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Playing PS1/PS2 games on modern displays?

post #1 of 18
1/2/11 at 4:03pm
Thread Starter 
I play a lot of PS2 and PS1 games.

I just sold my Sony Wega CRT and bought a Panasonic Plasma. It looks terrible playing PS1 or PS2 games in my PS2 slim. Horrible and pixelated. I don't understand why it should make so much difference, and why modern displays should look so bad with old consoles. Is there any way to make PS1/PS2 games look better on a modern Plasma TV? Would getting a Component cable for my PS2 help any versus the Composite cable I'm using now? Do they make video processors that I can plug PS2 into and get upscaled HDMI out?
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post #2 of 18
1/2/11 at 4:51pm
Component is always better then composite, especially when you have the option of enabling progressive scan in certain games (there's not many that do). It will clean up the image slightly.

Other then that, you're only real option is to get a older BC PS3. It won't natively render the old games any higher, but it will add smoothing and dithering options that tend to blend out the worst pixilation.

But, all in all you'll just have to deal with it. PS1 games ran at ultra low resolutions, while only the Best (and later life cycle) PS2 games ran at 640X480P. You new TV up coverts that image to fit 720P/1080P, and when you up-res anything, you're always going to get increased artifacts.
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post #3 of 18
1/2/11 at 6:09pm
Thread Starter 
What is a BC PS3?
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post #4 of 18
1/2/11 at 6:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daravon View Post

What is a BC PS3?

Backwards compatible (the original 20gb or 60gb PS3s).

Any PS3 will play PS1 games. PS2 games can only be played by the first versions of the PS3. Ebay is where you can find them but they aren't the most reliable.
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post #5 of 18
1/2/11 at 6:40pm
The games were designed to work with CRT televisions, so older games just don't look that great. I would recommend using the component cable but the difference is pretty subtle. Yes, it's better, just not noticeably better.
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post #6 of 18
1/2/11 at 6:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbyrnes View Post

Backwards compatible (the original 20gb or 60gb PS3s).

Any PS3 will play PS1 games. PS2 games can only be played by the first versions of the PS3. Ebay is where you can find them but they aren't the most reliable.


Don't buy into the not reliable thing, I have had 2 60GB launch PS3 s and never had an issue. The original PS3's do generate a lot of heat. I believe most of the failures can be attributed to not enough airflow. DO NOT keep the PS3 in an enclosed entertainment center or block the vents on the bottom back or right side of the unit. Also make sure there is room for the air to exit out the rear and side of the units. don't put it next to or on top of another piece that gets hot like receiver or satellite/cable box either.. the early 80GB ones will play about 80% of PS2 games via software emulation. the release units actually had the PS2 emotion engine chip in them so its like having a PS2 inside the PS3
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post #7 of 18
1/2/11 at 7:03pm
Yeah seriously it all depends on how you take care of your system I've also had my 60gb PS3 since launch and it never has failed on me of course i clean my vents the vacuum way so no dust is in there and leave it in an open space the PS3s are very good at keeping themselves cool
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post #8 of 18
1/2/11 at 8:06pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:


the early 80GB ones will play about 80% of PS2 games via software emulation. the release units actually had the PS2 emotion engine chip in them so its like having a PS2 inside the PS3

Do both flavors have the enhancification features?

If I had space I would buy a 32inch CRT from Salvation Army and just dedicate it to PS1/2 gaming but I just don't have the space.
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post #9 of 18
1/2/11 at 8:44pm
i played god of war on my 42 in lcd and it looked like garbage. and that was with a component cable and the 480p cheat code. god of war 2 looked just as bad. the aliasing is just ridiculous.
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post #10 of 18
1/2/11 at 8:47pm
The older BC consoles can and will fail at some point. Taken care of and treated well they will last a while, but they will fail, it is inevitable. I recently sold my BC 60gb for this reason. All that being said. I now have a ps2 (phat) hooked up (via component) to a denon 1908 to a 50 inch Sammy plasma and she looks good (playing Metal Gear Solid 2 as I type this). I mean, a bit jaggie here and there but it is ps2 graphics. Get a component cable.
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post #11 of 18
1/3/11 at 1:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by futurecode View Post

The older BC consoles can and will fail at some point.

Not just that, but any BC PS3 that you find will be used. And since the used market is flooded with so many failed early PS3's, the chances of having one last very long are even less.

So, yeah, stick with a PS2 and get a component cable.
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post #12 of 18
1/3/11 at 5:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by blklightning View Post

i played god of war on my 42 in lcd and it looked like garbage. and that was with a component cable and the 480p cheat code. god of war 2 looked just as bad. the aliasing is just ridiculous.

pick up god of war collection.... looks amazing (less the un-altered cutscenes)
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post #13 of 18
1/3/11 at 5:59am
Thread Starter 
I have some games that only play right on the PS1; even my old fat PS2 doesn't play them right. I don't think the PS1 works with a component cable at all. In this case is S-video any better? Do they make video processors that could help?

Are there any PS1/PS2 emulators for Linux that would help out with a modern display?
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post #14 of 18
1/3/11 at 9:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SupremeG56 View Post

Yeah seriously it all depends on how you take care of your system

Funny, then, that I always kept my 60GB clean and well-ventilated, but it still went YLOD after less than 3 years. It's the first game console that I've ever had fail on me, ever. And that's going all the way back to the Intellivision. If the Slim I got to replace it fails within this console generation's lifetime, I'll be done with Sony permanently. That level of "quality" would be inexcusable.

As for the original topic, the unfortunate truth is that low-resolution games are never going to look decent on today's large, fine-detail TVs. All you can do is pick your poison -- blurry or blocky. Emulators will give you the same choice, so there's no advantage there. External scalers will just give you different versions of blurriness. If you want a decent SD experience, you may just want to keep a cheap, modest-sized CRT around for classic gaming.

- Jer
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post #15 of 18
1/5/11 at 1:24pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
As for the original topic, the unfortunate truth is that low-resolution games are never going to look decent on today's large, fine-detail TVs. All you can do is pick your poison -- blurry or blocky.
I don't buy it, because my games (Odin Sphere and Final Fantasy Tactics that I've tested) both looked entirely reasonable on my CRT, and they look completely worse on my new plasma, even though they are the same size. The text is all full of obvious combing errors and there are strange artifacts around everything. I do understand that you can't add resolution to an image, but I don't understand why the games should look worse on plasma than on CRT even at the same magnification. Maybe modern displays have absolute garbage analog inputs? Maybe they have only very basic upscaling capabilities? Watching SD DVDs from my upscaling DVD player looks fine via HDMI; why do SD games look worse? It seems like if there was a way to convert my games' composite outputs to an upscaled HDMI output it would display properly on my flat screen.
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post #16 of 18
1/31/13 at 10:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daravon View Post


Quote:


As for the original topic, the unfortunate truth is that low-resolution games are never going to look decent on today's large, fine-detail TVs. All you can do is pick your poison -- blurry or blocky.


I don't buy it, because my games (Odin Sphere and Final Fantasy Tactics that I've tested) both looked entirely reasonable on my CRT, and they look completely worse on my new plasma, even though they are the same size. The text is all full of obvious combing errors and there are strange artifacts around everything. I do understand that you can't add resolution to an image, but I don't understand why the games should look worse on plasma than on CRT even at the same magnification. Maybe modern displays have absolute garbage analog inputs? Maybe they have only very basic upscaling capabilities? Watching SD DVDs from my upscaling DVD player looks fine via HDMI; why do SD games look worse? It seems like if there was a way to convert my games' composite outputs to an upscaled HDMI output it would display properly on my flat screen.

I believe it's to do with CRTs ability to have 1:1 pixel mapping with any resolution at that time (correct me if I'm wrong). The best image you can get is by enabling 1:1 pixel mapping, it basically means the resolution of the source and the TV match, creating an awesome image smile.gif

Flatscreen TVs and today's projectors, have only one fixed resolution only, so every other resolution has to either be upscaled, or downscaled to it's native resolution. Which most today are either 720p, or 1080p.
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post #17 of 18
1/31/13 at 2:56pm
I'm sure Daravon has been waiting patiently for two years to see that response... smile.gif
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post #18 of 18
1/31/13 at 7:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by darklordjames View Post

I'm sure Daravon has been waiting patiently for two years to see that response... smile.gif
sorry. I can't help myself lol.
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