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[BubbaMc]

Welp,the old girl finally kicked the bucket. Was playing some Saturn,went to the bathroom and came back and she's not getting power anymore. I'm legit depressed right now,I thought this day wouldnt come for while but its been a great ride. I've been emulating alot anyways but it was always nice knowing I could play the real thing if I needed to. May check Craigslist for a regular CRT on the cheap to hold me over. I bought this PVM 10 years ago for $50 from an FX studio,wont find a deal like that again.

Get it fixed. Sounds like a dead PSU which is simple to fix in the scheme of things. Any electronics technician worth his salt can repair it no problem.

 

[Timu]

Some PS2 games look fine in HD, like Kingdom Hearts series. I think OG Xbox games in higher res will be fine, and there should be higher performance as well.

Grabbed by the Ghoulies was on Rare Replay in 1080p and 60FPS and looks great so the same should happen for OG Xbox games on X1.

 

[socksfelloff]

Cranking up the rendering resolution on older games can sometimes look better but it really makes the low quality textures stand out.

I run into this alot in older pc games and without a well done texture pack I prefer to play them at original resolution on a CRT monitor.


Smash melee is the exception. It looks fantastic at 4k because of the rediculiusly detailed textures. Dark souls is another good example of that

 

[Timu]

Cranking up the rendering resolution on older games can sometimes look better but it really makes the low quality textures stand out.

I run into this alot in older pc games and without a well done texture pack I prefer to play them at original resolution on a CRT monitor.


Smash melee is the exception. It looks fantastic at 4k because of the rediculiusly detailed textures. Dark souls is another good example of that

It depends on the game really. Also older games with good art styles also benefit from high resolutions as well.

Metroid Prime also looks great in 1080p+ as well.

 

[Splash Wave]

You'll need to also get the Euro SCART cable adapter, since the Framemeister only comes with a JP21 one by default, and then a SCART cable for your Saturn.

Go to this link to read up on the RGB specifics with the Saturn:

http://retrorgb.com/saturn.html

There are 2 types of RGB connector that look identical externally but have different wirings (and thus are incompatible with eachother). One of them is Japanese JP21, the other is Euro SCART. Generally, it's easier for us westerners to use the european standard for obvious reasons (accessibility of cables, switches, etc. due to proximity).

SCART and JP-21 annoying feature the same connector but annoyingly different pin-outs. You need to pick a standard and stick with it.

Most people will recommend you go with SCART, the Euro standard, because accessories are more common with it. For example, I have a GSCARTSW which is a switch that automatically switches to whichever system I have turned on. This isn't made for JP-21 users because there's not enough interest.

Originally, I had bought JP-21 cables but it became too annoying to manually change cables all the time so I had to buy a new set.

So, just so I'm clear, I should be good with this Euro SKU?

https://solarisjapan.com/products/xrgb-mini-framemeister-compact-up-scaler-unit-eur-scart-adapter

And then, with this cable, I'll have everything I need?

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...ep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg

(Sorry for being so obtuse!)

 

[Laevateinn]

So, just so I'm clear, I should be good with this Euro SKU?

https://solarisjapan.com/products/xrgb-mini-framemeister-compact-up-scaler-unit-eur-scart-adapter

And then, with this cable, I'll have everything I need?

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...ep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg

(Sorry for being so obtuse!)

Yes, except there's a bit of a controversy over the quality of those cables. Someone else might have more info on that but this is where I've been getting my cables recently.

 

[NormalFish]

So, just so I'm clear, I should be good with this Euro SKU?

https://solarisjapan.com/products/xrgb-mini-framemeister-compact-up-scaler-unit-eur-scart-adapter

And then, with this cable, I'll have everything I need?

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...ep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg

(Sorry for being so obtuse!)

Yup, that'll do it for your saturn.

Oh, and the cable quality arguments are kinda overstated. That seller is what everyone recommended and then a popular modder bitched about them using hot glue and now suddenly no one wants to recommend them. They're good.

 

[cyborgnumberblue]

Yup, that'll do it for your saturn.

Oh, and the cable quality arguments are kinda overstated. That seller is what everyone recommended and then a popular modder bitched about them using hot glue and now suddenly no one wants to recommend them. They're good.

^^^

I've gotten 10 plus cables from this seller and all have worked flawlessly, can't recommend them enough.

 

[Shin Johnpv]

Oh, and the cable quality arguments are kinda overstated. That seller is what everyone recommended and then a popular modder bitched about them using hot glue and now suddenly no one wants to recommend them. They're good.

That's not really true, it goes beyond that If you follow things on some other forums like Shmups, people have been questioning her quality for some time. There have definitely been issues with her quality being kind of all over the map. Not just the use of 2 part epoxy applied to solder joints. The other big difference with her stuff and some others is that when issues arise and come up, she refuses to change how she does things. Where as some of the other makers of RGB cables change their process as new stuff is found out.

Take the issue with the DBelectronics GrafixBooster, which outputs a signal through a genesis model 2 din, and was spec'ed to work with proper video signals. The Model 2 genesis RGB cables out there at the time were having issues with it, because Sega's specs were a lot looser as to what components need to be in the cables and where. The guy from the UK reached out to the maker of the device and asked what do I have to do to make my cables work properly. Now all cables coming from him have the shit in the right place, to the SCART spec.

We have a much better understanding now about what components belong on what end of the cable. Some stuff needs to be on the console end and some stuff on the scart end. We have a better understanding of what ranges the signal that goes to your device needs to be to meet the proper levels for 75ohm csync vs TTL sync. Yeah if this stuff comes into your Framemeister or OSSC too high or too low it'll still work, but it's putting undue stress on the components and can make something that should work for 50 years work for 5 or 10 or maybe just 3.

These discussions and arguments go beyond, I plugged the cable in and got a signal so it must be good and work perfectly. You also don't want the cables you use to be lowering the life span of your expensive equipment over time.

There's been a movement to supporting and recommending the UK seller over the US based ebay one because as new information is found out, and the way cables need to be made changes, he keeps adjusting his stuff, and improving it. He's working with the people making boards, and RGB solutions.

 

[Splash Wave]

Yes, except there's a bit of a controversy over the quality of those cables. Someone else might have more info on that but this is where I've been getting my cables recently.

Yup, that'll do it for your saturn.

Oh, and the cable quality arguments are kinda overstated. That seller is what everyone recommended and then a popular modder bitched about them using hot glue and now suddenly no one wants to recommend them. They're good.

Thanks again, everyone. I'd probably just buy the cable from the link provided, but they're out of stock!

 

[NormalFish]

I mean that's all fine and dandy, but you're still overstating the issues. Lowering the longevity of your consoles? Talk about baseless speculation.

Thanks again, everyone. I'd probably just buy the cable from the link provided, but they're out of stock!

Laevateinn's link is working for me.

 

[Kawika]

That's not really true, it goes beyond that If you follow things on some other forums like Shmups, people have been questioning her quality for some time. There have definitely been issues with her quality being kind of all over the map. Not just the use of 2 part epoxy applied to solder joints. The other big difference with her stuff and some others is that when issues arise and come up, she refuses to change how she does things. Where as some of the other makers of RGB cables change their process as new stuff is found out.

Take the issue with the DBelectronics GrafixBooster, which outputs a signal through a genesis model 2 din, and was spec'ed to work with proper video signals. The Model 2 genesis RGB cables out there at the time were having issues with it, because Sega's specs were a lot looser as to what components need to be in the cables and where. The guy from the UK reached out to the maker of the device and asked what do I have to do to make my cables work properly. Now all cables coming from him have the shit in the right place, to the SCART spec.

We have a much better understanding now about what components belong on what end of the cable. Some stuff needs to be on the console end and some stuff on the scart end. We have a better understanding of what ranges the signal that goes to your device needs to be to meet the proper levels for 75ohm csync vs TTL sync. Yeah if this stuff comes into your Framemeister or OSSC too high or too low it'll still work, but it's putting undue stress on the components and can make something that should work for 50 years work for 5 or 10 or maybe just 3.

These discussions and arguments go beyond, I plugged the cable in and got a signal so it must be good and work perfectly. You also don't want the cables you use to be lowering the life span of your expensive equipment over time.

There's been a movement to supporting and recommending the UK seller over the US based ebay one because as new information is found out, and the way cables need to be made changes, he keeps adjusting his stuff, and improving it. He's working with the people making boards, and RGB solutions.

You summed it up better than I. I am in the process of rebuying all my cables again. My dealings with that person on ebay have left a lot to be desired.

 

[Shin Johnpv]

I mean that's all fine and dandy, but you're still overstating the issues. Lowering the longevity of your consoles? Talk about baseless speculation.

When you have the guys from HDRetrovision, who have degrees in electrical engineering saying yeah sending a signal with the wrong levels to your devices can shorten their life span its not baseless speculation. You have others with the education and knowledge saying similar.

Also I didn't say of the consoles, I said of the devices its plugged into, specifically framemeisters and OSSCs.

 

[Jinto]

Speaking of the eBay seller, the scart cables I ordered from her for my Analogue NT Mini arrived last week. The picture looks off. Everything looks pink and not as sharp. I'm not sure if it's the cable or something else.

Everything is hooked up to a Bandridge manual scart switch and to my PVM. I apologize for the cell phone quality pics.

For reference, here's the NT connected to component cables from Monoprice:

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

^
Damn, that looks fucked.

 

[socksfelloff]

Speaking of the eBay seller, the scart cables I ordered from her for my Analogue NT Mini arrived last week. The picture looks off. Everything looks pink and not as sharp. I'm not sure if it's the cable or something else.

Everything is hooked up to a Bandridge manual scart switch and to my PVM. I apologize for the cell phone quality pics.



For reference, here's the NT connected to component cables from Monoprice:

Huh at first I would think you were missing the Blue line but the white shows up okay. It almost looks like the signal is too hot and causing the reds to bleed. It looks over saturated to hell.

I belive component cables are 75ohm but I don't think scart cables are without resistors added.


Edit : are you sending rgb signal in the first set and component in the second? If so it could be your pvm settings.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

OK, so... I need to rebuy some cables and get some ones for new systems for the gscartsw when it gets here.

Where should I be buying them, at this point? I need the coax upgrade for these, because I know that the audio is going to suffer without it.

Edit: So far, I think retrogamingcables.co.uk just has the packapunch upgrade for the SNES and, recently, the Genesis. So I think I'm SOL for Saturn, PS1, and Neo Geo.

 

[NormalFish]

When you have the guys from HDRetrovision, who have degrees in electrical engineering saying yeah sending a signal with the wrong levels to your devices can shorten their life span its not baseless speculation. You have others with the education and knowledge saying similar.

Also I didn't say of the consoles, I said of the devices its plugged into, specifically framemeisters and OSSCs.

Well, when we have evidence of this happening, I'll change my stance. I find it hard to believe that those cables can be so problematic when people have used generic, cheap as hell, straight-out-of-a-chinese-sweatshop cables for years and I've heard very few incidents of cables causing tangible electrical problems other than obviously faulty units.

 

[cyborgnumberblue]

OK, so... I need to rebuy some cables and get some ones for new systems for the gscartsw when it gets here.

Where should I be buying them, at this point? I need the coax upgrade for these, because I know that the audio is going to suffer without it.

Edit: So far, I think retrogamingcables.co.uk just has the packapunch upgrade for the SNES and, recently, the Genesis. So I think I'm SOL for Saturn, PS1, and Neo Geo.

Not to sound like a broken record, but I got all of those from retro console accessories and they all have worked flawlessly. In any case, if the cable you get does have something wrong with it, or you need it wired to a particular specification, this seller will accommodate you.

 

[PumpkinSpice]

You could also just contact the site owner of RGC.uk and ask if/when they would be in stock.

 

[Jinto]

Huh at first I would think you were missing the Blue line but the white shows up okay. It almost looks like the signal is too hot and causing the reds to bleed. It looks over saturated to hell.

I belive component cables are 75ohm but I don't think scart cables are without resistors added.


Edit : are you sending rgb signal in the first set and component in the second? If so it could be your pvm settings.

I don't think it's the PVM. I just hooked up my PS2 to the same scart input and it works fine. I also tried changing the RGB settings on the NT Mini, but this is the only one that works.

The only other thing I can think of is the cable isn't compatible with the switch for whatever reason. If that's the case, the cable is no good to me anyway. :/

 

[Mitama]

So I've just setup my game room and I've kept my CRT TV all these years so I could replay my retro games (PSX, PS2, SNES through Wii 240p) but it seems something is off about my CRT's image. It has a lot of flicker, like the kind you get with low refresh rates. Especially on menus with white text this is very noticeable. Is it possible my CRT is faulty? I don't remember playing my games with such a large amount of flicker and even though I'm used to HDTVs, I'm pretty sure I'd have noticed this back when I was still playing my PS2 all the time.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

You could also just contact the site owner of RGC.uk and ask if/when they would be in stock.

I send him an email about a month ago, and he said they were coming soon... we've got the Genesis one since then, so maybe I should check in again about the others.

Neo Geo is the most pressing thing right now for me. I've got 4-5 weeks to get everything sorted out.

 

[Splash Wave]

I'm so, so torn on whether or not I should pull the trigger on a Framemeister. I have a solid Saturn collection collecting dust, as I don't have any room in my apartment for my old Sony CRT, and I really want to hear what some of my games would sound like through my speakers. Also, there's some sense of urgency to getting the Framemeister due to there being a finite supply of units, right?

I know there are cheaper alternatives, but I'm pretty anal about picture quality, and I know that anything subpar will be a huge turn-off for me. Can anyone give me that last little nudge I need? The thought of spending ~$400 on a chintzy piece of plastic and some cables is proving to be somewhat difficult, even if know it's much more than that.

 

[NormalFish]

I'm so, so torn on whether or not I should pull the trigger on a Framemeister. I have a solid Saturn collection collecting dust, as I don't have any room in my apartment for my old Sony CRT, and I really want to hear what some of my games would sound like through my speakers. Also, there's some sense of urgency to getting the Framemeister due to there being a finite supply of units, right?

I know there are cheaper alternatives, but I'm pretty anal about picture quality, and I know that anything subpar will be a huge turn-off for me. Can anyone give me that last little nudge I need? The thought of spending ~$400 on a chintzy piece of plastic and some cables is proving to be somewhat difficult, even if know it's much more than that.

if you're skeptical, you could go for an OSSC, instead. The framemeister is more compatible in terms of displays, but the OSSC will give comparable image quality for cheaper.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

if you're skeptical, you could go for an OSSC, instead. The framemeister is more compatible in terms of displays, but the OSSC will give comparable image quality for cheaper.

And has some definite pros over the FM. After getting an OSSC, I have no desire to ever own a FM.

The downside is that you have to be on a waiting list to get one.

 

[socksfelloff]

I don't think it's the PVM. I just hooked up my PS2 to the same scart input and it works fine. I also tried changing the RGB settings on the NT Mini, but this is the only one that works.

The only other thing I can think of is the cable isn't compatible with the switch for whatever reason. If that's the case, the cable is no good to me anyway. :/

The more I think about it, the more I think you're missing your blue. I had a similar issue except with my green and it was because the pin in the scart connector got pushed in! Take a look at the connector and if all the pins look fine I would try changing ports on your switch or try hooking it straight into your pvm.

 

[Splash Wave]

if you're skeptical, you could go for an OSSC, instead. The framemeister is more compatible in terms of displays, but the OSSC will give comparable image quality for cheaper.

I just did a little research into this as per your recommendation, and I'm not sure I like the way the line-doubling "system" sounds, at least compared to what the Framemeister does. I'd find it significantly more tempting if it wasn't already fairly close in price to the Framemeister in USD.

edit: I'm also wondering if I'll really notice the input lag on the Framemeister. Is this a significant problem for casual play?

 

[socksfelloff]

I just did a little research into this as per your recommendation, and I'm not sure I like the way the line-doubling "system" sounds, at least compared to what the Framemeister does. I'd find it significantly more tempting if it wasn't already fairly close in price to the Framemeister in USD.

edit: I'm also wondering if I'll really notice the input lag on the Framemeister. Is this a significant problem for casual play?

For me personally, the input delay on the framemeister was a deal breaker. It's worth noting that you're combining the input delay on the FM with the input delay on your TV. Individually either may be bearable but depending on your set it could be really bad.

OSSC is the way to go IMO.

 

[NormalFish]

I just did a little research into this as per your recommendation, and I'm not sure I like the way the line-doubling "system" sounds, at least compared to what the Framemeister does. I'd find it significantly more tempting if it wasn't already fairly close in price to the Framemeister in USD.

edit: I'm also wondering if I'll really notice the input lag on the Framemeister. Is this a significant problem for casual play?

Well, the framemeister is still obviously a great box. If it sounds more appropriate for your uses, then go for it.

For me personally, the input delay on the framemeister was a deal breaker. It's worth noting that you're combining the input delay on the FM with the input delay on your TV. Individually either may be bearable but depending on your set it could be really bad.

OSSC is the way to go IMO.

On the other hand, I never really noticed it. That said, I used a PC monitor. If you're using a high-lag TV, it might be problematic. If you tried to play a rhythm game or you play shmups or tetris or something at a super high level, then you'll feel it regardless of display, but generally I find 1.5 frames pretty trivial.

 

[socksfelloff]

Well, the framemeister is still obviously a great box. If it sounds more appropriate for your uses, then go for it.

On the other hand, I never really noticed it. That said, I used a PC monitor. If you're using a high-lag TV, it might be problematic. If you tried to play a rhythm game or you play shmups or tetris or something at a super high level, then you'll feel it regardless of display, but generally I find 1.5 frames pretty trivial.

Yeah it's totally fine if you're just having some beers with your friends and playing mario kart.

I spend most of my game time with games that require frame perfect timing such as fighters, shmups and platformers. If you don't know any better your brain will auto correct for the timing and you'll have no problems with 1.5 frames delay.

 

[bodine1231]

Get it fixed. Sounds like a dead PSU which is simple to fix in the scheme of things. Any electronics technician worth his salt can repair it no problem.

I intend to,just don't feel like messing with it now. Also fixing 3 arcade cabs at the moment so I'm a bit burnt out on CRT repairs atm.

So during my lunch break I decided to head to the local swapshop and see what CRT's they had. They had a couple Sony Trinitrons but they were pretty beat up and had bad color. However,they did have a VERY NICE conditioned Panasonic Tau (non hd) with no problems for $10. The picture on this thing is awesome and I was also surprised at how well the speakers sound too. I'm very very impressed,its not quite on the level of my PVM but its damn close (especially for the price),also the larger size is very nice,almost worth the slight dip in quality compared to the 20" PVM.

I just need to pick up a rgb to component converter,modded Wii through component will hold me over for a while though.

Also,while the guy was checking me out he had a box half opened with what was clearly some NES and SNES games/systems. I asked how much he wanted for everything and he told me $30! So for $40 I got a kickass CRT and a bunch of NES/Snes games,good day!!

 

[RadarScope1]

Great get! Yoshi's Island alone is worth what you paid for that box, and it's a nice selection of NES games.

I agree that the size of a nice, big CRT is a great trade off. It's too bad PVMs don't typically get a bit bigger. Even 24" would be swell.

 

[Barrel Cannon]

Great finds, especially that Yoshi's Island which like RadarScope said is worth that price by itself. Finding good gaming deals is so much harder in my area. Everyone seems to be looking at ebay prices and pricing near to that for their games.

 

[televator]

Best way to play them is still on a CRT
Most of the catalogue looks rough as is these days..... upscale that shit to 1080p/4k and you will need a new pair of eyeballs. If they increase native resolution it will actually make things even worse.

Coming at the wrong person with this... Xbox's component video output holds up the best out of that entire gen and looks swell on a modern TV. PQ approaches the PS360 territory. It could be better and it will be considering that Xbone will probably not scale, but run OG games in high def and could also apply AA and anisotropic filtering. I'm not sure if you're using your terms interchangeably, but native res and upscaling are not the same thing.

 

[Timu]

Coming at the wrong person with this... Xbox's component video output holds up the best out of that entire gen and looks swell on a modern TV. PQ approaches the PS360 territory. It could be better and it will be considering that Xbone will probably not scale, but run OG games in high def and could also apply AA and anisotropic filtering. I'm not sure if you're using your terms interchangeably, but native res and upscaling are not the same thing.

Yep, plus native res looks better than upscaling as well, always.

 

[bobble]

Coming at the wrong person with this... Xbox's component video output holds up the best out of that entire gen and looks swell on a modern TV. PQ approaches the PS360 territory. It could be better and it will be considering that Xbone will probably not scale, but run OG games in high def and could also apply AA and anisotropic filtering. I'm not sure if you're using your terms interchangeably, but native res and upscaling are not the same thing.

Agreed about original Xbox component, looks really great on every modern set I've hooked it up to. Excited about the new hardware doing BC but og Xbox hardware is great to this day!

 

[PumpkinSpice]

I'm convinced that most people's complaints about 480i / 480p resolution has more to do with their TV than anything else. A lot of HDTVs just have awful scaling. Maybe that explains why some people even seem to think that 720p is now unacceptable.

My new Samsung has really nice deinterlacing and good scaling and I'm satisfied with everything I've thrown at it. 480i only PS2 game? No problem!

 

[Splash Wave]

Just ordered the Framemeister! Thanks to everyone who answered my frequent questions leading up to the purchase. Now that each press conference is over, I've realized that I probably won't buy any games from now until the Fall, making the Framemeister price a little easier to handle.

 

[Fuzzy]

Email from HD Retrovision for those interest.

Hey everyone,

The release of the next batch of Genesis/SNES YPbPr cables and the Saturn/Neo Geo adapters is imminent. But before we get to that, we have some very important information we need to disseminate. Please read this entire email if you plan on purchasing anything from our store.

1) If you haven't already, it's time to run the 240p test on your TV (or TVs) with each console you plan to use with our YPbPr cables. Just because your Sega Genesis works on your TV doesn't mean your Sega Saturn, SNES, or Neo Geo CD will. Just because your console works on your Samsung doesn't mean it'll work on your Sony.

2) We've revised our Return Policy page to be more clear and consistent. Other than the 240p test, this is probably the most important thing to carefully look at, so please make sure you understand everything including the shipping policy at the bottom. As with the previous batch, we will not be accepting returns because of incompatibilities with your display device, since that should be checked for ahead of time (see #1).

3) We've updated the Genesis and SNES product pages with information and changelogs about what's new in this second production run (revision AH0) of cables. You may also note that we've added a second approved modding service, through Voultar's Mod Shop, for the NS1 serial numbers of the N64. If you look even closer you'll notice that we now officially support a SNES "mini" modding service, also through Voultar's Mod Shop.

4) We now have Saturn and Neo Geo product pages with compatibility lists and comparison pictures. Our capture equipment went on the fritz recently, so we'll be adding additional and more-accurate pics in the coming weeks. We also updated our Sync Jitter page with the detailed information we uncovered during our research last winter. Finally, you can get updated versions of our SNES & Genesis test software on the Free Stuff page.

5) We've completely redone our recommendations for power supplies, found on our 3rd Party Products page. We have found non-UL listed supplies to be too inconsistent and apt to change on a whim, so we now recommend a low-cost, low-noise, UL-listed supply that needs to be paired with plug adapters depending on the console you intend to use. Please let us know if you have any questions about this.

We will be sending a Part 2 email in the near future that will detail the release date, pricing, and quantity limits for the sale of this next batch of product. As always, we appreciate all of the support, encouragement, kind words, and patience you all have shown. It does not go unnoticed.

Thanks for reading!
Ste & Nick

 

[leonemesis]

About the retrovision cables, they should work without issues using the OSSC, right? Considering getting one for the Genesis, been thinking of getting the console and a few games that I enjoyed in my childhood.

 

[KC-Slater]

North American gamers: what are you using to power this Bandridge scart switch?

 

[Triforce141]

North American gamers: what are you using to power this Bandridge scart switch?

This one (link)

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Is anyone using the OSSC on a 4k tv? How's it look?

 

[cyborgnumberblue]

Is anyone using the OSSC on a 4k tv? How's it look?

For the brief period I could get it functioning with mine, it looked great. The horizontal scanlines looked pretty bad, though. It has since stopped working.

Still on fw .76, so maybe the update helps, but idk.

some shots, scanlines set to vertical:

 

[bobble]

Is anyone using the OSSC on a 4k tv? How's it look?

Yup, love it. Non-HDR cheapish Vizio from last year, 720 on 240p stuff looks really great. I'm very very satisfied. 480p looks pretty good anyway, so Dreamcast VGA looks good, doubled looks great too.

 

[bobble]

About the retrovision cables, they should work without issues using the OSSC, right? Considering getting one for the Genesis, been thinking of getting the console and a few games that I enjoyed in my childhood.

They're not kidding about it depending on your tv set - neither my older Panasonic plasma or current Vizio support 240p over component (or 240p in general). They'll work on your CRT (or broadcast monitor) almost definitely though.

 

[Galdelico]

Managed to do some tests with the OSSC and the new firmware.

I was especially curious to try out the new modes for interlaced sources, and see if they could fix/alleviate the issues I had with image retention on my IPS display. Unfortunately, nothing changed.
480i Line 3X (laced) comes out weirdly pixelated and squished, while 4X is pretty much identical to 2X (bob), with the only difference being the scanlines, apparently set to alternate only, looking way too flickery. One minor advantage is that - now - with 2X passthrough, the image doesn't output stretched anymore, but it keeps the correct ratio. It's not a big deal, though, since I don't like the look of passthrough to begin with, and the scanlines are still all messed up.

Feeling a bit bummed in the end, as a huge part of my collection is made of PS2, GameCube and XBOX games - plus all those 480i titles in the Saturn and PS1 libraries - which I can't really use on my 4K IPS monitor. It makes me wonder whether to just get back at a CRT solution (and sell my OSSC), or try a different monitor (TN don't suffer from those image retention issues, but I'm not sure I can go back at a TN panel, now... I should probably take one last gamble on a VA display, but I'm not super excited to begin a new quest).

 

[Vespa]

That's a shame it didn't sort out the retention issues. Strange thing is that I've used an IPS monitor whilst playing Virtua Fighter 2 on the Saturn via OSSC and haven't seen any retention artifacts. I can only think that it's the 'type' of IPS being used in your 4k screen (PLS? Newer IPS tech?) since the one I'm using is an old ass monitor.

I'll check on my newer 1440p IPS Dell monitor to see if it shows any issues when I have time. 480i switching is still a pain, same for the use of light gun games, keeping a CRT around makes sense.

 

[Galdelico]

That's a shame it didn't sort out the retention issues. Strange thing is that I've used an IPS monitor whilst playing Virtua Fighter 2 on the Saturn via OSSC and haven't seen any retention artifacts. I can only think that it's the 'type' of IPS being used in your 4k screen (PLS? Newer IPS tech?) since the one I'm using is an old ass monitor.

I'll check on my newer 1440p IPS Dell monitor to see if it shows any issues when I have time. 480i switching is still a pain, same for the use of light gun games, keeping a CRT around makes sense.

Thank you! Any additional test would be extremely useful, at least in order to narrow down a list of 'safe' models.
My monitor is a newish LG, so it can be that, even though it's a known widespread issue since a while, now, affecting a variety of devices... IPS New Nintendo 3DS XL screens aren't immune either, and I could see it myself on my own console.
If I can give you a couple of suggestions on how to trigger the problem, just play a full arcade with VF2 - VS/watch mode don't work, as the constant resolution swapping somehow prevents image retention from happening - and then, after the credits roll, let the intro movie with Shun Di doing his exhibition moves roll through... On my monitor, I can clearly see the white outlines of the life bars and fighters names, sticking out of the blue sky on the background. OSSC is set to 480i Line X and bob deinterlace, both with/without scanlines.

Other games I tested, that cause the same problem are: Fighters Megamix (Saturn, NTSC-J), KoF Maximum Impact 2 (PS2, NTSC-J), Ridge Racer V (PS2, NTSC-J) and Tales of Symphonia (Game Cube, PAL).