Plexiglass for TV gaming tabletop

Since my group is convening it's first, fully vaccinated, in-person session this weekend, I realized how completely dependent I've become on Fantasy Grounds, particularly for my battlemaps. I'm going to try using my 43" TV on my table as a battlemap and we'll just use the FG tokens for now, but I've read I should get a plexiglass cover before using any minis on it. I realize there are places online I can order custom fit plexiglass, but is there anything I should be looking for with regards to thickness or any other features?

And yes, I've already installed Trenloe's tabletop map extension! :)

Thanks in advance for any tips!

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Originally Posted by Seems

Since my group is convening it's first, fully vaccinated, in-person session this weekend, I realized how completely dependent I've become on Fantasy Grounds, particularly for my battlemaps. I'm going to try using my 43" TV on my table as a battlemap and we'll just use the FG tokens for now, but I've read I should get a plexiglass cover before using any minis on it. I realize there are places online I can order custom fit plexiglass, but is there anything I should be looking for with regards to thickness or any other features?

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nice but pricey: https://www.etsy.com/search?q=Digital Map Case
if going the cheaper plexiglass route I would look for 1.5-3mm plexiglass depending whether it will be used for rolling as well

imo you want as thin as possible to decrease parallax effects. They also make clear flexible films that you can use. One such is PPF (Paint Protection Film) used for putting "clear bras" on cars. They use the same stuff for making windows into "safety glass" and such.

With no recommendation on either of these (though I do have Xpel on my car), here are two examples;
https://www.xpel.com/ULTIMATE-PLUS-P...oaAlv0EALw_wcB
https://www.eplastics.com/POLYCLR0-0...YaAhwOEALw_wcB

Yep, I would recommend the film also. You also could go with a projector setup.

Would the film be permanent or something that could be taken on and off for gaming? Currently I'll be using my regular TV as opposed to having a dedicated gaming tabletop TV, and I'd like to preserve the picture quality for regular viewing.

It depends on the film. The Xpel can be removed, but is destroyed when you do so. Though it is close to optically clear so you might decide you don't need to remove it. BUT, you are then in experimental mode :) Some of the other film is more like static cling and can be removed and reapplied multiple times.

Back in the day, we used a TV as well. I looked at plexiglass and film. Both were more expensive that I thought. I was considering just buying a cheap TV since it the quality didn't matter much since it wouldn't get used often

Fortunately a friend ended up upgrading his TV and we used the old one w/o any covering. But a cheap TV is something to consider. Or maybe it's time to upgrade!

Here's what my group did:
I bought a 43" TV for the same reason. We built a box for it, with plexiglass as the screen cover. Our intention was to use it on the table top with miniatures. The box is about 5" tall, just high enough to let the TV breathe. At 5 inches above the table the parallax effects were a real bother. We ended up turning the TV upright, set it on a TV tray and used tokens. Everyone in the group prefers this method. Especially with the new lighting updates.

Thanks for the feedback! We'll see how things go tomorrow and whether the players prefer having the TV as a tabletop battlemap or simply using it vertically while we sit around the family room.