I'm looking to buy a new TV soon.
Currently I use a cheap 4k (pre-HDR, 3 years old) as a computer monitor (gaming, media, communication), and it's a good time for me to upgrade.
Q. Are 120hz TVs a worthwhile upgrade for using a TV as a computer monitor?
I would love the new Hisense (55H9F, US model), and alternatively I'm looking at sony x850G. Budget is $1500AUD.
Any recommendations or advice much appreciated.
Thanks Harry, yes lower the better. My current tv has 5ms, and I wouldnt by something less than 8ms.
Don't you mean more than 8ms?
corrected
Can your computer drive 120Hz on the games you play?
I'm not aware of any consumer media (TVs/movies/etc) that play at anything other than the 'cinematic' 60Hz, so if that's all you do, I'm not sure there'd be any benefit.
Thanks H&D, yes can definitely drive 120hz, and more than 60hz. Thanks, your advice on media is appreciated.
4k at 120hz requires a whole lot of power. We're talking absolute top of the line gaming PC specs. Are you sure your computer could do it?
Remember 4k 60hz vs 4k 120hz is more than double the required graphical processing.
I don’t think there’s a graphics card in existence that can hit 120fps @ 4K with everything on ultra (average FPS)
According to the link it says “ This TV has a native 120Hz panel, but it can only display 120Hz content through motion interpolation, and it doesn't support any variable refresh rate technologies, like FreeSync.”. Doesn’t this means that it can’t take 120hz input? Gaming wise, I heard motion interpolation causes input lag so you would prolly want to leave it off and considering it doesn’t have 120hz input which means gaming would prolly be stuck at 60fps. Other than that, for media consumption etc should be fine if you like the “soap opera effect”.
That's in reference to the fake 120hz that a lot of TVs have had until this year.
My current TV has the fake 120hz motion thing (still a 60hz panel, compared to the 120hz panels released last year and this year) and it makes no difference and I dont use it.
https://www.rtings.com/tv/learn/what-is-the-refresh-rate-60h…
I've been looking at some of the TVs from this article, and within my budget.
Yeah motion interpolation is fake 120hz. But according to the article you linked in the post, it says that although the panel is 120hz native, it still uses the fake 120hz technology as it doesn’t seem to support taking in 120hz input. Which also make sense as it looks like it take hdmi and if I recalled correctly HDMI only supports 120hz or was it 144hz @1080p and this TV is 4k.
There's quite a huge difference between TVs and monitors. For $1500 you're probably better off looking at something like this: https://www.pccasegear.com/products/45195/acer-nitro-xv273kp…
NOTE: I have not used that monitor but it does appear to have some nice features.
TVs usually have high response time (which means input lag, yuck) and the high refresh rates usually aren't actually what they seem.
The monitor I linked is 4k, 144hz, and has Freesync (which most new nvidia and amd GPUs use) and would be much, much better than any TV you can buy.
That's awesome, and I have owned a 144hz monitor before, but now I'm using my PC in the living room, and I'm looking at around 49 inches of screen. Freesync or Gsync would be awesome and its good to see it being implemented in some of the more expensive TVs, and hopefully in a year it will be more common.
If you game in the living room using a controller then maybe a TV is your best bet but it depends on what you're playing too.
You're not really gonna get a gaming monitor at 50 inches so if you really do need the size you're gonna have to go for a TV.
Yes. Playing mostly with a controller, lately playing Gears of War 4 and Tomb Raider. Definitely best bet and 50 inches is a must. Thanks for your input!
Note that generally 120Hz on TVs is only supported at 1080p resolution, not 4k. The Sony TV you linked above DOESN'T support 120Hz at any resolution.
I was in the same boat as you in 2017 and ended up getting the Sony x930E (2017 model) which supports 120Hz @ 1080p. I hook up my laptop to it and play some games with a controller, and it's been fantastic. For gaming, it is highly recommended!
If you can stretch your budget to about $2000, get an LG or Sony OLED TV (I think ~50" gets to about $1800 on sale?)
If you plan to surf the web etc, ensure you get a TV that supports chroma 4:4:4 for text to display properly. Usually the higher end TVs can already do this.
Good luck with the search :)
Awesome comment! Current TV has the Chroma support, never had issues with texts as it always looks good. I haven't given thought to OLED, because don't they have screen burn issues?
I'm definitely not capable of 4k 120hz, 1080p at 120hz for gaming is my aim and enough.
Just stumbled on this article https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best/by-usage/pc-monitor
Any thoughts on the new Alienware 55"?? Might be pricey when it comes out though.
pricy and the alienware tag. I think these gaming monitors will sell really well, and this time next year there will be cheap chinese alternatives (i.e. the discontinued Wasabi-Mango UHD490) , sans the g-sync and freesync.
I'll settle for a TV as they are priced well. I wont be using it for terrestrial TV, and as my PC is solely used through it, I dont need any of the TV apps or OS.
Thanks GTRdude
Currently I used a curved Samsung 55" mostly as a desktop monitor but for some occasional gaming. If the new alienware is curved and the price isn't insane I might even sell the Samsung and upgrade.
https://www8.hp.com/us/en/displays-accessories/gaming/omen-x…
This - but possibly out side the budget ;)
Lovely, isn't it? Well the marketing is anyway. I think these will be around the $2000-$3000 range when they come out, especially with both HP and Nvidia's name on it.
This month there are a few new TVs/Panels coming out.
So far, this is my choice for price and features
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1461463-REG/lg_55sm90…
No point in getting 120Hz if you don't have the mother of all gaming setups, as there's nothing to show 120Hz on! Do not get Hisense as a monitor! Lag is ok but still noticeable even with normal mouse control. Picture quality is average compared to high end models like Sony (clarity is nowhere near a X930E for an example) Colour banding is a problem as gradients aren't the best. Motion is horrible on every Hisense, their one huge flaw thats a dealbreaker, especially for a monitor. Flicker rate is shocking when scrolling or when fast moving scenes are on. No black frame insertion. Even though when using enhanced HDMI feature that says 4:4:4 chroma can be used. The max is 4:2:2. Don't get a Hisense for a monitor!
Do you have or use Hisense currently connected to a pc via HDMI?
120hz for 1080p, not 4K.
Current TV has 5ms, havent had a motion issue that couldnt be fixed with vsync. Picture quality is what I'm lacking, along with my current TV (used as a monitor) bottlenecking my 1080ti at max 60fps.
Yeah HDMI 2.0 cord connection. Lag would be somewhere between 35-55ms. There's only so much Vsync can do and there is artifacting with Hisense motion. So even with settings turned off for better results it's still quite average. I know its cheaper and sometimes picture quality is decent but upscaling is also poor with majority of 1080p content. Using it as a monitor you see every little flaw up close. Hisense struggles with HEVC encoded content from HDMI unless its source material. USB is better but still nowhere near the detail and crispness that it should be for 4K HDR, or even just 1080p SDR. Even looking at it from a slight angle - blacks, colours and contrast are completely off. Please don't waste your money! Just developed a problem straight after updating the software… Turn the TV off and whenever it's turned back on no HDMI connection is recognised. Have to take out the HDMI cord and plug into another port to get it working again.
Thanks monstalova. Great advice. I'll be going with the LG Nano 9 as posted above, but first I must sell my current TV.
This just entered my email, ain't you lucky:-
https://www.reviewgeek.com/19581/buying-a-tv-for-gaming-here…
Depends on your level of hyperactivity. Your eyes should tell you. I can see led traffic lights turn off in between same colour and on while most people can not.
Your choice: swallow Ritalin or upgrade.
Your choice: lay off the redbull and caffeine pill combination
For gaming, some TV's have bad response time.