CRT vs LCD HDTV - Comparison #1 - NES Super Mario Bros.

Just a quick video showing a comparison of Super Mario Bros. on a CRT (480i) and LCD HDTV (1080i)

The TV on the left is the CRT (27" Sony Wega) being played on a real Nintendo front loader. The TV on the right is an LCD HDTV (40" RCA 1080p).
he output on the HDTV is from Mednafenx_nes_v10 via component cable (1080i)

Of course I prefer playing the original consoles, but I'm not the only one who thinks HDTV and less than 480p video just doesn't cut it! Until we get a viable solution for displaying standard definition video on an HDTV, there is always emulation. Not the same, but not too bad either.

Let me know what you think!
I'd like to hear what solutions there might be for classic gaming on HDTV!

Please visit my website, http://www.videogameobsession.com for more video game madness! :)

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• CRT
• vs
• LCD
• HDTV
• Nintendo
• NES
• Super
• Mario
• VGO
• spoonman
• Emulation
• Xbox
• 1080i
• Mednafenx
• emu
• emulator
• gaming

[ElvisRocksVinyl]

LCDs are crap for any console made in the 80s and 90s and to the early part of 00s, they were systems developed for the standard res CRT teles, I'm reluctant to get rid of my 25" Sony 4.3 and sony 28" widescreen teles because my snes and mega drive look total arse on my 32" LCD, I still prefer to play games on the old CRTs, even my xbox is handcuffed to my CRT lol.

[videogameobsession]

@ElvisRocksVinyl Well yes and no. I'm keeping my Wega CRT as well, but there are ways to properly display some older consoles to have them look fantastic on HDTV's. The Xbox and PS2 both have progressive scan support and component cables so they look great on LCD. In fact the Xbox can support 1080i via component.

Search RGB SCART on here and you will see how the SNES, Neo-Geo, Genesis, and a few others have RGB/SCART cables that will bypass your TV's crappy A to D convertor.

[Captainngamemaster]

This test is invalid because your using a emulator on the lcd which auto upscales etc If you were using a real console on the lcd it would look much, much worse than the crt

[videogameobsession]

@Captainngamemaster Well it's not really a test, but yes you are correct a console on an LCD via anything less than RGB/SCART is going to look terrible which is why I didn't even bother recording that.

I was just mainly testing the timing when starting the game on a console and emulator and letting them run for a while.

[tigheklory]

I guess I can't put links in comments.

[kruks]

@videogameobsession eBay is the only place I can find them with any consistency. They don't show up often on gamer forums. I don't think the multicarts are the only issue, but that the overlays can crack, get scratched, and otherwise simply get lost. The decades will do that.

[videogameobsession]

@kruks Thumbs up for the Vectrex.

I love that system. My brother and I actually bought one new clearance for $49 from Toys R Us in '84. I guess I have a fondness for failed systems. I just bought another Virtual Boy this week. :)

You don't have any good sources for CIB Vectrex games do you? It seems everyone had the same idea... buy a Vectrex multicart, sell off all of their games without the overlays.

The only ones I see on eBay are very pricey.

[kruks]

@videogameobsession On that end, I have a consolized MVS. :) Though I do have a few cassette games for Commodore 64, if you want to talk about hellish loading times...

[videogameobsession]

@kruks Another system where I prefer to emulate over playing the original is the Neo-Geo CD. There are only a handful of games I like on that over the AES, but if you've ever sat through the loading on one of those games it destroys any fun to be had! Emulating it eliminates all load times. So no more waiting 2 minutes for the title screen... or 45 seconds to show your character. Also, games using floppies I'd rather not deal with. So emulation does come in handy on occasion. :)

[kruks]

@videogameobsession No argument here. I've refused to hook my old consoles up to a big screen ever since I got one, but I do know I'm the exception and not the rule. At one time I had three monitors in my basement (four if you count the Vectrex), though I've managed I got rid of the old Amiga monitor for a broadcast monitor that could replace both my CRTs in one felt swoop. Heck, the big screen isn't even IN the basement.

[videogameobsession]

@kruks I prefer to play the actual consoles also, which is why I have 22 of them in my living room, but there are some instances where emulating isn't the worst idea. Like with the 1st gen stuff. I have a hard time deciding against playing the 2600 via RF (which is nearly unplayable on an HDTV) or at 1080p emulated. It may not be 100% identical, but the clear video makes up a bit for the shortcomings imo. As much as I'd love to have 2 monitors in every room (1 HD, 1 CRT) it's not practical.