Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

[The Fugitive]

 I'm thinking of either getting 2 more monitors to make a triple set-up, or getting a 32" tv/monitor to replace the 24" monitor I have now.

I do have TrackIR, but don't use it much as I have a hard enough time aiming with out it. Add in not being centered up with the TrackIR on really adds up the assists.

On top of this I'm getting old and where glasses, and my eye site isn't getting better.

So my question is which way do YOU think it would work better? 3 24" screens or a a single 32" 1080p screen. Will it be a waste having 3 screens and using "snap view" in the game? Pros, Cons?

Thanks

[Max]

I'm in the same boat with respect to aging eyeballs.

I've seen the triple screen set-up at one of the Cons...I found it somewhat distracting, trying to keep focused on all 3 screens at the same time (was watching from behind; not playing) I can't recall if the player was using TrackIR or not.

At the same Con, I watched a few guys using TrackIR and found it easier to keep the nme in sight vs using a hat switch. Again, I was watching; not playing.

Why don't you use TrackIR?

I guess if it were me, I'd like to try a 32" hi res monitor along with TrackIR.

Dunno if that helps but that's my two cents 

[Bizman]

If your only consideration is about aging eyes, then a tv/monitor is the way to go. With the same load to the GPU they show bigger dots, no matter whether you're talking about 27" or 52" as long as we're talking about FullHD.

Triple monitors don't make things larger on the screen, they just give a wider field of view. The same applies to large monitors with a resolution higher than HD. Of course, if you can afford the Panasonic TH-152UX1 3D Plasma Display you'd get both. I doubt current GPU's can't run the 4K2K monster with full eye candy, though...

Nine times the area of a 50 inch and a quadruplicated amount of pixels means the FOW is wide and the dots are big - and the price being over $500,000 is a little too much for my wallet. But hey, we only live here once, so why not take a loan. After all, it's only 7 cents a pixel...

[The Fugitive]

Why don't you use TrackIR?

At first it was an issue with too much light in my computer room. I've solved that and moved on trying a bunch of different setup ( think I have 10 setups from people posted here on the boards). I have a couple that I like, and you can see better as in it is much easier to follow a con through the views. Hiding behind a cockpit bar isn't possible with it, just a little twitch of the head and your looking around that bar. So as a unit it is much better than a hat switch. It takes me a week or so to build up the speed to come close to how fast I can scan with my hat switch.

The problem crops up when your aiming. Some people add a button press to negate the TrackIR and use a stored view, others add deadband so that when you are in the "forward view" it almost "snaps" to a centered position. I've tried both ways and the extra button push is a P.I.T.A. to me as I rarely use a zoomed view even. The centering setup with the deadband is better, but I haven't perfected the settings yet.

So with my poor aim as it is I was fighting the TrackIR on top of trying to figure my aim so decided to hold off on the TrackIR until I get a better grasp on my aim.

[guncrasher]

fugitive with trakir on "pause" then a quick press of the hat view to see sideways it will center your view to it's default "hat" position.  that's what i do, takes a while but you get used to it.

midway

[Gman]

It's a tough call Fugi, one I just made recently as well.  I was either going to get one of the new hi rez 2560x1440 27", or 3 monitor setup.  After reading that the 2560x res monitors don't perform that great with games in mind, I went with the 3 screen setup, and got 2 matching 23.5" Asus LED cheap-o's that match the current cheap-o I had.  They were on sale as a bundle, two for 259$, which was about 100$ off.  I'm not sorry I went this way at all, but I'm in your boat as well regarding TrackIR.

I can't decide if I should switch to it.  I really would like it with DCS stuff I think, but AH I'm not so sure.  Shooting is my concern, like yours, and if there is a button you can program to completely turn off the TrackIR system and revert to normal front view instantly, I would do that (semp, maybe you can clarify that a bit for me).  Freely looking around while not in combat would be fun, but in combat I'd like that option to go back to a steady, not moving or out of line, front site picture of the normal cockpit view as it is without TiR.

Anyhow, I'd vote you go with 3 screens, it'll likely be cheaper, unless you buy a 300$ stand, than getting a new 27" hi rez or 32" 1080P TV, which would be around 400$ I think, for a low end 32" LED LCD TV.  I paid 325$ recently for my mothers 32" Toshiba LED LCD but it is only 720P, so I'm just guessing on that price.  As far as the view, you'll rapidly get used to having the other 2 screens, and will LOVE LOVE LOVE it, in lots of other games besides AH as well.  COD, Skyrim, BF3..they all look amazing in 3 screen.  Just remember, you're going to need some serious GPU horsepower to run those games at max res/ultra settings.  If you just are worried about AH, a mid to lower-high end video card will get you by in 3 screen, so long as you don't need every single thing cranked to the max detail/resolution/FSAA wise.

Good luck, post some pics with whatever you end up getting!

[The Fugitive]

Im running a GTX 670 right now so I have a bit of juice in the tank. I was looking at a bunch of tv's tonight (wife wanted to go shopping at a mall with a Best Buy and offered me a streak dinner, such a deal!) I found a 37" LCD HDTV 1080p with both HDMI and PC connections on sale for $349. Two more matching monitors would be $319. An LED tv and an LCD tv side by side looked almost the same with the LED being a bit sharper/brighter, but the difference isn't worth the $100-150.

I'm hoping to hear a few more reasons why people like their 3 monitor or big tv setup they have.

As for the TiR, you can set one of the "hot keys" for a "pause" button. What it does is pauses the TiR and it ignores input from your TiR, then you have to hit one of your hat switches and release it and it will give you the "saved" forward view in the game. So you have to hit 2 switches to get the stable front view, and then another to turn the Tir back on (un-pause it).  It is possible to add more dead space on each axis you are using. What happens is as long as you head gets back to that same general area that you "centered up" on with your hot key to center it almost locks it in to that forward view like your saved one in the game. The trick is training yourself to get back to that centered position. 

[Gman]

Ok thanks Fugi, that is exactly what I wanted to know.

That TV sounds like a really good deal, the 1080p one.  If you decide to go that route instead of 3-screen, I don't think you'll do much better than that price wise.  It's a really really tough call, I know, and I still have a bit of "buyers remorse" and wonder if going with a larger non 1440p screen might not have been the way to go....but as I said, 3 screen IS pretty cool once you get used to it.  I have people who walk dogs up and down my street always stopping to look in my office window during the day when they see something going on with the 3 screens (they probably think I'm a giant geek), so you will absolutely be the coolest nerd on your block with 3 monitors set up, where as a big tv is just another big tv , hah.

Anyhow, like I said, GL with your selection, that 670 will handle Aces High in 3 screen or a larger 1080p screen without much issue, and even run some of the newer games at mid-lower end of high type of res/detail levels.  Don't agonize too much about it, it sounds like either option will  make you happier than what you're running now.

You can also make a cartoon of a guy looking back and forth between a 3 monitor setup in one store window, and a big tv in the other, with tears coming out of his eyes, ha ha ha.

[Noir]

as a 3 screen setup user I'd recommend going 3 screens. The time to adapt is minimal and the immersion is awesome.

TV's make terrible game screens...there is a big delay on them and when things move it gets all blurry, not to mention the bad colors and contrast. You're going to hurt more your eyesight than help it especially on the long run.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

as a 3 screen setup user I'd recommend going 3 screens. The time to adapt is minimal and the immersion is awesome.

TV's make terrible game screens...there is a big delay on them and when things move it gets all blurry, not to mention the bad colors and contrast. You're going to hurt more your eyesight than help it especially on the long run.

Seconded. There are differences between tv:s however, some include a 'gaming mode' which switches off the noise filters, motion processors etc. which mess up the computer image and cause input lag. A TV is not designed as a computer display in the end so you're better off getting a monitor instead. Of course 52" monitors are quite expensive.

[Bizman]

In the beginning you mentioned your aging eyes. So, nevertheless whether you go the 3 monitor way or a single, the pixel size is what matters. Getting 3*24" monitors to replace your current 24" one doesn't make you see better, they only show you more landscapes in the current size. A hi rez 2560x1440 27" which Gman mentioned would make things even smaller although sharper.

You can do a simple calculation: Divide both the width and the height of your monitor, one at a time, by the respective resolution value. My 24" (1920*1200) gave a result of 0.27 mm for both, so a single pixel is 0.27*0.27 mm. My 37" HDTV has a pixel size of 0.44*0.44, which could be a little rough viewed at a distance of an arm's length but enjoyable from twice that much.

More calculation: A 27" is 12.5% larger than a 24". The same can be achieved by getting cheap +1 reading glasses. Of course that is no option, since you already wear glasses. But maybe dedicated computer glasses might be the way to go. OTOH, the wider the screen physically is, the more you have to turn your head around. Even without TIR that makes a lot concerning immersion. How about 3*30" tilted on the side? 

[The Fugitive]

In the beginning you mentioned your aging eyes. So, nevertheless whether you go the 3 monitor way or a single, the pixel size is what matters. Getting 3*24" monitors to replace your current 24" one doesn't make you see better, they only show you more landscapes in the current size. A hi rez 2560x1440 27" which Gman mentioned would make things even smaller although sharper.

You can do a simple calculation: Divide both the width and the height of your monitor, one at a time, by the respective resolution value. My 24" (1920*1200) gave a result of 0.27 mm for both, so a single pixel is 0.27*0.27 mm. My 37" HDTV has a pixel size of 0.44*0.44, which could be a little rough viewed at a distance of an arm's length but enjoyable from twice that much.

More calculation: A 27" is 12.5% larger than a 24". The same can be achieved by getting cheap +1 reading glasses. Of course that is no option, since you already wear glasses. But maybe dedicated computer glasses might be the way to go. OTOH, the wider the screen physically is, the more you have to turn your head around. Even without TIR that makes a lot concerning immersion. How about 3*30" tilted on the side? 

Santa is coming to town, not  Mr.Rockefeller !   

[bmwgs]

I think I would just go with the larger monitor first to see how I liked it.  That is the least expensive route.  If you are still using a 24" monitor then a 32" will be an improvement no matter what.  If you find the larger monitor does not satisfy your needs, then now you can think of going triple with the larger monitors.  Doesn't have to happen overnight, but it would give you something else to look forward to.

I use a 42" and love it.  Just a couple of weeks ago I was able to fly for a short time on a triple setup, and my first impression is I didn't like it as much as the 42".  I didn't fly on the triple setup very long, so it really wasn't a very good evaluation.

Fred