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Caitlyn

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 30, 2005
842
0
Anything smaller than a 20"? I plan on purchasing a Wii and my current TV is 13", but my chair is close enough to it in my room. Think it would be too small?

What is the smallest screen you'd use a console on?
 

Royale w/cheese

macrumors 6502a
Jun 5, 2007
669
0
I remember using a 8-bit nintendo on a 2" casio screen in the late 80's. Wouldn't advise it. :) Anything less than 25" I would say is a little too small, but thats just my opinion. I have seen a few 27" at walmart for less than $100.
 

0098386

Suspended
Jan 18, 2005
21,574
2,908
I had no problems with my Dreamcast, Xbox 1, 360, PS3 and Gamecube on a 20" LCD. But Wii? If you plan on playing lots of Wii Sports and similarly involving games then I'd go for a 32".

We have little Wii get togethers at a friends place and he's got some 42" thing that is really perfect for 4 player Wii Sports games. I can't imagine 4 players on anything less than that :eek:
 

WillJS

macrumors 65816
Jan 6, 2007
1,068
1
Probably a 20". But it sure does look nice on that 70" 'er down stairs. ;)
 

steamboat26

macrumors 65816
May 25, 2006
1,123
0
Arlington VA
I use my SNES on a dinky archaic 19 inch GE television
I play my 360 on my 19" widescreen
I play my Wii on a 32" LCD

I wouldn't go smaller than 19" for gaming, it's just too small
 

furcalchick

macrumors 68020
Dec 19, 2006
2,426
5
South Florida
i've played games for many years on a 13" screen in the 90's, and for a while, used my 15" computer monitor to play games via a tv hookup i used to have. and usually, it was just a small part of the screen, like 300X400 pixels. now on a 19" tv. also played a few rounds (not much, like occasionally), on a 27", but i'm not really into playing on a big screen all the time. all were great to play games on, only had slight trouble with the computer one, since that one was a bit small. so you don't have to have a big fancy tv screen to play games.

with that in mind, try the wii for a week on the 13" tv, and if you don't like it, then get the new tv. play with the size you feel good at, and don't splurge just because others have that game on the big screen. but i would say 13" would be the smallest i would go for a game.

btw, don't go too large, something about it not being good for games...
 

applekid

macrumors 68020
Jul 3, 2003
2,097
0
I played my PS2 on my 13" TV in my dorm room. Sat about 3-5 feet away from the TV to play Shadow of the Colossus and Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence.

In my room, I have a 17" LCD monitor hooked up to a video upscaler which has been hooked up to my PS2 and GameCube, but now currently my 360. My iMac is setup for that screen, so I sit where I would sit when I use the computer, but I've played Guitar Hero from about 5-8 feet away.

Of course, mom and dad told me not sit too close to the TV... ;)
 

JackAxe

macrumors 68000
Jul 6, 2004
1,535
0
In a cup of orange juice.
The Wii plays fine on a 13/14". CRTs still produce the best picture, not counting distortion of course. I went out of my way to find a little 14" CRT for my office, since my LCD TV visually bastardizes everything but the newest HD broadcasts. And even then, it's sub-par in comparison to a good ole SD broadcast on a good CRT tube. Unless you're sitting about 10+ feet back, then the compression isn't as noticeable.

Anyway, the only reason I play my Wii on my LCD TV, is because it has widescreen support and it frees up my CRT for TV. But visually, the Wii looks better on a good CRT than any other set tech. There are so many colors that simply get destroyed on most HD sets.

The smallest I've played on was a 5" CRT with my SNES. One reason you'll want bigger than a 13", is when playing with friends.


<]=)
 

siurpeeman

macrumors 603
Dec 2, 2006
6,319
24
the OC
i don't think i could go any smaller than 20". i think smaller sizes would compromise game play, particularly with the wii's controller. i want me a 40" lcd hdtv. :eek:
 

Jack Flash

macrumors 65816
May 8, 2007
1,160
7
Sitting 6 feet back from an EDTV I'd say no smaller than 26"

If you're at a desk using either a monitor or HDTV then I would suggest 17"
 

Caitlyn

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 30, 2005
842
0
Hmm, thanks for the replies. It's not a matter of not being able to afford a large TV. I just can't find a space for it in my room. :p

Any other thoughts / opinions?
 

steamboat26

macrumors 65816
May 25, 2006
1,123
0
Arlington VA
an LCD would be a great option if you have limited space. They are a lot smaller than CRTs, and if need be, you can just mount them to the wall (for most of them anyways)
 

Shotgun OS

macrumors 6502a
Dec 18, 2006
505
4
Ohio
I use my Gamecube in my room on my 13" and think its fine.
Yet, I do use my PS2 and Wii on my 32" tv in my living room.....soon to be replaced with a 46" plasma ;)
 

sarcosis

macrumors 6502a
Apr 25, 2006
591
8
These United States
I played on a 20 inch screen for i don't know how long. It was big enough for me and another person. Once you got to the 4 player same screen games it kinda died. Sure Goldeneye was still fun, but so much better on a big tv. No i have a 26 In" LCD i play my 360 on and all I have to say is it kicks butt. My Wii was on there too, but moved it to a standard def because i'm too poor to buy component cables lol.
 

Annndy!

macrumors regular
Dec 4, 2006
186
0
Halethorpe, MD
Man, my friends and I used to crowd around the 13'' in my room and play four-player battles of of Super Smash Bros: Melee for hours! Clearly it's not optimal, but it's certainly doable.
 

ReanimationLP

macrumors 68030
Jan 8, 2005
2,782
33
On the moon.
I used to play Gamecube on an 11" TV that had two dials.

God, that was old. TV died some years back, and I got a 19".

Now I have a 27" Computer monitor and a VGA box to loop everything in.
 

Antares

macrumors 68000
I gamed for 16 years (up until 2000) on a 13 inch tv. It was perfectly fine. Though, friends in college always commented on how ironic it was to play the Nintendo 64 "with it's amazing graphics" on such an ancient tv. Then, I bought a 20 inch Samsung and it served me well until last November when I bought my 40 inch 1080p Sammy LCD.

So, yes, you can happily game on 13 inches. I don't know if I would want to go lower than that. But there are the 7 inch LCD's that attach to the old Cube to make it a "portable system." People game with consoles on 7 inch screens....

Sadly, I miss the 13incher. I had it since I was like 5 years old. And it still worked perfectly in 2000. I stupidly left it in school when I moved back across the country.
 

atszyman

macrumors 68020
Sep 16, 2003
2,437
16
The Dallas 'burbs
I used a 13" all through college and then stopped gaming until about 6 years ago other than a few games on the PC.

I had my PS2 hooked up through the video in on my computer and went from a 17" to a 19" monitor. The Wii is currently on a 35" Trinitron and will likely stay there until that TV dies even when we upgrade the main TV if we ever find a new house.

I think the Wii would be playable on a 13" however it will definitely be more fun on a larger screen. That being said I almost wish I had a small TV like that somewhere so I could hook up the Wii and really get nostalgic about the virtual console games... NES and SNES on a 13" screen... just like it was in HS...
 

0098386

Suspended
Jan 18, 2005
21,574
2,908
We don't watch enough TV to merit purchasing anything newer or bigger.

Same here. Since finishing college I realised there was no need in getting the biggest and best equipment to show off with, I don't watch much TV. There's nothing for me until Winter so *shrug*. The Wii is the only thing I use the living room TV for :D

Might get a big TV once they hit nice prices (right now it's 52¨ SDTV or 32¨ HDTV) and when theres a little more to watch.
 
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