PC gaming on desk + monitor vs. home theater

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Gawd
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
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I noticed some people stated that they prefer a desk + monitor for PC gaming over a home theater because they like to be up close to the screen and/or prefer having a desk. The games I mostly play on PC are first or third-person "shooters" (I said "shooters" because they can be first-person "walking simulators" as well). What do you guys think? To me it seems that a mouse and keyboard on a desk is more comfortable than having to somehow place them on your lap while on the home theater.
 
I noticed some people stated that they prefer a desk + monitor for PC gaming over a home theater because they like to be up close to the screen and/or prefer having a desk. The games I mostly play on PC are first or third-person "shooters" (I said "shooters" because they can be first-person "walking simulators" as well). What do you guys think? To me it seems that a mouse and keyboard on a desk is more comfortable than having to somehow place them on your lap while on the home theater.
Literally mouse + keyboard vs. controller for me.

I don't play games with controllers.
 
I am not talking about using controllers. It's mouse and keyboard on desk + monitor vs. mouse and keyboard with a home theater.
 
If you have a true home theater (actual theater type seating) the seats come with tray tables. Keyboard is on my lap while mouse on tray table. I kept thinking about going back to a desk setup with 48" OLED. After playing on 110" screen the last couple of years, kind of hard to down size, you know? Once I can get either the new Sony True 4k projectors coming out next month or JVC NX-7, I definitely won't be going back as True 4K on 110" will be hard to downsize. The only dilemma for me is going Scope 120" 2:35 or staying 110" 16:9 .
 
I do most of my serious gaming on my desktop since it's hard to get a good keyboard and mouse tray/side table for a reclining couch. To that end, I'm running HDMI from my PC to a Pioneer Elite 9.2 channel receiver driving a 7.1 Pioneer Andrew Jones speaker setup while using DP to connect to my CG437K. This gives my excellent sound in my study and I can even watch the occasional 4K Bluray if it's late at night (Since you can actually feel my home theater's twin ULD-18s in my neighbor's yard). My Home theater setup is mostly for watching Media and listening to music (with just a very small bit of console gaming once in a while). As I get older, I found it harder to read text when they're 6-8ft away even on a highend 4K QLED at default window font size. (I may try again when I move to 8K next year). Another factor is that my hearing is still good enough that any fan noise from a projector or a HTPC just bugs me when I listen to music.
 
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I have a fairly high end experience available to me with both in the same room, and for most any kind of game I’ll chose the desk, for keyboard and mouse.
But for almost any kind of media, I’ll chose the home theater.
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I noticed some people stated that they prefer a desk + monitor for PC gaming over a home theater because they like to be up close to the screen and/or prefer having a desk. The games I mostly play on PC are first or third-person "shooters" (I said "shooters" because they can be first-person "walking simulators" as well). What do you guys think? To me it seems that a mouse and keyboard on a desk is more comfortable than having to somehow place them on your lap while on the home theater.

My KD ratio evaporated whenever i tried to play FPS on my home theater, the FOV is too wide and you can't use your peripheral vision effectively.
 
Depends on the game, if I'm using M+K, then I usually stick to my desktop. Especially if its one of the simulation titles I'm so fond of. If its a more action or RPG game, then I'll gladly stream it though my Shield to my giant living room TV and use a controller.

On a related note, I actually have one of my switch docks hooked up to one of my computer monitors so I can play Switch while at the desktop. Eventually it'll be going into a capture card. Sometimes I just need another monitor at easy access.
 
f the simulation titles I'm so fond of. If its a more action or RPG game, then I'll gladly stream it though my Shield to my giant living room TV and use a controlle

Yeah, m&kb games I play at my desk, controller games I stream to my SHIELD most of the time.
 
I mostly do all of my gaming at my desk now (PC and console). I like to sit upright in an office chair and as close as comfortable to the monitor.

Majority of my gameplay will be KB+M, but I'll whip out a gamepad depending on the game (ie: platformer).
 
Just depends on the game, not some fanaticism about the input type. I play most games on my ultrawide at my desk with kbm, but recently I played Horizon Zero Dawn in my living room using a Steamlink and a controller. I just prefer open world third person games on a controller.
 
That's awesome.

How would you say your current JBL speakers compare to your previous JTR speakers?
JTR makes great stuff, as does JBL.
Very different sound and delivery in these two options. Both completely capable - - SPL levels in the mid 120 dB range capable.
JTR is a very focused, narrow dispersion speaker. The horns on the 228HT speakers I had were 60*x40*. The JBL are the opposite end of the spectrum. Designed to deliver a very wide sound dispersion Horn vs. Soft dome tweeters sound and there is a difference in sound there too. No right or wrong. Just different. I hesitate to recommend speakers to someone because I've learned through years in the A/V hobby that different folk appreciate different sounds, and (surprisingly - at least it was to me) people don't all prefer the same "superior" speaker when exposed to it in identical listening conditions. I learned that lesson well through a few blind tests I've participated in where I LOVED one speaker (got chills, it sounded incredibly better than the other to me) then the guy sitting next to me preferred the other speaker's sound. Go Figure...

Any rate. Line Arrays have some very unique characteristics that make them interesting and well suited for HT use. Amazingly broad and linear coverage patterns for multiple rows, (if you had them), multiple drivers so that no particular driver is overburdened chief among them IMO. Less SPL drop off at distance (by half compared to traditional design as well. This uniform coverage aspect is really novel as you can walk around my room with all 13 speakers playing in all channel stereo and it sounds identical almost anywhere you walk even walking right up to a speaker.

Here's more discussion/observation on CBT and Line Array characteristics. Post 25.
https://hardforum.com/threads/looki...ystem-seeking-advice.1976713/#post-1044090440

If you are ever in Kansas City, I enjoy giving audio demos with my HT setup. It's a thrill if you haven't been exposed to something like that before in a home. (or even if you have!)

To tie this back to the original post, I have desktop JBL 306 monitors for my PC. Playing something like Star Wars Battlefront in Stereo on the PC with a decent set of monitors or headphones is a vastly different experience (sonically) than playing the same game in Dolby Atmos with 8, 18" subwoofers and full surround sound. The audio is incredible in the home theater, yet mouse and keyboard still over-rule the good sound if you want to play competitively. I've not yet found a good way to play with mouse and keyboard in the HT. You need a solid desk. Lapboards make for clumsy aiming - might as well use a controller. (and then you won't be competitive against other PC gamers).
 
JTR makes great stuff, as does JBL.
Very different sound and delivery in these two options. Both completely capable - - SPL levels in the mid 120 dB range capable.
JTR is a very focused, narrow dispersion speaker. The horns on the 228HT speakers I had were 60*x40*. The JBL are the opposite end of the spectrum. Designed to deliver a very wide sound dispersion Horn vs. Soft dome tweeters sound and there is a difference in sound there too. No right or wrong. Just different. I hesitate to recommend speakers to someone because I've learned through years in the A/V hobby that different folk appreciate different sounds, and (surprisingly - at least it was to me) people don't all prefer the same "superior" speaker when exposed to it in identical listening conditions. I learned that lesson well through a few blind tests I've participated in where I LOVED one speaker (got chills, it sounded incredibly better than the other to me) then the guy sitting next to me preferred the other speaker's sound. Go Figure...

Any rate. Line Arrays have some very unique characteristics that make them interesting and well suited for HT use. Amazingly broad and linear coverage patterns for multiple rows, (if you had them), multiple drivers so that no particular driver is overburdened chief among them IMO. Less SPL drop off at distance (by half compared to traditional design as well. This uniform coverage aspect is really novel as you can walk around my room with all 13 speakers playing in all channel stereo and it sounds identical almost anywhere you walk even walking right up to a speaker.

Here's more discussion/observation on CBT and Line Array characteristics. Post 25.
https://hardforum.com/threads/looki...ystem-seeking-advice.1976713/#post-1044090440

If you are ever in Kansas City, I enjoy giving audio demos with my HT setup. It's a thrill if you haven't been exposed to something like that before in a home. (or even if you have!)

To tie this back to the original post, I have desktop JBL 306 monitors for my PC. Playing something like Star Wars Battlefront in Stereo on the PC with a decent set of monitors or headphones is a vastly different experience (sonically) than playing the same game in Dolby Atmos with 8, 18" subwoofers and full surround sound. The audio is incredible in the home theater, yet mouse and keyboard still over-rule the good sound if you want to play competitively. I've not yet found a good way to play with mouse and keyboard in the HT. You need a solid desk. Lapboards make for clumsy aiming - might as well use a controller. (and then you won't be competitive against other PC gamers).

Thanks!

I do have a home theater but it is from the "DVD ages" (i.e. 2003-2004). Consists of the original Klipsch RF-7 (mains), RC-7 (center), and RS-7 (surrounds) speakers. I added a Seaton Sound SubMersive subwoofer in 2009 though. It's a 5.1 setup. TV is a 42" Panasonic SD plasma (been running since 2003!), a Harman Kardon AVR 8000/8500 AV receiver, and Pioneer DVD player. I am planning on scrapping the whole thing and starting fresh sometime in the future. The room for the new home theater will be smaller as it is a different room in the house than what the current home theater is in. New room will be about 12 ft long x 11 ft wide x 9.5 ft high. Planned a 9.4.6 setup consisting of JBL 708i speakers all around. I've read and know that having identical speakers all around is a major plus and it seems you've done the same thing too.

As for my PC setup, I too have similar speakers to you. It's a 2.1 setup made up of the JBL LSR305 speakers and a single JBL LSR310S subwoofer. Love how these JBLs sound and that is one of the main reasons why I picked their bigger brother for the home theater redo.
 
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