Dolphin, the GameCube and Wii emulator - Forums

The game I test is Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition. I must admit that I download it, but for testing purpose only. I have the PS2 version of that game, and already complete it on both my PS2 and PCSX2. There's no reason to pirate a game I already played. Anyway, I am a programmer, and I have a technical question 'bout this game's full motion videos (FMV).

All the cutscenes in this game are pre-rendered FMVs (or cinematics as Blizzard oftens calls it). I know it, because in the PC version, there is a folder that contains all FMVs in the game. These videos are in mpg format and can be play on any player outside the game. Using PCSX2, I can play this game on my PC at a arbitrary resolution, except for the cutscenes. The cutscenes are all pre-rendered, so they cannot be upscaled. The same thing for PC version: no matter what resolution is set, the FMV is still low definition (PC version is heavily criticized for that). But in Dolphin, I can see the FMVs run at a very high resolution, depending on the resulution I set in the graphics options. I even think of anti-aliasing. But as far as I know AA can only be applied to something which is rendered on-the-fly, not these pre-render things. So, how can Dolphin do that?

I actually think the GC/Wii versions of Resident Evil 4 don't use prerendered cutscenes.

(05-29-2011, 02:01 PM)Livy Wrote: [ -> ]So, how can Dolphin do that?

Because it is awesome!

(05-29-2011, 02:10 PM)Toad King Wrote: [ -> ]I actually think the GC/Wii versions of Resident Evil 4 don't use prerendered cutscenes.

Maybe. Indeed the cutscenes' graphics is not much better than the in game graphics. But if this were true, so what is the reason for Capcom to use pre-rendered curscenes in PS2 and PC versions? I tried to mount and browse the disc but cannot find any useful info. The PS2 disc is full of strange suff. And the Wii disc is simple cannot be read because it uses a different file system that cannot be regconized by Windows. I have never seen any video player capable of upscaling image, so I want to ask if Dolphin actually does.

By the way, can PC optical drive read and dump Wii discs? Theoretically, it does not need to know what format is used on the disc or what data the disc contains. Just perform a raw data dumping: 0 to 0, and 1 to 1.

No, Dolphin does not upscale FMV's.

Certain LG drives are able to read Wii discs. All other PC drives can not.

(05-29-2011, 09:39 PM)skid Wrote: [ -> ]No, Dolphin does not upscale FMV's.

Yep, look at the Billy Hatcher and Super Mario Sunshine vids for proof.

Well, the videos are rendered full screen regardless of the resolution, but aren't upscaled.

(05-29-2011, 09:32 PM)Livy Wrote: [ -> ]Indeed the cutscenes' graphics is not much better than the in game graphics. But if this were true, so what is the reason for Capcom to use pre-rendered curscenes in PS2 and PC versions?

GCN/Wii RE4 doesn't use FMVs (wouldn't fit on 1.5GB disc). The PS2 probably couldn't handle the cutscenes and keep a solid framerate so they used FMVs. Sourcenext used the PS2 version when porting to the PC it has worse graphics than the GCN/Wii version.

Finally found it. All cutscenes in Wii edition are rendered on the fly. They DO suffer from graphical errors. Not sure 'bout GameCube version because I don't have one.

(05-29-2011, 09:32 PM)Livy Wrote: [ -> ]By the way, can PC optical drive read and dump Wii discs? Theoretically, it does not need to know what format is used on the disc or what data the disc contains. Just perform a raw data dumping: 0 to 0, and 1 to 1.

Can someone answer this? I do not own a Wii so I cannot try it myself. Also, if I borrow some discs from my friend and play, is it considered illegal under international law? I really do not know because there's no rule 'bout both console hardware and software in my country.

(05-30-2011, 03:30 AM)Livy Wrote: [ -> ]

(05-29-2011, 09:32 PM)Livy Wrote: [ -> ]By the way, can PC optical drive read and dump Wii discs? Theoretically, it does not need to know what format is used on the disc or what data the disc contains. Just perform a raw data dumping: 0 to 0, and 1 to 1.

Can someone answer this? I do not own a Wii so I cannot try it myself. Also, if I borrow some discs from my friend and play, is it considered illegal under international law? I really do not know because there's no rule 'bout both console hardware and software in my country.

(05-29-2011, 09:39 PM)skid Wrote: [ -> ]Certain LG drives are able to read Wii discs. All other PC drives can not.