Best settings to make it feel like the real thing.

[emufanatic]

Just wanting some suggestions on video settings and other stuff to make it get closer to real look of a TV.

I've messed with some different video settings but can't really make it look like the old TV. It's been ages I don't play on a real SNES so maybe my impressions are somewhat off though.

Thanks for developing this emu.

[Joe Camacho]

Your best bet is to connect your PC to your TV using tv-out. Even then, you might need to mess with the settings.

[creaothceann]

Use the NTSC filter if you want that look, else try interpolation. Use 32 kHz for audio.

PS: 640x480 allows 120 Hz (KitchenSync) on my system, try it (with Triple Buffering) via the config file for smooth animations.

[Agozer]

Playing using a computer monitor will never yield results that look exactly like on TV.

You might want to try the NTSC filter though, and mess around with the scanline options.

[blargg]

I've used the NES version of the NTSC filter on my old Mac connected to a TV via the composite video out and it's pretty damn close to a NES, even though the NES (and SNES) output a progressive (non-interlaced) signal and almost no PC TV-out cards do. The NTSC filter does help quite a bit, as the image comes out too clean when disabled.

I agree that on a computer monitor, it doesn't come out near as good. I think the inability to get the scanlines right is a big part. Maybe someone else can come up with an efficient filter that simulates the TV's electron beam and varying spot size...

[byuu]

The visible lines in progressive-mode output on TVs blur into the black lines, the ratio is approximately 70% to 30%. Ex:

C = colored, B = black

C
C
C
C
C
C <- bleeding color into black scanline
C <- bleeding color into black scanline
B
B
B

Computer monitors, especially LCD, do not have that problem with color bleeding.

In order to perfectly simulate that, you must run progressive at a resolution of 10x, 2560x2240. Yeah, not going to happen, exactly.

Your next option is to compromise on scanlines, eg darken them. You can double the resolution to 512x448, and blend every second scanline by 30%. It of course does not look like the real thing, because it's nothing like the real thing's output. You can raise to 3x resolution, 768x672, and draw every third scanline completely black, the first two normal. This is a 67:33% ratio, very close indeed. It looks a lot like TV scanlines like this. Ah, but now you have a new problem! Interlaced mode. Interlaced mode looks like crap when scaled from 512x448 -> 768x672, and the flickering of scanlines looks terrible as they affect two scanlines each.

Solution: the lowest common denominator for both progressive (3x) and interlace (2x) ... 6x scaling. 1536x1344. And if you want to support PAL overscan mode, 1536x1440.

The really neat thing is that my Viewsonic CRT actually supports 1536x1344 (which is 8:7 ratio), and indeed the output looks wonderful. But it's hardly a solution for everyone. My widescreen LCD monitor doesn't even get close at 1680x1050.

Not to mention, you'd have to code a different scanline rendering method for every scalar if you wanted to support any of the above. And thusly, most emulators just fall back on upscaling to 512x448, adding in darkened duplicated scanlines, and then scaling that to the user's requested size.

[kick]

I find it most accurate when running at 1920x1440 @ 60 Hz (CRT Display)
NTSC filter enabled
Triple buffering ON
Fullscreen (stretch to 4:3 aspect)
240 lines visible

No visible distortion of the 'scanlines' at this resolution.
The vertical resolution is the most important one,it must be a multiple of 224 or 240 (at least 6x),or everything will look like crap.
Yes,it uses a lot of resources,but that's the price you have to pay for accuracy

Since even the highest-end Apple HD Cinema Display (2560x1600) can't display 10x the SNES resolution,resolutions higher than 1440p are only useful for HQxX modes.
(Speaking of this,I haven't seen anything higher than HQ4x in any emulator so far.Where's the much needed HQ6x,now that our CPUs/GPUs are much faster and HD displays are more common?)

[creaothceann]

PS: I've found that turning Auto-Frameskip off in conjunction with Triple Buffering (or just plain VSync) is a bit more stable on lower-performance PCs.

Your monitor's refresh rate should be 60 Hz though (haven't tried it with KitchenSync).

[avoidz]

Does ZSNES support that wonderful squashed PAL 50 look? That would make me feel right at home

[darkuser9]

I find it most accurate when running at 1920x1440 @ 60 Hz (CRT Display)
NTSC filter enabled
Triple buffering ON
Fullscreen (stretch to 4:3 aspect)
240 lines visible

No visible distortion of the 'scanlines' at this resolution.
The vertical resolution is the most important one,it must be a multiple of 224 or 240 (at least 6x),or everything will look like crap.
Yes,it uses a lot of resources,but that's the price you have to pay for accuracy

Since even the highest-end Apple HD Cinema Display (2560x1600) can't display 10x the SNES resolution,resolutions higher than 1440p are only useful for HQxX modes.
(Speaking of this,I haven't seen anything higher than HQ4x in any emulator so far.Where's the much needed HQ6x,now that our CPUs/GPUs are much faster and HD displays are more common?)

How much of this can be done on a laptop.....also i don't have options for NTSC filter etc. I only have to boxes to check: "grayscale mode" and "vsync"......i'm using v1.51......erhh....yeah i'm a complete noob....>_<:

[Deathlike2]

I find it most accurate when running at 1920x1440 @ 60 Hz (CRT Display)
NTSC filter enabled
Triple buffering ON
Fullscreen (stretch to 4:3 aspect)
240 lines visible

No visible distortion of the 'scanlines' at this resolution.
The vertical resolution is the most important one,it must be a multiple of 224 or 240 (at least 6x),or everything will look like crap.
Yes,it uses a lot of resources,but that's the price you have to pay for accuracy

Since even the highest-end Apple HD Cinema Display (2560x1600) can't display 10x the SNES resolution,resolutions higher than 1440p are only useful for HQxX modes.
(Speaking of this,I haven't seen anything higher than HQ4x in any emulator so far.Where's the much needed HQ6x,now that our CPUs/GPUs are much faster and HD displays are more common?)

How much of this can be done on a laptop.....also i don't have options for NTSC filter etc. I only have to boxes to check: "grayscale mode" and "vsync"......i'm using v1.51......erhh....yeah i'm a complete noob....>_<:

You haven't mentioned what port you are using.

[darkuser9]

I find it most accurate when running at 1920x1440 @ 60 Hz (CRT Display)
NTSC filter enabled
Triple buffering ON
Fullscreen (stretch to 4:3 aspect)
240 lines visible

No visible distortion of the 'scanlines' at this resolution.
The vertical resolution is the most important one,it must be a multiple of 224 or 240 (at least 6x),or everything will look like crap.
Yes,it uses a lot of resources,but that's the price you have to pay for accuracy

Since even the highest-end Apple HD Cinema Display (2560x1600) can't display 10x the SNES resolution,resolutions higher than 1440p are only useful for HQxX modes.
(Speaking of this,I haven't seen anything higher than HQ4x in any emulator so far.Where's the much needed HQ6x,now that our CPUs/GPUs are much faster and HD displays are more common?)

How much of this can be done on a laptop.....also i don't have options for NTSC filter etc. I only have to boxes to check: "grayscale mode" and "vsync"......i'm using v1.51......erhh....yeah i'm a complete noob....>_<:

You haven't mentioned what port you are using.

Ok, i really am trying to learn here, so bare with me.....what's a port?

[Deathlike2]

A port is the OS (or special system) you intend to run the app on.

For instance, there is a DOS port, Windows port, and SDL port of ZSNES. The DOS port is intended for those that have slower systems and/or still using Windows9x. Windows port is for every modern Windows OS. The SDL port is primarily used for those that use some form of Linux.

To know what port you are using, goto Misc->About in ZSNES and it will you there.

[byuu]

Ok, i really am trying to learn here, so bare with me.....what's a port?

Translation: Windows ;)

[darkuser9]

I'm using the Win Version....and my operating system is XP......

[Deathlike2]

The NTSC filter is only available in the D modes (read the legend of what each letter means) in the Video modes.

[darkuser9]

My current settings are 512x448 R W when minimised and 640x480 S F when maximised to full screen.....what would you recommend....?

[Deathlike2]

There is no optimal setting exactly. Ideally, you want to use a 4:3 resolution (if not, you want to enable Keep 4:3 Ratio in the filters tab) and use a DS or Custom D/DS mode. You want to be able to hit 60fps consistantly anyways so increasing the resolution will increase the load.

[darkuser9]

There is no optimal setting exactly. Ideally, you want to use a 4:3 resolution (if not, you want to enable Keep 4:3 Ratio in the filters tab) and use a DS or Custom D/DS mode.

....but are the current resolutions i'm using too low.....

....also why exactly is the 4:3 ratio important....

... what settings do people here usually use?

You want to be able to hit 60fps consistantly anyways so increasing the resolution will increase the load.

could you explain this bit in a little more detail.....

[Deathlike2]

....but are the current resolutions i'm using too low.....

This is user preference. As long as the resolution is greater than 512x448, you are fine.

... what settings do people here usually use?

I can't speak for them. Depending on how fast/slow your system is.. if you're using a modern system, you could probably use the same resolution as your desktop. I can't speak for other options though.

could you explain this bit in a little more detail.....

If you don't reach 60fps (or 50fps for a PAL game), the game may not play "smooth" to you. If you are using a rather slow system, you want to reach the maximum as much as possible. As the resolution you use increases, the demands of the cpu increases as well. So, don't expect to use 1600x1200 if you are using a P2.

[byuu]

....also why exactly is the 4:3 ratio important....

Would you like the moon in the Chrono Trigger intro to look like a circle, or would you prefer it to look like an oval?
Would you prefer fullscreen character portraits in games to look anorexic or normal?
Ever seen standard TV on a widescreen monitor? Notice how everyone looks fatter, especially when you compare it to a regular TV side by side (sports bars are good for this, as they tend to have both TV types) ? The SNES is the same way, but vertical instead of horizontal, due to the way TVs differ from PC monitors. If you don't fix your aspect ratio, you stretch out the picture unnaturally. Most people don't notice, because they haven't played real SNES games on a real system in over a decade.

[creaothceann]

... what settings do people here usually use?

640x480 DS F on my stationary PC with a monitor + Interpolation and Triple Buffering. The low resolution allows for 120 Hz, see the config file & documentation.
(Maybe I should try VSync since TB has some lag... )

1024x768 DS F at 60 Hz on my laptop since that's the LCD's optimum.

You want to be able to hit 60fps consistantly anyways so increasing the resolution will increase the load.

could you explain this bit in a little more detail.....

A higher resolution means that more data has to be transferred to the video card per second (assuming ZSNES doesn't use hardware stretching).