Use HDMI or not? What resolution? HELP?!?!

[mkiker2089]

I hope someone can help me. I just got a 32 inch HD tv. HD channels come in great. The ps3 however doesn't send a signal that the TV recognizes as 16*9. I can tell the TV to stretch it which makes it right as it was squished before. If I use an HDMI cable will the TV then know it's 16*9. I'm using component now which I'm told is really just as good, but I wanted confirmation.

Also from what I can tell my TV is 768. It "supports" 1080i but somewhere it said that if you hook it to a pc set the pc to 768. If that's the native resolution then should I set the ps3 to output 720 and lose the tiny bit of different between that and 768, or set it to 1080 and let the tv do it's downconversion thing. I'm assuming the PS3 to be a better machine since it cost more, so right now I'm letting it do the conversion work.

[Steve T Power]

You're TV is probably 720p.

I would DEFINITELY break out that HDMI. To people who say that Component is just as good as HDMI: "I've choked on these lies my entire life, well here and now, the lies stop!"

It does make a difference. No, not a considerable one, but a difference nonetheless.

It also helps that when you fire up your PS3 using HDMI it will automagically detect the optimum settings.

HDMI: anything less is uncivilized.

[mkiker2089]

everything works fine so far except dvds that aren't wide screen. On wide mode they stretch out but recorded media doesn't. Perhaps HDMI will help. I've messed with the upscaling fetures but that doesn't help. It says I need HDMI to upscale.

I'd like the TV to detect the widescreen of the PS3.

I found a package of HMDI and Planet /earth blu ray that I'll try. The blu ray will be my first so it's a good test.

[mkiker2089]

The HDMI didn't help, well it half helped. Now the PS3 is recognized as widescreen for games but not for Blu Ray or DVD so instead of setting an input as "wide" on the TV I have to change it on the fly. That sucks. I can't be the only one with this problem.

It also wants to set the TV at 1080i rather than 720p. I know I can override this but what is better? If the native resolution of the TV is 720 and that's going to be the end result why not set it at that for the ps3 and let it downconvert instead of the TV?

[Dan Mancini]

The HDMI didn't help, well it half helped. Now the PS3 is recognized as widescreen for games but not for Blu Ray or DVD so instead of setting an input as "wide" on the TV I have to change it on the fly. That sucks. I can't be the only one with this problem.

The PS3 can't force your monitor to display images in a particular mode option that is set in the monitor, regardless of which kind of cable you use. It sounds like you need to have your TV set to wide, then switch it to pillar box when you watch a full frame DVD or BD. Them's the breaks. The alternative is for the TV's manufacturer to have restricted your ability to alter the aspect ratio on HD signals, which most consumers would find annoying.

It also wants to set the TV at 1080i rather than 720p. I know I can override this but what is better? If the native resolution of the TV is 720 and that's going to be the end result why not set it at that for the ps3 and let it downconvert instead of the TV?

If you have 1080i as an active resolution on the PS3, your monitor is going to tell you that it's displaying a 1080i signal. It's still down-converting it to 768 (or whatever). Personally, I would set 720p as the maximum resolution on the PS3. That way, it's not down-converting Blu-ray's progressive scan format to an interlaced format. Just cut 1080i out of the mix entirely. The difference between 720p and 768 won't be discernible to the naked eye.

[mkiker2089]

Here's the thing though Dan, for games and all it's menus it does "force" the tv to show it wide at full resolution. It's only movies that shrink down and have to be manually stretched. That has to kill the resolution since you are taking full resolution image and stretching it out to fit a larger area.

I've asked on PSN forums and aparently I'm the only one that noticed. Other people are asking what movie I'm playing etc as if that had anything to do with it. It's actually making think of packing the Ps3 up and returning it.

[Steve T Power]

Here's the thing though Dan, for games and all it's menus it does "force" the tv to show it wide at full resolution. It's only movies that shrink down and have to be manually stretched. That has to kill the resolution since you are taking full resolution image and stretching it out to fit a larger area.

I've asked on PSN forums and aparently I'm the only one that noticed. Other people are asking what movie I'm playing etc as if that had anything to do with it. It's actually making think of packing the Ps3 up and returning it.

Check your display settings in the menu on the PS3's dashboard. As far as Blu-Rays go, your system should be displaying them properly, but try using the system's utilities menu (either the triangle button or select - i can't remember which) while your movie is playing, and making sure your display settings there are correct.

With regards to standard DVD's, the PS3 has three settings that can be changed while the movie is playing, hit the button to bring up the utilities menu (again, either triangle or select) and make sure the picture mode is set properly, if it's set to the "double" option, it will shrink the movie down and it will appear in the center of your 720p screen much like a non-anamorphic disc would, or it may be stretched automagically by your monitor - pick the middle option and everything should be hunky dory.

Hope that helps.

[mkiker2089]

I found it. It was the output format. I had to change it to RGB. I have no idea what that is or why it worked but at this point I was just changing everything from default. Now I'm getting a 1280*720 or so image. I can't recall the exact number but that sounds right.

What is this output thing anyway. It had weird letters on top like the component letters and RGB.

[mkiker2089]

Steve (or anyone in the know), one more question. Unrelated though. There is a rumor going around that Road Runner is having an issue with Sony. Nothing diabolical of course, just incompetence most likely. Many Road Runner customers have been DNS errors trying to log in. It seems to be nationwide and rather intermitten. The PS3 still browses the web and still uses CDDB but it won't sign on the the network for games or store use. I found about the problem the hard way being a RR customer. One fix is to change your defaul DNS to one of the free ones on the net

Have you heard anything about this? It seems to be recent.

Legal disclaimer- by using the term "in the know" I am in no way referring to Steve as a person in the know. I accept no liability for any actions that Steve may take with that title and all resultant damages are the sole responsibility of the end user.

[Steve T Power]

It could be a matter of RR using MAC filtering on their end. DNS issues are usually fixed by a router reboot. One of the local providers used to use MAC filtering on the server side (mainly so they could charge you for each additional computer in your house that you want to share your connection with). The only way around it, to the best of my knowledge, was to actually call support and give them the MAC address of the device you were using so they could add it to the filter.

[mkiker2089]

The router is supposed to fix that though since it gives it's mac address and everything else is invisible. There's also the fact that the internet worked on the PS3 just not the PSN. No one can explain that one to me. Even my DS got online and it hates the internet.

I also read that Road Runner's DNS was hacked, but they didn't say how or what. Open DNS works fine though so I'm not looking back. I had no idea there was such a thing even or that you could change that until just recently. I put open dns's numbers into the router and all is good.

[mkiker2089]

New info. It looks like perhaps Road Runner just lost whatever ip Sony uses to log you in as part of their DNS table. Like if they forgot who Yahoo was the pages wouldn't come up.

http://boardsus.playstation.com/playsta ... .id=441247