Gaming on a Plasma TV: Issues and Problems
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With their huge screens and astounding picture quality (more so when coupled with HDTV), plasma TVs and PlayStation 3s/Xbox 360s/Nintendo Wiis seem like the ultimate gaming platforms.
Take note of the word seem. The experiences of many gamers tell of stories where video gaming ruins otherwise perfectly normal plasma displays (ever heard of the much-dreaded "burn-in"?). These stories spread quickly across forums and blogs, hyping the problematic perception and causing many gamers to consider getting LCD TVs instead of plasma sets.
Is Plasma TV the Best TV for Gaming?
But we're sure you want to know the answer to this question: Is the plasma TV the best type suited for gaming on flat panel TVs? If not, which is? LCD TV? DLP TV?
This early we're giving you the short answer: it depends on your 1) taste of home theater experience, and 2) what you can afford to spend for a new widescreen TV. The different types of flat panel TV have different factors going for and against them (in terms of price, picture quality, power consumption, etc.). If one type of flat panel TV completely outclassed all others, then there wouldn't be much of a choice for consumers, right?
To illustrate: there are some experts saying that plasma TVs are not recommended for gamers, while others swear by them. If you haven't bought a flat panel TV yet for your gaming console, be sure to carry out research on the Net first. But if you're already stuck all set and raring to go with your plasma display, then read on.
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii
The PS3 is capable of high-definition at resolutions of up to 1080p, while Xbox 360 games play in 720p and 1080i. The Wii, which wasn't designed to compete with the first two consoles in terms of graphical power (but yeah, we all know how fun Wii games are!), can support up to 480p.
In our opinion, current Xbox 360 games rule in terms of game graphics. EW.com shares this view:
If the PS3 were running at top speed, it would be tough to beat. But despite its clear technological superiority over the Wii and Xbox 360, right now it feels like it's idling in a garage. The first batch of games is a letdown.
However, knowing Sony and the potential power within their baby, this might change in a year or so.
While playing Wii Sports on an HDTV widescreen might seem an immersive experience, remember that HDTVs expose the visual shortcomings of what's onscreen, whether it's a game or a TV broadcast. This means that Wii games might be best suited to standard TVs instead of high-def.
Burn-In and Gaming
By far the most dreaded problem with regard to plasma displays, burn-in happens when static images left too long on the screen permanently damage the pixels. But don't worry about plasma burn-in too much, especially if you have one of the more recent models -- if you take extra precaution during the first 100 hours of use (called the "breaking in" period), you can just sit back and enjoy the visual ride for the rest of your TV's lifetime.
Here's a burn-in myth-buster from Panasonic's Jeff Cove:
The majority of TV sets in American homes are still direct-view CRT sets, by far the type most susceptible to burn-in. Have you seen one with a burned-in image within the last ten years? Twenty? Ever? Probably not, and if you have, the set was almost certainly "abused" by being focused on a stationary object for days or weeks at a time.
Burn-In vs. Image Retention
Burn-in is permanent, but there's another similar issue that might scare gamers the first time they see it, thinking it's the dreaded B-I itself. This image retention problem happens when pixels are run at high brightness for a long period of time, which produces a ghost image. Because video games usually employ bright colors, you might encounter this problem in the future.
No need to worry, though. Unlike burn-in, this image retention problem is temporary and self corrects after the plasma TV has been powered off for some time. If you don't want to turn off the TV, taking a break from your games and switching to regular TV broadcasting might solve the issue.
Burn-In Tips
Here are some tips that will help you avoid burn-in if you like playing games.
- Take extra care during the first 100 to 150 hours of your plasma TV's life. If possible, don't play any games during this time. Let your TV break-in, and just watch regular TV programming.
- Tone down the Contrast and Brightness levels of your TV. Often, plasma TVs come with higher than normal settings, which are well-suited for the showroom but excessive for your home. High contrast and brightness levels will make your plasma screen more susceptible to burn-in.
- Buy a good brand of TV with a good set of anti-burn-in features (or burn-in resistance). These features include anti-burn-in circuits, proprietary phosphor technology, and pixel shifting, among others.
- Speaking of anti-burn-in features, activate them once you start playing games. These include the orbiter feature (auto pixel shift), inversion, and whitewash ("all white").
- Try to diversify your gaming portfolio. This will help ensure that no same images are repeatedly onscreen for long periods of time. We know, we know, you might just love to play a certain game for ten hours straight, day in and day out, but play other games and switch between them every few hours and so, for the sake of your plasma TV. Besides, a little of everything in gaming is always sweet.
- Don't leave your console dashboard onscreen and leave it at that. This will surely net you a burn-in. Enable the dashboard screensaver.
- Downloading from the PS3 online store or Xbox Live? Switch to another screen while the download is in progress. This is the same case as with the dashboard screen. If you can't leave the download screen (because the download will be cancelled), just switch to regular TV shows until the download is finished.
- Turn off HUDs if possible. If you're a true blue gamer, you know what HUDs are. For the uninitiated, HUD means "Heads-Up Display", where you get to see important info such as character health, items, ammunition, and so on. Some games give you control over the HUD's opacity, and even if it displays on the screen at all. Some games don't, but minimize the risk of burn-in by changing the HUD's colors or animated textures from time to time. Of course, you can't really pick the games which you'll fall in love with (they'll just suck you in when they want to), so go through your games' options to check if there are any for HUDs.
Gaming Lag in Plasma TVs
Lag. When mentioned alongside gaming, one tends to think "Internet gaming lag", which is different. Let us explain.
Like all other types of HDTVs, plasma TVs have one native resolution, 720p, 1080i, or 1080p. The problem is not all games created for today's gas-burning consoles have resolutions as high as these. Most games range from 480p to 720p. Because of this disparity, your plasma TV needs to "upscale" the resolution of the input (namely, the game). This is where lag occurs.
According to the AV Science Forum:
The average HDTV seems to lag roughly 6 frames, or 1/10th of a second when processing 480i material...Casual gamers probably will not notice a lag this small...The most affected gamers will be those who play ultra-time sensitive games such rhythm games, sports games with swinging/kicking meters, shooters, or fighting games.
To help demystify the problem, IGN called out to its readers to submit feedback on laggy HDTVs. One reader sent in images showing a telling disparity in the Halo 2 game screens, one on a CRT and the other an HDTV (see the article). Though he was using a DLP, the images will impress upon you the severity of lag in some TVs.
Solving Lag
There are many options to eliminate lag, but some of them cost a fortune. You can buy products that upscale/convert the resolution from your games (listed quite extensively at the AV Science forum, see the first post at this thread).
For those still looking out for the right plasma TV to complement their gaming needs, try to buy a model with a Game Mode. This feature will speed up the upscaling process, though not completely eliminate the lag.
However, if you're loyal to plasma TVs when it comes to playing games, consider yourself lucky -- DLP TVs are the worst type for gaming due to their higher lag times.
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