Sony backtracks on upscale fix
They might sort it, apparently.
Having admitted last week that the PlayStation 3 won't upscale a 720p image to work on a 1080i HDTV, Sony America has now confused the issue a bit by admitting it's not sure whether anything will be done about it.
Speaking to GameDaily, SCEA spokesperson Dave Karraker said the company was "looking into the issue and haven't stated any actions that will be taken regarding it" - which is obviously some way short of the reported claim that it was working on a firmware update to address it.
The problem stems from the way PS3 handles its high-definition video output on older HDTV screens that only support 480p/480i and 1080i, coupled with games like Resistance: Fall of Man that offer a top resolution of 720p - the resolution that both Sony and Microsoft seem to have pegged as a console game sweet spot.
In those cases, what gamers expect to happen is for the 720p image to be "upscaled" to appear in 1080i. What's actually happening is that the console will only display 480p when it discovers the TV doesn't know what to do with a 720p image. Sony has previously said it considers this "an issue on the side of the individual television sets" - in other words, they're also blaming TVs that won't accept a 720p image and upscale it for themselves.
We'll let you know what happens with this, but it sounds like one to watch if you have an older TV and you're thinking of buying a PS3 next March.