Anyone play with a plasma TV?

I'm looking to buy to a plasma TV (don't want to go LED so please don't ask) and I wanted to know if anyone plays with a plasma tv? I wanted to know what model you had and if you see any lag while playing FFXIV on your TV? I know the game will have some lag, I just wanted to know about the TV lag even when you switch it over to game mode.

Thank you

I know all about LED tvs, the pros and cons, but I'm looking specifically for information on plasma.

If you knew everything about LED tv's, youd know a thing or two about response times. Each screen has specific response times measured in ms, the higher the value, the worse the lag will be. Plasma or LED will make no difference in this case, just check the response time and make sure its low.

i play on a plasma TV. it is AMAZING. I have a 55" panasonic http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 there's just one issue, and its kind of a big one. Image retention. i run wipes all the time, but i still get residual images (like shadows) of the chat log and mini map. There is either zero lag, or its small enough that I don't notice. The real issue is image retention, turn down that brightness, dont use the preset "gaming" mode because it sets brightness at 100. I have been gaming with this TV since I bought it, if you have any specific question, let me know.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eternal_Arcadia

If you knew everything about LED tv's, youd know a thing or two about response times. Each screen has specific response times measured in ms, the higher the value, the worse the lag will be. Plasma or LED will make no difference in this case, just check the response time and make sure its low.

---

Thank you for that and yes I did know about the lag times. 35ms or less is supposed to be the acceptable value by people who have reviewed some high-end brands. Unfortunately, tv manufacturers don't list the lag times anywhere, and definitely not in the user manuals. It's usually gotten from people who have the tv and report it to the masses. The game mode was suppose to reduce lag but I see reports that some tvs still experience lag. But I figured if anyone here has one and has specifically played it with FFXIV, that's what I wanted to know. FFXIV is the only game I play right now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Velstriker

snip

---

Thank you! That's what I wanted to know. I didn't even think about the chat log and map being in the same place causing image retention. Something for me to think about. The ST30 model that you have, it has a built-in feature that sort-of wipes the screen? That's neat. I'll look at the newer models to see if this feature is still there or if it has been enhanced upon over the years.

Have you ever done a wipe and it look like the image was still there forcing you to wipe it more than 2 times?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Velstriker

i play on a plasma TV. it is AMAZING. I have a 55" panasonic http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 there's just one issue, and its kind of a big one. Image retention. i run wipes all the time, but i still get residual images (like shadows) of the chat log and mini map. There is either zero lag, or its small enough that I don't notice. The real issue is image retention, turn down that brightness, dont use the preset "gaming" mode because it sets brightness at 100. I have been gaming with this TV since I bought it, if you have any specific question, let me know.

---

re: burn-ins

I have been playing on my crappy 720p 42' Panasonic plasma (OK, not crappy but probably mid-range) for approx. 4 years now and while I do notice some image retention after playing all day, it disappears overnight. There has not been any permanent burn-ins. Plasma's have come a long way since those days so I just wanted to break that stigma/"stereotype" (?)

re: lag

Video lag? Input lag? Personally I do not notice any input lag, but I do notice video lag (compared to my computer LCD monitor). I wonder why though...? Don't plasmas have very good refresh rates? Doesn't bother me too much.

I don't like how it looks on my 1080p Panasonic plasma over my 32" sharp 1080p LCD. Certainly not as crisp, could just be the size however. Its an older model plasma though like 5 years old, back before they became wafer thin and all.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Infernodox

re: burn-ins

I have been playing on my crappy 720p 42' Panasonic plasma (OK, not crappy but probably mid-range) for approx. 4 years now and while I do notice some image retention after playing all day, it disappears overnight. There has not been any permanent burn-ins. Plasma's have come a long way since those days so I just wanted to break that stigma/"stereotype" (?)

re: lag

Video lag? Input lag? Personally I do not notice any input lag, but I do notice video lag (compared to my computer LCD monitor). I wonder why though...? Don't plasmas have very good refresh rates? Doesn't bother me too much.

---

right, sorry, its burn-ins, its not permanent. Just annoying when there is an all white screen when you're watching TV and you see shadows of chat boxes and mini maps

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gerkargeo

Thank you! That's what I wanted to know. I didn't even think about the chat log and map being in the same place causing image retention. Something for me to think about. The ST30 model that you have, it has a built-in feature that sort-of wipes the screen? That's neat. I'll look at the newer models to see if this feature is still there or if it has been enhanced upon over the years.

Have you ever done a wipe and it look like the image was still there forcing you to wipe it more than 2 times?

---

it has a tool where it wipes a solid white bar across a black screen for 15 minutes. It usually does the trick, but sometimes after a marathon session it takes a few days to go away. I am making it sound worse than it really is, you really have to pay attention to even notice it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Velstriker

it has a tool where it wipes a solid white bar across a black screen for 15 minutes. It usually does the trick, but sometimes after a marathon session it takes a few days to go away. I am making it sound worse than it really is, you really have to pay attention to even notice it.

---

Thanks for the info

Most plasma's are only 720p. If your planning to get a 720p anything as a computer monitor, it will look like complete crap unless your sitting a good distance away from it.

Most Plasma tvs are now 1080p; the 720p have been/are being phased out all together. I'm looking to get a 60" plasma.

To everyone commenting on image burn. Plasmas are notorious for it, but it's easily fixable by leaving it on a static channel (you know, the black and white distortion) for a few hours. Clears it right up.

That said, I have no idea why anyone would want to buy a plasma unless it's solely because of the price (they're significantly cheaper). They're inferior in almost every way, and are in the process of being phased out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Seraphi

To everyone commenting on image burn. Plasmas are notorious for it, but it's easily fixable by leaving it on a static channel (you know, the black and white distortion) for a few hours. Clears it right up.

That said, I have no idea why anyone would want to buy a plasma unless it's solely because of the price (they're significantly cheaper). They're inferior in almost every way, and are in the process of being phased out.

---

- Better color reproduction
- Better black values (which, combined with the previous point, make for vastly superior picture quality)
- Less input lag
- Better viewing angles
- Much better motion resolution
- No unnatural sharpening which is present on LCD
- Larger size at a lower price

So yeah, you should do some research before claiming plasma TVs are inferior. Every self respecting videophile (and serious gamer, due to input lag) will choose a plasma TV over an LCD.

And plasma TVs are not prone to burn in. That's a common misconception that exists because the old plasmas used to be plagued by it. With the new generation of plasma TVs, however, burn in is nonexistent.
So really, the only downside a plasma has when compared to an LCD is the image retention, which is the non-permanent version of burn in.

Ugh plasmas..

If you're a gamer avoid them, I have a LCD in my bedroom which is pretty much on 24/7, never once has an image burned into the screen, however the plasma in the lounge if it's on for 4 hours something burns on the screen, stupid FOX8 logo -.- Plasma is newer than the LCD. No matter what people say my LCD has a clearer image then the plasma.

I know you are only after info on plasmas but im loving how it looks on my Sony HX850

I had a fairly new plasma TV, last year's Panasonic ST50.
Picture quality is top notch. Input lag is a non-issue. Color reproduction, everything you name it.
But like everyone said already, image retention sucks. Playing 1 hour is enough to cause retention on the location of log and hp bar.
Yes, you can clear it running the built in white scrolling tool for 20-30 minutes. But doing that gets old really fast.
Gave the TV to my mom and got an LCD. Problem fixed.
But the LCD picture quality never even come close to the Plasma...

Your best bet would be to get an LED LCD TV. They are reasonably priced and can compete with plasma TVs in color, contrast and blacks. The added bonus is that LED's have a VERY long lifespan. You don't have to worry about burn in. As far as pixel response rate, it is a non issue in plasmas because the response rate is instant, however most LCD and LED LCD TVs manufactured in the past several years have pixel response rates as low as 4 and 6 ms which the human eye won't even perceive.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jwrigh7784

Your best bet would be to get an LED LCD TV. They are reasonably priced and can compete with plasma TVs in color, contrast and blacks. The added bonus is that LED's have a VERY long lifespan. You don't have to worry about burn in. As far as pixel response rate, it is a non issue in plasmas because the response rate is instant, however most LCD and LED LCD TVs manufactured in the past several years have pixel response rates as low as 4 and 6 ms which the human eye won't even perceive.

---

Color reproduction and especially black values on LED LCD are nowhere near Plasma values unless you go into the area of local dimming LED TVs (which are hard to get these days, and are a lot more expensive). Also, pixel response time has nothing to do with input lag. Pixel response time is the time it takes for pixels to change orientation, affecting ghosting and motion blur.

Input lag however, is much more important that pixel response time since input lag is a delay between what is sent to the monitor, and what you actually see. For most slow paced games, this is a non issue, but when fast action is required, the difference between 30ms input lag and 80ms input lag can mean the difference between life and death. (The only LCDs that are not plagued by high input lag are TN panels, but they have horrible black values and crappy color reproduction as a side effect)

As far as the concerns of the OP go, I'll ask you this: Are you willing to live with image retention so you can have the best experience possible on a TV with very low input lag? If so, go for a plasma. If not, go for an LCD. That's really all there is to it.

--------------------------------------------------

Edit: More argumentation

There's another thing you need to take into account when purchasing a new TV which I forgot to mention. Are you going to be playing in a dark (or relatively dark) room or in a bright room? Plasma is made to be watched in dark rooms. They generally output at a lower brightness level than LCD and look like they have "washed out" blacks when viewed in bright environments. If you intend to play in a bright environment you'd probably be better off using an LCD.

I play on Panasonic 50" Plasma = awesome colours but you need to keep some distance :)

I play on Philips 46" LED = more or less same as plasma, very nice

I play on 30" LCD = less vibrant colors but the most crisp picture, but honestly very small difference.

If i would have to choose i would say Plasma because of the colors.

................
edit: important info
Remember that when you use a "TV" you will be stuck with HDMI, this means a set limit of 60hz framerate, IF the TV has DVI this is what you should use
Also, when you test u must make sure things like "smart picture" and stuff is turned off because its very common in stores these are turned on because it will make still pictures or similar look good but make moving pictures skewed, classic example is soccer where the ball lookes like mouse tracing is turned on.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sQQuare

edit: important info
Remember that when you use a "TV" you will be stuck with HDMI, this means a set limit of 60hz framerate, IF the TV has DVI this is what you should use
Also, when you test u must make sure things like "smart picture" and stuff is turned off because its very common in stores these are turned on because it will make still pictures or similar look good but make moving pictures skewed, classic example is soccer where the ball lookes like mouse tracing is turned on.

---

This isn't entirely correct. DVI does have a bottleneck based on your resolution when in single link mode, DVI is limited to 1920x1080@60Hz. So you need to use Dual link DVI for 120Hz support. And I'm not sure TVs support DVI-D. In fact, I doubt HDTVs truly support 120Hz input signals, as 120Hz usually refers to the interpolation technique.

I prefer my LED monitor(50mil:1 contrast ratio) over my HDTV for playing FFXIV. With a monitor your picture for your PC can get so much more defined than an HDTV, My friend has a $3k PC mines only about $1.5k, but everytime I see his PC his picture looks like crap because he still uses a monitor without an HDMI port :p

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cubester

This isn't entirely correct. DVI does have a bottleneck based on your resolution when in single link mode, DVI is limited to 1920x1080@60Hz. So you need to use Dual link DVI for 120Hz support. And I'm not sure TVs support DVI-D. In fact, I doubt HDTVs truly support 120Hz input signals, as 120Hz usually refers to the interpolation technique.

---

I will yield to expertise, but as an example, the Panasonic 60" plasma has DVI-D which is what you want (dual link), given the tv itself only has 1080p resolution but you would use this anyday over HDMI unless you want the sound as well.

Given if we are talking about connecting ps3 then go ahead use HDMI since it wont really matter, i connect my PC and PS3 to my plasma

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sQQuare

I will yield to expertise, but as an example, the Panasonic 60" plasma has DVI-D which is what you want (dual link), given the tv itself only has 1080p resolution but you would use this anyday over HDMI unless you want the sound as well.

Given if we are talking about connecting ps3 then go ahead use HDMI since it wont really matter, i connect my PC and PS3 to my plasma

---

I see. I wasn't aware that there were TVs that actually had DVI-D inputs. You learn something new every day. :)
In that case it's possible that this TV would indeed support 120Hz. I'm currently using a Samsung plasma though, and I don't even think mine has a DVI input to begin with. :3

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sQQuare

Remember that when you use a "TV" you will be stuck with HDMI, this means a set limit of 60hz framerate, IF the TV has DVI this is what you should use.

---

And being capped at 60Hz is a problem why? *It's theorized that the human eye perceives 25-30 fps as fluid movement*, the only reason we play games at 60 fps is so if there is a slight frame rate drop it will not become a slide show (a 60-30 drop is much less noticeable than a 30-15 drop) any higher is just to make it look like progress to get you to buy higher rate TVs, unless you are a pidgin you will never need a 120 fps TV or even interface that supports it (pidgins perceive 120 fps as movement, again proven fact.)

This is called the theory of persistence of vision, which states the retina will retain an image for one twenty-fifth of a second, ergo seeing 25 fps. However some people do believe this is incorrect, they believe persistence of vision is a myth, giving rise to other theories, one of which is that the human eye can see 66 fps, however our brains can only perceive 40 conscious moments per second, which means we would perceive 40 fps and no more, looking at various theories none of them say the combination of the human eye and brain can even perceive 60 fps, never mind any more, just look at the mass disappointment with the hobbit when it was shot at 48 fps as opposed to 24.

I'll give some clickys as well to some sources.

http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tm...of_vision.html

http://movieline.com/2012/12/14/hobb...es-per-second/ (scroll to the "How Our Brains Perceive Reality section

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Delsus

And being capped at 60Hz is a problem why? It's a biological fact (proven) that the human eye perceives 25-30 fps as fluid movement, the only reason we play games at 60 fps is so if there is a slight frame rate drop it will not become a slide show (a 60-30 drop is much less noticeable than a 30-15 drop) any higher is just to make it look like progress to get you to buy higher rate TVs, unless you are a pidgin you will never need a 120 fps TV or even interface that supports it (pidgins perceive 120 fps as movement, again proven fact.)

---

Sorry for comming on as a besservisser, but those "proven facts" are completely taken out of context, FPS and HZ determines the quality of those percived 25-30 FPS (as has also already been proven :) ) the higher the HZ and the FPS the better the percived picture will be, ideally you want HZ and FPS to blend.

but more important, many 3D technologies requries certain HZ etc.

Plasma is superior to LCD in almost every way except how hot it runs and power consumption. Takes more energy to be so far superior I guess ;P I have a 50" Samsung and played FFXIV on it for about 8 hrs straight when my PS3 copy arrived (had already played on PC for a week+). There was some image retention, mainly the minimap, but it clears up after about 30 mins of regular TV viewing. There's pretty much no reason not to game on plasma other than you like to spend more money for less result.

Too bad OLED displays are still so expensive, they blow everything else out of the water.

i really would invest in LED tv low cost to run best quality image and 60fps on the good ones.

I would highly recommend NOT BUYING A PLASMA TV as they are awful for games like these as image burning is a major issue.

You wont destroy a LED or LCD with image burning. the response time is about the same, some older plasmas would take a while to warm up but thats about it.

I dont get the LCD hate you have there is more pros then there are with plasma between the 2.

I play on

60" LG plasma (1080p) and 3x 27'' ASUS monitors (1080p). IIRC was only like 550$ brand new...ive only had it for about 2 months now. HEAVY AS SHIT. No joke the tv is in the 100lbs range :p

Both are cool in their own right

My desk set up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nekt-hgNhXM

I prefere LCD, plasma has lower bitdepth so you get color graduation. I have a plasna and LCD at home and I notice it on the plasma.

I ended up getting the 60" Samsung plasma TV. This thing is great! It solved the problem of the all 4 sides cropping on my PS3 with ffxiv. The plasma fits in fine in my dim lit basement, especially when I turn out the lights. Thank you all for your advice with Led TVs but they seemed too bright to me and they over saturated the picture too much

I have a panasonic vt50 55 inch, and it had lots of image retention. I've been running a pixel flipper for hours and hours for weeks and the minimap and chatbox still won't go away :(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JBenefiel24

I have a panasonic vt50 55 inch, and it had lots of image retention. I've been running a pixel flipper for hours and hours for weeks and the minimap and chatbox still won't go away :(

---

10-03-2013 08:48 PM

Are you serious? This thread is exactly 1 year old since last post and you replied.