HD TVs and older consoles

Backlash

Backlash

CAGiversary!
Feedback
8 (100%)
For those of you with HD sets, how do older consoles (NES, SNES, 64, even PS2) look on it? Is there something special I need to look for when shopping for an HD TV?

I am ready to make the jump, I think (mostly because we want a bigger TV and want to watch sports in HD), but I do all of my gaming in non-HD. I do play a bunch of PS2 and GCN, but also 8bit and 16bit titles.

(I wasn't sure where to put this post, please move to another forum if appropriate).
 
Like crap. Seriously. The ps2 looks Okay since you can hook it up through component

But seriously, older systems look crappy -_-V
 
Yeah they do look like crap. You could get a external video processor or reciever with the ability to upscale that'll make it look alittle better but crap in crap out as the saying goes.
 
It also will depend on the size of the TV. On my son's TV, a 32" LCD, they don't look too bad. On our 70" they look like ass. The cube isn't so bad, but the older systems sure are.
 
I had to rehook all my older systems to a regular tv because they look like crap on my 32 inch Samsung HDTV. I use my HDTV for the current systems only.
 
They look fine, but tube TV's do a good job of hiding the low detail. If you've been playing games in 720/1080 and then play an older system, it is very noticable, otherwise it's acceptable.
 
You do have one option, which happens to be the route I took when buying my HDTv's. I bought one tube Hd TV, Samsung and Sony are the last companies to make serious HD Tube Tv's, and one LCD HDTV. The reasoning being that when I play my older games, which I often play my Saturn/Sega CD/Nes/64 etc, they look excellent and when I play my 360 it also looks great. Since the tube Tv's can change the number of pixels on the fly and can handle everything from 480i and lower upto 720p/1080i. You won't find any 1080p sets, but I find that to be a small consolation. Worse case scenario buy another set like I did that can do 1080p. If this is the route you would like to take I can throw you a link for my model (the Samsung) which I am very pleased with and nabbed with a 10% off coupon at best buy for around 400. Good Luck.
 
[quote name='omgu8myrice']if you can make the jump to an HDTV, why not just make the jump to an Xbox 360 as well?[/quote]
I bought an HDTV, hooked my PS2 up to it, uttered a couple profanities, and bought a 360 the next day.

I wasn't planning to buy a 360, but the difference is pretty huge.

Although now, I don't mind the appearance of the PS2, although it's a different kind of image than what's on the tube. It's hard to describe, but it definitely does take some getting used to.
 
That's true, there are a handful of them. He does have a 360 though so that limits the number in my opinion (exclusives), Ratchet and Uncharted comes to mind.
 
Well I got a 26 sharp 720p for my 360 and it looks great but my ps2 has a lot of extra grain. Made gow 2 look pretty bad.
 
The best thing to do is get a video processor to upconvert the console, but keep the original aspect ratio. when you stretch them out, that is when it really looks like your buddy's momma.
 
[quote name='SL4IN']You do have one option, which happens to be the route I took when buying my HDTv's. I bought one tube Hd TV, Samsung and Sony are the last companies to make serious HD Tube Tv's, and one LCD HDTV. The reasoning being that when I play my older games, which I often play my Saturn/Sega CD/Nes/64 etc, they look excellent and when I play my 360 it also looks great. Since the tube Tv's can change the number of pixels on the fly and can handle everything from 480i and lower upto 720p/1080i. You won't find any 1080p sets, but I find that to be a small consolation. Worse case scenario buy another set like I did that can do 1080p. If this is the route you would like to take I can throw you a link for my model (the Samsung) which I am very pleased with and nabbed with a 10% off coupon at best buy for around 400. Good Luck.[/QUOTE]

I was going to suggest the same thing. Another option is a rear projection TV but they only come in very large sizes. We have a 6 year old 53" rear projection TV and older games (as far back as the SNES era) look fantastic on it.

But there's really no convenient type of TV for older systems though. If you can get a few people to help and if you never have to worry about moving it, then I'd definitely look at a tube TV.
 
Thanks for all the tips. We made some measurements yesterday, and it looks like I'll actually be able to keep my old tube TV in another room (for now, anyway), so I can always hook the older gen stuff up to that and keep the PS2 and GCN in the den with the new TV if I have to.

I hadn't considered a tube HDTV, but I don't think that's a good option for me personally, as I do want a much larger TV with a widescreen aspect ratio (and I already have a tube TV, though not HD, if I want to hook up older consoles to one).

I'll eventually get a PS3 or 360, but right now there's just too many games for the older consoles that I want to play (either I haven't played yet, or I go back to for fun and nostalgia).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top