Playing PS1 games on a PS2 on an hdtv

Is this possible? If so how do I make it happen? I hooked up a ps2 to my insignia I got in early 2014, using component cables. PS2 games are fine, but PS1 games only show up squished on the upper half, with a green/white bar nightmare on the bottom. Messed around with video settings and nothing seems to work. I've looked around for answers but I have yet to see any concrete solution.

@charlesda: I've been doing this for years and haven't seen anything like the problem you're describing.

Admittedly my HDTV is even older, it's a VIZIO I got in mid-2011 (I think?) that still works fine, so I've not bothered to replace it, maybe it has fewer compatibility problems than yours with older hardware. I'm also using component cables. Also, this probably doesn't matter, but I've got it plugged into a really ancient RadioShack 4-in-1 component cable switch box and from there into the TV. I used to use all four slots on the switcher but now it's just the PS2 and a Wii U, I think. And the only thing I ever play on it anymore is the King's Field games, probably once a year or so.

Are you able to try it on a different TV, just to see if it's that specific TV that's the problem? Also, out of curiosity, what model of PS2 are you using? It should be "SCPH-" followed by numbers. Mine is a SCPH-50001, one of the last major design revisions before the slim model. The 500XX models seem on balance to be the ones you want. If you've got a slim model, I know that they had some compatibility problems with some PS1 games, so that might be your issue.

You may be running into the "240p over component" problem that a number of modern TVs suffer from. If so, your TV can't properly handle the resolution the PS1 games are delivered at over component. Do you have any composite cables on-hand? Composite picture quality isn't the best, but it's the easiest and cheapest fix to try out. The best fix for that problem would be an upscaler, which would preserve picture quality and produce a signal compatible with your TV.

@millaj: Dug out the old composite cables and it totally works! Thank you, the solution was the easiest thing possible. I've had my ps2 hooked up for a few years now mostly as a persona machine, but guilty treasures got me thinking about Digimon World and Hot Wheels Turbo Racing, so this is all great news.

@atheistpreacher: Though I've already found a solution: my ps2 is a 30001, which seems to be an early model? I'm also curious if an hdmi adapter would work, but I'm not willing to shell out money to find out, so 240p will be fine.

Glad you found a solution! Composite certainly doesn't look quite as good, but it's much better than the problems you were having!

@charlesda: Just this week I bought something very similar to this at a local game shop for $15 (amazon link). I was kind of forced into this because my television doesn't have composite or component in, just a bunch of HDMI ports. It's not exactly graceful as it needs its own power source (if you have a slim PS2 you can actually power it with one of the USB ports on the console itself), but despite the extra wire the PS2 games look much clearer than they ever otherwise would on that hardware with my TV. Most PS2 games do not support progressive scan (here's a handy list), so you're likely not going to get anything approaching HD. But still, even your average PS2 game will display in a noticeable step up from composite, and probably component.

Since you own the games I find one of the best ways to play is on an emulator from your own discs. Emulators are so good now. They are miles beyond just playing the games; most of the emulators de-warp polygons and textures, they add various levels of smoothing that are you choice, increase the resolution, and even in some cases speed up how quickly FMV is shown or how quick new level load.

If it was just resolution doubling, quadrupling or sextupling it would not be the biggest thing; but for PSOne games having less warping and less texture shifting is so nice. And, on a big modern TV having the other tools just makes the experiences better.