I have a TV that’s about as good as you can get without going HD; it’s standard definition, but the screen is flat and it even has component inputs and so on.
I’ve been thinking about gettin an Xbox 360 lately, but I’ve only ever seen them demo’d on HDTV’s.
Will the graphics still be noticeably better than the last generation of systems, or do you really need an HDTV to notice the difference?
You will see some improvement, but not nearly as shocking as you would expect.
You can however expect that in some games you won’t be able to read the text on-screen because the characters are just too small. (Yes, I am looking at you, Dead Rising).
I opted to buy an HD after seeing the Xbox360 in 720P, so I am a bit prejudiced.
If you use the component inputs, you’ll be able to see Xbox at 480p or more*, which will be an improvement over standard TV, which is 480i, minus all of the degradation that happens along the way - compression, long cables, bad connections, etc. It should look at least as good as a DVD.
*My old “enhanced-def” TV (a Sony XBR Wega) can take in up to 1080i, but will downconvert and display at either 720 or 480p, and I’m guessing your TV is similar.
I bought an HD tv after getting frustrated with not being able to read the subtitles on Dead Rising! Stupid game. Also had no clue that Invisible Woman had some force field around her on Ultimate Alliance with my old tv. You will notice a slight change, but it’s nothing compared to HD. Wow. I was amazed when we plugged it in the first time. If it helps, the HD tv I bought is now $200 cheaper than it was three months ago, so wait a little while and those things will just keep going down in price.