Hey All, What picture settings and features are still available when Game Mode is enabled on the '09 Samsung plasmas, and can you produce just as good of a picture in game mode as you can without it?

I recently read that the Samsung B650 (and presumably their other '09 plasmas as well) have around 100ms input lag with game mode disabled, but a totally reasonable 30ms when you enable game mode. I am considering a Samsung plasma against the Panasonics (who naturally only have 25ms - no game mode required), but I'm afraid I'd have to run it in game mode all of the time due to the lag. I'm coming from an LCD, and one of the issues I'm trying to put behind me is severe input lag (130-150ms), so if I can't get a great picture in game mode then unfortunately Samsung would be out of the running for me.

I wanted to avoid starting a new thread by trying to get a response in the owner forums, but didn't get any replies. Thanks in advance.

Someone, please?

just give it some more time. i'm sure some samsung fanboys will come and answer.

Bump. I tried to figure this out myself by going to the store and fiddling in the menu, but the set I was playing with only had an OTA signal (game mode can't be enabled in that case).

game mode only allows you to use the "standard" picture mode. standard mode locks the color temp at normal or cool, which is nowhere near an accurate picture. Movie mode with the color temp at Warm 2 puts the tv closest to 6500k.

i do all my game playing with game mode off and have never had an issue with lag. i'm not going to sacrifice picture quality for a few ms less lag when i never had a problem to begin with. i highly doubt there is 100ms of lag with the 09 samsung plasmas. 100ms is a tenth of a second, i highly doubt it's that bad. where did you read that?

mcjasonb, thank you for the response. Doesn't a "warm" color temp mode always result in yellow whites? I know for almost every set reviewed, the warm color temps are said to have the best greyscale, but I never understand how yellow whites can be considered "accurate". Can you access the "advanced settings" picture menu in game mode, complete with white balance and color space calibration? The ability to disable dynamic contrast, black tone, and edge enhancement? Gamma control? Thanks again.

i do all my game playing with game mode off and have never had an issue with lag. i'm not going to sacrifice picture quality for a few ms less lag when i never had a problem to begin with. i highly doubt there is 100ms of lag with the 09 samsung plasmas. 100ms is a tenth of a second, i highly doubt it's that bad. where did you read that?
Input lag test results for the B650 can be found here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=17306161&postcount=36), with similar numbers (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=17561249&postcount=1804) found on the B850/B860 using the "guitar hero" test.

While my questions aren't getting answers, I thought of another question in regards to game mode on the Samsung '09 plasmas: since game mode essentially bypasses one or two of the television's processors, is there a loss of picture quality or motion resolution? I understand that the "standard" picture mode you're locked to in game mode isn't as good as "movie" mode, but beyond that is there further picture degradation?

While my questions aren't getting answers, I thought of another question in regards to game mode on the Samsung '09 plasmas: since game mode essentially bypasses one or two of the television's processors, is there a loss of picture quality or motion resolution? I understand that the "standard" picture mode you're locked to in game mode isn't as good as "movie" mode, but beyond that is there further picture degradation?

Just forget about gaming on a plasma, unless you like HUDs burned into your screen. If you were to game on a plasma it better be Panasonic, since they have decent burn-in tech.

Just forget about gaming on a plasma, unless you like HUDs burned into your screen.

That's ridiculous. As a gamer, you should know that screens are changing constantly when you're playing. HUD's are never on the screen the whole time you are gaming. For example, online COD4 and MW2, you go back to the lobby after each match, essentially resetting the screen. When playing campaign, there are story breaks and breaks in the screen if you die. All of which refresh the screen and remove the HUD. You, sir, are really paranoid.

Nah, he's just a troll here to stir things up.

Just forget about gaming on a plasma, unless you like HUDs burned into your screen. If you were to game on a plasma it better be Panasonic, since they have decent burn-in tech.

Really, I own a Samsung plasma, that gets used a lot for gaming. The set is a year old and I will admit that I have had temporary IR, it always went away very quickly. You just never broke in your set. You probably just plugged it in and played MW2 in torch mode (contrast set to 90-100?)with a brand new set. Please tell me I am wrong...and I will stand corrected.

Really, I own a Samsung plasma, that gets used a lot for gaming. The set is a year old and I will admit that I have had temporary IR, it always went away very quickly. You just never broke in your set. You probably just plugged it in and played MW2 in torch mode (contrast set to 90-100?)with a brand new set. Please tell me I am wrong...and I will stand corrected.

Yea so what. I bought it 2 days ago, and first thing I did right out of the box was play Modern Warfare 2 till I beat it, and then played online after. I payed $2000 for this tv, and instantly it was burned in after one gaming session! This is unacceptable!, I"m taking it back for an LCD, plasma tech is pathetic that you have to deal with this for the amount I payed...

Yea so what. I bought it 2 days ago, and first thing I did right out of the box was play Modern Warfare 2 till I beat it, and then played online after. I payed $2000 for this tv, and instantly it was burned in after one gaming session! This is unacceptable!, I"m taking it back for an LCD, plasma tech is pathetic that you have to deal with this for the amount I payed...

All I am saying is that you should have done a little more research on the technology before making your purchase. There is a wealth of information on this, and other tech forums about plasma break in. A broken in plasma is hands down a better tv for gaming than lcd. Many people here will attest to that.

All I am saying is that you should have done a little more research on the technology before making your purchase. There is a wealth of information on this, and other tech forums about plasma break in. A broken in plasma is hands down a better tv for gaming than lcd. Many people here will attest to that.

He was warned in a previous thread that if he planned to game nonstop out of the box, that he should take precautions and run some burn-in protocols. Based on his previous post, he ignored all advice and went straight into non-stop gaming. I have no remorse.

mcjasonb, thank you for the response. Doesn't a "warm" color temp mode always result in yellow whites? I know for almost every set reviewed, the warm color temps are said to have the best greyscale, but I never understand how yellow whites can be considered "accurate". Can you access the "advanced settings" picture menu in game mode, complete with white balance and color space calibration? The ability to disable dynamic contrast, black tone, and edge enhancement? Gamma control? Thanks again.


Input lag test results for the B650 can be found here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=17306161&postcount=36), with similar numbers (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=17561249&postcount=1804) found on the B850/B860 using the "guitar hero" test.


I've got a 50B550 that I game on. I usually put it on game mode, but I will forget and honestly don't notice any difference. This is with NBA 2k10, fifa 10, madden 10, but no guitar hero. I think I'm going to leave game mode off because the picture looks so much better with movie mode, warm 2, etc.

In regards to Warm or Warm2 making whites yellow, it doesn't happen. You may think it does when you switch between cool and warm, but after you get used to it, it is much better. I watch sports (hockey included), shows and movies on the TV and warm2 is definitely what you want. The whites are white and colors look very natural. After a while, if you change it back to Natural or Cool, everything will look blue.

I wasn't convinced before I got this TV about warm color temp, but it works.

I've got a 50B550 that I game on. I usually put it on game mode, but I will forget and honestly don't notice any difference. This is with NBA 2k10, fifa 10, madden 10, but no guitar hero. I think I'm going to leave game mode off because the picture looks so much better with movie mode, warm 2, etc.

In regards to Warm or Warm2 making whites yellow, it doesn't happen. You may think it does when you switch between cool and warm, but after you get used to it, it is much better. I watch sports (hockey included), shows and movies on the TV and warm2 is definitely what you want. The whites are white and colors look very natural. After a while, if you change it back to Natural or Cool, everything will look blue.

I was convinced before I got this TV about warm color temp, but it works.
Thanks emiller1181, I appreciate your input. Since you have one of the '09 Samsungs, could I ask you to take a moment to go into the menu and let me know which picture options are greyed out when game mode is enabled? This is a big deal for me as one of the reasons I want to get away from an LCD is the severe input lag without game mode enabled (which cripples the picture controls).

Thanks emiller1181, I appreciate your input. Since you have one of the '09 Samsungs, could I ask you to take a moment to go into the menu and let me know which picture options are greyed out when game mode is enabled? This is a big deal for me as one of the reasons I want to get away from an LCD is the severe input lag without game mode enabled (which cripples the picture controls).


I'm at work now, I will definitely do that for you this evening.

Really, I own a Samsung plasma, that gets used a lot for gaming. The set is a year old and I will admit that I have had temporary IR, it always went away very quickly. You just never broke in your set. You probably just plugged it in and played MW2 in torch mode (contrast set to 90-100?)with a brand new set. Please tell me I am wrong...and I will stand corrected.

Yea so what. I bought it 2 days ago, and first thing I did right out of the box was play Modern Warfare 2 till I beat it, and then played online after. I payed $2000 for this tv, and instantly it was burned in after one gaming session! This is unacceptable!, I"m taking it back for an LCD, plasma tech is pathetic that you have to deal with this for the amount I payed...

You seriously played in torch mode for that amount of time? If you don't care about image quality, you'd be better off with a chinese brand LCD, since that's about the same quality as you were playing in.

I'm highly doubting you know the difference between image retention and burn-in, as well. What you have is most likely image retention, not burn-in, and is to be expected, especially after long gaming sessions.

Really, I own a Samsung plasma, that gets used a lot for gaming. The set is a year old and I will admit that I have had temporary IR, it always went away very quickly. You just never broke in your set. You probably just plugged it in and played MW2 in torch mode (contrast set to 90-100?)with a brand new set. Please tell me I am wrong...and I will stand corrected.

Yea so what. I bought it 2 days ago, and first thing I did right out of the box was play Modern Warfare 2 till I beat it, and then played online after. I payed $2000 for this tv, and instantly it was burned in after one gaming session! This is unacceptable!, I"m taking it back for an LCD, plasma tech is pathetic that you have to deal with this for the amount I payed...

it's pathetic what you did. haven't you been reading this forum or are you here to troll?

Thanks emiller1181, I appreciate your input. Since you have one of the '09 Samsungs, could I ask you to take a moment to go into the menu and let me know which picture options are greyed out when game mode is enabled? This is a big deal for me as one of the reasons I want to get away from an LCD is the severe input lag without game mode enabled (which cripples the picture controls).



With game mode disabled you can't change the video mode away from standard and you can only have color temp at cool or neutral.

I haven't tried to use the AVIA video calibration with it on standard yet. Games still look really good on the TV, it just takes a few minutes to get used to the color.

With game mode disabled you can't change the video mode away from standard and you can only have color temp at cool or neutral.

I haven't tried to use the AVIA video calibration with it on standard yet. Games still look really good on the TV, it just takes a few minutes to get used to the color.
Thanks, emiller1181. Can you still get into the advanced picture settings menu to disable edge enhancement, black tone, and dynamic contrast? What about adjusting gamma, color space and white balance? Thanks again.

Thanks, emiller1181. Can you still get into the advanced picture settings menu to disable edge enhancement, black tone, and dynamic contrast? What about adjusting gamma, color space and white balance? Thanks again.


Everything I didn't mention looked available, but I didn't go to each setting.

Gamma and color space can be changed and I'm pretty sure white balance can be changed.

You can get into the advanced picture settings, but I didn't try to change anything. I'll try to let you know tonight if someone else doesn't chime in.

it's pathetic what you did. haven't you been reading this forum or are you here to troll?

It is possible that he just isn't proficient in reading. For sure he didn't learn how to write.

Everything I didn't mention looked available, but I didn't go to each setting.

Gamma and color space can be changed and I'm pretty sure white balance can be changed.

You can get into the advanced picture settings, but I didn't try to change anything. I'll try to let you know tonight if someone else doesn't chime in.
Thanks again. Sounds very similar to game mode on Samsung's LCD models, with the exception of course that you presumably don't lose any motion resolution with game mode enabled, the way you do on the LCDs.

It is possible that he just isn't proficient in reading. For sure he didn't learn how to write.


He's probably just some kid who hooked his game up to his parents new Plasma and went to town on it. Then freaked when he saw the Image retention.....