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42LH40 vs 42LH30-UA For Gaming & Blu-Ray

post #1 of 11
9/16/09 at 11:03am
Thread Starter 
Hello everyone,

First of all, this is my first post on the AVS Forum and I'm glad that there is a great resource like this one. But now to my question:

I am in the market for a first time LCD display, and I play a lot of fast paced shooters on Xbox 360 such as Call of Duty 4 and Halo; I'm also in the market to get a PS3 soon for Blu-Ray, and I'm also a film student and want the best picture when watching HD films.

I have narrowed down the specs of what I need: 42" LCD, 1080P, under 5ms response, 50,0000: 1 or greater, and either 120 hz or 60 hz. This TV must also be purchased at Best Buy because I have a large amount on a gift card there, but can't spend more than $899 overall.

I have heard both good things from searching this forum about the 42LH30-UA (60hz) link and the 42LH40 (120hz) link, but can't decide between the two.

Many people are saying to go with the 42LH40 because the 120hz will make a huge difference, but then I have also heard that 120hz is a gimmick and 60hz will suffice just fine; remember, I have never owned an HD display and don't really have much to base this factor on.

Does anyone out there own either of this models, and if so, what do you think about them? Which set should I go with for fast paced gaming and Blu-Ray? Or...am I going in the wrong direction and should I get a plasma? (I'm worried about burn-in).

Thanks in advance for your help.
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post #2 of 11
9/17/09 at 4:49pm
Thread Starter 
Sorry for the bump, but I'm looking to make a purchase this weekend and really need some opinions. Thanks again!
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post #3 of 11
9/17/09 at 5:11pm
I've been wondering that too. I'm planning to get the 37inch version though.
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post #4 of 11
9/17/09 at 5:49pm
Impressions of the LH30 vs. the LH40.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...highlight=lh30
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post #5 of 11
9/17/09 at 8:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by tokerblue View Post

Impressions of the LH30 vs. the LH40.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...highlight=lh30

Thanks for the link, but I've already read through all that. There really wasn't much a determining factor, except that the LH30 has a little less input lag than the LH40; in this case, so small that there really isn't much of a notice.

I'm just trying to decide if the 120hz is going to be a huge benefit for gaming in this particular case. Thanks again
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post #6 of 11
9/18/09 at 9:36am
Hi Zea - I'm doing research also, but I'm waiting a lot longer than you to buy one...

Two things:
1. Forget the XX,000:1 contrast ratio specs. Those are meaningless and the REAL contrast is almost never listed. It's usually less than 1500:1. I believe only plasmas and CRTs have contrast ratios above 10,000. Just look at the set in person and see if the whites/blacks look OK to you.

2. I don't think 120Hz is a big deal for gaming. From what I can tell, it's benefit would be for film content at 24 frames/second. I think the 240Hz 'feature' is pure gimick/hype and would not pay ANY extra for that...

Hope that helps. I'm also considering LG sets maybe for my first LCD.
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post #7 of 11
9/18/09 at 9:56am
I'm not an expert by any means but I'd get the H40 with the 120hz. Technology is changing so fast and who knows what is on the horizon that will take full advantage of flat panels with 120hz refresh rates.

Figure that you'll have this ew set for another 4 to 6 years before you replace it with something newer or larger, allot of new products could be on their way (PS4, interactive TV etc...) in that time frame. If my 46" Sammy DLP finally died with DMD failure the 47LH40 is on my short list after seeing it at Best Buy last week.

This is one of those new things that may be and look better with 120hz and newer 240hz sets.

Quote:


All 3-D technology relies on the idea that if separate images are presented to the left and right eyes, the human brain will combine them and create the illusion of a third dimension.

TV makers go about this in different ways, though.

Panasonic and Sony, which demonstrated their products for CNN at a recent tech expo in Atlanta, Georgia, use "active glasses" and TVs with high refresh rates to achieve the effect.

Two images, one for the right eye and one for the left eye, alternate quickly on the TV. Shutters on the 3-D glasses swap the viewer's vision from right eye to left eye at the same rate: 120 hertz, or 240 hertz for the images together. The TV connects with the glasses through a sensor that's placed between the lenses on the glasses.
==> http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/18/3...rss_topstories
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post #8 of 11
9/18/09 at 12:05pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks guys, I think I'm going to go out and get the 42LH40. If the new replacement model comes out soon, it won't bother me because the specs on this seem to be good enough to fit my needs.

Also, from what I can tell, the "input lag" is so small that there won't be any way to notice it from gaming.

I'm leaving to Best Buy now for a last minute decision and possible purchase - I'll hopefully post my thoughts after the unboxing. Thanks.
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post #9 of 11
9/18/09 at 4:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JediMaster_Windo View Post

I'm not an expert by any means but I'd get the H40 with the 120hz. Technology is changing so fast and who knows what is on the horizon that will take full advantage of flat panels with 120hz refresh rates.

- None of the current TV's will accept a 120Hz signal. There are also no consumer 120Hz sources, so that point is moot right now.

Quote:
Originally Posted by zea View Post

Thanks guys, I think I'm going to go out and get the 42LH40. If the new replacement model comes out soon, it won't bother me because the specs on this seem to be good enough to fit my needs.

Also, from what I can tell, the "input lag" is so small that there won't be any way to notice it from gaming.

I'm leaving to Best Buy now for a last minute decision and possible purchase - I'll hopefully post my thoughts after the unboxing. Thanks.

- A lot of people don't notice input lag. It's easiest to notice it in fighting games since there are a lot of 1 frame link movies in games like Virtua Fighter and Street Fighter IV. You also may notice it in Rock Band/Guitar Hero, but those games can compensate for input lag. So the TV you buy should be based on what is more important to you. 120Hz refresh rates or slightly faster video processing (input lag).
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post #10 of 11
9/30/09 at 6:57pm
Thread Starter 
Just to let everyone know, I went with the 42LH40. It looks absolutely stunning with my HD receiver and gaming on my Xbox 360. Playing Guitar Hero and fighting games I witness absolutely no input lag.

The 120hz looks brilliant in sports and fast paced shooters. I highly recommend getting this TV - just make sure to calibrate it to your liking first.

Enjoy.
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post #11 of 11
9/30/09 at 7:25pm
Does the size matter as far as input lag? i.e. i'm in the market for the 47 inch, should it be equally good at gaming? really important to me as I'm about 100% online COD.
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