Monitor setup: 1 large screen <vs> 3 small screens

[Frazer]

What would you go for?

 

Note: I want to go for 3D, or at least have the option to do so.

 

1 large screen (+/- 40 inch with zoomed out cockpit)

Pros

- 3D is in general better on a large screen

- cockpit is more lifelike size

- not a high fps hit

- better to watch TV on (I do also, but doesn't have very high importance)

Cons

- can't see as much as with 3 screens

- resolution is lower, less sharp image

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

3 small screens (+/- 23 inch with normal zoom cockpit)

Pros

- much wider view that gives more immersion

- overall higher resolution, sharper image

- good for photoshop work

Cons

- Bezels between screens (might be annoying and not work very well in 3D?)

- Bigger fps (cpu) hit as you have much more view (object count goes up x3)

Edited February 19, 2011 by Frazer

[walker450]

After using 3 monitors for a few months now, I don't think I could go bakc to one. I have also used a 42" for a month or so too, and it was nice, but nothing like having the added immersion of the peripheral vision gained with extra high horizontal resolutions.

 

However, if you are going to go 3D, i'm nit sure how it would work.

 

PS: The plastic monitor bezels generally come off easily. I myself don't even notice them after flying a little while.

 

 

An another con of multiple-monitors is DCS's poor support for them. Example: Multiplayer menus in Blackshark. (not sure if they have fixed this in A-10C)

[Frazer]

Thanks for your feedback Walker!

What inches are your screens?

[MackTheKnight]

I got a triplehead2go recently and set it up with 3 23" LCD screens. It takes a bit of setting up, especially to get the field of view just right. And some games don't support it. But for flight sims, I can't see ever going back to a single screen. It just adds a whole new level of immersion to the experiance, having some peripheral vision.

 

As for the bezels being a problem, once you get focussed on the sim you don't really notice them at all. Especially if you have bezel compensation enabled. Here's a good read about bezels and gaming with 3 screens, that I think best describes the experiance: http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=8418

 

I tried NVidia surround, but wasn't happy with the way Nvidia has done it. You need at least 2 vid cards to get 3 screens running. 3 vid cards if you want to add a 4th "accessory" display.

 

TH2Go seems to work the best from my experiance. I have 3 bottom screens and one top touch-screen which I"ll eventually use with Helios when I purchase it. Bottom screens are running at 5040 X 1050 with no issues and decent FPS.

 

I'll never go back to 1 screen, that's for certain. :pilotfly:

 

Only downside for me is the amount of space such a setup takes up. Here's a couple pics to give you an idea:

 

 

 

Hope this helps,

Mack

[Sarge55]

I am keeping an eye on this 43" curved screen actually so my vote is a bit of a hybrid. Very pricey right now but dropping (2009 price in link). Doubles nicely for home theater use as well I'd bet.

 

http://hometheater.about.com/b/2009/06/13/nec-debuts-ultra-wide-curved-screen-dlp-monitor.htm

[Frazer]

Thx for the feedback, i'm leaning towards the tripple screen setup. Also because I never have enough space on my desktop, while the rest of my table is empty :D

[BHawthorne]

Just do 5x1P Eyefinity, it's the best of both wide and high pixel count. Significantly more pixel height and width than a 30". Whether you do 3x1L or 5x1P, be prepared to have a 6 foot wide table be taken totally over by the displays. It is a lot of display to deal with.

 

The people who voted 1 large...I'm taking bets you have very little seat time behind a triple display gaming setup.

Edited February 19, 2011 by BHawthorne

[Quirkitized]

I have three 24" LCDs for nvidia surround (2d) running by two gtx 580s in sli and all I will say is that it is amazing. Like others have said, for flight sims it's just pure awesome.

 

edit: if it matters I did hook my pc up to our 46" samsung lcd tv and I still prefer the three wide 24"s...

[Slammin]

I came to a decision point between adding two more 24" @ 1920x1200 or one 30" and I chose the 30" since one huge display is almost like 3D to me and plus I need the screen real estate for work too. I still have the 24" next to it though.

 

I would love triple screen but it will be awhile before I get there since I not only will need two more 30" displays, I'll also need a much bigger desk.

[Deigs]

Triplehead2go in digital edition is around $400

3 X 24" Monitors at $340 each

 

Total outlay is $1420 not including the postage.

 

Or

 

You can buy a 55" LED TV

 

I've been gaming on my samsung LED LCD Series 7 (which was about 2.5K) and it's amazing. Sure the resolution isn't the same as a monitor, but that means that the GFX card won't suffer to much. It's a big Image and looks sweet. Plus with the 2D to 3D inbuilt conversion with the glasses, it creates a greater field to depth with gaming.

[Frazer]

arrrgggg, you guys don't make it easier ;)

[shu77]

Yeah would rather have a larger one with TrackIR I Think

[Frazer]

Yeah would rather have a larger one with TrackIR I Think

Will use Track IR anyway, with one large or 3 smaller screens, doesn't matter ;)

[Deigs]

One handycap I did get with gaming with such a big screen was that you are 2-3 meters away from the screen. You need to mount the Track IR on something about 1.5 meters away from your head, or it won't track (distance to get to see the light/clip). I had a lamp and blu takked the TRack IR to the mast off to the side. Did the trick.

 

Also you don't release how big 55" screens are till they are in the loungeroom. It's like a table top on the wall. The benefit is when I've finished geeking out with DCS, I move my 'gaming chair' and the HOTAS mounts aside and we watch movies on this thing. It's just more versitile then 3 X 24 inch screens in my opinion.

 

Also for a bit of trivia the 7 series 55 inch LED's use 90 dollars worth of electricity each year if they were on for 10 hrs a day (in Australia). How much electricity would 3 monitors plus your TH2Go use?

Edited February 20, 2011 by Deigs

[walker450]

I'm running a 23" widescreen in the middle with two 19" standard aspects on the sides. This is only because I already had them "laying around". :)

 

If I was going to be purchasing new ones, I would lean towards 3 24" widescreens. Callsign-vega has one of the nicest setups I've seen.

[DayGlow]

I went from a 32" LCD to 3x24" and won't go back. Not only for flight sims, but driving as well is just amazing on a 6' ultra wide screen. Benzels aren't a huge issue as the side monitors are in your peripheral when looking in he middle.

 

If you go portrait I'd reconmend 30" 16:10 screens. I've ran mine in portrait, but as they are 24" 16:9 screens I found them too narrow to be immersive.

 

As for cost, I got 3 Benq LED LCD's for $200 each, so $600 on total, which is competive with a single large format LCD. I already had an Ati video card to drive the monitors.

[BHawthorne]

Triplehead2go in digital edition is around $400

3 X 24" Monitors at $340 each

 

Total outlay is $1420 not including the postage.

 

Or

 

You can buy a 55" LED TV

 

I've been gaming on my samsung LED LCD Series 7 (which was about 2.5K) and it's amazing. Sure the resolution isn't the same as a monitor, but that means that the GFX card won't suffer to much. It's a big Image and looks sweet. Plus with the 2D to 3D inbuilt conversion with the glasses, it creates a greater field to depth with gaming.

 

Yor prices are way out of whack. Any modern video card setup doesn't need a $240 TH2G, and 1080p screens are around $200 each. You can do triple head for around $650 total -- sometimes even cheaper if you want to go 22". The Samsung 245BW 1920x1200's I use in my 5x1P Eyefinity setup can be purchased for $230 each.

Edited February 21, 2011 by BHawthorne

[Frazer]

Yor prices are way out of whack. Any modern video card setup doesn't need a $240 TH2G, and 1080p screens are around $200 each. You can do triple head for around $650 total -- sometimes even cheaper if you want to go 22". The Samsung 245BW 1920x1200's I use in my 5x1P Eyefinity setup can be purchased for $230 each.

 

Not if you want to have the 3D option aswell ;)

[jerda]

why dont you use triple 40"+ monitors?

[Succellus]

Well it depends... In the long run i m more or less in the same situation.

1 big screen + my actuall 22" for Helios + Cougar MFD ?

Or triple head.

If you go triple head you wont have the gauges and instrument in another monitor maybe until you invest in a third card.

 

But if you go 3h2g you ll get a wider view which is better for SA, track ir or no Track ir.

 

Well i don t even wanna know the final price if you go 3d... price will soar. First of all you should seek if it works before going 3h2g+ 3d. And the juice bill.

 

As i am on Budget i probably will go some around 30 led/LCD + 22 for instruments as i already have the MFD.

 

I didn t vote as i have no experience, just my 2 cents to beconsidered.

Edited February 22, 2011 by Succellus

[fangav]

I'm running 2 x 19" lcd side's and a 24" lcd center, with softTH freeware for gaming screen's and a 15" crt for other stuff, skype, TS3, etc

Forget the bezel issue, they just disappear as the immersion grabs you.

The biggest up is the peripheral you gain, I now spend a lot more time looking out of the cockpit scanning for targets and air threats and not at the VSI , alt or other gauges because I know this information instinctively.

Ive gone from 120 deg to 240 deg viewing.

 

love it, can't go back to one screen.

[RAF74_Raptor]

You know I have been up in the air on this one. However I just switched from a 40" HDTV back to my 3 23"in setup and I have to say I think I am liking my triplescreen setup so much better. I never could get the color quite right on my TV for the computer.

[Succellus]

You know I have been up in the air on this one. However I just switched from a 40" HDTV back to my 3 23"in setup and I have to say I think I am liking my triplescreen setup so much better. I never could get the color quite right on my TV for the computer.

 

You use them wide ? Or use them "up" vertical ?

[miguelaco]

I've voted for one large screen. There is a single fact that prevent me to judge 3 monitors as an ideal solution: 16:9 sucks for gaming. 16:10 is good but those screens are just expensive on their own. As said 3 16:9 monitors gives you great peripheral fov, but vertical fov is bad. You can put screens in portrait mode, but bezels actually get in the way. Of course, you can minimize this by adding more screens vertically, but price goes up as fps goes down.

[DayGlow]

A single large LCD will still be 16:9 so you'll still have the same vertical fov as a smaller LCD. A 3 screen setup means the horizontal fov will be greater, but the vertical fov will be the same. My cockpit of the A-10 is the same on the center screen as it would be on a single LCD setup, no loss of vertical fov.