Small TV = Bad Scores?

Ai Takahashi · 01-31-2009, 10:45 AM

I IIDX play on campus with a friend of mine who brings in a TV. His TV is a 13" with an RF adapter for his PS2. No matter how hard I try, I can never seem to play well on his TV. However, when I'm home with my 23" widescreen TV (HD lag adjusted), I'm back to my normal level of skill. We use the same controller in both situations.

Does anyone else have this kind of problem? Maybe I'm just bad.

dickrazor · 01-31-2009, 11:06 AM

Adjusting to a different TV has more to it than just the screen size. Your problem might be the position and layout of how you are playing over there compared to when you are at home.

kreichjr · 01-31-2009, 02:52 PM

I'm sure there are a few factors that could contribute.

First, even though you say the HDTV is lag adjusted, there's still some error in the timing, and those milliseconds of error could be enough to throw your timing off. On a tangent, anyone know what the timing windows for Just Greats, Greats, Goods, and Bads are?

Another factor might be the position of the TV, e.g. Are you looking up, down, or straight at the TV?

Do you sit down when you play? Controller on Lap? Maybe the chairs are different heights? Do you stand up with the controller on a level surface like in my case an Ironing board? I know if I'm at home and playing on my ironing board, wearing shoes throws me off a smidge, I have to play barefoot. The extra 1-1.5 inches the shoes' sole give makes playing awkward because the distance changed from what I'm used to.

I'm sure there are other factors as well... Just my 2 cents!

~Ken?
Arcade UFO Regular
Austin, Tx

Starscream1215 · 01-31-2009, 03:07 PM

I personally think the most likely answer IS the TV size. Not that small screens will outright equal worse scores, but your eyes and brain are used to interpretting over a larger area. Sure the notes more at the same speed relative to the screen size, but on a smaller TV they will appear to you as though they are moving considerably faster.

To take a throw to physics, an angle has a HIGHER angular velocity on the outer circumference of a wheel than the same angle at a point closer to the center.

Not to mention, the notes on a smaller TV are visually smaller too =P

But that's just my too sense

eldiablo3005 · 01-31-2009, 04:59 PM

To me, it was all about the position of the controller/how far away the TV is from where I'm at. I never really had a problem with the TV itself, it was just the setup I was using.

EDIT: There was a little difference, but when I got used to it I was playing fine.

Empathy · 01-31-2009, 06:29 PM

I can score reasonably well (AA to AAA on 8s and As on 10s) on anything from a 15" 4:3 LCD to a 38" 16:9 HDTV

Go Beyond!! · 01-31-2009, 06:39 PM

I've played before on a 8" PS2 LCD and got the same scores I get on my 29" Trinitron. My badly modded koc probably prevents me getting anything better than an A.

Ai Takahashi · 01-31-2009, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kreichjr

Another factor might be the position of the TV, e.g. Are you looking up, down, or straight at the TV?

Do you sit down when you play? Controller on Lap? Maybe the chairs are different heights? Do you stand up with the controller on a level surface like in my case an Ironing board? I know if I'm at home and playing on my ironing board, wearing shoes throws me off a smidge, I have to play barefoot. The extra 1-1.5 inches the shoes' sole give makes playing awkward because the distance changed from what I'm used to.

I'm sure there are other factors as well... Just my 2 cents!

I play with looking straight at the TV for both locations. That's what I'm comfortable with, at least so far.

I play with the controller on a table, usually. I've tried in my lap, and I played horribly.

Overall, I just think it's the small screen that I'm not used to. It's the proportions. My eyesight is used to a certain location to figure out what buttons to hit.

zonic505 · 01-31-2009, 11:19 PM

I do agree there are many different factors when playing someplace different (layout, position of you & the controller, TV type, etc.), I believe TV can make a difference. Smaller TV = smaller notes, which might make it harder to see.

Man, this reminds me when someone I know hooked up a Genesis to a 7-ish inch (slightly bigger than the size of a man's fist) b&w TV. I wonder what IIDX would look like on a TV like that.

TOFU!! · 02-02-2009, 08:35 AM

The size definitely affects your play. Ever tried playing on a really big TV with the Original screen setting? The lanes are like, highways. You can't see all 8 of them if you look in the middle, so you have to move your eyes and it makes it impossible to play sometimes. On a smaller TV everything is squished together and its hard to tell which note is in which lane. 13 inches might be on the verge of too small. I have a 15 inch CRT that I use for 10th style (my normal TV is HD, eww at lag) and it works pretty well.

I'd make sure your controller is in the same position, first and foremost. If my controller is half an inch above or below the position I like it at, I can't do certain things like scales or rolls. You develop the muscles for a very specific height above the keys, and if you change it, you're screwed.

The Deep Striker · 02-02-2009, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOFU!!

The size definitely affects your play.

That's what SHE said. :P

Yeah, I HAVE to have the tv at eye level, and my controller has to be on a table or something that makes it slightly above my waist.

Oddly enough though...if I sit on my bed with my controller in front of me I do seem to time things better, but I can't see the notes as well.

TOFU!! · 02-02-2009, 09:34 AM

Hahaha, I can't believe I said that. I love it.

Deca · 02-02-2009, 10:13 AM

You mostly just get used to a specific setup I think. Everyone plays best at their house, where they've spent the most time playing.

The only experience I've ever had to the contrary was when I took my ps2 and 10th style to the student union a few years ago (when 10th was new) and played on their big screen. Passed Xenon, Lucy, and Quasar another all on my like, first try that night. It was over a year before I was able to pass them again under normal circumstances...still not sure what to attribute that to. Also, at that point I still couldn't score anything worth a damn, so I'm not sure I was actually playing better.

M4j3s7ic12 · 02-02-2009, 04:58 PM

Oh I remember playing Beatmania Euro edition ages ago on a TV and only had RF for the connection... it made it so hard as the white and blue notes merged into one dirty grey colour!

Using a nice connection to get a crisp picture helps, certainly if you have been playing with a nicer TV at home.

Napakane · 02-02-2009, 06:16 PM

whatever the screen size, you tend to get used to it after 20 minutes or so. I usually play on a huge screen and have to drop to much smaller ones from time to time. The timing is more a factor than the screen size imo.....