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[IrishNinja]

ah, you're prolly right
still, solaris was great with me when my remote stopped working - they got micromsoft to send me a new one, no charge!

 

[NormalFish]

just a hunch, but I don't think those d-terminal to component dongles on solaris are a micomsoft product. You can find those on Amazon (Japan) for about 670 yen. (6 bucks)

yeah, I expect this to be the case. I would certainly appreciate micomsoft getting more in to the adapter/cable side of things, but that doesn't really seem to be their thing.

 

[Huggers]

I have a pair of very lovely CRTs that get a lot of use. However I am considering a FM for the other room. Does the FM accept euro scart RGB without any fuss? All my consoles are this way.

 

[Voliko]

I have a pair of very lovely CRTs that get a lot of use. However I am considering a FM for the other room. Does the FM accept euro scart RGB without any fuss? All my consoles are this way.

Yes, you'll just need an 8-pin mini din to female scart cable because the FM comes with an 8 pin to JPN 21 RGB cable.

 

[Huggers]

Yes, you'll just need an 8-pin mini din to female scart cable because the FM comes with an 8 pin to JPN 21 RGB cable.

Thought as much. Thanks man

 

[meanspartan]

That is my feeling on it. It's not really a money issue, it's more that I don't like what the current one does with games that switch between different resolutions.

How often do games switch between resolutions?

I hear it often occurs on menu screens and such, which is bizarre to me. Why the hell do you switch resolution? lol

 

[D.Lo]

I hear it often occurs on menu screens and such, which is bizarre to me. Why the hell do you switch resolution? lol

On a CRT it makes static screens literally higher resolution, so you can have better fonts etc.

Seiken Densetsu 3, Saturn version of Nocturne in the Moonlight, and a few PS1 games do it in my experience. A really tiny number of games.

 

[Anthony Soprano]

I just bought a model one high-def sound Genny with an SCART cable on ebay, what's the best way to hook it up to my HDTV? I have component and HDMI.

I'm interested in using the front panel headphone jack with my Sennheiser HD650's and am wondering if I'll need a headphone amp or if the Genesis will drive these headphones fine, if so, can someone recommend one?

 

[televator]

I just bought a model one high-def sound Genny with an SCART cable on ebay, what's the best way to hook it up to my HDTV? I have component and HDMI.

Best is RGB scart/JP21 to a Framemeister for an HDTV and best is never cheap.

Maybe I'm overblowing it, but we really seem to get this kind of question a lot. Maybe a TLDR FAQ should be added to the top of the OP to address the perpetual "What's the current best or a cheap way to connect X to Y?" questions.

 

[Peagles]

Best is RGB scart/JP21 to a Framemeister for an HDTV and best is never cheap.

Maybe I'm overblowing it, but we really seem to get this kind of question a lot. Maybe a TLDR FAQ should be added to the top of the OP to address the perpetual "What's the current best or a cheap way to connect X to Y?" questions.

Yeh maybe we need something in the OP. Although the "best" could mean best picture, or best price, or best picture for a particular price, or something else all together. It's hard to know what people are wanting without further questions usually, which makes things tricky.

It would be good to somehow avoid the whole "what's the best?"-"omg no way I'm not spending that much"-"what about this $30 upscaler?" rinse and repeat we have going somehow though lol.

 

[RoninChaos]

So quick question. It looks like a framemeister mini is in my future. I keep seeing stuff like RGB thrown around and moding consoles. What am I looking at here as far as investment? Basically I want to play my old SNES, NES, Genesis, PSOne and PSTwo games on my big ass TV and not have them look like shit. I do not have the space for a CRT or I would have gone that route. What should I be looking for specifically? I want to make a list so I can really map this out financially.

 

[Peltz]

So quick question. It looks like a framemeister mini is in my future. I keep seeing stuff like RGB thrown around and moding consoles. What am I looking at here as far as investment? Basically I want to play my old SNES, NES, Genesis, PSOne and PSTwo games on my big ass TV and not have them look like shit. I do not have the space for a CRT or I would have gone that route. What should I be looking for specifically? I want to make a list so I can really map this out financially.

I think around +$500 USD when you factor in the NES mod and all of the cables. The Playstation RGB cable(s) may be particularly tough to get these days if recent posts are any indication. It also depends on whether you're buying a SCART switch or manually changing your consoles every time. You'll need:

-Framemeister - $280
-Euroscart to Framemeister wire - $20-30
-NES mod + board = $160 or so if you plan to have someone do it for you
-SCART cables = $20 to $30 each depending on what level of insulation you're looking for.
-SCART switch = ??? - the prices are all over the place on this. Could be anywhere from $40 to a $150 or so I'd guess.

 

[Sixfortyfive]

Maybe I'm overblowing it, but we really seem to get this kind of question a lot. Maybe a TLDR FAQ should be added to the top of the OP to address the perpetual "What's the current best or a cheap way to connect X to Y?" questions.

I kind of get the impression that these people aren't reading the OP in the first place and that a FAQ wouldn't help. There isn't room to add anything else anyway without rewriting and removing some of what's already there.

I mean, the order of display solutions discussed in the OP basically goes: CRT (plus SCART-to-component converter if needed; PVMs mentioned), old monitors and basic linedoublers, and finally HDTVs plus upscalers. So, the major bases are covered, in order from cheapest to most expensive.

It's either that, or these people don't like what they hear (Framemeister is too expensive) and ask for other options anyway.

It's also kind of hard to provide a good stock answer for cheap alternatives because things always seem to be changing on that front. Some hobbyists at shmups will have some solution in the works, but it either takes forever to hit the market or gets shelved indefinitely. HD Retrovision cables are coming but not out yet and are a more limited solution than the PR would have you believe. etc.

So quick question. It looks like a framemeister mini is in my future. I keep seeing stuff like RGB thrown around and moding consoles. What am I looking at here as far as investment? Basically I want to play my old SNES, NES, Genesis, PSOne and PSTwo games on my big ass TV and not have them look like shit. I do not have the space for a CRT or I would have gone that route. What should I be looking for specifically? I want to make a list so I can really map this out financially.

NES: RGB mod (<$100 if you can do it yourself; closer to $200 if not), custom AV port (ideally the same as an SNES AV port so that you can share cables between the two systems), and the RGB cable
SNES: just the cable, as long as you have an original model SNES ($20 or so)
Genesis: just the cable ($20)
PS1/PS2: just use the PS2 with official component cables; obtain a component to d-terminal adapter if you need to plug it into an upscaler
Upscaler: either a Framemeister or an XRGB-3; this would run you anywhere from $200 to $300

 

[Peltz]

nevermind. looks like I was wrong.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Official-Ge...788?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e9d41eee4

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OFFICIAL-SO...453?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aa0b502c5

 

[Mercutio]

Sixfortyfive... you mention official PS2 component cables as if they're easy to track down. I've done it myself... they're a very tough thing to find.

I hate myself for saying it, but the Monster Cable PS2 component cables are very good quality if you can find them. As an alternative.

 

[IrishNinja]

yeah, id still love to mess with em sometime, totally sticking with RGB until then though. rest of his outline looked legit.

 

[Sixfortyfive]

Are PS3 cables that hard to find these days?

 

[televator]

I kind of get the impression that these people aren't reading the OP in the first place and that a FAQ wouldn't help. There isn't room to add anything else anyway without rewriting and removing some of what's already there.

I mean, the order of display solutions discussed in the OP basically goes: CRT (plus SCART-to-component converter if needed; PVMs mentioned), old monitors and basic linedoublers, and finally HDTVs plus upscalers. So, the major bases are covered, in order from cheapest to most expensive.

It's either that, or these people don't like what they hear (Framemeister is too expensive) and ask for other options anyway.

It's also kind of hard to provide a good stock answer for cheap alternatives because things always seem to be changing on that front. Some hobbyists at shmups will have some solution in the works, but it either takes forever to hit the market or gets shelved indefinitely. HD Retrovision cables are coming but not out yet and are a more limited solution than the PR would have you believe. etc.

Too bad there's no room. I just think a couple of sentences that boils it down in simple terms would be good. Regardless, personally, I think I'll just start referring newbies to the OP.

 

[Mercutio]

It's either that, or these people don't like what they hear (Framemeister is too expensive) and ask for other options anyway.

Blasphemers need to be taught that the Framemeister is both the light AND the way.

 

[Huggers]

Blasphemers need to be taught that CRTs are both the light AND the way.

Fixed that for you ;-)

I don't see the beef with people coming in asking obvious (to some) questions. It's not absolutely constant and it's not any hassle to tell people and chat to them about their options.

 

[IrishNinja]

yeah, i'm not judgin people's priorities & life decisions

Spoiler

but bruh if ya girl won't "let" you get a PVM or CRT, it aint ya TV that needs upgrading

 

[sixteen-bit]

yeah, i'm not judgin people's priorities & life decisions

Spoiler

but bruh if ya girl won't "let" you get a PVM or CRT, it aint ya TV that needs upgrading

yo ulll

 

[theSlacker]

yeah, i'm not judgin people's priorities & life decisions

Spoiler

but bruh if ya girl won't "let" you get a PVM or CRT, it aint ya TV that needs upgrading

Truthfacts.

 

[Anthony Soprano]

Yeh maybe we need something in the OP. Although the "best" could mean best picture, or best price, or best picture for a particular price, or something else all together. It's hard to know what people are wanting without further questions usually, which makes things tricky.

It would be good to somehow avoid the whole "what's the best?"-"omg no way I'm not spending that much"-"what about this $30 upscaler?" rinse and repeat we have going somehow though lol.

I apologize for being ignorant to the whole thing and bringing up repeat questions. I consider myself pretty tech savvy, but I had no idea about SCART before stumbling upon this stuff.

I'll buy a Framemeister. The Genesis I bought has this cable, what else do I need to connect the Framemeister to my television? Solaris sells one with a "DT cable", do I need this or anything else to interface with my HDTV?

Cheers!

 

[NormalFish]

I apologize for being ignorant to the whole thing and bringing up repeat questions. I consider myself pretty tech savvy, but I had no idea about SCART before stumbling upon this stuff.

My advice to anyone who has read the OP and still feels uncertain: You should google around a bit. The community dedicated to high IQ on older consoles is super dedicated. It'll seem intimidating, but familiarizing yourself with the whole ecosystem will greatly help when you have issues. I realize telling someone to just do a google search sounds a bit condescending, but I really believe that's the best way to get a feel for this.

As to your specific case, that cable should work afaik. But you're going to need a SCART to 8din connector for the FM. You can get one from Retro_console_accessories on eBay for a good price. the D-terminal cable is a component to D-terminal adapter. They're mandatory if you're using component cables. And you're going to need a way to get DVI or HDMI in to your television/monitor. I'm sure you can figure that bit out on your own, though

Otherwise, enjoy the upscaler. It's pretty fucking cool.

 

[Anthony Soprano]

My advice to anyone who has read the OP and still feels uncertain: You should google around a bit. The community dedicated to high IQ on older consoles is super dedicated. It'll seem intimidating, but familiarizing yourself with the whole ecosystem will greatly help when you have issues. I realize telling someone to just do a google search sounds a bit condescending, but I really believe that's the best way to get a feel for this.

As to your specific case, that cable should work afaik. But you're going to need a SCART to 8din connector for the FM. You can get one from Retro_console_accessories on eBay for a good price. the D-terminal cable is a component to D-terminal adapter. They're mandatory if you're using component cables. And you're going to need a way to get DVI or HDMI in to your television/monitor. I'm sure you can figure that bit out on your own, though

Otherwise, enjoy the upscaler. It's pretty fucking cool.

Is this what I need? http://www.retrogamingcables.com/european-scart-to-framemeister-xrgb-mini-converter-for-sale.html The eBay seller you referenced is not selling anything at the moment and I want to order this all tomorrow. The cable I just linked says for European, I want to make sure it'll work with an NTSC Genesis.

 

[NormalFish]

Is this what I need? http://www.retrogamingcables.com/european-scart-to-framemeister-xrgb-mini-converter-for-sale.html The eBay seller you referenced is not selling anything at the moment and I want to order this all tomorrow. The cable I just linked says for European, I want to make sure it'll work with an NTSC Genesis.

...huh. She must have recently delisted or run out of stock or something. That's the cable, yes, though Retro_console_accessories has a powered one that's better for some consoles, though I can't recall which ones, as well as being much more strongly recommended. That cable will take a 21-pin EURO SCART connection (like the one you had a picture of) and run it in to the framemeister. The similar cable that comes with the framemeister will be for the 21-pin Japanese connection (JP21) which is rather hard to find unless you're in japan or deliberately looking for such a cable. Basically, if you don't know which wiring your cable is, it's probably EURO SCART.

 

[Sixfortyfive]

That cable will take a 21-pin EURO SCART connection (like the one you had a picture of) and run it in to the framemeister. The similar cable that comes with the framemeister will be for the 21-pin Japanese connection (JP21) which is rather hard to find unless you're in japan or deliberately looking for such a cable. Basically, if you don't know which wiring your cable is, it's probably EURO SCART.

Look at the picture he posted again.

 

[Anthony Soprano]

Look at the picture he posted again.

Is this to imply he's directing me towards purchasing the wrong thing? No disrespect to either of you, but this is the sort of thing we would need in the OP; a list of all components required for common set-ups (things like HDMI wires to interface from the box to the television go without saying.)

I love GAF as a repository for information and there's a lot of god-tier knowledge in this thread, just trying to make sure I don't end up with a bunch of extra wires I'll never use and a lot of this stuff ships from overseas, so I don't wanna have to re-order and wait. >_>

 

[D.Lo]

Is this to imply he's directing me towards purchasing the wrong thing? No disrespect to either of you, but this is the sort of thing we would need in the OP; a list of all components required for common set-ups (things like HDMI wires to interface from the box to the television go without saying.)

I love GAF as a repository for information and there's a lot of god-tier knowledge in this thread, just trying to make sure I don't end up with a bunch of extra wires I'll never use and a lot of this stuff ships from overseas, so I don't wanna have to re-order and wait. >_>

It looks like you have a JP21 Cable. This is normally very unlikely.

As such, assuming the cable is not damaged, the Framemeister will work out of the box with it with what comes in the box.

 

[Peagles]

I apologize for being ignorant to the whole thing and bringing up repeat questions. I consider myself pretty tech savvy, but I had no idea about SCART before stumbling upon this stuff.

I'll buy a Framemeister. The Genesis I bought has this cable, what else do I need to connect the Framemeister to my television? Solaris sells one with a "DT cable", do I need this or anything else to interface with my HDTV?

Cheers!

Please don't apologise! I didn't mean for that comment to be directed at you in particular, it's more just me noticing some of the patterns in this thread and thinking about how we could be of more use overall to people wanting to get into this stuff.

For what it's worth, I was in the same boat to begin with. I'm pretty tech savvy too but this area is a whole 'nother kettle of fish compared to anything else I've come across.

If you got a JP21 cable with your Genesis then it's ready to go with a Framemeister. However most people would probably advise going fully with SCART (it looks like the same connector but is wired rather differently). It does mean you have to buy an adapter cable that allows you to plug SCART cables into the Framemeister, and you'll have to re-buy a SCART cable for your Genny, but in terms of getting a switch later on it's much easier to start with SCART and go that route instead of JP21.

 

[Huggers]

yeah, i'm not judgin people's priorities & life decisions

Spoiler

but bruh if ya girl won't "let" you get a PVM or CRT, it aint ya TV that needs upgrading

Never mind a beginners guide in the OP. This should be in the OP. Ideally the opening line

 

[FuturusX]

So...I was playing Mario 64 with my son on the WiiU. Good times. He wanted to see my 'legendary' (to him) 120 stars. I fired up my original N64 cart to show him my brilliance and low and behold on my Plasma it looked like crap very noticeable difference between the e-shop version and my lovely original.

An open question to all the retro gaming setup experts here...if I wanted to get my N64 to output something a little more suited to a modern TV (RGB / HDMI? ) would it be a good match for the WiiU version?

 

[Peltz]

So...I was playing Mario 64 with my son on the WiiU. Good times. He wanted to see my 'legendary' (to him) 120 stars. I fired up my original N64 cart to show him my brilliance and low and behold on my Plasma it looked like crap very noticeable difference between the e-shop version and my lovely original.

An open question to all the retro gaming setup experts here...if I wanted to get my N64 to output something a little more suited to a modern TV (RGB / HDMI? ) would it be a good match for the WiiU version?

It depends on what you're looking for in terms of a "good match". Wii U version is rendered at 480p native and the N64 version is 240p.

The N64 will never look as clean on a Plasma even via RGB mod into the framemeister as the Wii U VC version does.

 

[moltonasty]

Sooo I have an offer for a pvm 14L5...but i was hoping to get a 20L5. At $140-150 range it seems like a good price. Is the 20L5 worth the extra few hundred?

Edit: basically, is the 14L5 big enough/worth the price? I'm spoiled from playing on 40 inch plus HDTV's.

 

[Mercutio]

It looks like you have a JP21 Cable. This is normally very unlikely.

As such, assuming the cable is not damaged, the Framemeister will work out of the box with it with what comes in the box.

That's exactly what he's got, since he bought my Model 1 Genesis!

I've used it with a Framemeister and it works with the adapter they provide. I switched to a VA4 Model 2 and use a European SCART switchbox for all my stuff now, so I passed on my Japanese RGB 21 cable.

So...I was playing Mario 64 with my son on the WiiU. Good times. He wanted to see my 'legendary' (to him) 120 stars. I fired up my original N64 cart to show him my brilliance and low and behold on my Plasma it looked like crap very noticeable difference between the e-shop version and my lovely original.

An open question to all the retro gaming setup experts here...if I wanted to get my N64 to output something a little more suited to a modern TV (RGB / HDMI? ) would it be a good match for the WiiU version?

If you want to get the best signal out of a stock N64, you'll have to RGB mod it. It's simpler (but still involves soldering directly to a CPU) on older models, and requires TONS of work and a special (and expensive) chip with newer systems. If you're soldering capable and have a steady hand (and an early unit, I can't remember the serial numbers) it's not tough. The worst thing is soldering together the little RGB amplifier chip.

Frankly? I don't know if it's worth it. Wii / Wii U versions of N64 games often run better on those systems than they did on the N64. It's nice for games that never got another release on VC though.

 

[NormalFish]

Look at the picture he posted again.

Well damn. My bad. It never even crossed my mind that the cable could be JP21.

 

[Bogeypop]

I recently purchased an Elgato Game Capture HD rather than the HD60 simply because of it's ability to capture retro consoles; however, when playing PS1 games on my PS2 it doesn't send HDMI passthrough to my monitor. The simple solution is to buy a composite-to-HDMI converter, but I've read conflicting reports of the quality of the video when doing this method plus I'm already not happy with how my PS2 games look on my monitor to begin. I figured I'd forgo the monitor and use my CRT instead, and while I'm at it upgrade from composite to component cables; however, the only information I've been able to find about hooking up an Elgato to a CRT is using 3 composite cables and 3 splitters, and nothing about component. What would be the best method to connect an Elgato to a CRT via component cables? An HDMI-to-Component converter?

 

[Final Spark]

Been looking for a good crt tv/monitor for retro gaming for a while now and managed to find a sony PVM20L2 trinitron online for 130 euros. What do you guys think, should i bite or is that a bit on the expensive side?

 

[Peltz]

Frankly? I don't know if it's worth it. Wii / Wii U versions of N64 games often run better on those systems than they did on the N64. It's nice for games that never got another release on VC though.

It's worth it if you want 240p. Some of us like our scanlines and aren't going to play N64 without them....

Spoiler

regardless of whether or not we're sane

If you're not into scanlines, then definitely, the N64 mod isn't worth it when you could just buy the same thing on VC at double the resolution.

 

[Peltz]

I recently purchased an Elgato Game Capture HD rather than the HD60 simply because of it's ability to capture retro consoles; however, when playing PS1 games on my PS2 it doesn't send HDMI passthrough to my monitor. The simple solution is to buy a composite-to-HDMI converter, but I've read conflicting reports of the quality of the video when doing this method plus I'm already not happy with how my PS2 games look on my monitor to begin. I figured I'd forgo the monitor and use my CRT instead, and while I'm at it upgrade from composite to component cables; however, the only information I've been able to find about hooking up an Elgato to a CRT is using 3 composite cables and 3 splitters, and nothing about component. What would be the best method to connect an Elgato to a CRT via component cables? An HDMI-to-Component converter?

I think you're going about this all wrong depending on your CRT. If you can track down a PVM or some other type of broadcast monitor, I'd hook up my console directly to the PVM first via component, then output from the CRT to whatever converter you need. That way, you don't get any input lag from any converter and nothing is diminishing the quality of your CRT gaming experience.

Of course, it's another story if you can't grab a PVM.

 

[Huggers]

Been looking for a good crt tv/monitor for retro gaming for a while now and managed to find a sony PVM20L2 trinitron online for 130 euros. What do you guys think, should i bite or is that a bit on the expensive side?

About the going rate for a non auctioned one I'd say. Great screen too. 600 lines will give you a great picture

 

[Final Spark]

About the going rate for a non auctioned one I'd say. Great screen too. 600 lines will give you a great picture

Thanks i think i'll treat myself then ^^

 

[Bogeypop]

I think you're going about this all wrong depending on your CRT. If you can track down a PVM or some other type of broadcast monitor, I'd hook up my console directly to the PVM first via component, then output from the CRT to whatever converter you need. That way, you don't get any input lag from any converter and nothing is diminishing the quality of your CRT gaming experience.

Of course, it's another story if you can't grab a PVM.

What you describe sounds ideal for no input lag or quality loss, but I don't have a PVM. Elgato only has HDMI out, HDMI in, and AV in. My CRT television only has AV in. So since Elgato only has HDMI out I assumed an HDMI-to-component converter would be the answer to be able to connect it to my CRT TV, but I wasn't sure if I was right. Even if I was correct I was hoping to find a different solution considering the complaints I've heard about input lag or quality loss with converters. Then again maybe I just need to be pointed to a relatively good converter.

 

[theSlacker]

Sooo I have an offer for a pvm 14L5...but i was hoping to get a 20L5. At $140-150 range it seems like a good price. Is the 20L5 worth the extra few hundred?

Edit: basically, is the 14L5 big enough/worth the price? I'm spoiled from playing on 40 inch plus HDTV's.

Over $100 seems like a lot for a 14". All of my 20" monitors I paid under $200 for.

 

[Peltz]

What you describe sounds ideal for no input lag or quality loss, but I don't have a PVM. Elgato only has HDMI out, HDMI in, and AV in. My CRT television only has AV in. So since Elgato only has HDMI out I assumed an HDMI-to-component converter would be the answer to be able to connect it to my CRT TV, but I wasn't sure if I was right. Even if I was correct I was hoping to find a different solution considering the complaints I've heard about input lag or quality loss with converters. Then again maybe I just need to be pointed to a relatively good converter.

Oh, I see. In that case, split the AV signal at the source with a few high quality splitters or Y cables and call it a day. Use a few of these with the highest possible quality:

-or-

One part of the split goes to the CRT, the other part goes to the capture device.

 

[Bogeypop]

Oh, I see. In that case, split the AV signal at the source with a few high quality splitters or Y cables and call it a day. Use a few of these with the highest possible quality:




The first part of the split goes to the CRT, the other part goes to the capture device.

I just need the 3 splitters for the Y, Pb, and the Pr cables, and not the Red and White audio? So it boils down to getting a PS2 Component Cable, two Component Video Cables, and the 3 splitters?

 

[televator]

So it turns out the cheap Upscaler that people are bringing up... the Adam Koralik special...

May actually not even be upscaling RGB. It's probably upscaling composhit.

If that is the case, we should never speak of this box here again in the sense that its irrelevant to RGB and scaling done right.

 

[Khaz]

I just need the 3 splitters for the Y, Pb, and the Pr cables, and not the Red and White audio?

Depends on what you want to do with your sound, if you can record it as well with your box or only listen to it on the TV, etc.

Just remember, splitters are one in / several out, not several in / one out. You can damage your hardware by using them as cheap input mixers.

 

[Bogeypop]

Depends on what you want to do with your sound, if you can record it as well with your box or only listen to it on the TV, etc.

Just remember, splitters are one in / several out, not several in / one out. You can damage your hardware by using them as cheap input mixers.

Then it sounds like I'll need 5 splitters for each cable.