PS2: RGB or Component?

[Tempest]

I've had my PS2 hooked up to my Sony PVM monitor through an RGB SCART cable for a while now, but I've been thinking that it might look better on my HD TV via Component cables instead. The TV is an older JVC 29" LCD, but it's a quality set (tops out at 1080i). I found some cheap 3rd party component cable, plugged it in, and was surprised that it actually looked WORSE. The text and graphics were kind of jagged, like there was really poor anti-aliasing and I could see a little interference running through the background on solid colors.

 

I'm not sure if my problem is that I'm using cheap cables (they're Intec or something like that), the PS2 doesn't like LCD TV's, or if RGB just produces a better picture on a PS2 than Component (except for those 480P games I imagine, but I didn't have one to test). The RGB text isn't quite as sharp, but it's better than the weird jagged text that I was seeing on the Component output. Is it worth trying with the official Sony cables or should I just stick with RGB?

[Austin]

I found that the PS2 looks like ass on a HD TV, even upscaled through component or RGB. Well, at least the polygonal games do, the 2D stuff fares pretty well.

 

Generally speaking though, RGB is a slightly more pure signal than component, but both are pretty comparable in quality.

 

I have been told that the quality of the cables can make a difference. I need to test this theory because my original XBOX only goes up to component, and it looks terrible upscaled on a modern display. I am using super cheap cables though.

[Deep_wolf]

Cheap cables do the work of producing bad picture. Remove them with a better ones.

[leods]

I did record some PS2 footage using component and played games on my HD TV and I found it to run just fine. Of course it is 480p for the most part. There are the oddball games that would go beyond that, but that's not really that common.

 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAiSwSw6ZsfPtMDUSxkIR6IUD3XN_itJu

 

You could compare to the quality you're getting.

 

My conclusion when I compared was that even though games looked fine to me on the HD TV, they did look much better on my sony LCD. The natural anti aliasing and the better colors and brightness of a CRT just can't be beat. Even on a PS2. LCDs are better for consoles with digital output. Otherwise if you have a CRT I do think overall that's better.

 

I also ran SCART to the CRT.

Edited August 24, 2016 by leods

[dj_convoy]

i use component cables for my PS2 to my HDTV... the results tend to be passable, at best. It looks okay, not great. Mos def looks better on my CRT with component.

[teh_lurv]

It sounds like from your description you have crap cables. You're also playing 480i games on your HDTV, so the image is going to be affected by de-interlacing artifacts HDTVs brings.

[CRTGAMER]

I've had my PS2 hooked up to my Sony PVM monitor through an RGB SCART cable for a while now, but I've been thinking that it might look better on my HD TV via Component cables instead. The TV is an older JVC 29" LCD, but it's a quality set (tops out at 1080i). I found some cheap 3rd party component cable, plugged it in, and was surprised that it actually looked WORSE. The text and graphics were kind of jagged, like there was really poor anti-aliasing and I could see a little interference running through the background on solid colors.

 

I'm not sure if my problem is that I'm using cheap cables (they're Intec or something like that), the PS2 doesn't like LCD TV's, or if RGB just produces a better picture on a PS2 than Component (except for those 480P games I imagine, but I didn't have one to test). The RGB text isn't quite as sharp, but it's better than the weird jagged text that I was seeing on the Component output. Is it worth trying with the official Sony cables or should I just stick with RGB?

 

The problem is not 3rd party cables as long as a good connection and the cables are not broken inside the insulation. Just an issue of the upscale from a 480i/480p game to the LCD resolution of 1080i. However on a HD CRT no issues of upscale with both SD and HD signals.

 

Edited August 24, 2016 by CRTGAMER

[Tempest]

Yeah I remember the PS2 looking much better on my HD CRT, but that's not in my game room.

 

I guess I'll leave it on my PVM. It's not perfect, but it's better than the LCD TV.

[phoenixdownita]

Also keep in mind that it's hard to find HD TV non CRT that support 240p via component.

If/when you play a PS1 game on the PS2 that's what you'll get and in my experience it rarely ever works.

 

 

As i have an XRGB mini I can still use the PS2 component via the D2 connector at the back (via adapter) and that allows me to play from PS1 240p all the way to GT4 1080i .... but's it's not ideal, the colors are better via RGB (the XRGB mini does not really do a good job on the rest of the inputs as it does over RGB).

 

Note: I do not have a TV that takes RGB straight so for me is SVideo at best without the XRGB.

[Tempest]

The PSX is plugged into the PVM via RGB so that's not an issue.

[cimerians]

I don't have any RGB hookups...would be nice. Right now I use official component cables for PS2 to an HD TV. Looks crappy compared to a CRT, I can live with it though.

 

I have 13" high def CRT I have most of my old stuff hooked up to. I may move the PS2 to that someday, its just the smaller screen is kind of annoying. I used to own a 27" trinitron which was awesome.