Best TV for console S-video gaming.. flat screen or not

[Bob Cherub]

By flat screen I don't mean flat panel, I just mean standard tube TV but a flat screen not a bubbly one.

so opinions, flat screen or rounded TV screen? Does flat screen have a crisper image in general?

[ciparis]

Once you go flat, you'll never go back. Okay, just shoot me for typing that.

FD Trinitron WEGA is my favorite television among those that I've owned so far, for picture clarity/sharpness, color/realism, and glare.

[Brad Grenz]

WEGA's are really nice, but kinda expensive. What size/price are you looking for? Toshibas and Panasonics are usually more reasonably priced. I'm wary of the ultra-cheap Apex ones, though.

[Chris Nahr]

Yeah, I looked at the WEGA technology but Sony's pricing is just crazy, apparently you pay an extra 30% just for the brand name. So I bought a cheapskate Panasonic model, namely the TX-32DK20D/B Quintrix which isn't really flat but has otherwise everything I want, plus... it's cheap!

My DVD player is also a Panasonic, by the way (DVD-RV32), and much for the same reason -- works well, has everything I want, and is cheap to boot. Go Panasonic!

[Old Rooster]

In my den, I'm using a 20" flat screen from Daewoo purchased from Best Buy for $149.99. So far, I'm very pleased. It has 3 input sets, including S video, and even output ports. You can check it out further at BB online. O.R.

[Case]

By flat screen I don't mean flat panel, I just mean standard tube TV but a flat screen not a bubbly one.

so opinions, flat screen or rounded TV screen? Does flat screen have a crisper image in general?

I just got one of these:

http://www.samsungusa.com/cgi-bin/nabc/product/b2c_product_detail.jsp?eUser=&prod_id=HLN507WX%2fXAA

I then added the Xbox high definition kit for the, uh, Xbox, and booted up several games.

*** Whoosh ***

Nothing quite like widescreen, 720P gaming.

The Samsung also has a VGA input, so I'm gonna hook up a PC to it next and see what that's like.

[wumpus]

Very cool Lloyd-- particularly the widescreen aspect ratio.

I'm going to tough it out for a few more years with my mere 36" WEGA and hopefully flat HDTV panel technology will be mature and inexpensive by then.

VGA input would be very helpful for the HTPC aspect. What resolutions does it support? 800x600 (remember, XP won't run at anything lower than this) is a bit blurry but mostly usable with larger than normal fonts on my wega-- when using s-video input only. On plain old RCA coax it's way blurry.

[Case]

Very cool Lloyd-- particularly the widescreen aspect ratio.

I'm going to tough it out for a few more years with my mere 36" WEGA and hopefully flat HDTV panel technology will be mature and inexpensive by then.

VGA input would be very helpful for the HTPC aspect. What resolutions does it support? 800x600 (remember, XP won't run at anything lower than this) is a bit blurry but mostly usable with larger than normal fonts on my wega-- when using s-video input only. On plain old RCA coax it's way blurry.

If you use Powerstrip, you can actually force XP to 6x4 if you want.

The Samsung also has a DVI input (in addition to the VGA input), so I've been playing DVD's with a Bravo D1 ($200 DVD player with DVI output). Native digital to a digital TV is pretty stunning.

Next up, though, is an HDTV PC that uses a terrestrial PCI HD tuner card...

[wumpus]

What resolution does your TV support when hooked to a PC, Lloyd?

I know you can "force" XP to 640x480 but it isn't very usable at that resolution due to the giant UI elements.

[Case]

What resolution does your TV support when hooked to a PC, Lloyd?

I know you can "force" XP to 640x480 but it isn't very usable at that resolution due to the giant UI elements.

The native res of the display is 1280x720. It's somehow able to support
incoming signals at 1024x768, but I need to look at it at that res
before I pass judgement. But 1280x720 is more than good enough
for most things.

[awdougherty]

http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11101334&m=1&cat=24&scat=27

I have one of these and I like it quite a bit, but the one down side was the lack of a flat screen. I didn't want to pay the extra for the WEGA since I don't feel it made that big a difference (my personal feeling was that it didn't matter at all) and I liked the multiple S-Videos on the back. But that was before I had a console/DVD all in one machine and needed multiple s-videos.

edit: just realized this one is updated and supports component imput instead of 2 s-videos.

[XPav]

I just read the Extremetech HDTV saga.

Its not for me. :D

[Case]

http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11101334&m=1&cat=24&scat=27

I have one of these and I like it quite a bit, but the one down side was the lack of a flat screen. I didn't want to pay the extra for the WEGA since I don't feel it made that big a difference (my personal feeling was that it didn't matter at all) and I liked the multiple S-Videos on the back. But that was before I had a console/DVD all in one machine and needed multiple s-videos.

edit: just realized this one is updated and supports component imput instead of 2 s-videos.

Panasonic and Toshiba both make flat screen TV's, too. Some are
actually quite nice.

[Case]

I just read the Extremetech HDTV saga.

Its not for me. :D

:lol:

We have this joke about Nick -- his picture is posted on all the
Best Buy and Circuit City stores, with the text "Do NOT sell
to this man!".

For me, it came down to the Grand Wega XBR LCD rear
projector and the Samsung. The new model Samsungs
are very nice, and so far, I'm quite happy. But I can fully
sympathize how someone might be leery after reading
Nick's saga.

[Brandon Clements]

That's a very nice TV Loyd. One question, though: Do you feel comfortable watching it in your (I assuming regular size) living room? Or do you have one of those swanky home theater rooms that us non-hardware-editor types can only dream about? :)

[Case]

That's a very nice TV Loyd. One question, though: Do you feel comfortable watching it in your (I assuming regular size) living room? Or do you have one of those swanky home theater rooms that us non-hardware-editor types can only dream about? :)

No, I don't have a swanky home theater with movie seating. I just have a regular house. The TV is in the family room, about 8 feet in front of the couch. The shallow depth of the Samsung actually allows a bit more distance than a conventional CRT RPTV or even 34" direct view unit.

Viewing distance is actually shorter for high res TV than for standard def TV. Here's an interesting web site that allows you to calculate THX-optimal viewing distances:

http://www.myhometheater.homestead.com/viewingdistancecalculator.html#anchor_13194

There's a psychological effect known as the "Kell Factor" at play here. What researchers found was that people want to get closer to highe quality, higher resolution images than lower quality ones. So optimal viewing distances for normal TV is actually greater than optimal viewing distances for HDTV (or good DVD's played throuh a scaler that increases the effective resolution).

For me, the big problem with PRTV's has been their sheer physical bulk. The Samsung solves that very nicely. The 50" is less than 18" deep and weighs less than 80lbs. Videophiles will argue that its image quality isn't as good as the best CRTs -- but it's pretty close, has no convergence issues and is easy to set up and calibrate. Of course, you do have to shell out several hundred dollars to replace the lamp, but typical lamp life is in the thousands of hours.

[wumpus]

but typical lamp life is in the thousands of hours.
Wasn't that the criticism of my "why not use a ~$3k PC projector system for your home theater" argument? That the bulbs were only rated for a few thousand hours, then you have to front $400 per bulb?

A few thousand sounds like a lot, but it depends how many hours per day the TV is on in your household.

[Case]

but typical lamp life is in the thousands of hours.
Wasn't that the criticism of my "why not use a ~$3k PC projector system for your home theater" argument? That the bulbs were only rated for a few thousand hours, then you have to front $400 per bulb?

A few thousand sounds like a lot, but it depends how many hours per day the TV is on in your household.

I believe ths Samsung bulb is rated to 6000 hours. If you leave the TV on six hours a day, that's 1000 days, or three years. If you leave it on 24/7, that's less than a year -- although leaving it on constantly may actually extend bulb life.

It's no different than a CRT RPTV that needs to be reconverged after three years. Costs about the same.

Edit: I actually looked at plasma units, but the absolutely cheapest HD unit cost more than $5K, and good quality was over $7K. :cry:

[Brad Grenz]

just got one of these:

http://www.samsungusa.com/cgi-bin/nabc/product/b2c_product_detail.jsp?eUser=&prod_id=HLN507WX%2fXAA

I then added the Xbox high definition kit for the, uh, Xbox, and booted up several games.

*** Whoosh ***

Nothing quite like widescreen, 720P gaming.

The Samsung also has a VGA input, so I'm gonna hook up a PC to it next and see what that's like.

Ah, yeah. I was glad when your friend over at ExtremeTech finally settled on an HDTV. The DLP sets sound groovy. But my personal dream rig is the Toshiba LCOS with 1080p.... *gurgle*

[Warlord of Mars]

Bob, if you want the most bang out of your to-be flat screen TV, then try to use component video rather than S-video in every case possible.

[Case]

just got one of these:

http://www.samsungusa.com/cgi-bin/nabc/product/b2c_product_detail.jsp?eUser=&prod_id=HLN507WX%2fXAA

I then added the Xbox high definition kit for the, uh, Xbox, and booted up several games.

*** Whoosh ***

Nothing quite like widescreen, 720P gaming.

The Samsung also has a VGA input, so I'm gonna hook up a PC to it next and see what that's like.


Ah, yeah. I was glad when your friend over at ExtremeTech finally settled on an HDTV. The DLP sets sound groovy. But my personal dream rig is the Toshiba LCOS with 1080p.... *gurgle*

You'll like the Sony SXRD units coming out later this year -- and probably more affordable than the Toshiba.