Since this seems to be a pretty hot topic, I'll start with a GOW2 comparison I found on gametrailers. Please post your screens! DVD, PS1, PS2, etc!

Normal
http://i15.tinypic.com/5z5q9w6.jpg
Upscaled
http://i13.tinypic.com/6fuj49c.jpg

is that GOW I or II?

You may want to give credit or credit is due since you like take people's work from GAF.

That's God of War 2.

You may want to give credit or credit is due since you like take people's work from GAF.

That's God of War 2.

In trying to decipher that sorry excuse of a sentence, I think you're trying to flame me? It's not GAF. I got it from a gametrailers thread actually. I was in a hurry and forgot to post the source. I think its the first time i've actually forgot, so relax.

GoW2 is much better with 1080p than 720p because mine doesn't look anything like that.

can anybody post similar comparision for a blu-ray movie playing at 1080i vs 720p ?

I actually prefer the 480p version.

I don't understand why anyone would use any of this "smoothing" nonsense. It's the equivalent of using a blur filter in an attempt to make the uglies go away, but you're just destroying detail in the process.

I actually prefer the 480p version.

I don't understand why anyone would use any of this "smoothing" nonsense. It's the equivalent of using a blur filter in an attempt to make the uglies go away, but you're just destroying detail in the process.

i agree.

I actually prefer the 480p version.

I don't understand why anyone would use any of this "smoothing" nonsense. It's the equivalent of using a blur filter in an attempt to make the uglies go away, but you're just destroying detail in the process.That's true but with PS1/2 games there's not really a lot of detail to lose. Looking at those GOW comparison pictures I prefer the upscaled/smoothed one.

I actually prefer the 480p version.

I don't understand why anyone would use any of this "smoothing" nonsense. It's the equivalent of using a blur filter in an attempt to make the uglies go away, but you're just destroying detail in the process.
its subjective which looks better. enabling smoothing removes a noticeable amount of jaggies. some may prefer this to a slightly sharper and more detailed image. there are more comparisons posted at neogaf.

I'm not seeing any detail loss in the upscaled shot. It simply looks better. If anything, the jaggies in the 480p shot distract from the detail.

It looks better upscaled! It is awesome. No jaggies!!!

I actually prefer the 480p version.

I don't understand why anyone would use any of this "smoothing" nonsense. It's the equivalent of using a blur filter in an attempt to make the uglies go away, but you're just destroying detail in the process.

That isn't true. Upscaling is not a "Blur" filter. It does not lose data. It adds spaces between data and interpolates the change. This reduces sudden changes (lessening jaggies and increasing smoothness). It may appear like "blur" but if you notice, all the detail is still there.

heres some more comparisons (filtering on and off).
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6519788&postcount=1613
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6517353&postcount=1210

does it bother anyone that upscaled ps2 games will not take up the whole screen, or is it something wrong I'm doing?

does it bother anyone that upscaled ps2 games will not take up the whole screen, or is it something wrong I'm doing?If you set the upscale option to full it should fill the screen, although I think non-widescreen games will be squished. Or do you mean the little black borders caused by the PS2 overscan problems?

That would be stretching as PS2/1 games as SD at 4:3. I don't want fat characters.

BIG Difference here:

BEFORE:
http://www.cycloneinjapan.com/upload/files/46/ps2-gt4-before1-s.jpg

AFTER:
http://www.cycloneinjapan.com/upload/files/46/ps2-gt4-after1-s.jpg


BEFORE:
http://www.cycloneinjapan.com/upload/files/46/dvd-matrix1-before-s.jpg

AFTER:
http://www.cycloneinjapan.com/upload/files/46/dvd-matrix1-after-s.jpg

If you set the upscale option to full it should fill the screen, although I think non-widescreen games will be squished. Or do you mean the little black borders caused by the PS2 overscan problems?
my little black borders seem bigger now

That would be stretching as PS2/1 games as SD at 4:3. I don't want fat characters.

It's 4:3 content. It would need to either stretch or zoom and crop. It can't invent data that isn't there.

That isn't true. Upscaling is not a "Blur" filter. It does not lose data. It adds spaces between data and interpolates the change. This reduces sudden changes (lessening jaggies and increasing smoothness). It may appear like "blur" but if you notice, all the detail is still there.

I don't buy that. I will admit that some games look better upscaled, it does appear that we are losing detail. In the GoWII pic take a look at the table (or whatever it is) in the back ground over his right shoulder (left from our perspective). There is a support going horizontal down by the legs with a clear seem in the middle of it in the non-upscaled pic. The upscaled pic you can't even see the seem. Now look at the ornate detail in the bottom of the fence. That last little detail is almost completely lost in the upscaled version.

Having said that, in most of the PS2 games I've tried so far I like the upscaling. I'll trade fewer jaggies for less detail in most games. It's ok to like the upscaling but let's not fool ourselves in what it is. It is what it is and it's not bad.

BIG Difference here:


Nice. The GT4 pic is pretty dramatic even if it's a bit blurry.

From those two pictures, I think I prefer the smoother one as well.

I don't buy that. I will admit that some games look better upscaled, it does appear that we are losing detail. In the GoWII pic take a look at the table (or whatever it is) in the back ground over his right shoulder (left from our perspective). There is a support going horizontal down by the legs with a clear seem in the middle of it in the non-upscaled pic. The upscaled pic you can't even see the seem. Now look at the ornate detail in the bottom of the fence. That last little detail is almost completely lost in the upscaled version.Good eye. That could partly be caused by the camera though, those 2 pictures aren't quite equal. Look at the TV's on-screen display in the upper left. It looks a little out of focus in the upscale picture.

I have an Oppo upscaling DVD player...has anyone compared the two?

Good eye. That could partly be caused by the camera though, those 2 pictures aren't quite equal. Look at the TV's on-screen display in the upper left. It looks a little out of focus in the upscale picture.

Good point. Better eye. ;)

By the way, Hot Shots Golf Fore! is one of my favorite family PS2 games and it looks great with the upscaling.

Good point. Better eye. ;)

By the way, Hot Shots Golf Fore! is one of my favorite family PS2 games and it looks great with the upscaling.

Never played previous version of Hot Shots Golf, but the demo for Hot Shots Golf 5 is pretty fun.

Good point. Better eye. ;)

By the way, Hot Shots Golf Fore! is one of my favorite family PS2 games and it looks great with the upscaling.

There is a separate "smoothing" option on the PS3 for PS/PS2 games that the user might have also enabled. That and the out of focus camera could have done it.

i agree.


I can see what you guys are saying. The non smoothed image looks more detailed if I'm looking at the fountain of light or the flower like things on the railing. On the other end I think I like the look of the character model in the upconverted image.

BIG Difference here:

BEFORE:
http://www.cycloneinjapan.com/upload/files/46/ps2-gt4-before1-s.jpg

AFTER:
http://www.cycloneinjapan.com/upload/files/46/ps2-gt4-after1-s.jpg


BEFORE:
http://www.cycloneinjapan.com/upload/files/46/dvd-matrix1-before-s.jpg

AFTER:
http://www.cycloneinjapan.com/upload/files/46/dvd-matrix1-after-s.jpg


wow that is a big difference...

Has anyone tried the double scan option on dvds? I thought the picture looked better on that option but vertical black bars showed up along the side. I just ended up setting mine to normal.

Has anyone tried the double scan option on dvds? I thought the picture looked better on that option but vertical black bars showed up along the side. I just ended up setting mine to normal.

So the double scan shows black bars on the sides of DVDs when set? That kinda stinks. Can anyone explain the different settings of the upscaling and which one is best to use for DVDs and which one is best for PS/PS2 games?

I have an Oppo upscaling DVD player...has anyone compared the two?

i'll try that tonight...

whats the best method to photograph the screen? I want to give you guys a comparison of the ps3 to the oppo 970 (yes I know its not the 971, but its still a very good upconverter).

The DVD looks slightly better (check out the windows on the building in the distance behind Neo), but the games just look blurry.

Do you have the option NOT to upconvert PS2 games or are you stuck with it if you upgrade?

The DVD looks slightly better (check out the windows on the building in the distance behind Neo), but the games just look blurry.


Agreed. The Matrix DVD was a good improvement but the GT4 and GOW pics are very noticably worse.

Now what I need to know is how the PS3 upconverts compared to the HD-A1 and HD-XA2.

One thing I would like to look at is PS/PS2 upscaling without smoothing vs PS/PS2 upscaling with smoothing.

heres some more comparisons (filtering on and off).
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6519788&postcount=1613
Interesting how there is virtually no difference between the first and second images.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6517353&postcount=1210
OMG the filtering looks TERRIBLE! Look at the bottom where it shows X=SELECT. Look how completely blurred it is with filtering on! :eek:

That isn't true. Upscaling is not a "Blur" filter. It does not lose data. It adds spaces between data and interpolates the change. This reduces sudden changes (lessening jaggies and increasing smoothness). It may appear like "blur" but if you notice, all the detail is still there.
In other words...it's a blur filter. Dude, the evidence is in the pictures! I don't see how anyone could argue the filtered pictures AREN'T blurrier! :confused:

You might as well smear vasoline all over the TV screen and yell "Yahoo, no jaggies!":cool:

You might as well smear vasoline all over the TV screen and yell "Yahoo, no jaggies!":cool:

lol! It's just the initial excitment of "new" features. After a few days we'll get a proper idea of what works and what doesn't.

In other words...it's a blur filter. Dude, the evidence is in the pictures! I don't see how anyone could argue the filtered pictures AREN'T blurrier! :confused:He's talking about upscaling not the smooth filter. Those are 2 seperate options. You can upscale without the filter or filter without upscaling.

He's talking about upscaling not the smooth filter. Those are 2 seperate options. You can upscale without the filter or filter without upscaling.
Yes, thank you. Sometimes people are too ready to pile on.

He's talking about upscaling not the smooth filter. Those are 2 seperate options. You can upscale without the filter or filter without upscaling.
Except that he's referring to the filtered pictures as an example of detail not being lost when it clearly is.

I really never saw a problem after 1.5 with how my ps2 games looked. I have already given up hope that the upscaling would actually quiet the idiots around the interweb crying about how horrible ps2 games look...Now we have upscaling and they'll just cry about how bad of a job it does, as if they couldnt find any screens from the EU ps3 to compare it to...

Except that he's referring to the filtered pictures as an example of detail not being lost when it clearly is.
That was before anyone pointed out they were being smoothed (I was the one to point that out later). I was talking about upscaling in theory and that should also apply to the PS3 (without smoothing). I saw other pictures from other forums that were upscaled and kept the detail.

Link:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=158082

I assumed the GOW II pictures were not being smoothed without thinking about it too much.

I had the "smoothing" set to on, but I think I'll set it to off and look at it again.

Of course, it would be better if I wasn't upscaling a PS1 game to start with.

Since this seems to be a pretty hot topic, I'll start with a GOW2 comparison I found on gametrailers. Please post your screens! DVD, PS1, PS2, etc!

Normal
http://i15.tinypic.com/5z5q9w6.jpg
Upscaled
http://i13.tinypic.com/6fuj49c.jpg

Why would anyone want to upscale a 480p game?

Just look at the comparison...the upscaled version is clearly softer and is a lot less detailed. *UGH*

Why would anyone want to upscale a 480p game?

Just look at the comparison...the upscaled version is clearly softer and is a lot less detailed. *UGH*

That's an awful comparison shot. Even the "resolution box" is blurry in the 1080p screenshot. If the person taking the picture was holding his camera steady in BOTH shots, it would be a more fair, don't you think?

i would also appreciate someone doing a comparison between the ps3's dvd upscaling feature and what you get with an oppo 981. i am getting my first hdtv, have a ps3, and was considering the oppo. is the oppo's upscaling superior enough to justify the purchase and the cables if i already have a ps3 running through hdmi to a big 1080p lcd?

Screenshots are one thing, but how does it look in motion?

FYI... I created a PS3, Oppo981, Xbox 360 Elite DVD upscale thread here (for those who are interested):

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=852029

Why would anyone want to upscale a 480p game?

Just look at the comparison...the upscaled version is clearly softer and is a lot less detailed. *UGH*

Does anyone here have GoW or GoW II and tried upscaling when the game is set in progressive mode?

I can't actually get it to upscale when set to progressive - only when in the non-progressive mode.

One thing I would like to look at is PS/PS2 upscaling without smoothing vs PS/PS2 upscaling with smoothing.

As requested:

Final Fantasy XII(in-game settings; 16:9[widescreen] on all screens captures):

1. Scaling: Full Screen, Smoothing: ON
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/infernosoul1/fullsmoothing.jpg

2. Scaling: Full Screen, Smoothing: OFF
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/infernosoul1/fullscreenoff.jpg

3. Scaling: Normal, Smoothing: ON
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/infernosoul1/normalsmoothing.jpg

4. Scaling: Normal, Smoothing: OFF
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/infernosoul1/normaloff.jpg

5. Scaling: OFF, Smoothing: ON
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/infernosoul1/offsmoothing.jpg

6. Scaling: OFF, Smoothing: OFF
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/infernosoul1/offoff.jpg

Am I doing something wrong?? I can't see a difference between the upscaler and my cheap dvd player. I have a 46v2500 connected with HDMI to ps3 and component to my dvd player.

I left the options untoched on bd dvd settings. 1080p shows on the corner of the screen.

I think the upscaled dvds just "feel" better looking,but I think I'm just trying to convince myself.

As requested:

Final Fantasy XII(in-game settings; 16:9[widescreen] on all screens captures):

1. Scaling: Full Screen, Smoothing: ON
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/infernosoul1/fullsmoothing.jpg

2. Scaling: Full Screen, Smoothing: OFF
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/infernosoul1/fullscreenoff.jpg

3. Scaling: Normal, Smoothing: ON
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/infernosoul1/normalsmoothing.jpg

4. Scaling: Normal, Smoothing: OFF
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/infernosoul1/normaloff.jpg

5. Scaling: OFF, Smoothing: ON
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/infernosoul1/offsmoothing.jpg

6. Scaling: OFF, Smoothing: OFF
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa178/infernosoul1/offoff.jpg

Nice work! Thanks for the pics

Am I doing something wrong?? I can't see a difference between the upscaler and my cheap dvd player. I have a 46v2500 connected with HDMI to ps3 and component to my dvd player.

I left the options untoched on bd dvd settings. 1080p shows on the corner of the screen.

I think the upscaled dvds just "feel" better looking,but I think I'm just trying to convince myself.

Your TV upscales to its native rez 1080p already...it may scale better than the PS3.
(Nice TV, BTW ;) )

Well at least FFXII seem to benefit a lot from the smoothing.

Forget the pics... "Smoothed" GoW2 doesnt't look blurry in the game.

I've tested a ton of times in God of War 2 on my 1080P Sony 60" XBR2. I've switched GoW2's Progressive Mode and Widescreen mode on/off in different combinations while doing the same with the Smoothing and Upscale off/normal/full screen options on the PS3.

Hands down the image looks a LOT better with Smoothing on more than any other option. Jaggies were horrific before, especially on Kratos from behind the character, but now it looks as good as can be expected on a last-gen game.

I let the PS3 handle widescreen (by turning Full Screen Upscaling on) and turn off GoW's Progressive (which will switch you to 480P) and Widescreen. This puts me at 1080P with widescreen in the right proportions (some of the FFXII pics above have the wrong proportions).

I did the same with my PSOne copy of WipeOut XL and once again, Smoothing makes it look FAR better than it does on my set with it off. Upscaling adds additional improvements when combined with Smoothing for both of these two tests.

So far I give the upscale/smoothing FREE option a major thumbs up.

Forget the pics... I've tested a ton of times in God of War 2 on my 1080P Sony 60" XBR2. I've switched GoW2's Progressive Mode and Widescreen mode on/off in different combinations while doing the same with the Smoothing and Upscale off/normal/full screen options on the PS3.

Hands down the image looks a LOT better with Smoothing on more than any other option. Jaggies were horrific before, especially on Kratos from behind the character, but now it looks as good as can be expected on a last-gen game.

I let the PS3 handle widescreen (by turning Full Screen Upscaling on) and turn off GoW's Progressive (which will switch you to 480P) and Widescreen. This puts me at 1080P with widescreen in the right proportions (some of the FFXII pics above have the wrong proportions).

I did the same with my PSOne copy of WipeOut XL and once again, Smoothing makes it look FAR better than it does on my set with it off. Upscaling adds additional improvements when combined with Smoothing for both of these two tests.

So far I give the upscale/smoothing FREE option a major thumbs up.

I believe the proportions were different because I left 16:9 on, on all the different scaling methods. Also the first picture I took at a small angle, didn't realize it however you can see the black in the left hand corner thats my tv because I wasn't dead on with the screen, no idea how I messed that up. However I completely agree scaling set right with smoothing has made a load of difference. I just don't get people before it was too jagged now its too smooth. Meh, too each their own. I perfer full upscale and smoothing. :D

I can't get my Full upscale to Fill the screen!!!!!its wider than 4:3 but doesn't fill my screen, black boarders all around

I can't get my Full upscale to Fill the screen!!!!!its wider than 4:3 but doesn't fill my screen, black boarders all around
Make sure your using "Normal" upscale rather than "Double" if you are using DVD's.

I have to say I'm happy with the upcaling I didn't play FF12 ( and other PS2/PS games) because they looked like crap on the PS3 before now it's much better.
I haven't tried any DVD's yet but for games it's a nice improvment.

I have to say I'm happy with the upcaling I didn't play FF12 ( and other PS2/PS games) because they looked like crap on the PS3 before now it's much better.
I haven't tried any DVD's yet but for games it's a nice improvment.
I am so used to playing oblivion FF12 looks unbearable now...

endgadget.com says the same thing I did... their own GoW2 pictures on the internet don't do justice to how good it looks on-screen in person:

Eventually our attention turned to the video upscaling, however, and we we weren't disappointed; the visual difference seemed immediately apparent when popping in God of War II. (Unfortunately our pictures didn't do a fantastic job of illustrating that, but hey, check it out for yourself.)

Here's a few pics of Gladiator being upscaled to 1080p on my sammy 4661 through the ps3 w/ the new update...
http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/9536/img1845ev2.th.jpg (http://img453.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1845ev2.jpg)
http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/1908/img1847wy1.th.jpg (http://img357.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1847wy1.jpg)

Here's a few pics of Gladiator being upscaled to 1080p on my sammy 4661 through the ps3 w/ the new update...
http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/9536/img1845ev2.th.jpg (http://img453.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1845ev2.jpg)
http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/1908/img1847wy1.th.jpg (http://img357.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1847wy1.jpg)

I enlarged them a bit for ya.

http://i19.tinypic.com/5yl2ezn.jpg

http://i14.tinypic.com/6cfgwt5.jpg

Here's my attempt at a comparison. Its a bitch getting a good camera shot. Done with a tripod at the exact same distance. TV is the Vizio 47" LCD 1080p

Hardboiled DVD

Upscaling OFF
http://i17.tinypic.com/4xovqeo.jpg

Double Scale
http://i9.tinypic.com/4z1b9s0.jpg

Upscaled Full
http://i11.tinypic.com/4q7ldfk.jpg

Finding Nemo

Upscale OFF
http://i8.tinypic.com/61p1zir.jpg

Upscale Normal (same as full on my set)
http://i17.tinypic.com/4zltuo8.jpg

Upscaling OFF
http://i7.tinypic.com/4ujqe7o.jpg

Upscale Normal
http://i18.tinypic.com/538gy2c.jpg

Sin City

Upscaling OFF
http://i15.tinypic.com/63hac5t.jpg

Upscaling Normal
http://i9.tinypic.com/52kw9oh.jpg

forgot the cam but bootlegs get some help too lol
tried SM3, PotC:AWE and Shrek 3

Nice comparisons done by IGN.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/793/793775p1.html

June 1, 2007 - With the PlayStation 3's latest firmware update to version 1.8, Sony added in the long-awaited ability to upscale DVDs, PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games to HD resolutions. Each of 720p, 1080i and 1080p are supported on all accounts, though for DVDs you need an HDMI connection for those resolutions for copyright purposes. So with the new ability to play classic titles in HD resolutions, has Sony given these games a new lease on life, or at least their visuals?

We've put a number of PSone and PS2 games to the test. We went about capturing screens from each in a number of different settings so that you can compare them right here from the comfort of your computer. Hopefully it's cushioned... We captured everything at 1080p through equipment more expensive than many BMWs to simulate what these titles would look like on some of the best TVs available. And yes, that includes the games that aren't upscaled because HD sets would wind up scaling them internally anyway and it makes more sense to capture them like that rather than in Photoshop.

Our comparison shots have all been cropped in some way, but they've not been resized at all, which means you'll get a pixel-accurate look at the quality of the images. Our gallery images that you can use to compare the shots yourselves have only had a watermark and label thrown on them, but are otherwise untouched.

If you've played with the settings for this, you'll know that the PS3 offers options for the scaling of Off, Normal and Full. Normal means that the games will come out in a 4:3 resolution and Full means that everything will come out widescreen. So for our PSone titles we chose the Normal setting when upscaled while all our PS2 games were set to Full. The other option available has to do with smoothing, which we also tested out. And let it also be known that when titles that support progression scan have this option turned on, they revert back to 480p with no alterations. We've included some comparison shots to this as well.

Scaled and Smoothed vs. Native
Let's begin with a straightforward comparison of no scaling to everything turned on.

http://i11.tinypic.com/6fgjyjb.jpg
As you can see in this comparison image of SmackDown 2 for the original PlayStation, the upscaled side doesn't look as harsh, but it's also not as crisp. The character and crowds look better, but the text is blurrier as well.

http://i15.tinypic.com/4ys3w2f.jpg
This shot of Rayman 2 weighs in more favorably on the upscaled side as the water ripples look much better, as does the rock texture. Since Rayman doesn't feature a ton of text everywhere and is a very cartoony game, the blurring helps give it a cinematic look without taking away detail from things that should stay sharp.

http://i8.tinypic.com/52odpua.jpg
With dark scenes like this shot from Final Fantasy XII, it can actually be hard to tell which is which. The text is a tad blurrier, but it's pretty close as the PS2's native resolution doesn't wind up getting blurred nearly as much as the PSone's.

http://i12.tinypic.com/6fr4zs6.jpg
Here's a shot of Monster Rancher 2 on the PSone. The character, sky and ground on the upscaled side look nicer, but like SmackDown 2, the text comes out blurrier and might start handing out headaches after a while. Still, it does look a little nicer overall.

http://i10.tinypic.com/4mhldn8.jpg
It's really hard to tell where the dividing line between these screens from Devil May Cry 3 lies, but we can assure you it's right down the center. The biggest difference is in the hardwood floor where the scaled side looks a little smoother, but you'd be hard-pressed to tell while it's in motion.

http://i16.tinypic.com/6bw19hs.jpg
Once again, the comparisons between a native and upscaled game on the PlayStation 2 is extremely hard to tell apart, as seen in this shot from Ratchet and Clank 2: Going Commando. There are some differences here, like the how Ratchet's ear looks a tad smoother and how the box on the right is less aliased than the one on the left, but most of the image is extremely close quality-wise from one side to the other.

Smooth vs. Not
Now let's compare the differences between having smoothing turned on and off and how they compare to the native visuals.

http://i10.tinypic.com/6hg0ajm.jpg
These comparison shots of Resident Evil 2 on the OG PlayStation show that there's virtually no difference between a natively rendered image and one upscaled with smoothing turned off. When smoothing is on, things like fire and the signs look more natural.

http://i14.tinypic.com/6c63hqs.jpg
These God of War II samples do a nice job of showing off the natively-rendered game versus its upscaled with smoothing and without smoothing brothers. The native image on the left is slightly more jagged than the upscaled but not smoothed image next to it. It's so subtle that we might think our eyes could be playing tricks on us except that the score is a bit blurrier. The smoothed image on the right has cleaner window segments, though it also has the blurriest score and soldier. Note that these pieces are small parts of an overall image, but they've only been cropped and have not been scaled in Photoshop.

Progressive Scan vs. Scaled and Smoothed
Perhaps the most important comparison we can make is the one between a game that's been upscaled and smoothed versus the very same game running in progressive scan. Switching on progressive scan in games that support it negates the upscaling and smoothing settings, but we think this is still the way these games look best.

http://i17.tinypic.com/4vg4ltd.jpg
This image of Burnout Revenge shows why we're sticking with a game's built-in 480p rendering whenever possible. Everything on the right side of the screen is much sharper and more detailed. Take a close look at the rear headlights, the license plate, the engine in the rear window and the timer at the top of the screen. Sure, it's a little more grainy, but it's also more well-defined.

http://i11.tinypic.com/6397h35.jpg
This time Kratos makes his case for us in God of War II. While the windows in the upscaled version look nicer, most everything else looks better in the 480p portion. Kratos is much sharper as are the soldiers that he's fighting, and the menu bar at the top of the screen is much crisper. The upscaled side also loses a fair bit of detail in the floor.

Comments
There's going to be a lot of arguments about what setting is best, even on a game-by-game basis. Some folks will like the cinematic look of games when upscaled and smoothed, while others will prefer 480p when available or perhaps even upscaled but not smoothed. Most of us here happen to prefer sticking with 480p when possible, but we're still keeping our fingers crossed that Sony will one day release an update that actually renders the games in HD rather than just scaling the image.

I actually prefer the 480p version.

I don't understand why anyone would use any of this "smoothing" nonsense. It's the equivalent of using a blur filter in an attempt to make the uglies go away, but you're just destroying detail in the process.
going from 720 to 1080 isnt "smoothing". it's makes each pixel smaller, therefore decreasing the "jaggies".

I don't buy that. I will admit that some games look better upscaled, it does appear that we are losing detail. In the GoWII pic take a look at the table (or whatever it is) in the back ground over his right shoulder (left from our perspective). There is a support going horizontal down by the legs with a clear seem in the middle of it in the non-upscaled pic. The upscaled pic you can't even see the seem. Now look at the ornate detail in the bottom of the fence. That last little detail is almost completely lost in the upscaled version.

Having said that, in most of the PS2 games I've tried so far I like the upscaling. I'll trade fewer jaggies for less detail in most games. It's ok to like the upscaling but let's not fool ourselves in what it is. It is what it is and it's not bad.
when you upscale it makes the pixels smaller, so of course small black lines are going to be less noticeable. I will not believe it until i see it for myself though.

Does anyone here have GoW or GoW II and tried upscaling when the game is set in progressive mode?

I can't actually get it to upscale when set to progressive - only when in the non-progressive mode.

Yes! You know what I love/hate is that everyone that does not own/play these games actually is talking about it how it is not as good.

GOW I & GOW II both look incredible on a 1080p screen.

Much much better than 480p. < 480p is 480p upsacaled by the TV to fit onto a 1080p frame. Still 480p.

While the Upscale is 1080p to 1080p.

Its a 480 game upscaled to 1080p which looks much better than before. A great addition IMO.

So I don't get all this negativity anyway...

BIG Difference here:
BEFORE:
http://www.cycloneinjapan.com/upload/files/46/dvd-matrix1-before-s.jpg

AFTER:
http://www.cycloneinjapan.com/upload/files/46/dvd-matrix1-after-s.jpg
Is there a reason that the upscaled image has a blue tint to it? It also looks like some of the picture on the edges is cut off, like there's too much overscan on the sides.

With my Westinghouse 42" 1080p and PS2 games, the PS3 does not send a "full" 1080p signal to the display - there are borders much larger than the usual "PS2 overscan" borders present with 480i/p (I do know how to configure 4:3 and 16:9 scaling options correctly as well -)

My display displays everything 1:1, with zero overscan. If I remember correctly (the PS3 has since bricked itself, waiting for replacement), there was about 1" of border around the image for 16:9 games, and the proportion of unused space for 4:3 is similar.

I could use the "fill" option on my display to zoom in, but then a tiny portion of the image is cut off, and the picture is no longer 1:1 1080p and looks significantly worse.

Yes! You know what I love/hate is that everyone that does not own/play these games actually is talking about it how it is not as good.

GOW I & GOW II both look incredible on a 1080p screen.

Much much better than 480p. < 480p is 480p upsacaled by the TV to fit onto a 1080p frame. Still 480p.

While the Upscale is 1080p to 1080p.

Its a 480 game upscaled to 1080p which looks much better than before. A great addition IMO.

So I don't get all this negativity anyway...
It's just a matter of where the upscaling takes place. The PS3 takes the image post-rendering and then upscales it, just as your TV can do. What would make a real difference in picture quality would be games actually getting rendered at higher resolutions, as seen in the software emulation PS3s in other regions.

And concerning the comment:

going from 720 to 1080 isnt "smoothing". it's makes each pixel smaller, therefore decreasing the "jaggies".
The poster wasn't calling upscaling smoothing. He was referring to the smoothing effect. The smoothing option isn't doing much more than blurring the image on the screen. ...Hence his comment.

Here's my attempt at a comparison. Its a bitch getting a good camera shot. Done with a tripod at the exact same distance. TV is the Vizio 47" LCD 1080p

Hardboiled DVD

Upscaling OFF
http://i17.tinypic.com/4xovqeo.jpg

Double Scale
http://i9.tinypic.com/4z1b9s0.jpg

Upscaled Full
http://i11.tinypic.com/4q7ldfk.jpg

Finding Nemo

Upscale OFF
http://i8.tinypic.com/61p1zir.jpg

Upscale Normal (same as full on my set)
http://i17.tinypic.com/4zltuo8.jpg

Upscaling OFF
http://i7.tinypic.com/4ujqe7o.jpg

Upscale Normal
http://i18.tinypic.com/538gy2c.jpg

Sin City

Upscaling OFF
http://i15.tinypic.com/63hac5t.jpg

Upscaling Normal
http://i9.tinypic.com/52kw9oh.jpg

Is this with the PS3? How are you getting that option in the middle of the picture like that? (ex Black Noise Off..etc) I thought you could only do this on the dash??? Am I missing something?

Thx,
Claude

this smoothing effect looks like someone smeared vasoline on my screen. it DEFINITELY takes some getting used to...

Is this with the PS3? How are you getting that option in the middle of the picture like that? (ex Black Noise Off..etc) I thought you could only do this on the dash??? Am I missing something?

Thx,
Claude

Hit triangle during the movie

Hit triangle during the movie

Cool....Thank You....I did not know this and will have to check it out.

Thx again,
Claude

I hate to revive an old thread, but I'm wondering, six months after the first firmware to allow upscaling was released...what does everyone have their PS3 set to when viewing PS2/PSone content?

Smoothing on? Scaling on? Which type of scaling?

I have a library of old PS2 games that I've bought on the cheap recently and was wondering what my settings should be. Basically, what's the consensus?

For what it's worth, I have a 1080p Mits WD-57831 connected via HDMI w/ Super White ON.

Thanks!

Upscaling to your native res, no smoothing, at least for PS2 games. It just blurs the entire image. PSone games might be rendered at the higher res, and also possibly would have different smoothing. Honestly, I don't know, as I haven't really played PSone games extensively with the system.