Best way to play non-widescreen games on a Widescreen TV? (1 Viewer)

[Andrew*Jones]

Well, I recently upgraded to a widescreen TV and I now have all my systems connected to it (with component cables -yeah!), but playing non-widescreen games with the grey bars on the sides sucks. I have a "panorama" zoom mode, but that looks horrible as well, and trying to use 16x9 zoom modes also distorts the picture. Is there anything I may have over looked that I should try? I wish all games were in widescreen!

Also, by setting my display as 16x9 in the PS2/Xbox dashboard, will it automatically strech games for 16x9 mode? Maybe that is my problem...should I set them to 4x3 and let me TV do the streching?

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[Graeme Clark]

I play almost all games in 16x9 mode, most games still look great, even with the minor distortion. In some, I can hardly tell.

If you set the XBox for widescreen in the dashboard, it will put the game into 16x9 mode automatically if supported. I think the PS2's widescreen setting is only for DVDs, and any 16x9 games will have an option in the game itself (Since I still don't own a PS2, I can't be sure).

 

[Andrew*Jones]

Do you play the games in just normal widescreen (16x9), or do you use any of the zoom features of the TV? I think that 16x9 seems to distort them a little to much for my taste.

Thanks,
ANdrew

 

[Aaron Copeland]

I too just play them in 16x9. The distortion doesn't bother me the same way watching TV that way does...I guess because games aren't real where the items on-screen during TV shows usually are real (i.e. real people, etc...). If that makes any sense...

 

[Jeffrey Forner]

I personally think it's insulting to the designers of the game who spent long hours to create the worlds, character models, and various in-game effects when we distort them just so that we can fill up our TVs. I mean, don't we usually belittle the Joe Sixpacks of the world for wanting to fill up their TVs with non-widescreen movies? Why is it that we have a double standard for games?

I say, play the games in their native aspect ratio of 4:3 and get some matteing material to cover up the gray bars on the side.

 

[Eric C. Mylonas]

I agree with you to a point. However, unlike film, stretching a game image to fill the screen does not result in a loss of imagery that the creator intended to be displayed, which is completely unlike the concerns many have with pan & scan (where actual parts of the picture are literally sheared off).

I find that if your television has a non-linear stretch mode, the ever-so-slight distortion is hardly noticeable and, in no way, mangles the creator's intent.

 

[Keith Frederick]

I have had my widescreen TV for 8 months, and have viewed every type of programming on it. 4:3 games, when stretched, typically look fine. I would challenge anyone to tell the difference. Only sports games, that are simulating actual people, can look funny when stretched. But Mechs in MechAssault and Aliens in Halo look just fine.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

There is no right answer about what looks 'best'. How games look stretched depends on how the TV's stretch modes are designed and on the personal preferences of the player/viewer, which vary.

As far as original intent, the answer is obvious. If you care about original intent you play a game in the aspect ratio for which it was designed.

 

[Jeffrey Forner]

Originally posted by Eric C. Mylonas:
I agree with you to a point. However, unlike film, stretching a game image to fill the screen does not result in a loss of imagery that the creator intended to be displayed, which is completely unlike the concerns many have with pan & scan (where actual parts of the picture are literally sheared off).

The same argument could be made regarding films shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio. I could, theoretically, use a stretch mode on The Wizard of Oz so that the image fills my 16:9 screen, and depending on the quality of the stretch mode, not be bothered with the distortion. However, I know that many of you would object to this practice for obvious reasons. Even though I may not be cropping out any parts of the image, I am altering the shape of what I see on-screen, thus interfering with the artist's intent.

Why is it that this is a personal preference when it comes to games, but not for film?

 

[Ricky Hustle]

Even though I may not be cropping out any parts of the image, I am altering the shape of what I see on-screen, thus interfering with the artist's intent.

Why is it that this is a personal preference when it comes to games, but not for film?

I don't think you can compare the director's intent with the intent of the game designers. I really doubt that the framing is what game designers are focused on, rather it is the AI, gameplay, etc. A film director on the other hand considers framing very important.

And I think it's a personal preference whether its film or video games. I would never think to stretch or crop a theatrical exhibition, never have, never will. But I do play every single game I own in 16:9 mode. Director's intent be damned.

If someone else wants to stretch the wizard of oz, it's their preference.

 

[Tim Markley]

I play all of them in stretch mode and hardly notice. I'd much rather do that than have the bars on the side.

 

[Jay Mitchosky]

I don't think you can compare the director's intent with the intent of the game designers.

And to that I disagree. It's a different medium, but that doesn't mean they're not designing to achieve a specific look.

 

[Carlo_M]

Whelp, I guess I can live with my own double-standard on this issue. I play all my X-BOX games in 16x9.

Actually stretching 4:3 material to 16:9 on DVDs doesn't bother me as an OAR supporter. I might think you're a bit weird wanting to watch the movie all stretched horizontally, but it's your right, it's your TV. Just as I wouldn't go after someone that decided to "Zoom" their letterbox movies to fill up their 4:3 TV. Again, their TV, their preference.

What I want is for *all" movies to be in OAR on DVD. And as far as I can tell, all video games are in their OAR on the game discs. How I choose to play it is my right.

[edit]P.S. I'm friends with a pretty high-ranking person at Activision and he doesn't seem to mind my stretching the game when he comes over...and yes on one of the games he was a lead... [/edit]

 

[Romier S]

It's a different medium, but that doesn't mean they're not designing to achieve a specific look.

How do you know what they are designing? How do you know what look they are going for? Thats the problem. You don't. I would pose that game developers are far more interested in creating a good game over what aspect ratio folks are going to be playing thier titles in.

In the case of games that include 16:9 support, which is the artists intent? 16:9 or 4X3? Or is that dependant upon what kind of TV you own? Well isn't that a double standard as well? If the designer specifically created the game with the INTENT of it being played on a 16:9 set and you are playing it on a 4X3 television, regardless of the fact that you have the ability too, you are essentially bastardizing his vision as much as throwing the game in a stretch mode no? Well some would say no its not the same thing. How do you know? For all you any of us are aware the creators of Grand Theft Auto or Panzer Dragoon Orta despise the fact that thier games are being played in anything other than 16:9. Yet again we hit that stumbling block. None of us know.

The biggest difference between the medium of videogames and films is that with the film industry we have the directors intent in plain view. Steven Spielberg filmed Jaws in 2:35:1 widescreen. That is how it is meant to be watched. Argument finished. Things are not as spelled out in the world of videogames.

Those same stringent rules cant be applied to videogames IMO because we simply dont have a direct guide. We do not have Yu Suzuki, Shigeru Miyamoto so forth so on proclaiming thier games are meant to be played in a particular way nor are they outlining what they think the proper aspect ratio is. I just don't see videogames, as a medium, to be as black and white as films are. In my humble yet honest opinion this choice, I believe, has been left to the gamer. The decision of how to experience these titles is left to us and how we want to see these games displayed. I find it ironic that in the most interactive of mediums the consumer gets the most interactive of choices, yet we now have to regulate our playing habits according to an aspect ratio bible that simply doesn't exist in this medium.

As far as double standards and hypocrisy and all the other words that get thrown about. We are all hypocrites at one time or another. Welcome to human nature. We consume and swallow redone 5.1 mixes day in and day out with our DVD purchases (even if they are not "director approved"). Hell some "purists" will gladly take a 5.1 mix even if the original sound format is not included on the DVD. Some of those same folks spend thier time in OAR threads on this very forum arguing directors intent. Somehow this was deemed to be "ok" and is readily accepted in the world of Home Theater because someone decided DD5.1 or DTS is considered a more acceptable format.

Perhaps we can touch on the world of anime and how many folks here watch thier anime DVD's while listening to an english dub? I'm not mentioning this to say that you are "wrong" for doing that. Guys, I'm no one. I sure as hell am not anyone to tell you how to watch a movie (or play a game for that matter). This practice IS however considered hypocritical (when comparing how "pure" folks are about OAR) yet this is a common practice amongst many so called "diehard" anime fans.

My point in this diatrabe is the same "balls to the wall" rules and regulations that are placed on film cannot apply to the medium of videogames. I'm sure many will disagree with that statement, but its my opinion and I don't feel myself living a double standard or being anymore a hypocrite than a majority of the posters on this forum. Thanks for listening.

 

[CameronS]

Even though I very strongly support OAR for film, I used to play video games using stretch modes. I no longer do so.

If the game is formatted for 4:3, then 4:3 is the only natural way to play the game. Right now, I'm doing this with grey bars on the side, but I am considering making mattes at a later date.

 

[Joe michaels]

I personally think it's insulting to the designers of the game who spent long hours to create the worlds, character models, and various in-game effects when we distort them just so that we can fill up our TVs.

Why would I care about what the game designer thinks?
I mean, with film, the movies are already widescreen and we don't want image removed.
If the game companies gave a crap they would add widescreen to the options. I should be insulted, not the designer.
What if the game designer intended for the game to run in a 2" by 2" square in the center of the screen?

 

[Jeffrey Forner]

Well isn't that a double standard as well?

No, it isn't. The reason is simple. If a developer includes a 16:9 mode in a game, they are specifically saying that if you should play the game in that mode if you have such a TV. If you have a 4:3 set, you should play it in that aspect ratio. Neither one is the "intended" aspect ratio. Both will work, and both will display the game without any visual distortion.

Let me ask you all this: Would you play a game in 16:9 mode on a 4:3 TV?

 

[Eric C. Mylonas]

For starters, it's not the same thing: you don't lose any information playing a 4:3 game in a 16:9, non-linear stretch mode (or even linear, if you prefer the short, fat people).

However, playing, say, Starfox Adventures in 16:9 on a 4:3 set crops the image, thereby deleting detail and parts of the image.

So, to answer your question, no, I wouldn't play a 16:9 game on a 4:3 set.

 

[Jeffrey Forner]

Originally posted by Joe michaels:
What if the game designer intended for the game to run in a 2" by 2" square in the center of the screen?

Yep. That's who you would play it. I'm not saying it would be fun, but that's the correct way, in my opinion.

 

[Eric C. Mylonas]

Does your TV have a non-linear stretch mode? There is virtually imperceptible distortion. Really, you have to look for it in 99% of the cases. Perhaps your set isn't equipped with such (I'm pretty sure it is, though)?

As for the gray bars, they will burn the screen given enough time--at least on a plasma display (which is what I play on).

Oh, and one other thing: I used to play DOA 3 on a 4:3 set in 16:9 mode (Sony Wega), as well as a few other Xbox games (which escape me at the moment).