The 256-Bit Generation?

[Tan]

how about if we call it the online generation, seeing as both console and handhelds have joined PC in online gaming

[joeybastard]

My vote is for the "Craptacular Generation".

[brpocock]

How many bits does it take for a human to enjoy the video gaming experience?

 

Not sure about "enjoyment" (...) but the human eye (excluding various disabilities like colourblindness) is just a smidge more capable than 24 bits per pixel colour discrimination. That's the "millions of colours" setting on a typical computer system. (8 bits each red, green, and blue)

 

All current systems use 24bpp colour (although, some refer to it as 32bpp, counting 8 bits of transparency/alpha data)

 

As for internal bus bandwidth *shrug* who cares?

 

Aside: The GCN and Wii are both "technically" HiDef. They're just supporting the "standard" level of HD signal rather than the "super" level. I forget the names, because they're just big numbers, but it's something like 480p versus 1024i?

 

On the GCN, the HiDef support is optional, the individual games decide whether to support it or not. (It's indicated on the packaging/manual with a TV set icon.) I think the PS2 also has (limited) support for HiDef?

[JB]

Aside: The GCN and Wii are both "technically" HiDef. They're just supporting the "standard" level of HD signal rather than the "super" level. I forget the names, because they're just big numbers, but it's something like 480p versus 1024i?

*shakes head*

Progressive scan isn't high-definition.

 

Only the "super" level is HD.

480p is standard-def. 720i/p and 1080i/p are HD.

 

On the GCN, the HiDef support is optional, the individual games decide whether to support it or not. (It's indicated on the packaging/manual with a TV set icon.) I think the PS2 also has (limited) support for HiDef?

Both have limited support for progressive-scan, and no support for HD. To date, the XBox and XBox360 are the only HD-capable consoles.

[jpfalcon2003]

Do the Math! - Generation 2!

how about the over priced gen

good one. agreed.

[Video]

Thought you guys would like that.

 

I personally think you cant say its HD generation as A. the wii isnt HD, and B. the population with a HD TV to take advatage simply is way too small , and will still be small in a couple years.

 

How 'bout we just call it Sony's Doom Generation

 

Now wait just a minute. Think back to the 2600 console. When it originally was released, most people had a B/W TV, or at least, most people in this area. However, during it's rather long lifetime, most people around here upgraded to a color TV.

 

As far as Sony's doom, that'll remain to be seen.

 

So it's actually concieveable that, while few people have HD now, the end of this next gen will se most people with an HD TV.

 

I'm pretty sure that the X=Box 360 is a 32 bit console. And I have no Idea what the Wii and PS3 are supposed to be, but they'll probably go with saying their 128's or something.

 

Some people say they want to consider the consoles power by it's graphic processor, but if you do that, then we're still at 32 (or less) Because that's what graphic processors are currently topped out at. I've got a Radion 9200 and it's got 128 Megs on it, but it's still a 32bit card. One of my friends has something with like 256 or something on it, and it's still a 32 bit.

 

To tell the truth, as long as we're still using 2D devices like monitors and LCD's to display the games, we'll probably never really do anything beyond 32 bit graphics. We'll have to start at the very least doing Layered LCD's to create an illusion of 3D befor really needing anything more.

[JB]

I'm pretty sure that the X=Box 360 is a 32 bit console. And I have no Idea what the Wii and PS3 are supposed to be, but they'll probably go with saying their 128's or something.

I'm pretty sure all 3 are 64-bit, actually.

I know they're all PowerPC, and PPC is currently 64-bit as far as I know(and if I recall, the first 64-bit PPC chip was the GameCube's "Gecko" processor, as fun trivia).

 

Some people say they want to consider the consoles power by it's graphic processor, but if you do that, then we're still at 32 (or less) Because that's what graphic processors are currently topped out at. I've got a Radion 9200 and it's got 128 Megs on it, but it's still a 32bit card. One of my friends has something with like 256 or something on it, and it's still a 32 bit.

Sega was claiming the Dreamcast graphics were 128-bit. Where they were measuring was never defined, though.

 

A GeForce 7, depending on model, has either a 128-bit or 256-bit memory bus.

And nVidia claims 128-bit floating-point precision within the chip.

 

 

Final output color depth is a diffrent issue, and won't go beyond 32-bit(Really 24-bit color. 8-bit per color, and an 8-bit alpha channel) because we can't SEE much beyond 24-bit color, and a lot of LCD monitors(which have become pretty much the only monitors you can get) can't even display THAT.

 

To tell the truth, as long as we're still using 2D devices like monitors and LCD's to display the games, we'll probably never really do anything beyond 32 bit graphics.

32-bit COLOR, sure.

 

We'll have to start at the very least doing Layered LCD's to create an illusion of 3D befor really needing anything more.

Even once we have a 3D display technology, we still won't go past 32-bit output color. There's just no real advantage for most of the populace.

[+remowilliams]

Aside: The GCN and Wii are both "technically" HiDef. They're just supporting the "standard" level of HD signal rather than the "super" level. I forget the names, because they're just big numbers, but it's something like 480p versus 1024i?

The GC and the PS2 had only progressive scan support possible (480p). And total shit is what it amounted to on both platforms. A handful of games.

 

I'm hoping to god that Nintendo has enough sense to make all Wii games 480p capable.

 

I'm pretty sure that the X=Box 360 is a 32 bit console. And I have no Idea what the Wii and PS3 are supposed to be, but they'll probably go with saying their 128's or something.

The 360 has three 64 bit PPC cores.

[Video]

Oh yeah, thanks JB I was confusing Bit Color with Processing Bits.

 

I always wondered why my Card said what it did if my computer only went up to 32.