Why console (ps3/xbox) 720p look so nice?
 

Why is it that a ps3 (or xbox360) game playing at 720p on a TV have such stunning graphic and looks so much nicer than a PC playing game at 720p?

i.e. when I set my PC to play COD4 at 1024x768 (max details), it looks kinda like crap compare to when I play COD4 on a PS3, on a 720p TV.

crappy video card?

yah you must have a really shitty computer. PC gaming looks WAY better.

1024 x 768 is a less than 720p

and you prob have a crappy video card.

ex. I have prototype on my computer and I have 4870x2 running 1080p smooth and it ran smooth and very very nice.

probably because you aren't getting a smooth screen on your PC...
and 1024x768, try playing on 1920x1200 resolution at max graphics (anti-aliasing tuned maxed)

i believe PC graphics is way more superior then on a console, but needs a good graphics card because the games are tuned to look good for the high end gaming computers out there... whereas the graphics on PS3 games are tuned to look good with what the PS3 can handle...

it is not a matter of video card, i know you can get much better graphic on PC than on console.

My question is just that why the SAME RESOLUTION seems to appears nicer on console game than PC game. (i.e. whether it is for 720p vs 768, or 1080p vs 1050/1200.)

No idea why you are having the problem, game specific? bad pc port?

i think it's the monitor size....for me things just look better overall on a 52" than a measely 22"...that and I feel percieve increased brightness and contrast makes the overall image crisper.

1024x768 is not 720p, most tvs are either 1280x720 or 1280x768; running at a non-native res of the tv/monitor is going to look shit.

1)does the tv have 1:1 pixel mapping?

2)does the tv have a dvi or vga input?

3)if not does the video card have hdmi out or support hdmi out w/ HDCP through a dvi-hdmi adapter?


we need more details, what do you mean by looks kinda crap?

You could have:

-incorrectly set up resolution (1024x768 scales incorrectly to 720p)
-a shitty TV (assuming the resolution is actually correct) that upscales poorly compared to the consoles.
-A shitty video card, which requires everything to be disabled to run the game
-Or you are just stupid

My guess is either #1 or #4. Most likely #4 (and by consequence, #1)

here is a bit more detail

game = COD4

PS3 setting:
HDMI output to 72" Toshiba DLP LCD 720p/1080i
(I don't know what's the actual output of the game is on PS3, i just pop it in and play. But since the TV is limited to 720p, i assume it plays at 720p)
My eyes is about 8ft from the TV

PC setting:
VGA output to a Dell 19" LCD monitor
Resolution set at 1024x768 in game, high texture/detail setting
My eyes is about 1.5ft from the monitor

and okay..i over exaggerated...it doesn't look like crap on PC. It still look nice, just not as nice as it seems on the PS3 + TV.

When I set the resolution on the PC to 1240x1024, the graphic looks similar to on the PS3+TV. But I never tried hooking up the PC to the TV or vice versa...(i never said I did...)
So the perceived image difference could be on the display?

Hook your PC to your 72", max out every setting for the video and then compare.

Yes PC gaming *can* look better than a console, but you've gotta have the hardware/correct settings to do so.

hmm... 10 years old monitor using VGA input comparing to a recently purchased lcd tv with HDMI input... hmm
you PS3 video card is probably better then your video card on your PC

That's because 1024x768 is NOT your LCD's native resolution, and I suspect 1280x1024 is, hence why it looks sharper. So yes...it's your display. If you use a resolution other than what your LCD's native resolution is, it'll look like crap.

And as other's have mentioned already, 1024x768 is NOT 720p....in fact 1024x768 is quite crappy by today's standards.

if you're using a VGA cable instead of a DVI or HDMI cable, it's also going to play a difference in quality

Looks like I was right ;)

Psycho you are wrong, VGA won't look any worse than a digital connection at such a low resolution. It's not the connection that changes the quality, it's the amount of info that can be passed through.

PEBKAC, folks. That is the cause of the OP's issues.

Go run your LCD at native resolution - and don't compare it to a 72" TV that's 8-10 feet away.

LOL - WTF?

Is your 19" LCD WIDESCREEN? Native for a 19" is 1440x900 generally on most 19" widescreen LCD's. You either have a stretched out resolution on a widescreen. Or if you have an old school 4:3 monitor, you most likely have a shit video card. Sorry.

PC games have much higher texture resolutions and should generally look better on a gaming rig that can take a beating. If you sat near your TV 1.5 feet away, you'd start to see all the imperfections too.

Anyways, buy a better rig for these beastly games. You're only ripping yourself off in the end.