Best HDTV s

Planning on doing the majority of your gaming from a couch? You might need to upgrade your HDTV then. Significant advances in the last few years have made LED and Plasma the preferred choice for gaming. Here are some of the best with features specifically geared towards gaming.

Panasonic TC-P50S60 50" 1080p Plasma

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Specs:

• Type: Plasma
• Size: 50-inch, 1080p
• Refresh rate: 600Hz
• Ports: 2 HDMI, 2 USTB, Optical Cable

MSRP: $699.97

See it: Best Price at Amazon

Toshiba 39L1350U 39-Inch 1080p bm p 

Looking for something a little smaller? Toshiba’s 39L1350 is a 39-inch (also available in 23, 29, 32, 50, and 58-inch sizes) LED HDTV that manages to not only squeeze out a 1080p display, but also a 120Hz refresh rate at a highly inexpensive price. There’s even a special Game Mode that claims to reduce controller delay when enabled. Because of the LED panel, it uses very little power compared to comparable Plasma and LCD sets. On top of that, it has more ports that most other similarly-priced options, offering three HDMI inputs, a VGA input for your PC, and a Component input for any of your older consoles. That’s extremely helpful and keeps you from needing to reach behind to swap out systems. Of note, however, is that it doesn’t have a headphone jack, so if you’re planning to use it that way, you’ll need an adapter.

Specs:

• Type: LED
• Size: 39-inch, 1080p
• Refresh rate: 120Hz
• Ports: 3 HDMI, USB, VGA, Component

MSRP: $499.99

See it: $369.00 at Amazon

Samsung UN75F6400 75-Inch 1080p 3D LED

You want to go big, you say? Then Samsung’s UN75F6400 is your best bet. It’s a 75-Inch (also available in 40, 46, 50, 55, 60, and 65-inch models) 3D Slim Smart LED. It’s extremely large, while managing to be slimmer that most other options on this list. Not only that, but it’s 1080p resolution, has a 120Hz refresh rate, and full active 3D capabilities. It’s a powerhouse of a machine. With the 120Hz refresh rate, games will never look even better...until you play them in 3D. It’s fully compatible with both PlayStation 3’s 3D games and 3D Bluray movies. It even has a dual core processor that allows you to take advantage of the system’s smart apps and web browser without having to stop what you’re doing. You can pull up Grand Theft Auto cheat codes on the side while entering them in your game.

Specs:

• Type: LED
• Size: 75-inch
• Refresh rate: 120Hz
• Ports: 4 HDMI

MSRP: $5999.00

See It: $3,497.99 at Amazon

VIZIO E500i-A1 50-inch 1080p LED

The VIZIO E500i-A1 isn’t you typical 50-inch LED HDTV, it’s ultra slim frame allows for an immersive experience that leaves behind the giant black frame surrounding most HDTVs. It has a 120Hz refresh rate to make your games look better than ever and future proof you, just in case you ever decide to plug a gaming PC into it. It has wifi built-in too, so you can watch Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant Video without having to quit out of your game to load it up on your console. Best of all, it packs all of this into a ridiculously inexpensive price, especially for a thin-bezel display. It even has a built-in subwoofer to take advantage of the bass in your games if you’re stuck using the built-in speakers.

Specs:

• Type: LED
• Size: 50-inch, 1080p
• Refresh rate: 120Hz
• Ports: 4 HDMI, Component

MSRP: $699.99

See It: $648.00 at Amazon

Sony Bravia KDL-55W802A 55-inch 1080p 3D LED

The Sony Bravia KDL-55W802A is the perfect gaming HDTV if you’re comfortable with the size. It has a 1080p, 120Hz LED display that picks up even the brightest of colors in-game and makes them all the more vibrant. It even has a unique front surround technology that uses the display’s built-in speakers to create a simulated surround sound environment, which is great if you aren’t pairing it with an expensive surround sound system. It also has 3D capabilities which, since it’s a Sony TV, allow for simultaneous multiplayer on one screen through SimulView. Using the passive 3D glasses, it splits the screen in half virtually for select PlayStation 3 games, showing a different perspective for each person wearing the 3D glasses. Most importantly, it has minimal display lag, making it perfect for hardcore gaming sessions.

Specs:

• Type: 3D LED
• Size: 55-inch
• Refresh rate: 120Hz
• Ports: 4 HDMI, Component, Composite

MSRP: $2399.99

See It: $1,498.00 at Amazon

Alex Rubens is a freelance writer based in Seattle who spends too much time talking about Star Wars and The Fast and The Furious. Talk to him about it on Twitter at @alexrubens.