Our New Machine, Pandora

[A_SN]

Why the hell would you want that when it's so easy to do it by hand? Not to mention we'll probably have some sort of hardware scaling just as on the GP2X so a few lines of code and there you'd have your new resolution thing.

Because hardware scaling looks like shit when it is some weird fractional number that is why .

Then don't use a damn fractional ratio?? I don't see how what you're proposing would make things look any better any way.

 

[Squidge]

Since we have the processing power, emulators such as Megadrive should use scaling techniques such as 2xSaI by default IMO, rather than using the hardware scaler.

 

[cowai]

Since we have the processing power, emulators such as Megadrive should use scaling techniques such as 2xSaI by default IMO, rather than using the hardware scaler.

ZOMG! h34r:

 

[spinghed]

Obviously no-one got anything in the post then...?



First thing this morning, there was a tap on my door.
Funny sense of humour my plumber has


- yes I'm bored...


Rick

 

[Mr. Ksoft]

Since we have the processing power, emulators such as Megadrive should use scaling techniques such as 2xSaI by default IMO, rather than using the hardware scaler.

But the option to use normal old pixellated scaling should be available. I happen to like pixelly displays. (I ditched the flat-panel display on my emulator computer because one of my old CRTs didn't make it slightly blurred and smooth looking)

 

[Dead Ghost]

About the screen, it's 5:4, right? So it's not a wide screen and any old TV game (nes, snes, even PS1) would be playble without any black bars? Even PS One games?

Man, i can't wait for this gadget, i can only hope that it will be built solidly and have a good feel in your hands. This is very important, from my point of view.

 

[naples39]

I always use bilinear interpolation when I scale my emu graphics on the PC. Is that something that can be done via hardware in the craiginator?

 

[Squidge]

I always use bilinear interpolation when I scale my emu graphics on the PC.

But... that's not DaveC friendly!

 

[naples39]

I always use bilinear interpolation when I scale my emu graphics on the PC.

But... that's not DaveC friendly!


FAIL!!

I always thought it looked pretty good--gets rid of the pixelation without adding obvious filter effects.

 

[cappuchok]

About the screen, it's 5:4, right? So it's not a wide screen and any old TV game (nes, snes, even PS1) would be playble without any black bars? Even PS One games?

Ahem. 5:4 will NOT allow you to play old games without black bars. Old games use 4:3 resolution, which should be presented letterboxed on a 5:4 screen if you have properly configured setup (meaning you are using DVI cables and have set the video card to use correct aspect ratio scaling).
Additionally, the Craiginator's screen is 800x480 which means it has a ratio closer to 16:10, which means old games using 4:3 ratio resolutions must be presented pillarboxed unless you accept severe image distortion.

 

[fusion_power]

Yes, but I'm not wanted to say all these new-fashioned bad "I-..." or "A..." words. :lol:

Well, MWeston is the hardware designer and engineer, so maybe you should speak with him. I doubt it'll be added however (for reasons I can't say at the moment).

Oh sure, make me look like the bad guy.

We are at the limit with margins to guarantee we can meet the price point alluded to on this forum, +/- $20 (yeah right, like it could be minus!). The hardware is now finalized other than tweaking passives for proper operation.

When the craiginator is released I think it will be nice to have a suggestion topic where people can post ideas for additions to the system. Depending on the cost to add and volumes of sales, it can be decided if the mod can be made as a device which attaches to the craiginator. Right now, I think adding even more stuff and jacking the selling price closer to $400 is a bad idea. Maybe a $50 slim attachment to the bottom of the unit with IR, accelerometer, HDMI, VGA, 5.1 surround, and flashlight would be better than making everyone pay more for stuff they might not want.



atomicthumbs: What is this ARM-80? I'm not familiar with it. Of course we cannot actively support pirating games, but you do what you want.


And if you make a Version without Keyboard, we can get the Device $25 Cheaper?

Since we have the processing power, emulators such as Megadrive should use scaling techniques such as 2xSaI by default IMO, rather than using the hardware scaler.

Hm...but Hardware scaler sounds like less MHz needed and this sounds like saving Batteries with more hardware support of the Software. Maybe we can always choose between Hardware and Software scaler or maybe every scaling effect can be done in Hardware? I don't know.
Today, we have super Processor Powers everywhere. PC, Consoles. Its cool but I have the slightly feeling, that more Processor Power leads to more ineffective Programs. I'm not a Coder but I'm sure, old Atari/Amiga/C64 programs are ways more optimized for their Hardware than modern PC programs these Days. I really wonder, how good a PC Game could be, if its really high optimized.

 

[Dead Ghost]

Ahem. 5:4 will NOT allow you to play old games without black bars. Old games use 4:3 resolution, which should be presented letterboxed on a 5:4 screen if you have properly configured setup (meaning you are using DVI cables and have set the video card to use correct aspect ratio scaling).
Additionally, the Craiginator's screen is 800x480 which means it has a ratio closer to 16:10, which means old games using 4:3 ratio resolutions must be presented pillarboxed unless you accept severe image distortion.

Hmm, thx for the answer. I was looking also on wiki, and found that 5:4 is SXGA type, and has an aspect ratio of 1.25, which is not considered to be wide, according to wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SXGA

So, why this aspect ratio was choosed for the craiginator, and not a 4:3 one? Many of the games that craiginator can emulate, come from old TV consoles, which all had a 4:3 aspect ratio, so why not this aspect ratio?

 

[jpic3yk]

Ahem. 5:4 will NOT allow you to play old games without black bars. Old games use 4:3 resolution, which should be presented letterboxed on a 5:4 screen if you have properly configured setup (meaning you are using DVI cables and have set the video card to use correct aspect ratio scaling).
Additionally, the Craiginator's screen is 800x480 which means it has a ratio closer to 16:10, which means old games using 4:3 ratio resolutions must be presented pillarboxed unless you accept severe image distortion.

Hmm, thx for the answer. I was looking also on wiki, and found that 5:4 is SXGA type, and has an aspect ratio of 1.25, which is not considered to be wide, according to wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SXGA

So, why this aspect ratio was choosed for the craiginator, and not a 4:3 one? Many of the games that craiginator can emulate, come from old TV consoles, which all had a 4:3 aspect ratio, so why not this aspect ratio?


I read a while back that this ratio was picked because the screens are readily available and cheap, because they are often used in GPS units.

 

[Tobriand]

And, conversely, 640x480 screens are not, due to various agreements not to sell for unrecognised devices to prevent clones and similar...

 

[cappuchok]

Hmm, thx for the answer. I was looking also on wiki, and found that 5:4 is SXGA type, and has an aspect ratio of 1.25, which is not considered to be wide, according to wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SXGA
So, why this aspect ratio was choosed for the craiginator, and not a 4:3 one? Many of the games that craiginator can emulate, come from old TV consoles, which all had a 4:3 aspect ratio, so why not this aspect ratio?


Actually even a 4:3 screen (for example 1280x960) is wider than a 5:4 resolution like 1280x1024 (so there's NO surprise whatsoever that it can't be considered even remotely "wide", if anything it's more square). I really can't emphasize how much I loathe 5:4 ratio screens and it's even more annoying that many screens can't do internal aspect ratio correction (they just stretch to their native resolution without considering aspect ratio of the incoming signal) lest they're connected via DVI (where the display adapter can handle the aspect ratio).

I read a while back that this ratio was picked because the screens are readily available and cheap, because they are often used in GPS units.

That, and the team has also suggested that availability of 4:3 screens has been hampered by major corporations blocking their sources from selling to "unknown devices" for some reason or another.
EDIT: Tobriand beat me to it.
Anyway, since the device has a resolution that is readily compatible with standard VGA, I'm happy. Plus widescreen could really make the device more viable as a movie player as well (bye bye letterboxing).

 

[Exophase]

I always use bilinear interpolation when I scale my emu graphics on the PC.

But... that's not DaveC friendly!


I think it should come with many screens at varying resolutions that you can swap in and out, that way you will never have to use scaling at all and it'll always be perfect for whatever obscure arcade game you want to play.

 

[shinneri]

Wow! This topic is still going! I don't want to be the annoying person that asks for a recap of any developments, but can anyone give me a recap of any of the developments on this new handheld?

 

[Dead Ghost]

I found this image, showing a 4:3 picture inside a 5:4 picture: http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/2374/aspectratios6xw.gif
If that's accurate. then a 4:3 picture would only need some black bars in top and bottom, aka letterboxing. not that bad, imo.

 

[Alex.]

But the Craiginator isn't 5:4, lol...

 

[javaJake]

Wow! This topic is still going! I don't want to be the annoying person that asks for a recap of any developments, but can anyone give me a recap of any of the developments on this new handheld?

http://craiginator.bluwiki.com/

MWeston is planning on releasing information any week now.