Questions: HDTV + XBOX?

[Travisimo]

I'm getting an RCA 50" HDTV (#HD-50LPW162) in a few days and I'm wondering how to hook up my Xbox for gaming? I believe I simply need to get the HD Pak and use component video cables to my TV, right? I already have the optical cable for audio because I've been using the S-Video kit for some time on my current TV.

Does anyone know if this TV accepts 720p? I read somewhere else (http://www.hdtvoice.com/voice/archive/index.php/t-6051 ) that the RCA DLP models do not accept 720p, but I think these articles might be old? The spec sheet for the RCA DLP I'm looking at shows 720p for input over HDMI but does this also work over component video cables? See here for the spec sheet I'm referring to:

Look under "Rear Connections" (http://www.rca.com/documents/HD50LPW162(SS)_703176_25.pdf)

Thanks for any help you can give,
Travis

[Tabasco]

http://www.rca.com/documents/HD50LPW162(SS)_703176_25.pdf
This spec sheet from RCA's site says your component inputs can receive 480i/p, 720p, and 1080i. You'll be fine. Older models had limited connectivty, but newer ones usually don't. Congratulations! That's a very nice TV.

[Travisimo]

Thanks for the quick reply! I wasn't sure if it was just via the HDMI input that I could input 720p (I didn't see any mention of resolutions with the component video inputs).

I can't wait to check out some games on my Xbox with the new TV. Can you recommend a few games that really stand out for playing on HDTV?

[oktoberrust11]

Although I haven't played it, i've heard that X-men: Legends (http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/rpg/xmenlegends/screenindex.html) really does a nice job of showing off the 720p capabilities of the Xbox. Personally, I'm really into Mercenaries (http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/mercenaries/screenindex.html) right now.

Matt

[globule]

Amped 2 is a great 720p title. If snowboarding sounds fun to you, then at least give this a rent.

[vpn75]

Looking at your TV specs shows that it has a native 720p resolution which is common for DLP sets. It will accept a 1080i input and convert it to 720p, which will still look great.

Congratulations, it looks like a great set. I haven't heard too much about RCA's DLPs, but the specs look good. I'm hoping to upgrade to a Samsung DLP sometime this year.

All XBOX 720p games should look great on this set. I can confirm that X-Men Legends looks really good. Unfortunately, there are not enough HD games in this generation. If you really want to enjoy the best gaming graphics, you may want to try and hook up your PC to your TV through the DVI input. I understand Half-Life2 running on a DLP is a sight to behold!

[DaverJ]

Originally posted by Travisimo
I can't wait to check out some games on my Xbox with the new TV. Can you recommend a few games that really stand out for playing on HDTV?

Just to give you a heads up... don't expect HD quality for all Xbox games. The games at 480p look good on an HDTV, but at the size of your screen you will notice jaggies. The games that support 16:9 help fill out the screen, but again- jaggies.

But, as said, you will be very pleased with the few 720p and beyond games. Here's a few to check out from the used bin:

Freedom Fighters (great game!)
Tony Hawk series (I like Underground 2)
Xmen Legends

Don't get me wrong- Xbox works well on an HD set. But a lot of people are disappointed when they first try out their Xbox on their new set because they think all games will look HD.

ALSO, be aware of the 16:9 bug at 480p... do a search in this forum for more info.

The future looks bright- Xbox Next is supposed to support HD in ALL games written for it!

[Tabasco]

Freedom Fighters (720p) was great, both visually and for gameplay. Even 480p games look good, though jaggies can be an issue

[RebelScum]

Soul Calibur II = very impressive 720p graphics!

I also have Crash Nitro Kart, which supports 720p, and is a good Mario Kart clone.

[DaverJ]

Originally posted by RebelScum
Soul Calibur II = very impressive 720p graphics!



I had heard that Soul Calibur 2 isn't full widescreen in 720p mode, it's pillarboxed. Is it true to get full 16:9 you have to select 480?

Is so, I hope this is simply a programming error....

[RebelScum]

Yes, that's true, but I think it's intentional. In order to pull off that high a resolution, the system probably couldn't handle full widescreen without some slow-down.

With widescreen and 720p enabled, the game's title screen and opening movie are still widescreen, filling the entire screen. Only the game itself is pillarboxed.

But to me, the very noticeable difference in resolution is well worth playing with pillarboxes. And I do have an RP-CRT, so it's susceptible to burn-in, but really, I'm not worried about it. I've never noticed any kind of burn-in yet, from any games. I guess it would have been nice to have the option of having grey pillarboxes instead of black, but grey would be more distracting. As it is, you really don't even notice it.

Trust me, this issue does not detract from SCII being a "show-off" game.

[Travisimo]

Originally posted by vpn75
All XBOX 720p games should look great on this set. I can confirm that X-Men Legends looks really good. Unfortunately, there are not enough HD games in this generation. If you really want to enjoy the best gaming graphics, you may want to try and hook up your PC to your TV through the DVI input. I understand Half-Life2 running on a DLP is a sight to behold!

Unfortunately, my PC and HDTV are in adjacent rooms and a wireless mouse/keyboard don't work that far (at least the Logitech MX700 mouse I have only has about 6 ft range). I'm half tempted to bring my PC into the living room just to try this out, but my wife would never go for it there permanently. I'm not sure there are any other solutions if your PC and HDTV are too far apart, are there?

[Travisimo]

Thanks for all the comments/suggestions, guys. I'll have to try some of those games that were listed. My expectations must not have been too high because I think the 480p games still look great on my set. Obviously, I was blown away by the quality of Soul Caliber in 720p, but the 480p games are certainly more fun to play on the big screen. The jaggies don't really bother me, though I definitely look forward to the next Xbox with all games in HD!

I'll have to do a search in a bit, but can someone briefly explain what that 16:9 bug is in 480p?

[DaverJ]

Originally posted by Travisimo
I'll have to do a search in a bit, but can someone briefly explain what that 16:9 bug is in 480p?

In a nutshell, many (all?) Xbox games running at 480p don't send the 16:9 flag that tells the TV to switch to widescreen, even though the signal IS widescreen. This means for 480p you will have to manually change your TV to "Full" picture mode to get the correct aspect ratio on these games.

Can anyone confirm if this is a game-by-game problem, or all games at 480p?

[jaydreb]

If you have to change the TV to "full" does that mean that the picture will be stretched?

[DaverJ]

Originally posted by jaydreb
If you have to change the TV to "full" does that mean that the picture will be stretched?

IF it's a 16:9 game, no. Some things might look stretched (menus, HUDs, etc.), but if the game was programmed for 16:9 the shapes should be displayed properly even if the TV doesn't know it's supposed to be widescreen.

[NoThru22]

Jaydreb, when you run anamorphic DVDs at full are they stretched?

[jaydreb]

LOL. Don't know what anamorphic means, but I've never noticed any stretching problems when I run a DVD.

[ruddles]

I am looking to upgrade to a big DLP for my Xbox later this year, but I read a thread about DLP lagging issues with some games. It mainly seems to be for composite and S-video inputs and not for component, but I was wondering whether any Xbox owners have seen this problem with their DLP HDTVs.

[Lando33]

I bought the exact same model TV with the intentions of using to watch HD, Xbox and dvd's. How do you like the TV? Anything I should know right out of the box? I've heard the Matrix game is in 1080i, but correct me if i'm wrong.