TV for 360 and other game systems?

[dalcwbysfan]

Ok, I'm looking to buy a TV to go along with my other game vintage gaming systems. I'd like a LCD but the price is just too much for a gaming TV only. I'm looking for something in the 24" range and was curious how a SDTV would display a 360. Would there be much difference between a SDTV and just a regular tube?

I first considered an LCD monitor but the VGA input limits me to only the 360. I'd like a TV that can run old school and modern systems alike but with the best quality picture. Something more universal than a monitor but with out the huge price tag considering this is a game only tv.

Thanks for any advice.

[ig88vsbobafett]

I have the Samsung 30" CRT HDTV and i love it it was $675 when i got it but it can be found cheaper. be warned it has had some mixed reveiws but all has been fine with me so far (about 3 months)

it is 720P WideScreen 2 HDMI 2 Componant 3 Composit? 2 S Video

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product_Id=4095272&JRSource=googlebase.datafeed.SAM+TXS3082WH

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7716769&st=samsung+30&type=product&id=1138087675171

It has a 15month wanrenty if you register it with samsung

[dusty]

SDtv is STANDARD DEFINITION so therefore SDTV would be "just a regular tube"' As for the difference between SDTV and HDTV: it is immense! Truely, it is like playing a different game. 20 - 22 in widescreen lcds can be picked up extremely cheaply in the 200 - 300 range. For suggestions on brands or technical definitions just pm me.

[petewhitley]

If you're going to buy a new 24" TV, you gotta figure you're gonna spend at least $200 for a decent SDTV. And at that point for Xbox 360 you're gonna be way better off dropping an extra hundred for an entry-level HDTV, or LCD monitor (which would widen your options immensely).

[Soviet Conscript]

I have the Samsung 30" CRT HDTV and i love it it was $675 when i got it but it can be found cheaper. be warned it has had some mixed reveiws but all has been fine with me so far (about 3 months)

it is 720P WideScreen 2 HDMI 2 Componant 3 Composit? 2 S Video

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product_Id=4095272&JRSource=googlebase.datafeed.SAM+TXS3082WH

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7716769&st=samsung+30&type=product&id=1138087675171

It has a 15month wanrenty if you register it with samsung

i'll vouch for this TV as well. i have it and i love it. if you can handle the fact its a 100+ pounds CRTs are a good choice for a HDTV. this tv can do 1080i as well. but only 1 s-video input...unless you found one i didn't. i do have a problem with a odd thin white line in the upper left corner though but its a very slight complaint.

[dalcwbysfan]

I would prefer the monitor route but my problem with that is I can't play the vintage systems on them, or can I?

I'm looking for 1 TV that will allow me the best picture quality for the 360 & ps3 but also allow me to play NES, SNES, genesis, etc. This purchase will be made for all my gaming needs so I can leave my larger TV available for tv and DVD.

I was hoping to keep the tv price in the $300-$350 range but I guess I'm gonna have to consider a few more bucks to get the quality pic. The space I'm putting it in will only allow for a max size of 24". One more question, will the nes, etc. look short and fat if played on a widescreen tv?

Thanks for the responses!

[Skelix]

You can also play your newer HD systems in 16:9 and choose 4:3 for your older systems. Granted with 4:3 you'll have the black bars on the side so you're 24" will not really be 24" :)

[dalcwbysfan]

it just dawned on me that my 51" Hitachi is HDTV ready w/ 1080i. It is a projection screen so would it hurt to play my 360 on the big screen? I fear the screen burn but if possible this would keep me from having to buy another tv. I could just buy an SDTV for my vintage systems. I haven't taken advantage of the HD capabilities since I bought this tv a few months back and completely forgot about it.

[Anthony1]

it just dawned on me that my 51" Hitachi is HDTV ready w/ 1080i. It is a projection screen so would it hurt to play my 360 on the big screen? I fear the screen burn but if possible this would keep me from having to buy another tv. I could just buy an SDTV for my vintage systems. I haven't taken advantage of the HD capabilities since I bought this tv a few months back and completely forgot about it.


This TV should work great with your Xbox 360. Just make sure to set the Xbox 360's output to 1080i instead of 720p. Also, if you get a Playstation 3, you might be very dissapointed to find out that many 720p only games on the PS3 will end up being 480p for you. Games like Resistance: Fall of Man will be 480p on your Hitachi (I'm pretty sure your Hitachi downscales 720p to 480p, but not absolutely positive). The Xbox 360 has a scaler built into it, so you can set the 360 to either 720p or 1080i and be fine either way. Unfortunately with the PS3, we are currently limited to whatever the native resolution of what the particular game is. No internal scaler in the PS3, or Sony isn't making this scaler available to game developers for some unknown reason.


Basically, I would use your 360, PS2 and Xbox 1 on this TV. As for your old school systems, well nothing would be better than true RGB for picture quality, and it's better to not have a widescreen anyways. So I would look for a 4:3 RGB monitor, like a used Sony PVM. You'll need to pay somebody to make you some cables, but in the long run you'll be thankfull.

Or just get any old CRT that has a S-Video input. Older Mitsubishi CRT's are considered pretty damn good, especially the 27 inch ones.

[THATinkjar]

I recently bought the Samsung LE32R74BD (32"). It was very affordable (just over £600), and I have been very impressed. I wrote some short impressions on my blog, which you can find here (http://subfusc.org/2007/01/05/puff-poo/).

I am using it for Freeview TV, Xbox 360 (via VGA) and Wii (through Component). All three look brilliant! It is well designed, swivels, has plenty of options and inputs, and it is a really good budget LCD.

[Cobra Commander]

Or just get any old CRT that has a S-Video input. Older Mitsubishi CRT's are considered pretty damn good, especially the 27 inch ones.
What about component on and old 27" CRT? Is that going to be much of an improvement?

[Anthony1]

What about component on and old 27" CRT? Is that going to be much of an improvement?


Well, the 27 inch CRT was about the retro systems, the Super Nintendo's and Genesis systems and stuff like that. Component won't help any. Only way component would help, is if you got a rgb to component adapter, and rgb cables for each system, and if you are going to go that route, then might as well get a real deal RGB monitor, and stop bullshitting around.

S-Video and composite video is fine, if you don't want to go the RGB route. If you are a big Genesis fan, I highly suggest a S-Video mod. Kamino did a Genesis S-Video mod, and despite the fact that he talks smack about me in his Sig, he did a fine job on my Genny, and I'll be forever grateful for that. Seeing Genesis games in S-Video is truly eye opening. It just proves that the Genny's composite output is pretty crappy.

[dubiouscubanx]

This TV was delivered to me last friday:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7685089&st=30FS4D&type=product&id=1134703573897

I paid $520 before taxes a couple of weeks ago, but even now the price isn't bad at all. The picture quality is amazing, even when running standard composite cables. I'm still on the hunt for PS2 and XBOX component cables, but for now it's great. Hopefully I'll be able to get a 360 after I do my taxes, so I can really test out the TV. I haven't gotten around to testing my older systems (SNES, X'Eye) yet, but I'll update when I do.