PS1/2 How to get 480p out of games that support it w/ 3rd-party component cables?

[Shawn ShyGuy]

Hey, sorry for the long title but I didn't wan't people to dismiss this, assuming that I was trying to get 480p over composite or 480p out of non-compatible games.

I currently have my PS2 connected to my flat-screen TV via these MadCatz component cables. My issue is, no matter what I try, I can't get a 480p output (or any other resolution besides 480i). I've tried the games listed here (at least, the ones I have) and held triangle and cross on boot, but no cigar, I get no progressive scan popup at all, and my TV still recognizes the picture as 480i.

So what I'm wondering, is there anything that I can do to get a 480p output on supported games with these cables? Am I doing something wrong, am I missing something? I'd really appreciate any help, thanks guys.

 

[Ryccardo]

The console doesn't know which cable you have connected (unlike let's say a Wii) so it's unlikely they're at fault (admittedly multi-console cables often have poor build quality, but that's another issue)

Maybe post a picture of the sockets you're connecting the cables to (while it's unlikely you could have gotten that wrong, especially as standard resolution works... who knows?)

If you have homebrew, wLaunchElf can be set to progressive scan in its options (and it will accept it, trust me) to try, as well as forcing many games' video modes with GSM!

 

[Shawn ShyGuy]

The console doesn't know which cable you have connected (unlike let's say a Wii) so it's unlikely they're at fault (admittedly multi-console cables often have poor build quality, but that's another issue)

Maybe post a picture of the sockets you're connecting the cables to (while it's unlikely you could have gotten that wrong, especially as standard resolution works... who knows?)

If you have homebrew, wLaunchElf can be set to progressive scan in its options (and it will accept it, trust me) to try, as well as forcing many games' video modes with GSM!

Yeah, I'll post some pics.

Spoiler: Video hookup

Sorry about the blurry pic. I'm not sure how obvious it is, but the green jack for component also functions the same as a yellow composite jack.

Interestingly enough, I noticed that when hooked into my Wii, the cables output as a composite signal, but when i unplugged the cables from my wii and they were just in the PS2, my TV recognized it as a composite signal, despite the fact I still had the red/green/blue cords in and the yellow one wasn't in.

 

[Ryccardo]

Interestingly enough, I noticed that when hooked into my Wii, the cables output as a composite signal, but when i unplugged the cables from my wii and they were just in the PS2, my TV recognized it as a composite signal, despite the fact I still had the red/green/blue cords in and the yellow one wasn't in.

Hmmmm...

First, yes, do connect only one console at a time - they're probably all connected in parallel, so extra terminators/pulldowns/etc will be added, which would be off standard!

Y is, in fact, black and white composite so your TVs claim is not completely wrong, though of course there's something else fishy:
- Most displays don't accept higher-than-standard-resolution via composite
- Many displays don't accept lower-than-standard-resolution or non-interlaced via YPbPr (though that shouldn't be an issue here)
- The PS2 doesn't output composite at higher-than-standard-resolution, IIRC

My weird conspiracy theory is that your cable is defective with Y and composite being shorted together

Try checking these things:
- Is your console's advanced video input set indeed to YPbPr?
- I don't know how it detects the difference between YPbPr and composite, but try reconnecting the blue and (inner) red cables a couple of times - a mechanical switch may be stuck; in fact, do so with a picture showing - the colors should become incorrect when one is unplugged and black and white when both are (these facts would prove the TV is indeed in YPbPr mode)

Without a continuity tester or even better an oscilloscope I don't have many other applicable tests, sorry

 

[Shawn ShyGuy]

Hmmmm...

First, yes, do connect only one console at a time - they're probably all connected in parallel, so extra terminators/pulldowns/etc will be added, which would be off standard!

Y is, in fact, black and white composite so your TVs claim is not completely wrong, though of course there's something else fishy:
- Most displays don't accept higher-than-standard-resolution via composite
- Many displays don't accept lower-than-standard-resolution or non-interlaced via YPbPr (though that shouldn't be an issue here)
- The PS2 doesn't output composite at higher-than-standard-resolution, IIRC

My weird conspiracy theory is that your cable is defective with Y and composite being shorted together

Try checking these things:
- Is your console's advanced video input set indeed to YPbPr?
- I don't know how it detects the difference between YPbPr and composite, but try reconnecting the blue and (inner) red cables a couple of times - a mechanical switch may be stuck; in fact, do so with a picture showing - the colors should become incorrect when one is unplugged and black and white when both are (these facts would prove the TV is indeed in YPbPr mode)

Without a continuity tester or even better an oscilloscope I don't have many other applicable tests, sorry

Hey, sorry for the late reply, I thought I got back to this sooner.
First off, with what you're saying about "black-and-white composite", that's not the case. it's outputting in 480i full color, and with what looks to my eye like the chroma bleed and noise you'd get from a composite signal.
So for what you wanted me to check:

1. The video is set to YPbPr. It's probably worth noting that with the wii connected on boot (so when I'm getting a component signal) changing YPbPr to RGB gives no signal (to be expected). However, booting with the wii disconnected (so a composite signal) and changing from YPbPr to RGB, i go from the noisy, washed out composite picture to an off-center, black and white signal.
2. unplugging the blue and red cables from my tv don't seem to do anything. unplugging the green one gives no signal though, so I'm pretty convinced that for whatever reason, the green cable is acting as composite and the red and blue cables aren't sending any signal.

Something else interesting is, if I start the PS2 with the Wii connected, and then unplug it, it's different then starting it without the Wii, and vice versa. It seems that starting it with or without the Wii is what makes it recognize as composite or component.

Here's a photo album on Google Photos (click the photo and then the "(i)" in the corner for the description to show). Sorry if it's not the best way to share pics, it's just the easiest way for me to get them from my phone and to give descriptions for each pic.



One final note in this essay of a forum reply, I wanna ask about this earlier message:

The console doesn't know which cable you have connected (unlike let's say a Wii) so it's unlikely they're at fault (admittedly multi-console cables often have poor build quality, but that's another issue)

So am I to believe from this that, if I were to use the system's A/V cables that output solely composite, doing the triangle + cross button combo should still give me a 480p popup, even if those cables wouldn't actually be able to output that? In other words, are these 3rd-party cables preventing a progressive scan popup, or am I just doing the button combination with wrong timing, or what?


EDIT: So for some reason, now the composite-quality issue isn't there, and I'm consistently getting a Component signal without even being connected to my wii at startup or anything. I tried playing a DVD over my PS2, and it was only in 480i, but when I plugged the video cables into my wii, the signal became obfuscated, but recognized as 480p. Hopefully now I don't have to worry about being jacked into a Wii and it'll make things 1 step easier lol

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

https://www.amazon.com/POUND-Link-Cable-Playstation-compatible-2/dp/B07HPF7PRT

You might want this? Not sure about how good they work or if there is lag, but it sounds like a cool idea.

 

[Shawn ShyGuy]

https://www.amazon.com/POUND-Link-Cable-Playstation-compatible-2/dp/B07HPF7PRT

You might want this? Not sure about how good they work or if there is lag, but it sounds like a cool idea.

Maybe something is different with this device than the other HDMI devices floating around, but this seems to just be a simple composite to HDMI converter. it says "Upscales the 480i native resolution of the PS2 (240p for PS1) to 720p" and while that's cool and all, I'm mostly looking to get the highest native resolution I can for games, without upscaling.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

Probably it is, I am not sure what all it does to be honest. I remember watching a YouTube video about it and the guy (I think Metal Jesus?) was mostly positive about it, if I am remembering correctly I think he thought it was a bit too expensive?

Edit: Sort of off topic, but maybe getting one of those PS1 Classic things and hacking it? For PS1 stuff I use my Shield TV and from emulation I can do all kinds of resolutions and even make the games look slightly better than original (sub pixel precision) Even though I own a PSOne a couple of PS2's and a full BC PS3... I honestly prefer ePSXe for the sheer convenience of it, although I still collect PS1 games and stuff... I really enjoy holding the games in my hands

 

[Lumstar]

I think it's that PS2 doesn't tell apart component cables from RGB cables.
If you didn't know, indeed, all North American models of the PS1, PS2, and PS3 support RGB.

 

[Ryccardo]

So am I to believe from this that, if I were to use the system's A/V cables that output solely composite, doing the triangle + cross button combo should still give me a 480p popup, even if those cables wouldn't actually be able to output that?

Yep (well, it's not an issue with the cables but with the console's color encoder, PAL/SECAM/NTSC color are hacks designed on top of standard resolution video) - and of course that's assuming that's the right key combo for the individual game you're trying!
At 480p the console only outputs 1 of YPbPr or sync-on-green VGA (depending on the console's setting) over the "advanced video output" pins