Here is the web edition of the book, totally free to read. If you would prefer the kindle version, you can get it here!
Or you can buy the paperback, very soon!
1.4.3 Display Monitors vs Televisions
First and foremost, players will complain viciously if they suspect any sort of delay, especially if they lose. This is a valid reason for losing even though both players are at this disadvantage. Let’s generally just prefer to not deal with televisions. Monitors generally have significantly less lag than televisions but are often equipped without speakers.
A good monitor will have 5ms response time. The best monitors will still have 2 or 1ms response time. But this doesn’t actually reflect input lag, this is about the image remaining on the screen and creating a ghosting effect, since the old image hasn’t been refreshed fast enough. Manufacturers will confuse you with this labelling. To be sure, you should visit http://www.displaylag.com/ and find your model there. If you can find the info elsewhere, great! You are looking to find a monitor with less than 16 ms input lag. This is about the length of one frame in a 60 FPS game. Note that we are talking about milliseconds: that’s a thousandth of a second! Considering that most games run at 60 frames a second (and Jojo’s All Star Battle runs at 30), the difference can only be felt with the fastest games, but, if you really want zero delay, blurry CRT is the way. So far, there is no such thing as zero lag, with HDMI.
Many newer televisions have Game modes to fix these problems by turning off post processes or anything else slowing down the image. Google the model name with “best settings”.
It also seems LED screens are more responsive than LCD.
Recommended and proven: Iiyama prolite series.
budget: AOC
upper range: Asus, Benq
You get what you pay for
Why get an Asus “EVO” model but when you can get a far cheaper AOC monitor which works just as well? You can get a warranty for both and as soon as those expire they’ll both probably break down shortly after! One consideration is that the upper range of monitors also have a HDMI out which you can use for your capture device or for head to head setups, replacing the need for a splitter. With a monitor that only has a VGA socket, you’re looking at separate speakers and more cables, and while it might be cheaper to run, a TO ideally wants less items in their inventory list so they can check out the venue a lot faster. (Also, see Pricing in Section 1.5)
1.4.4 To stream or not not to stream
So you have your console and displays, what else do you need ? If you are starting out with a bunch of casual gamers, that’s all! Beginners and casual players know their level is going to be criticised (to put it mildly) by stream chat and then your channel will have a reputation for low level play. Who wants to watch that? On the other hand beginners like to study their matches to see what mistakes they made. Recording matches often means another bag, including a laptop. If you have the funds, portable PC-free recording devices with one touch recording can spare the TO a huge hassle. Upload these matches to a private channel to save your event’s reputation and help the community at the same time.
The most basic setup: a laptop with a microphone, a recording device that doesn’t lag.
A more professional one: a fourth generation i5 laptop with HD4000 graphics card, HDMI splitters, mixing Desk to receive and send multiple audio inputs, webcams, tripod, lighting, multiple headsets with mics, surge protectors and bottles of beer that won’t fall over equipment.
Some devices even allow for commentary by simply plugging a mic in. How will you know it’s working and the sound levels are appropriate? You’ll need a laptop or a media player that accepts the media (eg SD card) used for recording. Otherwise, you’ll be sweating till you get home. Commentators don’t like finding their recording was blank and so have wasted their energy (see working with commentators).
Does a startup need a stream? If not marketed properly, you could be streaming an event where the only people who know about it are actually there in person. You could simply record matches on a camera phone, as long as it has a minimum of 30 fps, it’ll be a great resource for players and if you’re recording a niche game or a high level match, people will appreciate it. It is recommended to use a tripod, as shaky video is generally regarded as irritating. Note that you can always upload videos and make them unlisted. The great thing about streams is that you don’t have to bother with editing, uploading or re-encoding, it’s there, it’s done, and twitch channels can transfer to youtube with just a click!
