Make the most of high-def content

Tip 3: Play high-def games

While PC users have been playing games in high definition for years, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are the first videogame consoles designed for high-definition entertainment. Unless you're using a HDTV with these consoles, you're not experiencing the game as the developer intended, and the jump between standard and hi-def gaming is a suitable incentive to go next-gen.

Xbox 360 is the first mainstream high-definition device. Both games and movie clips (the latter downloaded via the Xbox Live service) are available in 720p, and anyone who's played Xbox 360 on a HDTV will attest to how much better it looks. The picture is infinitely more crisp and smooth, and colours jump off the screen. All games on the Xbox 360 are designed to be played in 720p but the console also supports 1080i. Televisions with a 1,920x1,080 resolution are rare but they will become more prominent towards the end of 2006. While 1080 lines means more detail than 720, the picture is interlaced and therefore not as smooth as a progressive feed. It's a matter of taste as to which you choose, and not all games support the 1080i video mode. The Xbox 360 is slightly antiquated, not supporting DVI or HDMI, but the analogue component, or VGA outputs, means the console can be played on nearly all flatscreen TVs, as well as computer monitors.

The PlayStation 3 is the real high-definition powerhouse of the console world with dual HDMI outputs offering simultaneous 1080p video feeds. There will be very few 1080p compatible TVs until late 2006, because not only are they brand new, they are also extremely expensive. Of course, it could just be all hyperbole from media-savvy Sony -- who can forget the PlayStation 2 hype that promised 'emotion engine'-powered games? PS3 technical demonstrations have been spectacular but, on the other hand, many developers say the PS3's unique Cell-based architecture is more difficult to develop for. On the multimedia side, the PS3 will have Blu-ray disc support, meaning it will have HD-movie support out of the box. However, it may not offer the picture quality or features of dedicated players.

This only leaves the Nintendo Revolution left in the next-gen roundup -- how does this controversial new console fit into the HD picture? Well, the console isn't going to offer high-definition gaming at all, although it will undoubtedly offer progressive scan video outputs for a crisp, smooth picture on a digital display.