Gaming HDTV recommendations

[Ben X]

Warning: reading that thread, you will get very tempted by projectors.

[Bjorn]

On 11/9/2017 at 4:05 PM, Professor Video Games said:

Also, go as big as you can afford/fit. At first you'll say "haha this is comically large" and like ten minutes later you'll wonder how you dealt with your old set.

 

I've been on the far extreme of this as you can be, and it's absolutely true.  We went from a 40" tv to a 150" projector screen, and it took surprisingly little time to just be "normal" to us.

 

On 11/10/2017 at 11:20 AM, Ben X said:

Warning: reading that thread, you will get very tempted by projectors.

 

This is very true.

 

Also, I'm a big proponent of a projector, if you already have an audio receiver/speakers and you have a room that is a good fit for one.   A few years ago when I went down that rabbit hole, there were several quality mid-level units in the $650-$1000 range.  It's definitely more work on initial setup, but once it's done, it's really worth it. 

[Mechanations]

rtings does Wirecutter-like recs for several different TV use cases (movies, sports, HDR gaming, etc.) and other axes. Might be helpful for people shopping for new TVs.

[Erkki]

I don't know anything about TVs, but since projectors were mentioned I'll butt in a bit, sorry for being slightly off topic...

 

Ultra Short Throw projection is where it's at for me at the moment - this technology means that the projector can sit very close to where the image is being projected. My projector is sitting on a device cupboard just below the screen, extending 50cm from the wall, I think. I got a 100" ALR (ambient light reflecting) screen for better contrast and a GT5500 projector.

 

For setup purposes it's a bit harder than TV - you need to assemble the screen and after you've placed it you will need to spend up to an hour just getting the projector placement right the first time. It's really has to be placed with millimeter precision if you want it to go up to the edges of the screen. What happened to me was I even put the screen too high at first and had to lower it because this projector doesn't have any lens shift and I initially made an error in the calculations.

 

I think right now Ultra Short Throw projection is quite a good technology for getting a big screen, but the 4K ones are still very expensive and I can't even understand how HDR with projectors work really, because projectors have trouble getting good contrast already without HDR. Since 4K projectors are so expensive, I'm thinking of getting a cheap 4K TV for another room, though - I want to experience 4K content as well, but I want to stick with a projector for watching movies and TV for the foreseeable future, even if it has to be 1080p. But eventually, in a few years, I will switch to 4K projection unless some even better TV technology comes along that gives me an affordable 100+ inch screen.

[Erkki]

Hmm... I looked at the Wirecutter review and the one they are currently saying is the best TV seems like a rather good deal - I think I might get one myself. Usually I haven't gone very wrong when going with Wirecutter's pick of anything, except with some smart gloves which turned out not to last long. Sometimes their best pick is just based on internet research, though, but doesn't seem to be the case with TVs.

[dartmonkey]

So after reading a lot and checking sets out firsthand, it seems that the LG OLED 55 B7 (or C7) is pretty much the best you can buy without taking out a mortgage. Low lag, HDR support across all standards, first-rate picture, great OS. I've seen deals in the 1400-1700€ range. Pricey but relatively futureproof (I'd hope to get 8-10 years out of it.) I'll wait for a good deal.

 

One game-related issue comes with legacy inputs. The LG has composite only. Does anyone have experience with Component to HDMI adaptors?