tasha99

We have an extra room, and I am in the process of setting up a "boy cave" as a surprise for my 14 year old son who is gone visiting his grandparents this summer (I guess I miss him). I suppose you could call it a home theater, but since I know it will mostly be used by my son to play video games, I want to keep his preferences in mind as I set it up.

After starting on the electronics, I'm realizing there's more to it than just going and buying any old tv. I went to Best Buy today, and the LEDs looked like they had a much crisper picture than the plasmas. I read online, though, that the hz rate matters to gamers because when there's a lot of fast movement, there can be lagtime and the picture messes up. I've noticed that 240 hz is a lot more expensive than 120hz. Are the 120 tv's okay for gaming, or would they be annoying? I measured from the wall to the middle of the couch I put in there, and it's 13 feet. I'd like to get as big a tv as would be comfortable to view from that distance, but I'd rather keep things under 1k if I could.

I am also considering a plasma since they're so much cheaper. My concern though is burn in. We have one in the living room and played some old NES games on it once, and the life meter started to burn in in a matter of hours. I know they say burn in isn't such an issue anymore, but it can still happen (I banned the NES from the plasma after that). My son mostly plays PS3 and Wii games, but I would love to be able to play the old NES.

Anyway, I thought I'd ask for advice here rather than the home theater forum since I would guess this will be a 95% gaming room. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Short version:Need gaming tv--what do you think would be best? Have unfirm budget of 1k (could go to 1.5, would rather spend 500 if I reasonably could).

glassdragon

I play my games on a 42" LG 3d led 120hz and it looks great to me, only cost me 600 dollars. For 1k you can probably get a 47", but if he likes 3d you might as well get one of those built in while you're at it. Get a passive though if you want cheap 3d glasses. The passive on my tv looks great and it works awesome in games that support 3d too.

Keep in mind also that plasma's have glass screens iirc so they reflect light a LOT. I won't get a plasma for that reason personally. If it's too bright in the room then you may have a lot of glare.

Of course if you really want to "go big or go home" get a DLP. The picture is great at 1080p and the bigger sized models are usually 3d ready even though you need a separate box and kind of expensive glasses to use the 3d. A 73" should run you around 900 to 1k. And unlike plasma, lcd, or led they use a bulb behind the screen so when that burns out (usually about 2 to 5 years), a 100 dollar bulb will make it good as new. If one of the other 3 goes out you pretty much have to replace the whole tv.

Matthew Chmiel

First off, 60Hz/120Hz/240Hz doesn't make a difference. Most console games are not 60 fps so a 60Hz LCD display would suffice. The few games that are 60 fps, well, they're few and far between (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is one of the few major releases that output at 60 fps on a console). However, as we move into the next generation of consoles, more games will be released at 60 fps. For example, Nintendo has already mentioned their titles for the Wii U will run at 60 fps.

Best Buy is currently rocking a LG 47" LED 3D television for under a grand ( http://www.bestbuy.com/site/LG+-+47%...&skuId=4810916 ). That sounds like it could be the best bang for your buck depending on what you're looking for.

However, if you want to "go big or go home," Best Buy also carries a 60" Sharp for under $1000 ( http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Sharp+-+...&skuId=3641541 ). It's not 3D capable, but I've had awesome experiences with the two Sharp Aquos I've purchased.

TimeandTide

I got a 50" Panasonic plasma from Sears for $800 a year ago and love it.

Have had plasmas for five years and have had zero burn-in from either Blu-rays or gaming. And from what I understand, most plasma sets and Blu-ray players--like mine--now have sleep modes that dim the screen when there's no activity.

Although a marathon session with an old NES game might do some damage.

Anyway, at 13', you'll probably need something bigger than 50". I sit about 8' from mine and it's still a pain sometimes to spot things in the distance in the Call of Duty series. (In fact, I find myself often leaning a foot or two forward.)

That 60" Sharp that Matthew Chmiel mentions looks like a good option. I'd check it out on his recommendation alone.

Michael Corvin

I'll third the recommendation for Sharp. I've had a 42" for about 5 years now and I love the pic quality. I wish they made them smaller as I'd love to get one for the bedroom.

I'll toss out something different though, I just upgraded to the Epson 8350 projector in my man cave and gaming on it is amazing. It's $1,200 right now on Amazon. Don't let the "sale" influence you though, their $1,800 SRP is wrong. It's actually $1,300. 12' HD screen and it looks amazing.

It does come with a couple caveats though. Kinect, Wii or Rock Band games(games where you are up and moving) can be an issue depending on projector placement. And the age old issue with projectors, is a room that gets a lot of light.

tasha99

Thank you for all the advice--there's a lot to think about. While it's a relief not to have to look for a 240hz or higher tv, I did notice some reviews complaining about motion judder and/or motion blur. It's only a few on the Sharp, which says it has motion technology to fix that, so maybe those tvs with that problem were defective.

A projector would be amazing for about half the year here since it's so dark in the winter (and we could get better blackout curtains and pull them in the summer). It's the summer that was making me think LED--we have to close up the house to watch the plasma in the living room because of glare and just general brightness, even late at night. Is 13ft back far enough to make a projection system worth it? I'd need speakers too, then, right? One thing I like about this idea, is it's different enough that it would make a place for me to watch a special movie now and then.

Obi-Wanma

Any LCD with motion technology is going to have a "game" mode that turns that crap off anyway, so it doesn't matter how many hz it is. For gaming, it's ideal to turn it off.

cruzness

This is the absolute truth. Lag and artifacts are more likely to be caused by the processing that come sfrom motion techenology. If you want a gaming tv then 120hz will suffice 3D is a big plus though.

Michael Corvin

Definitely.

Ahh, I didn't consider that. Yes you would need a receiver setup. I just assume everyone has one.

Oh yeah, it could be a shared man cave.

Drexl

I think the main benefit of 120hz is to have 5:5 pulldown for BD movies - not the motion processing, but to display each frame exactly 5 times instead of 3/2. The set may have a bit less motion blur, but I don't think that's the key reason to get one.

With a 120hz computer monitor, there's also the possibility of actual 120hz framerates if the game/hardware combo can pull it off. But, most 120hz TV sets can't accept 120hz input, and you won't be getting that on consoles anyway.

tasha99

I think I'll get the Epson 8350, but what else would I need? A mount, or could I put it on a high shelf? Something for sound, I suppose. We have a wii and a PS3. I'm assuming we can just hook up the PS3 for movies either on disk or netflix.

eta--screen? We have white "orange peel" textured walls.

Matt925

Sorry, no advice, but wow you are a super cool mom. Lucky kid.

Matthew Chmiel

No shit? I wish my mom was that cool.

If you're looking at a projector, you'll need:

1. Projector
2. Projection Screen (trust me, walls do not cut it).
3. Receiver
4. Speakers

You could put it on a high shelf, but ideally, you'd want to mount it on your ceiling and have superb cable management. In your original post you mentioned you'd want to spend up to $1000-1500, but $500 was more ideal. Based upon those four factors alone, you're already looking close to $2000 out the door (if not more). Then again, I have OCD and I'd probably burn down my house before I got a projection system to the way I would ideally want it.

With an actual television set, you can always upgrade as you progress. You can keep your existing television and upgrade the components that function with it later. If I was 14, I'd personally be excited over a 60" screen. Hell, when I was 14, I was happy to get a DVD player hooked up to a CRT television.

Michael Corvin

Wall is fine(Behr sells a Silverscreen paint just for this purpose), but you will need the other things Chmiel mentions. A screen limits you to size. I've had mine on a the top shelf of a theater rack for a few months. Works fine, but as I said playing Wii/Kinect games are out with this setup.

Chmiel is right that you need some kind of receiver/speaker setup, so you are looking at more than your original post. Granted you can grab an all in one receiver/speaker system for about $300.

tasha99

How about temporarily using an inexpensive sound bar for a receiver/speaker combo? Then I could eventually move it to the living room when I upgrade the sound in the theater room?

Michael Corvin

Definitely. I have a soundbar/sub setup in the family room. They work great.

tasha99

Well thank you all for your help. I bit the bullet and bought the Epson, a Samsung sound bar (was about $250) and a ceiling mount from Amazon. I realize now that our wall probably won't work as a screen because it has an orange peel texture. I know my landlord would let me paint it, but I doubt he'd want me changing the surface. The bright side is, his girlfriend is a carpenter and a good friend of mine. I think between her, me, and my son, we can make this:

http://www.carlofet.com/build-your-own-projector-screen.

So the whole thing once I get the screen materials will be a bit under $1500. Not what I wanted to spend, but in the winter, it will be really nice to have a home theater.

My Other Self

The fact that a mom knows anything about electronics is mind blowing in of itself.

You're one cool mom.

Michael Corvin

Good to notice before deciding to move forward. There are definitely more factors to consider in switching to a projector setup, but once you're comfortable with them it'll be a fun switch. Speaking of other factors, will you have a cable box in this setup? This projector only has HDMI ports so you can't just run a coax cable from the wall to the projector. Just something else to keep in mind.

Very cool that you can rope some friends in to help make a screen. I have a friend that does professional installs so I'm about ready to call him to "spiff" up my setup with better wiring runs and whatnot.

As long as you're comfortable with the extra expense I think you'll be pleased making it a dual purpose room instead of just ceding it to your son. Also if you or your son are into sports you'll love watching 'em on this setup. You are about to blow his mind by the way. Many brownie points on this one.

Hell yeah on both counts.

I have a friend whose wife went out and bought them an entertainment rack while he was at work. Not only did she put the whole thing together but she unhooked all the game systems, stereo, dvr, etc. and re-hooked it all back up before he got home. He had no idea she had the knowledge to do all that. He said he was going through her phone pics later and saw that she took photos of all the wiring before disconnecting. I don't even do that.

orangecrush

If you can return the Samsung, I would highly recomend the Sony ht-ct150 sound bar:

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-HT-CT150-...ndbar+ht-ct150

It has 3 HDMI inputs, optical and a few RCA inputs as well. It is $230 @ Amazon w/ free shipping. I have one and I love it.

Michael Corvin

Even though I'm on the outs with Sony as a whole, I have an older model of the Sony sound bar setup and love it as well.

tasha99

I spent a lot of time deciding between the samsung and that very Sony soundbar. I went with the Samsung for a few reasons, the main ones being that I have a Samsung plasma in the living room and the Sony supposedly has a more "difficult" remote. For all the nice people saying "cool mom" for knowing something about electronics, I KNOW I will never figure out a complicated remote. I could own it for years, and I'd still be cursing and confused every time I needed to use it. We have a Tivo because I couldn't figure out cable dvrs.