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[IbizaPocholo]

Dithering is a technique to simulate an extra color by applying a combination pattern of two existing colors. The Sony PlayStation was capable of 24 bit color, or 16 million unique colors and yet displayed an abundance of dithering almost all the time. In this episode we dig into Dithering, how it works on the Sony PlayStation 1 and what can be done to prevent it.

 

[RoboFu]

Why would you want to prevent it? It’s a huge part of the look and feel and games were made with dithering in mind.

 

[Corderlain]

I love the ps1 look. Dithering is an immediate hit of nostalgia.

 

[Pagusas]

Why would you want to prevent it? It’s a huge part of the look and feel and games were made with dithering in mind.

The games were made with CRT’s in mind and the idea that the dithering would not be noticed due to the poor composite connection. It wasn’t an artistic choice, it was a 15-bit color banding limitation that they used dithering as a trick to try getting around the banding issue.

 

[RoboFu]

You could easily see the dithering and it was Good way to add more detail to the graphics. FF7 is a great example. Compare the dithered version to the flat simple looking ports and it’s like night and day.

 

[Craig of War]

Simple answer it old made in 1994.

 

[MayauMiao]

Why would you want to prevent it? It’s a huge part of the look and feel and games were made with dithering in mind.

Depending who you ask. There are PS1 owners may not notice dithering because of their slightly less perfect tv picture quality.