Console performance @ 720P

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Ok this might be a simple question but for those of use that don't own a 1080P tv how will the PS3 and the 360 match up?
I know not all games will be a native 1080P but for those that are will downscaling have any affect of performance or eye candy?
 
The two consoles are very similar in terms of performance. The difference is much less than the difference between a PS2 and an Xbox1 for example. Neither console is really fast enough to need 1080p, both are probably better suited to 720p since it looks almost as good and gives the developers loads more processor time for better graphics etc.

1080p is something that gamers don't really need IMHO.
 
Caustic said:
1080p is something that gamers don't really need IMHO.

Well I wouldn't agree with that. After all 1600x1200 has been on PC gaming for years now.

More accurately, I would say you don't need a 1080p screen right now. The PS3 will have very few titles at 1080p (the arcade ones) otherwise they will have to sacrifice some eye candy which means the 360 will always come out on top. So I bet it'll be 720p all the way this generation.
 
In theory, each game should run the same on each resolution you choose, as it'll be rendered at a set resolution (720p for *most* 360 titles), and then scaled up/down accordingly. The PS3 renders games at 720p or 1080p and scales up/down, so even if you're running a game on either console on a standard TV, it will still be doing the rendering work for 720p/1080p etc.

I personally would love everything to be in 1080p, if I had the money as well, but for some games developers will have to cut down on the visuals to try keeping a steady framerate.
 
So is every game rendered at 1080p? Seems a shame as I guess the majority people will still be using standard def TVs, so thats a lot of GFX power going to waste.
 
Minstadave said:
So is every game rendered at 1080p? Seems a shame as I guess the majority people will still be using standard def TVs, so thats a lot of GFX power going to waste.
Every 360 game is 720p (bar the odd couple). It varies on the PS3. Resistance is a 720p game, where others are 1080p games. It is a lot going to waste, however I'd have thought you'd get a lot of moaning from those with 1080p set if the graphics details were notched up on 480p sets because of less pixels to render.
 
The thing is a lot of people keep forgetting the problems involved with 1080p in gaming.

Let me explain...

Great looking games use specific effects, be it high dynamic range lighting, soft shadowing, high res textures, volumeric smoke and lots of fancy shaders etc. Its within the graphical effects to how the actual graphics quality is represented. Look at the benchmark set by GOW for instance.

Using a higher reslution only offers a sharper more detailed image, it does not gauarntee better graphics.

On the contrary it gives the developers a lot less power to utilise such graphical effects mentioned above.

The reason is:
1920x1080 = 2052000 pixels
1280x720 = 921600 pixels.

Therefore 720p shifts less than 1/2 the amount of pixels a 1080p image requires and that frees up a lot of system performance. Develpers wont be able to do all the graphical effects in 1080p so it comes down to a decision of "effects Vs resolution" or it being the case that in 1080p mode framerate would suffer.

Its also a much smarter move to utilise 4xAA on a 720p resolution smoothing the jaggies than running the higher resolution of 1080p to do a simular thing.
 
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i play my 360 on my 2407wfp with 1080p resolution.
You guys are saying what im seeing on my screen is 720p upscaled to 1080p? Not like i can tell the difference though :)
 
ultim said:
i play my 360 on my 2407wfp with 1080p resolution.
You guys are saying what im seeing on my screen is 720p upscaled to 1080p? Not like i can tell the difference though :)

Yes the games are 720p 1280x720 resolution

For you 1080p output is best.
So the X360 takes the 1280x720 scales it to 1920x1080 meaning the Dell you have actually has less scaling to do to run it at the monitors native resolution.

The Dell isnt very good at scaling external inputs and im sure you see a drop in quality if you drop the output from the X360 to 720p.

I can notice a difference between 720 and 1080i on my 21" Samsung 215
 
Most games I have played on the PS3 all scale at 720 - so far, only the GT-HD download has been at 1080 and imagine that hardly any third party games will play at anything other than 720.
 
I was round my brothers playing GTHD on his 1080p lcd.. all I can say is it looked pants compared to the 720p motorstorm.. 1080p on these consoles is marketing blurb..
 
Mr Latte said:
Yes the games are 720p 1280x720 resolution

For you 1080p output is best.
So the X360 takes the 1280x720 scales it to 1920x1080 meaning the Dell you have actually has less scaling to do to run it at the monitors native resolution.

The Dell isnt very good at scaling external inputs and im sure you see a drop in quality if you drop the output from the X360 to 720p.

I can notice a difference between 720 and 1080i on my 21" Samsung 215

I'm not saying your wrong, but I tried my dell out on both resolutions and for some reason the 720 just seemed better. I'm running through component so maybe I'm just fooling myself :D
 
1920x1200 is your panels native

Therefore sending an upscaled image of 1920x1080 (1080p)
Means your panel only has to scale for 80 vertical pixels

By outputting the X360 with no internal scaling in 1280x720 (720p)
Means your panel is scaling for the additional 640x480 pixels

Usually monitors are not renowned for their scaling abilities but if your saying it looks better in 720p then well whatever is best for you is the right thing to do i suppose mate.

I assume your running in 60Hz output mode
 
dannyjo22 said:
I'm not saying your wrong, but I tried my dell out on both resolutions and for some reason the 720 just seemed better. I'm running through component so maybe I'm just fooling myself :D
Are you sure it was not 1080i you tryed..as 1080p doesn't work on my dell 2405..
 
Mr Latte said:
Make sure you also have set to 60HZ and that its not in 50Hz mode mate

Appreciate if you can confirm
I tryed everything and all i can get is a message saying

Component can not display this mode..


480p,720p,1080i work fine..but not the xbox360 1080p output..
 
i have to play FIFA on my 360 at 1080 and let the TV scale it down. If I select 720 it gets ghosting and blurred!!!! I dont get it!!!
 
Demon said:
I was round my brothers playing GTHD on his 1080p lcd.. all I can say is it looked pants compared to the 720p motorstorm.. 1080p on these consoles is marketing blurb..

Thats not really fair to compare a ps2 revamp to a properly developed brand new game plus Mr Latte makes a good point

Mr Latte said:
Using a higher reslution only offers a sharper more detailed image, it does not gauarntee better graphics.

On the contrary it gives the developers a lot less power to utilise such graphical effects mentioned above.

The reason is:
1920x1080 = 2052000 pixels
1280x720 = 921600 pixels.



Come back in time for xmas 2008 and gt5 and I guess we'll find out then, hopefully my penny jar will be full in time
 
also just because the games now on both consoles arent that great at 1080p doesnt mean that the Xbox programmers can do wonders with software trickery and the hardware on the PS3 will be more utilisied once there is more familiarity further into its life time

Yes very few people currently world wide have 1080p displays but when the programmers of both consoles think it worthwhile to spend time on that side of things it should change (why waste energy on a game which is unlikely to be played in that res, as newer versions can cater for it and be more upto date - from the developers point of view)
 
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