Forcing PS2 Games to 480P

emphatic · Post by **emphatic** » Fri May 13, 2011 9:22 pm

D wrote:So for mushi I suggest the 240 hex replace if you are playing tate. If you are playing yoko, you are better off just in blurry old 480i (normal)

Cheers!

BubbaMc · Post by **BubbaMc** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 3:30 am

Anyone know if Yakuza 1 and 2 can be forced to 480p?

Lord of Pirates · Post by **Lord of Pirates** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 3:08 pm

BubbaMc wrote:Anyone know if Yakuza 1 and 2 can be forced to 480p?

Yakuza works, I'll check Yakuza 2 in a few. I'm testing from US retail discs using the Xploder elf.

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/5769/img2794d.jpg
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/2664/img2791.jpg

Sorry for the crappy pictures, my camera is a P&S and I'm not the steadiest shot.

Edit:
Yakuza 2 also works.

BubbaMc · Post by **BubbaMc** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 9:49 am

Amazing!

Since I'm halfway through the first, I might stop playing now until my new CRT arrives

Cheers mate.

Xenphor · Post by **Xenphor** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 12:05 am

Hello, I thought I would post here about getting 480p from my ps2. I have tried some video processors now, namely the iscan HD and several HDBox clones. None of these devices have given me a satisfactory picture for 480i. In fact I was surprised to find that the iscan HD looked no better than the cheaper HDBox Pro. So, having lost faith in 480i processing, I began looking for ways to force 480p for ps2 games.

Unfortunately, I have a very late model ps2 purchased around 2011 or so which I believe rules out using any custom software like FreeMCboot. As far as I can tell, the only other solution is to use the Xploder HDTV disc. I've heard many many conflicting reports on the functioning of the disc so I thought I would ask about it here. I'm not looking to do anything fancy with it, just output a 480p signal to a 4:3 PC CRT monitor at 640x480 (using the hdboxpro as a transcoder from component to vga).

Would it be worth it to me to buy the disc? I guess the big question would be about compatibility;I have not been able to find any definitive listing with such information. Another problem is that the product seems to have vanished from the internet, and the only place I can find it is at superufo which, when including shipping, would cost close to 40 dollars or so.

The only other solution I can think of for 480i ps2 games is to use one of my HDbox clones with a scanline generator to help mask some of the interlacing artifacts. However, I have no idea how effective this would be because the picture really is quite unstable without any filtering.

Thanks for the help.

Overkill · Post by **Overkill** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 2:01 pm

You have more options:

1 - install a mod chip, your 2011 model will then let you boot from a special CD/DVD (like the PS2 - 2008 SAGAT PACK V8 CD) with lots of applications for your PS2 (i have my ps2 moded, but i don't endorse piracy, i just let it be a more powerfull machine with homebrew software)

2 - Buy a second hand PS2 older model, (test it with a game on CD and a game on DVD because there are people selling PS2 with the laser almost dead), nowadays you will find PS2 console for something like 20€, to 40€, company GAME sells them used, with an 1 year warrany

3 - don't buy that HDTV disc, its less compatible, and older than GSM - GS Mode Selector - Graphics Synthesizer Mode Selector (aka: GSM) http://psx-scene.com/forums/f291/gs-mod ... ack-61808/

4 - the best setup for you - buy an second hand FAT PS2 (first ps2 model), grab an memory card and install the Free McBoot (FMCB) on it, grab an old IDE HDD and an used PS2 Network adapter to fit in the back of the FAT ps2, and this way you can play all the games you have on disc, on the hdd, and using the GSM mode for 480p with an component cable to your lcd/plasma.

matrigs · Post by **matrigs** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 7:53 pm

Overkill wrote: 3 - don't buy that HDTV disc, its less compatible, and older than GSM - GS Mode Selector - Graphics Synthesizer Mode Selector (aka: GSM) http://psx-scene.com/forums/f291/gs-mod ... ack-61808/

that is partially true, and has been proven in this topic. persona 3 and 4 are unplayable with gsm because they work at double speed, and work perfectly on hdxploder.

Xenphor wrote:Hello, I thought I would post here about getting 480p from my ps2. I have tried some video processors now, namely the iscan HD and several HDBox clones. None of these devices have given me a satisfactory picture for 480i. In fact I was surprised to find that the iscan HD looked no better than the cheaper HDBox Pro. So, having lost faith in 480i processing, I began looking for ways to force 480p for ps2 games.

funny, but this is a very similar history to mine. having used a gefen hdmate, hdbox pro, iscan pro and now iscan hd i still wasn't happy with 480i from the ps2. transcoding 480p with the iscan hd is definitely a wise choice.

Xenphor wrote: Unfortunately, I have a very late model ps2 purchased around 2011 or so which I believe rules out using any custom software like FreeMCboot. As far as I can tell, the only other solution is to use the Xploder HDTV disc. I've heard many many conflicting reports on the functioning of the disc so I thought I would ask about it here. I'm not looking to do anything fancy with it, just output a 480p signal to a 4:3 PC CRT monitor at 640x480 (using the hdboxpro as a transcoder from component to vga).

if your console is a model below scph-9xxxxx then freemcboot will work. but you have to specify if it should be ntsc or pal when ordering.

if you don't mind, you could very well try out freemcboot and download an iso of hdxploder and check if the titles you want actually do work, and then either buy it or toss it away.

although i would as well recommend a modchip. freemcboot is a dick for using with important ps1 games on the ps2 (which a chip handles easily) and also allows for stuff like permanently changing the region of the console, remove the sony splash screen, faster game booting etc.

Xenphor · Post by **Xenphor** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 8:26 pm

Well I'm fairly certain I could not install freemcboot anyway because I have bios version 230 and not 220.

I guess I won't get the disc after all. I don't really think I want to go through the trouble of getting another ps2 and modchip either --mostly because I have no knowledge of electronics at that level. Probably the best solution now is to just wait for pcsx2 to become more compatible and use it. It's ok right now but still has many issues with games I want to play. I would prefer to use the original hardware though.

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 10:36 pm

To be honest, there really aren't any great ways to force 480i-only PS2 games into 480p. Besides Mushihimesama and Ibara, the vast majority of niche games that folks here would want to play aren't supported by any method. The Xploder disc is a waste of money and even GSM would likely be a waste of time. Racketboy has a well-documented compatibility list where you can see for yourself: http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 5&p=417571

Fudoh · Post by **Fudoh** » Mon Jun 10, 2013 11:00 pm

I'm pretty happy so far. With the combination of patching to 240p, GSM and the XPloder disc a big part of my PS2 library can be played in progressive modes. Very well worth the time and effort.

Highlights certainly include Hokuto no Ken (480p), Dragon Blaze (480p), Ibara (240p) and R-Type Final (480p)

Overkill · Post by **Overkill** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 11:10 am

I use the progressive scan option on the games who have it inbuilt, and for the others i use the GSM+opl versions (open PS2 Loader) and for some specefic problematic games i use the Xploder cracked version. I got all that on a memory card. Don't know about other upscalers, but my DVDO Edge, old versions performs very well the 480i signal from PS2, but my old ntsc USA FAT PS3 60gb retrocompatible do it a little better

ZellSF · Post by **ZellSF** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 6:32 pm

Fudoh wrote:I'm pretty happy so far. With the combination of patching to 240p, GSM and the XPloder disc a big part of my PS2 library can be played in progressive modes. Very well worth the time and effort.

Highlights certainly include Hokuto no Ken (480p), Dragon Blaze (480p), Ibara (240p) and R-Type Final (480p)

Yeah, I'm clueless why anyone would say forcing PS2 titles into 480p is not worth it. A huge part of my PS2 library is also playable in 480p.

The compatibility list on racketboy is outdated, poorly organized and doesn't have enough contributors to make a proper compatibility list in the first place.

Recent-ish development: if you're still on GSM 0.36, you should upgrade to 0.37+, it has a builtin option for skipping videos, which sometimes breaks games.

Fudoh · Post by **Fudoh** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 6:39 pm

oh noes, I really can't be bothered to create another boot cd from the 0.37 version.

Would anybody care to write a real understandable step-by-step tutorial how to put the .elf version onto a memory card ? I don't even need FreeMCBoot, since I have a matrix-chipped PS2. What program do can I burn to a CD, boot it and use it to copy the .elf file from a USB drive (or CD) to a memory card ?

ZellSF · Post by **ZellSF** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 6:49 pm

ULaunchELF is the best PS2 file manager. It's pretty user friendly (assuming you find a way to launch it).

It supports reading and writing from and too mostly everything, USB, CDs, memory cards...

Edit: also there's 576p support now, no clue how it works.

Fudoh · Post by **Fudoh** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 6:59 pm

Stumbled across this one as well, but I really don't know how I would boot it ? Again creating an ISO from it ? Give me a hint, guys!

Here's a bootable GSM 0.37 CD version I just did: http://www.sendspace.com/file/9fw20l

ZellSF · Post by **ZellSF** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 7:06 pm

Fudoh wrote:Stumbled across this one as well, but I really don't know how I would boot it ? Again creating an ISO from it ? Give me a hint, guys!

If you check the attachments to the first post in that topic there are two iso files, one for CD and one for DVD. They're slightly outdated, but they'll work for what you want to do (and if they don't you could always just use them to launch a more up to date version of ULaunchELF).

Fudoh · Post by **Fudoh** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 7:08 pm

right, I'll give it a try asap!

Lord of Pirates · Post by **Lord of Pirates** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 7:21 pm

Fudoh wrote:oh noes, I really can't be bothered to create another boot cd from the 0.37 version.

Would anybody care to write a real understandable step-by-step tutorial how to put the .elf version onto a memory card ? I don't even need FreeMCBoot, since I have a matrix-chipped PS2. What program do can I burn to a CD, boot it and use it to copy the .elf file from a USB drive (or CD) to a memory card ?

You'd need to run uLaunch from a CD, from there you could run GSM or any other elf from the MC, a flash drive, etc. Personally, I'd just install FMCB on a spare MC, being able to copy an updated elf to a flash drive is much easier than burning a disc every time.

The tutorial at SKS is very easy to follow.
http://bootleg.sksapps.com/tutorials/fmcb/disc.php

Fudoh · Post by **Fudoh** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 7:24 pm

My PS2 should be able to boot the elf from a memory card without FreeMCboot. I'll get to that tonight. But you're right of course. Booting from a disc is no alternative.

Fudoh · Post by **Fudoh** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 7:55 pm

works like a charm - thanks again.

I assume there's no way to boot the xploder without using a CD or an image on a HDD, right ?

Did anybody try the japanese version of R-Type Final ? So far (up to GSM 0.36) I was only able to boot the US version.

ZellSF · Post by **ZellSF** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 8:55 pm

Fudoh wrote:works like a charm - thanks again.

I assume there's no way to boot the xploder without using a CD or an image on a HDD, right ?

I don't have the Xploder disc here, but I'm pretty sure it's an elf you can run in any way you could run other elf files (GSM).

If not I'm 100% sure there's a cracked elf out there somewhere, I've used one before but didn't really have any games that worked in Xploder but didn't work in GSM.

antron · Post by **antron** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 9:28 pm

in my experience Gradius IV only works in 480p with Xploder. In terms of resolution this beats the PCB's 24kHz output.

Fudoh · Post by **Fudoh** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 9:31 pm

I went through my whole PS2 collection a few years back and while GSM was clearly the better tool, there certainly were a handful of titles for which I needed the Xploder disc.

Unfortunately I lost my notes and results, so I'll have to go through the whole collection again.

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Tue Jun 11, 2013 11:01 pm

ZellSF wrote:Yeah, I'm clueless why anyone would say forcing PS2 titles into 480p is not worth it. A huge part of my PS2 library is also playable in 480p.

Well, like I said, most of the 480i games I tested didn't work via either method last time I tried. Do Arcana Heart & Suggoi! work yet? Any of the 480i-only SNK fighters? Mega Man Anniversary Collection? Any Psikyo shooter besides Dragon Blaze? And those were only 2D games. The ratio of working-to-not working wasn't even close for me.

For the games that do work, the 480p picture is certainly a significant step up. However, I felt like I wasted my time getting everything set up only to watch game after game fail. Therefore, I want to make sure others are aware of what to expect. I suppose it is trivial for folks who pirate PS2 games to go the extra step for 480p though.

ZellSF · Post by **ZellSF** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:12 pm

You make it sounds like it's a lot of effort: it's not.

If you have a HDLoader system, a newer Action Replay disc, a PS3 memory card adapter, SwapMagic... it should take you less than half an hour and if you don't have any of those I'm sure at least one of them is cheap to get.

Of course if you have one of the latest slims that can't run fmcb it's a lot more complicated.

Personally I don't see why anyone would play PS2 games from discs with unreliable noisy slow disc drives. So if you're going for any of the above I'd go with the HDLoader system.

V9 PS2 + Open PS2 Loader + GSM = PS2 gaming perfection.

Fudoh · Post by **Fudoh** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:17 pm

I don't use a HDD, but let me ask a question anyway. If I want to combine GSM with the HDLoader, I need to load GSM first and tell GSM to load the HDloader, right ? How would integrate XPloder into this setup ?

ZellSF · Post by **ZellSF** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 4:37 pm

Fudoh wrote:I don't use a HDD, but let me ask a question anyway. If I want to combine GSM with the HDLoader, I need to load GSM first and tell GSM to load the HDloader, right ? How would integrate XPloder into this setup ?

You just launch GSM, then you can do whatever you want to do after that, the resolution change sticks until you actually turn off the PS2 (resolution sticks through soft-resets). GSM has exits options for everything so you shouldn't have a hard time booting HDLoader without powering down.

But don't actually use HDLoader, use Open PS2 Loader. It has better compatibility and it's open source, so GSM is coded to work well with it. GSM is less stable with HDLoader.

Xploder and HD loading gets even worse along, you need a cracked version of Xploder to even get it to run and there's been reports of freezes because it doesn't play well with HDLoader/OPL.

Overkill · Post by **Overkill** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 7:54 pm

Fudoh, there is a version of Open PS2 Loader (OPL) with GSM integrated on it, you have an display options menu, and can even put the menu in 480p. If you want the elf file i can send you by email, its just 700kb

antron · Post by **antron** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 8:21 pm

how do you put the menu in 480p? it will start up that way? didn't know that

Overkill · Post by **Overkill** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 8:54 pm

You select it in the display options and then save it, next boot it will come in 480p, but if for some reason you pretend to connect the ps2 to a regular crt tv, don't forget to change it again, and save, if not you will come with a black screen. You can also select between 4:3 and 16:9 (only for the opl menu ofcourse).

shmups.system11.org

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