by norm stovall norm@904skate.com
Microsoft recently announced its upcoming release of the new version of the Xbox 360, affectionately referred to as “The Elite”. One of the main benefits of this new version of the Xbox 360 is the upgraded HDMI output, made for HDTVs. HDMI is pretty much the new standard in HDTV cable tech, so if you want a new HDTV for gaming, make sure it has an HDMI port in the back. Both the Playstation 3 and the new Xbox 360 support this format, and the picture quality is amazing. Have an Xbox 360 without HDMI? No worries. You can pick up a VGA cable for your Xbox 360, and the quality is still amazing. Most HD sets also have a VGA input.
Well, I know that this column is about games, but sometimes we use our game consoles to watch movies. So you want the most bang for your buck, and you want to see that bang in HD, right? You have 2 options, those options being HD-DVD and Blu-Ray Disk. So which HD format do you choose? If you already have a PS3, Blu-Ray is built in, so you are set. Blu-Ray looks every bit as amazing as HD-DVD, and you’d probably need some kind of supercomputer to tell the difference. What about HD-DVD players? Well, for about 200 bucks, you can buy the HD-DVD add-on for your Xbox 360. Though this drive is strictly for playing movies, the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive does it well. If you don’t plan on watching High-Def movies, MS gives you the game console without having to pay the premium for the High-Def movie format.
This is a big maybe. If you are buying a TV for this purpose, be sure to look at the refresh rate. Many older HD sets have issues with lag and image ghosting, meaning that the sound or controller inputs don’t match the movement on the set, and the images leave strange traces behind them when in motion. Though most modern HDTVs don’t have these problems, you still want to ask. If it has a refresh rate higher than 6 milliseconds, you probably want to pick a different TV.
HD Gaming is not for everyone. You can play most console games on TVs over AV cables and even RF cables, and probably not have any kind of problem whatsoever. But when you see Virtua Fighter 5 on PS3 or Gears of War for Xbox 360 running in High-Def, you may just want to make that switch.
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