Is an HDtv TRULY needed for gaming?

[quote name='Punk_Raven']No. It's definately not needed. Everyone is pretty much saying that once you go HD, you'll never go back. Only problem is is that it's pretty hard to "go". Even the worst 32 inch TV out there is at least 500 bucks. Everyone who has one is saying that it's worth the time and research, and it seems like most of the people who say it's not worth it don't actually have an HDTV..

I see a game like Gears and am perfectly satisfied. I used to think I was missing out by not having an HDTV, but it's more of a choice really. It hurts me just as much as not having a surround sound system does. I'll buy then when they want me to, anyway ( when good HDTVs get down to reasonable prices ).[/QUOTE]I can say that 360 does a better job playing on an SDTV (because the text and notifications are best designed for it). Having a PS3 and playing one basically makes an HDTV a need. When I just had my 360, I wasn't too excited to buy an HDTV, other than to read text better. PS3 made me absolutely want one and I could see the huge difference after getting one.
 
I've noticed one consistent theme (for the most part) while reading this thread. People who don't have HDTV don't think it's necessary. People who do have it think it's absolutely amazing. I bought an HDTV in July and now I can't even watch SDTV. It's the best purchase I have ever made.

Yes, it's possible to play next gen games on a SDTV. But if you want the full experience go HD
 
Yeah you could play HD-capable games in SD, but why would you want to?

It's like putting a Ferrari engine in a Ford Focus. You might be able to make it work, but it won't run like it's supposed to.
 
[quote name='c_maz34']I've noticed one consistent theme (for the most part) while reading this thread. People who don't have HDTV don't think it's necessary. People who do have it think it's absolutely amazing. I bought an HDTV in July and now I can't even watch SDTV. It's the best purchase I have ever made.

Yes, it's possible to play next gen games on a SDTV. But if you want the full experience go HD[/QUOTE]Pretty much, and let's go back to an old post by me:
[quote name='The Mana Knight']I disagree about the TV because I could have upgraded my TV, but I chose to go with a PS3 instead. Although I cannot take advantage of the graphics by not having an HDTV, I'm perfectly happy playing games on an SDTV and they look impressive to me. Also, I'm just not willing to pay a lot for a TV, because it more so feels like an extra accessory to me, because I rather be playing games I enjoy, over playing next to no games on a nice TV (plus, outside of games, I don't watch many movies and rarely watch TV).\[/QUOTE]
Link

In this thread:
http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115550&page=10

Yeah, I learned why an HDTV is good.
 
[quote name='The Mana Knight']
Part of the reason I'm holding back on a Wii (although I want many of its games) has to do with not wanting to see it on an HDTV.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, when I had a Wii I was sorely disappointed in the picture quality on an HDTV (with component cables). I switched it back to the computer room on the ol' SDTV....where it sat....unplayed....until I sold it.

Wii+Component+SDTV = fun
Wii+Component+HDTV = messy
 
As a new HDtv owner I'd like to say no.

If the graphics look next gen they'll still look nextgen in SD, of course they'll look a good amount better in HD...SD still is ok.

I was actually kinda bummed out that most of my games I could hardly tell the difference...sometimes I have to get up super close to see because a lot of games(halo comes to mind) don't even go up to 720p.

It's great at times, but for the most part it isn't needed. If you can do it by all means do it, but SD isn't THAT much worse.
 
[quote name='leveskikesko']As a new HDtv owner I'd like to say no.

If the graphics look next gen they'll still look nextgen in SD, of course they'll look a good amount better in HD...SD still is ok.

I was actually kinda bummed out that most of my games I could hardly tell the difference...sometimes I have to get up super close to see because a lot of games(halo comes to mind) don't even go up to 720p.

It's great at times, but for the most part it isn't needed. If you can do it by all means do it, but SD isn't THAT much worse.[/QUOTE]
Yes it is.

According to what you said you haven't played any games that really show it, but still the difference is there.
 
No, HD is being shoved down our throats, hard in all form and fashion be it DVDs, TV sets (in the next couple of years you can't even watch your local channels without a HD signal) and video games. I don't think I'm alone being that I'm in no hurry for HD at all. Technology moves too fast I'm still fine with flat screen tvs.

Sure people who already have it their eyes adjust and can't handle standard tvs anymore, that seems to be the common notion. Well since I don't have an HD TV Standard looks just fine to me. I don't need to spend alot of money on a tv just to make the one I have look ugly.
 
[quote name='leveskikesko']As a new HDtv owner I'd like to say no.

If the graphics look next gen they'll still look nextgen in SD, of course they'll look a good amount better in HD...SD still is ok.

I was actually kinda bummed out that most of my games I could hardly tell the difference...sometimes I have to get up super close to see because a lot of games(halo comes to mind) don't even go up to 720p.

It's great at times, but for the most part it isn't needed. If you can do it by all means do it, but SD isn't THAT much worse.[/QUOTE]Get a PS3 (I already know you don't own one), play it on an SDTV. Next, play it on an HDTV. I'm being 100% serious, you can kind of get away without playing 360 on an HDTV, but you can't get away from playing PS3 on an SDTV (because of all the reasons I listed above).
 
[quote name='blackjaw']Yeah, when I had a Wii I was sorely disappointed in the picture quality on an HDTV (with component cables). I switched it back to the computer room on the ol' SDTV....where it sat....unplayed....until I sold it.

Wii+Component+SDTV = fun
Wii+Component+HDTV = messy[/QUOTE]

You = wrong.

The Wii looks just fine on my 51" HDTV. Yeah, sure, it is jaggier than the 360, but no worse than the PS2 and GC I also play on it (in fact, both GC and Wii are way better than the PS2). For a while I didn't have the component cables and was using composite. While the inherent blurriness of that setup smoothed the jaggies a bit, I still prefer the component hookup (and how could the same picture on a SDTV look any better?).

What I couldn't see doing is playing the Wii on a tiny screen (whether HD or not). Even though the pointer is not one-to-one (ie, it isn't a light gun that actually looks at your screen) it would seem wierd to me to use it on a small screen. Your movements must have to be way "larger" than it appears on screen. It works pretty well on screens in the 50" range.

Anyway, to answer the OP, I would say it is a definite plus. Not ABSOLUTELY necessary, but I don't see the point otherwise. I only got a 360 because I'd had an HDTV for 4 years and never once viewed anything above 480p on it. If I didn't have that TV I wouldn't have seen the point in spending $480 on the 360 like I did. So I understand the cheapass aspect of not spending $1000 + $500 or so to get into HD gaming, but then I wouldn't spend the $500 in that case either. I'd just stick to PS2 and GC games (of which I have enough to play the rest of my life probably) ;).
 
[quote name='The Mana Knight']Get a PS3 (I already know you don't own one), play it on an SDTV. Next, play it on an HDTV. I'm being 100% serious, you can kind of get away without playing 360 on an HDTV, but you can't get away from playing PS3 on an SDTV (because of all the reasons I listed above).[/quote]

Well I can't exactly say I've experienced the ps3's SD because I haven't, but I doubt it's any worse than it is on the 360.

I play graphically powerful and even the less graphically powerful games on 360 from SD to HD all the time, and it's not that much of a pain.
 
i used to play my 360 on my old 27" when i first got it and it was ok but when i moved i got a 40" HD LCD and enjoyed my games on a whole new level...now i dont think i will never ever go back to a standard TV

never saw the PS3 on a standard TV so cant really comment on that
 
[quote name='gunm']Yeah you could play HD-capable games in SD, but why would you want to?
[/quote]

Don't want to sound prickish, but it's all about the games, right?
 
[quote name='leveskikesko']Well I can't exactly say I've experienced the ps3's SD because I haven't, but I doubt it's any worse than it is on the 360.

I play graphically powerful and even the less graphically powerful games on 360 from SD to HD all the time, and it's not that much of a pain.[/QUOTE]Oh yes it's worse, and I could give you several examples.

Need for Speed Carbon, NBA 2k8, Simpson's Game, etc. are filled with jaggies when you play them on an SDTV (on PS3, 360 doesn't have that problem) due to the resolution trying to fit on an SDTV. Play them on an HDTV (especially Need for Speed Carbon and NBA 2k8) and most all jaggies go away (looks pretty good).

Because an SDTV is isn't 16:9, the problems with games are either: Black borders and really tiny text (Super Stardust HD has this issue), picture getting its edges chopped off (Warhawk has that problem, where some of the information the the page doesn't display. You gotta fix the display on the game), or the picture gets smashed to try to fit on 4:3 (MotorStorm and Genji do this).

Another issue is with the PS Store layout. Only three icons per page are displayed on an SDTV, and you gotta flip through several pages to get to older content. On an HDTV, 10 items are displayed per page (due to higher resolution), along with most popular downloads and what just came out. The layout is so much better on an HDTV.

And most definitely, the notifications become annoying on an SDTV. On the 360, it doesn't take up much space on the bottom of the TV screen. Since the XMB text enlarges on an SDTV, so does the text on the notification. Due to low res, the notification takes up too much space on the TV. Although it's on the upper right hand corner, it will stretch to take up at least 60% of the screen horizontally, and 25% of the screen vertically. You cannot see health bars on the 2nd opponent, part of the screen covers (and score I think) for Super Stardust HD, and so on. On an HDTV, a notification takes up 20% of the screen horizontally and maybe 15% or less vertically. Basically, it fits better due to the increased resolution of the XMB text (which can appear smaller and HD, on an HDTV).

Although not a popular game (I like it though), there is a PSN game that's strictly for HDTVs only, which is PixelJunk Racers, due to the really tiny racers cannot be created on an SDTV properly (due to low resolution).

If I brought my digital camera back, I'd post pics to show you.
[quote name='Punk_Raven']Don't want to sound prickish, but it's all about the games, right?[/QUOTE]
I thought that way until I got an HDTV.
 
I had a PS3 and didn't play it much when I was using a SD Sony Wega 19". Then I got a 32" HD LCD and all I wanted to do was play PS3--so much so that I even ended up getting a 360 for additional HD gaming.

So in my opinion its obviously not needed (as both 360 & PS3 support composite cables) but it does make all the difference in the world.
 
Not really. The games I've played on the PS3 haven't looked all that better in HD than SD. There's a noticeable difference, but not as much as the HD hype suggests.
 
[quote name='crunchb3rry']
What's your experience with blurring, if any?
[/QUOTE]

I've noticed none on my Sony LCD RPTV, even during games or sports. Some reviws of the set mentioned motion blur, so I may just be one of the "lucky" ones that can't see it.

I do see screen door effect on my set, which can be slightly annoying at times.
 
[quote name='c_maz34']I've noticed one consistent theme (for the most part) while reading this thread. People who don't have HDTV don't think it's necessary. People who do have it think it's absolutely amazing. I bought an HDTV in July and now I can't even watch SDTV. It's the best purchase I have ever made.
[/QUOTE]

Totally true. I was more "down" on HDTV myself before getting one in June. It's just night and day once you get one in your house and calibrated properly. The shitty lighting and terrible calibrations on the sets in the stores doesn't do them justice.
 
[quote name='blackjaw']
Wii+Component+SDTV = fun
Wii+Component+HDTV = messy[/QUOTE]

I don't think it's that bad. Metroid Prime 3 looked pretty nice on my set, underscan aside. Zelda is ok a bit jaggy, but it is a GC game. Paper Mario looked pretty nice. Wii Sports is jaggy but not terrible.

It's no where near 360/PS3 quality, but it is definitely playable and still looks better on my Sony HDTV than it did on the SONY SDTV I had it on prior.
 
I would say yes, but anyhoo you know there are mofos who have their ps3s and 360s hooked up into 20 year old 20 inch televisions using rf adapters.
 
The PS3 actually looks nice on my existing SDTV. Old Sony KV27FV16. First TV to ever wrangle up 5/5 ratings for the speakers (very nice!) and that enhanced 16:9 mode that essentially crops the screen so the 4:3 TV's viewing area becomes 16:9 with the black bars at the top and bottom completely ignored so the TV doesn't waste lines of resolution on areas where nothing is displayed. It actually looks kinda like a progressive image in faked 16:9 mode, the interlacing nearly vanishes and can only be seen if you get up close. Hooked up via component it looks awesome.

Only thing is there's no crispness in nextgen games. Just a bit blurry in quality. Heavenly Sword especially. But other than that, it looks good enough. I would say it's a luxury to upgrade, not anything critical, to answer the topic question...depending on if you have a good CRT though. My model was excellent, but others in the house look horrible regardless of the console hooked up.
 
[quote name='chaarlieee']You can get an HD 1080i tube for about $200 if you look on craigslist.[/QUOTE]

Maybe if you get a CRT. I tried getting a nice HDTV on Craig's List, people wanted way to damn near retail for anything I would've considered buying. It was pretty much a joke.
 
[quote name='cochesecochese']Besides PixelJunk racers?[/QUOTE]Right now, I think all other games can be played on a regular TV. Some though, it's not recommended (like some EA games).
 
[quote name='cochesecochese']I'm squinting to read text when I play Folklore, which is gay. Unfortunately I don't have the money for and HDTV right now. Dang.[/QUOTE]Several PS3 and 360 games are that way unfortunately.
 
[quote name='crunchb3rry']The PS3 actually looks nice on my existing SDTV. Old Sony KV27FV16. First TV to ever wrangle up 5/5 ratings for the speakers (very nice!) and that enhanced 16:9 mode that essentially crops the screen so the 4:3 TV's viewing area becomes 16:9 with the black bars at the top and bottom completely ignored so the TV doesn't waste lines of resolution on areas where nothing is displayed. It actually looks kinda like a progressive image in faked 16:9 mode, the interlacing nearly vanishes and can only be seen if you get up close. Hooked up via component it looks awesome.

Only thing is there's no crispness in nextgen games. Just a bit blurry in quality. Heavenly Sword especially. But other than that, it looks good enough. I would say it's a luxury to upgrade, not anything critical, to answer the topic question...depending on if you have a good CRT though. My model was excellent, but others in the house look horrible regardless of the console hooked up.[/quote]

Please repost this post in ENGLISH for us non-technophiles, please. :whistle2:# I understand the following when it comes to TV sets:

If it turns on and has an image and sound, we're in business. If it doesn't, then something is wrong, time to go get another cheap tv to replace it.

I am noticing a trend here though. The people who HAVE HDTVs say you CAN tell the difference and yes, I admit that on my one friends HDTV, you CAN tell the difference. But, is it worth it for me still? Not by a long shot, not yet anyway.
 
To put it more simply, the 16:9 enhanced mode on TVs makes the 16:9 image by slightly squishing every single line, while normal 4:3 TVs delete so many lines (believe it is every 4th line, but been a long time since I read up on it) to make the 16:9 image display properly.

It does make a nice difference with anamorphic DVDs--I had a Sony Wega with this mode. I never tried it with games though as I hated playing games with the black bars.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Please repost this post in ENGLISH for us non-technophiles, please. :whistle2:# I understand the following when it comes to TV sets:
[/QUOTE]

To put it more simply, the 16:9 enhanced mode on TVs makes the 16:9 image by slightly squishing every single line, while normal 4:3 TVs delete so many lines (believe it is every 4th line, but been a long time since I read up on it) to make the 16:9 image display properly.

It does make a nice difference with anamorphic DVDs--I had a Sony Wega with this mode. I never tried it with games though as I hated playing games with the black bars.


[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']
I am noticing a trend here though. The people who HAVE HDTVs say you CAN tell the difference and yes, I admit that on my one friends HDTV, you CAN tell the difference. But, is it worth it for me still? Not by a long shot, not yet anyway.[/QUOTE]

I think it's not worth it JUST for gaming. But I think it is definitely worth it if you watch a lot of sports, network TV programming and movies, as those are so much better in HD (or even just upscaling DVDs).

And not just for the picture quality, but also size, as you can't find any SD TVs over 36" these days, and I'd never go back to anything smaller than 50".
 
If you worried about buying a TV that is widescreen and not using the whole screen or getting a standard 4:3 TV and never having the ability to see all that's there i would say to get a projector that does both and just shoot it on the wall.

Since there is no screen there will not be any unused portions to attract attention.

You can get a 1024 x 768 resolution projector for about $600 through us which has more horizontal lines of detail than a 720p HD image and can project both 4:3 and 16:9 images.

If you have any projector questions I can also be emailed at [email protected]
 
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