What's a good Wii TV?

T

TheNewGuy8

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
182
Hi everyone

So I'm super excited about the Wii. One thing I'm worried about is my TV - it is a 20" 6 or 7 year old CRT (curved screen, not flat panel). As far as I know all it has are RGA ports for video and audio L/R in.

Will an old TV this small be OK for the Wii? I thought I've read that a TV will need to be bigger than 20" for the aiming mechanisms to work properly.

Also - will the picture look any good on this?

If not, or even if so - I'd love to get some cheap TV recomendations from you guys. I live in a small apartment, so it doesn't need to be anything huge, and I don't care about HD at this point - something 27-30 inches maybe? I don't really know.

Any suggestions/advice you have would be appreciated.
 
Something that supports component input and 480p should be OK. I would browse the Black Friday sales ads to see what will be for sale.
 
When I was at best buy today I noticed that every TV 32" or bigger (and most 27" models) were digital, so any SDTV (the digital non-HDTVs) should support 480p to get the most out of the Wii, haven't heard much about screen size though.

Also, flat screen vs. non-flat isn't a big deal unless you have a glare problem. One of my TVs is a 7 or so year old JVC D-Series 32" model. The picture I get from it from regular analog cable in my bedroom is a hell of a lot better than anything I saw from the cheapo off-brand SDTVs at best buy. It seems anyone who makes a decent TV is investing all of their money into flat panel tech these days. I am perfectly happy with my 32" high quality analog set and my 57" rear-projection CRT based Hitachi TV though. Just because something is new doesn't make it better, LCD and DLP still have a ways to go before they can compete with the best of CRTs in pure image quality, so don't be afraid to look into some used models, you might get a better set for a real bargain.
 
No, not all Digital TV's support 480p. No SDTV will support 480p because SDTV = 480i. 480p = EDTV.
 
so you guys are suggesting glass TVs?

Could someone link some in comparison with some LCD varieties?

what would prices be for this sort of set?
 
VoodooChi|d said:
No, not all Digital TV's support 480p. No SDTV will support 480p because SDTV = 480i. 480p = EDTV.
Click to expand...

Just to nitpick for a second, the terms "SDTV" and "EDTV" have been used interchangeably in the past. "EDTV" was created as a marketing term to differentiate between "HDTVs" which can accept 720p and/or 1080i signals and lower resolution 640x480/720x480 TVs which can only accept up to 480p signals. "SDTV" is properly used to describe a digital NTSC signal, such as that you get via digital cable and satellite services - it usually goes from the cable/satellite receiver to the TV as an analog NTSC signal. Both "SDTV" and "EDTV" are supposed to refer to digital signals as opposed to analog. The correct term for an old-fashioned analog TV in the US is "NTSC."

The bottom line is that if you go to a store today, you're not going to find an SDTV television. You'll find:

1. Analog NTSC TVs. These are almost always CRT-based, though there are a very few small LCD units which will only accept analog signals.
2. Digital EDTV TVs. These are usually smaller (under 20") LCD panels with a resolution of 640x480, or larger relatively low-resolution plasma displays (cheap), which will accept a 480p signal in addition to NTSC. Some companies used to sell small CRT-based 480p units, but I haven't seen one in a long time. These TVs won't accept a 720p or 1080i signal (if they do, then a company won't bother using the "EDTV" moniker).
3. Digital HDTV TVs. These televisions have to accept at least one of the HDTV signals of 720p or 1080i (modern units almost always accept either), and, apart from PC-specific monitors, they will also accept NTSC and 480p signals.
 
NulloModo said:
When I was at best buy today I noticed that every TV 32" or bigger (and most 27" models) were digital, so any SDTV (the digital non-HDTVs) should support 480p to get the most out of the Wii, haven't heard much about screen size though.

Also, flat screen vs. non-flat isn't a big deal unless you have a glare problem. One of my TVs is a 7 or so year old JVC D-Series 32" model. The picture I get from it from regular analog cable in my bedroom is a hell of a lot better than anything I saw from the cheapo off-brand SDTVs at best buy. It seems anyone who makes a decent TV is investing all of their money into flat panel tech these days. I am perfectly happy with my 32" high quality analog set and my 57" rear-projection CRT based Hitachi TV though. Just because something is new doesn't make it better, LCD and DLP still have a ways to go before they can compete with the best of CRTs in pure image quality, so don't be afraid to look into some used models, you might get a better set for a real bargain.
Click to expand...

That is because every TV sold since June (or something close to then) of 2006 over 27" has to include a digital tuner.
 
480p is sooo worthless IMHO...SDTVs can't display it, EDTVs are rare, expensive, and pointless, and it looks like poop on HDTVs.

My advice, any cheap SDTV for the Wii. The lack of detail on an SDTV will work great for hiding the poor graphics of the Wii.
 
Daggah said:
480p is sooo worthless IMHO...SDTVs can't display it, EDTVs are rare, expensive, and pointless, and it looks like poop on HDTVs.

My advice, any cheap SDTV for the Wii. The lack of detail on an SDTV will work great for hiding the poor graphics of the Wii.
Click to expand...
Most reviewers have said that 480p looks substantially better.
 
Babbster said:
Just to nitpick for a second, the terms "SDTV" and "EDTV" have been used interchangeably in the past. "EDTV" was created as a marketing term to differentiate between "HDTVs" which can accept 720p and/or 1080i signals and lower resolution 640x480/720x480 TVs which can only accept up to 480p signals. "SDTV" is properly used to describe a digital NTSC signal, such as that you get via digital cable and satellite services - it usually goes from the cable/satellite receiver to the TV as an analog NTSC signal. Both "SDTV" and "EDTV" are supposed to refer to digital signals as opposed to analog. The correct term for an old-fashioned analog TV in the US is "NTSC."

The bottom line is that if you go to a store today, you're not going to find an SDTV television. You'll find:

1. Analog NTSC TVs. These are almost always CRT-based, though there are a very few small LCD units which will only accept analog signals.
2. Digital EDTV TVs. These are usually smaller (under 20") LCD panels with a resolution of 640x480, or larger relatively low-resolution plasma displays (cheap), which will accept a 480p signal in addition to NTSC. Some companies used to sell small CRT-based 480p units, but I haven't seen one in a long time. These TVs won't accept a 720p or 1080i signal (if they do, then a company won't bother using the "EDTV" moniker).
3. Digital HDTV TVs. These televisions have to accept at least one of the HDTV signals of 720p or 1080i (modern units almost always accept either), and, apart from PC-specific monitors, they will also accept NTSC and 480p signals.
Click to expand...

That's not quite true. SDTV, EDTV, and HDTV can't really be chalked up as marketing terms because they do indeed represent 3 distinctly different things.

They all are digital (DTV) standards so if the TV is analog you wouldn't technically classify it under any of these.

SDTV = Standard Definition TV = 480 interlaced lines or horizontal resolution (480i)
EDTV = Enhanced Definition TV = 480 progressive lines of horizontal resolution (480p)
HDTV = High Definition TV = 720 progressive lines of horizontal resolution or greater (720p/1080i/1080p)

BTW all these figures are for N. America. Other countries and continents use different standards.
 
We're going to be playing Wii on our $830 AR 720p DLP projector, which is replacing our old 800x600 projector. :D Or on our old 27" SDTV during the day.

Still, if you're an apartment dweller, a smaller TV is a good idea. You need to specify a budget. IMO the best bang/buck right now are the 42" Panny plasmas, they're like $1200 now. I remember when I was considering the 480p model for $2800 :D

If you want cheap, the best way to go is with a CRT HDTV. Great PQ. Try to stick with a marked-down Sony IMO, CRT quality has gone down lately.
 
quite sure my 32" has component... but 480p that is max on the wii? Is that 640x480?
 
sorry to be a newb about this, but, just to clarify:

*does the Wii have RGA connectors? Like video and audio L/R, those yellow/red/white cables?

*If I have an old tube 20" with only RGA connectors, will the picture suffer?

*Can someone explain the difference between 480p and 480i?

*If I were looking to get a 24-27" or so TV, which ones would you reccomend? I'm trying to keep it as cheap as possible, though it would kill me to get a huge and heavy CRT at this point, so a flat panel would be mucho preferable, but I know that probably is not an option.

Thanks all
 
TheNewGuy8 said:
sorry to be a newb about this, but, just to clarify:

*does the Wii have RGA connectors? Like video and audio L/R, those yellow/red/white cables?

*If I have an old tube 20" with only RGA connectors, will the picture suffer?

*Can someone explain the difference between 480p and 480i?

*If I were looking to get a 24-27" or so TV, which ones would you reccomend? I'm trying to keep it as cheap as possible, though it would kill me to get a huge and heavy CRT at this point, so a flat panel would be mucho preferable, but I know that probably is not an option.

Thanks all
Click to expand...
yes


yes


i vs p - interlaced (i) refreshes the screen by scanning every other line each screen refresh. progressive (p) scans every line each screen refresh. you generally get a more solid, vibrant, better looking image.


whats your budget. there are several lcd's that can be had for pretty cheap if you watch for deals.
 
TheNewGuy8 said:
sorry to be a newb about this, but, just to clarify:

*does the Wii have RGA connectors? Like video and audio L/R, those yellow/red/white cables?

*If I have an old tube 20" with only RGA connectors, will the picture suffer?

*Can someone explain the difference between 480p and 480i?

*If I were looking to get a 24-27" or so TV, which ones would you reccomend? I'm trying to keep it as cheap as possible, though it would kill me to get a huge and heavy CRT at this point, so a flat panel would be mucho preferable, but I know that probably is not an option.

Thanks all
Click to expand...
1. Yes, it comes stock with the standard RCAs. Yellow, White, Red.

2. Yes, the picture won't look as good as it could. With Nintendo, 480i vs 480p is night and day. Actually...even 480i Composite vs 480i Component is night and day.

3. 480p is progressive, 480i is interlaced. Without getting into the vagaries of broadcast engineering and signal processing, interlaced displays the image by drawing lines alternately: it'll draw all the odd lines first, than the even lines. This is because back in the 50s, TVs lacked hardware capable of handling progressive scan. (Open up a TV...they are incredibly complex despite their prevalence). Progressive draws the entire frame, no alternating lines. Computer CRTs, and all LCDs are progressive by nature. Interlaced content usually looks like crap on these displays unless a comptent filter/chip is present (like a Faroudja DCDi or similar).

4. 24" - 27" is quite an option, especially with BF prices. You should look for 720p at the very least, and a Wii + Component Cables on it will look just dandy.

You could also look into the Gateway FPD2185W monitor. I have one, and its got a great panel, plus VGA, DVI, Composite, S-Video, and Component inputs, and the aforementioned Faroudja chip. I believe some of the higher-end Dells also have Component ins, so if you want a nice high-res computer monitor, it would fit the bill.

A 720p LCD could also function as a computer monitor for ya, but you'll be running at, IIRC, 1366x768 usually, so if you're a 1600x1200/1680x1050/1920x1080 user, you won't be too happy with it.
 
What about something like this:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7601491&ref=39&loc=01&st=insignia+27"&type=product&id=1130981881933

Looks pretty good.. and should be cheaper on black friday..
 
Martyr said:
go get defecated upon by sony
Click to expand...
Dude. How could you post that.

..


Without linking to this? ;) (Link since its techinically NSFW and don't wanna gank Maddox's bw).

@Danith:

1. It's Insignia. Some of their stuff (specially their bookshelf speakers) are actually easy moddable into something worth 3x their purchase price. However...Insignia TVs, have heard nothing but pain about those.

2. Only one set of component inputs in this day and age. :( Of course, you can use any A/V switch, but then you'd need to get a good set of Monster cables or something to preserve the signal on its way to the TV.
 
I have a 13" RCA TV : / I want a wii, but it's not worth playing on my tv, and I'm not sure if I feel like putting it on my 19" crt either. I need to get ahold of those BF ads.
 
Glyphic said:
I have a 13" RCA TV : / I want a wii, but it's not worth playing on my tv, and I'm not sure if I feel like putting it on my 19" crt either. I need to get ahold of those BF ads.
Click to expand...
Check http://bfads.net , and for discussion on the ads, check the [H]otDeals forum. :)
 
thanks for all the information, that helps alot.

I definitely need to check out the BF adds.

See, I have a Dell 20.1" 1600x1200 monitor that I use hooked up to my laptop for dual displays. I don't really need the dual displays, and I could definitely get away with just using the 20" dell as the monitor for the Wii. hmm.. I forget all the inputs the Dell has, anyone remember? What cables would I need to hook the Wii up to the Dell monitor?

But then I still worry that 20" will be just too small to really appreciate the Wii. Grrr.. Its also not widescreen, so will I lose res. due to that?

To the person that said get a TV with at least 720 - why is that? Just b/c its HD and thus future proof/better overall picture?

Anyone know of any great BF deals that I won't murder myself trying to get for a 24-27" LCD tv? heheh.

thanks again
 
Sharp Aquos 52 inch LCD upconverts 480p very well! I'm amazed at how clear it is, all my DVD's are as if I am watching them for the first time!

So I've got a perfect sized set for the Wii, now just to acquire one of those lovely little white boxes.
 
Alot of people are complaining about 480p...

Before going any further, do you enjoy watching DVDs? Then you have nothing to worry about, Wii's resolution is high enough for you. No question. It's the same bloody thing.

I get sick and tried of the "resolution race". It is well know that if you sit more than 8ft from a display that you can't necessarily distinguish the difference between an HD display and ED if the display is 42". Basically it all comes down to distance from your screen, your screen's size, and the resolution. If you have a 37" 1366x768 HDTV and you sit 4ft away, yeah, the Wii is not going to look amazing, even with component cables. If you have a 32" 1366x768 HDTV and sit 7ft away, you will enjoy the picture very much.

The only thing that I wish Nintendo would do is force some kind of AA. I mean, 480p is fine resolution wise, but aliasing can be a huge problem with polygonal games at such low resolutions. If aliasing was solved on Wii, I think you would barely be able to tell a difference between the Wii and X360/PS3. The Wii is more powerful then Xbox, and in time we will see the graphics get better and better.
 
what do you guys suggest for low-budget options?

I'm in a school apartment, so I really don't want anything over 24-27 inches, and if i'm buying something small like that, I'd rather not spend a ton of money on it.
 
You can't go wrong with something like this...

Westinghouse 32" LCD 1366x768 w/ HD Tuner and HDMI Input for $699 with free shipping.

It's very future proof with the HD tuner and HDMI, a good size, widescreen, HD 720p resolution capable... I myself have a 32" Westinghouse LCD HDTV and I love it, and so does everyone else. If can't reach that expensive, then don't buy an HDTV capable TV. Anything that is in the $400-600 range is not worth picking up for HDTV use. You'd be better off, just buying a simple SDTV 27" for $100-200. You'll more than most likely be happy with it. Just pickup Svideo cables, and you'll get a good picture quality.
 
matrix0507 said:
Will this LCD Monitor be able to do 480p utilizing a "component to digital" converter using the Wii component cables?


http://www.samsung.com/Products/Monitor/LCD_Multi_Function/LS21BRBASXAA.asp?page=Specifications
Click to expand...
Ummm, why not get a display with component in. There are many out there, and theyre not that expensive. Well, on some budgets, but they will give you much better quality than what you will get with your solution.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...20+1233414407&Submit=ENE&Nty=1&Subcategory=20
 
Just thought I'd point out that not all EDTVs will support 480p over component input. When you're looking at the low-end market, it's best to check that out beforehand.
 
TheNewGuy8 said:
How would this TV work:

32" Olevia LCD:

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=202787993&adid=17654&dcaid=17654&adid=17662
Click to expand...
Price, not quite sure, I don't have the time to cross-ref it against the BF deals and others...

Specs-wise though, I only see one "problem"...no Composite inputs. So no hooking up consoles you do not at least have a S-Video plug for. Not really that big of a deal.

The HDMI port is stated to have PC support, so you can use it as your monitor too if you don't mind the resolution. Just get a DVI cable and a DVI->HDMI adapter for one end. (Why not a cable? IMO, it'll be easier to interchange that cable somewhere else if necessary if it's a DVI<->DVI. DVI <-> HDMI wouldn't be cool for connecting two DVI devices.)

The twin component inputs are win, and the response time looks good too, as does viewing angle. Check some reviews, the dead pixel policy (since you are buying online) and the manufacturere's reliability on CNet or epinions or something too.
 
is this a true statement?

If a recent tv (within the last few years) has component input, it can do 480p?

The reason I ask this is cause I have a tv w/ component in but I do not know if it can do 480p?
 
as far as the BF deals go, there seem to be 2 I know of that are interesting:

32" westinghouse at BB, but i see no way any normal person will get that TV, and I have no desire to try. This is for $450 or so.

Another 32" at Home Depot, an Element TV for about $450 as well. they were selling them early, but may be out.

$60 for security of geting it may be worth it, I don't know. Reviews I've read say the Olevia is a better quality unit than the Element. BUT Buy.com does no returns on this item, its all through the manufacturer, so I'm going to call them and ask what their policies are on dead pixels.
 
matrix0507 said:
That doesn't answer my question...I already have the monitor and converter...so will it do 480p?
Click to expand...
It should, you have to set the Wii to 480p (it is in the setup menu). That should force 480p through component, and then if your gear is working right you should have a good progressive picture.
 
Best Buy has the 32" Westinghouse LCD HDTV for $479 on Black Friday. I'd nab one, Wii will look dynamite on it!

*edit* saw this was posted just north of my post by thenewguy8. Question to the poster though, what have you heard bad about the Westy? I've heard nothing but praise about their TV's...
 
kabob983 said:
Best Buy has the 32" Westinghouse LCD HDTV for $479 on Black Friday. I'd nab one, Wii will look dynamite on it!

*edit* saw this was posted just north of my post by thenewguy8. Question to the poster though, what have you heard bad about the Westy? I've heard nothing but praise about their TV's...
Click to expand...
I'll say this again. I've got a 32" Westy and everything looks fantastic on it. I run an HTPC at 1360x768 on DVI and it looks great. Svideo sources don't look terrible either, I just got done playing Zelda: Wind Waker on GC with Svideo and it really didn't bother me. Of course, I'm sitting about 6-9 ft away from the screen, which makes alot of difference.

It's a good buy if its $479. I bought mine last year around BF and got it for $899 with 3 years 0% :p !
 
matrix0507 said:
is this a true statement?

If a recent tv (within the last few years) has component input, it can do 480p?

The reason I ask this is cause I have a tv w/ component in but I do not know if it can do 480p?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. I have a TV I bought in March w/ component in but it can't do 480p.
 
Hearing the PS 3 have issues running on HDTV I would like to make sure...

I have a Sony LCD TV would that mean my Wii will destroy it ;).

It doesn´t work with my 7800 GT video card using HDMI output only VGA...
 
matrix0507 said:
is this a true statement?

If a recent tv (within the last few years) has component input, it can do 480p?

The reason I ask this is cause I have a tv w/ component in but I do not know if it can do 480p?
Click to expand...

Short answer: no.

A normal TV cannot display 480p, no matter what you do. Unless your tv was advertised specifically as an HDTV or an EDTV, then it will never be able to show 480p.

Most quality SDTVs will come with component inputs. This is because component cables provide much better quality than composite cables, even at 480i.

It cannot do 480p, but it still looks much better with component.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top