Hi there 
I’m Nick and new to the tech talk section of the forum. I think this is the best place to ask for help! I read some of the faq and didn’t see anything related to my specific question currently, and so I’d like to ask a question and provide background info to explain my dilemma further. Here goes something, I hope!
QUESTION: is lower resolution sometimes better than higher resolution for recording video games on older, tube-based screens?
My topic here is VERY detailed; just to warn everyone, since I wanted to explain precisely my situation, and the answer might be SIMPLE! I would just appreciate some feedback and here is the online research I’ve done and the advice I’ve received from ppl who work at electronics stores, as well as an owner of arcade machines.
I went on wikipedia to find out about VGA vs. QVGA and other ways to capture videos on the cheaper digital cameras. I found out that VGA (video graphic array) is higher resolution than Quarter-screen VGA.
I’m not worried about perfect quality, and I recently used a camera to upload SF3 matches on YouTube, and had satisfying results w/ a 7.0 MP (megapixel) camera. I checked the features online to compare it to newer versions of the Kodak Easyshare camera. I don’t have the 7.0 MP camera anymore, and I want to buy a new, similar camera.
I noticed that the higher-resolution cameras don’t offer QVGA every time; just VGA. The 7.0 Kodak camera offered EITHER resolution setting–not that I read ANYwhere in the manual or in the online extended version of the manual on how I could choose which resolution setting I was using. I think resolution is tied to frame rates.
The old 7 MP camera isn’t in stores anymore, and would have to be back-ordered or ordered online. The fact that it’s not in stores makes me think that I should just get a higher resolution camera like a 10.2 MP instead, and I’ve tried using an actual 10.2 MP, but it seemed worse. HERE’S the problem, it seems:
Old games like SF3: Third Strike have refresh rates because of the old tube-based TVs on which they are displayed, and this causes the “black bar of doom/death” on the screen when trying to film with a digital camera. Sometimes the bar is thinner and paler, depending on the particular camera, so the flicker that might result is barely noticeable, if present at all. High-def (plasma or LCD, I guess?) t.v. screens don’t have this problem because they are more compatible with the digital cameras for filming, so I can film at a higher resolution for SF4 matches w/o much trouble.
The owner of the arcade machines at my local college said that getting a camera with an adjustable shutter speed to slow down the shutter speed would allow me to correct the refresh rate problem. My camera didn’t have this feature and I didn’t need it to get the quality I sought. I can offer a sample of my YouTube videos if anyone would like to see the general level of quality I’m seeking
PLEASE help me alleviate this problem if you have any tips. I’ll spend a little bit more money if I can afford it, but mostly I just want to make sure I get the kind of camera that has the options or features I need to reach the same standard of quality I’ve already enjoyed for casual use. Thanks in advance for any suggestions! ~Nick
~Nick