Dreamcast + HDTV?

[k3nny1550]

I'm in the market for an HDTV. I've been browsing around for a setup that works for what I plan to plug into it (everything from the Sega Genesis to PS3). I remember hearing somewhere that Dreamcasts have issues playing on HDTVs. Is there any veracity to this statement? Obviously, it won't be in HD (No component video, 4:3 native res), but can I at least play it on most HDTVs?

[DaMadFiddler]

I'm in the market for an HDTV. I've been browsing around for a setup that works for what I plan to plug into it (everything from the Sega Genesis to PS3). I remember hearing somewhere that Dreamcasts have issues playing on HDTVs. Is there any veracity to this statement? Obviously, it won't be in HD (No component video, 4:3 native res), but can I at least play it on most HDTVs?

Well, lots of 480i sources--particularly your pre-Dreamcast older consoles--will look a bit odd on flat panel TVs, simply because of differences in how the screen works. The Dreamcast isn't as bad as older systems, but any 480i source will have noticeable issues such as dot crawl, harsh jaggies (to use a technical term ) and "flicker" effects that don't look right. Plus, the scanline effect of CRT TVs fools your mind into thinking sub-480 line graphics look sharper than they actually do, so those old NES/SNES/Genesis games look even harsher on a flat panel display.

The only HD solution I've found that these older games look decent on is a CRT-based rear projection TV. Of course, these are not made any more, and all the usual advantages and disadvantages of RPTVs apply. Additionally, I'm not sure they made any CRT-based 1080p sets; I think they had all gone DLP by that point, and I have not tried a DLP set to judge. Also keep in mind that your light gun games still won't work on anything other than a "standard" CRT set... again due to differences in the way the screen refresh works.

Our main TV is a Toshiba 51H84 from 2004. It's 720p/1080i, and has one HDMI input (the first model year to include HDMI) as well as several composite and component inputs. It's not as good as a newer 1080p set for high-definition sources, but we like it because it's a happy medium of looking "pretty good" both on HD and standard-def sources.

[ace]

Dreamcast VGA cable

[Nico0020]

Dreamcast on VGA is just damn beautiful. I have a 3rd party one since the official is way too expensive. I assume there is nothing really "better" about the official cable right?

[Quzar]

The only difference I've ever heard is the sizes of the capacitors which would change the colors slightly. That and just overall quality of craftsmanship of the box itself. That being said, I like my third party boxes one of which has two mini-jack outputs for audio (which makes using headphones possible).

[Jet_Set_Beat]

I've tried to use my Dreamcast on my 18" HDTV. It looks "okay", but I still recommend using a tube TV. It doesn't look "horrible", but 2D games such as Marvel vs. Capcom will look extremely pixelated.