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Choosing an HDTV with gaming in Mind

What should you consider while purchasing a new high definition television?

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outlawlife - 281 days 14 hours ago

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1 -

actually a very good guide if you are an HD n00b

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deeznuts - 280 days 16 hours ago

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1.1 -

Nothing in it about input lag, which is huge for a lot of gamers.

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oldsnayke - 281 days 1 hour ago

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2 -

Well I have a 32-inch TV that is pretty good... I don't think I would. People should be grateful for what they have, instead of being so gullible in terms of believing that the media is sincere when they say "you need the best".

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Sangria - 281 days 1 hour ago

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I have a 40" Bravia and i'm pretty glad with it. The problem is that now i'm very sensible to aliasing in games and grain in BluRay. OMG how awful was Matrix (i don't say it's a bad movie, i loved it, but the BluRay is horrible). I'm now a graphic whore, in search for the best BluRay and games for my TV.

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Fishy Fingers - 281 days 1 hour ago

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3.1 -

I hate the "grain" effect that seems to be added to some Blu-Ray movies, I think it's used to "dirty" the image or help cover up imperfections in the effects/graphics (older movies mainly) but it is annoying, especially when the majority dont use it and look so good.

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EnViAbLe27 - 281 days 1 hour ago

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3.2 -

ur not the only one brotha... Im just glad im not the only one in the world... :D

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Sangria - 281 days 1 hour ago

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3.3 -

Yes, some movies like 300 or Silent Hill use grain for artistic purpose and it looks very nice with it, but some other movies like Spider-man 3 or Matrix Trilogy have tons of it. I guess it's, like you say, to hide the imperfections of visual effects, but sometimes it's really too much.

One that is awesome is Cloverfield, because sometimes the movie is really clean and well detailed, and other times it looks like crap with huge load of grain. I don't know if it was made on purpose, to simulate MPEG compression of a camera, but with the time, it's irritating.

To correct that, my TV has a grain correction setting, but if i set it up, i have ghost pictures, it's hard to explain but the movements are decomposed for a short lap of time and i've been very sensitive to this.

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EnViAbLe27 - 281 days 1 hour ago

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3.4 -

Yeah I know what you mean, I have also noticed not on Blu Rays but on programming like Discovery HD... I will notice stuff like dust and smears on the camera lens which sometimes makes me feel like, WTF?, but at the same time it just kind of shows how good HDTVs have gotten nowadays

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Goon 187 - 281 days 1 hour ago

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3.5 - "I'm now a graphic whore, in search for the best BluRay and games for my TV".

Go get the dark night, that movie looks amazing on BluRay. One of the best movies out there.

"I hate the "grain" effect that seems to be added to some Blu-Ray movies"

I know what you are talking about, my first bluray was 300 and it had a grain effect but there's alot of them that doesn't have it. when watching 300 on bluray the first time I thought something was wrong with my TV or my setings.

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EnViAbLe27 - 281 days ago

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3.6 - @goon

Dude that movie had the intention of implementing the grain in (300) there is nothing wrong with your tv...trust me at first i kinda freaked out too.

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Firstkn1ghT - 280 days 23 hours ago

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3.7 -

http://blog.wired.com/gadge...

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Product - 280 days 23 hours ago

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3.8 -

Its just the noise reduction

With noise in the visuals its hard to completely get rid of it from the source.A noise reducer actually does fix the noise to a certain extent but also at the same time makes things blurry.If you know graphic design in photo shop its like using the blur on a photo that has alot of grain youll know what i mean.So in the end right now there is no way to completely get rid of noise without making it blurry.

Some films actually have grains and certain particle fx in the movie to make it stand out.300 is one of these newer yet odd for doing it movies but with older movies be prepared to either have grain or be blurry.
Your'e really buying blurays for the new movies and ones coming out in the future.Older ones will never be full HD quality due to the noise reduction needed to correct grain.

@First Kn1ght
You will not be able to get rid of the grain completely from older movies especially from the 80's without making it blurry because the grain is literally on the film strip it was printed on.

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Toolster - 280 days 22 hours ago

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3.9 - Sangria

Try the new Hulk film on Bluray,
Its prob the best Bluray ive seen so far (in terms of pic and sound NOT the overall movie:)

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Sangria - 280 days 18 hours ago

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3.10 -

Yes, some people said me to watch Hulk and Wall-E, The Dark Knight isn't released yet in France but for sure i want it.

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bym051d - 281 days 1 hour ago

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Horrible guide. Why mislead people?

"Typically refers to the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. For example, 480,720 and 1080 are the standard resolutions for TV displays. Appended on the end of this number is either a p or an i (720i, 720p) this describes how the pixels are written to the screen. Progressive (p) writes from left to right top to bottom every pixel every frame. Interlaced (i) writes from left to right top to bottom every other pixel every other frame. "

720i is not an HDTV resolution. None of these TVs paint left to right, top to bottom. Progressive just shows every line x times a second (24, 30, or 60). Interlaced just shows every other line x times a second. There is no top left to bottom right movement.

"Do you any of the following gaming systems: XBOX360, Wii, PS3, XBOX?

* If you have any of these systems (with the exception of PS3, see above question), you will want to go with 1080i resolution. This will allow you to use the full capabilities of the system while not overpaying for unused technology."

Really? 1080i? Are they even sold anymore?

A Wii only hits 480p. Why would you overpay for unused technology?

"LCD is limited to around 46 inches and smaller."

No.

"2. 5-Pronged Composite ( Red, Blue, Green, Red, White)"

It's called component, not 5 prong composite.

" * I have had a 40" LCD 1080i 60Hz Samsung TV with Game Mode for 3 years. I use it with all my consoles and never have noticed a delay. I bought it based on the above criteria."

LCDs don't come interlaced. They only come progressive. Plasmas used to come interlaced.

If you're going to write an article and sound like an expert, please do your homework.

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laaakokaracha - 281 days 1 hour ago

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4.1 -

I absolutely agree with you!

its a bad guide. Full HD tv 1080p is what ppl should go for no matter what system they are playing.

I prefer my ambilight Phillips 42".

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Seraphim - 281 days 1 hour ago

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4.2 -

agreed. while it's an awful post/blog he does hit some of the important notes people need to look at. It's just that he's no better than the nOOb asking, or the retailer/salesman/whatever you call them nowdays who shrugs his/her shoulders when you ask them about features and what not... this is one of the worst, if not the worst explanations I've ever seen. Someone should have done a little more research before trying to post a helpful and informative blog...

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Capt CHAOS - 281 days ago

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4.3 - ? Since when was 720 not a HD resolution?

We're not talking about FULL HD, High end HD or super HD, just HD.

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bym051d - 281 days ago

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4.4 -

Chaos, 720i is not an approved HD resolution, 720p is.

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M-Easy - 280 days 18 hours ago

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4.5 - Yeah

There is no such thing as 720i. Anyway thanks bym051d you're a fellow HD enthusiast and know your stuff. My stomach started turning reading all that misinformation. You cleared everything up so i didn't have to. Bubbles and tracked to you.

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Bigrhyno - 281 days 1 hour ago

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I got a TV delivered Monday that I took a gamble on. A 690 dollar 40 inch 1080p Toshiba. It is very good quality for the price I paid.

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Fishy Fingers - 281 days 1 hour ago

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5.1 -

Toshiba make great TVs, high quality panels and good accompanying software. I think many turn their nose up as it's not considered a mainstream brand (next to Sony/Samsung/LG) but I think you got a pretty good deal there.

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LightofDarkness - 281 days ago

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What a horrible guide. He neglects to mention the fact that higher priced HDMI cables offer no advantage over cheaper ones. Plus, if he has an LCD TV for over 3 years, there is a pixel response time of at least 8ms, which creates a noticeable gaming lag and dreaded "ghosting." Not only that, LCDs at 1080i offer no discernable difference from LCDs at 720P. Any 720p capable LCD is generally capable of 1080i, but manufacturers recommend displaying at 720p. 1080p sets are very affordable these days and should be considered at any rate. Plasmas are becoming smaller and more affordable as well, and offer great advantages over LCD, including deeper blacks (almost matching CRT), more vibrant colour, pixel response times of less than 1ms and 120hz refresh rates that looks natural, unlike 100/120hz LCD. Watching the Dark Knight on a 42" Philips Plasma vs. a competing LCD yields noticeable difference to anyone with EYES.

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Capt CHAOS - 281 days ago

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6.1 - Thank you, spot on.

you really do know your stuff.

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EnViAbLe27 - 281 days ago

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6.2 -

I have a 52" samsung lcd, and the only lag I have ever noticed is with guitar hero 3, especially when there are like 100 notes coming at you in less than a second.....(I was exaggerating) but yeah you do get lag with alot of notes on the screen but with FPS and TPS I found no Probs..and if you do find any, just turn off the 120hz, which basically makes about any game look like it runs at 60fps..Cheers :)

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Rhythmattic - 280 days 23 hours ago

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The thing about LCDs , they have a "washed out" problem with fast moving images, LCD manufactures solution is higher refresh rates. Unfortunately, 100/102hz refresh rates generally create lag due to pre-processing, so for games (Not movies) , it still is not a solution.

The Only Problem with Plasma is burn in, but it aint like the old days, leave a new plasma on for a few days with a STATIC high contrast image, and all I can say, its your fault.

After testing many LCD's and Plamas, I bought a Panny 50" 1080p PZ850. It BLEW all the other Plasmas @ its price-point out the door.... Came even close to a Pioneer KURO.

As for LCD's ? Great for Static images, but for movies and games, Absolutely No competition.

As for the cost of running one of these darlings , my 50" Plasma is more energy efficient than a LCD 46" Bravia. Domt Trust Salesmen.

http://reviews.cnet.com/452...

As for OLED or Laser base panels, I Want One !!!

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bym051d - 280 days 20 hours ago

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6.4 - @Rhythmatic

The image issue you're talking about with LCDs is called ghosting. I rarely see it with my set. Lockpicking with Fallout 3 was about the only place.

120Hz sets create no extra lag if you turn the image enhancement off (called AMP on Samsung).

The image retention on a plasma was the killer for me. That and static health bars in some games don't mix well. That and that plasmas are heavier, run hotter, and cost about 30% more to use led me to LCD.

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Rhythmattic - 280 days 18 hours ago

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6.5 -

@bym051d
I'm on my second Plasma. The first 42" I owned , I had before even owning the PS3. I never ever had burn in. EVER. Thats playing games with health bars/ Radar, etc... It never happened.

As I Said, With Plasma's today, Leave it on for a few days, with a High contrast Static picture, then maybe...
But Im sensible.

All that crap the salesman tells you about Plasma's good for sports but no good for games? I dont buy that.

Personally having compared all the top of the line LCD's to Plasma with BR/Games.... Na , Sorry.

And to reiterate.
As for the cost of running one of these darlings , my 50" Plasma is more energy efficient than a LCD 46" Bravia. Domt Trust Salesmen.

http://reviews.cnet.com/452...

LCD has a backlight, thats 1 reason the blacks arent as good, but that Backlight is always on. Not energy efficient like you'd believe.
With a Plasma, the energy used is based on the pixels displayed and their intensity. Not much program material is full white, for Hours. Still THX1138 is sort of close :-)

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Seraphim - 280 days 18 hours ago

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6.6 -

LED is on the move though. Darker blacks, brighter brights. :P

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Dragon Boy - 281 days ago

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7 -

There is only one TV brand I choose when I'm shopping for a TV and that A Sony Bravia. Last year I pick up a 46" XBR4 for my living room, and 32" for my Bedroom. My game room I currently have a Samsung set which I would recommand as well but its digital tuner is nothing compare what the Bravia have to offer.

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EnViAbLe27 - 281 days ago

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The Bravia was actually something I was going to get too man, but when I went to Circuit City like 2 months ago, and saw the 52W4100 with a dead pixel, I already knew what it was, and asked the CC guy and he was like... I never really noticed that was there..., I just said "That sux dude"...

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Firstkn1ghT - 281 days ago

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If you're only interested in gaming than the best tv to get is a 720p plasma. No question! Not a 1080p plasma and not a LCD.

I own a 42 inch 720p plasma and I game all the time on it. No ghosting and NO BURN-IN. That was one of the main complaints on earlier models but it's more than fixed. Plasma's now a days have a few techniques to remedy it. Plus it's common knowledge that burn in usually happens the first 200 hours or so. So it's a good idea to break it in the first 200 hours or so. It's kinda lame that you have to baby sit the tv but it's worth it. Better than a crappy lcd. And now I play Madden A LOT! I play Halo 3 A LOT! I watch ESPN NBA games A LOT! And I don't have a hint of burn in.

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Fishy Fingers - 280 days 23 hours ago

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8.1 -

What happens a few years from now, when more games start hitting 1080p, or the next generation console. You gonna by another new HDTV? The difference in price between 720 and 1080 sets are now tiny (thats if you can even find a 720 anymore, anything 32+ is pretty much 1080).

If your buying a new HDTV and you buy anything but a 1080p capable TV you need your head looking at. Even if gaming is all your interested in, you want to be future proof (at least for a few years) not "currently adequate" like 720p.

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Rhythmattic - 280 days 23 hours ago

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8.2 -

Not A 1080P Plasma ???? Why ?

I'm guessing you aint seen Wipeout HD on a 50" 1080p Plasma ?

as for 720P, My Plasma has that also.

Distance and Size..... 42" and above , 1080P is noticeable. Oh, and a Blu-Ray Standard.

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Product - 280 days 23 hours ago

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8.3 -

Once OLED tv's turn production we will all need to buy a new HDtv.BTW you wont see much difference from 720p and 1080p with anything 32' and smaller.There is barley any difference because the tv just doesnt have enough pixels to justify the change.Although plasmas do have way better black levels then lcd due to the technology.

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darkride66 - 280 days 22 hours ago

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8.4 - TV's? Bah!

Considering how much they've come down in price, try one of the 1080p HDTV projectors! Gaming has been fantastic and I can't wait to crank out Killzone 2 on 92 inches of glory! The Sanyo Z700 is priced at about $1600 US now. If you've got a wall to hang a screen on, you should check it out. Only drawback is you have to consider $300 or so every couple of years for a new bulb.

I remember a few years ago setting up my Sanyo Z4. The cable guy came to hook me up and went "Oooo. You play games on that? Can I see?" We ended up firing up Call of Duty 2 for a good hour before he had to get to his next appointment.

It's pretty sweet.

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cheapndirty - 280 days 21 hours ago

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8.5 - Future proof?

The problem with buying a 1080p set is that most of the gaming content is still 720p at best. Mind you many of them are UPSCALED to 720p or 1080P. Rarely is it NATIVE content.

That being said, 1080p sets have to the UPSCALE the 720p signal to 1080p. Some sets do well with that. SOme do not. SO it makes sense to buy a 720p set. PLasma is best for gaming.

By the time most of the gaming content is native 1080p, OLED sets will become more mainstream and 1080p sets will be the treated like the 720p sets now--like old hat. That means a good deal for anyone buying a 1080p set.

In short, if you are only gaming it is over kill to go buy a 1080p set, unless you are watching blu ray movies.

Dont take my word for this. Go to avsforums.com , sound and visions online site, and research. Read the review abouts about how your tv upscales NON NATIVE CONTENT. If you did not know your tv HAD to do that you might want to read up on that do. You might save yourself some money that would be better used on more games or systems.

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bym051d - 280 days 20 hours ago

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8.6 -

The cost difference is generally so small today that you might as well get a 1080p set. I chose one because I also use my gaming TV as my main computer monitor. The difference in 720p and 1080p is very apparent on a computer desktop.

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Firstkn1ghT - 280 days 14 hours ago

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Looks like Chean&Dirty is the only smart one here. Playing games that are 720 native on a 1080p tv and you will have lag. Games like Madden, Rock Band, and any shooter will have a slight lag. I think it's safe to say that games that are coming out this gen are not going to be 1080p and at a solid frame rate.

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Magnum7mm - 280 days 23 hours ago

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Vizio 46 inch 10809 lcd best tv i have ever purchased

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Product - 280 days 22 hours ago

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9.1 -

wow how did you get a disagree for that sentence?disagree fairies are out in force today.

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Magnum7mm - 280 days 23 hours ago

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correction 1080p....

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TheOrganicCell - 280 days 23 hours ago

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11 - I have a Toshiba Regza and Toshiba Dlp

I must say I love to play games on my Regza, but when I play games like Metal Gear Solid 4, or Dead Space, Bio Shock, I love playing those dark games on the DLP. I see way better dark sences and areas with my dlp then with my LCD. It also dont bake the room up like how my lcd bakes my room..lol Either way go with either lcd, or DLP. Dlp is just a bulb, so if it burns, just replace it ;)
www.dlp.com

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PirateThom - 280 days 18 hours ago

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11.1 -

I also have a Regza, huge fan of it. I spent ages adjusting the picture settings.

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Gaidrius - 280 days 22 hours ago

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12 - Blu Ray movies...

When it all comes down to it, High Definition only really shines during gaming... Not movies. It kind of makes me sad when I see someone who has a really nice display, when there's no gaming machine hooked up to it. It's kind of a waste if you ask me. High Def is only really nice/noticeable if you're a gamer. Anything else is just overrated in my opinion.

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Gantrfaxx - 280 days 22 hours ago

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13 - Oh my!

just look at that HDTV on the picture. A dream...

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Gaidrius - 280 days 21 hours ago

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13.1 - It would be nice, but...

Do not forget that it is all about specs. Big doesn't always mean good. I've seen 46inch displays that look like absolute garbage at best. Besides, that looks like it could be a photograph in a frame for all we know. But indeed, it would be nice to have a screen that large depending on if you had the room and if the display had nice specs. Haha. I feel like I'm bashing you somehow and I think I got a little carried away with a reply here. Sorry, man. Heh. Here, have a bubble. We cool?

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Gantrfaxx - 280 days 6 hours ago

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13.2 - We cool man. :)

I agree with you.
But i was dreaming of such a big Tv, though i do not know where wpuld i put it. LOL

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Maldread - 280 days 18 hours ago

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14 - I`m a noob

I`m thinking about buying a HD TV now for gaming and is thinking of going for a LG6000 in either 32 or 37 inches. The 37 inches has Full HD, but i`ve heard you can`t see much difference between HD Ready and Full HD if the screen isn`t 40 inches and upwards.

Anyone who can elaborate better or have some advice for another 32 or 37 inch TV i can buy for Killzone 2, i would greatly appreciate it.

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Gaidrius - 273 days 1 hour ago

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14.1 -

Well, all I gotta say is that I have a 37LG50 (37inch LG Series:5) and for it's price, it is incredible. I highly recommend it.

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