View Full Version : How would a 100Hz TV affect my gaming?
Hi,
I'm about to get a new TV (hopefully :) ), and the one I've got my eye on is 100Hz, and I was wondering if my Dreamcast (and in future, PS2 etc) would still work in their 60Hz modes on a 100Hz TV?
I know that lightgun games won't work, which doesn't bother me too much. And would the picture automatically convert to fit the full screen on the TV (widescreen)?
Thanks
Kev
By the way, the TV I've got my eye on, is the LG WE32Q10IP 32", it's on the Dixons (http://www.dixons.co.uk) website, if anyone has this TV or can give me any opinions on it I'd be happy to hear them.
Thanks again :)
Kev
CamperMan
04-06-2001, 01:57
it will still work mate - the console anyways - but like you said current lightguns won't (though i have heard that a new ps2 lightgun will be 100hz compatible).
my old tv was 100hz and the picture was flickerless which made some difference to gaming (it was a bit better). My current tv isn't 100hz but the colours are more vibrant so i think its a worthwhile change.
Yeah as camper said all games will work fine, just current lightguns don't work.
I find that the 100hz does make a diference due to what camper said, but unlike him I find that the colour on my Sony Wega are vibrant and crisp.
Don't buy a 100hz telly! I have yet to see one that doesn't smear the picture whenever there is a fast moving scene. Watching footy on one is a nightmare.
If you are going to get a tv tho m8, I'd recomend buying it from John Lewis, not Dixons. JL price match (even internet sites) and give you a free 5 year guarantee which normally cost £100-200 from most other places.
Mr_Sarcasm
04-06-2001, 17:40
yeah...
Whatever you do. Stay away from Dixons and Currys (same company anyway) they are the most expensive by far!
disco kandi
04-06-2001, 19:32
lol...
dont buy a 100hz tv, you have got to be kidding?
dont buy a 50hz one more like:)
Thanks for the technical info on that, I don't need to worry about that now as it was one of my major concerns, I've seen the TV itself working in my local Currys and the picture was very good, much better than my current one(although it is about 8 years old, only 50Hz, and has just a SCART and Ariel input with a headphone socket on the front :) )
I'd love to stay away from Dixons and Currys, but the fact is that I'll be buying the TV on 12 months interest free credit anyway as I only have half the cash and I waited long enough just to save that much up. As well as that, I havn't seen this particular TV anywhere else apart from Currys, and the Dixons websites (maybe I haven't looked hard enough :) ), but it's more convenient given the fact that I don't have the right money straight away and they are prepared to give me credit, if there are any websites which offer the same TV and credit option at a lower price then I'd be very greatful if anyone could let me know.
Thanks again for all the help :)
Kev
BTW, I've never heard of John Lewis, where are they based, and do they have a website?
Originally posted by kev2000
(although it is about 8 years old, only 50Hz, and has just a SCART and Ariel input with a headphone socket on the front :) )
"only 50hz" - that is a common misconception, but a misconception nonetheless. 100hz processing is not an improvement, its just an alternative to 50hz, but its a newer technique so its percieved to be better. Although neither is absolutely 'better' than the other, most people who have had experience with TVs will recommend a 50hz set as 100hz processing is so hit and miss especially on the cheaper sets. Try the TV out first whilst watching some football and see the blur, if you still like it then fine, but don't buy it until you've tried a 50hz tv and decided for yourself. :)
Originally posted by kev2000
BTW, I've never heard of John Lewis, where are they based, and do they have a website?
I take it that is a joke - you've never heard of the huge, corporate, well known department store?
Happy hunting!
disco kandi
05-06-2001, 11:29
How anyone can advise someone not to get a 100hz TV is beyond me. I have had mine for sometime now and would never go back to a normal TV.
It is fantastic, especially when you watch DVDS.
Originally posted by Sam1981
Try the TV out first whilst watching some football and see the blur, if you still like it then fine, but don't buy it until you've tried a 50hz tv and decided for yourself. :)
The football was on the TV when it was demonstrated to me instore and the picture looked just fine to me, It's a vast improvement over my current one, I appreciate the help and everything, but I've made my mind up on that part thanks.
Originally posted by Sam1981
you've never heard of the huge, corporate, well known department store?
I'm sorry for leading such a sheltered life but no I havn't heard of them, I may have heard the name before but it doesn't ring any bells.
Originally posted by disco kandi
It is fantastic, especially when you watch DVDS
I look forward to watching many DVD's on it, especially since It'll be my first widescreen and there'll be no more of them horrible borders. :)
Bad newes m8 you will still get borders on DVD movies unless the DVD itself is anamorphic, this will fill your whole screen in widescreen mode WITHOUT ANY loss in resolution.
For dvds that are not anamorphic, you may have to stretch the picture to get it to fill the entire screen which results in poor resolution as the picture is stretched somewhat.
As for the 100hz, its pretty much a neccessity if you are going for a large screened 32" tv.
I have a phillips 32" ws and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone.
That's not correct - even if it's anamorphic you will still get borders if the film's ratio is greater than 16:9 (or 1.777777:1 if you want to divide through by 9).
Most films are either in 1.85:1 or 2.35:1 (though there are endless differing ratios) both of these will have borders on a wide screen TV - and it won't make a smidgen of difference whether the picture is anamorphic or not.
What an anamorphic print gives you is a higher quality picture as you don't lose any information on the playback with regards to the height of the picture (due to the way it's compressed horizontally).
What I tend to find with my wide screen is whenever I switch on my consoles (with the exception of the N64) the TV switches automatically to widescreen and the appropriate AV input - meaning I have to put it back into 4:3 mode myself. My mate has a panasonic set that does the same, but he's not able to switch the mode back so has to play with a distorted picture :(
Regards
Marty
[Edited by MartyG on 05-06-2001 at 01:49 PM]
Originally posted by evilJ3T
Bad newes m8 you will still get borders on DVD movies unless the DVD itself is anamorphic, this will fill your whole screen in widescreen mode WITHOUT ANY loss in resolution.
For dvds that are not anamorphic, you may have to stretch the picture to get it to fill the entire screen which results in poor resolution as the picture is stretched somewhat.
As for the 100hz, its pretty much a neccessity if you are going for a large screened 32" tv.
I have a phillips 32" ws and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone.
Thats not strictly true, it depends on the aspect ratio of the DVD. If you have an anamorphic dvd with an aspect ratio of 1.77:1 then it will fill the screen, but if the disc is 2.35:1 as so many are nowadays (Ben Hur is even wider!), you'll still get a border on the top and bottom of the screen. Nevertheless it doesn't negatively affect your viewing, and at least you get to see all the picture - I prefer a 2.35:1 DVD.
Try this bulletin board: http://www.wvip.co.uk/hccoubb/index.html go to the tv forum and ask your question there. You'll get a lot of great help and probably a better TV. In fact, do a search for 100hz vs 50hz, there are loads of threads on that and you'll be able to see the arguements for and against.
DOH!
You beat me to it Marty! :)
Aye, by about a minute or so ;) The border thing is a common misconception.
I prefer the original cinema ratios also - the number of times I've had to explain that you see more of the film in widescreen and not less compared to a 4:3 pan scan (another common misconception - bah!).
Mind there have been 4:3 releases in the cinemas too. The early Disney films and more recently Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. I got Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer recently on DVD which is in 4:3 - though I'm not sure what the original cinema release was for that. Very dark film.
Regards
Marty
Yeah as a whole widescreen material is far better, but if a film is shot in 4:3 (Blair Witch, EWS), I like it to be kept that way. The BBC will crop a 4:3 picture at the top and bottom to fill a widescreen shot on their 16:9 news programs - very annoying.
BTW, I think most, if not all, Stanley Kubrick films are in 4:3 and more often than not, mono too! Thats the way he liked it, so Full Metal Jacket, Clockwork Orange, etc... are 4:3 mono. :(
Not all of them, I believe Clockwork Orange was in 1.66:1, and it was remastered to stereo later (EWS is the only one he actually recorded in stereo mind). Barry Lyndon was shot in 1.77:1. Spartacus was in 2.20:1 (which I think is refered to as cinemascope ratio). I think Kubrick liked messing around with odd ratios :)
Because of this there were problems projecting it apparently as it was projected in 1.85:1 in most cinemas spoiling the film. It was remastered on DVD so that the film is in its original 1.66:1 ratio.
Actually, thinking about that, I'm pretty sure CWO is full 16:9, which would mean that's stretched like it was in the cinema. I shall have to pop it in the DVD and have a look.
Regards
Marty
[Edited by MartyG on 05-06-2001 at 02:30 PM]
Originally posted by MartyG
Actually, thinking about that, I'm pretty sure CWO is full 16:9, which would mean that's stretched like it was in the cinema. I shall have to pop it in the DVD and have a look.[Edited by MartyG on 05-06-2001 at 02:30 PM]
Stretched?!?!?! Not cropped?
charlesr
05-06-2001, 16:29
Normally I stray away from Dixons and Currys because, as undercover reports have shown, they have been know to tell their suppliers that they would not continue purchasing from them unless they stopped supplying small independent electrical stores who were undercutting Dixon prices. Their prices are also normally way high, especially when compared to places like http://www.empiredirect.co.uk
However, I just bought a Fuji Finepix 40i SE (16Meg) Digital camera from Currys because it was £399
Cheapest anywhere else was £410 in some mega cheap online site. It's £460 in most other shops. Maybe they just priced it up wrong! heheh.
Sega GameSation X
05-06-2001, 20:10
can anyone post up some good web sites for TVs?
I'm wanting a 21" combi vision with stereo sound to hook my DC up to in my bedroom, currently using a Samsung 14" combi, but the screen's too small and the sound in Mono is pretty poor.
hyper!! james
05-06-2001, 21:25
I've been inspired to buy a new TV, after a mate just bought himself a surround sound widescreen bast!
The best place to look is:
http://www.price-guide.co.uk
They have a list of suppliers (with recomendations and which retailers to stay clear of)
Plus you can compare prices as well.
This has certainly broadened my horizons on what to expect from a widescreen TV, but in the end I'm not too bothered about the fact that it won't get rid of the borders on all of my films, I don't have any of the films mentioned above but the important thing to me is just getting the new TV anyway, I had a look at http://www.empiredirect.co.uk and it is way cheaper than high-street stores, it's just a shame they didn't have the TV I wanted, but I could still be tempted into buying one from the site should I run into any unexpected money troubles :)
Sega GameSation X
05-06-2001, 23:42
glad I looked on Empire, TV I had my eyes on in curries was £299.99, on Empire it was £233.99 includin delivery!
Thanx to hyper for that other link too!
Also try http://www.unbeatable.co.uk
Hyper, I wouldn't recommend a TV with surround sound - they always sound crappy, much better to buy a normal nicam and add a separate amp and speakers - the results can be phenomenal! And much easier to upgrade too...
hyper!! james
06-06-2001, 18:14
His is a normal nicam and separate amp, I just lumped them together to save time!
I'll be getting the telly first and the amp and speakers later on down the road, cos I need to get some more cash and clear some space!
disco kandi
06-06-2001, 20:11
James
Sam is right, don't bother with a tv with a built in amp be it dolby or dolby digital. The results arent worth it.
There are plenty of dts amps available to suit most budgets. One thing I would say is remember that the speakers are equally important and the speaker cable used.
Sometimes its hard to get a nicam tv these days. Im looking at getting rid of my current 100hz and getting a wega. Luckily Sony do issue them in Nicam, that doesnt stop the TV being approx 1500 quid tho. Still its a lovelty set.
Richard Y2K
06-06-2001, 20:26
I am desperate for a new TV, my current TV is a 14" 50Hz Matsui TV :(
If you are looking for a budget set (£300 ish), instead of buying a new bottom of the market model try an ex-Rental model from Granada/Box Clever. I recommended one of these to a mate, he got a 32" WS Phillips 9631 Pro-Logic (£2000 new) for £260 including a video player with NTSC support. It came with an extendable guarantee, plus once you own such a TV it would be covered under your new for old household insurance..............
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