PS3 MGS4 Graphics Problem?

[GentaiShinigami]

Greetings all.

Recently got a new (and first) HDTV for Christmas along with a PS3 and the obligatory MGS4. All seemed to be working well with the 360 I already had, everything is very crisp and clear no problems, but when playing MGS4 on the PS3 I have this very awkward graphical problem. It's rather hard to explain, but its like I'm looking through a (large rectangle holed) transparent mesh or something. I can see lots of large rectangles that create a sort of banding effect. They don't seem to move with the picture underneath though so it's very distracting when the camera moves. I've tried like ~8 other PS3 games and 3 blu-rays so far and have seen nothing else like it (GOW3 demo looked amazing for example, and NG2 looks great). Played ~10 360 games and several DVD's on said 360 and haven't seen the problem either.

The TV is a Samsung LN46C630 and everything is connected with monoprice HDMI cables. I've changed all display settings on the PS3 and TV and tried to run it through 720p instead of 1080p, but nothing changed. Going to try "auto" setting for display resolution on the PS3 in a bit when the wife is done with the 360 as I saw one post on the net where someone mentioned having the same effect and said that might help (if this does help any idea why this would be? I don't want to keep a TV that can't handle things properly ~.~). I'd try component cables, but I don't have any for the PS3 since I just got it. I have tried 1:1 pixel mapping on the TV also with same result.

I'm just concerned it's a problem with the TV handling something that's going on, and want to make sure before I have to ship a 46" TV back to Amazon.

BTW, what I'm seeing isn't individual pixels but rather like "groupings" of pixels. The effect isn't there on the title screen, and it's not there during the FMV with Sunny or the loading screens/opening logo screens. It is there during CS's and gameplay however. Honestly never seen anything like it in a game. Is this just the way the temporal AA and blur makes it look or am I having a display over HDMI problem? Any and all help would be really appreciated!

This isn't exactly what it looks like (this one is more diagonal and smaller blocks than mine is) but it's the best picture I could find on the net of what I'm seeing:

http://i27.tinypic.com/dnd4bo.jpg

[Reality]

sounds like screendoor effect

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen-door_effect

edit: just read through the wiki article and noticed it only mentions projection televisions. this has been known to happen on LCD tv's as well just FYI, I would google screen door effect and your TV model for more information, or post on avsforum.com in the LCD section

[GentaiShinigami]

Yeah, I've been looking at screen-door effect, but this isn't it. These aren't individual pixel boundaries I'm seeing they are giant blobs of pixels divided into large rectangles. No other game or signal does it (including USB stick vids) so I know it's not screen-door of the traditional variety or it'd be visible always (individual pixel boundaries - you have to be <1ft close to see those on my TV). There is something screwy going on with just MGS4 and I just can't figure out what it would be.

I had thought it was perhaps a busted HDMI cable causing problems, but I can see everything else (including Blu-Ray) working beautifully while MGS4 looks like ass. ~_~

[Reality]

I wonder if MGS4 does something differently than other games when it comes to how the PS3 displays it's graphics, like uses a substandard or off-standard weirdo resolution, similar to what Halo3 does. Then again, it begs the question why doesn't anyone else with MGS4 experience this problem

So break it down:

It's MGS4 (HIGHLY UNLIKELY)
It's your PS3 (My guess, as of this moment)
It's your TV (Possibly, but unlikely)

So you haven't actually tried changing the HDMI cables, just to eliminate it as a possibility? Also, have you tried doing a factory reset on your TV settings? Borrow a friends PS3 and put your copy of MGS4 in, and see what happens?

[GentaiShinigami]

I wonder if MGS4 does something differently than other games when it comes to how the PS3 displays it's graphics, like uses a substandard or off-standard weirdo resolution, similar to what Halo3 does. Then again, it begs the question why doesn't anyone else with MGS4 experience this problem

So break it down:

It's MGS4 (HIGHLY UNLIKELY)
It's your PS3 (My guess, as of this moment)
It's your TV (Possibly, but unlikely)

So you haven't actually tried changing the HDMI cables, just to eliminate it as a possibility? Also, have you tried doing a factory reset on your TV settings? Borrow a friends PS3 and put your copy of MGS4 in, and see what happens?

Just tried the suggestion the guy in this thread gave:

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?ui...36&topic=13639

But to no avail. Automatic for resolution under display settings made no difference. I know MGS4 is a native 1024x768 which is then upconverted to 720 and again i think to 1080p (the game does the upconverting to 1080). Unfortunately, I don't have a friend with either an HDTV or a PS3 (I live in the sticks) that I could use for testing. I'm digging out the HDMI cable that came with the 360 atm to see if that helps the problem. I also tried switching the HDMI port the PS3 was in, but that didn't help either. I just can't understand why the title screen which is ingame rendered doesn't do it but the game itself does. @_@ Also, I don't think it's an upconvert problem since the cutscenes are supposed to be 1080p in MGS4. I'm so confused atm, and really hoping it's not my TV.

At this point all I can really find out is if it's looking that way for everyone (that screenshot was from a guy who wasn't complaining about the boxes I am, he was complaining about the lack of good AA in MGS4 so maybe everyone isn't bothered by it?). Watching the Batman Arkham Asylum demo the opening cinematic had the same effect, but to my knowledge those are usually compressed pretty hard to make it easier to download them so that is making me wonder if this is some kind of compression issue with MGS4. Arkham Asylum didn't do it ingame btw just the opening cinematic. @_@

Also, people complained that watching MGS4 made them feel like watching it through a bad LCD bcecause of it's temporal AA. Don't have any experience with that technology, but maybe this is what's causing this annoying grid? Either way thank you for the help! I've looked about as much as you possibly can online and don't have any way to verify how MGS looks on another TV so figured this was my only hope outside of registering on a new forum.

Edit: Tried a TV pic reset and that also had no effect at all. Trying my 360 elite's HDMI cable now.

[warc]

Try reinstalling the game to your ps3? MGS4 is weird in that its fucking huge and requires you to install some stuff to HD for each act before playing. Could be an error when installing some textures or something.

[GentaiShinigami]

Try reinstalling the game to your ps3? MGS4 is weird in that its fucking huge and requires you to install some stuff to HD for each act before playing. Could be an error when installing some textures or something.

Thanks I'll give that a shot. I'm assuming I just need to go into the memory of the PS3 and delete the game install data (this won't trash my saves will it?) and just reload the save and let snake smoke his cigs?

I just tried my elites HDMI cable and while the picture did get quite a bit more washed out and blacks got a bit more grey (I'm assuming cause the HDMI cable probably sucks since it's for a 1~2 year old 360 elite). Much prefer the monoprice cable's IQ to the 360's.

At this point I'm starting to think I just have too clear of eyes and am nitpicking the shit out of it since it's my first HDTV and A. not used to the clarity and glaring imperfections games actually have but couldn't see on my out of focus rear projection and B. nit-picking hard to make sure the TV I got was solid and doesn't need to be sent back before my 30 days is up!

Be nice if someone on here has a similiar setup (1080p LCD with PS3 and MGS4 through HDMI) and could tell me if they see the rectangles (gonna have to get <=6 feet from the set likely, closer if smaller than a 46" probably but IDK for sure). It's the most obvious during cutscenes and against lighter tones like browns and greens, but apparently is like an effect on the entire screen.

Also, I noticed the disc for MGS4 (greatest hits from dell.com) is very "wobbly" on the back where it's been burnt, and none of my other PS3 games are (though this only includes NG2, 3d Dot Heroes, God of War collection, Disgea 3 and MGS4). They all look perfect and solid. The 3 blu-rays I rented all look wobbly on the back though so I'm guessing that doesn't make a difference.

[warc]

Yeah, there should be separate data for the chapter install and your save data. I have a setup similar to yours but no idea what you are talking about. Any chance you could get a pic of it or something? I haven't touched mgs4 in a long time but I don't really remember any glaringly obvious problems like what you are talking about.

[GentaiShinigami]

OK here is a screen grab I found that sorta shows it (though the rectangles are obviously much smaller if you are viewing it on a PC monitor for obvious reasons).

http://gamingbolt.com/wp-content/upl...ion_MGS4_1.jpg

You can sorta see it in the lights bloom in the splinter cell pic, and for the MGS4 one you can see it especially good on snakes chin. It doesn't stand out quite so bad on this pic because it's so small and compressed some probably. I'll try to get a pic of my actual screen that shows it though with my crappy camera I'm not sure how well this will fare.

Btw, I didn't notice this until the very last cutscene of act 2 when i decided to move to chair from off the bed and went to swivel the TV and accidentally hit the power button (they are these freaking invisible touch strip buttons that piss me off to no end). Anyway, I turned it back on and sat down (about 3-4 feet closer mind you - probably ~5 feet from the screen now), and from then on I saw it and "can't unsee" I guess you would say. So it may be that people just aren't noticing it for whatever reason.

At first I thought perhaps I hurt the TV or something, but everything else plays fine on it, and killing the power and waiting >60 secs before turning back on (i counted >.>) really should not hurt it.

Edit: The Splinter Cell pic is fine by me if it looked like that. The MGS4 is however not ok. You have to look hard and get close to see what I mean, but you should see a definite rectangle pattern in the picture (looks like compression artifacts, and may very well be idk too amateur at this stuff).

Edit2: If you look at this pic it's exactly like this but nowhere near as severe in quality distortion. Just the pattern itself is the same (I assume that pic from wiki is REALLY compressed to demonstrate the effect clearly while MGS4 would be much less subdued). I'm just gonna chalk it up to the game being 1024x768 and being upconverted to 720p then 1080p inside the games software causing compression artifacts or something until someone can guide me in a better direction.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ily_cm-150.jpg