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[dskillzhtown]

Widescreen+Progressive Scan

 

[Lyte Edge]

Pro scan, with wide screen if possible.

 

[Kleegamefan]

Eh, I guess I wasn't too clear in what I said. When using DPLII on a 2 channel source, it matrixes the surround and center channel information. But the Factor 5 developed tools enabled the use of fully positional 3D audio output in real-time. I shouldn't have called it strictly and technically discrete, but the effect is very close to 5 discrete channels.

OK, I get you now

 

[Tsubaki]

PLII

Audio is more critical to gaming than video is IMO, even if PLII is simulated surround. I know some people with these big flatscreen TVs, but are only using TV speakers.

W
T
F

 

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Some of you people obviously have never heard a good PL2 game on a PL2 system. It is not "fake" surround sound. You will get clear positional sound and dialog from all five positional speakers. It works damn well. Is it as good as a true 5.1 game? No, mainly because the 5.1 game will be crisper and have better LFE effects.

Trust me on this, a well-made PL2 game like MGS3 or Eternal Darkness features a sound experience extremely close to any DD5.1 game that I've played.

Some misconceptions.

1) It's been my experience that while you can listen to a PL2 game on a PL1 system, it doesn't work nearly as well. This is not a valid indicator of PL2's worth.

2) The PL2 processing of non PL2 sources (normal stereo -> PLII Music or Video) doesn't do much of anything. This *IS* fake surround. If the source isn't specifically encoded in PL2, then the receiver tried to spread the sound out amongst the speakers. This is in no way indicative of how a true PL2 game sounds.

3) If you have a cheap or poorly set-up HT system, then neither PL2 or DD is going to sound good at all. DD will have more oomph due to LFE, though.

 

[The Faceless Master]

pro-scan for sure

hell, i'll take pro scan over dd5.1

i rank picture as a more important factor on the scale than sound

 

[Tabris]

Progressive Scan is especially important for PS2 games.

A game like Xenosaga could have improved greatly from pro scan.

 

[Deg]

i rank picture as a more important factor on the scale than sound

alot of people do sadly we still dont have true digital video in the same way Digital sound has managed to get into homes

 

[bill0527]

Since I only sit 7 feet away from a 48" Widescreen, I have to definately go with progressive scan. Interlacing makes my eyes hurt while sitting that close to a big screen.

 

[bummyhead]

Seriously, ProLogic II is shitty faux surround from the 1980s. When I see "Dolby ProLogic II" I think "AdLib music synthesizer."

Wow. You are so wrong. And so is alsmot everyone else who replied in this thread.

Dolby Pro Logic is shitty fake surround dound from the 80s. It featured a matrixed center channel, and limited range mono surrounds. It was crap.

Pro Logic II on the other hand, it a MUCH more advanced upgrade to the original, and it can indeed create 5 channels of sound that behave as though there were discretely recorded. It is most defintiely not discrete surround sound, but it can be a very close approximation. On soundtracks recorded with pro-logic 2 in mind, the surroudn effect is often hard to tell apart from true digital 5.1, as is the case when a DD 5.1 sountrack is donwmixed to 2 channels, and then decoded with DPL2. TO demonstrate this, hook up your xbox to your reciever using optical audio AND connect it with anaolog audio and use PL2. Swtich bacj and forth. I bet the difference will be less than you imagine.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

It depends on what we are considering as the best alternative. If it's not ProLogic II will it be plain ProLogic? Stereo? Mono?

Also were I a game maker trying to make such a decision, I'd also want to factor in which more people would actually use. For instance, if this hypothetical game had neither progressive scan or ProLogic II options, I probably wouldn't realize it for years. I'd guess more have ProLogic II capable receivers than have progressive sets, but I don't have data to back that up.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Widescreen > *

I didnt care about it before but when you buy a widescreen HDTV, i almost wish it was a requirement for every game. DD5.1 in 2nd, DPLII in 3rd and last is progressive scan, 480i, 480p, really doesnt bother me much, of course its better but 16:9 and 5.1 sound have more impact on the overall experience than progressive scan. 720p, now that would be something else