1. #1
    Legendary! MonsieuRoberts's Avatar
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    TV primarily for console gaming? Should I consider 4K?

    I asked this same questions what feels like years ago, and here I am again. With the advent of 4K and streaming, I find myself in the market for a new TV to compliment a re-purchase of a PS4, now that there are enough games out there I wanna play to justify owning one.

    I've done a bit o' googling on my own and have come to learn that a lot of 4K TVs have bad input lag for gaming. I had an old Samsung UN46EH5000 and I have to say, I never had any issues with it. Picture quality made me happy although the blacks are not as black as they used to be, but that might just be due to me knowing more than I did back when I bought it. I could easily tell between 30 and 60 FPS, motion blur/ghosting was noticed very VERY infrequently on very stark contrasting scenes...I had nothing bad to say about it. It was a fine TV!

    But now 4K is a thing, and the consoles tout their compatibility as if it's a selling feature. I've seen 4K before when I worked at Futureshop, and it's very pretty, but I can't imagine ANY games actually running at 4K on a PS4. I'm not going to buy a 4K Blu-ray player, at the most I would stream 4K if there was something available in 4K that I wanted. I don't think there's a lot of great 4K content out there that I'd be interested in.

    ...so should I even worry about shopping for a 4K TV? Should I just shop for a 1080p TV with low input lag and some deep blacks and forget this whole 4K thing, or is 4K, low input lag, deep blacks and a price tag around the $600CAD mark something that's actually attainable?

    If you guys have any TV recommendations or any sites/lists I should check out I'd appreciate it. I'd like to spend around $600 CAD, something between 40-50 inches. Nice, dark blacks and low input lag. My previous TV served me fine.
    Last edited by MonsieuRoberts; 2017-02-07 at 09:11 PM.
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  2. #2
    4k on the Xbox One S is absolutely amazing...the PS4 pro rendition of HDR is crap. So, if you're planning on shelling out an arguably ridiculous amount of money for a ps4 pro upgrade, then the 4k TV becomes an unneeded expense. If you want to game in 4k with the PS4, it's just not ideal right now. If you're gaming on the Xbox One s, plus hopes that project Scorpio will deliver, then the purchase of a 4k tv is a righteous one.

  3. #3
    I'm happy with my http://www.s21.com/samsung-ue40ju6400.htm even though atm I mostly use it to play some regular ps4 games and stream netflix on it, might get a x-box scorpio though for 4k content, kinda silly to buy a non 4k tv these days.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by MonsieuRoberts View Post
    Should I consider a 4k?
    IMO it's not worth it for the money at the moment. Especially when you consider the extreme lack of 4k content, at least when it comes to TV and streaming services.

    As for console gaming I couldn't really say. But I'd do some actual research to see what games actually utilize 4k resolutions and how well they perform in those resolutions. I'd imagine most games don't even utilize 4k even though the console itself may be capable of handling it.

    Edit: Did some really quick skimming of articles on 4k gaming on consoles. From what I read, it does not sound like any games are really fully utilizing actual 4k resolutions. Seems like 1080p will still be the standard resolution for most console games probably until the next gen. Keep in mind that companies are probably going to value frame rates over resolution. If they can't cost effectively reach a consistent 30 FPS at 4k they're not going to use it. I could be wrong about this, but it's basically what I gathered from the very quick skimming I did. IMO just get yourself a really nice 1080p TV.
    Last edited by Docturphil; 2017-02-10 at 08:02 PM.

  5. #5
    Legendary! MonsieuRoberts's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Docturphil View Post
    IMO it's not worth it for the money at the moment. Especially when you consider the extreme lack of 4k content, at least when it comes to TV and streaming services.

    As for console gaming I couldn't really say. But I'd do some actual research to see what games actually utilize 4k resolutions and how well they perform in those resolutions. I'd imagine most games don't even utilize 4k even though the console itself may be capable of handling it.

    Edit: Did some really quick skimming of articles on 4k gaming on consoles. From what I read, it does not sound like any games are really fully utilizing actual 4k resolutions. Seems like 1080p will still be the standard resolution for most console games probably until the next gen. Keep in mind that companies are probably going to value frame rates over resolution. If they can't cost effectively reach a consistent 30 FPS at 4k they're not going to use it. I could be wrong about this, but it's basically what I gathered from the very quick skimming I did. IMO just get yourself a really nice 1080p TV.
    I've been taking a look as well, and I'm surprised to see so few titles supported when Sony just released the PS4 Pro. Why did they even bother with the Slim, why not just make the Pro the only model available, with its bumped up performance for 1080p games? I'm 100% going with the Pro just for the ability to turn "Boost Mode" on; The closer to 60, the better for me. I just with Bloodborne had received a patch specifically for Pro support...as it stands, Bloodborne, Nioh, Samurai Warriors 4-II, The Last Of Us (last time I played it was on PS3) and my beloved Resogun are the few games I'll be playing the most of on the console. Interested in dabbling with The Order 1886 as well now that it's dirt cheap, and who knows what my PS+ Subscription has given me since last year.

    About the TV though, after a lot of review reading and after discovering Rtings, I've settled on this Vizio D40-D1, a 40' 1080p display. Low input lag (for a TV) and great handling of motion blur, along with a sub-$500 CAD price tag, helped me settle on it.

    Here's a review from Rtings. I can't believe they're not more popular, their coverage is excellent!

    Once I get the TV & Console I'll be sure to report back here with my findings.
    Last edited by MonsieuRoberts; 2017-02-10 at 08:57 PM.
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  6. #6
    There are now so many 4k sets on the market im surprised you cant find one for a similar or less cost than the model you chose. I have a 55" vizio e series 4k tv and its great straight on but loses some contrast when viewed from the side. Not a big deal i dont watch from the sides much.

  7. #7
    Legendary! MonsieuRoberts's Avatar
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    Have had my Vizio D40-D1 for about a week and have been playing tons of Witcher 3 on it, as well as Thumper, Redout and Crypt of the NecroDancer.

    But mostly Witcher 3.

    The "smart" aspects of the TV don't seem to be too speedy, it's typical sluggish menus found in most start TVs. But I simply went through them once, I haven't used them since and don't intend to. Been playing all those games above from my PC, and in Game mode with the brightness turned up a lil' bit I have absolutely positively no complaints. No feelings of latency, no weird soap opera effect, no REAL feeling of "these blacks are really grey" like my aging Samsung. Sol far it's all thumbs up from me.

    Picture itself looks strikingly similar to my monitors, a pair of BenQ-GW2470H which I believe are just your run-of-the-mill VA panels. They're listed as 12ms - 4ms (GtG) which I know is just a bunch of jibberish, but what I'm getting at here is that I've had no issues transitioning from playing games at my desk vs sitting on the couch. I don't have to anticipate things earlier, I don't have to feel like I need to get into "console mode"; The response time feels he same. Thumper is a demanding rhythm game, and I didn't feel any sense of being behind or having to readjust when playing it on the TV.

    I haven't taken the TV out of game mode, and to be honest, I don't think I ever will. I've watched plenty of crap on my PC movie-wise, and the image is so similar with the brightness turned up just a bit; Why mess with what already looks great to me? Not interested in nice visuals and 40ms of latency for gameplay, and I can't be bothered to change picture settings around for a livestream or the odd movie. Still, never say never I suppose...pbppbpbt.

    I've yet to grab my PS4, but when I do I'll come back and update you on Bloodborne, TLOU, Resogun and some other titles I'm sure I've missed via PS+.
    Last edited by MonsieuRoberts; 2017-02-19 at 05:35 AM.
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  8. #8
    Old God Vash The Stampede's Avatar
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    A PS4 can't do 1080p most of the time, let alone 4k. The PS4 Pro might be able to, but no PC today can do 4k at 60 fps, so don't expect good frame rates with a PS4 Pro. I own a 4k TV and have a HTPC hooked up to it, but it runs 1080p. It's not a purpose built gaming PC plus it runs Linux Mint.

    What I'm about to say it going to Rustle Some Jimmies but 2017 is going to be the year where consoles will begin a decline. I wish I could say 2017 was the year of Linux but that's not looking like the case. While @MonsieuRoberts certainly has interest in exclusives on the PS4, keep in mind that all it takes is the right software at the wrong time to completely change everything. I'm of course talking about an emulator.

    That being said, if you really want to make use of 4k I wouldn't be looking at a PS4 Pro, let alone a regular PS4. Even a GTX 1080 can't do 4k at 60fps with today's games. While a TV and Monitor aren't too different in this day in age, a monitor will focus more on image quality and latency than a TV. But if you want an idea on latency then here's a video for you.


  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Docturphil View Post
    IMO it's not worth it for the money at the moment. Especially when you consider the extreme lack of 4k content, at least when it comes to TV and streaming services.

    As for console gaming I couldn't really say. But I'd do some actual research to see what games actually utilize 4k resolutions and how well they perform in those resolutions. I'd imagine most games don't even utilize 4k even though the console itself may be capable of handling it.

    Edit: Did some really quick skimming of articles on 4k gaming on consoles. From what I read, it does not sound like any games are really fully utilizing actual 4k resolutions. Seems like 1080p will still be the standard resolution for most console games probably until the next gen. Keep in mind that companies are probably going to value frame rates over resolution. If they can't cost effectively reach a consistent 30 FPS at 4k they're not going to use it. I could be wrong about this, but it's basically what I gathered from the very quick skimming I did. IMO just get yourself a really nice 1080p TV.
    Consoles struggle to even reach 60fps at 1080p, much less at 4k. Many console games barely maintain maintain 30fps at 720p, FFS! Most PC games do not run well at 4k either, even if it's actually supported.

    The only reason I can see to buy a 4k screen is if you view it as some kind of investment in potential future gaming. But for consoles? You're wasting your money.
    Last edited by SirCowdog; 2017-02-19 at 07:13 AM.

  10. #10
    Old God Vash The Stampede's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SirCowdog View Post
    Consoles struggle to even reach 60fps at 1080p, much less at 4k. Many console games barely maintain maintain 30fps at 720p, FFS! Most PC games do not run well at 4k either, even if it's actually supported.
    4k isn't impossible on PC, but it really depends on settings and the game itself, assuming you have the hardware. Like CS:GO on 4k I can see doing just fine, along with OverWatch cause these games aren't very demanding. GTAV though would struggle to maintain 60fps.

    The only reason I can see to buy a 4k screen is if you view it as some kind of investment in potential future gaming. But for consoles? You're wasting your money.
    I bought a 70" HDTV and it just so happens to be 4k. I wasn't aiming for this feature, but long and behold. As for console gaming it does seem like Microsoft and Sony are now aiming their markets at PC gaming cause it's encroaching on their markets. Hence why the PS4 Pro exists and why Microsoft is now literally trying to merge Windows + Xbox gaming. And Lord Gaben himself has said not so great things about consoles. I'm sorry Jim, it's dying.


  11. #11
    The Lightbringer Artorius's Avatar
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    @MonsieuRoberts The difference between the PC mode and game mode is basically 4:4:4 chroma and slightly higher input lag (but still lower than in the normal mode) against 4:2:2 chroma which is usually enough for media consumption and games (it's the standard so...).

    If you have good sources when watching movies (read as high quality files or a Blu-ray), then the post processing that is turned off in game mode is usually useless anyway, and sometimes it even makes the image quality worse than it should be so it's understandable that you don't notice much of a difference between the two. 4:4:4 Chroma is very useful when using it as a computer monitor though, but not sure if you even have this usage.

    Your TV has a 5594:1 contrast ratio so I'm glad you're enjoying the blacks, they should look way better than IPS/TN monitors =D

    It also has a weird gamma curve



    But I think you can probably fix it even without meters if you try the settings for a while.
    Last edited by Artorius; 2017-02-19 at 04:08 PM.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Dukenukemx View Post
    4k isn't impossible on PC, but it really depends on settings and the game itself, assuming you have the hardware. Like CS:GO on 4k I can see doing just fine, along with OverWatch cause these games aren't very demanding. GTAV though would struggle to maintain 60fps.


    I bought a 70" HDTV and it just so happens to be 4k. I wasn't aiming for this feature, but long and behold. As for console gaming it does seem like Microsoft and Sony are now aiming their markets at PC gaming cause it's encroaching on their markets. Hence why the PS4 Pro exists and why Microsoft is now literally trying to merge Windows + Xbox gaming. And Lord Gaben himself has said not so great things about consoles. I'm sorry Jim, it's dying.

    Well, it's because consoles simply can't keep up with the quality of gaming experience that a PC can deliver. Better framerate, higher resolution, better input, more utility.

    The only real advantages that consoles have is the price and ease of use, but as the saying goes, "You get what you pay for."
    Last edited by SirCowdog; 2017-02-19 at 09:12 PM.

  13. #13
    Old God Vash The Stampede's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SirCowdog View Post
    Well, it's because consoles simply can't keep up with the quality of gaming experience that a PC can deliver. Better framerate, higher resolution, better input, more utility.

    The only real advantages that consoles have is the price and ease of use, but as the saying goes, "You get what you pay for."
    Quality on PC gaming hasn't been always high. Batman Arkham Knight was the final straw of bad PC ports and so far PC gaming has had a better track record. But what you probably meant to say is that PC gaming is a better experience overall. More importantly it isn't a walled garden, like Gaben said. There is no one entity that controls PC gaming. Not Valve, not EA, not Blizzard, and certainly not Microsoft.

    As far as 4k goes, it shows how far behind the Xbox One and the PS4 were in hardware. For them to have yet another upgraded console shows just how badly thought out these machines were. Forget 4k, they couldn't do 1080p at 60fps. Most games struggle to get 30 fps. As for cost and ease of use, I think we're past that on PC gaming.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Dukenukemx View Post
    Quality on PC gaming hasn't been always high. Batman Arkham Knight was the final straw of bad PC ports and so far PC gaming has had a better track record. But what you probably meant to say is that PC gaming is a better experience overall. More importantly it isn't a walled garden, like Gaben said. There is no one entity that controls PC gaming. Not Valve, not EA, not Blizzard, and certainly not Microsoft.

    As far as 4k goes, it shows how far behind the Xbox One and the PS4 were in hardware. For them to have yet another upgraded console shows just how badly thought out these machines were. Forget 4k, they couldn't do 1080p at 60fps. Most games struggle to get 30 fps. As for cost and ease of use, I think we're past that on PC gaming.
    Exactly. Exclusive console titles exist for only one reason: Because there's no other way to get people to buy such a sub-standard platform to game on. I absolutely DESPISE games being engineered and held back in their design because they attempt to cater to a console with hardware that's already out of date when it first releases. How many times have we see an otherwise good game get ruined by being built for a console then ported to PC? And lets not even get into the complete lack of cross-platform functionality. Splitting the playerbase based on what hardware you're using? Really? Who thinks that's a good idea?

    But anyway, I'm not going to sit here and say that ALL games on console are bad. Hell, I grew up on Zelda, Metroid, Castlevania, and Final Fantasy. I'm just saying that the capability is higher on PC. And I'm pretty sure we're all in agreement about that.

  15. #15
    Old God Vash The Stampede's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SirCowdog View Post
    And lets not even get into the complete lack of cross-platform functionality. Splitting the playerbase based on what hardware you're using? Really? Who thinks that's a good idea?
    It's funny cause Blizzard recently had a problem with consoles on OverWatch players using keyboards and mice. Can you imagine having console players play against PC users? Probably would give Blizzard an aneurysm.
    But anyway, I'm not going to sit here and say that ALL games on console are bad. Hell, I grew up on Zelda, Metroid, Castlevania, and Final Fantasy. I'm just saying that the capability is higher on PC. And I'm pretty sure we're all in agreement about that.
    Same here, and I still have those games. But when the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis were a thing the PC was not relevant in gaming besides Doom and Wolfenstein 3D. And a computer back then cost $1,500 as that's how much my first computer was. Nowadays you can have a good gaming PC for $500 and you don't need to learn things like IRQ and jumper switches plus Dos commands to even start the stupid game. Remember a Commodore 64 was $600 back then while a Super Nintendo was $200. That was a big difference, especially for back then, and there were a lot of hidden costs for the C64 where game consoles practically came with everything including a game.

    Today things are different. Buying a console does not always come with a game, and in most cases requires to pay something extra just to get the game working as intended. A PS4 Pro will be $400 and comes with no game and requires a fee to play online. A $500 gaming PC will have a lot of free downloadable games and requires no monthly fee to play online. While a $500 PC wouldn't be able to do 4k, I'm really not seeing even the PS4 Pro doing it well.


  16. #16
    Screen real estate is by far the primary factor when buying a new TV. Long story short: just buy the biggest you can afford with the only limiting factor being room size and viewing distance. A 65" set at 1080p looks great sitting 10 feet away and at 4K the difference will be insignificant until you start moving closer to the TV.

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