Be Excellent To Each Other

I'm in the market for a new HDTV.

Presently I play my 360 through a TV/Monitor from Samsung, the 20" Syncmaster 2032MW. It does 720p, 1080p, 1080i and I think the maximum pixel resolution on it is 1680x1050 because that's what my PC can go up to through it via a VGA or a DVI cable. moving from 720 to 1080 on my 360 doesn't give me any difference at all I believe the following to be true and would welcome confirmation or denial of these facts:

1: I'm going to benefit from a larger display for my 360 if I buy the right one.

2: There's no real benefit to outputting from a 360 at more than 720p as games that support higher don't give you any real additional picture quality and upscaling a DVD in the 360 to 720p is just as good as doing so to 1080.

3: Being the native resolution that it is, my current hdtv is changing the shape of my 360 games and not giving me entirely proper reproduction, even though it does look very nice.


Now, I'm not intending to get an HD telly subscription from Sky or whoever in the near future, but I might get a PS3 for Blue Ray and Uncharted in the next 12 months. I'm hopeful that I don't need to get one very much bigger for a better result, maybe looking at 23" or so but if jumping to 30 or 32 is what it takes, I'll hold fire, save and get something later. So really, given all the above, what would you be looking at getting for the results I want, if indeed those results are possible and have a point to them at all?

I got a 1920x1080 (1080p) 22" monitor recently, and it is for my 360 and PC, and when I get it PS3. It has HDMI, VGA and DVI in too.

It's pretty fucking great.

I don't intend to get another screen any time soon, since (hopefully) all the next generation consoles will have all games supporting 1080p.

360 looks pretty great upscaled, as do DVD and BR rips.

Only cost £150 too.

So, umm.... what is it, then?

Yes, because it'll be bigger. But basically no other reason on the 360.

Yes and no.

Almost all 360 games are in 720p. The 360 does upscaling or downscaling to match the output resolution you specify, and then your display does further upscaling or downscaling to match the resolution of your actual screen. It can sometimes be marginally better to only upscale or downscale once, i.e. to set your 360 to output at the native resolution of your screen.

A very small number of games are native 1080p, i.e. the entire game is rendered at 1920x1080. These games look quite a bit sharper than 720p ones of course.

Yes. Unless you have thin black bars at the top and bottom, then you have the wrong aspect ratio. Your screen is 16:10 and all 360 games are 16:9.

You can get around this by connecting your 360 over VGA and specifying the output resolution as 1680x1050. The 360 will then letterbox the display to get the aspect ratio right. Suddenly, ovals will become circles.

Gotcha, thanks.

it's a benq something, will get the exact name and link to where I got it cheap later.
I think it has gone down a little bit since too.

I have this one, but it is out of stock atm, but the site says it will be back in by jan 1st.

http://www.oyyy.co.uk/product.php/98681 ... ssy-black-

If you are looking to spend around £150, I say that one is a good one to go for (having 3 inputs, one of which is an hdmi, makes it very useful, especially in the future), but you could just keep an eye on HUKD for similar deals.

http://www.thelink.co.uk/hi-tech/171222 ... nitor.html

Hmmmm.

That's what I have. It's bloody lovely. 2xHDMI, SCart, Component, VGA and DVI. Just what I need.

Bought one this afternoon. It's lush indeed, I can see a differnce in Geometry Wars 2 which is 1080 I'm led to believe and I seem to be more accurate on Modern Warfare 2 as well. NXE still looks jaggy and shit though.

I've set my 360 to 1080p and auto thingy enabled, while the TV is reporting 1920x1080 60hz so all should now be optimal.

Might need to get me one of those - can you confirm what Dimrill said and it has a VGA port (my 360 doesn't have HDMI) and does it have an integrated digital tuner?

It most certainly does. I used to use it for use with my usually used xbox before it used in the use bin use.

The Samsung page for it has an photo of the inputs on it. http://www.samsung.com/ph/consumer/moni ... prd_detail

Woo, just picked up a Panasonic 26" LCD for the bedroom for £250.

I also have this one. It is incredibly lush. The colours are beautiful without being crass and it's pin sharp, no ghosting whatsoever. Looking at my pics on there makes me sigh with happiness, and playing TF2 on it makes me feel like I'm in some lovely violent Pixar cartoon.

Not that great at angling itself vertically, but other than that it's one of the best out there. Baffled at the lack of reviews for it, frankly.

Shit. I was gonna get a console, but might just get this instead. I could finally use the Component cable on my NTSC GameCube, after owning it for eight years.

Sold! I'm going to get one next weekend!

<edit>
Almost sold!

One last question - if I connect the 360 via VGA where do I plug the L/R audio outputs? On my current Samsung 19" something or other it has different audio sockets for the different video inputs and won't mix and match video source with a different audio source (ie getting the picture via VGA and sound via composite or whatever). Next to the VGA port it looks like there's a blue socket - is this a 3.5mm jack for VGA audio input?
</edit>

think so yeah, download the manual from the samsung site to check, as it comes on CD anyway, it'll be on there.

Yes it is, that's how I use the sound from my PC audio-out to the telly. It also won't mix and match input sources, unfortunately. I bought a pair of Logitech speakers for an tenner and plug them into the TV's headphone sockets to replace the built in speakers.

I like it when I can read the words on the screen, but I think my 360 does 1080(whatever isn't the better option) on a 26 inch TV and I quite like it.

Also, anyone tells you you can't get a decent LCD tv for less than £500 is telling porkies as I watched Wimbledon serves last summer and there was no ghosting.So £275 is a good price point.

Definitely sold! Thanks Dimrill, your Q&A service has been invaluable!

Right, I'm trying my Wii through component on the Samsung, there's a constant buzz/humm noise in the background on component, wiht the Wii on or off. Not on any other inputs. Can you lot check yours and let me know if I'll have to return yet another piece of fucking electronic equipment? Ta.

Ah, it's the backlight.

Join us tomorrow when GovernmentYard's car catches fire, as there's smoke coming out of a hole in the back!!!!

I'll make smoke come out of your back, you bastard

I demand everyone posts pictures of their Samsungs in action.

Clarification:

I demand everyone posts pictures of their Samsung HD TV monitors that Dr Gaywood told you to buy.

very similar to mine!



Malc

FRIDGE BUDDIES!

Hi5!

That's not Grim...'s fridge.

Boo!

I have a Samsung fridge. It (deliberately) has no icemaker though.

I love the ice maker! Even if it does make you jump when it fires up in the middle of the night!

Malc

Here's mine.



Untidy but is work in progress. Top shelf ready for my Amiga when the cables arrive.

No Nintendos?

Possibly a SNES sometime in the future. I have been saying this for the past 5 years.

I hate 95% of all Mario games.

Actually, so do I, but New Super Mario Bros on the DS was pure gaming joy.

Hey Doc, is that a newer Macbook Pro you have now?

Nope. It's the late-08 model. (I appreciate why Apple don't use model numbers in any meaningful visible way, but I still find it intensely irritating that I have to refer to it like a car or something.)

Right... I assumed you had the same as mine (alu keyboard & anti glare screen).

V similar spec otherwise.

To be fair theres a lot more to SNES gaming than Mario

Zelda is probably my favourite SNES game but theres plenty of other good games on there (Metroid / SFII / FF / Secret of Mana and a milion other RPG's)

I hate RPG's. I hate Zelda. I hate cutsey Japanese games.

PC Engine first, then a SNES.

I know we're drifting further off-topic, but what games will you get for the PC Engine?

No idea.*




* R-Type, natch.

Good choice. Although it's split into R-Type I & II. Pac-land's great on it too. I've got quite a few games for mine but not really gone through them yet.

Hello!

I have a 360 arcade with an HDMI socket. I will have Sky+ HD, which I assume is also HDMI. I have two HDMI inputs on my lovely Samsung TV.

HOWEVER!

I don't want the sound for either output to the TV, I want it going to the amp. What's my best option for doing that? I seem to remember there are issues with the 360 HDMI socket that makes it difficult to get at the adjacent sockets if I wanted to use something else for the audio? Helpies?

Well, here's my Samsung HDTV (with enormo-cable mess/pc/360/ps3/wii attached)

It does, however, pre-date me even knowing about the Gaywood. (Mid 2006 vintage)

I wouldn't mind getting a new one. This one is occasionally getting very cranky. And it has no proper hdmi inputs.

I'd take a feed out of the TV to the amp with my setup, were it not for having lost the adapter.

Ah, can you do that? I did wonder, what with the tv having audio out. That seems best.