You know you've been there before. You're at a friends house and, unexpectedly, friend says, "Hey! Look what I found in the attic!", as he brandishes a dusty NES from a ragged brown box. "Let's hook it up to our brand new 40" 1080p HDTV and play some Super Mario Bros!" This should be fun, right?
Wrong.
You just spent 3 lives trying to get past that god damn first Goomba. You feel like you're either drunk, or the entire mushroom kingdom has been flooded with molasses and then compressed in JPG format. Someone inevitably says that you're either getting old, or you're out of practice but you know they are wrong. These games are embedded into your psyche... You would sooner forget how to ride a bike!
So why?
It's simple: older consoles output at 240p and HDTVs do not. HDTVs need to rescale the 240p image into a resolution it can display and this results in lag and those butt ugly artifacts that, comparatively, make an NES hooked up via RF Switch look like gold.
So you want to play your old games without lag and don't want to shell out a butt ton of money on converters and other expensive stuff for your HDTV? The solution is simple, usually free, and probably even in your basement. The glorious CRT.
Mom wouldn't part with her CRT and the the one in the basement doesn't even have a coaxial input. Now what?
Do not despair! Craigslist.org is the best place I have found to get CRTs on the cheap, or even free. You may need to be patient waiting for a TV that doesn't immediately get snatched up but you will eventually find one. Some CL posters will even take the time to let you know what hook ups it has, the model number, or if it has any problems. Other CL posters will just want it gone so you will need to find out yourself.
If your too worried about being kidnapped and/or shanked using Craigslist then there are other options. Goodwill stores in North America still sell old TVs. The stores I have been to usually sell them between $10-$50. Tag/Garage sales are also a good option and you can even potentially bargain with the owner.
Remember, Friends don't let friends retro game on HDTVs!
Wrong.
 |
| You know the feeling. |
So why?
It's simple: older consoles output at 240p and HDTVs do not. HDTVs need to rescale the 240p image into a resolution it can display and this results in lag and those butt ugly artifacts that, comparatively, make an NES hooked up via RF Switch look like gold.
 |
| "State of the Art High Resolution Graphics" |
Mom wouldn't part with her CRT and the the one in the basement doesn't even have a coaxial input. Now what?
Do not despair! Craigslist.org is the best place I have found to get CRTs on the cheap, or even free. You may need to be patient waiting for a TV that doesn't immediately get snatched up but you will eventually find one. Some CL posters will even take the time to let you know what hook ups it has, the model number, or if it has any problems. Other CL posters will just want it gone so you will need to find out yourself.
If your too worried about being kidnapped and/or shanked using Craigslist then there are other options. Goodwill stores in North America still sell old TVs. The stores I have been to usually sell them between $10-$50. Tag/Garage sales are also a good option and you can even potentially bargain with the owner.
Remember, Friends don't let friends retro game on HDTVs!
