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MidniteArrow
05-01-2002, 11:17 PM
I'm trying to get Burnout to work in 1080i and I'm having difficulties.

Xbox (of course)
Yamaha RX-V1000 A/V Receiver
Microsoft Hi Def A/V Pack
Mitsubishi 55" Platinum Plus HDTV Ready TV
Burnout (Supposed to support 1080i)

I have tried bypassing the Receiver with no luck. When the game starts, the TV is receiving a 480p signal. The 1080i option is set to "yes" in the XBox menu. I even tried setting 480p to no in the XBox setup. The game then downgraded to 480i.

The component cables out of the XBox are plugged into a component input on the TV labelled as 1080i component in.

DZNUTZ
05-01-2002, 11:34 PM
wish i could help..but i don't have an hdtv yet (hopefully within a month) ...anywayz..if u don't get an answer this evening , check back around noon tommorow...more people seem to be in during the day....and will probably be able to help...anywayz..good luck, and welcome to xba:)

LynxFX
05-02-2002, 12:26 AM
Burnout is not a 1080i title. 480p is as high as you are going to get with any Xbox game so far.

But just to be safe, where did you hear that Burnout was a 1080i title? If it is then I might try and rent it to give a shot on my system.

LynxFX
05-02-2002, 12:33 AM
Ok after doing some research it looks like this might be another case of marketing BS by game developers. :mad: :mad: :mad:

From Acclaim's website:

HDTV and Progressive Scan support - for users with high-definition display or digital TV: Burnout is crisp and interlace-free when displayed on a High-Definition TV, running up to 1080i or 720p!

Sounds very promising until you get to the bottom and read this:

High resolution: Burnout runs at 640x480 resolution for incredibly sharp and detailed graphics.

That is a 4x3 480p resolution. :( :mad: :( Not even 16x9 but definately not Hi Def of 720p(1280x720) or 1080i(1920x1080). Sounds like we got Burned again. Pun intended.

Keep an eye out for Test Drive this month. That is yet another title to be rumored of having 1080i support...for real.

Norse
05-02-2002, 12:35 AM
Actually...Burnout is the very first xbox game to support 720p.

It is in the press release..it says 480p(gamecube) and up to 720P on xbox.

But 1080i is not an option yet on any xbox games. Soon I hope.


so, 480p and 720p will work with Burnout. All other xbox games so far only support 480p.


-Norse

LynxFX
05-02-2002, 12:52 AM
Thanks for the info Norse but have you personally tried it? Also is it widescreen? No mention of that on Acclaim's website.

Midnight Arrow,

It looks like if Burnout does only support 720p and not 1080i then with your tv you wont' get any higher than 480p. I checked out the specs for your tv and it doesn't support 720p, just 480p and 1080i. Sorry mate.

MidniteArrow
05-02-2002, 02:18 AM
Well, this title is supposed to support 1080i, and Acclaim seemed to think it should work when I called them. I'm taking the box to the A/V store in the morning to test it out on some other TVs. I'll hook it up to a plasma while I'm there to test 720p. I can tell you for sure that even at 480p it is a "real" widescreen release. If you kick it down to 4x3, everything looks squished.

MidniteArrow
05-02-2002, 10:11 AM
*bump*

l Maximus l
05-02-2002, 11:02 AM
Sweet! If Burnout supports 720p, I'll definately check it out! My HDTV will support it!!

Lynxfx...isn't it great to see that developers are now thinking about this? This is extremely positive news! Also, thanks for the heads-up on Test Drive! :)

DZNUTZ
05-02-2002, 11:09 AM
pun intended!!!! lynxfx..u stole my line u lil......:D

l Maximus l
05-02-2002, 11:19 AM
DZNUTZ...dude! Are you really on the market for an HDTV?!? If so, you DEFINATELY won't regret it! Playing on a Widescreen with component video cables takes games to an extremely new level! If you haven't seen it in action, prepare to be blown away! :D

I did a lot of research and I ended up purchasing a Toshiba 50" Widescreen HDTV. It is #2 according to Consumer reports. The #1 is by Pioneer which costs twice as much!!! So, of course, I went with the Toshiba :D I knew that I couldn't go wrong with it and I was right!

It has a technology built in that reduces or completely illiminates the possibility for burn-in. Basicially, the screen actually moves, but, it can't be noticed by the naked eye...it moves just enough so that still images don't burn in the screen! Of course, I still take the necessary precautions, however, it's really nice that this HDTV has this feature! I thought I would let you know :)

techie
05-02-2002, 11:26 AM
So, has anyone been able to run Burnout in any
mode other than 480p yet? I wasn't all that interested
in it before, but if it really supports HD and widescreen
I may pick it up myself.

MidniteArrow
05-02-2002, 01:39 PM
Well all, bad news. I just got back from the A/V store and there is no joy, I repeat, no joy. I hooked the Xbox up to an HDTV with a built in tuner/decoder and to a plasma. The game did not sync to anything higher than 480p. I'm about to call Acclaim and *****. The intro screen/menu on the Xbox did however sync up at 525 / 60 (525 lines of resolution, progressive scan, 60 fps I'm assuming), which was interesting (this only happened on the plasma TV).

l Maximus l
05-02-2002, 01:43 PM
Originally posted by MidniteArrow
Well all, bad news. I just got back from the A/V store and there is no joy, I repeat, no joy. I hooked the Xbox up to an HDTV with a built in tuner/decoder and to a plasma. The game did not sync to anything higher than 480p. I'm about to call Acclaim and *****. The intro screen/menu on the Xbox did however sync up at 525 / 60 (525 lines of resolution, progressive scan, 60 fps I'm assuming), which was interesting (this only happened on the plasma TV).

I'm sure you know that the disc would have to be formatted with 720p to be able to produce it. So, if Acclaim is advertising that it can be formatted to 720p, it should. If it doesn't, I would call Acclaim and ask them what the deal is.

As of right now, there are no XBox games that support anything higher than 480p, as you may know. Of course, the games are still first generation XBox games..2nd and 3rd generation should have higher capabilities...I can't wait for 1080i games!!! :eek:

LynxFX
05-02-2002, 02:05 PM
This sucks. I keep hearing this at other forums as well. The people that keep claiming it does run at 720p never personally saw and all of those that have tried failed. :(

I did email Acclaim anyway asking why they falsely advertise 720p and 1080i on their website. Still waiting on a reply. (sent it last night)

I just want to see what a game looks like using a high res. :( Right Max. :)

DZNUTZ, Couldn't resist. :D

MidniteArrow
05-02-2002, 02:43 PM
These guys suck. Now I'm waiting for them to call me back. There was no menu option on their phone system for console technical support, only PC support. When I finally found an option to talk to a human, I was told they would have a qualified person call me. I'm not holding my breath.

BTW: if anyone is still unsure whether this game is SUPPOSED to support HDTV, this is from their website:

"HDTV and Progressive Scan support - for users with high-definition display or digital TV: Burnout is crisp and interlace-free when displayed on a High-Definition TV, running up to 1080i or 720p!"

http://www.acclaim.com/games/burnout/features/index.html

Additionally, the box features the HDTV logo listed in the options on the back.

l Maximus l
05-02-2002, 02:53 PM
Originally posted by MidniteArrow
These guys suck. Now I'm waiting for them to call me back. There was no menu option on their phone system for console technical support, only PC support. When I finally found an option to talk to a human, I was told they would have a qualified person call me. I'm not holding my breath.

BTW: if anyone is still unsure whether this game is SUPPOSED to support HDTV, this is from their website:

"HDTV and Progressive Scan support - for users with high-definition display or digital TV: Burnout is crisp and interlace-free when displayed on a High-Definition TV, running up to 1080i or 720p!"

http://www.acclaim.com/games/burnout/features/index.html

Additionally, the box features the HDTV logo listed in the options on the back.

Yeah, that is tacky how they are advertising that...unless there is something that we are all missing. Maybe there is an option on the game menu or something. It's not normal for a company to advertise something as huge as this and then being false about it. So, there has to be something missing here... :confused:

DBXNY
05-02-2002, 05:56 PM
Originally posted by MidniteArrow
These guys suck. Now I'm waiting for them to call me back. There was no menu option on their phone system for console technical support, only PC support. When I finally found an option to talk to a human, I was told they would have a qualified person call me. I'm not holding my breath.

BTW: if anyone is still unsure whether this game is SUPPOSED to support HDTV, this is from their website:

"HDTV and Progressive Scan support - for users with high-definition display or digital TV: Burnout is crisp and interlace-free when displayed on a High-Definition TV, running up to 1080i or 720p!"

http://www.acclaim.com/games/burnout/features/index.html

Additionally, the box features the HDTV logo listed in the options on the back.


Why not try a little test. Set your X-box to "no" for 480p and "yes" for 720p. If you get a scrambled or no picture from the game, then I would say it's because it's outputting 720p. If you get a perfect picture, then it's not, which will mean the game is only up to 480p.

MidniteArrow
05-02-2002, 06:04 PM
That test is flawed. The problem is this: when you are trying to get 720p (or any other upper end mode) to work, the system actually does some synchronization with the monitor to verify that it will work. At least I think it does. If the monitor doesn't support it, it shouldn't do anything. In this case, it will downconvert the output to 480i. Even if this handshaking is not going on, when I try this, the signal I get is 480i. I did try turning 720p on when I hooked it to the plasma TV at the A/V store with no luck.

I'm thinking they put this info out there but the software that was released does not really support the upper resolutions. Hooked up to a plasma TV there should not be any problems, but there were. All I got during gameplay was 480p (Xbox dashboard actually went into 525p, 60 fps, widescreen which was kinda cool)

DBXNY
05-02-2002, 08:17 PM
Originally posted by MidniteArrow
That test is flawed. The problem is this: when you are trying to get 720p (or any other upper end mode) to work, the system actually does some synchronization with the monitor to verify that it will work. At least I think it does. If the monitor doesn't support it, it shouldn't do anything. In this case, it will downconvert the output to 480i. Even if this handshaking is not going on, when I try this, the signal I get is 480i. I did try turning 720p on when I hooked it to the plasma TV at the A/V store with no luck.

I'm thinking they put this info out there but the software that was released does not really support the upper resolutions. Hooked up to a plasma TV there should not be any problems, but there were. All I got during gameplay was 480p (Xbox dashboard actually went into 525p, 60 fps, widescreen which was kinda cool)

Actually, no there is no verification. It it doesn't sinc, you'll either get no picture or a scrambled picture. Try outputting a 480p signal from a progressive-scan dvd player to a non-capbable TV input and you'll see the effect. Sounds to me the disc only supports 480p.

LynxFX
05-03-2002, 02:07 AM
Here is one more reason why not to pay for IGN's website.

Their review of Burnout says:

Supports Dolby 5.1
* True 16:9 widescreen mode, so videophiles with compatible TVs can see more of the courses
* Progressive scan HDTV support lets you play Burnout in 720p (yes 720p) for a sharp, vibrant display

Yeah right. This coming from a site that once stated that when you buy the HD A/V pack you can play every game in 1080i and they confirmed that it looked beautiful!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

The search goes on...not a single person on any forum has gotten this game above 480p.

jschelm
05-03-2002, 02:20 AM
I am not a lawyer, but this sounds like a major falls advertising lawsuit to me.

LynxFX
05-03-2002, 02:21 AM
Originally posted by jschelm
I am not a lawyer, but this sounds like a major falls advertising lawsuit to me.

I'm with you on that, especially when their website, the box, and their press release all have contradicting information, and oddly all of them are wrong. :mad:

MidniteArrow
05-03-2002, 04:46 PM
Well, I just got off the phone with their tech support yet again. Evidently, there is only 1 person in the entire organization with the expertise to answer this question, and he/she has not been into work for three days. Yeah.... right. If you believe that I've got a bridge to sell you. I'll give them until monday and then I'm returning the game. Hopefully I will not be able to and it will give me an excuse to sue Acclaim. That'd be fun.

MidniteArrow
05-06-2002, 09:31 PM
Well, I tested one more configuration today, and discovered an earlier error in my report.

I tested the game with the Monster Gamelink 400 X cable hooked to a Sony 32" Plasma (I think it was 32" at least). No luck. 480p.

I earlier reported that the plasma display synched up with the Xbox at 525p / 60. This is not true. The Plasma display was just receiving a 480i signal and then converting it internally to 525p / 60. Sorry for the false hopes.

techie
05-07-2002, 07:35 AM
Guy's, I think you are getting a little too carried away with
this. I looked all over their website and nowhere did it
specifically say that the game supports 720p or 1080i.

The following line:

"HDTV and Progressive Scan support - for users with high-
definition display or digital TV: Burnout is crisp and interlace-free
when displayed on a High-Definition TV, running up to 1080i or
720p!"

They are simply saying that the game is going to look good
on any HDTV that supports up to these resolutions. Not that
the game actually supports these resolutions. I know, its
technical doublespeak, but it is an accurate statement.

Also they state further down the following:

"High resolution: Burnout runs at 640x480 resolution for
incredibly sharp and detailed graphics"

Here they are being very specific about which resolution the
game supports, 480p, no other resolution is listed anywhere
else, nor is there anything on the box other than the HDTV
logo, which again technically is true.

So as to them making false statements, not really, they just
word it in such a way that it is easy to misinterpret.

MidniteArrow
05-07-2002, 10:23 AM
HDTV has two resolutions: 720p and 1080i. 480p, while great, is not an HDTV resolution. The HDTV logo on the box means that the title supports one or both of these two resolutions (720p or 1080i). Additionally, they have issued press releases stating that the Xbox version supports 720p. It is one of their "features" above and beyond the Gamecube version. If 480p was a valid resolution to carry the HDTV logo, every game out there would carry it.

The statement that the game supports resolutions "up to 1080i or 720p" can be interpreted that it only supports resolutions below these, but that would be a false interpretation of what the linguistics mean. Given this statment, there should be some hardware configuration that can be set up that will display the game in 720p and there should be some hardware configuration, possibly not the same, that will display the game in 1080i. If this is not true, this represents false advertising. It is lying to sell a product, and it is illegal. We have gotten too used to companies misleading the public to sell a product.

LynxFX
05-07-2002, 12:52 PM
Right on MidniteArrow. I'm sick of companies using HDTV as a throw away term when they obviously do not know what the specs actually are.

Like you said 480p is not an HDTV resolution. It is EDTV (Enhanced Definition TV) and started with digital sets. If a company puts the HDTV logo on the box then I should rightfully assume that it supports either 720p or 1080i. Burnout does neither. Like you said, they lied and it is wrong and yet they still get away with it. :mad:

MidniteArrow
05-07-2002, 01:00 PM
I do not plan on letting Acclaim "get away with it". If I do not receive some assistance on this from Acclaim by COB tomorrow, I'm calling my lawyer. This is unacceptable. I don't mind if they messed up, or do not know what HDTV is. Sure, it's a big mistake, but it's a mistake. However, they lied to us, and now they are ignoring us. If they do not truely support HDTV, they should recall the product, fix the logos on the box, and make a public apology for the error.

LynxFX
05-07-2002, 01:09 PM
Good call Midnite. Let us know what happens. I still never got a reply from Acclaim whom I emailed on the 2nd asking why they show the HDTV logo and say 720p yada yada yada but the game doesn't support them.

MidniteArrow
05-09-2002, 12:15 AM
Well, bad news: the end consumer can not sue for false advertisement. There are state laws in place so you don't have to. You just prove they did the crime and they have to reimburse you for the product. So, I just returned the game. I suggest everyone else who bought it (for HDTV gaming anyway) should do the same thing.