What's the best Display? TV vs. Monitor

N

Nick Jones

  • Nick Jones

Hi all,

I'm just wondering what people's thoughts are on the best display for sim racing?

Currently I'm using a 32inch LCD TV with a resolution of 1376 x 768. It's great having a big screen but I find I have to drive in hood view as it seems there just isn't enough resolution for cockpit view. I've previously owned a Dell 24inch monitor that had a resolution of 1920 x 1200 and wonder if this sort of display would be better for driving in cockpit view?

I've recently spotted this monitor that is 23 inches and has a resolution of 2048 x 1152 and a true 16:9 aspect ratio. It's a great price but I wonder if the resolution would be supported properly by Gtr Evo and other race sims? Also at this price I think this monitor would be the most cost effective solution if I ever was in a position to upgrade to a triple monitor setup.

So to summarise, what's best, big screen or higher resolution?

Thanks.

p.s. I have a 4870x2 so I'm not put off by the higher resolutions.
 
  • Mikkow

That depends on how FAR AWAY you are sitting from the screen. The big screen could end up being smaller if you put it a meter further away than you'd sit from your monitor.

Personally, I don't think resolution is very important for racing games. I'd rather have better sense of scale (sit close to big screen) as well as sense of speed due to peripheral vision.
 
Id wholely recommend Triplehead if you can do it. The extra immersion you get from having peripheral vision is amazing. The mirrors are much bigger and a whole lot more usefull, as is being able to properly see both wings so you can apex equally well on both handed corners without the guess work that you normally need on the offside.
 
My triplehead is not big, the size of it isn't the main attraction it is the extra field of view that is achieved by racing 12:3 instead of 4:3 that does it for me :) with widescreen monitors it would be even better. Id love to have bigger screens with it though, that would just be more intense.
 
Hi all,

I'm just wondering what people's thoughts are on the best display for sim racing?

Currently I'm using a 32inch LCD TV with a resolution of 1376 x 768. It's great having a big screen but I find I have to drive in hood view as it seems there just isn't enough resolution for cockpit view. I've previously owned a Dell 24inch monitor that had a resolution of 1920 x 1200 and wonder if this sort of display would be better for driving in cockpit view?

I've recently spotted this monitor that is 23 inches and has a resolution of 2048 x 1152 and a true 16:9 aspect ratio. It's a great price but I wonder if the resolution would be supported properly by Gtr Evo and other race sims? Also at this price I think this monitor would be the most cost effective solution if I ever was in a position to upgrade to a triple monitor setup.

So to summarise, what's best, big screen or higher resolution?

Thanks.

p.s. I have a 4870x2 so I'm not put off by the higher resolutions.

I have that exact monitor. I upgraded from a 20" Samsung widescreen, which was the best monitor I ever had. I love the new one, Race looks amazing on it and with a 4870x2 you can have (other components permitting) 32 AA, 16AF and every thing maxxed.

I have an e8600, 4Gb DDR3, 2x 4870 in CF mode and RAID..... Everything is maxxed out and still hitting 100 fps.

Higher resolution is always better because fancy effects like AA are to get round a monitor with a low res.. So all that that does is generate a massive render and then scale it to the monitor.

So for higher resolution, less scalling and it still looks amazing with good FPS..

My flatmate has a28" monitor that has a lower native res and it looks good, but it doesnt have the class of that Samsung..

Anyways, rant over, I would go for it, hi res monitor that is not overkill, like 28" but is still fancy ienough to impress... like that 23" Samsung model.
 
  • Matt Crouch

Higher resolution is always better because fancy effects like AA are to get round a monitor with a low res.. So all that that does is generate a massive render and then scale it to the monitor.

not quite that simple :p. As it's a 3d scene the gfx card can work out the anti-aliasing for each object using a more complex algorithm that accounts for other objects behind / opacity etc.

I used my 19" monitor temporarily, with only 1440x900 resolution though, but I found that the smaller size felt much less immersive than my 32" 1360x768 tv... obviously you're talking about a bigger monitor with a higher res which would probably be a better trade off...

Using the control panel to add maximum AA definitely helped in some aspects, although it is still more jaggy than it would be at a higher res, probably more noticeable because of the close distance / size as much as anything
 
  • leahcim

but I find I have to drive in hood view as it seems there just isn't enough resolution for cockpit view. I've previously owned a Dell 24inch monitor that had a resolution of 1920 x 1200 and wonder if this sort of display would be better for driving in cockpit view?

Size is probably more key, as is distance than resolution. (plus the further away, the less resolution matters)

I play Forza 2 sitting close to a 42" plasma, using hood view, I'd say it was about right.

Cockpit view in race 07 seems more like back seat of the car view to me anyway and on a 22" 1680x1050 monitor it takes up too much screen space unless I stick my face 6" from the screen (and then I realise it seems I now need glasses for close up :) )
 
Had a 22" tft monitor before but give it away and bought a 40" full hd tv.
I think i made a misstake taking the 40" dont think it "flows" just as good as the monitor did, so my advise is to go for a bigger monitor like 24" or something like that.
 
I am perhaps the only person with this problem, but I have difficulty with high speed corners if the monitor's refresh rate is low. So I don't use my LCD TV. Instead I play on my CRT at a rather low res with high frame and refresh rates, driving with the cockpit view. I used to drive with the hood/nose cam views, but I couldn't tell what was going on with the car at corners with elevation changes.
 
  • Nick Jones

Triple-head... Now there's an idea! :p

Ive looked into the triple head, it looks really good, just cant quite justify the cost. I found that the optimal screen resolution for the triple head digital is to use 3 X 1440x900 monitors. These tend to be 19inch displays which have really come down in price, Infact you can buy the 3 monitors for less than the triple head digital. Still the cost is too high for me at the moment and I would have to adapt my chassis to mount the screens properly.

I think Im going to have to wait for some company to make a Virtual Reality headset....... Now there's a real idea!!!!........lol.:laugh2:

thanks to everyone for all your feedback.
 
less immersive is true, but 23" is a good size.. Plus with larger sizes its harder to double them up... only the rich and famous have room for 2x32" monitors..

My flatmates monitor is good, but he has lots set to a low level, including contrast and brightness.. or he would go cross eyed!

I think if you go for something with good specs and its a monitor or a TV, it will be good.. but not a combo. If you go tripple head? 3x23" Samsungs would rock.

Still remember, you are the end user, it should siut you, I always find a quick visit to Currys allways helps too

not quite that simple :p. As it's a 3d scene the gfx card can work out the anti-aliasing for each object using a more complex algorithm that accounts for other objects behind / opacity etc.

I used my 19" monitor temporarily, with only 1440x900 resolution though, but I found that the smaller size felt much less immersive than my 32" 1360x768 tv... obviously you're talking about a bigger monitor with a higher res which would probably be a better trade off...

Using the control panel to add maximum AA definitely helped in some aspects, although it is still more jaggy than it would be at a higher res, probably more noticeable because of the close distance / size as much as anything
 
id like a triple-head, but the 3 lines going down the screens where the monitors meet would be very off putting.

You dont see them,. too busy driving.

Ive looked into the triple head, it looks really good, just cant quite justify the cost. I found that the optimal screen resolution for the triple head digital is to use 3 X 1440x900 monitors. These tend to be 19inch displays which have really come down in price, Infact you can buy the 3 monitors for less than the triple head digital. Still the cost is too high for me at the moment and I would have to adapt my chassis to mount the screens properly.

I think Im going to have to wait for some company to make a Virtual Reality headset....... Now there's a real idea!!!!........lol.:laugh2:

thanks to everyone for all your feedback.

I'm using the Softh software atm, so it cost me 1 monitor as I used dual view already. You need one extra gfx card if you don't have 2 to be a frame buffer only to the third screen. I use my onboard one for that. itsonly a 7050 but does the job fine.

http://www.kegetys.net/SoftTH/
 

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