360 HD vs. SD.. how big is the gap?

[Ouenben]

I have a crummy CRT at the moment for my 360 but soon i'll be getting a HD TV capable of 720p and 1080i maybe 1080p

So how big a "gap" is there from SD to HD 360 wise? Will I notice it straight away?

[Crimson Day]

One word yes oh definatly yes. i went from a simple 28" tv to a 28" HD philips tv and the difference was well just wow!

[NekoFever]

Huge difference. You really need to use HDTV to get the most out of the 360's capabilities because without it some of the games can look a bit like Xbox 1.5. When you see them running in 720p on a nice TV it really is night and day.

You'll notice the difference the moment you see the dashboard in HD for the first time.

[sj33]

It's certainly a big difference.

But I'd still recommend the 360 to a CRT user, as there's just so much else on there, on Live, the Marketplace, Live Arcade etc.

HD is just one of those things where once you've seen it, you can't go back.

[Brats]

Just going from 480i to 480p makes a big difference. The improved resolution is even better.

[peeveen]

I just got a 32" HD telly (LG) last week, after playing my 360 on 28" SD for the last ten months.

The difference is definitely noticable and very nice, but it's not like "I was blind, now I can see" ... it still looked great on my old telly.

[Paulos G]

I had a 28" SD which I upgraded to a 32" HD as well. Sold the 28" (which I'd been happy enough with) to a mate with a 360. Went round to his place for a gaming session a few weeks later and realised that I can't go back to SD!

[mrsquare]

Go download a PC game demo (Quake 3 or summat) and stick it on 640 x 480, then smear some vaseline over the screen - thats SD

Now whack it up to 1024 * 768, and wipe off all the gloop. Thats HD.

[Concept]

The difference is huge.

Take Oblivion for example. In standard definition it looks like a slightly beefed up version of what Stranger's Wrath offers (obviously not in terms of artstyle, but tech). In HD 1280x720 the whole subtlty and detail of the world adds a huge amount to the atmosphere, awe and level of immersion.

That might sound like hyperbole, and while the 360 is still a good console in SD, there's no way I'd willingly drop back from HD after moving to it.

[EvilBoris]

If you want to give HD 360 a go, get yourself a VGA cable for ?10-15 and try it on a PC monitor.

Even in non widescreen games will look lovely.

[Sane]

If you want to give HD 360 a go, get yourself a VGA cable for ?10-15 and try it on a PC monitor.

Even in non widescreen games will look lovely.

Best advice ever. You can then keep the cable and use it on your HD TV too .