View Full Version : Do new HDTV still have problem with lag
percy10
10-06-2009, 04:59 PM
I'm wondering if HDTV still have problems with games lagging? How do the older system look on the HDTV?
heybtbm
10-06-2009, 05:24 PM
My personal experience is that HDTV lag is a myth, or at least extremely exaggerated.
I have an LCD HDTV (32", 60 Hz, 720p/1080i) from 2005 that has zero lag (got it during the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube generation). My newest LCD (52", 240 Hz, 1080p) is about 1 month old and also shows absolutely zero lag. Both are Sony brand if that makes any difference to you (it does to me).
As far as old consoles? Don't even bother. They look better on old tube TV's. The only exceptions seem to be games on the Wii VC in 480p and the Zelda Gamecube compilation. Those look noticeably better on an HDTV than the cartridge versions running on the original consoles hooked up to the same HDTV. There's already quite a few threads here at DP on this subject.
otoko
10-06-2009, 06:03 PM
My personal experience is that HDTV lag is a myth, or at least extremely exaggerated.
I have an LCD HDTV (32", 60 Hz, 720p/1080i) from 2005 that has zero lag (got it during the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube generation). My newest LCD (52", 240 Hz, 1080p) is about 1 month old and also shows absolutely zero lag. Both are Sony brand if that makes any difference to you (it does to me).
As far as old consoles? Don't even bother. They look better on old tube TV's. The only exceptions seem to be games on the Wii VC in 480p and the Zelda Gamecube compilation. Those look noticeably better on an HDTV than the cartridge versions running on the original consoles hooked up to the same HDTV. There's already quite a few threads here at DP on this subject.
There is actually, it's hardly noticeable.
I own a Sony LCD HDTV (720p/1080i) and you would never notice it unless you put it up against other television sets.
I had my tv set up with two CRTs and a Heijer LCDTV (HD-READY?) in my dorm room. I had them all display the same image, it was a month before I actually noticed.
As far as old consoles? Don't even bother. They look better on old tube TV's. The only exceptions seem to be games on the Wii VC in 480p and the Zelda Gamecube compilation. Those look noticeably better on an HDTV than the cartridge versions running on the original consoles hooked up to the same HDTV. There's already quite a few threads here at DP on this subject.
Tell that to my Samsung, I've been playing NES, SNES and Genesis games on it lately and I think they look great. So it probably varies from TV to TV, since my old JVC LCD made the colors look very watered down and horrible to look at..
norkusa
10-06-2009, 06:48 PM
My personal experience is that HDTV lag is a myth, or at least extremely exaggerated.
Depends on what you're playing. In most games its unnoticeable but I play a lot of Bemani & music/rhythm games where just a little lag is a huge problem. Like last night I spent a half hour trying to calibrate the timing in DDR SuperNova 1 & 2 but I couldn't get it perfect. So I just stick to the older DDR games where the timing isn't as strict.
Same goes for Beatmania. I can't play any of the older IIDX games because they don't have any timing calibration options in them. So I only play IIDX 12 and up.
BetaWolf47
10-06-2009, 07:22 PM
I'd like to know this too. Even if the lag is just fractions of a second, it breaks your rhythm if you play a game you're used to playing laglessly.
kupomogli
10-06-2009, 07:36 PM
Unless you have something with a very low ms refresh rate, games like first person shooters and ones where the camera can rotate have noticeable blur/refresh rate lag. Not too bad, but it gets annoying as shit to someone who can easily notice this stuff.
I'd recommend going to a friends house who has an HDTV and then test out your gaming equipment there. Try stuff with rotatable cameras mostly. After playing maybe two hours or so, see if it works fine.
JunkTheMagicDragon
10-06-2009, 09:27 PM
strangely enough, when playing rock band on a friend's brand new sony set, it had horrible lag, yet when i hooked up the system to another friend's vizio, no lag. so brand's nothing to go by. heard other people swear by sonys though.
strangely enough, when playing rock band on a friend's brand new sony set, it had horrible lag, yet when i hooked up the system to another friend's vizio, no lag. so brand's nothing to go by. heard other people swear by sonys though.
I haven't noticed any lag on my sony (sxrd) tv.... I'm nowhere near experienced in the matter though.
TheDomesticInstitution
10-06-2009, 09:50 PM
I've never noticed lag on any of my television sets either. I own a sony CRT HD set and a Sony LCD HD set. Also with the exception of the N64 my classic systems... including the 2600 and Super NES look great on my HDTV as well.
CDiablo
10-06-2009, 10:45 PM
Get something with a low response time, preferably lower than 4ms and you are set.
maxlords
10-07-2009, 01:45 AM
I think mine is a 4 or 5 ms response time and I don't get any lag. I've got a 40" Samsung 550 series LCD. However, that being said, I also don't see any lag on my old JVC 26" LCD from years ago. And I played a LOT on it.
I find that my older systems look a LOT better on my CRT TV though. The only ones that pass muster on the Samsung are ones with S-Video or better connections.
aclbandit
10-07-2009, 11:24 AM
Most won't notice any lag. However, if you get a lower-end HDTV (read: like mine), then the lag is basically nonexistent among the digital inputs (HDMI, VGA), but really makes a difference on the analog (coimposite, etc.).
I keep a tube TV for the classics and an HD for the new stuff. Still the recommended method overall if you're into light gun games at all.
garagesaleking!!
10-07-2009, 11:26 AM
my friend has his 360 hooked to a westinghouse lcd via vga and for some reason it lags sometimes during guitar hero. I am talking really bad choppy lag. My lg lcd works fine for n64, but thats the only older system ive used on it.
portnoyd
10-07-2009, 12:16 PM
As far as old consoles? Don't even bother. They look better on old tube TV's. The only exceptions seem to be games on the Wii VC in 480p and the Zelda Gamecube compilation.
Agreed except I think Wii 480p looks like complete ass, VC or not. We put our Wii on our tube TV (probably one of the last tubes you could easily get at a Best Buy) and it looks much better.
The only way you should be playing old systems on a HDTV is using a XRGB2/3. There are others, but they are way too expensive.
Tempest
10-07-2009, 12:33 PM
I keep a tube TV for the classics and an HD for the new stuff. Still the recommended method overall if you're into light gun games at all.
I use a HD CRT TV for my new stuff. Best of both worlds. :)
Tempest
DreamTR
10-07-2009, 01:41 PM
The lag issue is not a myth. Try playing fighting games at high levels with 3 frame or less inputs and you'll know what I am talking about.....most people don't test lag with 2D fighting games, but it's brutal on those if you are an experienced fighter.
BetaWolf47
10-07-2009, 01:57 PM
What types of TVs have lag anyways? Is it just LCD TVs, or do plasma and projection screens have it too?
portnoyd
10-07-2009, 02:11 PM
Here's a great page on the different devices you can use to play older systems on HDTVs. The XRGB3 is the gaming winner.
EDIT: http://retrogaming.hazard-city.de/
Eh heh, heh.
BetaWolf47
10-07-2009, 02:21 PM
Here's a great page on the different devices you can use to play older systems on HDTVs. The XRGB3 is the gaming winner.
Umm... whoops?
norkusa
10-07-2009, 02:34 PM
The best way to check how much lag your tv really has:
http://hdtvlag.googlepages.com/ourtest
http://brianho.livejournal.com/129791.html
SAV2880
10-09-2009, 08:40 AM
The Westinghouse 720p set that I use definitely suffers from lag when it is rendering 480i video, probably about 0.2s-0.3s. It was a cheap TV when I got it (2 years old, 32", was $379 back then), so I don't feel bad about that, it does a great job with HDTV video which is what I want to use it for anyways, but yeah, on the cheaper TV's, it could be an issue.
Not shocked that it's really a non-issue on nicer brands like Sony, you do pay the premium for a reason!
BetaWolf47
10-09-2009, 09:01 AM
I just talked to a friend yesterday. She told me that some sets have a "game mode" which lowers performance to remove delay. From what I've seen, most Samsung sets have this feature.
otaku
10-09-2009, 07:36 PM
my old school games get played on old school tube tvs sony wega mostly. My modern games play on huge crt high def sets 60 inch sets through component or hdmi.
old games just don't look/feel right on new tvs and new ones should be experiences in all their technical glory
darkslime
10-09-2009, 08:00 PM
my hdtv is from 06 and it lags a lot. its only noticeable on guitar hero and ddr though. even if you sync it in guitar hero.
darkslime
10-09-2009, 08:11 PM
my hdtv is from 06 and it lags a lot. its only noticeable on guitar hero and ddr though. even if you sync it in guitar hero.
Gentlegamer
10-24-2010, 10:29 PM
I just got a Vizio 42" E420VL . . . when I switched it out for the CRT TV it replaced, I hooked up the NES to see how it looked . . . horrible and had noticable lag. I played Castlevania and kept dying on level two where you have to run under the crushing spike plates. Because of the lag, Simon hesitated just long enough to not make it under the second hazard. I had to mentally adjust to move before I wanted to move to make up for it.
I haven't noticed any lag on my sony (sxrd) tv.... I'm nowhere near experienced in the matter though.
It's there, but the input lag on the Sony rear projections is insanely low compared to other brands at the time. You can get away with using them even in games like Guitar Hero, once you get used to the very small amount of lag, and you would never notice the lag in any other kind of game. Sony's optional "game mode" eliminates what little lag there is.
I just talked to a friend yesterday. She told me that some sets have a "game mode" which lowers performance to remove delay. From what I've seen, most Samsung sets have this feature.
Yes, and it makes the image quality look like shit. It did a few years ago, anyway.
I bought a Samsung HDTV four years ago and the lag made games unplayable. Game mode looked like ass. I returned it for a Sony set and its game mode looked normal and worked perfectly.