acceptable input lag?

[bevo]

I'm thinking about getting a Benq W7000 projector and was wondering what you guys think acceptable input lag is before it's noticeable in games? I know that some LCD screens say 2ms response time and I don't know if that's real world input lag or not, but I'm sure it could be a good bit higher then that before it would be noticeable, and I'm guessing that's not a real measurement of input lag from controller to screen.

Any experienced advice would be great. I'm not really looking to play the guessing game here, so I really only want advice from people who have seen the measured input lag from devices that actually noticed it was there, and what the measurement was.

Also, I didn't mean to lock the other thread. I tried posting it from my phone and did it on accident.

 

[Imari]

Don't look at the response time in LCD screens. Any lag generated by the screen will be in the post-processing electronics that the screen runs them through.

I played around a bit with input lag times in the debacle when Shift 2 came out. For me, less than 100ms total lag and you won't notice at all. 100-200ms, you might notice if you're actually looking for it, but you'll adapt and after a week you'll no longer notice. 200-400ms, you'll probably feel it but you might be able to compensate if you enjoy the game enough to put the time into learning how to do so. More than 400ms is pretty unplayable in any scenario, IMO.

The only way you're going to be able to find the input lag for most screens is to measure it yourself. Calibrate with your game of choice against a CRT screen if you can to find the lag in the game itself (CRTs are very, very low lag and little to no interfering electronics usually). I remember reading somewhere that world's best practise is considered to be about 3 frames in the game itself. For a 60fps game that's about 50ms, and for a 30fps game it's about 100ms. Your screen will add on top of that.

Then try and beg, borrow or steal your projector of choice and run some tests. Film the screen and your controller, and count frames from your input to the action showing on screen. Pressing the brake button and brake lights illuminating is the easy one for racing games.

If you find a helpful electronics shop, they might let you do it in-store, you never know.

 

[Sanji Himura]

Another newbe at it again with projectors. I'll explain this once for reference.

All HDTVs lag, that is a fact of life. The problem is, especially for fighting games like Street Fighter, is that some games require frame precise button presses to execute combos, or reversals.

The best and easiest way to test input lag is to take a copy of Rock Band 2 on your platform of choice and run an input calibration test on the monitor, or in your case projector. Why Rock Band instead of the two tv test or Guitar Hero? Rock Band 2 will give you a definte measurement of the input lag without you jumping through hoops, or questioning your judgement. All lag is measured in milliseconds (ms).

1 frame in a fighting game or music game= 17ms.

Ideal lag is 8ms OR LESS, or 1/2 frame.

Acceptable lag is 9ms-34ms, or 1/2 frame to 2 frames. A really trained eye can spot the lag, but for the average player, it is barely there.

Unacceptable lag is anything over 2 frames, or 35 ms or above. This is getting to the point where combos drop for no explaination.

 

[bevo]

I already have the test results from the projector I'm wanting. It was 50ms without di or Fi turned on(whatever di and fi are), and 200 with both of them turned on. I'm pretty sure 50ms will not be that bad. I was just trying to see if it was to much to deal with. I've only ever ran across one tv that the lag was to bad to use and it was an olivia LCD that came with the camper we bought. It was the worst one of the worst TV I have ever had. In all honesty though I have had bad luck with all LCD TV's. I've had 4 of them and they all stopped working. That olivia though took top honors for worst TV ever made.

 

[Sanji Himura]

Sorry for beating an old horse, but was that measured with Rock Band 2?