Specineff wrote:I found zero lag on my mom's plasma, and we were playing Guitar Hero, which of course is very timing-sensitive. Same with my own LCD, but there was blurring and some of the images looked like total ass. I kept going back to my RGB monitor.
If you have the money to burn on an LCD screen, why not get an RGB monitor instead? I think that even the PS3 will output RGB, and you're probably going to be satisfied with the results. No scaling, no lag, no blurring. Easy peasy.
Well, I would like...like...to get a TV for a number of game systems and my DVDs(soon Blu Rays).
I'm concerned about the PS2 supposedly looking poor on these TVs, and worried i'll end up having to get a TV just for it(with the PS1 games, I have like 60 games on it), later down the line. And also that it will be difficult, because I am having trouble finding any CRTs anywhere anymore.
Last edited by evil_ash_xero on Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
I have a Samsung 32inch HDTV low end model and it works great with all my 128-bit systems.
If your going to use older consoles make sure to use the best possible connection.
PS2 = Component Cables
Dreamcast = VGA Box
Xbox 360 = HDMI (next best thing is Component cables)
Wii/GC = Component Cables
As long as you use these it shouldn't be a problem and games will look gorgeous.
Also I haven't noticed any lag with my HDTV at all. I've also done a lag comparison too with converter boxes and stuff and a direct feed to my HDTV was the one with the least lag.
I play Guilty Gear X Accent Core and all the Cave Shmups so it should be fine. (at least for me anyways)
Edit: Wii Virtual Console games and all of the older 2d games look fine. It's so clear that you'll see how bad they compare to modern HD graphics.
Even if you use component cables on the PS2 and play a game like Mushi or ESPgaluda the game wont look "ok". I didn't want to fork out for an XRGB so i got one of those megacool boxes. it helped a bit, projectiles became sharper and more distinct. Without it shooters for the ps2 on an hdtv weren't really playable for me.
If your playing 3d games then depending on your viewing distance your may find that things look acceptable without any additional hardware. Part of the deal is you just learn that older games wont look as good as newer games on new tvs. in fact older games don't look as good as they used to on older tvs. It doesn't make them unplayable.
I had a 27" HDTV 4:3 crt and I sold it to a friend for cheap years ago, I regretted it ever since. Partly because he became an ass, partly because it was the last tv I owned that worked with lightguns, partly because I would never be able to find a HDTV CRT again:( I share the pain.
The thing is, if you get a smallish HDTV at 32", most of your problems will go away. This is because the pixels are crunched together so tightly that like CRT, you don't notice the scaling, the blurring and all the bits and pieces that piss you off about LCD. Going up to 37" it is going to start getting noticed. At 40" your in the realm of wishing everything including the commercials on TV were HD.
These are the general symptoms of something at 40" in low res -
1) Colors are washed out
2) Pixels are almost the size of lego bricks some cases
3) 16:9 looks a bit ugly.
With 32", the screen will look brighter and vibrant, even if you stretched out the screen to 16:9 it would possibly still be acceptable.
Using the best cables each console has is a good idea. So make sure you have lots of inputs. I see component is good for 3 of your consoles, unfortunately hardly any TV has more than one component input. So getting round the back or buying a switcher is necessary.
Go for a cheaper 32" now, or possibly 37" max. 2D gaming is about being up to the screen, 40" is way too big for such an application. Unless you want to play 12 foot away.
This industry has become 2 dimensional as it transcended into a 3D world.
agustusx wrote:Even if you use component cables on the PS2 and play a game like Mushi or ESPgaluda the game wont look "ok". I didn't want to fork out for an XRGB so i got one of those megacool boxes. it helped a bit, projectiles became sharper and more distinct. Without it shooters for the ps2 on an hdtv weren't really playable for me.
If your playing 3d games then depending on your viewing distance your may find that things look acceptable without any additional hardware. Part of the deal is you just learn that older games wont look as good as newer games on new tvs. in fact older games don't look as good as they used to on older tvs. It doesn't make them unplayable.
I had a 27" HDTV 4:3 crt and I sold it to a friend for cheap years ago, I regretted it ever since. Partly because he became an ass, partly because it was the last tv I owned that worked with lightguns, partly because I would never be able to find a HDTV CRT again:( I share the pain.
Not sure what your talking about but when I play Mushi, Ibara and pretty much all the Cave games for the PS2 through Component cables on my HDTV it looks a hell of a lot better than any Standard TV I've used.
I've even used a Converter Box that scales it to 720p and the difference in image quality is slightly better. However though you have to consider input lag when using those converters. I figured just playing around with the settings on the HDTV will display will give you good results that are on par with one of those up scanners or converters people use.
Shelcoof wrote:
Not sure what your talking about but when I play Mushi, Ibara and pretty much all the Cave games for the PS2 through Component cables on my HDTV it looks a hell of a lot better than any Standard TV I've used.
as neorichieb197 was saying @ lower screen sizes it might be ok. And I wasn't saying that it looked worse via component, just not good enough for me to play effectively on a 50inch. The graphics are still wavy and its hard to have pixel perfect precision. With that said once I got the megacool box I went to playing shooters on the ps2 exclusively on a crt I bought second hand.
evil_ash_xero good luck finding that crt. The only non-pro CRT's i could find were off brand TV's that didn't support progressive. I did find some with component inputs though. I even brought a Sansui home several months ago to try, and returned it the same day. Seems like most retailers only have LCD/Plasma and a few DLPs these days. they are really good on inventory rooms due to the small size.
OK, i've decided that I'm just going to try and get a CRT for my gaming needs for now.
I have seen some good ones on Ebay(used), but almost noone will ship the damn things.
Anybody know of a good place to get these? I'm looking for a 30 inch 4:3. I can go all the way down to 27 or lower if I have to. It just has to do 480p.
the challenge with used CRT is that typically don't have the shipping boxes anymore. The items are heavy so the shipping fee is ridiculous. For example I got a 22inch monitor second hand for $50, Shipping was $50, 100% of the price of the unit. (grand total $100) Here was how it was packaged
of course it didn't come with the dog toy on the floor Works great though so I can't complain. I recently switched apartments and a friend said while helping "I'll leave that monitor to you, so you can think if its really worth having something so heavy." lol
Augustusx's experience was like my Sony P110 experience (that monster actually had component inputs, which I never used though). Had another one shipped because of the breaker-tripping problem, and eventually just donated the thing. Sadness.
evil_ash_xero wrote:OK, i've decided that I'm just going to try and get a CRT for my gaming needs for now.
I have seen some good ones on Ebay(used), but almost noone will ship the damn things.
Anybody know of a good place to get these? I'm looking for a 30 inch 4:3. I can go all the way down to 27 or lower if I have to. It just has to do 480p.
craigslist is your best bet. be careful, some will only do 480i component
I have a Panasonic HD CRT which I think is superior to many of my relatives flatscreens of comparable size. It is 1080i and seems to have a subwoofer/soundsystem built in this is far superior to the separate crappy home theater system I bought that was supposed to provide the sound. I bought it off Craig's list for $300 32'. I think I got a steal of a deal!
Sorry if this was already mentioned, but I didn't see it while skimming:
Even CRT HDTVs can have lag depending on the source. Unlike LCDs they can have more than one native resolution, but it's generally 1080i and 480p I think. So old consoles that put out 480i would either have to be upscaled to 1080i or deinterlaced to 480p, creating a small amount of lag. Probably not too noticeable, though.
Works great though so I can't complain. I recently switched apartments and a friend said while helping "I'll leave that monitor to you, so you can think if its really worth having something so heavy." lol
