You know 720P (along with 1080P) as "high definition" content. What 720P really means is that 720 lines of resolution are displayed on your television in "progressive" format—meaning all at once.

So if GTA IV is running at only 630P on the PS3, that does mean PS3 gamers are seeing 90 less lines of resolution—or quite a bit from a relative standpoint. And it's fast-approaching the Wii's standard def, 480p output.

The bottom line is that resolution does matter, but the more lines of resolution you add will depreciate in value. There's an interesting stat that always sticks in my head: From only about 10 feet away, most people cannot tell a 720p image from a 1080p image on a 42" television.

I'm not sure how well I could differentiate a 630P signal from a 720P signal from 10 feet away. But I'm sure that, given large enough televisions and sharp enough eyes, some of us could. Especially in a game context.

But what we'd be overlooking is that eyes-on reports show that Rockstar has taken the processing power formerly spent on resolution and added it to filters (and maybe even lighting). If GTA IV feels warmer or softer on PS3, that's probably why. And that's where taste triumphs numbers.

(If you're having a tough time wrapping your head around the filter concept, mess with the settings in Mass Effect.)

At the end of the day, both versions look good. But the PS3 used methods other than raw resolution to get there. Of course sharpness and detail is an important—that will be the biggest bonus of 720P. But in an era when we're past merely counting polygons on the screen to measure graphical quality, we shouldn't blow small numbers out of proportion. In short, it's not just the size of your P, but how you use it that matters.

And to see what we thought of the versions side-by-side, check out our impressions.

Neverending Upscaling/Resolutions/AA etc Thread #2 *Rules: post: #619 * [B3DForum via Eurogamer]

1UP followed up with Microsoft who claimed that the box contained a "misprint", denying that HDMI output would be included in the package. Yeah. Misprint. That may very well be true for this particular bundle, but something smells fishy.

So, what is it? Are we looking at a future hardware revision? Will Microsoft be selling an HDMI output cable this holiday? We were tipped about one popping up on Gamestop the other day for a cool $80, shipping December 1, but it has since disappeared.

We'll let you know what else we hear, but since all Microsoft rumors are true, expect an HDMI output announcement soon. Michael McWhertor

Reload this Page Xbox 360 w/ HDMI spotted [Beyond3D Forums]
Lost Planet Bundle To Storm Japan [Kotaku]

Update: Microsoft declined to comment on this speculation when contacted about the HDMI rumor. Surprise!

Here I am with your nightly bad news! Certain HDTV owners might not be in the for the high(er) definition visual experience they expected this weekend, as we're hearing rumblings that HDTV owners who don't have a 720p capable set are going to have to settle for less, nor scale up for more.

After a handful of forum posters discussed the issue last night, mega site IGN has done some testing to confirm the potential problem.

Gamers who own older HD sets that feature only 480i, 480p, and 1080i resolution input capabilities will have to settle for the display quality being downsized as the game boots in its 480p mode rather than upscaling the image from its more desirable 720p mode to the TV's 1080i. We tested this development on older HDTV sets with games designed for 720p but not 1080i — Resistance: Fall of Man, NHL 2K7, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07, and Need for Speed Carbon. Sure enough, the system downshifted all four titles to 480p rather than moving up to 1080i.

Bummer. I'm glad I'm going HDTV shopping now armed with this knowledge. Hopefully, Sony can address this issue with a future update. Michael McWhertor

PS3 Downscales 720p on Incapable TVs [IGN]

Remember when we said that Wii component cables would be an online only affair? And that I got a little cranky and stomped around like an infant on Kotaku about it? Well, either we were fed bum info, or Nintendo has decided to throw caution to the wind and sell component cables at brick and mortar stores.

That's what Nintendo's Perrin Kaplan, half-woman, half-press release, said to Game Informer recently:

GI: Will component cables be available on day one?
Kaplan: Yes, at retail and online. Best Buy, GameStop, Circuit City, etc... and Nintendo.com.

Hmm. But she also said that Wii would be region free and she was wrong. Plus she answers interview questions like this:

GI: As far as Virtual Console pricing how it breaks down in Europe, Japan, and here, it seems most expensive in the U.S. when you check exchange rates...
Kaplan: Do you drink lattes?

GI: Yeah.
Kaplan: How much do you spend on lattes?

GI: I spend a lot.
Kaplan: There you go.

Oh, Perrin! What will you come up with next? Let's hope Mrs. Kaplan is right on this whole retail component cable thing. I need me some 480p on day one! Michael McWhertor

Countdown to Wii: The Perrin Kaplan Interview [Game Informer]
Wii Component Cables Online Only [Kotaku]

If you aren't familiar with the latest info on the Blu-Ray copy protection scheme, I suggest you become so now. Basically the issue is that without HDMI output, HDCP copy protection will down-convert your signal to 540p. That may be fine for the Wii market, but now that Sony has finally said "Next generation has started", we expect some pretty pictures out of our $500 investment.

One of the most important things to take away from the corporate lashing is the following:

Until Sony announces a $499 PS3 design change, we at IGN Gear can, in good faith, only recommend that interested buyers steer clear of the lower-priced PS3 model or make the purchase fully aware that they may in future suffer severe repercussions when it comes to Blu-ray movie playback — one of the key features that puts the PS3's price point above competing systems. 540p, the resolution that the Image Constraint Token will down-convert 1080p movies to in non-HDCP systems, is by no stretch of the imagination Hi-Def, and will, without major changes in PS3 design or studio policy, be the future of Blu-ray playback on the $499 PS3.

Yeah. Harsh. Keep your eyes peeled for more on Sony's plans to bait-and-switch consumers. —Michael McWhertor

Sony's Grave Error: The $499 HDMI-Lacking PS3. [IGN]