I did some digging and found a few articles relating to the images getting cut on 4:3 SDTVs (this thread started it all). I gave up digging around after seeing so many "Go buy a new TV" responses, so was going to hold off until I had a chance to connect a friend's console to my TV to see if it would work properly. I'm not in the market for a new TV, so I don't want to spend $300 on a system that's going to be cut off on the side because I'm using old technology (even though my 360 connected and displayed without any issues).

Just found this after some searching. Looks like SDTVs may be OK?

http://techforums.nintendo.com/message/100904#100904

I can't believe you guys are trying to play HD games on SDTVs. HDTVs are super cheap these days (you can get good, big ones for as little as $500 and bargain brands or smaller ones for much less). Unless you also have a good PC for games, you're really missing out if you're trying to run a 360, PS3, or Wii U games on an SDTV. If you have any interest in playing console games, I can't recommend making the jump highly enough.

For fighters and (before) Guitar Hero/Rock Band, the lagless factor of CRT's is hugely important (not to mention my loaded Wii, which has all sorts of oldschool emulators on it). Much more important than playing newer games, which are more of a curiosity at this point. I really only have room for one TV right now and push comes to shove, my 80 pound monster is much preferred.

What GX said. I like the way my TV displays DVDs and my old consoles (which are shit on an HDTV). I'm in it for fun, and I can get that with the TV I have. I don't need to spend another $500 to have higher def while playing the occasional game, but I'd see your point if I were gaming more often and wanted a PS4 or something.

That said, that last link I posted is true! I picked up a WiiU today and was able to shrink the screen so it fits on my old TV. Played an hour of Mario... So great.

I'm still running a 40-inch SDTV I got for $40. The only HD console I have is a PS3 and everything else is non-HD... so I don't see the point of making the jump for one console when it doesn't get as much play as the retro stuff... especially if it's going to make the retro stuff look like crap. It is true the PS3 has been getting more games I'm interested in recently (the two Kingdom Hearts remixes and the X/X2 remaster) but I have no interest in the upcoming consoles either. I guess I rather retro stuff look better than HD stuff looking better than it does now. There are times I try and act like a big technophile but the truth is oftentimes I'm not clamoring to embrace changes and advancements in technology... in many ways it's not important to me.

Hang on, so you don't see the point in buying an HD TV, but you do see the value in buying HD remixes of SD games that you won't be able to experience in HD?

If all you're playing is old games and rhythm games, I can't argue with that, but I can argue with your point about fighting games. Unless you're exclusively playing fighting games offline, the (very minor) lag the TV ads shouldn't matter when you've also got the lag added by the network connection which is much worse. Keep in mind that fighting games made for the PS3/360 are made with the limitations of HDTVs in mind, and they build the lag from the console to the TV into the game design because they know that the vast majority of the user base will be playing on these TVs.

Yes, SD consoles look better on SDTVs, but I can't think of any reason not to get an HDTV if you own an HD console or want to watch movies on Bluray. The difference in picture quality is dramatic, and the upgrade price is very affordable (if you get an HDTV that's less than 32", the prices are below $200). I keep an SDTV in my house in case I ever want to hook up an older console and have the picture quality be correct, but I can't imagine going back down from HDTV for TV, movies, and modern games. The art assets in New SMBU are huge, so I guess that might work on an SDTV, but unless the game runs in letterbox, I imagine it would be more difficult to play in 4:3 since you wouldn't be able to see all of the action at once. Wii U games like Pikmin 3 and The Wonderful 101 have a large amount of small characters on screen at once, so I'd think those would be a mess on an SDTV. Back in 2006, I was pretty annoyed about having to get a new TV to play games, but I took the plunge in 2007 and it was completely worth it. All I'm saying is that I think you'd have a much better entertainment experience in general if you made the upgrade, and you can keep your SDTV for the old consoles.

I pretty sure these remixes have new content don't they...? I mean Kingdom Hearts has the Final Mix stuff and X/X-2 has the International and Final Mission jazz. Maybe I just want the extra content - who cares if it is in HD or not

Serious tournament players never take online play seriously, so is a nonfactor (Marvel vs Capcom 3's online is so shitty, it's like a dumbed down version of an already-dumb game when you're playing online). And you do feel it from TV to TV. Playing on a CRT, it feels like the shackles are off and everything is moving fast and fluently. Some HD monitors (like the Asus monitors that are Evo standard) are fine, but there is a touch of lag to them. Not enough to throw people off, but they still feel a touch slower than CRT's. I tend to find if I practice on a CRT, I can duplicate combos and strategies on a near-lagless HDTV, but not the other way around.

And then there are OTHER monitors that just make you want to throw your fightstick through the damn thing. I always make sure to ask organizers what type of set-ups they have. If they aren't running Asus monitors, it's a waste of time to drive out to the tournament.

On an unrelated note, there are very subtle differences between the PS3 and Xbox versions of certain fighters, with the Xbox version being preferred as the Evo standard now. I am an Xbox owner, but PS3 players swear that they have trouble adjusting to the Xbox version of certain fighters (supposedly, the PS3 versions have more slowdown and drop frames). People take this shit really seriously.

I appreciate that, man - thank you.

For me personally, it's about being truly happy with what I have TV-wise. I used to have a 46" 1080p Samsung HDTV that I bought with my ex, but she got it during the "divorce". For a while I did have access to an HDTV that made things look dope, so I see where you're coming from, and if I really missed that part of the experience I would have dropped my current set and picked up something HD-ready. For me, what's important is just having fun with games, and if I can do that with a Wii U on my SDTV and not feel the need to swap sets for what console I'm playing, then I'm all for it. (Santosha, baby.) I also like to live in a minimalist and energetically balanced environment, so having two televisions would tilt things even more toward the yang side of things in my living room. So I guess this is just a roundabout way of saying thank you, and that if things change I may consider another HDTV down the line, but for now I'm totally happy with what I have.

I split these posts off from the Wii U thread since they had become a proper topic of their own.

That's all.  As you were.

You cats know that CRT's can be HD, too, right? I have an enormous Toshiba HD CRT sitting in my room right now, gathering dust as I decide whether to look for a Sony Trinitron of the same size or just pay the $75 and repair the convergence chip.

Also, Zane? May I direct your attention to this site?

I think that HD CRTs also have lag, though.  The lag comes from the conversion of the signal from one format to another.

Attention directed, handsome. Reminds me of a trip I took with my buddy about a year ago where he found a 36" Sony CRT TV on Craigslist for cheap; it took three of us to get it out of the house, but he now has it in his spare room with all of his "legacy" consoles hooked up. (He also has a huge-ass 3D HDTV in his living room that has all of his current gen machines connected.) Homeboy's a purist. Either way, great article for the technical why/how-to of why CRTs are usually better for old school gaming!

Haha, yes, they certainly do. I'm happy if I can win 1 out of every 10 online Street Fighter matches, so I can't appreciate the difference a frame or two makes in the competitive scene.

I'm interested in learning more about the Asus monitors you reference. Can you link me to one of the better ones?

You're welcome, and thank you for helping me understand where you're coming from.