This year's CES technology show has been busy, but one of the big start announcements came from Nvidia, announcing that they are partnering with Acer, Asus and HP to create the world's largest gaming screen.
That may not sound much by itself, but Nvidia called Big Format Gaming Displays (BFGD) is not an ordinary monitor. And while they have nothing to do with Roald Dahl's dream catcher, they are designed to do something unusual: Nvidia wants them to be your living room TV too.
So far, this is a game game monitor that is not very suitable to use, partly because the product is not big enough, but also because they do not support the same standards as TV; Likewise, most TVs are not so good for gamers.
BFGD aims to change all that, offering the best features of TV and game monitors in a large 4GB package.
Nvidia BFGD hands-on: UK release price and date
Unfortunately, the price has not been confirmed when it comes to the large Nvidia gaming PC screen. With high credentials, I expect BFGD to charge a pretty cheap fee but I will update this article as soon as I hear more official details.
Nvidia BFGD UK release date: When is it out?
Likewise, there are no words on a firm release date. A rather fuzzy "summer" release has been auctioned off, but nothing official yet. At the Nvidia CES booth, the monitors are technical samples, with OSD (On-screen Display), rear panel and full range of display inputs all gone.
At the heart of Nvidia's BFGD sits G-SYNC HDR. It's G-SYNC - which syncs the frame of the graphics card frame you remove from the 120Hz BFGD refresh rate for a tear-free buttery gameplay game - combined with other effects to make sure the monitor is just as good for watching movies. on like for gaming.
So that means support for 4K plus HDR10 and color space DCI-P3. It also means a peak brightness level of up to 1,000cd / m2 and supports a wide range of frame rates, including 23.976 fps and TV-specific, 24fps and 25fps movies. That's important for judder-free videos in various formats.
BFGD owners can also take advantage of the built-in Nvidia Shield feature, which allows users to play games and watch streaming video services like BBC iPlayer without having to buy additional boxes. Each BFGD will arrive with a remote Shield and controller as well.
And as with stand-alone Nvidia Shield, Google Assistant and Cast is built-in as a standard. Soon you'll be barking up orders at Google's AI-powered voice assistant, just like Sony's latest smart TV manufacturer.
Nvidia BFGD hands-on: Performance
I briefly tried the HP panel at the Nvidia CES booth and I was impressed. Play Destiny 2, the game responds well and does not suffer from torn screens or from visible ghosting. The most striking difference of "gaming TV", however, is the low input lag and the fast response time. In terms of color accuracy, the panels look amazing too, with the VA panel BFGD producing, in particular, a very high contrast ratio.
The only potential downfall is there is no built-in TV tuner, but that's no big deal. Nvidia feels that the feature will be overkill for gamers who have computers connected to the panel and with the Shield function installed, the BFGD base does have most of your TV and movie viewing needs. Plus, assuming it works exactly like TV Shield, users should be able to add terrestrial TV by plugging a USB TV stick if they really want it.
Nvidia BFGD hands-on: Early verdict
Nvidia's BVGD gaming TV set up an attractive proposition for PC gamers. Until now, if you follow a decent G-SYNC look, you'll be stuck around the sign, so to offer a screen in the living room is indeed a smart move.
Not only that, but BFGD features, with Google Assistant and Shield functionality as standard. With the rising risk of pistols, 2018 has started to be an exciting year for PC gamers. Be sure to check our full review as soon as the BFGD arrives at the office later this year.