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Retro AV Club Thread 2: Classic Gaming Done Right!

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You guys ever post on avs-forums.l? I'm learning some serious speaker/sound system knowledge from them.

Looks like Ima be spending more than I though on my surround sound setup lol. Its going to be sick.

If you thought this thread was a rabbit hole... well... let's just say avoid that place like the plague. There are dudes that have multiple $20k setups to cycle through depending on the source material and what the feel like hearing that day.

Batshit crazy.

I can't imagine the acoustic characteristics of a small apartment in NYC would even be worth bothering with that level of audio equipment.
 
Audiophile shit is 90% snake oil, I've found. I have a 5.1 setup right now, but if I hadn't been working for a HiFi speaker company at the time I acquired this stuff, I probably would never have taken the leap.
 
Once you're done at avsforum head over to head-fi. Your tinfoil hat will be complete.

I fucked around with 5.1 this 7.1 that, multiple subwoofers and then one day my old man showed me how he hooked his old 70s towers and receiver back up and he thought it sounded better then his 5.1

I immediately sold everything and grabbed some big fat fucking towers and a marantz 2226 and havnt looked back. I'm an analog stereo guy till I die! fuck digital!
 
Once you're done at avsforum head over to head-fi. Your tinfoil hat will be complete.

I fucked around with 5.1 this 7.1 that, multiple subwoofers and then one day my old man showed me how he hooked his old 70s towers and receiver back up and he thought it sounded better then his 5.1

I immediately sold everything and grabbed some big fat fucking towers and a marantz 2226 and havnt looked back. I'm an analog stereo guy till I die! fuck digital!

that's the real stuff. if the amp is heavy it's good. hope you got a nice needle and cart with a good player.
 
This is a silly question, but if you spent the money for a Framemeister, why have you bought a RGB Scart cable?

I guess you mean why haven't i bought one... mostly it's because i have a Wii with Component/D-Terminal that I think would be better than my Super Famicom using RGB. The SFC exhibits the typical vertical line in dark scenes that the Wii doesn't, and Component is probably crisper than an unmodified SFC too. I have 2 SFCs, one is quite old and the other ~1995 but i've checked neither for 1chip. Been meaning to grab a game with debug screen so i can check! The other reason is there's only 1 RGB input on the Framemeister and without a JP21 switch, i'm a little hesitant cause i'd be pulling it in and out constantly. The main reason i got it was to get my Saturn hooked up through RGB.
 

Rirse

Neo Member
So I am about to get a Hydra to get ready for my OSSC next month, but what cables do I need for my systems? Right now I am using both my Genesis HD Retrovision for my model 1, Saturn (with adapter) and PC Engine while my SNES HD Retrovision is used on my NES, SNES, N64, and Pal Gamecube. These work great and all, but hate having constantly unplugging everything all the time to use them, especially with the Genesis HD Retrovision, as the three systems need the plug to be removed to use it with the other two system.

I plan on using the HD Retrovision cables along with my component PS2 and Wii cable on my PVM while my 4K TV get the SCART cables with the Hydra. Just need to figure out type of cable to get and if I need to get everyone shielded. The modder who I had my NES, SNES, and N64 can sell me the cables for those three systems, but the remaining ones is the issue I face. Also wonder if I should just get my PS2 on SCART, through on that system I still need to swap the cable on the back as I use two PS2 in my setup for varying reasons.
 

piggychan

Member
Hiya I usually lurk around here but today I'm just going to post this.

speaking of OSSC mine just turned up. Gosh the wait was agonizing since payment was taken from me back in June.

There are no instructions that come with it so going to do some digging..
giVMDQa.jpg

 
that's the real stuff. if the amp is heavy it's good. hope you got a nice needle and cart with a good player.


I've got a dual with a nice cart and needle(forget the model numbers and its currently in storage) and it sounds Phenomenal!


Someone local is selling a PANASONIC BT-H1700P. Multi res crt that goes up to 1080i with 800tvl but it doesn't list 240p as a supported resolution. It does support 15khz but that could be for the listed 480i resolution. I've never heard of these monitors before but it looks decent!
 

BTails

Member
that's the real stuff. if the amp is heavy it's good. hope you got a nice needle and cart with a good player.

Haha, the number of times I've told people in the "Game Soundtracks on Vinyl" thread to just buy a used amp from the 70s... Most of the people getting into vinyl want all this shiny new equipment, but honestly used stuff is the way to go unless you're going super high end: buy a nice used amp for $20, get a nice used table for $75-200, and spend the rest of the money you saved on a new cart/needle. Pair a couple of big speakers and you've got a great-to-excellent setup for not much scratch.


speaking of OSSC mine just turned up. Gosh the wait was agonizing since payment was taken from me back in June.

giVMDQa.jpg

It's so pretty!
 

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
You guys ever post on avs-forums.l? I'm learning some serious speaker/sound system knowledge from them.

Looks like Ima be spending more than I though on my surround sound setup lol. Its going to be sick.

If you thought this thread was a rabbit hole... well... let's just say avoid that place like the plague. There are dudes that have multiple $20k setups to cycle through depending on the source material and what the feel like hearing that day.

Batshit crazy.

Yeah, sound shit is expensive if you do it right. That said, I'm still constantly impressed by my 2.1 setup at my PC that I put together last year. So, I'd say it's worth it.
 

Peltz

Member
I can't imagine the acoustic characteristics of a small apartment in NYC would even be worth bothering with that level of audio equipment.

You'd be surprised. It really depends on what you're trying to do though or what you consider "that level" of audio equipment. Definitely, sound proofing the room tastefully is important though.
Once you're done at avsforum head over to head-fi. Your tinfoil hat will be complete.

I fucked around with 5.1 this 7.1 that, multiple subwoofers and then one day my old man showed me how he hooked his old 70s towers and receiver back up and he thought it sounded better then his 5.1

I immediately sold everything and grabbed some big fat fucking towers and a marantz 2226 and havnt looked back. I'm an analog stereo guy till I die! fuck digital!

Analogue stereo is better for some sources, and surround is better for others. There's no one configuration to rule them all.

Audiophile shit is 90% snake oil, I've found. I have a 5.1 setup right now, but if I hadn't been working for a HiFi speaker company at the time I acquired this stuff, I probably would never have taken the leap.

Yea, but that other 10% is worthwhile.
 

IrishNinja

Member
yeah AVS can get insane - me, when i've the space, ill have a 5:1 setup in the living room for HD content & a decent enough receiver with big ass black speakers like the ones from that mail-in add with the neg geo in the day, i dont even care if they're calibrated or whatever the fuck long as shit knocks

I would say a lot of users have a complaint about how the Framemeister handles 480p but as long as you are putting in 240p/480i it does a good job. It does add lag so if you are trying to do speed runs you might look into CRTs or the OSSC.

i have a hard time picturing retro game speedruns on anything but a CRT, really - what the OSSC doesn't add, the set will moreso, no?
 

KC-Slater

Member
Does anyone have any experience with widescreen consumer CRT HDTVs?

Specifically, is their input lag with 480p content, or just 480i?
 

Madao

Member
audio is one part where i have not put almost any effort at all.

i got a 5.1 setup but that's it. i route all the systems i got to my receiver and never change the audio preset. i think it's a default preset with just the audio from the sources being output without changes. analog sources get DPLII decoding when available.
 

dubc35

Member
yeah AVS can get insane - me, when i've the space, ill have a 5:1 setup in the living room for HD content & a decent enough receiver with big ass black speakers like the ones from that mail-in add with the neg geo in the day, i dont even care if they're calibrated or whatever the fuck long as shit knocks

Irish in the future:
100.gif


cassette tape and all, lol
 

Peltz

Member
IIRC most HD CRTs do 480p and 1080i (but not 720p) making them kinda shitty for Gen7 systems and WiiU
My parents had a giant Mitsubishi tv back in the day that did 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i all natively if I'm not mistaken. It was one of those ones with a huge base that looked like it's own TV stand.:

602mits.1.jpg



I don't think that was the exact model though. The picture quality on it was phenomenal, but it was plagued by some overscan issues that I fixed as best as I could by accessing the service menu. Geometry was also an issue and I never could get that right.

I still think it's better than any plasma screen I've ever seen. OLED is a bit more comparable though.

I was beyond sad when it died. My parents never let me game on it though (but you know I snuck some sessions in when they weren't home lol).
 

Kawika

Member
yeah AVS can get insane - me, when i've the space, ill have a 5:1 setup in the living room for HD content & a decent enough receiver with big ass black speakers like the ones from that mail-in add with the neg geo in the day, i dont even care if they're calibrated or whatever the fuck long as shit knocks

i have a hard time picturing retro game speedruns on anything but a CRT, really - what the OSSC doesn't add, the set will moreso, no?

Some PC monitors are ~1ms which is basically 0. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. CRTs will all be dead some day and the OSSC is the current best bet for the future.

I guess you mean why haven't i bought one... mostly it's because i have a Wii with Component/D-Terminal that I think would be better than my Super Famicom using RGB. The SFC exhibits the typical vertical line in dark scenes that the Wii doesn't, and Component is probably crisper than an unmodified SFC too. I have 2 SFCs, one is quite old and the other ~1995 but i've checked neither for 1chip. Been meaning to grab a game with debug screen so i can check! The other reason is there's only 1 RGB input on the Framemeister and without a JP21 switch, i'm a little hesitant cause i'd be pulling it in and out constantly. The main reason i got it was to get my Saturn hooked up through RGB.

Yes I meant, haven't. I did the Wii thing for a while and once I got my RGB SNES I never went back. It depends what you want but I don't really care for emulation when I can get around it. Especially the fact that you have 2 SFCs I would just use that. There are good cheap 2-4 port switches you can get. I am sure there are several that people have suggested in this thread if you don't want to go the gscartsw/hydra route. Alternatively, HD retrovision cables with component. Component switches are easy to come by too. Either Way, do whatever makes you happy.
 

televator

Member
My parents had a giant Mitsubishi tv back in the day that did 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i all natively if I'm not mistaken. It was one of those ones with a huge base that looked like it's own TV stand.:

602mits.1.jpg



I don't think that was the exact model though. The picture quality on it was phenomenal, but it was plagued by some overscan issues that I fixed as best as I could by accessing the service menu. Geometry was also an issue and I never could get that right.

I still think it's better than any plasma screen I've ever seen. OLED is a bit more comparable though.

I was beyond sad when it died. My parents never let me game on it though (but you know I snuck some sessions in when they weren't home lol).

Those are rear projectors? Not really CRTs in general.
 

IrishNinja

Member
yeah, just over 10 years ago i'd inherited a huge rear projector like that - it was cool, but the colors went out shortly after, sadly. fun while it lasted!
 

televator

Member
Oh, apparently some RPTVs were CRT driven. Either way, they bounce light around in the cab (hence why they are projectors) so plasma still generally had better black level and contrast.
 

Peltz

Member
Oh, apparently some RPTVs were CRT driven. Either way, they bounce light around in the cab (hence why they are projectors) so plasma still generally had better black level and contrast.

It was definitely CRT driven.

I'm surprised to hear that. Black levels were pretty damn insane on the thing. The colors were on par with the PVMs I use now (or at least close to that level of contrast).

I just got a hernia looking at that picture.

Yea, I have no clue how we even moved it.
 

KC-Slater

Member
I was looking at a 34" Panasonic HD CRT (not rear projection like the ones that were posted below) on Craigslist. It says it supports 480i, 480p & 720p.

Specifically, I was curious about any image post-processing that might introduce lag. It doesn't support 240p (according to the manual) but I was thinking it might pair well with my OSSC and x2/x3 scaling.

It looks pretty nice, but it weighs at least 160lbs, and looks to have a massive footprint. I keep talking myself into it, then back out of it.

As for moving those rear projection TVs, It's actually a bit easier as they typically seperate in two, have casters on the bottom, and the weight is more easily distributed because of the larger size (one of the most difficult things about moving a 'regular' 39" CTR is that the weight is dense, but it's hard to fit more than three people to properly move it. It's MUCH easier when it's still in the box.)
 

Peltz

Member
I was looking at a 34" Panasonic HD CRT (not rear projection like the ones that were posted below) on Craigslist. It says it supports 480i, 480p & 720p.

Specifically, I was curious about any image post-processing that might introduce lag. It doesn't support 240p (according to the manual) but I was thinking it might pair well with my OSSC and x2/x3 scaling.

It looks pretty nice, but it weighs at least 160lbs, and looks to have a massive footprint. I keep talking myself into it, then back out of it.

As for moving those rear projection TVs, It's actually a bit easier as they typically seperate in two, have casters on the bottom, and the weight is more easily distributed because of the larger size (one of the most difficult things about moving a 'regular' 39" CTR is that the weight is dense, but it's hard to fit more than three people to properly move it. It's MUCH easier when it's still in the box.)
You can't go by the manual regarding 240p. No CRT that supports 240p mentions it in the manual. It's not really an "official" resolution like that. Even when playing 240p games on my PVM 20l5, the display reads 480i/60, and Sony themselves manufactured it and they're certainly familiar with 240p from the PS1 days.
 

Kawika

Member
My OSSC arrived yesterday (how in the hell did it come so fast from the UK to California?).

IMG_20170920_223027.jpg


I am pretty happy. I made the hard call earlier this year to sell my OSSC because it wasn't compatible with my gaming TV (Sony XBR43X800D). It was kind of compatible, meaning somethings worked while other things were just a little off. After hearing about the new update, I was fairly convinced it would work.

My favorite console is the SNES and it just flat out would barely work with 5x. Now that I have the new OSSC it works perfectly on certain line modes. I can get 1x, 2x, and 5x working without issue on the SNES.

IMG_20170920_234456.jpg

IMG_20170920_232801.jpg

IMG_20170920_231955.jpg

IMG_20170920_23171339107.jpg


Genesis and N64 seem to work in 1-5x. N64 doesn't like 480i (bob) on my TV but the flickering isn't that bad with passthrough.

PS2. OMG i couldn't believe how good component 480i 4x looked. It wasn't quite HD collection but I was presently surprised. I couldn't get good images to work with my camera.

PS1 it seems a little weird, the XRGB really beats the OSSC for this platform. Since I mostly play JRPGs on the PS1 I think its worth keeping that around just for this and GBA via gamecube.

Wii really took me back too. 480p 2x mode worked way better than I thought it would. I have always hated the way Skyward Sword looked on just about anything other than my PVM20L5 but this has changed my mind. Colors are a little washed out but it could be my cables from Monoprice. Either way, I am still pretty happy being able to play 480p on the big screen without using my TV's internal scaler. Gamecube had similar results if anyone cares. 1440x960p

IMG_20170920_223847.jpg

IMG_20170920_223856.jpg

IMG_20170920_224141.jpg


^ I can't believe how good Zelda looks in this scene with the OSSC.

IMG_20170920_230001.jpg


I tried scanlines with Tatsunoku v Capcom just for the hell of it and it really helps with some of the jaggies. I am not usually one for 480p fake scanlines but this works for me.

The product is way different than the xrgb-mini but since I had it before I was able to navigate the options fairly quickly the learning curve was almost non-existent this time around. The OSSC is a good product and I can see it taking away the Framemeister in all but a few cases. It doesn't look as good as my PVM20L5 but I am not expecting it to. I mainly got this for 480p gaming before I even got the 20L5. I like being able to sit back in a relaxed position instead of crouched in my office chair playing on a 20" CRT.
 
Despite the hate skyward sword gets, one thing of note is how damn beautiful the game is. Especially on good CRTs. I have no idea how they could approach a remaster
 

KC-Slater

Member
I am pretty happy. I made the hard call earlier this year to sell my OSSC because it wasn't compatible with my gaming TV (Sony XBR43X800D). It was kind of compatible, meaning somethings worked while other things were just a little off. After hearing about the new update, I was fairly convinced it would work.

My favorite console is the SNES and it just flat out would barely work with 5x. Now that I have the new OSSC it works perfectly on certain line modes. I can get 1x, 2x, and 5x working without issue on the SNES.

I'm confused -- you sold your OSSC and bought a new model (one with integrated audio, I imagine?)

I was under the impression that this was the only change, hardware-wise, made to the OSSC. Did you try updating the firmware at all on your original model?
 

Rirse

Neo Member
Man I can't wait for my OSSC to arrive next month. At least in the meantime I am ordering the SCART cables and HYDRA to get ready for it. My old HD Retrovision cables get moved to the PVM.
 
I'm confused -- you sold your OSSC and bought a new model (one with integrated audio, I imagine?)

I was under the impression that this was the only change, hardware-wise, made to the OSSC. Did you try updating the firmware at all on your original model?


I think the compatibility improvents Kawika is noting came from firmware rather then hardware. There hasn't been any hardware changes outside of the audio.
 

Kawika

Member
I'm confused -- you sold your OSSC and bought a new model (one with integrated audio, I imagine?)

I was under the impression that this was the only change, hardware-wise, made to the OSSC. Did you try updating the firmware at all on your original model?

I got the OSSC at the same time I got a TV. The hardware did go through some revision. The HDMI was integrated instead of going from DVI requiring you to buy a separate HDMI adapter. There was no announcement of firmware (so I had no guarantee it would work). I wanted the tv more for modern gaming so I sold the OSSC to a fellow gaffer. I am sure, if I had that unit, it would function the same. But the main difference is between the two units is another audio input so you can have a dreamcast vga box, scart and component all hooked up at once and still be able to feed all audio inputs at the same time without swapping audio jacks. Also the dvi to hdmi made mounting it awkward to position it where I wanted to.

I think the compatibility improvents Kawika is noting came from firmware rather then hardware. There hasn't been any hardware changes outside of the audio.

Yeah like I said above, some hardware upgrades were made but my real decision came months down the line when the better 5x compatibility firmware was announced. My OSSC and TV seemed like it was almost there but I wasn't willing to sit on this thing if it kind of worked. I thought it would be better to sell it and buy another one down the line.
 

ShowDog

Member
IIRC most HD CRTs do 480p and 1080i (but not 720p) making them kinda shitty for Gen7 systems and WiiU

The HDMI Sony sets natively display 1080i but accept 720p on down and are absolutely perfect for 7th gen gaming IMO. Honestly they’re not bad for 8th gen either.
 

Kawika

Member
The HDMI Sony sets natively display 1080i but accept 720p on down and are absolutely perfect for 7th gen gaming IMO. Honestly they're not bad for 8th gen either.

I have a early model Sony LCD HDTV w/ HDMI that caps at 1080i. 7th gen really looks good on it.
 

KC-Slater

Member
Yeah like I said above, some hardware upgrades were made but my real decision came months down the line when the better 5x compatibility firmware was announced. My OSSC and TV seemed like it was almost there but I wasn't willing to sit on this thing if it kind of worked. I thought it would be better to sell it and buy another one down the line.

That makes sense. I've had a unit since the early release, but I only recently tracked down a compatible Micro SD card to update the firmware. I'm glad everything is working out for you now!
 

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
I'm double posting due to excitement.

I've finally chosen me some speakers and a subwoofer. My neighbor is going to kill me. This subwoofer will absolutely kick the shit out of you. I can't wait.

I'm getting one of these:

http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/uls-15mk2.html

With five of these:

http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/ccb-8.html

I cannot fucking wait. (I'm going to soundproof my place too.)

Those are some solid choices, and I think a sealed sub was absolutely the way to go... particularly in light of being in a smaller apartment. Boomy, shitty bass is just annoying as hell.

Edit: Oh, and if it wasn't already on the list, definitely get a SubDude for that thing. Gets rid of unwanted resonances (particularly useful in an apartment, of course), and makes the bass sound cleaner. I've got one for both of my setups, and can't imagine going without.
 

bodine1231

Member
Guys,so,like,I just spent all of the money I've earned (and more) on a pallet of BVM's


UDOBLddl.jpg


I'm super fucking nervous right now,lol. I have no idea if these work or not and getting them shipped here safety is going to give me a damn heartattack. I'm honestly considering taking a whole week off work and renting a van and just drive 2500+ miles to pick it up. I was quoted ~$500 for Fedex Freight on Uship.com (both me and the seller have forklift and dock) which is reasonable but I'm so terrified of damage. Driving from Louisiana to Washington would be insane but I could guarantee their safety and see the country as a bonus. It would cost a bit more in gas and the rental as well. I don't know what to do.

I also spent way way more on this than I intended to but something like this is so freaking rare I had to jump it. I figure if they are all dead I can get with Savon-pat to have them fixed,fix it myself or just sell them broken for $350 and maybe break even. I may also eBay my M4U and 2030 as well as my RGB NES to help pay for this. I'll rebuy my consoles back later as I sell these and just slum it on the Wii. Also,if you live on the way from Louisiana to WA and want to buy a BVM (and I decide to drive) hit me up and maybe we can meet and not risk shipping it. I posted this in the CRT Reddit thread and have a couple people interested in picking one up on the way back so thats a plus for driving there I guess.

Sorry for rambling,this is the biggest financial risk I've ever taken (not really,playing with house money at this point,but still) and not sure what to do.

Retrogaf please
tumblr_o3ndr6LfM91uuj1vto1_500.gif
 
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