Graphic glitches playing NTSC games help!

[mikiandtim]

Hi there, I was just wondering if anybody else has experienced or knows anything about this problem I've been having. I have a PAL v14 slimline PS2 with a Matrix Infinity chip, standard AV cable connectionm, my console has the latest firmware installed and runs absolutely fine.

However I have noticed that whenever run NTSC games, I encounter a few small but annoying glitches with the graphics. Playing Tales of the Abyss in particular these glitches are very noticable. I will try and explain the best I can without screenshots.

1. The game runs fine - more or less full screen and full colour - but on both vertical edges of the screen, the actual edges are not completely straight and they constantly warp and move as I play the game! Also, there is loss of sharpness and brightness of colour in the outer edges of the screen.

2 .The dialogue boxes in particular cause a similar but more annoying glitch - for example when it changes from one person talking to another person talking, or when one dialogue box closes and another one opens, the same thing happens. It also causes a warp in a horizontal line where the box occupies on screen. By warping I mean, moving edges and the colour, brightness fluctuating. It is only in these instances that I get these glitches, and only for a second or two at a time, but especially with the text boxes it is very noticable and annoying!!

I'm not sure if it is actually to do with my console, or my TV, or my connection, but I have tried it on two Sony TVs and expericence the same problems, I will be getting a copy of Final Fantasy XII soon so I will see if the same thing happens with that. Has anybody else had this problem?

Thanks, Tim

[cowboyj]

Hi Tim!

First the good news: Your PS2 is working fine!

These "glitches" are caused by your TV. It happens on nearly all Tubes.

The warping borders: The TV works in a mode called overscan (it normally
cuts the borders, so you can't see the warping) On most TVs there are
two settings for the Picture geometry, one for 50Hz and one for 60Hz.
If you know how to get into the service mode of your TV you can correct
them, so that you don't see them *that much*

The dialog boxes: When a CRT TV changes alot of lines from dark to
bright the lines get somehow wider. Since my schools days are long
gone :-) I do not remember the scientific explanation for that one.

But...all in all...it's normal. More noticeable on NTSC because you get
fewer lines on the TV.

I hope my explanation is understandable and makes sense.

If you want to get rid of these "glitches", buy a LCD or Plasma TV!

Regards,

John

[McBeth]

yes cowboy...

but:

I have a pal CRT set, using pal console playing NTSC TAles of the Abyss...

when using an RGB cable u have no glitches (or at least none u can notice easily...), that's it

what u still have is the warping effect on the upper left corner....

if u really can't stand it, switch to 16:9

[mikiandtim]

Well, that is nice to know. I'll try to get into my TV's service mode and have a look around. I'm not sure that my TV has the right connections for RGB cables, but I'll look into that none the less. Thank you very much for your helpful answers guys

Tim

[McBeth]

BigBen RGB cable only 5€ (in europe, I guess the same in US)

it's really REALLY worth it....no difference to original $ony and no difference to speedlink rgb cable (speedlink is longer, cost only 1-2bucks more, so it's really up to u)

as for the tv, just scroll through the AV channels....you should get to rgb, or if you have OSD check there...

[cowboyj]

@McBeth: Same here :-) PAL-TV, PAL-PS2, NTSC-Tales of the Abyss, RGB-
Cable

Whenever a Dialog-Box appears, there is also a warping effect. It's not really
noticeable, unless you get VERY close to the TV. No warping in any corner...

because... I fixed the h-width and h-position in the service menu. if i set it
to a lower h-width (like the one the tv was before i doctored with it) I have
the warping and the "glitches". Lucky for me my tv has a different setting for
60hz and 50hz. On my old tv i had to manually reconfigure everytime i played
a ntsc game...

Regards,

John

btw: if you lower the h-width in 50hz .. these "glitches" appear even in normal TV

[arcmpal87]

the reason why glitches appears on ur tv is because of the region ur playing (ntsc). usaid u have pal. it might be the reason cus im having glitches also on my ps2 (ntsc) when i play pal games or japanese games..