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Plasma TVs for Video Games?

Posted by Cliff on from the better-than-the-tube? dept.

moonboy asks: "As plasma televisions continue to come down in price (Gateway even has a 42" available for $2999) I'm considering purchasing one. Has anyone here had any experience with these and particularly playing games on them? I'm thinking about both console and PC games however, I'm concerned about refresh and resolution. How do they compare?"

8 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. Philips... by jsimon12 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have played Quake III on an 8000 dollar Philips Plasma 60" (I think it was 60", might have been 56"). It rocked to no end, whether I would shell out the money for something like that though is another question entirely (personally my 21 inch Viewsonic is enough for games? Guess it was personal preferance though.

  2. Burn-in by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Plasma displays will burn in, so if you have a video game with a part that doesn't change (score box or whatever) it will always be lightly visable, in negative, on whatever you do. It may even change the color so it's visable when the display is off.

  3. Long-term image quality by tchdab1 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I have heard a couple rumors that I've not been able to substantiate, and would appreciate feedback from someone with experience with these displays. One is that the display has a useful life of only a few years (my source was not able to say what happens then). The other is that they grow fuzzy after 2 - 3 years. Now I would consider (just consider!) planning for one of these, but for multi kilobucks I would expect it to live at least as long as my trinitron-based TV, not less. Thank you for your experiences!

    1. Re:Long-term image quality by earthman · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I don't have any long term experience with these TVs, but a relative of mine works at Philips making the software that controls these TVs. He told me that the software has to start adjusting the color intensities after 300 hours of operation already to keep it bright. The effect is that dark parts of the screen will gradually become brighter. If the software would not adjust the screen would turn darker over time. 300 hours is just 12 and a half day of continuous operation. Of course the difference after those 300 hours is not yet noticeable but it makes me wonder what such a screen would look like after 2-3 years.

  4. Light guns don't work by MaxQuordlepleen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    We had a client's ~50-inch plasma display at work for a few months, (we were developing a custom advertising banner type application), and we brought in the Dreamcast and gave it a whirl.

    To make a long story short, gaming on this particular model (a japanese make, possibly Mitsubishi, but I could be mistaken) was awesome, with one rather glaring exception.

    We fired up The House of The Dead 2 and found that the light gun wouldn't work with the plasma unit. Not sure why, maybe somebody who understands the technology of these things better can comment on that...

  5. Same TV at Costco by brw215 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The gateway tv is made by acompany called Sampo. This gateway model is the same as the Sampo PME-42S6.

    While gateway's tv includes a tuner, the costco one for the same price includes the expensive (200$) wall mounts which are a must have. Assuming you have a cable box or sattilite, and don't use an anntena you are better off with the costco one.

    The other posts are correct, the monitor is not HDTV it is EDTV (Enchanced definition television) but the picture still rocks. DVDs look very sharp as does the color, these monitors are far better then HD projection models.

  6. Halo on Plasma by kirn_malinus · · Score: 3, Interesting

    My room mate played in the Halo National Championships this summer, he didn't say what kind of plasma TV's they were using, but just that some things in the game were too dark on them. Apparently the winning strategy in the final game involved hiding in shadows because you were nearly invisible in the extra-dark shadows on the plasma TV.

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    All circuits busy.
    1. Re:Halo on Plasma by vudmaska · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I've been playing Halo on a 36' rca crt (is crt the right term _big_heavy_tube_ that supports hdtv but no tuner). I'm no gamer- just interested and man was I blown away!! Better than the last game I got into... space invaders :)

      Anyway, the one thing I would say about the darkness is that it is too dark on this tv as well. This tv I have is high end(2g when bought) so, the darkness might by more the game than the plasma screen...

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      my other sig sucks less