What the hell are "HD Graphics"??

[ChromeAlchemist]

Okay, I'm not even trolling or anything here, just chalk it up to ignorance and call me stupid if you must.

What are "HD Graphics"? Because as far as I can see, HD is just a marketing term, correct? Granted a game in a 720p output means it will look clearer, but why do I always see people saying "Yeah I want to see this game re-released with HD Graphics!"? It's one of those things that just perplexes me and I wonder if it's just me, because increasing the visual output of certain older games would just make them look like ass, right?

After all, the Sega Megadrive had "High Definition graphics" [http://www.ajobi.net/arthurlockman/800px-Sega_Genesis_original_model.jpg]...

Anyone care to enlighten me?

 

[ParkourMcGhee]

Yeah, it's just a marketing term that'll go out of use at some point, but currently refers to 720p and 1080p as far as I'm concerned... then again it does make watching anime on Megavideo more smooth, and a lot clearer (particularly the subtitles) even on a bog standard monitor resolution 1024 by whatever.

Other than that I can play pretty old games and not be fussed. System shock 2 had an annoying respawn system, but currently I'm catching up on a missed era of Zelda on the Nintendo.

 

[DazZ.]

After all, the Sega Megadrive had "High Definition graphics" [http://www.ajobi.net/arthurlockman/800px-Sega_Genesis_original_model.jpg]...

Did it? Wouldn't it output at about 640x400? Then just get stretched dependant on the TV?

Never played a Mega Drive or snes on a HDTV... Weekend mission I think.

 

[VincentX3]

Simple

A developers way of saying "It looks good, buy it!"

 

[Megacherv]

Okay, I'm not even trolling or anything here, just chalk it up to ignorance and call me stupid if you must.

What are "HD Graphics"? Because as far as I can see, HD is just a marketing term, correct? Granted a game in a 720p output means it will look clearer, but why do I always see people saying "Yeah I want to see this game re-released with HD Graphics!"? It's one of those things that just perplexes me and I wonder if it's just me, because increasing the visual output of certain older games would just make them look like ass, right?

After all, the Sega Megadrive had "High Definition graphics" [http://www.ajobi.net/arthurlockman/800px-Sega_Genesis_original_model.jpg]...

Anyone care to enlighten me?

HD = High Definition = More detail = taking advantage of more polygons to make more everything with more defined smaller details.

 

[DazZ.]

HD = High Definition = More detail = taking advantage of more polygons to make more everything with more defined smaller details.

Doesn't HD just mean higher resolution meaning things are sharper and use more pixels, not polygons?

Edit: It has been a long time since I actually looked at the technical side of HD.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Okay, I'm not even trolling or anything here, just chalk it up to ignorance and call me stupid if you must.

What are "HD Graphics"? Because as far as I can see, HD is just a marketing term, correct? Granted a game in a 720p output means it will look clearer, but why do I always see people saying "Yeah I want to see this game re-released with HD Graphics!"? It's one of those things that just perplexes me and I wonder if it's just me, because increasing the visual output of certain older games would just make them look like ass, right?

After all, the Sega Megadrive had "High Definition graphics" [http://www.ajobi.net/arthurlockman/800px-Sega_Genesis_original_model.jpg]...

Anyone care to enlighten me?

HD = High Definition = More detail = taking advantage of more polygons to make more everything with more defined smaller details.

I'm aware of how "High Definition" or rather a higher resolution works, however I don't understand how this would extend to everything, and how that validates the term "HD graphics" as "this will definitely look much better". e.g. "They need to re-release Final Fantasy 7 with HD graphics!". Would FF7 look awesome in HD to you? Increasing the pixel rate doesn't mean FF7 will look like Gears of War.

 

[Elite Guard Lethleane]

The p in 720p means progressive, so its appearing at 720 frames per second, so there will be no blur. Hopefully they have re-worked it so that there is no slowdown and it will be worth while. In terms of it progressively scanning to produce hi definition 16 bit graphics... well unless its a re working like super street fighter 2 remix on xbla, its just bull.

 

[llamastorm.games]

When a game is re-released with HD graphics it means the resolution of textures has been increased and the image you seen on the screen is less stretch.
Imagine playing Sonic The Hedgehog 2 on a 14 inch 640x480 screen like you would back in 1993 and then on a 40 inch 1900x1080 screen, the image will be all stretched and pixelated.
Like when you zoom in on a picture taken with 2M camera on your computer, it becomes very pixelated, if it had been taken with a 10M camera on the same screen you'd have to zoom in further before it became pixelated.

It isnt a hard concept

 

[Lenderian]

The p in 720p means progressive, so its appearing at 720 frames per second, so there will be no blur. Hopefully they have re-worked it so that there is no slowdown and it will be worth while. In terms of it progressively scanning to produce hi definition 16 bit graphics... well unless its a re working like super street fighter 2 remix on xbla, its just bull.

You should really read how it really works its actually 720 Vertical pixels and 1280 horizontal pixels O and if it were running at 720 frames you would already probably be having seizure's

 

[Sampler]

No P means it runs as progressive so it runs at 60 frames per second unlike i meaning interlaced which is 30 frames per second and can relate to 720 or 1080 which refer to the horizontal scan lines.

 

[llamastorm.games]

The p in 720p means progressive, so its appearing at 720 frames per second, so there will be no blur. Hopefully they have re-worked it so that there is no slowdown and it will be worth while. In terms of it progressively scanning to produce hi definition 16 bit graphics... well unless its a re working like super street fighter 2 remix on xbla, its just bull.

That is completely wrong.
It means it's producing a progressive frame at a 720 resolution.
Progressive is just like what you'd see at the cinema. One frame is one complete picture, just like a frame of film going through the projector

 

[Captain Picard]

The p in 720p means progressive, so its appearing at 720 frames per second, so there will be no blur. Hopefully they have re-worked it so that there is no slowdown and it will be worth while. In terms of it progressively scanning to produce hi definition 16 bit graphics... well unless its a re working like super street fighter 2 remix on xbla, its just bull.

Actually, 720p and 1080p mean that the image is being displayed at 1280x720 and 1920x1080 pixels respectively at (we're assuming) 60 frames per second. 720i and 1080i mean the image is being displayed at 30 (full) frames per second, and each frame is interlaced with the prior frame.

HD video or graphics is just a standardized 16:9 aspect ratio with a minimum resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Higher is better of course, and interlaced is on the way out.

 

[Kpt._Rob]

Personally speaking I wish they'd stop releasing games in HD, or if they keep it up, at least make a setting for people who don't have a HD TV. Games like Dead Rising and Sacred 2 are hard to play for me because I can't read most of what's in the text bubbles because they were made for HD TV's, so everyone with a normal TV just got fucked.

 

[llamastorm.games]

No P means it runs as progressive so it runs at 60 frames per second unlike i meaning interlaced which is 30 frames per second and can relate to 720 or 1080 which refer to the horizontal scan lines.

Also wrong; interlaced and progressive can run at any frame rate.
You can have 720/25i, 720/25p, 1080/60p

 

[lozfoe444]

WHat's "Blast Processing"?

 

[Snowalker]

When a game is re-released with HD graphics it means the resolution of textures has been increased and the image you seen on the screen is less stretch.
Imagine playing Sonic The Hedgehog 2 on a 14 inch 640x480 screen like you would back in 1993 and then on a 40 inch 1900x1080 screen, the image will be all stretched and pixelated.
Like when you zoom in on a picture taken with 2M camera on your computer, it becomes very pixelated, if it had been taken with a 10M camera on the same screen you'd have to zoom in further before it became pixelated.

It isnt a hard concept

This is what I've always thought, thanks for putting into words.

 

[llamastorm.games]

WHat's "Blast Processing"?

It wasnt anything, purely a marketing term trying to imply that the sega had better processing capabilities over the SNES.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Personally speaking I wish they'd stop releasing games in HD, or if they keep it up, at least make a setting for people who don't have a HD TV. Games like Dead Rising and Sacred 2 are hard to play for me because I can't read most of what's in the text bubbles because they were made for HD TV's, so everyone with a normal TV just got fucked.

Microsoft is actually downgrading the standard resolution for games from 720p from now on, so feel free to dance a jig, games no longer have to be HD as standard.

 

[Mcface]

Personally speaking I wish they'd stop releasing games in HD, or if they keep it up, at least make a setting for people who don't have a HD TV. Games like Dead Rising and Sacred 2 are hard to play for me because I can't read most of what's in the text bubbles because they were made for HD TV's, so everyone with a normal TV just got fucked.

Microsoft is actually downgrading the standard resolution for games from 720p from now on, so feel free to dance a jig, games no longer have to be HD as standard.

I cant read shit in sacred 2 either, or saints row 2.

its so frustrating.