I recently bought a Wii, as I’ve mentioned, without actually owning a TV to play it on. This has been the subject of much lighthearted mockery, but I’ve been vindicated by a) my repeated explanation that TVs are always in stock; b) not caving when others suggested I should set it up in the basement (where the house TV is), as it later semi-flooded.
The point is thus: For the first time in my life, I have to shop for a TV already aware that it has to accommodate multiple consoles. Growing up, a TV was a TV and the video games were something that happened to be played on the TV. And, of course, the games weren’t quite as visually kick-ass as they are now. My parents’ old 8×9 RCA, which was passed on to me for video game purposes when they bought a bigger unit, was perfectly fine for some SNES Final Fantasy II/IV action. But it wouldn’t cut it for Twilight Princess.
The other thing is that I don’t really watch a lot of TV. I own a handful of DVDs but don’t plan on subscribing to anything beyond basic cable once my new digs are set up.
So, then, what does the internet say about TV shopping with gaming in mind?
- Crutchfield Advisor has some neat advice for those of us looking to choose a TV that gets the most out of the current generation of consoles.
- But what about those of us whose console contingencies blend new and old schools? There’s an article for that, too. Sort of. It doesn’t cover the newer systems and even has a disclaimer to that effect.
- Meanwhile, a search for the exact phrase “best TV for video games” brings up a measly eight results. Skimming through them, I can see that a few people are pro-LCD, but that’s about it.
