[ydl-gen] cheapest, best display for PS3

[David Seikel]

On Sun, 25 Feb 2007 17:34:28 -0600 Nathan Moore <ntmoore at gmail.com>
wrote:

> I've seen a few of these video FAQ pages at YDL/IBM etc.  What I'm  
> hoping for is a post like: "Hey man, I'm using a $50 viewsonic
> panel, model number ^&*^%*&%&*, and it works just fine"

The basic problem is that there are too many restrictions on what Linux
can do with the video output of the PS3.  It's just a pain to do it
cleanly or cheaply.  Which is why the YDL on PS3 video HOWTO is so long.

You could use a DVI monitor, but it needs to be HDCP compliant, and
those tend to be big expensive wide screen monitors that are hard to
find.  The same applies to HDMI monitors.

You could use use wide screen Component video on an expensive HDTV.

You could use a cheap VGA monitor with a Component to VGA transcoder,
but you will only get wide screen resolutions stretched to fit onto a
square monitor.  Looks lousy on an LCD.  Cheap transcoders tend to
introduce artifacts into the video signal.

You could use a low resolution on a TV via S-Video or Composite, but
Linux sucks at low resolution.  Composite is the only output type
supported by the cables that come standard with the PS3, so every other
option will cost you more.

You could use VNC, ssh with X forwarding, or any other networked
display software to send the display to some other computer.  You at
least get a proper computer resolution out of it, but it requires
another computer.  No hardware acceleration, but Linux doesn't have
access to that anyway, so it wont make a difference at typical local
network speeds.

The PS3 is capable of doing ordinary VESA computer resolutions, but only
through HDCP, which is not cheap.  So the great majority of computer
users out there with the great majority of computer monitors are just
SOL.  If Sony just allowed the three VESA modes from OtherOS without
requiring HDCP, the PS3 would make a whole lot more sense as a
computer.  At the moment, it's just for niche markets that can put up
with this video output nonsense.

To put it simply in terms any scientist can understand:

PS3 + ordinary monitors or TVs = lousy output

PS3 + decent output = too expensive


BTW:

Hey man, I'm using a BENQ FP71G+S 17 inch LCD panel via a VDigi VD-Z3
Component to VGA transcoder, or via ssh+X11 through my other computer.
The transcoder adds a slight bit of ghosting and stretches the wide
screen 720p video format to fit my square monitor.  The ssh+X11 works
just fine.  B-)
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