PAL 360 HD support - any devs in the know?

[Ug Lee]

I can't quite articulate my frustation regarding PAL Xbox's borked prog scan support without having two-thirds of this post censored, even though you can get around it unofficially it's still a pain in the neck when the encoder chips on some newer model Boxes are just plain crap and give you picture problems that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.

Anyhow I'm wondering if any of the resident developers here have heard anything regarding the PAL 360 and HD support? I do know that they've mentioned all games supporting PAL60, but I'm hoping there's NTSC video support ala PS2 so the PAL machines can be set to output 720p.

If MS get it right this time around, and companies like EA come to the party with PAL XBL support for games like Madden and Fight Night, I might flip flop and purchase a PAL machine. Otherwise it's import time to ensure I get the gaming experience as it was originally intended.

 

[London Geezer]

I don't think you need to worry.

I was worried at first (being one of the most vocal PISSED OFF EUROPEAN RIPPED OFF GAMERS WHO ALWAYS GET HALF OF WHAT EVERYONE ELSE GET FOR F**KS SAKE), but it looks like HDTV in Europe is slowly but inesorably taking off.

SKY is opening their HD website this month, and their HD broadcasting schedule will make people upgrade.

Missing out on the next 5-6 years of HD gaming in Europe would be suicide. So i think Sony and MS will offer HD to all territories.

 

[Ug Lee]

As a PAL-market resident I've learned over the years not to take anything for granted, or to expect anything.

There have been HDTVs on sale here for ages. I don't think PAL games need to support PAL progressive scan. NTSC pro scan does the job just fine.

I'm not concerned with Sony either since they got it right with PS2 out of the box, though it was still cut from a number of PAL PS2 games that supported it in NTSC-lands (hi GT4).

 

[London Geezer]

As a PAL-market resident I've learned over the years not to take anything for granted, or to expect anything.

There have been HDTVs on sale here for ages. I don't think PAL games need to support PAL progressive scan. NTSC pro scan does the job just fine.

I'm not concerned with Sony either since they got it right with PS2 out of the box, though it was still cut from a number of PAL PS2 games that supported it in NTSC-lands (hi GT4).

Well, cutting pro-scan from current gen consoles made little sense, it would make completely NO sense to cut it and HD support in the next gen.

Also, there is no PAL pro-scan or PAL HD. Pro-scan and HD all refresh at 60hz unless otherwise stated, and i've never seen it stated anywhere. And not to sound picky, but 60Hz is already brain-tumour inducing, imagine a pro-scan image (like on you monitor) being refreshed at 50Hz...

 

[Sandwich]

I'm not concerned with Sony either since they got it right with PS2 out of the box, though it was still cut from a number of PAL PS2 games that supported it in NTSC-lands (hi GT4).

Got it "right"?? Sony blew it with PS2 PAL.

First of all Sony has almost no policy towards PAL support and it's entirely up to the developers.
So we have Namco games with messed up 50Hz letterboxed view on PAL versions. Then we get games that switch to NTSC when selecting 60Hz. 50Hz mode can be be slow, letterboxed or squashed.
And then you have a few rare games that get it right with proper 50Hz support like ICO.

Secondly the hardware isn't PAL friendly. the PS2 doesn't know PAL60 and the framebuffer is too small to do PAL50, without some really clever hacks.

Atleast MS and Nintendo had a policy to support PAL60 for all games. Though some PAL versions are still messed up like Halo. Still Sony is worst of all.

 

[hey69]

and not to mention those games run 17% slower compared with their ntsc equilevant.
for example Tekken series. its a night and day difference if you play the ntsc version and after that the pal version
(apparently god of war is also slower i heard)
horrible

 

[London Geezer]

I'm not concerned with Sony either since they got it right with PS2 out of the box, though it was still cut from a number of PAL PS2 games that supported it in NTSC-lands (hi GT4).

Got it "right"?? Sony blew it with PS2 PAL.

First of all Sony has almost no policy towards PAL support and it's entirely up to the developers.
So we have Namco games with messed up 50Hz letterboxed view on PAL versions. Then we get games that switch to NTSC when selecting 60Hz. 50Hz mode can be be slow, letterboxed or squashed.
And then you have a few rare games that get it right with proper 50Hz support like ICO.

Secondly the hardware isn't PAL friendly. the PS2 doesn't know PAL60 and the framebuffer is too small to do PAL50, without some really clever hacks.

Atleast MS and Nintendo had a policy to support PAL60 for all games. Though some PAL versions are still messed up like Halo. Still Sony is worst of all.

He was talking about the fact that PS2 is the only console to have pro-scan in PAL territories. If you're in Europe and wanted pro-scan gaming this generation, PS2 was the only way to go, unless you modded your GC and Xbox that is.

So, no, Sony is far from being worst of all.

 

[Ug Lee]

I'm not concerned with Sony either since they got it right with PS2 out of the box, though it was still cut from a number of PAL PS2 games that supported it in NTSC-lands (hi GT4).

Got it "right"?? Sony blew it with PS2 PAL.

First of all Sony has almost no policy towards PAL support and it's entirely up to the developers.
So we have Namco games with messed up 50Hz letterboxed view on PAL versions. Then we get games that switch to NTSC when selecting 60Hz. 50Hz mode can be be slow, letterboxed or squashed.
And then you have a few rare games that get it right with proper 50Hz support like ICO.

Secondly the hardware isn't PAL friendly. the PS2 doesn't know PAL60 and the framebuffer is too small to do PAL50, without some really clever hacks.

Atleast MS and Nintendo had a policy to support PAL60 for all games. Though some PAL versions are still messed up like Halo. Still Sony is worst of all.

I was soley referring to progressive scan support. The PAL PS2 hardware does it out of the box and has since day one. You can't say the same for Microsoft or Nintendo.

Personally I couldn't care less about 50Hz/PAL60 support next gen since I have no intention of playing console games via an interlaced display. This gen however I got around the dodgy PS2 PAL support by importing my games.

 

[passby]

but it looks like HDTV in Europe is slowly but inesorably taking off.

I read some studios are going to broadcast the 2006 World Cup in HD. Not sure if they are European though.

 

[Sandwich]

Alot of "proscan" TVs sold in Europe convert to progressive internally and don't accept the pro signal.
I have an older 100Hz widescreen and it only keeps the odd and even lines refreshes twice more often and does image enhancing tricks on them.
Proscan not a selling point for me, because the TV is still too good to consider replacement already.
Too many shows here are only PAL or sometimes Pal+ so it's still too early for SDTV or HDTV.

 

[London Geezer]

but it looks like HDTV in Europe is slowly but inesorably taking off.

I read some studios are going to broadcast the 2006 World Cup in HD. Not sure if they are European though.

In the UK, Sky will start HD in spring 2006. I expect they're doing this ijust in time for the world cup. Makes lots of sense to launch their HD programs with something that millions and millions of brits will want to see, and HD sport is total eye candy.

If the Sky guys successfully show how much better the world cup matches will look in HD, we're set for one mighty peak in HD sales and one mighty cut in prices. All this for bloody football.... err..

 

[wco81]

I heard both the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD companies plan promotions around WC2006.

Not necessarily in Europe but certainly in Japan.