Gaming on a big HDTV? (1 Viewer)

[Josh Hay]

Hey all,

I've been thinking about getting an HDTV lately. One of the main reasons would be for gaming; with the advent of some HD-enabled gaming, it seems silly not to take advantage of it. Couple of questions:

1. I have all of the consoles. My understanding is that Xbox and (to a lesser extent) GC benefit from the component connection, but that the PS2 is better off with an S-Video connection, since the component hookup shows more of the graphical flaws of the PS2. Is this correct?

2. I don't know a lot about the different HD modes (480i, 480p, 540p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p). What should I look for in a TV? I was thinking about the Toshiba 42H82, or possibly the Panasonic 47" that is similar (can't remember the model #, costs about $1600). Are there other sets I may want to consider, or things to know about these with regard to video games (such as, I've heard that the Tosh doesn't do 720p, which the Xbox supports. True?)?

3. Are there any general considerations about gaming on HDTV? Is it really worth it? Any tradeoffs with my current 27" Trinitron? Any reasons not to take the plunge?

Thanks!

 

[Brae]

There are not a lot of games (certainly not the majority) that offer much beyond 480i/p. I would note that whatever display products are within your budget to make sure you know what they are capable of receiving and display, altered and not, and mapped this information to the most common games you'll be playing.

Unless you are going to use some sort of video processor/scaler then you may find yourself not gettnig much of a benefit. My two-year old 65" RPTV does 480i/p and 1080i. I'm considering the X-Box. only one X-Box game supports 1080i, and I've heard it isn't a very good game.

 

[Anthony.Lin]

To address all your considerations, look for a TV that has the best PQ at the best price that you can afford, you don't need to take consoles into consideration, as this is just a video source.

By all means, jump into HDTV as fast as you can too, you won't regret it. Going back home and playing xbox on the old RPTV at home just isn't the same with the poor graphics. I'm playing xbox on a TW40X81 (toshiba) and I would never go back. Doa3, doaxbv look sweet (with their widescreen formats).

 

[EdR]

1. I have all three as well, and I have kept my PS2 as S-video for that reason. There are certain games that look fine with Component input, but most just look 'sparkly' due to aliasing.

2. I have a NEC LT260 front projector, I don't know much about HDTVs in general, but I can't say enough good things about FP - the ability to resize the image is nice. Portability is great, I took my projector to the mountains for Christmas...it was a hit. DLP pixels are extremely close together making for a smooth image. There are no burn-in issues. And it supports just about every format out there 480i/p, 720P, 1080i, and also various PAL and SECAM modes. I'm not sure about projectors in your price range, but I've heard good things about the InFocus X1, and the Panasonic PT-L300U.

Of course, the downside to projectors is bulb replacement, but I'm impressed that after ~5 months of playing games and watching movies (a lot), I still have 80% left on my bulb...so at that rate, I shouldn't have to replace it until next year.

3. Tradeoffs? I went from a 27" TV to an 80" image (just last October)...and I can tell you that my enjoyment of games and movies has risen immesurably. One unexpected benefit is that in certain games, my scores got better! In the rally game WRC, I broke all my best times immediately after getting the projector.

Like Anthony said, it's hard to play on a small screen after you've had a taste of big-screen action.

 

[Josh Hay]

Thanks for the replies, guys. Sounds like there isn't any reason not to move to a larger screen and hi-def. I couldn't imagine playing on anything less than my 27" now, or using a smaller computer monitor than 19", so I'd imagine that bigger really is better, and the move up is a sound one.

I guess I'm living the American dream now... getting a big TV. Just need to pick up an SUV to drive around in and I'll be set!