Console Wars

[j.pickens]

I built an HTPC for my living room using WinXP and BeyondTV with an ATI HDTV tuner and Nvidia 7300 video card.
The card has HDMI, DVI, and VGA output.
Believe it or not, I ended up using the VGA output for the 46" Vizio HDTV.
Reason?
The HDMI into the TV causes automatic overscan of the image.
When displaying computer content, it cuts off the edges, and if you zoom to bring the edges in, you lose resolution.
VGA is locked to the native "monitor" resolution of the HDTV, and gives perfect pixel for pixel output.
The HDTV is incredible.
In the US, over the air free HDTV from broadcast stations is much clearer than either Comcast Digital Cable, DirecTV or Dish Network. Why? the three providers re-compress the signal to fit more channels on their transmission medium.
I have compared NFL football from both FOX and NBC signals over the air and Dish Network.
No comparison, the OTA HDTV is much better, especially when motion occurs.

The missing link in the chain is a good wireless (RF) keyboard/mouse.
Here is what I am using, compact, and with a joystick so it works while sitting on the couch.

 

[viridior]

Sorry I missed a lot of this conversation going on the last few days, I've had my head wrapped around a console prompt trying to get Gentoo on the beagleboard to work so we can the port it to the OpenPandora. The good news is that we are REALLY close to having enough of the system built that we can automate the rest and build binaries for everyone to use. That means that just about anything that is in the portage package tree can be installed on the beagleboard or pandora. As far as compatibility is concerned the only major difference (for most people) between the two will be the kernel. Someone mentioned earlier the the beagleboard had its problems (which is has) but anything on the core processor that works on the pandora will also work on the beagleboard. So for those interested in console design and/or pandora development on a beagleboard you should be able to use our image once its complete to accomplish both goals.


Main page: http://gentoo.openpandora.org
Latest Dev Image (not finished): http://gentoo.openpandora.org/index.php/Ge...a-dev-0.0.2_rc2

Very Respectfully,
Viridior

 

[Svartalf]

I built an HTPC for my living room using WinXP and BeyondTV with an ATI HDTV tuner and Nvidia 7300 video card.
The card has HDMI, DVI, and VGA output.
Believe it or not, I ended up using the VGA output for the 46" Vizio HDTV.
Reason?
The HDMI into the TV causes automatic overscan of the image.
When displaying computer content, it cuts off the edges, and if you zoom to bring the edges in, you lose resolution.
VGA is locked to the native "monitor" resolution of the HDTV, and gives perfect pixel for pixel output.

I suspect you've got the auto-sense mode on. It's going to drive you batty and I can see why you chose VGA over HDMI. Unfortunately, for many, that's not an option- on many it's either HDMI, Component, or NTSC. Period. Fortunately, though, you can force modes on my Phillips monitor such that the HDMI feed for the HTPC or the PS3 doesn't DO stupid crap like that. Ditto most of the monitors out there that don't give you that option. I don't have my monitor doing goofy crap like that in HDMI mode.

I'll re-iterate...VGA mode is "cheating" and isn't there for many TVs, believe it or not.

QUOTE

The missing link in the chain is a good wireless (RF) keyboard/mouse.



I'm using the Logitech deluxe BT based PS3 keyboard. Works GREAT unless you're gaming- to whit, you probably ought to be using something a bit different controller-wise anyhow...

You know you could probably pick up all three of those consoles off ebay for less than what an open source console powerful enough to emulate them would cost, right? There's no need to build a complex system to emulate them when you can just buy the system themselves and use them for the purpose they were intended.

Yeah, and for HOW LONG will you be able to do that sort of thing?

 

[lulzfish]

"Yeah, and for HOW LONG will you be able to do that sort of thing? wink.gif"

Well, owning every game console ever takes a lot of TV room, requires a video input switch, etc.
But emulation is tricky to do in software, and it simply doesn't work very fast yet.

 

[Svartalf]

Well, owning every game console ever takes a lot of TV room, requires a video input switch, etc.

Heh... You're preaching to the choir. I've got two differing audio towers for all of my consoles...

QUOTE

But emulation is tricky to do in software, and it simply doesn't work very fast yet.



Depends on the emulation, but yeah... Having said this, emulation's only largely relevant in the handheld space and to a small extent on the console one (Because you can still run most of them as WizardStan pointed out...for now...). The big important thing is the garage/indie gaming space and attracting buzz to us- the indies are all looking for other ways to get their foot in the door and for people to appreciate their art (and put coin in their pockets for the privilege... ). The big boys aren't giving it to them for the large part.

 

[Thunder]

I don't think it'll work, since the Pandora is unique because it's an open source handheld with not only specialised game controls but also a keyboard.
If a console would be released with the same functions it'd basically be a PC with a controller and a keyboard running Linux/Windows...

 

[CyruzDraxs]

Heh... You're preaching to the choir. I've got two differing audio towers for all of my consoles...

Only two? I have 37 systems...I can't even HAVE them all plugged in at once because display conncetion technologies have changed too much over the generations.

 

[Pseudonym]

you know, If you really think about it, you'd need a really powerful machine to compete with the pandora. The pandora is using a bunch of technology to make it as powerful as a desktop computer(to a reasonable extent), so the pandora isn't unique in power, it's unique in power and size. If you wan't an open source home console, build from scratch or modify.

 

[lulzfish]

"you'd need a really powerful machine to compete with the pandora."

And nobody else is making such a machine for only $340 yet. All the other companies are still producing netbooks and only dreaming of UMPCs.

Probably because they're too worried about x86 compatibility and being able to run Windows. The whole ARM + open-source thing makes the Pandora quite awesome.

 

[Frogboy]

I'm not personally a huge fan of emus, most games that are old enough to play are not worth playing.

Blasphemy!

I actually haven't enjoyed gaming since the PSX. The jumps from Atari to NES to SNES to PSX were all huge. PS2 was just more of the same with better graphics and didn't get much play from me at all. I've been thinking of trying out the latest gen systems since we've got the online aspect now and they're finally putting some real AI in games these days. Still unsure though.



Oh and forget about the homebrew console. We'll probably never touch the full potential of the Pandora hardware with actual original homebrew games and that's what sells a dedicated console. Of course if they did want to do something cool, it'd be to connect and use your Pandora via BT or something to a computer to use as a controller/keyboard/touchpad similar to what PS3 and diNovo has going on. Pandora would make the ultimate HTPC accessory. I'm guessing that someone is already working on this one by now.

 

[lulzfish]

Ok, I correct myself:

I dislike console games in general. Most games are not worth playing at all.

 

[giovanni]

[...]The jumps from Atari to NES to SNES to PSX were all huge. PS2 was just more of the same with better graphics and didn't get much play[...]

[I'm 16 and so I'm not a NES' nostalgic but I think I can express my opinion]

I have to disagree...
Maybe the games made for the last generation (PS3,XboX360) can be considered only for their graphic and don't have valid story and/or gameplay (however this is not generalizable), but the PS2 had and has a lot of good games (good in all their aspect...).

 

[nicfer]

I think that a desktop console would not make too much sense having a portable one that can be as powerful as one of them. I'd rather go for modifying a beagle board adding things such as wifi in master mode so it could act as a media server and connecting mobile devices such as the pandora or a laptop to there. A normal beagle board with managed wifi would act as clients. Pretty good way to compete with today consoles.

 

[Miknal]

I'm not personally a huge fan of emus, most games that are old enough to play are not worth playing.

 

[lulzfish]

Not worth playing... for me personally, I should have said.
I'm trying Project64 in WINE, and I've played Super Mario, but the reason I'm getting the Pandora is still for other general computing things, like Internets and SSH and OpenGoo.

I just don't play emus enough to think of them as a feature, so an open-source console would just be a PC when I'm using it.

edit: Does that emu have a filling in his lower left molar area or am I hallucinating??

 

[Frogboy]

...the PS2 had and has a lot of good games (good in all their aspect...).

You're probably right. I just got bored with the system before most of the good games rolled around. I'm guessing that these games that you are talking about could have easily been made for the PSX with lesser graphics if they had to have been. I think that my dislike towards the PS2 was mostly because it didn't add anything really innovative over what the PSX already had. It just beefed up the specs a little and added a DVD rom. That was obviously a better business model than what Sony did this time around but I'm much more impressed with their new system. Shame the PS3 caught the Vista bug.



@Miknal :lol:

 

[jamaya15]

I dont think a home console would work for all the reasons stated above. Whats makes pandora special is the controls and the open nature of it. To me its what I thought the PSP would be eventually after homebrew got into it full blown but unfortunatly the PSP has hardware limitations. Plus no keyboard which drives me nuts when trying to use the crazy slow browser. So I think if anything the pandora if successful should try to go head to head with nintendo and sony for the mobile market. Wont be easy though with things like the iphone stealing more of the market.