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[faceless007]

So I want to hook my my PS2 to my dad's HDTV. I have a component cable from Monoprice already (it's a 3-in-1 with connectors for the Wii and Xbox 360 as well).

My question is what do I need to do to enable proper widescreen video. In the PS2 system menu there are 3 options: 4:3, Full, and 16:9. What's the difference between Full and 16:9?

Also is this something only certain games will support?

 

[madmook]

That setting in the PS2 system menu is pointless. Its up to each individual game to support a 16:9 mode. In games that do, you'll have to enable the widescreen modes within the game itself.

 

[Xabora]

Correct.

Heres a listing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Progressive_Scan_PS2_Games

 

[freddy]

Your dads TV is 16:9. Then do what these people above said.

 

[SpongeBob NoPants]

On a (virtually un)related note does anyone out there have any idea if a PAL PS3 can output Dolby Pro Logic II to a home theatre amp (via HDMI) when it's emulating PS2 software?

I've just started replaying Star Ocean: 'til the End of Time, but can only get 2.1 sound out of it - and after years of listening to everything in surround, it's annoying the hell out of me. I've selected the PLII option in-game & fiddled with loads of options in the PS3 menus, but whatever I choose, the PS3 pumps out a basic stereo signal that the amp can't do anything with. I'm pretty sure that the amp's not the problem, 'cos it has no problem doing Pro Logic from my Wii or 'Cube & does a nice a nice job of generating "fake" surround when converting basic stereo from my iPod.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

I'm pretty sure the setting in the PS2's menu is only to set the aspect ratio of the menu itself. :lol

A lot of PS2 games do support some kind of widescreen mode, however. A far smaller number support progressive scan (480p) output if you hold down some combination of buttons as the game starts up. Except God of War, you can actually select Progressive Scan from the game's Options menu.

Some games, notably Tekken 5, create their widescreen mode by cropping the top and bottom off a 4:3 frame. In these cases you're actually seeing LESS image, not more, by using the widescreen mode.

 

[Boerseun]

With Ps2 and Xbox you'd be better off using S-video. Gamecube looks great through Component, but the signal is almost too "clear" for the other two, showing all manner of visual artifacts and generally poor image quality (resulting from the poor video output on both systems). I've tested the above on plasma and LCD, and have noticed others have similar complaints.

 

[Cataferal]

I agree. The PS2 looks far better with S-video on my HDTV. Composite cables result in excessively murky colours and blurred details, while component makes the aliasing too evident.

This may only be the case for my screen though (Benq FP241W).

 

[Martial Loh]

i play my ps2 using components, through my Dell 24", it artifacts to hell and back when played in full screen mode...
However - when played using the Picture - in - picture mode, its shrunk down and looks so fricking sweet! You could browse GAF/check an FAQ whilst playing

 

[Son of Godzilla]

With Ps2 and Xbox you'd be better off using S-video. Gamecube looks great through Component, but the signal is almost too "clear" for the other two, showing all manner of visual artifacts and generally poor image quality (resulting from the poor video output on both systems). I've tested the above on plasma and LCD, and have noticed others have similar complaints.

Honestly friggin composite looks better to me on my PS2 than component.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

You need to use component if you want Progressive Scan to work. If you don't care about Progressive Scan, then S-video is fine. The video encoder in PS2 is well known to be pretty crappy, but it depends a lot on how good the TV you have is at upscaling and deinterlacing 480i signals, on a good HDTV the quality of component video easily matches or surpasses the quality of S-video, even from the PS2, because of discrete red/green chroma from component vs. combined chroma from S-video.

 

[MegaKungFuRadio]

You need to use component if you want Progressive Scan to work. If you don't care about Progressive Scan, then S-video is fine. The video encoder in PS2 is well known to be pretty crappy, but it depends a lot on how good the TV you have is at upscaling and deinterlacing 480i signals, on a good HDTV the quality of component video easily matches or surpasses the quality of S-video, even from the PS2, because of discrete red/green chroma from component vs. combined chroma from S-video.

I think S-Video was suggested as a middle ground between the blurry eye burning effect of using composite cables on an HD set and the jags and grain that you get when all the ugly details are revealed through component cables.

My suggestion is to just use an old tube for PS2 if space allows it in your gaming area. Your games will look better. Even games with wide screen support like FFXII I preferred to play on an old 20" CRT I kept by my desk. There's just some shit that shouldn't be seen in HD.

 

[dock]

I find that component out on the PS2 achieves a pretty awesome video signal.

That setting in the PS2 system menu is pointless. Its up to each individual game to support a 16:9 mode. In games that do, you'll have to enable the widescreen modes within the game itself.

Actually, some games fetch the widescreen setting from the PS2 menu and don't have a widescreen option in the menu. The Wallace & Gromit games do this, if I recall correctly.

 

[carlosp]

On a (virtually un)related note does anyone out there have any idea if a PAL PS3 can output Dolby Pro Logic II to a home theatre amp (via HDMI) when it's emulating PS2 software?

I've just started replaying Star Ocean: 'til the End of Time, but can only get 2.1 sound out of it - and after years of listening to everything in surround, it's annoying the hell out of me. I've selected the PLII option in-game & fiddled with loads of options in the PS3 menus, but whatever I choose, the PS3 pumps out a basic stereo signal that the amp can't do anything with. I'm pretty sure that the amp's not the problem, 'cos it has no problem doing Pro Logic from my Wii or 'Cube & does a nice a nice job of generating "fake" surround when converting basic stereo from my iPod.

I played GoW lately, it does support surround and it worked for me. I have a 60 GB (EU) PS3. But i am using "opt. in" and not HDMI for my amp. Maybe thats the problem.

 

[akachan ningen]

So I want to hook my my PS2 to my dad's HDTV. I have a component cable from Monoprice already (it's a 3-in-1 with connectors for the Wii and Xbox 360 as well).

My question is what do I need to do to enable proper widescreen video. In the PS2 system menu there are 3 options: 4:3, Full, and 16:9. What's the difference between Full and 16:9?

Also is this something only certain games will support?

That component cable won't help you if the games don't support prog scan. Games that don't support it will look UGLY.

 

[SpongeBob NoPants]

Thanks carlosp.

Wish I'd found out before I gave I away my optical cables - figured I didn't need them now I'd upgraded my system so that all my main components could use HDMI. Guess I'll just have to buy another one purely for the backwards compatibility.

 

[Unregistered007]

only option is 60 gig PS3... woot.

 

[dock]

only option is 60 gig PS3... woot.

I have a multi-region slimline PS2 for the purposes of playing imports, and my European 60gb PS3 doesn't support all games either.

 

[Creamium]

With Ps2 and Xbox you'd be better off using S-video. Gamecube looks great through Component, but the signal is almost too "clear" for the other two, showing all manner of visual artifacts and generally poor image quality (resulting from the poor video output on both systems). I've tested the above on plasma and LCD, and have noticed others have similar complaints.

I can attest to this. On my 26" screen, S video beats the other cables. I get a pretty good image quality from it.

 

[Nemo]

RGB scart produces an awesome image for me, final fantasy XII would've looked like shit without it.

 

[Cataferal]

^Same here. It's frustrating that the PS3 can't cater for PS2 imports. I doubt the load times match up to my HDL PS2 phat either.

 

[Ranger X]

Component Cables looks better than S-Video no matter what. Only your taste can make a difference. It's possible you don't like improved clarity and sharpness but it's closer to the real image / intended result than with S-Video or unbearable composite. You might want to set your TV to your liking instead of using lesser quality cables.

Also, whenever you have the chance to use proscan please do. This will improve the clarity and also reduce the upscale (aka less lag).

Be warry of the fake 16:9 of the PS3 though. It's not a real 16:9, it's stretched 16:9 like the Wii. In many TVs this will end up causing more ringing and looking bad. Set your TV to "natural" and always display 4:3 games in 4:3 so you have the best image. If your TV suffer from ringing then NEVER put the PS2 games in 16:9.

 

[konrad77]

I made a blog entry on Digitallife.se about playing Resident Evil 4 upscaled on a 88 inch screen. (Google translated text)

 

[Boerseun]

Component Cables looks better than S-Video no matter what. Only your taste can make a difference. It's possible you don't like improved clarity and sharpness but it's closer to the real image / intended result than with S-Video or unbearable composite. You might want to set your TV to your liking instead of using lesser quality cables.

Consider when Ps2 was released and the range of hardware Sony would have tested it on.

Likely Sony realised the image would look like crap through Component on a high clarity display like LCD or (to a slightly lesser extent) plasma, but they clearly didn't care enough to invest more in that part of the machine's design. And considering the timeframe, they were (mostly) justified in that decision.

I agree with another poster in this thread that the Ps2 looks great through Component on a CRT tv. That's how I used to play before getting a LCD. Now it looks like crap through what we would all consider the superior cable (inasmuch as Component is superior to S-video).

The visual fidelity is lower through S-video, but (on LCD) the end result is a much more attractive image.

I find it hard to believe that anyone would prefer the grainy Component image over the S-video one.

 

[Goldrusher]

If your TV suffer from ringing then NEVER put the PS2 games in 16:9.

What's ringing ?

 

[Vorador]

The visual fidelity is lower through S-video, but (on LCD) the end result is a much more attractive image.

I find it hard to believe that anyone would prefer the grainy Component image over the S-video one.

It depends a lot on the TV you're using. With a component cable my ps2 looks really good on my 24" LCD 1080p TV.

 

[Cataferal]

Be warry of the fake 16:9 of the PS3 though. It's not a real 16:9, it's stretched 16:9 like the Wii. In many TVs this will end up causing more ringing and looking bad. Set your TV to "natural" and always display 4:3 games in 4:3 so you have the best image. If your TV suffer from ringing then NEVER put the PS2 games in 16:9.

Very true. This is also my rule of thumb with Wii games (via component). Stretching a 640x480 image horizontally to fit a 16:9 AR yields some hazardous, messy results on my screen. It's not like we're missing out on much by leaving it at 4:3 though; developers often sacrifice FOV to achieve the widescreen effect anyway (as was at least the case in FFXII and RE4).

 

[dreamer3kx]

I recently started playing my slim ps2 because of all the kick ass games that i missed out on (SOC,GOW3,MGS3,Okami..etc.) I ordered some component cables because I forgot how bad the letters look in some games in composite, hopefully component will fix that up.

 

[Adam Prime]

I recently started playing my slim ps2 because of all the kick ass games that i missed out on (SOC,GOW3,MGS3,Okami..etc.) I ordered some component cables because I forgot how bad the letters look in some games in composite, hopefully component will fix that up.

That is exactly why I had to order Component. Just reading text on composite cables on a LCD screen is murder on your eyes. It made a world of a difference, it looks so much sharper, cleaner, and easier to read. I'm super happy I got some components for my Slim PS2 to go along with my small 19in LCD for Christmas. Most games look pretty darn nice and the colors just look so much more vivid if you compare components to composites one after the other (I think, at least).

 

[Septimus]

I play Persona 4 on my PS3 upscaled and smoothed in 1080p and I don't mind the slight stretch it has to do. (Have to set it to -2 instead of Full Pixel on the Bravia)

 

[Varna]

On a (virtually un)related note does anyone out there have any idea if a PAL PS3 can output Dolby Pro Logic II to a home theatre amp (via HDMI) when it's emulating PS2 software?

I've just started replaying Star Ocean: 'til the End of Time, but can only get 2.1 sound out of it - and after years of listening to everything in surround, it's annoying the hell out of me. I've selected the PLII option in-game & fiddled with loads of options in the PS3 menus, but whatever I choose, the PS3 pumps out a basic stereo signal that the amp can't do anything with. I'm pretty sure that the amp's not the problem, 'cos it has no problem doing Pro Logic from my Wii or 'Cube & does a nice a nice job of generating "fake" surround when converting basic stereo from my iPod.

I haven't managed to get it to work either. Tried with Metal Gear Solid 3 and Xenosaga Episode II... Works fine in anything else.

 

[Kyo]

Some games, notably Tekken 5, create their widescreen mode by cropping the top and bottom off a 4:3 frame. In these cases you're actually seeing LESS image, not more, by using the widescreen mode.

The point of a widescreen mode is first and foremost to optimize image quality for these TV sets, not necessarily to "see more". Even when you see less of the scene vertically, the area of the image that fills your 16:9 TV's screen is rendered at a higher resolution than that same excerpt within a regular 4:3 image.