Hi guys. I have a pretty unique issue that I haven't been able to find anything about online, and Sony tech support was equally mystefied.
Okay, I've got an HDTV and all of my game systems are hooked up via a switcher box with component cables. That's component going into the switcher box, and then component from the switcher box to the tv.
Lately I've been obsessing about the Progressive scan feature. With xbox it's cut and dry. It's on or it's not. With the ps2 it seems you have to jump down, turn around, knock three times and tell it *joe* sent ya because if the option doesn't exist in the game options, you then have to press triangle and X after the playstation logo loads.
Okay, so I have yet to see that option work. So far I've only tested the games that offer it the game option menu (God of War, Beyond Good and Evil, SotC).
But I read an online list of top ten prettiest games on an HDTV. Ico was one of them. Ico does not support Progressive scan, but I decided to try it anyway.
The problem is apparent right away. As soon as The Sony Computer Entertainment screen loads, it's broken up as if every other line is missing. When the opening sequence starts it's more of the same. Every other line is missing and everything lighter in color flickers. However, when the OMV starts (the movie that plays when you don't touch anything)it plays perfectly clear. Gameplay is broken up like everything else, except if nothing moves it gradually reassembles itself and looks okay. Only his cape, which flickers in the wind, looks off.
Here's what I've done:
Since Progressive scan isn't an option in my configuration screen, I loaded a dvd, stopped it, and changed the options to Progressive scan "on." Tried the game. Same thing. Turn the option to "off" tried it, same thing. Changed the widescreen setting to 4:3 and pan and scan, smae thing.
I've swapped component cables.
I tried the diagnosis function on the ps2, as well as faster disc speed and smoothing. No change.
However, when I hooked it up with AV cables, it looked okay. It looked like hell so it was hard to tell, but it seemed okay.
ANY ideas what's going on? It's a Philips plasma tv and a slim ps2.
Nevermind, I have an answer -- I understand it in theory. For future reference, it's not the ps2 hardware/firmware. Nor is it the cables. It's my tv. Because Ico is basically a low res game like ps1 titles, my tv can't understand what sort of signal it is. I guess it's like 280p, so if I were able to turn off the Progressive scan setting on my tv I'd be golden. I checked this theory with a ps1 game and it diod the exact same thing. Looks like I'm swapping cables for certain games!
