Best TV for Gaming 2011-2012

Input lag, not to be confused with response time, is the difference in the time from when the signal to your device is sent to the TV from when it's actually displayed. Low input lag is most important for FPS-type games where a fraction of a second could mean the difference between life and death. That being said even RPG and strategy gamers are affected by some HDTVs whose input lag can reach well in excess of 100ms!

Reducing Input Lag

Some HDTVs come with a game or PC mode that does reduce their overall input lag by reducing the number of filters that the picture goes through. This trade-off usually comes by sacrificing picture quality but can be well worth it for serious gamers.

While covering this topic goes beyond the scope of this article I do recommend four sites for learning about input lag and gaming on your TV:

1.) AVS Forums - AVS Forums is one of the most respected audio, video, technology forums on the internet. See the input wars entitled thread where participants give you over 100 pages of information on input lag for today's newest televisions as well as how you can run these tests yourself.

2.) Shoryuken Forums - In fighting tournaments input lag can make a huge difference. Shroyuken.com is a well respected forum on the subject matter. Specifically, see their post about sub 1 frame input lag monitors and televisions.

3.) TFT Central - TFT central is adament about reviewing HDTVs and including input lag numbers. It's worth a look if you're looking for a new TV.

4.) HDTV Test - A relatively new site which like TFT Central includes input lag as a standard test in their reviews.

Did you know that a lot of games and most satellite and cable programming can't even be viewed in 1080p? For this reason a 720p is a cheap alternative to some of the pricier 1080p models.

One of the best 720p gaming HDTVs is the Panasonic TC-32LX85 which has performed admirably in input lag tests and is a great all around TV.

Connectivity

With 3 HDMI, 2 Composite video, 1 S-Video, 2 Audio inputs, 1 Component, and an SD Memory card slot Panasonic has made it easy for you to connect to any number of devices which you may have.

Picture

The contrast ratio for this model is 10000:1 Contrast Ratio which is a decent number, but beyond the number the blacks just look deeper than other models I've compared it with.

Availability

This model is not widely available on many sites but if you can find one at a decent price, then I highly recommend it. You should also take a look at its more recent replacement the Panasonic VIERA TC-L32X30 which has an IPS LCD panel.