PS2 POPSTARTER Screen Flicker Issue

[Aaron Thompson]

I have successfully setup POPS/POPSTARTER and can launch games, however most have a strange issue. The Playstation logo will appear and be normal, but then the game will start and will flicker and cut out. Audio and video. FMVs and menus, loading screens, etc. When I bring up the IGR screen, it renders without issue and is stable, but dropping back to the game results in more flicker.
I have tried everything I can think of. Popstarter is the latest version from the official site (Quickstart package is 20200209), confirmed the MD5 values of POPS match the MD5 values from the official popstarter page. I have tried PATCH4.BIN, and the widescreen hack. Note: I am running everything from SATA HDD using FreeHDBoot and wLaunchELF.
I just don't know what else to do. The strange thing is that it happens on almost every single game, even ones that are listed as compatible with no changes (I.e. Crash Bash). The ONLY game I have found this far, with zero issues at launch, is Gran Turismo 2. It works almost perfectly, even FMV. This makes no sense to me.

Any help would be appreciated.

To those that would tell me to just not use POPSTARTER and use discs, don't waste your time. I will be using POPSTARTER, no matter whether you think it is junk or not.

 

[BloodRaynare]

Do you have any PS2 games that runs in 240p like Ico or Disgaea 1 and test if it displays fine in your setup?
Looks like your TV doesn't like 240p signal that POPStarter outputs (which is common output for PS1 games).

Well, you can make POPStarter to output 480i no matter the game was.
Just create a CHEATS.TXT file and add this code:

$HDTVFIX

Pay attention to the cases for both filename and the extensions though.
Both must be in UPPER case!

And since you're using HDD, put the CHEATS.TXT to hdd0:/__common/POPS

 

[Aaron Thompson]

Do you have any PS2 games that runs in 240p like Ico or Disgaea 1 and test if it displays fine in your setup?
Looks like your TV doesn't like 240p signal that POPStarter outputs (which is common output for PS1 games).

Well, you can make POPStarter to output 480i no matter the game was.
Just create a CHEATS.TXT file and add this code:

$HDTVFIX

Pay attention to the cases for both filename and the extensions though.
Both must be in UPPER case!

And since you're using HDD, put the CHEATS.TXT to hdd0:/__common/POPS

Yep. That did it.
I would have assumed that all PS1 games would have output at the same resolution. I would also have assumed that my TV, being a more expensive one, would have a better scaler inside that could handle 240i.
In any case, I appreciate the help.
One more question: if I have the CHEATS.TXT in the POPS folder, and I put other CHEATS.TXT files in the individual game folders under the POPS folder, do the commands in the CHEATS.TXT files merge? If not, which file takes precedence?

 

[Dil Singh]

Do you have any PS2 games that runs in 240p like Ico or Disgaea 1 and test if it displays fine in your setup?
Looks like your TV doesn't like 240p signal that POPStarter outputs (which is common output for PS1 games).

Well, you can make POPStarter to output 480i no matter the game was.
Just create a CHEATS.TXT file and add this code:

$HDTVFIX

Pay attention to the cases for both filename and the extensions though.
Both must be in UPPER case!

And since you're using HDD, put the CHEATS.TXT to hdd0:/__common/POPS

That's what I was looking for but can you please tell for the case where someone is using MX4SIO to play games from or usb.
Where should the CHEATS.TXT file should be placed?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BloodRaynare]

That's what I was looking for but can you please tell for the case where someone is using MX4SIO to play games from or usb.
Where should the CHEATS.TXT file should be placed?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

POPStarter doesn't support MX4SIO but for USB it should be in mass:/POPS