Tips On Running Console Games Through A Tv Tuner?

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07-10-2004, 03:32 PM
Vamp

Hey, I'm running my DC through my PC Monitor via a TV tuner, just have a few questions to make the experience more enjoyable :)

1. Is playing like this better graphics-wise than playing on a TV?

2. What does Overlay Mode do? Should I leave it on or off?

3. Does increasing the Video Screen Format Size do anything for the resolution of the game? right now it's running at 704X576, should I change it to something else?

4. What should the input signal be? VTR or TV?

When I use the software to capture from my analogue camcorder, I use:

VTR mode, No Overlay Enabled and a screen size of 640X480, should I reset the settings back to this when capturing, or leave them the same as when I'm playing DC?

Thanks
07-10-2004, 03:50 PM
MicroScreen2

i find real tv looks better. i use my tv to play pc gamees if i can get all the controls on the pad.

i dont liike the look of tv on a monitor, its all grainy IME
07-10-2004, 04:56 PM
SingaBoiy

Playing on a tv is alot better.

If you increase the video size, it will drop the quality of the video.

There should be an antenna/cable and a composite input. Cable of course lets you have sound.

@Micro - What type of card do you use. Video quality is great when I watch on my tv through s-video. Although text is nearly impossible to read unless it is at a high setting.

But I have to set for Duel View so I can drag windows media player off to the right and it will be on my tv so I can watch a movie and browse the net at the same time.
07-10-2004, 05:09 PM
SingaBoiy

Heres an example of what my set up looks like.

Image Resized
[img]http://home.comcast.net/~klb59642004/images/dualview001.JPG' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>
07-10-2004, 05:25 PM
Vamp

Singa, do you suggest I drop the video size to full-screen 352X288?
07-10-2004, 05:35 PM
MicroScreen2

Quote:

Originally posted by SingaBoiy@10 July 2004 - 17:17
Heres an example of what my set up looks like.

Image Resized
Image Resized
[img]http://home.comcast.net/~klb59642004/images/dualview001.JPG' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>

similar here. tv on the left though. when i play games though i sometimes clone displays so i can play on the tv (the natural fuzziness makes it look better).

problemis, realplayer movies wont play on my TV <_<

Image Resized
[img]http://img69.photobucket.com/albums/v210/TheDave/desktop7thjuly.jpg' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>
07-10-2004, 05:41 PM
SingaBoiy

Quote:

Originally posted by MicroScreen2@10 July 2004 - 08:43

similar here. tv on the left though. when i play games though i sometimes clone displays so i can play on the tv (the natural fuzziness makes it look better).

problemis, realplayer movies wont play on my TV <_<

Image Resized
</a>

Why is the left side smaller then the right? :huh:

How can u ever find stuff on your desktop :lol:

@Vamp - 640x480 should be good. Depending on your video card, cpu, and ram.
07-10-2004, 06:00 PM
MicroScreen2

left is smaller so i can read text on the tv ;)

anyway, i cant remember what my (actually in my bro's pc now, so its probably his :rolleyes: ) tv card is.

but make sure you dont put your resolution to high for tv input cos it interlaces which might look bad on fast moving games

this is our security camera on:

720x576 (interlaced)
Image Resized
[img]http://img69.photobucket.com/albums/v210/TheDave/tvinterlaced.jpg' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>

720x288 (not interlaced/deinterlaced)
Image Resized
[img]http://img69.photobucket.com/albums/v210/TheDave/tvdeinterlaced.jpg' width='200' height='120' border='0' alt='click for full size view'>
07-10-2004, 06:08 PM
Vamp

How can I deinterlace the game, because it was looking a little streaky on 640X480, maybe I should move it down to 352X288 and play in fullscreen, will the graphics be worse then, than 640X480?

Does Overlay Mode deinterlace the footage perhaps?
07-10-2004, 07:42 PM
3RA1N1AC

dreamcast natively includes VGA support, so you could connect it directly to the PC monitor which automatically enables the dreamcast's higher-resolution mode (which cannot be achieved by connecting it to a tuner). you'd just need to purchase a dreamcast VGA cable (easily available on eBay or from sites like Lik-Sang.com). there's no compatibility problem then, unlike with televisions, since VGA is the same all over the world.

some games do not work with the VGA cable, but i think most do.
07-10-2004, 08:30 PM
Vamp

Would using a VGA cable allow me to up the resolution of a game (as I could with a PC game) or is this just not possible with console games?
07-11-2004, 12:02 AM
3RA1N1AC

nah, you don't get to choose the resolution. the VGA mode runs at 640x480, which is low resolution compared to PC games but high compared to standard televisions. in any case, it will without question look better than feeding the composite signal into a standard TV or a TV tuner.

oh yeh, i forgot to mention: the few dreamcast that do not boot up in VGA mode can actually be tricked into it because the problem is usually that the publisher neglected to enable VGA mode, not that the game is really incapable.

Quote:

There is also a trick you can try to get some of these other games to work with the VGA box.  What you do is put the switch to TV mode, boot the dreamcast and wait about  a second after you hear the startup sound end, you flip the switch to VGA.  It may take a couple trys to get the timing right...what you are trying to do is trick the game into thinking its starting in tv mode, but then quickly switch it to vga mode just as it displayis the Sega License logo.  You can also try using a boot disc.
07-12-2004, 10:15 PM
Vamp

Done some expirmenting, for the best graphical quality, a format size of 352X240 works the best, no breaking up of the image due to interlacing...
12-31-2006, 05:10 PM
lang_ying

Re: Tips On Running Console Games Through A Tv Tuner?

I'm trying to use a Tv tuner card to record game footage from an X-box, and the card won't pick up the signal

This is the product I'm using: http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSit...V+HD+Pro+Stick

and this is how I have it set up: http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h3...s/DSCN0618.jpg

what am I doing wrong here?
12-31-2006, 07:42 PM
GepperRankins

Re: Tips On Running Console Games Through A Tv Tuner?

Quote:

Originally Posted by lang_ying

I'm trying to use a Tv tuner card to record game footage from an X-box, and the card won't pick up the signal

This is the product I'm using: http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSit...V+HD+Pro+Stick

and this is how I have it set up: http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h3...s/DSCN0618.jpg

what am I doing wrong here?

have you made sure that the software is trying to read from the right composite source?
12-31-2006, 10:56 PM
lang_ying

Re: Tips On Running Console Games Through A Tv Tuner?

I don't understand, which one?
01-01-2007, 10:31 AM
khaled2000

Re: Tips On Running Console Games Through A Tv Tuner?

some games do not work with the VGA cable, but i think most do.
01-01-2007, 01:53 PM
lang_ying

Re: Tips On Running Console Games Through A Tv Tuner?

In that case which cable and composite source should I try?

This is really confusing...