falcarrion
First Post
40 inch off display for $375
Coolest. Gaming Set-up. Evar.
Thanks for the info.
I was able to complete step 1 of my custome gaming table today by picking up a 55" LED TV on sale for less than $700 after taxes. It looks like I will get a 26" - 47" image. It's not the 30" - 40" I was getting with my projector set up, but the resolution for my images should be better.
Now to finalize my designs for the table and start looking for supplies.
JDragon
I was able to complete step 1 of my custome gaming table today by picking up a 55" LED TV on sale for less than $700 after taxes. It looks like I will get a 26" - 47" image. It's not the 30" - 40" I was getting with my projector set up, but the resolution for my images should be better.
Now to finalize my designs for the table and start looking for supplies.
JDragon
Question for those that have used or are currently using TV's to display their maps with the TV laying flat.
What if anything are you using to protect the screen?
Are you putting it directly on the screen or having it rest on the bezel of the TV?
Trying to figure out how to best protect my investment without damaging it and trying to minimize the impact on viewing the screen.
What if anything are you using to protect the screen?
Are you putting it directly on the screen or having it rest on the bezel of the TV?
Trying to figure out how to best protect my investment without damaging it and trying to minimize the impact on viewing the screen.
Oryan77
Adventurer
I built a stand out of pvc pipe and pvc pipe foam. I attached laptop fans to it that plug into the tv via USB cables. This helps keep it cool. I went to a plastics store and had them cut out a sheet of plexiglass to the size of my tv (the entire tv, not just the screen). I lay this flat on the surface of tv so the plexiglass is on the edges of the tv and not touching the screen. Depending on the size of the tv, the plexiglass needs to be thick enough so it will not sag down in the middle when laying like this.
I also put a small square rubber bumper in the four corners on the plexiglass right where they would fit flush within the 4 corners of the TV screen. They don't quite touch the tv screen and they keep the plexiglass from shifting around. I originally just stuck the bumpers on the plexiglass since they were sticky on one side. But they did not hold when someone would bump the plexiglass while moving minis. So I ended up super gluing them to the plexiglass and now the plexiglass doesn't budge at all.
I really need to take pictures of this so it makes sense.
I also put a small square rubber bumper in the four corners on the plexiglass right where they would fit flush within the 4 corners of the TV screen. They don't quite touch the tv screen and they keep the plexiglass from shifting around. I originally just stuck the bumpers on the plexiglass since they were sticky on one side. But they did not hold when someone would bump the plexiglass while moving minis. So I ended up super gluing them to the plexiglass and now the plexiglass doesn't budge at all.
I really need to take pictures of this so it makes sense.
I built a stand out of pvc pipe and pvc pipe foam. I attached laptop fans to it that plug into the tv via USB cables. This helps keep it cool. I went to a plastics store and had them cut out a sheet of plexiglass to the size of my tv (the entire tv, not just the screen). I lay this flat on the surface of tv so the plexiglass is on the edges of the tv and not touching the screen. Depending on the size of the tv, the plexiglass needs to be thick enough so it will not sag down in the middle when laying like this.
I also put a small square rubber bumper in the four corners on the plexiglass right where they would fit flush within the 4 corners of the TV screen. They don't quite touch the tv screen and they keep the plexiglass from shifting around. I originally just stuck the bumpers on the plexiglass since they were sticky on one side. But they did not hold when someone would bump the plexiglass while moving minis. So I ended up super gluing them to the plexiglass and now the plexiglass doesn't budge at all.
I really need to take pictures of this so it makes sense.
Oryan,
Thanks for the info, your description makes perfect sense.
I like the idea of the rubber bumpers to keep the plexi glass from moving around.
Did you have issues with heat and then add the fans or just opt to play it safe?
Radiating Gnome
Adventurer
For mine, I'm taking some risks because I was worried about distortion created by the plexiglass holding the minis up above the TV.
I did buy a sheet of mylar film that I've cut to fit the screen of the TV. It cuts down on glare, allows us to safely write on it with dry erase markers and pencils, but it's not a lot of protection against spills or impact.
I posted with pics and some details a few pages back in this monster: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...-Set-up-Evar&p=6083439&viewfull=1#post6083439
My concerns about distortion (might just be me being crazy): http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...-Set-up-Evar&p=6083951&viewfull=1#post6083951
-rg
I did buy a sheet of mylar film that I've cut to fit the screen of the TV. It cuts down on glare, allows us to safely write on it with dry erase markers and pencils, but it's not a lot of protection against spills or impact.
I posted with pics and some details a few pages back in this monster: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...-Set-up-Evar&p=6083439&viewfull=1#post6083439
My concerns about distortion (might just be me being crazy): http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...-Set-up-Evar&p=6083951&viewfull=1#post6083951
-rg
Oryan77
Adventurer
I opted to play it safe. It is an LCD TV and I figure that it can't be good for the heat to just stay in the tv like that. There are vents built in for a reason and I assume that if the heat floats to the top right under the screen, it will make the screen that much hotter.
I actually went as far as to take the fans (2 fans) out of the case of the laptop and mount them so they blow directly into the vents of the tv when the tv sits on the stand. I took another laptop fan and placed it in the center of the tv where some smaller vents were. I didn't take the fans out of casing to this laptop fan.
I've used it for 2 years now for as long as 8 hours straight. So far so good. It is one of those ultra thin TVs, so it is easy to hang back on the TV stand when I'm not using it for gaming. It hangs like a picture frame on those metal disks that you can mount on a wall, only I mounted the disks on a tv stand instead of the wall.
I actually went as far as to take the fans (2 fans) out of the case of the laptop and mount them so they blow directly into the vents of the tv when the tv sits on the stand. I took another laptop fan and placed it in the center of the tv where some smaller vents were. I didn't take the fans out of casing to this laptop fan.
I've used it for 2 years now for as long as 8 hours straight. So far so good. It is one of those ultra thin TVs, so it is easy to hang back on the TV stand when I'm not using it for gaming. It hangs like a picture frame on those metal disks that you can mount on a wall, only I mounted the disks on a tv stand instead of the wall.
Oryan77
Adventurer
My plexiglass sits maybe 1/4 " above the TV screen. There is not enough distortion that has caused me issues. I don't notice any really. Although I still use Maptool tokens and we move both the token & the miniature. So maybe the token under the mini helps take away from any distortion.
We use the tokens because it is awesome using line of site & light sources. The token also helps keep track of conditions, commonly referenced character stats, and I use health bars. We still use the minis for the 3d aspect and because minis are just so dang cool.
Radiating Gnome
Adventurer
WOW. Minis AND tokens? That sounds like a whole lot of extra work. I'd love to be using Tokens, actually -- because then it's a lot easier to deal with sections of the map -- have different groups operating in different areas, etc. But the players wanted minis, and I didn't want to do both. That also means I can switch applications when I want to -- about a third of the time I'm using my iPad and Battle Map rather than Maptools.
Maybe it really means I'm just old skool -- I get the map set up and then we play on it analog style. I'm just pretending to be a tech geek.
-rg
Oryan77
Adventurer
It's really not all that much extra work to use tokens & minis. You are moving a character twice. But if the players help, there is no extra time or work involved at all.
I have two laptops (mine for DMing and 1 for the players) that are connected via the LAN server to my Maptool campaign. I have the player laptop projecting the player map on the tv. The players can use this laptop to move tokens themselves, or I can move the tokens from my DM laptop (my laptop shows all the map stuff they aren't supposed to see). I usually move NPC tokens via Maptool and then a player will see where I put the token and he will move the mini on top of it.
Using tokens also helps for when you want to zoom in or out of a map, or move a map around on the screen. You can then easily zoom back to normal and position the map until the tokens are underneath where the minis are. Or, if you need to reposition the map, the tokens are place holders so you can move the minis back on top of them.
I have two laptops (mine for DMing and 1 for the players) that are connected via the LAN server to my Maptool campaign. I have the player laptop projecting the player map on the tv. The players can use this laptop to move tokens themselves, or I can move the tokens from my DM laptop (my laptop shows all the map stuff they aren't supposed to see). I usually move NPC tokens via Maptool and then a player will see where I put the token and he will move the mini on top of it.
Using tokens also helps for when you want to zoom in or out of a map, or move a map around on the screen. You can then easily zoom back to normal and position the map until the tokens are underneath where the minis are. Or, if you need to reposition the map, the tokens are place holders so you can move the minis back on top of them.
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