are the settings provided by Lowyat forumer, SSJBen
Game Mode
Backlight: 6 or 7 (6 if I turn off all the lights)
Contrast: 93
Brightness: 49
Color temp: Warm 1
Sharpness: 50
Gamma: -1
White Balance
All default except blue gain at -2, this is to account for setting Clear White at Low
Post process settings
All disabled except - Clear White (Low) and Smooth Gradation (Medium)
Using these settings, I've managed to get delta errors to less than 3 which is the optimal limit for a mid-range LCD LED TV.
Measured gamma point is at 2.38 which is just 0.2 point away from the standard set by ITU and THX as a reference level.
Input lag with these settings is at 19ms, (+4ms from an everything disabled 14.5ms W6).
By rule of thumb, anything under 30ms is optimal for games, under 20ms is exceptional in today's standards.
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