What is the best 32" LCD for HD Gaming?

Waynej

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I'v been looking through the LCD topics for motnhs, and I find all the information quite confusing :suicide: , so I'd like to know what people think would be the most suitable 32" LCD purchase with a price limit of £800. Ideally I'd like to be able to connect an Xbox 360 for HD gaming and a ps3 for HD gaming, so I'v learnt something :clap: , I know that for the ps3 it'll need a HDMI socket and for x360 it'll need a component connection.

PS- As Sky+ HD launches next year I would like to be able to use it with that also, but I'm not sure what socket that would need, anyway, HD for sky is not what im fussed about, so if its too expensive or whatever please recommend some LCD's that are suitable for x360 and ps3, Thanks alot! :clap:
 
£800 is probably pushing it for a Hi Def 32", although if you can afford a little bit more there is a Toshiba for £950ish. Search the LCD section.
 
Wayne, I've been doing the same search as you by the sound of it. There is loads of info in the LCD screen section but just looking at the 224 page Samsung thread gives me a headache, so here's my selection at the moment. There a few 'HD Ready' (and therefore can do native 720p) 32" screens out there for £800ish now, and the list seems to be growing every week. The three I've got my eye on are (prices inc VAT but not delivery):

- the Samsung LE32R41BDX for £837 which has HDMI, component and built in Freeview
- the Samsung LE32R31B for £799 which has HDMI and component
- the Acer AT3201W for £799 which has DVI (HDCP compatible) and component.

I believe HDMI=>DVI converters are available, so that shouldn't be a problem. I know at present some of these are out of stock, but they come and go every week, keep looking. All of these screens will be compatible with Sky HD. I'm sure all these screens will suit your purpose perfectly! I know I'll be getting mine in the not too distant...
 
id love the samsung but look through that thread on it its just asking for trouble with xbox 360. 'tearing' at 720p @ 60hz over component looks awful :( seeing as this is the primary Res & connection one would use on that panel it dont look to promising

unless this has been eradicated through firmware since i last seen the thread in its early days
 
I got the impression that the tearing wasn't consistent across all panels, just happened to a few guys...? Does it only happen on the 31B screen, ie. its been corrected in the 41? Correct me if I'm wrong though, as like I say, I can't keep up with that thread, it's just too long!
 
this may be the case its been fixed i dont know, the thread is a stupid length im not going to even start to follow it. if its the case its the odd panel is defect then my money would not be spent on it period. i would certainly not risk nearly 1k on a panel that might be defect on the main input & input signal i would use. i suppose the only way to find out is to take a day out of your life to read the thread or ask at the end and prefer for a possible mauling from some people (scary place the plasma and LCD forums from what ive seen they like to think the panel they bought is the best no matter what people say :devil: )
 
lol, yeah, not like us gaming types who never argue over which is the best! ;) Luckily, one of the stockist of the Samsung is local to me, so I can pick it up and return it if necessary. Having a Trading Standards officer wife helps on refunds too, funnily enough...! I'll let you know if/when I take the plunge...
 
Cheers for that Lorenzini, really helpful, not interested in freeview as I have sky+, I like both sets, acer seems to have caught my eye more as it looks more like a tv and has a 2 year warranty, speakers look a bit cheap but i plan on taking those off, does the acer definatly have HDMI and component though? as i can't find any info on the site.

Also are there any known issues with the acer set like tearing etc. like there is with some of the samsung models.

Thanks for the heads-up, saving my dosh up, and will check to see if any of these sets are in the january sales.
:)
 
I'd definitely do some research as to whether the tearing problem has been sorted out on the Samsungs now because if it has I'd definitely rather have that than the Acer to be honest. I have a feeling the problem has been sorted but as previously commented that's a bloody big thread to look through to find out!
 
The Acer does have component but not HDMI. It does have an HDCP compliant DVI input however so using an HDMI=>DVI converter you'll be fine. Like Andy says I'd probably rather have the Samsung over the Acer assuming the tearing's been sorted, but to be fair the Acer isn't too shabby itself. There are a few user reviews in the LCD forums if you do a search. Good luck, and let us know what you do! :)
 
TBH companies seem to be releasing new LCD models so quickly at the moment, its bound to spark a price war coming up to christmas as well as new models being announced - i didn't think the tearing problem had been fixed, but it only affected a few people

Also, I guess the 360 is going to be the first mass market released piece of equipment to push HD capability, I am in the same position but need a 40" screen
 
lol, i'd love a nice 42" plasma on the wall, but for a decent one your looking at around 2k from what i can tell or more, as the ones below that have a lower resolution than 1366x768, which most 32" LCD's seem to have, so i'd imagine the quality on these lcd's being a lot better.

The Main thing i liked about the acer was actually the 2 year warranty. Anyway, Microsoft seem to approve of these Samsung sets:

image016.jpg
 
nyway, Microsoft seem to approve of these Samsung sets

they approve as they are the official so to speak tv for the xbox 360. samsung and M$ struck a deal over this some time ago and IIRC they gave away a load of these screen when the unveiled the xbox360 at a confrence, anyone remember the PGR2 race between red,yellow,blue & black cars ???? black won if i recall and those with black bands all won one of these sets :)
 
Yeah, there is a deal between Samsung and MS for cross-promotion. It'd be a bit ironic if the Samsung tearing would degrade the 360 experience though! The screen in the pic above is a smaller version of the Samsung models I posted above.
 
been talking to me ma, and she seems keen actually on getting a living room set to a max of £2k, so i'v got my £800 to put to it, she actually likes the look of some plasmas but im put off by all this screen burn stuff i'v been reading about, and i was looking on the currys site as thats where we'd probably get it from and found a decent size 40" LCD TV it samsumng by the way, heres the LINK !

Can anyone find out anymore info on it for more, does it have the same connections as the samsungs mentioned above, and they do state the resolution on the website but i think that must be a mistake, unless its just me, so if someone can find it more info, oh and i notice that it has component and HDMI(phew), so if someone could double check for me, as i'd hate to get it and find out it don't do what i need.

Also eventually i'd like to get myself a nice media centre pc for the room and would be sweet if this could be conneted to it, its not essential, as long as the tv can take x360 and ps3 and hopefully sky hd am happy, but any info on whether a pc could be connected would be great.
 
Wayne - not sure about connections n stuff but you should be able to buy that set cheaper than currys have it for. somewhere like ebuyer or empiredirect someone like that
 
Apparently there is a newer version on the way in the near future that uses the next gen panel to that one (as being used in the sony V series which are available now - samsung provide sony the panel)

some details here

I think you need to give what you choose a good test with the kinds of things you will use the LCD most for, as it seems that Sky+ can give mixed results depending on chanel bit rates (won't be an issue when sky HD is released if you plan to go for that)

from reading the threads on the LCD forum, i think SD material is hit an miss but you definitely won't be disappointed when it comes to the 360 and HDTV. trouble is do you wait till these are available to buy the latest or go for it now and take a risk

I am still 50/50 myelf :rolleyes:
 
It is a waste of money buying a "hd ready" tv set IMHO. I'd personally wait.

It won't be able to display 1080p when that becomes available and the norm, and while you are waiting for HDTV you won't be making any use of its capabilities.
 
Games Guru said:
It is a waste of money buying a "hd ready" tv set IMHO. I'd personally wait.

It won't be able to display 1080p when that becomes available and the norm, and while you are waiting for HDTV you won't be making any use of its capabilities.

the problem i have with people saying this is you end up always waiting. we havnt even got High Def yet in the uk so 1080p sets being a decent price is like at least 3 years away. this is not taking into account when we get 1080p signals. now take the people that populate these forums a 3 years cycle for a display maybe short or about right. so your basically saying wait untill 1080p becomes the standard and in the meantime miss out on all this good stuff available now or nearly here. i just dont agree with this 'its a waste of money' statement when clearly to alot of people it isnt. when 1080p comes along person A could come along and say right i want a 1080p set and then person B says oh no id wait a few years untill Ultra Def TV comes along in the meantime miss out on the glories of 1080p and wait it out. you get were im coming from ? this is all my opinion thats why we are here but i dissagree with yours :)
 
well i wasn't gonna get it now, like crimbo or january, so i have 360 to take advantage of hd until sky hd.

i had a quick look i found it like £90 cheaper elsewhere, if it was alot more cheaper i may have got it elsewhere, but getting it from currys we can pay it off over 12 mths.
 
Yeah, I can see where you are coming from kopite. But IMHO i'd rather wait and get a 1080p set. This time next year they will be around the £1000 mark, and I don't mind waiting a year, not with the rate that 2005 has flown past! :eek:
 
i can appreciate your theory but..

This time next year they will be around the £1000 mark

thats the million dollar question isn't it. we simply do not know this for definite. im more aware of projection side of tech than flat screen but the 1080p panels that are due to come out are stupidly expensive ie 15K plus. the companies might know that 1080p will be in demand and could charge a premium. i just for the foreseeable future dont think they will be competitively priced. id love to share your optimism as im in the market for such a screen and for £800 i can get a lovely 32" HD ready panel (by the standards set in the UK as of now). for arguments sake what you say pan's out, then when is the 1080p source coming ? nobody in the world at the mo that i know of air's it, correct me if im wrong. The likes of asia and the u.s are light years ahead in HD terms so i can see 2.5 - 3 year wait until 1080p regualry available and is a 'must have'. With all us being enthusiasts, 3yrs from now we will ditch our 720p sets for 1080p sets because then the time is right for it :devil: IMO. end of my rant :D honest but id live for today and not tomorrow so they say and anyone seeking advice i've just given it :devil: 720p/1080i now and 1080p when it comes along don't sit wondering if/when/but's :devil: :clap:

:lesson: over :boring:
 
I agree with both opinions here, but it makes it more difficult to decide even though i could afford to upgrade again in 3 years. Theres also talk of OLED and SED and other technologies but how long and at what price it will start at nobody knows.

Also, ideally you want 1920x1080 that will do all combinations of i & p and also at 50/60hz - but will this ever happen?
 

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