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Which is the better display for Wii/PS2-era consoles? HDTV or CRT?

R

RedSwirl

Junior Member
Edit: Holy shit. I just played Virtual Console Super Mario Bros. on the CRT and it hit my mind with a nostalgia attack.

The weird part is, I've been playing digital versions of this game on and off regularly for years now. Just yesterday I played my 3DS VC copy, but this is the first time in like 20 years I've played the game on a curved screen. The motion and color saturation looked like they were from a bygone era.

I'm totally running Link to the Past on this tomorrow in preparation for Link Between Worlds. I just don't know if it's gonna be my VC copy or my SNES cart.

Also, Super Mario Sunshine running on the Wii looked just right.

My current setup has a 14" CRT sitting basically right next to a 46" LCD. I hooked the CRT back up for my older consoles and am pleased with the results. It's obvious that the CRT is just a better fit for consoles N64 and earlier (unless perhaps you own an RGB adapter, but I don't), and current-gen of course is made for modern HDTVs, but it get's a little hazy with 6th-Gen tech like the PS2 or Wii.

On the HDTV End:
+You get 480p, even for Virtual Console games
+Almost all retail Wii games are 16:9
-480p still kinda looks like crap on a big 1080p screen (even 720p games don't look that great for me)
-Added input lag (I looked up my model on a list and its says it adds about 40ms lag)

On the CRT End:
+Image quality looks like how most people probably experienced the games when they came out.
+Less input lag.
+All my Virtual Console games are 4:3.
-You lose the slight improvement of 480p.
-I don't know if retail Wii games adapt for 4:3.

And in my case, no, S-Video isn't an option for the CRT. In fact it's actually a mono TV set.
 
S

Soriku

Junior Member
HDTV because I'd rather play on a 46" screen than 14" one. The games still look bearable enough on an HDTV.
 
W

Wowfunhappy

Member
If you're using component cables, HDTV
If you're using composite cables, CRT.

If you have a choice as to which cable to use, Component w/ HDTV is better IMO.

I speak from experience with using a Wii, I'd imagine the PS2 would be similar but I've never owned one.
 
O

Orayn

Member
I really enjoyed playing Wii games on my 55" rear projection HDTV. It was still 480p, yeah, but I'll take that over LCD scaling any day.

You're probably better with the CRT for games that don't have widescreen weirdness or excessively small text/UI.
 
E

Eusis

Member
If it's a high quality CRT then I'm sure it's better, but if you DON'T have a high quality CRT then it's likely a good HDTV will be better, or at least I though those systems generally looked better on my 26 inch Bravia than the older CRTs we had. This IS with S-Video and Component however, if composite's the only option I'd definitely take the CRTs instead.
 
J

jbueno

Member
Best display for most Wii games is a 480p / 31 khz capable CRT. Best display for both consoles is a CRt SDTV / 15 khz set. And use component cables for both.
 
R

rjc571

Banned
What kind of question is this? There isn't a fixed pixel hi def display in existence that won't make standard definition content look way worse than it does on a CRT. And don't even get me started on LCD input lag.
 
S

SeventhSon

Member
I've been playing Ico for the first time. I started on my LCD via component, but looked really bad and there was a lot of input lag. I switched to a CRT via composite, and it's much much better.
 
H

HTupolev

Member
It's game-dependant, but much more often than not I'd go with a CRT.

60fps games will just about always be better on an SD CRT. The combing due to interlacing on a CRT can be annoying in 480-line games at 30fps, but it's drastically less apparant at 60fps, and you can get your awesome responsiveness alongside a very clean, native image.

30fps games it sort of depends. Most of the time I'd lean toward SD CRT; you get lower latency, the image is native, and the speakers tend to play more nicely with low-fidelity sources than HDTV speakers. 480p-capable games will be able to avoid combing when you play them on an HDTV over component, though, which is the main advantage that using an HDTV has.

Now, if we're talking about something like those original Xbox games with 720p support, it's worth giving an HDTV a shot.
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
rjc571 said:
What kind of question is this? There isn't a fixed pixel hi def display in existence that won't make standard definition content look way worse than it does on a CRT. And don't even get me started on LCD input lag.
Click to expand...
Looks quite nice through an upscaler (XRGB mini). Yes, it has sharper edges than a CRT, but when it's upscaled properly it's actually quite a pleasing image. A lot of the ugly comes from bad scaling, but we'd tend to blame the fixed pixel display for it.
 
T

Tsunamo

Member
CRT by a mile. My old one died and I only have a plasma TV to go back on, and playing SD games on it is terrible in comparison to the former. (unless they're upscaled to HD)
 
synce

synce

Member
I think a good HDTV can rival CRTs with the proper settings. Hell my old Bravia didn't even need fiddling, I just turned on Cinema mode and PS1 games looked perfect. The only problem is you get black bars on the sides
 
R

Raging Spaniard

If they are Dutch, upright and breathing they are more racist than your favorite player
I recently got a giant ass 37 inch Wega HD CRT for free (thx Craigslist!) and dude, theres no contest, plus it goes up to 720p so anything Wii and prior to it looks amazing.

Weights about a million pounds, but I got it for work and now we have a retro gaming corner that gets a LOT of use. One of the best decisions Ive made this year.

The TV even has a name, Jorge.
 
P

Persona7

Banned
The Wii looks so much better on a CRT. Same with PS2 and any other console before the wii. The dreamcast looks phenomenal on my old PC monitor with the VGA cable.
 
F

FyreWulff

Member
I actually saw a Sony WEGA 16:9 HD CRT at the thrift store the other day. Best of both worlds?

I'm not buying it
 
L

LCGeek

formerly sane
Some of the best CRTS during that era also did HDTV resolutions on them. If you can find them or still have them they are to be treasured immensely cause outside geometry issues crts are still quite useful outside of their weight.

The sony XBR alone shits on most current displays especially if we are talking about non native content.

Why ask for either when you can have both?
 
R

RedSwirl

Junior Member
Kibbles said:
Why not a HDCRT
Click to expand...

The TV that the 46" replaced was actually a 30" HD CRT, but I was never actually sure about the technology in it or if it increased input lag at all.

The screen was LCD and the TV was capable of 480p, 720p, and 1080i, but there was still a cathode ray tube behind that LCD screen. 720p current-gen console games looked fine on this TV, but SD games still looked like crap, and I could definitely notice input lag in fighting games like Samurai Shodown Collection and 3rd Strike.
 
R

RedSwirl

Junior Member
LCGeek said:
Some of the best CRTS during that era also did HDTV resolutions on them. If you can find them or still have them they are to be treasured immensely cause outside geometry issues crts are still quite useful outside of their weight.

The sony XBR alone shits on most current displays especially if we are talking about non native content.

Why ask for either when you can have both?
Click to expand...

For a while I had the Wii and even the PS2 sometimes hooked up to an older 55" XBR (LCD), but I would sit about 12 feet away from the screen, and at that distance 480p games actually look great.
 
S

Sophia

Member
RedSwirl said:
-I don't know if retail Wii games adapt for 4:3.
Click to expand...

To answer this. Most earlier Wii games actually were made for 4:3 in mind. Some of them, such as MadWorld, don't even support Progressive Scan!

Around the time of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Nintendo made 16:9 the standard for almost all of their Wii games. Other developers followed suit. So games released from 2009 onward usually force black bars in 4:3 mode if they're from Nintendo.
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Kibbles said:
Why not a HDCRT
Click to expand...

LCGeek said:
Some of the best CRTS during that era also did HDTV resolutions on them. If you can find them or still have them they are to be treasured immensely cause outside geometry issues crts are still quite useful outside of their weight.

The sony XBR alone shits on most current displays especially if we are talking about non native content.

Why ask for either when you can have both?
Click to expand...
It's not actually the best of both worlds. Those HD CRTs still have to scale the SD image up, and that's a big part of why SD games look bad on HD sets.


Sophia said:
To answer this. Most earlier Wii games actually were made for 4:3 in mind. Some of them, such as MadWorld, don't even support Progressive Scan!

Around the time of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Nintendo made 16:9 the standard for almost all of their Wii games. Other developers followed suit. So games released from 2009 onward usually force black bars in 4:3 mode if they're from Nintendo.
Click to expand...
I don't think that's true. Wii (or rather Revolution) was first shown off in 16:9, and nearly every game supports it.

Yes, they all have 4:3 modes, but then again, so do PS360 games.
 
D

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
A good CRT is definitely THE way to experience those last generation games. However, in this case, a 14" CRT with composite probably isn't going to provide a great experience.

If you're stuck with a non-CRT display then using something like an XRGB is the second best thing.

The screen was LCD and the TV was capable of 480p, 720p, and 1080i, but there was still a cathode ray tube behind that LCD screen. 720p current-gen console games looked fine on this TV, but SD games still looked like crap, and I could definitely notice input lag in fighting games like Samurai Shodown Collection and 3rd Strike.
Click to expand...
Wait, what? That doesn't make sense.

You're talking about two different TVs, I assume. It sounds like you're saying that you had an LCD/CRT combination unit but no such thing exists.
 
S

SeventhSon

Member
Any fixed resolution display will make any signal that isn't one for one with its resolution look poorer than it should, including HD CRT displays.
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
dark10x said:
A good CRT is definitely THE way to experience those last generation games. However, in this case, a 14" CRT with composite probably isn't going to provide a great experience.

If you're stuck with a non-CRT display then using something like an XRGB is the second best thing.


Wait, what? That doesn't make sense.

You're talking about two different TVs, I assume. It sounds like you're saying that you had an LCD/CRT combination unit but no such thing exists.
Click to expand...
Maybe he's talking about a rear projection LCD, or a DLP.
 
R

RobFox64tm

Member
I actually prefer using my LED LCD for anything above the N64/PSX era. It has decent quality component inputs and progressive scan. In fact my Gamecube looks particularly good on it via the official component cables. Same with the Wii, though not quite as sharp due to the anamorphic widescreen. Also, on that note, I wouldn't be willing to give up the 16:9 aspect ratio to play Wii games on a 4;3 CRT monitor.

For anything older than the PS2 though, yeah, CRT is the way to go.
 
S

Sophia

Member
BocoDragon said:
I don't think that's true. Wii (or rather Revolution) was first shown off in 16:9, and nearly every game supports it.

Yes, they all have 4:3 modes, but then again, so do PS360 games.
Click to expand...

It is true. MadWorld does not support 16:9 (using a fuax-widescreen like how Resident Evil 4 on the Gamecube was) nor progressive scan. There were a few other games that don't support progressive scan either. It was a real bitch for those using a third party VGA cable, as the games just flat out didn't play.
 
D

dark10x

Digital Foundry pixel pusher
RobFox64tm said:
I actually prefer using my LED LCD for anything above the N64/PSX era. It has decent quality component inputs and progressive scan. In fact my Gamecube looks particularly good on it via the official component cables. Same with the Wii, though not quite as sharp due to the anamorphic widescreen. Also, on that note, I wouldn't be willing to give up the 16:9 aspect ratio to play Wii games on a 4;3 CRT monitor.

For anything older than the PS2 though, yeah, CRT is the way to go.
Click to expand...
That's why Wii games look best on a 16:9 480p capable CRT.

There's no single display that suits all content, I'm afraid.

It is true. MadWorld does not support 16:9 (using a fuax-widescreen like how Resident Evil 4 on the Gamecube was) nor progressive scan. There were a few other games that don't support progressive scan either. It was a real bitch for those using a third party VGA cable, as the games just flat out didn't play.
Click to expand...
Keep in mind that *ALL* Wii and Gamecube games capable of 16:9 achieve it using an anamorphic solution. That is, the actual output is still 4:3 in terms of pixel ratio and playing in 16:9 simply results in rectangular pixels thereby reducing image quality.
 
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