TSB ROMs and HDTV lag

[Slowtaps McGee]

When I play my nes console thru my new HDTV, there is unavoidable lag to some extent. Do any of you know if playing a ROM thru a PC using the TV as a monitor would still produce this effect? Or, does the PC as a source eliminate the gameplay lag? Any help is appreciated! Also, I apologize if I should post this in another section, but the layout and categories confused me a bit. Thanks, again.

[TecmoTurd]

I play mine on my HDTV all the time. No lag...what emulator are you using, how good is your video card, what kind of lag (button lag, ghosting, etc). Elaborate some more on what you're seeing...

[Slowtaps McGee]

Well with my console it just a 'regular' lag- like every action is delayed just a teenie bit after a button is pressed. I've found there is a way to minimize it (game mode, etc), but it's always there, impossible to competely negate. So I was just curious if there will be that wee bit of delay if I played in thru the PC. It will be Nestopia 1.40 and a inspiron 530S PC. This may not be enough info, but I totally appreciate the response.

[bruddog]

I played on my HD plasma once through the monitor port. Trying to remember if it was lagged. I think once I got the settings right it was good but I could be wrong.

[cxrom]

I've heard that some HDTVs choke when the upscaler converts the NES's 240p video into 720p HDMI. "Game mode" attempts to correct this by upscaling with speed in mind rather than image quality. An external upscaler might fix the problem, but your mileage may vary.

[Slowtaps McGee]

Thx for the response guys, and Bruddog if there ae settings that would help, please let me know as well if you remember. As a little follow up, I just started playing ROMs (as opposed to NES repros) and I can't tell if it's just because I am not used to how it looks, or if it actually plays "faster" on the ROM as opposed to the cart. I feel like it may be the HD quality thru the PC monitor giving me a bit of an optical illusion of sorts, but if there are settings that need to be changed to give it that TSB 'original' feel, let me know!

[buck]

you need a real (old? ) analog TV (no analog to digital conversion going on) to get the real feel of the NES. So take your nice HDTV and use it for digital output games only.

Most importantly, ROMs on a computer are close - but no cigar - compared to the real deal cart. If you think that a ROM feels faster, then your TV is surely fucked for this particular usage. Like my CPU monitor says on its front case - "2ms response", that means it's 2 ms (a long fucking time for electricity) behind "reality".

I've hooked my NES up to my parents "nice" big-ass LCD TV and I couldn't stand playing it - it was lagging, like you say.

So, go to the local pawn shop, or local thrift store and spend $20 to get a real TV. If there's any sort of analog to digital conversion going on, then you're not getting the true NES feel (which is most important reason if using NES carts/console).

[Slowtaps McGee]

Very helpful, but just let me lay out the situation:

I play your 'LAST' update on a Repro cart on an old analog TV. Love it! However, come tourney time with the buds, I have to carry that pile down 13 steep steps and plop it down RIGHT in front of my expensive Space-age super awesome Samsung hdtv 1080p 120hz in order to play lagless TSB. Irony Head Hayward right there. A sight to behold, my janky 25" analog sitting in front of my beautiful 46" HD Samsung paperweight during Tecmo!

Bottom line is that I can't shell out $25 for every update, so in a perfect world I would like to be able to play udpated ROMs thru my PC using the HDTV as a monitor for tournaments.

It doesn't need to have 100% authentic feel, I just yearn for lagless play on updated ROMs with my friends on the nice TV without hiring a moving team. I mean, I don't want the 'feel' to be SO different that it is constantly noticeabe and off-putting and doesn't feel like Tecmo anymore, but from your answer I'm thinking the differences aren't THAT big of deal like lag would be.

FYI, I haven't done the obvious thing and just tried it, one b/c its a pain lugging my PC down and around, but also b/c my lack of dexterity using the keyboard as a game pad prevents me from being able to tell if it's lagging. My NES usb adapters are en route.

Anything else would be awesome.

[bruddog]

I'd have to hook it up again to see and I am without a laptop at the moment.

Just did some searching:

1. Your best bet is to use a laptop or computer and connect to the VGA port on your TV if it has one. That should all but elminate lag if the VGA port from your computer is outputting in the TV's native resolution. Make sure your computer/laptop resolution matches that of the TV. It's a bit trickier with laptops since the output resolution is often diferent than the one on the laptop screen and has to be configured. Also you can use PS3 controllers on your computer if you already have some saving you some money.

2. Lcxrom's suggestions(GAME MODE) are accurate. You could try an external upscaler but some of those introduce lag as well.

I also have a plasma which might help a bit as well:

" An area where plasma excels is response time. Plasmas have instantaneous response at the pixel level. This makes for better performance with fast action."

[Slowtaps McGee]

Hey guys you've been a great help, but I have another question. I got my NES pad retrozoned out to usb, but now I get a lag even playing on my PC (man game, not internet game). Is there a setting on NEstopia or something that helps the input controller response seem "normal" and immediate? I want to try out the HDTV with the ROM and let you guys know if it lags, but I'm getting a lag on the PC. Help IS appreciated!

[Rodman49]

I would ask whoever "retrozoned" your pad. I was very interested in doing this also because my fightpad won't take the kind of controller punishment that Tecmo causes. The fact that my 4 NES controllers still work 100% since 1991 is completely insane - I've had to press "A" on them at least 5 million times.