PC gaming on TV?

92hatchattack · Feb 18, 2017

Hello all!

I am currently knee deep into my research on the pursuit of my first PC gaming rig! Now, I am at heart a console gamer. I like to sit on the couch and enjoy my games that way. Well, most of them.

Let me cut the the chase with exactly what I am hoping to do. My goal is build a rig that will let me play in 4k at a decent frame rate. I would love to be able to play regular type RPG's or story based games in 4k at 45+ fps, all from the comfort of my couch....and then when playing a twitch shooter I would play on a 1440p 27" display with an much FPS as possible. Sounds great right?

Question is, is this a reality? Will this work out as nicely as I hope? What kind of issues am I going to run into playing on a TV? I just don't know much about it and I'm hoping some of you can shed some light on the topic.

The TV that I currently have my eye on is the Samsung ks8000 series.

Thanks!

---Joe

jossrik · Feb 18, 2017

I have a Samsung 55in 4k 6950 as my main monitor and I love it. April I'm gonna get the 1440p144hz monitor though. Right now I can tell ya I've been gaming on televisions for as long as I can remember, since my first LCD screen. Here's the high and the low. Some TVs have too much input lag. I will never buy another sharp TV for a monitor, hated it all of the 2 days I tried my best to make it work. From what I hear, LGs OLEDs have the lowest input lag, magnitudes less than a non OLED TV. The better TVs have game modes or PC modes that help the lag tremendously, and really, if you're not twitch gaming, the experience can be pretty good. Try to buy from somewhere you can take it back if you don't like it and keep in mind, you might try out three or four TVs until you find the "right" one for you. Originally I gamed on a 42in Polaroid 1080p that would only be clear at 1024x728, so that's what I played at, retired that one for a 39in 1080p, I don't remember the name, but I got it for a song at Tigerdirect Black Fri. That one played at 1080 and was fantastic. Then I got a 49in 1080, again, don't remember the name, but it was decent enough that I didn't immediately trade it in. Then a 49in 4k Scepter (WalMart Brand), from where I sit I could see the pixels and the space between, if I didn't pay attention to that, it was pretty decent. Then I upped to a 55in Sharp, terrible, took it back got the Samsung, and now I'm happy again. The Samsung has the best picture out of the four 4k TVs I've owned. Make sure your video card is up to the challenge. HDMI 2.0 is a must on both the TV and the video card/TV output. Upscaling is pretty decent on videos, and games @4k look great.

4745454b · Feb 18, 2017

The biggest issue I can think of is setting your primary display, though I think you can just tell your drivers to mirror the primary on your TV. Basically games run on the primary display. You can extend your display to other monitors but games will launch on the primary one. If you are only running the two screens then set the 4K TV to mirror, not extend, the primary one. What happens on your 1440 screen will be mirrored to your TV so no problems. If you are running more than one monitor and you can't figure out how to mirror the TV then you'll need to assign the TV as the primary monitor whenever you want to play on it. Not a big deal though it might get annoying after awhile.

You'll need something beefy to play games at 4K. Think 1070 at least, 1080 will handle more games better. i5 7600, or the i7 7700 will do as the CPU, One of the new 2xx motherboards, and 16GBs of ram will round out the rest of the PC. Adjust the parts down as budget allows.

92hatchattack · Feb 18, 2017

That's good to hear! I dont think I'll ever be able to fully give up couch gaming.

As far as the graphics card goes I'll cross that boat when I get to it. I'll most likely start with a single 1080 when I do my build in the fall and go sli 1080 when I do tax returns next year. My buils is a long way off so I am just gathering info and learning as much as I can.

4745454b · Feb 18, 2017

Input lag is a consideration. I don't game on TVs so it's something I forget about. But it's my understanding many TVs have a "gaming mode" or something called something similar which is supposed to cut down on input lag. Samsung makes some of the best TVs out there, but before you buy that ks8000 you might want to look into input lag.

Are you going to be running wireless keyboard and mouse? They make remotes for your PC, you might want to look into one of those as well.

92hatchattack · Feb 18, 2017

If I'm playing something like Tomb Raider or a similar game on the couch I would probably just hook up my PS4 or Xbox controller to the PC. But eventually I guess I'll have to get used a mouse and keyboard.

As Far as the input lag goes I think the ks8000 is 21ms in game mode. Pretty respectable for a tv.

jossrik · Feb 19, 2017

Actually, Keyboard and mousey from the couch may be a no go, you'll have to up the size of everything in windows to be able to read from the couch... Depends on how far away your couch is. My parents use a 65in 1080p TV as their main monitor and they have an easy chair off to the side a little maybe 7 or 8 feet away and you can read pretty easily, but their couch which is probably 18 feet away most things are too small to read, but great for some one sitting in the chair sharing pictures of youtube videos.

junkeymonkey · Feb 19, 2017

I use this one I linked here

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-3336894/gaming.html

no complaints well satisfied with it

4745454b · Feb 19, 2017

The suggestion of a keyboard/mouse is my bad. I forgot he said he would be playing with a controller. I'm a K/M person and nearly never use a controller. If I played on my TV, I'd have to use a K/M because I don't like using controllers. If he means to play with a controller then never mind, my bad.

junkeymonkey · Feb 20, 2017

these maybe of interest as well

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sceptre-40-4K-Ultra-HD-LED-TV-2160p-60Hz-U405CV-U/54947077

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sceptre-U505CV-U-49-4K-Ultra-HD-2160p-60Hz-LED-HDTV-4K-x-2K/46784936

seeing how well this 1080p from them works I would give them good consideration and not crazy priced and good reviews from folks that use them for a monitor

thing is like said here

'' where it really shines is as a 4k/60 HZ computer monitor if it is fed a HDMI 2 output (no display port, but I use a display port to HDMI 2 dongle that can do 60 HZ ... the 1st gen HDMI 1 that can only go up to 4k/30 HZ) '

that's where some have issue cause they don't get that part of things using them

4745454b · Feb 20, 2017

IDK. If you can get a Samsung, I'd get that. If the budget allows for it there is usually no reason to avoid Samsung.

junkeymonkey · Feb 21, 2017

how bout this one ?/

https://www.cnet.com/news/samsungs-warning-our-smart-tvs-record-your-living-room-chatter/

4745454b · Feb 21, 2017

What about it? Not every TV has a mic or webcam. Millions of people have Xbox One/PS4 and they do the same thing.

In terms of picture quality Samsung is among the best. Period. Anyone suggesting otherwise is lying or doesn't know what they are talking about. It's like saying Apple makes bad phones. Apple makes great phones (and I'll never own one.), Samsung makes great TVs, Seasonic makes great PSUs. There may be flaws in certain products and there may be legit reasons to not own them, but they are great units. Period.

jossrik · Feb 21, 2017

I had the Scepter and it's now in my parents bedroom over at their house. The Samsung I bought was a display model and the picture quality is way way higher than the Scepter. The Scepter gets the job done though. 4k@60Hz. If you can afford the Sammy, get that. Right now LG has the best picture for 4k, but only on their OLED lineup. Their LED models are very close to Samsung in picture quality, but Samsung has the better processors, and that's the biggest difference in most TVs. There are only a handful of panel manufacturers. Some of the cheaper TVs might be the same panel as the more expensive TVs, what you're paying for is that little chip+mem that controls the TV at the most basic lvl. Upscales resolutions, actually puts the picture on the screen etc.

4745454b · Feb 21, 2017

My issue with house/lower brand TVs is they might be the same panel, but a lower grade. Samsung uses the best grade panels in their stuff and it shows. LG and Sony are probably the only other companies I can think of that even get close.

Scepter isn't bad and should be considered if that's what the budget allows. But if you can get the Samsung, why not?

junkeymonkey · Feb 22, 2017

'Scepter is the 3ed manufacture of panels use in displays them units you talk about got a 1 in 3 chance it uses a Scepter display / parts anyway

may look in to them a bit closer

http://www.sceptre.com/profiles.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sceptre_Incorporated

not to say there the greatest but can say well pleased with this unit and as pleased as with my sharp 46'' and any regular pc monitor I use its now the primary monitor I use all day over the rest and have yet to use it for the tv side of things ..

anyway good luck

4745454b · Feb 22, 2017

Scepter isn't bad and should be considered if that's what the budget allows.

No body said they were bad. I get the feeling we are getting off track from helping the OP. Lets move on seeing as there is no disagreement ok?

PC gaming on TV?

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