UK PS3 - Does it have a 60hz option?

[KyoDash]

With all the info about RSX and CELL being readily available, even if some of it is simply well founded guesswork, it seems the answer to my very simple question is surprisingly hard to come by. Please excuse me if this isn't usually the right place to post something like this, but seeing as these boards are for me a vast and accurate source of technical information for many consoles, arcade boards etc. I found it the place most likely to help with this minor detail, which is ultimately deciding if I chhose to buy a UK machine on launch day, or just import a US one.

So does anyone know if the UK PAL PS3 has an option to run PS3 titles in 60hz mode in 480i, 480p, 720p etc like the 360?

So far using composite cables I know that an option isn't available, but I haven't had access to a machine using RGB scart (currently what I use) or component or HDMI. So those options aren't fully available.

Any info would be greatly apreciated.

 

[DuckThor Evil]

So does anyone know if the UK PAL PS3 has an option to run PS3 titles in 60hz mode in 480i, 480p, 720p etc like the 360?

I don't know about 480i Since I'm not sure that is even available on pal consoles, but other than that I'd say it's a sure thing that 60hz is available.

 

[Rolf N]

Jak 3 has an in-game option to toggle PAL (576i50), NTSC (480i60) and some progressive mode that I couldn't quite check out yet (the capture card went all green).
As soon as I have my PS3, and updated to firmware 1.6, I'll give that game a quick whirl and spam the internets with my findings. Promise

 

[KyoDash]

Thanks guys.

I'm hoping that Sony have only disabled 60hz on composite, and not RGB scart.

 

[StefanS]

Jak 3 has an in-game option to toggle PAL (576i50), NTSC (480i60) and some progressive mode that I couldn't quite check out yet (the capture card went all green).
As soon as I have my PS3, and updated to firmware 1.6, I'll give that game a quick whirl and spam the internets with my findings. Promise

Apparently, the use of the 60Mhz mode in PS2 software running on PS3 hardware is discouraged. This will be interesting

 

[DeanoC]

PAL-PS3 support SD-PAL (50Hz 576i), SD-NTSC (60Hz 480i) and HD 60Hz (doesn't support 50Hz HD but not a problem as HD-Ready in Europe supports both).

Don't know about emulation etc. that just for proper PS3 titles.

 

[Sdw]

PAL-PS3 support SD-PAL (50Hz 576i), SD-NTSC (60Hz 480i) and HD 60Hz (doesn't support 50Hz HD but not a problem as HD-Ready in Europe supports both).

Don't know about emulation etc. that just for proper PS3 titles.

So you are saying that the PS3 is unable to output 50Hz output in HD res? Then what will happen with playback of PAL Blueray releases?

 

[hey69]

as far as I understand, 720P and 1080i / P ARE 60hz (there is no such thing as NTSC hdtv or pal hdtv)

so 60hz it is by default so bluray movies will play fine

 

[Sdw]

I've seen Blueray and HD-DVD releases advertised as PAL versions. Also this make sense if you should connect your Blueray player to a SD PAL TV that doesn't support NTSC.
Since the movie is encoded at 24 fps, it shouldn't be that hard to do the speedup to 25 and pitch the audio.
It would be really crappy if watching 3/2 pulldown is the only way to watch HD material (jerkiness = blergh).

 

[Diamond.G]

I can speak on HD-DVD releases. There is no real distinction between the US HD-DVD's and the European HD-DVD's disc wise. Of course I would have to question your sanity for getting a HD-DVD player if you didn't have a HDTV. So I am not sure how 480/576 is handled (I assume by the player or TV). Blue-Ray on the other hand actually has region encoding, so I imagine there can be those kind of differences on disc.

 

[Sdw]

After checking some documentation on PS3 Linux it seems like the console itself at least seems to be capable of outputting 50Hz HD res:

60Hz modes
1:480i 2:480p 3:720p 4:1080i 5:1080p
50Hz modes
6:576i 7:576p 8:720p 9:1080i 10:1080p
VESA modes
11:WXGA 12:SXGA 13:WUXG

 

[DJ12]

(there is no such thing as NTSC hdtv or pal hdtv)

There is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/720p

 

[Ike Turner]

There is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/720p

Huh?

 

[hey69]

There is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/720p

damn you wikipedia!

 

[DJ12]

damn you wikipedia!

I thought it was the end for crappy games that ran slightly slower too, imagine how disappointed I was to read that.

Still, I cannot see Sony telling devs to support 720p50 (or PAL) and not 720p60 also as every 720p TV will be able to display 720p60 without any problems.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I think you'll find 720p50 is only for broadcast purposes. As all HDTVs support 60 Hz (there's no regional TVs capped to 50 Hz) there's no reason not to run games in 60 Hz. It's also questionable if 50 Hz is ever used for broadcast. My guess is it's there for legacy. TVs have to be able to support it, but no-one will use it.

 

[DJ12]

Reading the Wiki (which is dangerous I know ) it seems all of Europe are using 50 for broadcasts. But as you say, devs shouldn't really have to bother with it as it is more work for absolutely no gain.

 

[Mmmkay]

I think you'll find 720p50 is only for broadcast purposes. As all HDTVs support 60 Hz (there's no regional TVs capped to 50 Hz) there's no reason not to run games in 60 Hz. It's also questionable if 50 Hz is ever used for broadcast. My guess is it's there for legacy. TVs have to be able to support it, but no-one will use it.

SkyHD and Euro1080 broadcast all their HD content in 1080i/50.

 

[KyoDash]

Okay, today I brought in my Sony RGB Scart cable to work to see if 60hz would be available when select RGB output. Sadly no, just 576i and 576p both 50hz.

Ridge Racer 7 suffered from 50hz juddering though ran as fast as it's NTSC counterpart. Motorstorm did not, though didn't appear to run quite as smooth in 50hz, jaggies and flicker being more noticeable.

Not sure what HD is like, but I have no way of trying this out until July when Samsung bring out a fixed version of their HD CRT in the UK. I have heard however that if you hold now the power on button down for 10 secs the PS3 will detect the best settings for your TV. Some have reported their Jap machines switching to 50hz on UK TV's, but would this work the other way around for PAL PS3's? Instead switching to 60hz mode on a TV which can support it, or would it just say at a PAL setting as technically 576i would be better than 480i, though I disagree.

If by chance there isn't a way for UK machines to output 60hz via RGB Scart and the connection types, would Sony bother to release a firmware that could. Or is that wishful thinking.

I don't want to import a US PS3, but will do if you can use RGB Scart as a connection type in the display settings menu, at 60hz NTSC of course.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

That's quite rough, if PAL PS3's output 60 Hz games in hacked 50Hz modes. I wouldn't be surprised if Sony went that way, as I expect they see PS3 buyers as being HDTV owners. PS3 is a very expensive machine if you don't want BRD playback!