Why did consoles run at 720p, not 768p

[Sharkyx1]

On a broader point, why was the media standard 1280x720, but the hardware standard was 1366x768?

The "HDReady" standard was digitally 720p,yet the TV's physical resolution was 768p,yet neither console ever supported it as an output for games that would have been able to run at that res, instead opting for a hard switch between 720/1080. Seems like they dropped the ball not offering a native 768 resolution.

Then again this also reflects on all the content sold at 720,what's the deal with the split between the content resolution and the actual TV's, luckily this doesn't happen with 1080p,but it seems really odd

[ImBleu]

A few console games ( Watch_dogs, maybe? ) ran at 928p or something stupid like that on one of the consoles, They do sometimes go for weird resolutions, but generally stick to standards like 720, 768, 1050 & 1080p.

[minibois]

because 720p is the same aspect ratio as 1080p

[Ertman]

because 720p is the same aspect ratio as 1080p

So is the 768p (1366) resolution.

So is the 1366x768 resolution.

[minibois]

So is the 768p (1366) resolution.

lel, i couldn't do the math.

I'm gonna guess many engines don't support 1366x768 and the devs were too lazy to optimize the game or something so just ran it at 720p

[Sakkura]

So is the 768p (1366) resolution.

 

It's very close, but not exact. Which means if you don't leave a slim black border, you'd end up with interpolated pixels all over the place.

 

I don't know why shaving a couple rows of pixels would be a big deal though.

[Ertman]

It's very close, but not exact. Which means if you don't leave a slim black border, you'd end up with interpolated pixels all over the place.

 

I don't know why shaving a couple rows of pixels would be a big deal though.

lel, i couldn't do the math.

I'm gonna guess many engines don't support 1366x768 and the devs were too lazy to optimize the game or something so just ran it at 720p

720 is the standard, but I don't know why TV sets and monitors are designed with a native resolution of 768. Yes you will interpolated pixels all over, so why is hardware done this way.

[msvelev]

lel, i couldn't do the math.

I'm gonna guess many engines don't support 1366x768 and the devs were too lazy to optimize the game or something so just ran it at 720p

Don't call devs lazy. The project has a budget and a time frame(usually when the budget ends). If the game isn't optimized it isn't because the devs were too lazy, but the project came to an end. No one will work for free, and the company sees a playable game and says that's enough.

[minibois]

720 is the standard, but I don't know why TV sets and monitors are designed with a native resolution of 768. Yes you will interpolated pixels all over, so why is hardware done this way.

Because TV makers are weird.

There is still a lot of TV shows and stuff at 480p or something.

I dont get TV's....

[soup]

On a broader point, why was the media standard 1280x720, but the hardware standard was 1366x768?

 

The hardware needs more lines that are not really visible (historically teletext and such used these lines 1281~1366)

 

Side to side (721~768), maybe these were to allow variations in clock timing(visible as moving the entire image left or right), to enable variations in individual sets.

 

I would imagine there was something along these lines which is not really relevant today but needed to be taken into account back in the dim and distant.

[Ostwind]

Because Resolution is just a number.

[Sharkyx1]

Well here's the obvious answer ain't and Microsoft never allowed 768 output even if devs did or didn't want it, I've never seen an interview ever a Dev even mentions the possibility of it

Is not that important anymore now that 1080 is ubiquitous, but for the whole 7th gen it seems like it could have been an interesting compromise between the two main resolutions, especially since there weren't really native 720 TV's in any large amount

[Sharkyx1]

A few console games ( Watch_dogs, maybe? ) ran at 928p or something stupid like that on one of the consoles, They do sometimes go for weird resolutions, but generally stick to standards like 720, 768, 1050 & 1080p.

watch dogs was 14xx*792 on Xbox one,1600*900 on PS4. but it still output either 720 or 1080, my question was basically why consoles never took advantage of the extra res that was available but never used

[Sharkyx1]

The hardware needs more lines that are not really visible (historically teletext and such used these lines) I would imagine there was something along these lines which is not really relevant today but needed to be taken into account back in the dim and distant.

The one wrench in that logic is you can hook a PC to a 768 TV and use all the resolution, but consoles never would, it seems like they should have been able to take advantage of the extra res, but maybe it was something they did in search of perfect compatibility.

[Ertman]

Because TV makers are weird.

There is still a lot of TV shows and stuff at 480p or something.

I dont get TV's....

Well 480 was a resolution, native hardware and broadcast. Same with 1080. 720 and 768 seem to be the outlier.

watch dogs was 14xx*792 on Xbox one,1600*900 on PS4. but it still output either 720 or 1080, my question was basically why consoles never took advantage of the extra res that was available but never used

Well the consoles in order to not have to turn down graphic and game settings due to hardware limitations, they used lower resolutions. The display device outputs at their native resolution, and the console scales the image accordingly for better quality output instead of relying on the display to do the scaling.

[minibois]

Don't call devs lazy. The project has a budget and a time frame(usually when the budget ends). If the game isn't optimized it isn't because the devs were too lazy, but the project came to an end. No one will work for free, and the company sees a playable game and says that's enough.

Yeah, I was not exactly being serious with my post

I know how game development works. But I am just saying your statement about 

"No one will work for free"

Is not exactly true. There are devs who work unpaid hours to get their game done.

[Sharkyx1]

Well 480 was a resolution, native hardware and broadcast. Same with 1080. 720 and 768 seem to be the outlier.

720 was standardized as well, it's just 768 that's goofy

[msvelev]

Yeah, I was not exactly being serious with my post

I know how game development works. But I am just saying your statement about 

"No one will work for free"

Is not exactly true. There are devs who work unpaid hours to get their game done.

People without wife/kids maybe. The only time you can work for free is either after work hours when you're already tired and it's late or Saturdays and Sundays when you NEED to rest in order to be productive again on Monday. You might be thinking of some Indy game developers, which are mostly young individuals without a lot of other responsibilities. Thinks just doesn't work that way in the real world.

[Sharkyx1]

"No one will work for free"

Is not exactly true. There are devs who work unpaid hours to get their game done.

That's not really something that should be encouraged, it sets a bad precedent

[minibois]

People without wife/kids maybe. The only time you can work for free is either after work hours when you're already tired and it's late or Saturdays and Sundays when you NEED to rest in order to be productive again on Monday. You might be thinking of some Indy game developers, which are mostly young individuals without a lot of other responsibilities. Thinks just doesn't work that way in the real world.

Actually I was talking about Pokemon creator 'Satoshi Tajiri'

He worked numerous unpaid hours to get the first game done.

 

Sometimes a dev is forced to work more than normally because they have to reach the deadlines the publisher gave them

(because the publisher provides a lot of money for them)

[minibois]

That's not really something that should be encouraged, it sets a bad precedent

I know. But it does happen/

[Ertman]

720 was standardized as well, it's just 768 that's goofy

Already said that and it was also implied in that post. I never found a reason for the 768 v 720 resolution difference.

I did theorize an answer in a previous post to your question.

[soup]

The one wrench in that logic is you can hook a PC to a 768 TV and use all the resolution, but consoles never would, it seems like they should have been able to take advantage of the extra res, but maybe it was something they did in search of perfect compatibility.

 Back when TVs were CRT?  Not modern LCD panel monitors

As I said maybe it's a historical thing which has no relevance today. 

 

Bit like the design of the shuttle being based on horses pulling Roman chariots.

 http://www.astrodigital.org/space/stshorse.html  Yes it is a bit 'light hearted' but the basic idea is sound.

[msvelev]

Actually I was talking about Pokemon creator 'Satoshi Tajiri'

He worked numerous unpaid hours to get the first game done.

 

Sometimes a dev is forced to work more than normally because they have to reach the deadlines the publisher gave them

(because the publisher provides a lot of money for them)

That's not always the case. And not everyone can afford to do this. There surely are people who do this, but it must not be expected. The fault is in the company who makes the game not the dev teams themselves. I have worked many hours unpaid overtime before big releases, but I have no wife and kids, and not other responsibilities. Many of my colleagues can't afford to stay at work till midnight every day for a whole week.

[minibois]

That's not always the case. And not everyone can afford to do this. There surely are people who do this, but it must not be expected. The fault is in the company who makes the game not the dev teams themselves. I have worked many hours unpaid overtime before big releases, but I have no wife and kids, and not other responsibilities. Many of my colleagues can't afford to stay at work till midnight every day for a whole week.

Alright, sounds like you know what you are talking about.

I believe you and thank you for the explanation

 

It might be a bit off topic, but may I ask what you kinda do at work? Is it game dev or something?

And what study/studies did you do for it?