Question / Help Upscaling resolution and recording emulator [DOLPHIN]

CMP

New Member
So I want to record gameplay within an emulator (Dolphin, to be exact) at 2160p. Thing is, my monitor's resolution is 1920 by 1080. Yet I found out that I can set an emulators internal resolution (PCSX2, to be exact) beyond my monitors resolution, and record gameplay off of it (using the emulators internal video recorder):


so I wanted to do the same with Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Dolphin emulator. Dolphin has this pesky issue whereby it won't detect dedicated laptop GPU's if intergrated graphics are also on-board. You essentially have to 'wake up' the dedicated card from its idle mode and then launch the title. Since OBS required the game to be played on the same card being used in-game, I would get a black screen when recording until Dolphin would list my dedicated card in the graphics options. I'm only telling you all this because it might have something to do with it.

Anyway, I can record gameplay and sound and everything fantastically in my monitors resolution. Everything looks fantastic and I'm amazed that I haven't gotten any slowdown in game with a high bit-rate whilst using the software. But when I set the custom recording resolution in the program to 3840 by 2160 and then launch the title (making sure Dolphin recognizes my dedicated GPU in the process), I get this:

http://s29.postimg.org/j0uvqnq85/Recording_01_mp4_snapshot_00_04_2014_05_19_07.jpg

I linked to the image since its huge. The image IS at 3840 by 2160, so it did record in a larger resolution. Problem is it doesn't actually record any video. It might play a second or two of footage in that small window, and then it stops, whilst the audio continues.

Here's what the problem MIGHT be: Dolphin allows you to set a games internal resolution up to 2112p, but it will only allow you to set your fullscreen resolution up to your monitors own. So I have the full screen resolution set at 1920 by 1080 and the game running in full screen, while recording at a much higher resolution. Thing is, I'd buy that argument if it weren't for the fact that in that image the games window ISNT at 1080p. Its roughly 976 by 562, which is roughly the games normal resolution.

So Anyway, I can't figure out if its a problem with the emulator or the program refusing to upscale the image. Ive got the game running at an internal resolution of 2160 and even applied some AA, so I figured that even upscaling it shouldn't damage it much. But that might be my ignorance.

I think at the very least the fact taht the video refuses to play in that small window is a software issue. ANYWAY, any clues/help?

EDIT-

So I tried doing this with PCSX2.Here's the results with the internal resolution set at 2160p and the recording software set to record at that resolution:

http://s3.postimg.org/mprkmcc0x/Recording_mp4_snapshot_00_00_2014_05_19_07_30_0.jpg

Looks better than Brawl, at least. The image is at least centered, but Im pretty sure its at 1080p. Again, it sets a space for 2160 but it doesn't actually record or upscale the image to fill it all out.

Looks fine when I set the recording software to my native resolution, though (PCSX2 is set at a resolution beyond my monitors, though):

http://s28.postimg.org/3sw23qy4b/Recording_mp4_snapshot_00_12_2014_05_19_07_35_3.jpg

so it isn't limited to the Dolphin emulator. Perhaps this is beyond the expertise (no offense) of those in this forum, but would it be possible to record at 1080p like in the last image, upscale the game in-game (effectively applying AA), and not have the image look like shit when blown up to 2160? Cause that's my only solution at this point.

or buying a bigger monitor.

FINAL EDIT I SWEAR TO GOD

http://s18.postimg.org/xq4fcaxpz/Recording_mp4_snapshot_00_04_2014_05_19_07_52_2.jpg

Happens with PC games on STEAM as well. I had the game running at native 1920 by 1080, and the same thing as with Dolphin occurred. Video plays a bit, then stops whilst the audio continues in the final outputted file (mp4). I should point out that in-game there was no slowdown whilst recording beyond my monitor's resolution. Setting open broadcast to record in my naive rez presents no problems.

All of these examples have been using the 'Game Capture' mode, and yes I did select the proper application. Everything was set to default, with a CBR rate of 15000 using the x264 encoder. I didn't allow previews in the OBS window while I was recording (I assume that saves up on CPU). So yeah, everything works fantastic, but setting a custom recording resolution beyond my monitors presents weird issues. Even in emulators whereby you can set a resolution beyond your monitors, OBS will always display only up to your monitors native res and fill the rest of the screen with blackness. Or, in the case of dolphin, not even record the game at your native res.
 
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CMP

New Member
Did that, seemed to do the trick. Took a screenshot using the feature inside MPC that allows you to, and true enough it was a 2160p screenshot. But the issue of the file recording audio but not video persists.

''Problem is it doesn't actually record any video. It might play a second or two of footage in that small window, and then it stops, whilst the audio continues.''

so now it plays a second or two in 2160p while taking up a full window. I booted up TMPGENC (video editing software) thinking that perhaps my media player is refusing to play the video file for some reason, but the program doesn't recognize the file as having any video, just audio. I even reduced the kpbs rate to 1000, thinking that it might help, but nothing.
 

Krazy

Town drunk
K, pretty much exactly what I expected. Your system is absolutely choking trying to run an emulator at such a high resolution, and then trying to encode such a high resolution at 60FPS.

These lines:
22:43:01: Total frames encoded: 2161, total frames duplicated: 2089 (96.67%)
22:43:01: Number of frames skipped due to encoder lag: 2089 (96.67%)

Show that OBS had to skip encoding nearly all of the frames because it couldn't keep up.
 

CMP

New Member
Figures. Happened with the Godhand footage as well as another title I captured in PCSX2, but the emulator's record feature speeds up the recording to normal speed after I'm done, so I figured I might be able to do something like that with Brawl. Guess not.

I appreciate the help. I'll stick with 1080 and 720.
 
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