Is it worth buying a HD tv just for the Xbox??

[stargate]

Here is the deal. I was thinking about upgrading my gameroom tv. I was thinking about getting a HD tv solely due to the Xbox so I can make use of the HD games that are out there. My question is, is it worth it? How much better do the games look? I also notice some games state 480i and some state 720i. I am not sure what this means, but as long as I get an HD tv, I should be all set, right?

Thanks for any advice!!

[Nez]

Here is the deal. I was thinking about upgrading my gameroom tv. I was thinking about getting a HD tv solely due to the Xbox so I can make use of the HD games that are out there. My question is, is it worth it? How much better do the games look? I also notice some games state 480i and some state 720i. I am not sure what this means, but as long as I get an HD tv, I should be all set, right?

Thanks for any advice!!

I'm shure you mean 480p and 720p. It depends on how much you play your Xbox. If you play it alot and what the best visuals then shure. But if you rarely play it, then I'd say hold off till you buy other current gen systems, ie gamecube or 360. And most hdtvs will change there resolution automaticly so yes you would be all set. (If you have the right component cables.)

[stargate]

well, I do play the xbox quite a bit and I also own a Gamecube.

Does the 480p require a HD tv ? I notice most of my games are 480p and I only have one that says 720p (Soul Calibur 2).

[Trebuken]

Depends. How much do you want to spend? You can get an inexpensive one (look for 720p, minimum) at Walmart or (I suggest), browsing your local stores for open box bargains (after Christmas probably).

You could go all the way and get a 1080P set (or a projector even). This would cost you several thousand, but you'd probably not want this just for a 360, unless your loaded, but if you were loaded you'd already have one...

I got a decent 32" Sanyo HDTV at Walmart for $200 once. It's not an awesome HDTV but it'll do nicely for the 360.

Of course PS3 will do 1080P...

Later,
Trebuken

[Slipdeath]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7006045&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat31800050031&id=1099392081898

[stargate]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7006045&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat31800050031&id=1099392081898

now, that looks like a good deal and I am looking for a 27"

will "HD ready" suffice for Xbox gaming?

[Trebuken]

Looks like a solid set. It'll handle a 360 well, though it does not look lie it'll handle 720p...the information that link provides does not say it. 1080i is good enough though, not sure you can see a difference anyhow.

103 lbs. though...

HD ready means it will display HD from any source but for HD television you will need another box/tuner. Generally provided by cable company, though you can purchase them standalone for OTA (over the air) transmissions.

Later,
Trebuken

[Nez]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7006045&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat31800050031&id=1099392081898

This is the TV I have. Its ok, but it lasted me 2 month before it broke. Luckily it was underwarenty and I didn't have to pay for the replacment. It has a problem with the picture at the outer edges, it warps it a bit. Not too bad but it does happen.

S-video is not good however it makes little dark dots all over the picture. There not black but the color is just a little bit darker in those dots. I cant really explain it right. But I've owned 2 of these tvs and they've both done this.

There are 2 component ports, 3 s-vid and 3 composite. It has good sound but it is freaking heavy. 103lbs doesn't sound like much but it is very hard to carry. You'll need 2 farly strong people. I'm not a wimp but shit carrying that solo up a flight of stairs was very difficult.

So yeah theres my review on that TV.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/a16btsuicide/cd.jpg

[stargate]

how about this one?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000816XK2/ref=ord_cart_shr/002-6766998-9495216?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance&n=172282

[Slipdeath]

nez have you tried any hd on it?

[Nez]

nez have you tried any hd on it?

Of course Xbox the 3 PS2 games and GCN in HD as well. Looks really really good. GCN in particular looks great. Sadly I don't have anygames that go above 480p so I cant comment on its 1080i or 720p abilitys.

[The Manimal]

go 'all out' and get a 34xbr960


that thing is freakin' loaded... *and expensive LOL *


too heavy and deep for me, unfortunately.

[roushimsx]

Hell yea it's worth getting an HDTV just for videogames. Be sure you don't skimp out on good component cables! As long as you veer away from Mad Katz, you should be dandy :)

480p is a noticable jump in quality if you're used to just svideo and composite, and both 1080i and 720p look fanfuckingtastic.

IIRC HD-Ready just means that there's no built in ATSC tuner, so you'll need a seperate device to handle HD Broadcasts (HD Cable box, OTA Antenna, etc), correct?

[Nez]

Hell yea it's worth getting an HDTV just for videogames. Be sure you don't skimp out on good component cables! As long as you veer away from Mad Katz, you should be dandy :)

480p is a noticable jump in quality if you're used to just svideo and composite, and both 1080i and 720p look fanfuckingtastic.

IIRC HD-Ready just means that there's no built in ATSC tuner, so you'll need a seperate device to handle HD Broadcasts (HD Cable box, OTA Antenna, etc), correct?


Si.

Oh and is there really all that much of a differance in HD cables?

I'm currently using composite cables instead of component on my DVD player. Component cables are just to costly.

[Slipdeath]

So if you were to connect an xbox 360 to say that tv would you need anything extra? 720p 1080i which one is better?

[Nez]

So if you were to connect an xbox 360 to say that tv would you need anything extra? 720p 1080i which one is better?

No. Just HD cables and youd be all set.

720p and 1080i I have no clue.

[stargate]

OK, the only thing I am not understanding is this...

If I get a "HD ready" set, will I need a separate decoder to use with my Xbox or is that just for television HD broadcasts?

[jonjandran]

So if you were to connect an xbox 360 to say that tv would you need anything extra? 720p 1080i which one is better?

It's a matter of opinion . Some like 720p better, some like 1080i better.
And certain televisions do 720p better and some do 1080i better.
I personally think they look almost identical. I prefer 1080i myself though. Seems a little clearer and brighter on my Sony Grand Wega 60"

[jonjandran]

OK, the only thing I am not understanding is this...

If I get a "HD ready" set, will I need a separate decoder to use with my Xbox or is that just for television HD broadcasts?

That's just for OTA (Over The Air) HD television.

It will work fine for Xbox 360 HD.

[Nez]

OK, the only thing I am not understanding is this...

If I get a "HD ready" set, will I need a separate decoder to use with my Xbox or is that just for television HD broadcasts?

TV broadcasts. It doesn't have a tv HDtuner.

[stargate]

OK, thanks for the info everyone!

[Anthony1]

Component cables are just to costly.


I use regular audio/video cables as component cables all the time. I put the yellow plug into the green one, the white plug into the blue one, and the red plug into the red one. I just make sure that I do it the same way on whichever end I'm connecting it to.


I use 5 dollar audio/video cables, and there is no degradation in the signal whatsoever. People that buy Monster cable component cables are just throwing their money in the trash.



Now, that's with component and composite, but with S-Video, the higher end Monster S-Video cables actually do give you a slight improvement.


By the way, same with Subwoofer cables and coaxial digital audio cables. You don't need to buy any super expensive Monster crap for that. Just use any old audio cable. In regards to speaker wire, try to get 16 gauge or lower. Home Depot sells a 16 gauge speaker wire in a 100 ft spool for a good price. Don't pay big bucks for Monster Speaker cable. Just get 16 guage or lower.

[SirDrexl]

I think this question is like asking whether it is worth buying a (new) console for a certain game, or upgrading your video card for a certain PC game. It's not as if you're buying the new thing just for one reason. What I'm trying to say is that when you get an HDTV, you won't just be playing Xbox 360 games on it. You'll get better DVD playback from a progressive scan player (although I don't know if the Xbox 360 plays DVDs in progressive scan), and eventually you'll be watching HDTV and HD DVDs (probably Blu-Ray discs) on it. So, while the 360 will be the impetus for buying it, you'll get a lot of use out of it beyond what made you want to get one in the first place.

One thing you'll have to be sure about is that the HDTV you get has an HDMI input. It is rumored that the next generation DVD players (again, probably Blu-Ray) won't output an HD signal through component cables, since the MPAA wants to close the "analog hole."

[captain nintendo]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7006045&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat31800050031&id=1099392081898


Too small :P


looking for a nice 36 inch set ;)

[Trebuken]

I would suggest HDMI as well. It's future proof and it will also allow you to use an upconverting DVD player, which are not so expensive any more (not all created equal though).

720p beats 1080i, but most source material is not created for 720p, but instead for 1080i. Many sets that support 720p do not really output it well. (720P = 1440 lines of resolution versus 1080 lines for 1080i).

720P is to 1080i what Progressive scan DVD is to standard DVD (or close anyways).

Only reason I have found for more expensive cables is interference. If you run a bunch of cables around they get tangled and ehy can mess with each other sometimes, espeacially if it's a Cable or Power cord. You can get interference in your picture which a more expensive cable might shield. Being aware of this though, just don't overlap the cables...also length is an issue. Cheap cables are good for short distances (6' or less), longer may or may not require better cables due to signal degradation (worth trying anyways). I've run 30' composite cables with nor problems though.

36" is what I use for gaming on my 360. I have a 47" but I prefer the smaller one for games, larger one for movies...

Later,
Trebuken

[Anthony1]

Everybody thinks the original poster is talking about the Xbox 360, but I think he's talking about Xbox 1.


It's funny. Everybody is just assuming he's talking about the 360, but all he ever says is XBOX. He didn't say nuthing about a 360.

[Trebuken]

Everybody thinks the original poster is talking about the Xbox 360, but I think he's talking about Xbox 1.


It's funny. Everybody is just assuming he's talking about the 360, but all he ever says is XBOX. He didn't say nuthing about a 360.

Ooops.