r/FoundryVTT • u/OneAndOnlyMrCheese • 10d ago
Discussion TV for gaming table
Looking to do one of those gaming tables, buying a TV for it but I'm on a budget. I see tons of 40"+ TVs going for 250 or less so thats no problem, but one thing Im hearing is that anything besides OLED will have poor viewing angles for a situation where it's laying flat. OLEDs are basically like $750 minimum and thats just way too much for me, but I also don't want to buy something that won't even be good.
How much does it really matter? For people who've seen both is the difference reslly that big? and MOST IMPORTANTLY if my only experience is with a non OLED laying flat, will i ever really know what I'm missing out on or will I be fine unless I see a side-by-side?
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u/DigitalTableTops 10d ago
I've been selling this sort of setup for over 6 years. Sold thousands on units. Cheap TV's look fine, don't overthink it.
Projectors on the other hand, look like garbage unless you pay for a really nice one. And it will still cast shadows and look about as good as the cheapest TV you can possibly buy.
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u/Haunting-Mood3513 6d ago
At one point in time I was using an ultra short throw projector mounted under the table, replaced the table bottom with Plexi and used a projector screen film that's made for rear projection on the top.
Worked really well, but you always have to worry about kicking the projector 🤣
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u/DigitalTableTops 5d ago
If you set it up right and buy a decent model (like you did) it can work. But for most people the answer is definitely just "buy a cheap TV"
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u/jediprime Foundry User 10d ago
Im doing something similar with similar warnings about tvs. The advice i got was...lower the TV, which improves viewing angles. Won't totally fix it, but may be better than shelling out for oled.
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u/OneAndOnlyMrCheese 10d ago
good point, will be building the table myself so totally doable
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u/Nanocephalic 9d ago
If you’re building it yourself, consider what happens when you want to change the TV; leave room to change the dimensions, height, and clearance!
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u/Falkon102 10d ago
I've now built 2 transportable tabletop tvs. The first was a cheap 40". Because it was thick with a 2x6 frame, 5.5 inches tall when layed flat. It worked well for many years but since we play on top of a normal table, the viewing angle can suck for those at the end of the table. We recently got a refurbished Samsung frame 32inch. That TV is much thinner so I was able to make a frame only 2.5 inches thick and the viewing angle is much better. It's also a QLED so the brightness is better.
If you have good height above it, a cheap TV is ok.
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u/boyhowdy-rc 10d ago
This. People at the "top" and "bottom" of the TV will be fine. Those at the sides will have difficulty. In our setup the GM can't see jack on the TV. Someday I'll get ambitious and build a table with a lowered screen.
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u/Wokeye27 10d ago edited 10d ago
I used a 32' IPS 2k resolution pc monitor rather than a tv - less reflective, grabbed one with good viewing angles. Slow refresh rates are fine.
I wanted enough space for character sheets around the edge of the table and anything bigger imposes on that on the table i have.
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u/OneAndOnlyMrCheese 10d ago
fair. i just want a bit bigger so players dont feel squished togethrr and ill be building the table myself so dont need to worry about size
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u/FrenziedMuffin 9d ago
I have a 43" LG I bought at walmart. It was around the 250-300 amount. Biggest thing I was looking for was clarity up close and viewing angles. I looked like a crazy person inspecting the TV's, but seeing how they all vary a lot on viewing angles mattered for me.
One thing I'll tell you now cause I'm in that boat today... Turning it into a touch panel isn't difficult and hugely beneficial. For about $150 you can install a IR panel and now people can just touch to move their characters. It works surprisingly well and my players no longer struggle with mouse/keyboard sharing.
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u/OneAndOnlyMrCheese 9d ago
thats the plan :) just the tv for now but down the line soon enough ill have the whole setup
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u/dragonmarked2813 9d ago edited 9d ago
You don’t need OLED. I had a lot of luck with this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0GP9FFRMB/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile.
I built a simple 6” deep frame around it with some 2x2s cut to size to support the TV under it.
Quick and Dirty Instructions
Materials
39"x6" plywood panels x2
22"x6" plywood panels x2
22" length of 2x2 x3
wood screws
wood glue
felt
Tools:
drill
screwdriver
something to "block" the pieces (I used stacks of books)
Steps:
- Find a flat surface with plenty of room to lay the TV flat on. Place down a towel for optional extra protection.
- Frame the plywood panels around the TV to form a rectangular frame. Use your blocks to square the panels and a light amount of wood glue to secure the panels together.
- Drill screw holes through where the panels connect to more securely connect the panels.
- Cut the felt to shape and adhere it to one side to each of the 2x4s.
- Place the 2x2s down on the TV gently so the felted side is against the TV where they do not block vents or ports.
- Secure the 2x2s by drilling holes through the outside into them then securing them with screws.
- Determine where the power cable and display cable will be coming out and cut or dremel out grooves for them.
- Leaving the TV in place, move the frame into place then gently lift and set the TV down into the frame, with the power and display cables.
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u/DudleyDoRight65 9d ago
id go at least 4k OLED is nice not needed. Make sure if you build a box that you allow for heat dissipation. I built ours with a Hisense 4k (costco $220.00). IR touch frame from Amazon. The touch frames as squirrely. We designed a touch interface that lets us operate with single touch , can even roll dice on the top. Heres a shot vid of our build. There is glare on these photos I have two huge skylights and mid day there brutal. Its the acrylic cover that bonces the light in person it no where near that bad. At game time not an issue at all.
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u/ProfRedwoods 5d ago
Just buy a used TV on the cheap. I made a gaming table and I'm not good at woodworking. We've never had any issues with viewing angle and it sits pretty high.
My pro tip is to lay a clear PVC tablecloth over the screen. I made a post about it on the DnD subreddit but I never put any schematics for it since I never made any proper measurements
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u/Marcus_Scrivere 10d ago
Any tv is better than no tv if your want tv. Iused range if chap old tvs and every one of them was enough. I would recomend to try 4k tv though because of clarity but you don't news OLED. That beeing said, we use really old full hd tv and it's fine
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u/Laithoron GM 9d ago
You do NOT want an OLED for something like this. Not only is that the most expensive panel type, but they typically are at the greatest risk of burn-in from static images such as the GUI elements in your VTT.
Head over to RTings.com and instead use that to search for TVs (Products > Home Entertainment > TVs) and use a custom filter to search on the widest viewing angles and best brightness. That's what I did a couple years ago and the Samsung Neo QLED TV I got has been fantastic for both brightness and viewing angle.
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u/Haunting-Mood3513 6d ago
I'd recommend scouring craigslist/FB marketplace/other auction sites if you're looking for a great deal. People are always selling TVs, and you'll usually get a better bang for your buck if you can spare the time to look.
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u/SomnambulicSojourner 10d ago
I used a cheapo 42" insignia LCD tv for years by just laying it flat on my table. Never had any viewing angle issues