Ok, this is my second topic of the entire time that I have been here. The first was about how to display interlaced games. That was settled, but now, I have a new problem.

I completed my projector enough to get a picture from it. I modified the settings of my computer and all was good with movies and computer games. But here is where I am totally stumped. I connected my VD-Z3 to my PS2. The image I got with the projector was awful. Everything was pixelated to the max. I know about the DIP switches on the side. They only affect the sync settings and the brightness alittle. That's not the problem. The problem is that my monitor in the projector is taking the 480p (640 x 480) picture from the PS2 and stretching it across the 1280 x 1024 LCD panel. My monitor is the Hyundai L72S. I've tried looking for settings on the monitor itself, but there is nothing to manually set the resolution. I can't stop it from stretching the picture.

I would really enjoy any help that anyone can provide being that I have failed to find a way around this problem.

Thanks

The VDigi is a transcoder, so your ability to control the output from it is pretty much zero. Unless your monitor has way to display a picture without stretching, you'll have to either 1)deal with the jaggies or 2) purchase a decent capture card for your PC or a scaler box.

The problem with a transcoder is that you are at the mercy of the output resolution of your source. Unlike a scaler, there's no real processing of the signal occurring, so your monitor has to do the scaling up to it's native resolution. Most monitors do a really lousy job of this, as you can see.

I understand this. But I have seen pictures from a Vdigi with other peoples projectors and they weren't pixelated like mine. Let me clarify what I mean by "pixelated". I don't mean jagged edges around curved surfaces. I mean that in Burnout 3, the cars up ahead look like shimmering blobs of color. The image is very distorted. I've seen Halo with the Vdigi on Vroom's projector and it looked 10x better. I just feel as if I am missing something in all this.

Anyone with a Vdigi or other transcoder have this problem?

After looking on the internet, it says that Burnout 3 is a 480p game shown in widescreen format. Is this correct ?

The problem comes in that you monitor does not accept the 16:9 (widescreen) format so you are getting the video to scretch (top to bottom). Is there a setting on the v-digi to set it to 16:9 output ? I'm not sure if this would work.

The VDigi is not a scaler. The monitor is what is doing the scaling. Can we see pictures of the pixelation you are talking about?

Yes, I know that it is the LCD doing the scaling (and,of course, very badly at that ). I will try to get pictures of the pixelation. I've never tried to take pics before of the projection. This could take a little time.

Gadget, there isn't any setting for 16:9 on the Vdigi itself. But I know that there is an option in the system configuration of the PS2 itself. Last night when I was test all this, I tried 16:9 (very pixelated); 4:3 (not as bad as 16:9 but still very rough); and then Full Screen. What the difference in full screen and 4:3 is I don't know. The picture was the same for both. I'm pretty sure that you have to select it in this menu before it activates.

This is really odd because I can look at other's result with the Vdigi and they are fine. I just can't figure out what I am doing wrong. I will try for some pics now.

The difference between full screen and 4:3 can only be seen when you are running material with aspect ratio's greater than 4:3. If you are to run 16:9 material in 4:3 mode, you will see the whole picture, but it will look "squashed" on the sides (stretched up and down)... but if you are to watch 16:9 material in full screen mode, then the picture will appear to look normal (no squashing), but you will not be able to see the whole picture as a bit of the left and right of the picture will be cut off.

I don't actually have a V-digi so it'd kinda hard for me to offer advice using this device.

I know someone said they bought a monitor that supports 720p natively... I just can't remember where I saw it....


EDIT: Apparently the V-digi default DIP switch settings are for xbox. here are some alternative settings suggested on the forums @ v-digi... hopefully some of this makes sense... or perhaps you've already been here, done that.

Unfortunately, I have already been there with the DIP switches on the Vdigi. They only affect the brightness and maybe a little contrast. Nothing to do with the resolution of the picture. The picture would be great if I could stop the scaling from 640 x 480 to 1280 x 1024. But I don't think I am going to be able to do that. The 4:3 looks best, of course, since my LCD is in almost a 4:3 ratio. As for an LCD that supports 720p natively, I don't think it would do me any good. The PS2 source is 640 x 480, so the LCD would still scale the image.

Gadget, I know that you told me that you used the xcapture card with your Xbox to good results. How big was it? Was it pixelated or did you only use a portion of your projected image? The same thing will happen when I show movies that fill the entire screen. I have to kept the original 640 x 480 so that it isn't distorted.

PS- I haven't used Zoomplayer or FFDshow yet.

take a look at this post. maybe this will answer your questions ?

gs

The Vdigi has no setting on it to switch between 4:3 and 16:9. The resolution you put into it is exactly what you get out of it.

Right. So your putting in 480p which is 640 x 480. When this is scaled by the LCD monitor in the projector, it gives a very pixelated picture. I am still trying to get some decent pictures of the projection. I will try to describe my problem better. Take a character model in a game. The only PS2 game I can give you as an example would be Jak from the Jak and Daxter series. This is from the third game. The character, when viewed at the regular camera distance in the game, is practically indiscernable. The eyes are pixeled over, the outlines are very jagged, and this is not just the characters. It is on everything. On games such as burnout 3, it isn't quite as bad since the models are alittle less complex for the most part. But it is still highly pixelated.

I've viewed that video before of your test Gadget. It is one of the reasons that I am confused. Is the X2VGA+ a transcoder like the Vdigi? If it is, then why does my image look worse that your vid of Halo 2?

Chad N., maybe you could help me. I know about your thread on building a trascoder. I assume that you have had experience with a transcoder such as the Vdigi. Have you ever had a highly pixelated image show up when using a transcoder yourself? Any info would be helpful.

Thanks

Well, after tinkering with the camera and lighting. I got a handful of semi-decent pics of the projection. They were dark but you could see the character on screen. But as I was looking over them after uploading to my computer, I noticed something. The pixelation was almost gone when viewing it from the camera's photo. I suppose that the reason that everybody else's pics look better than my actual projection is because of the image capture of the camera. In other words, pixel problems are more evident at 80" than at 4" on the computer screen. I should have expected this.

I got the Vdigi settings as good as I can. There just isn't anyway to get rid of the jagged edges and pixelation with a straight transcoder. Maybe I will have more luck with the capture card and the pc.

I'm still curious. Does the jagged edges with the Vdigi bother anyone else or am I just very picky?

The Vdigi is just like any other transcoder. One doesn't produce jaggies any more than another.
I think your "jaggies" are the result of one two things.

Your LCD does an unusually poor job of scaling (my CMV 520D and 17" CRT do just fine).

Or, as a result of using the Vdigi with a LCD, for the first time you are seeing every little pixel crisp and clear without blurring to take away the jaggies. You see, the PS2 doesn't use anti-aliasing to smooth out jagged pixelized edges because Sony planned on most people playing on a regular TV. Since TVs have such low resolution these jaggies are blurred away, and the image doesn't look pixelated. Now, whenever you play a game without ant-aliasing, and see it in its full, actual resolution, you will see pixelized edges on things.

The page HERE gives a simple example of anti-aliasing. Is this maybe what you are experiencing?

Now that brings back memories. I remember when I first started getting interested in building a projector. I looked around several forums. This one and others such as the AV forums. I remember a discussion on connecting game consoles to a computer monitor. Someone mentioned that the PS2 was probably the worst for this transition as it doesn't do much or any anti-aliasing. I had forgotten about this until I read your message. Maybe it will get better with other systems. Also, the distance from my screen to me is also a place that might be enhancing the problem. My room is pretty small. I am about 8' from the screen. I will try the capture card and dscaler method first though. The card is on it's way.

You're probably right about the two options. Both at the same time though. I'll find a way to get it to suit me. Just may take a little time. Thanks for all the help.