Lunchtime Discussion: The Impact of HD

Resolution, smesolution, surely it's all about the fun?

Published 03/12/2009 at 12:00.
By Kris L [raen].

As some of you know (particularly if you listen to Second Nature), I live with another member of TSA’s staff, Davs (djhsecondnature). We get along well, and he tends to have more/newer games than I do. However the one point where he mocks and teases me is over TVs. See our front room TV is ok, it’s a clunky old wide-screen CRT, but it was free and it works so we don’t complain. The difference comes in our rooms. See in his room Davs has a 32″+ 1080p TV. By contrast in my room I have a 17″ CRT that isn’t even wide-screen. This leads to comments of my room feeling like “the past” and other hurtful, hurtful things. The point of this story? Well he has HD and I don’t, and I play the same games on both TVs – he doesn’t, I think he’d explode if we played games on my TV – so I can make a real comparison about how HD has impacted and effected gaming. In my opinion? Well it hasn’t really.

See for me gaming is all about the fun. It doesn’t really matter all that much how a game looks. Yes from a technical stand point it’s very impressive to see what they can squeeze out of a TV and I will freely admit that content does look better when viewed on a HD TV, but I don’t really feel that I need to shell out a lot of money to get the “full HD experience”. I’m enjoying the game just as much on my slightly dodgy CRT as I am on a lovely TV. If I had a top of the line, state of the art, brand new TV to compare to I’d probably come to the same conclusion. Of course it’d be nice to go out and grab a new TV and be able to read on screen text without squinting a lot, but beyond that I don’t really have any desire.

See I don’t understand why it really matters to people. People tell me all the time that the game looks smoother, or crisper or some other word that in resolution terms clearly means ‘good’. There are a few issues I have with this. For a start there are a significant number of issues that effect the output of a game and effect the TV you’re watching them. In fact on the few times I’ve looked around AV forums resolution of the TV is actually ranked far lower than other issues. Aside from that, as I said above, it doesn’t effect how much I enjoy playing the game. If I took my Master System sitting on my wardrobe, hooked it up to my TV and played it there, then played the copy I have on my Xbox 360 – why do I own Sonic so many times? Damn you Sega – on the same TV and then took it up to Davs’ room and played it there I can 100% guarantee that I would enjoy the game the same amount. And what about HD titles? Well there are a few I’ve played on both consoles, notably Shadow Complex, and I’ve enjoyed those games the same amount regardless of their output resolution.

And now comes the bit where I throw it out to you guys. Do you actually care about HD? Does it honestly, genuinely effect your game-playing experience or are you just telling yourself that because you paid several hundred pounds for a bigger TV that outputs in higher resolution? Will you not play a game that ‘only’ outputs in 640p? Or is the story and game-play what really matters to you?

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illogicology | 03/12/2009 12:08
Member
971 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2009

640p doesn’t bother me. I think that’s where we start seeing sharp, defined objects and that’s what I like about HD. Not the extra detail but the enhanced sense of definition between characters and background and the sense of depth you get there. I can go back and play games in SD if I’m in the living room or I’m playing on the Wii with no fuss but it does have an impact. For example, I play a lot of Burnout Paradise and in HD I find it easier to drive and high speeds. You can distinguish oncoming traffic from the horizon sooner for one thing.

I suppose HD is subjective too. I have an American friend who thinks we’re watching TV in HD whenever he visits because of the extra 96 lines between American and British TV.
RadioactiveMouse | 03/12/2009 12:13
Member
569 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009

I like games that are of higher resolution but in the grand scheme of things I’m quite happy with 720p for most games as long as the developers have sacrificed the graphical top end if they have an innovative new approach such as Battlefield : BC2 or other such games and not just because they can’t be bothered.

In regards to the TV I find it horrible to play on my friends 17″ CRT for the simple fact that the screen always looks washed out and co-op play on small screens is pretty much out the window. That said I currently use a Full HD 22″ TV so I may be slightly biased :|
- Raen | 03/12/2009 12:19
  Team TSA: Writer
  4647 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
  
  720p is HD. The HD standards are 720p and 1080p. Below 720p is SD.
  - Person678 | 03/12/2009 12:24
    BOOM! Headshot!
    2353 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2009
    
    Technically 420p is EDTV; Enhanced Definition.
  - RadioactiveMouse | 03/12/2009 12:27
    Member
    569 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
    
    Ouch that’s embarrassing :P
    
    I think with 1080p HD monitors retailing around £180 for a basic 20″ it’s not too difficult or expensive these days to break into HD gaming.
  - hazelam | 03/12/2009 19:48
    Member
    5852 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
    
    below 720 is not hd, like halo :)
    don’t hurt me.
  - cc_star | 03/12/2009 19:52
    Team TSA: Writer
    11320 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
    
    Loads of games aren’t HD; Call Of Duty, Grand theft Auto etc…
    
    The development time needed to get games of that scope running at 720p would be prohibitively expensive or just damn right impossible – and 1080p is little more than a pipe dream, except of course the cartoony PSN/XBLA titles.
davidjmclare | 03/12/2009 12:16
always on easy
1096 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009

HD HD HD! altho maybe now you should hold out for 3D :) but then u could argue you could wait for Super Ultra 5D Deff with 20.1 Surround Mega God Sound. At some point you’ll have to up grade.
Id say HD is worth the cost of upgrading ur tv, and you will enjoy it once you start playing games on it, and probably wouldnt want to go back :)
Roynaldo | 03/12/2009 12:20
Member
4155 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2008

Certain games , FPS mainly, would really lower my skills in SD. Its much clearer to see your enemy and Its hard enough as it is in HD to spot them from afar.
I remember when I first switched to HD and the results were astonishing, if I said it doesnt effect my enjoyment I would be lying. It does,and by a margin.

Maybe if you and davs swopped shoes for a month or so you might not be saying this.
- gclarkey | 03/12/2009 12:59
  Member
  321 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2009
  
  my mate plays COD on a 28″ CRT, and he is really good. I don’t know how, I can hardly play on it. And when he is playing on a HD screen, he is brilliant, far better.
  
  So I agree that playing in SD when you are used to HD stunts your FPS ability, but when you are used to SD (and seem to be good) and step up to HD, you are brilliant.
bunimomike | 03/12/2009 12:23
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8857 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009

I absolutely adore my 1080p 46″ Sony TV. Bought it two years ago and it still pleases me everyday. I watched friend after friend purchasing widescreen CRT televisions (years before) and thought “sod that, it’s just too bulky a thing to have” so was very patient. Years later the prices had come down to what I regarded as something reasonable and I threw down £1650 for mine.

Both HD films and gaming is a joy (although most of the stuff is 720p and 1080p doesn’t look all that different. The big leap is from Standard Def to 720p for most people (me included). Although, some 1080p films look truly glorious and I’ve also got my media PC wired up to it so things like Windows XP and PS3 XMB look as delightful as possible.

Does it improve my experience? Yes, of course it does. It’s totally subjective on many levels but the sweeping vistas on the Hotel rooftop of Uncharted 2 is a thing to behold. Also, splitscreen means that individual area is still large enough to enjoy from a decent distance on the sofa.

It really comes down to how important it is to you. I love my HD gaming but equally love my 5.1 sound. The biggest thing is that once you’ve got used to it there’s no going back.

Finally, if anyone buys a massive TV that only does 720p, keep in mind that the dot pitch won’t look all that different from a smaller Standard Def TV. Always worth remembering.
- Aitrus | 03/12/2009 13:05
  Member
  1648 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2008
  
  ‘The biggest thing is that once you’ve got used to it there’s no going back.’
  
  Exactly. I was happy enough with SD at first but I can’t imagine going back now because I’ve gotten used to HD. Is your TV a W3000 BTW? I got one of those 2 years ago – almost to the day – and it is excellent!
  - bunimomike | 03/12/2009 15:31
    Member
    8857 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
    
    Sounds familiar, fella. I still sit there thinking “this is bloody brilliant” every day I use it. :)
carlosfilippsen | 03/12/2009 12:24
Member
1318 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009

I get what you mean. I dont really care about HD. I would enjoy a game just as much on a normal TV because as you said the story and game-play matters the most to me and if thats good I will enjoy a game wether its on a normal or full HD TV. But then again if you think, HD TV’s are fairly cheap nowadays and most people can afford one. I have a 32″ Full HD Samsung which I paid £320 for which in my point of view is a bargain.

In a summary, wether you have, CRT, HD or whatever TV you have, if the game is good you should be able to enjoy it just as much as you would in any other TV even though its nice to see good graphics, resolution and other things on a HD TV.
filreed | 03/12/2009 12:30
Member
23 TSA Points | Member since: Dec 2009

I currently have my PS3 hooked up to a v-good 32″ Sony CRT. Occasionally (if I can be arsed!) I’ll connect my PS3 to a 19″ widescreen monitor to play in HD. This makes most of the games look better (although I thought GTA4 looked worse) but it doesn’t make the games any better. A good game is a good game either in SD or HD. All of my TV viewing is in SD and no matter how good a HD TV is at scaling SD footage it won’t look as good as on a decent SD TV. Admittedly when my CRT breaks I’ll buy an HD TV, but this is probably more due to the fact that I don’t think you can buy large CRT’s new anymore. So yes I think HD is good, but it doesn’t ‘make’ a game.
- KillaScorp | 03/12/2009 18:33
  Member
  452 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2009
  
  This is true – I played Terminator Salvation on both a HD and SD TV – and it was shit on both!!
Rabid-Coot | 03/12/2009 12:31
Member
313 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2009

I’ve had about 18 months of ps3 on an 22” SD tv and 8 months on a 32” HD tv. The extra resolution does make all the details clearer but it doesn’t magically make a game better.
scavenga | 03/12/2009 12:38
Member
836 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009

Due to unexpected circumstances, I haven’t been able to upgrade my telly, and am still gaming on a 32″ phat crt TV set.
When gaming at friends houses, who have both 40″ LCD and 92″ projector screens, I can tell you that most times, it makes games better – because you can see clearly for instance where your enemies are, all hidden items and pathways, and which way the road bends before you crash.
A good screen can surely enhance the experience, don’t tell me otherwise.
hairfreax | 03/12/2009 12:40
Member
1717 TSA Points | Member since: Jun 2009

I love my 38 incher