Tripple Screens > One TV. Am I weird?

Alex Ball · Oct 22, 2013

Hey guys,

I just reverted my rig from 3x 23" monitors to 1x 42" TV. I think I am alone in saying that I actually find it just as immersive and 'good'?

The monitor is so big that it's 80% as wide as the tripple screens, but with the extra size overall everything feels a more realistic size - braking markers, dashboads, other cars all feel huge and scary to be near.. it's fun. Also, getting way more FPS is nice!

I think perhaps 3x 32" screens would be about perfect but they're out of budget at the moment.

Anyone else done the backwards switch, or is it just me?

Kevin Ascher · Oct 22, 2013

I use my 37" Bravia and when sitting close to it, it feels great!

Tim Meuris · Oct 22, 2013

been wondering this myself
i talked with a guy who used a big tv as well and said it was much better
still don't know what to do really...

Danny Asbury · Oct 23, 2013

I've heard the delay on a TV can be bad for simracing.

I debated whether or not to go 1 big TV or 3 27" monitors, but what I heard about input lag swayed me to the triple screens. Secondly, I don't know if I could switch back to something with less peripheral vision now.

Lyndon Hughes · Oct 23, 2013

I have just started using a 42" plasma tv after using a single 23" lcd tv and have got to say i love the way everythings bigger im not finding theres any lag but i am finding that the picture is not as good as was on the 23" there seems to be loads of what looks like small squares on the screen some one said its the pixels and its because im sat so close to the screen,im going to upgrade to 3 screens for sure

jimortality · Oct 23, 2013

I've gone the other way. I was playing on a 50 inch plasma and now play on triple screen and I have to say the quality is much better in my opinion on the monitors. I started with one screen and the quality was noticable right away, now with Three and it's great!

Danny Asbury · Oct 23, 2013

Lyndon Hughes said:
I have just started using a 42" plasma tv after using a single 23" lcd tv and have got to say i love the way everythings bigger im not finding theres any lag but i am finding that the picture is not as good as was on the 23" there seems to be loads of what looks like small squares on the screen some one said its the pixels and its because im sat so close to the screen,im going to upgrade to 3 screens for sure

Having started simracing on the console side and as such using a TV, input lag isn't something that's glaring to feel. It's a subtle thing. Makes a small difference. It's why top FPS players are especially fussy about their monitors. But as long as you're not chasing any world-record times, a TV can't hurt too bad.

Kevin Cordice · Oct 23, 2013

Hi,

Well I had triple screen before two 17" and one 22" and that was a great improvement for the single 22" at the time, but I'm a person that like's the realism of sim racing "driving from the cockpit" so with that current setup I felt like I was peeping through a telescope

Now this is roughly my 3yr in sim racing I currently using a 17 screen which sucks of right now.
I think any screen above 24" and upwards is better choice once the screen has a 5 millisecond and lower response time you should be fine, but I to have the same problem in which option to go for from here onward, I love immersion so to add a Track IR would cancel out the need for the other 2 monitors.
My option is a single Projector

This video place a whole new perspective on my take on how to truley enjoy my sim racing

here is a link for more details

To each man his own.

museumsteve · Oct 24, 2013

...I dismantled my 3 screen rig last week and have started building a 'superFOV' setup

Did a bit of testing and think it's gonna be great.

Tom · Oct 24, 2013

I have a 42" LG TV and it works great, so I can understand that pretty well. I've never had the chance to use a 3 screen rig but I doubt it'd be better for me - let alone since that wouldn't fit into my gaming room in addition to the TV.

Tom

Cote Dazur · Oct 26, 2013

I just switched, after reading this thread, from a 32 inch TV to a projector, I used it before from accross the room, like when watching movies, but this time I started seating about 1/2 meter from the screen. Wow! this is great , very immersive.
For example now, instead of moving my eyes to see in the side mirror, I now have to move my head, like IRL, .
It changes everything for me, I feel more like I am seating in the car.
Thank you for this thread, it made my SIM life much better.

Tim Meuris · Oct 26, 2013

For a triple screen setup which 27inch monitor with thin bezels would be the best bang for your buck?

Ghoults · Nov 3, 2013

Danny Asbury said:
Having started simracing on the console side and as such using a TV, input lag isn't something that's glaring to feel. It's a subtle thing. Makes a small difference. It's why top FPS players are especially fussy about their monitors. But as long as you're not chasing any world-record times, a TV can't hurt too bad.

Input lag is definitely something you want to avoid. It is imho not at all about "breaking world records" or about going all the way to some extreme. And it is not a small thing at all if the input lag is bad. Quite the contrary. Input lag can be hugely un-immersing and annoying phenomena. In racing games it makes the car harder to control, it makes it harder to be consistant and as such it makes the driving less fun.

Input lag should be number one priority when buying TV for gaming use because there are lots of good low input TVs out there. Buying a tv with big input lag is just stupid for gaming use. It just is. Sure some people have got used to anything and will say some tv is fine for them despite tests showing the input lag being somewhere around tenths of seconds. But once they try low input lag monitor it will feel like a different sim for them!

As far as monitor requirements go for gaming use there are few things to remember. One is screen size, one is resolution, one is input lag and one is the connections. Input lag is the only one of those that doesn't cost money to get better. All it takes is research.

And there are TVs and then there are TVs. Some TVs have very good and low input lag while others are horrible. I have a 42" lg tv for my console racing an it has really low input lag for tv. But I can still notice the input lag compared to my computer monitor.

No matter what you do I recommend narrowing down your options first by looking at input lag when buying a tv for gaming use.

McM · Nov 5, 2013

Interesting discussion. Since years I think about triple screen or one big LCD. Problem with triple screen are the boarders. Pretty annoying. But I really like the very wide field of view that a big single screen can't provide. I wonder why no one post this. For me that is THE main resaon to decide for a triple screen then for one single screen. In racing games and other games of course it is much more immersive but even more important is the fact that you can see what is going on to your right and left side.

My question: the only chance I have with a single screen is to push up the field of view right? But then the proportions are going wild (and the game has to support this). Any other possibility to see more on your left/right? And is it true that on triple screen you don't need an option to open/widen the field of view, it makes it on their own via driver settings?

THX alot
McM

Ben Tusting · Nov 5, 2013

Having gone from a 40 inch tv to a triple monitor setup. Tripple screens is way the best

Kevin Cordice · Nov 5, 2013

McM said:
Interesting discussion. Since years I think about triple screen or one big LCD. Problem with triple screen are the boarders. Pretty annoying. But I really like the very wide field of view that a big single screen can't provide. I wonder why no one post this. For me that is THE main resaon to decide for a triple screen then for one single screen. In racing games and other games of course it is much more immersive but even more important is the fact that you can see what is going on to your right and left side.

My question: the only chance I have with a single screen is to push up the field of view right? But then the proportions are going wild (and the game has to support this). Any other possibility to see more on your left/right? And is it true that on triple screen you don't need an option to open/widen the field of view, it makes it on their own via driver settings?

THX alot
McM

What size monitors are you using for triple screen?