Do hz matter when it comes to gaming and bluray?

I was just wondering what you guys think about hz on a 32inch HDTV and whether it made that big of a difference. Basically there seems to be either a 50hz or a 100hz TV I could go for and the 100hz is also 3d (which I don't care about all that much.) should I spend the extra money for the hz or does it not matter when playing games and watching bluray?

As if you crazy Aussies still use 50hz for tv.

It really is a matter of personal preference and the only way to know for sure is by watching and playing content at various refresh rates to see what you like. Personally I can't stand watching live action at anything above 50hz because it is unnatural and not at all how it is intended to be viewed. Games and animation however is a different story.

I can't see it mattering at all when it comes to movies and such, and I've never heard anything definitive on whether PAL HDTVs are completely locked at 50hz or not.

@dgtlty: How big of a different story? Say if I viewed them side by side would I have a lot of a better experience or would I have to look closely?

For gaming, you can't get 60fps with a 50hz TV. Generally, the difference should be pretty obvious when you watch anything on a 100hz TV. Some people find the high framerate nauseating, so you should take a look at it yourself. Even though the TV's still display TV and films at similar framerates they can still look pretty different.

@audiobusting: This said, despite them being sold as 50hz sets they generally appear to be multi-sync and can still display 60hz.

@nekusakuraba: What I mean is, my preference for 50hz isn't necessarily true when it comes to games and modern animation films (I think they can be enhanced by 100hz) but anything live action I need to watch at 50hz. I believe I am in the minority on this so best to walk into any JB Hi Fi and ask the staff to see side by side.

@audiobusting: @evilnights: Huh, that's a tad confusing. So I can or can't play games at 60 FPS? That seems pretty important as I'm expecting the next generation to have a lot more 60 FPS games and I really do prefer a higher FPS.

@nekusakuraba: I'M GOING TO SAY YOU CAN.

How about using a PC monitor as a TV? Not sure how that would work out or if its a good idea. I should mention that my current monitor is 1650 x 1080 and has no hdmi ports so I might upgrade soon.

@nekusakuraba: Yeah, I stand corrected. Most of current 50Hz TVs can display at 60Hz if need be. Using a PC monitor as TV doesn't sound right, though. Can you even connect antenna cables to the monitor?

@audiobusting: Well not for a TV per say but just something to plug my PS3, 360 and Bluray player in, I won't actually watch TV, because who does that anymore? :P

I was thinking of maybe getting an ASUS VG278HE and just get some HDMI splitters. The thing is though that I can't plug things in like my Dreamcast. :P

@nekusakuraba:

According to people in the press, playing games on 3D-ready TVs (at least 120hz) is akin to doubling the framerate of any game. Most game demonstrations are given on 120hz+ screens, which apparently makes the framerate seem higher than it really is. A game rendered with 30 frames per second gives a much smoother impression, almost as if it was running at 60 frames per second.

That's second hand knowledge for sure, because I've yet to shell out for a 3D TV, albeit it becomes increasingly impossible to resist. Hell - the latest 50+ inch Samsung TVs get sold for under 1000$ with two active shutter glasses. Compared to what I'd have gotten for that price just a couple of years back, that's flippin' insane.

All in all, if you're in the market for a new TV, of course you'll be getting a 3D TV with lots of hertz. There's no reason not to, as far as I'm concerned.

P.S. 50hz/100hz doesn't sound right. Current TVs come at 400-3600 hertz. For buying electronics, your best bet is going with a retailer using an amazon-like business model. Only buy what's relatively new on the market. Oldschool retailers who keep extensive stocks and run a showfloor/shop will indubitably sell outdated hardware, and sell it overpriced.

@seppli: It seems that in PAL regions that the TVs are marketed as 50 and 100 but are capable of playing 60 and 120 exactly the same as the US (weird, right?)

I'd prefer to have only one screen in my room, but I'm not sure if it should be a TV as a monitor or a monitor as a TV. I do like sitting closer to screens for whatever reason so take that as you will, but I'm not sure how far back I'd have to sit back to make a 32inch TV a good size for a PC monitor.

Just go with a 24-27 inch Full HD PC monitor. I prefer the format over big TVs and Projectors for gaming, though I guess you'd get a pretty sweet 32-40 inch Full HD 3D TV for the same price.

P.S. I've heard bad things about HDMI splinters. At least when I last researched the option.

P.P.S The whole hertz thing is wierd, but I don't see any current production TVs with anything under a 100hz. To be quite frank, 90% of all brand TVs are at least 200hz or significantly higher. Though I guess there's some confusion what hertz means anymore these days. I've checked out the latest crop of Samsung models in a showroom recently, and they're stunning. The 32 inch one goes for 450$ (no active shutter glasses included though). The 40' inch goes for 800$ including 2 active shutter glasses. Those are 200hz, respectively 400hz. More expensive ones go as high 3600hz.

P.P.P.S. Did you ever research Full HD 3D DPL Projectors? Those go for around 800$ and seem to offer breathtaking image quality. 2-3m screensize for the price of a midrange 1m TV.

@seppli: Well if I decided to go the monitor route which would you recommend?

And just looking at a major retailer like JB here in Australia the highest 32inch goes up to 100HZ.

And I have no room for a projector sadly. :(

@nekusakuraba: I find that running games at 100hz creates quite a noticable bit of controller lag. The fact that it looks better comes at a price.

Just google the product code and read up on the reviews you find. You should find reviews for pretty much anything. Displays being subject to personal perception and preference, the best way to buy 'em is in person at a place with a showroom, but that usually goes hand in hand with higher prices than with online retailers like amazon.

I heard nothing but good things about BENQ's newest 27 inch 3D gaming screen, until I watched this youtube video, which states that it's utter shit - so really, it's hard to say. Since there's only 2 or 3 products in this category (there's one from Asus people seem to like). Either way, those are 500 bucks currently and require quite specific hardware (or additional purchases) to use the 3D effect.

Dunno - I'm playing with the idea of buying a new TV or projector or monitor myself - though overall I find TVs and projectors much more attractive right now. I think there will soon be a technology shift with PC monitors to OLED hopefully. I'd rather wait for that. 'Til then, I'll be milling over a projector purchase alongside a black diamond screen akin to this setup. That said, all the stuff I have works, and I hate spending money. So whatever.

@seppli: I was actually looking at getting a BenQ xl2411t since its 144 HZ etc i don't really care about 3D as I mentioned before. Seems like a good size, I just hope I don't run into any trouble with playing consoles on it if I decide to get one.

It's a 50/60hz screen. Anything over that in the TV space is interpolated motion and is a complete pile of ass to look at, it does nothing for your games or movies beyond making them look horrible and adding 50 metric fuck tonnes of input latency.

Aren't 120hz (shutter tech 3D displays) supposedly halfing maximum latency in 2D mode, because they show double as many pictures in a second, and hence are much more in-snyc with what a game renders.

And really, any TV currently in production will be at least 120hz, I don't think any reknown outfit builds any other kind anymore. Anything that isn't 120hz, is likely an outdated model that's been sitting in some warehouse for 2 years. Why would you ever buy such a thing, if you are informed? Those TVs are for your grandparents.

I'm playing on 24 inch monitor and if you're cool with sitting at your desk while gaming, it's definitely a good choice. You'll likely have to run it at 120hz (it's capable of that), which will give a much smoother and lower latency image in 2D mode.

Yeah, I'm totally fine with it. After seeing some reviews of the monitor it seems that there is quite a bit of trailing/ghosting on it for some reason though, not sure how accurate that it is. I'd imagine it would be pretty good for watching blu-rays with as well right, just as good as a tv at the same HZ and resolution? It seems like every pro has a con!