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How to Hook Up an SNES to HDTV

The SNES, or Super Nintendo Entertainment System, was designed and released in 1990 by Nintendo as a follow-up to the original Nintendo Entertainment System console. With improved graphics and sound capabilities, the SNES was one of the top consoles of its day. Now years out of date, the console is still the resting ground for hundreds of titles that may never be updated for newer systems. While it will look better on an old-fashioned tube TV, if you feel like dusting off your SNES to play some classic games, you can hook it up to your HDTV with just a few settings tweaks to optimize the experience.

Instructions

- 1
  Check to be sure that you have the composite cable needed to attach your SNES to the TV. If you cannot find the original cable, you can purchase one online. The SNES uses the same A/V cable used by the Nintendo 64 and GameCube consoles, and it should still be readily available.
- 2
  Plug the cable into the rear of the SNES console.
- 3
  Attach the red, white and yellow RCA plugs to their corresponding sockets on the back or side of your HDTV.
- 4
  Enter your television's display menu and change the aspect ratio to 4:3. If your television has an LED backing, 3D display, upscaling, noise filtering or any other advanced features, turn those off before playing your SNES. The SNES was designed to display on older televisions, well before the introduction of HD, and it generally looks its best on the lowest possible system settings. While still playable at higher resolutions, the graphics will not look as good.

Classic Console Games