• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Upscalers, CRTs, PVMs & RGB: Retro gaming done right!

Status
Not open for further replies.

goldenpp72

Member
Hey guys i have another question. In my basement i have a tube tv with everything hooked up by svideo for light guns, but two of my systems do not support svideo but do rgb. If i bought 2 scart cables would i be able to use some kind of adapter to convert it to svideo reliably, and still use light guns?
 
You just need a genesis jp21 or a scart cable and a euro scart connector. I reccomend buying a euro scart adapter for the framemeister because its easier to get euro scart cables than jp21-which looks like scart but are not the same.

In addition to the instructions below there are different cables sold by retro_console_accessories for different models, so make sure you get the right one


this one look good?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-seller-S...835?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2edc0a053b
 

brainpann

Member

I tend to have issues on my Xrgb with her cables that include the csync booster. Also,you will only get mono sound out of that cable if you are using a model 1. Id buy the cable with the headphone plug and no csync booster. If you are using a model 2 genesis, you need a model 2 cable because the connector is different but youll get stereo sound out of it without the added plug.

Id buy this one for the model 1.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/201369857780?nav=SEARCH

Or this one for the model 2

http://m.ebay.com/itm/161588265542?nav=SEARCH

And dont forget the euro scart plug adapter.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/201294067744?nav=SEARCH

Hope this helps.
 

BTails

Member
I got my D-Terminal to Component cable in yesterday! Works great, and with so many emulators on the Wii supporting 240p mode, my Wii is gonna get a whole lot more love:

9nqy75i.jpg
(Sorry for the crappy phone pic!)
 

Peagles

Member
The japanese adapter works perfectly fine. Some people have reported a slightly better experience with a high quality psu, but I don't think those claims are well substantiated.

Saw my quote in green and thought, wtf, did I say that? Did I blackout and buy a Framemeister on eBay? Lol...

I wish!
 
I tend to have issues on my Xrgb with her cables that include the csync booster. Also,you will only get mono sound out of that cable if you are using a model 1. Id buy the cable with the headphone plug and no csync booster. If you are using a model 2 genesis, you need a model 2 cable because the connector is different but youll get stereo sound out of it without the added plug.

Id buy this one for the model 1.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/201369857780?nav=SEARCH

Or this one for the model 2

http://m.ebay.com/itm/161588265542?nav=SEARCH

And dont forget the euro scart plug adapter.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/201294067744?nav=SEARCH

Hope this helps.

Well you should make a decision to stick with either JP21 or SCART, most prefer SCART because of the switches being more common. And like above, she does make a stereo compatible cable with an extra lead for the front facing headphone jack that I have and can vouch for great sound.


thanks, getting the model 1 version and adapter!
 

Galdelico

Member
Quick question guys.

I need an RGB scart male/male cable to connect my scart switchbox to the TV, and I was eyeing something like this or this other one (bit cheaper, but it's not really clear if it does RGB or just composite/S-video).

Do you have any different suggestion, or feedback on the cables I linked? Thanks in advance!
 

Galdelico

Member
That's great, thank you. ^_-
Where do I find if it outputs RGB too? I had a couple of similar cables already (from good old VCR times :D), both short and gold plated, but I found out they only carry composite video through scart. Retro Gaming Cables specifically states 'true RGB', but Amazon doesn't.

Edit - Wow, Amazon.it has the same Duronic cable for 30 euros (discounted... Retail price is almost 40. Eeesh!), while the Thor one is around 20. I'll probably check out some actual TV/hi-fi store in my town too, just in case.
 

Peltz

Member
So... we never really discuss this in this thread, but I just purchased a 15" macbook pro which has a 2880 x 1800 screen resolution.

The reason why I bring this up, is that I am playing lower res 3D games on it (e.g. the mac version of Portal, which maxes out at 1440 x 900 for some reason) and the scaling on it is unlike anything I've ever seen before.

There are absolutely no jaggies. NONE.

I'm not sure if this has to do with the amount of anti-aliasing I enabled (I think 16x) but the graphics actually look like they're displaying at native resolution on the screen. I have no idea what is actually handling the scaling-processing. Is it the OS? A processor within the screen itself? Magic? Maybe a combo of all three?

Whatever it is, there genuinely appears to be no input lag. This leads me to believe that the Mac OS itself handles the scaling... somehow. I really can't explain it. I do not think that AA is capable of this by itself. I will attempt to remove AA and report back on this after work today to be sure. But I think the OS is actually scaling low res software to the native res of the screen... and doing so in a way that is far better than any other scaling solution I've ever seen.

Edit: I'll also try to update this post with some off-screen shots focusing in on the pixels at different internal rendering resolutions to show how clean it looks.
 

Khaz

Member
So... we never really discuss this in this thread, but I just purchased a 15" macbook pro which has a 2880 x 1800 screen resolution.

The reason why I bring this up, is that I am playing lower res 3D games on it (e.g. the mac version of Portal, which maxes out at 1440 x 900 for some reason) and the scaling on it is unlike anything I've ever seen before.

It's because your display resolution is exactly twice as big as the software resolution. Scaling is just doubling each pixel vertically and horizontally, no approximation needed, smoothing, etc. It's like when watching a 1080p film on a 4k display, the quality is exactly the same.
 

tbb033

Banned
Anyone know where to get official, or the next best thing, N64 S video cables?

Don't limit yourself to looking for N64 specific cables, SNES and Gamecube S-video cables are identical to N64.

Apparently the japanese part number for official cables is SHVC-009.

I see an ebay listing selling them for $45, which is more than I'd pay, but I've never noticed a difference between my official SNES S-video cable and any of the $10 or less multi system S-video cables from any generic company like MadCatz.
 
Don't limit yourself to looking for N64 specific cables, SNES and Gamecube S-video cables are identical to N64.

Apparently the japanese part number for official cables is SHVC-009.

I see an ebay listing selling them for $45, which is more than I'd pay, but I've never noticed a difference between my official SNES S-video cable and any of the $10 or less multi system S-video cables from any generic company like MadCatz.
Thanks, I just grabbed an official Japanese cable for $30 +$6 shipping that I will use for now on my N64 and SNES.
 

inafking

Member
I've yet to see one of those. I'd love a decent 20" CRT for just 480p content


Sexy as fuck. Also I have a similar Phillips CRT.

Are you using Soft15khz for this?

No, I'm using winmodelines

The only issue that I'm having is that after some minutes my a spot shows on my TV, sorta like the tube gets magnetized. The weird thign is that if I tilt it looking upwards the spot dissapears. But that has nothing to do with the cable setup nor the signal.
 
Ugh, audio buzzing is the worst thing about scart cables.

But that cable might be the cause of it.
Is there a better one out there? I'd be willing to try it, but it seems like this was the only one. Some of my other systems don't buzz, but IIRC the SNES is notorious for its audio interference? (could be entirely wrong on that)
 
Trying to hook my dreamcast to my bvm 20f1u. Is there a scart cable anyone can recommend? I know many say vga is the best quality for dreamcast but I don't know how I'd connect it.
 

SOME-MIST

Member
Trying to hook my dreamcast to my bvm 20f1u. Is there a scart cable anyone can recommend? I know many say vga is the best quality for dreamcast but I don't know how I'd connect it.

not 100% sure this is right, but I think you would want to get a dc vga box and a downscaler to feed the vga into. I've currently been messing around with mine for the past weekend trying to tweak it. nabbed an extron emotia too for the 360.
 

BONKERS

Member
No, I'm using winmodelines

The only issue that I'm having is that after some minutes my a spot shows on my TV, sorta like the tube gets magnetized. The weird thign is that if I tilt it looking upwards the spot dissapears. But that has nothing to do with the cable setup nor the signal.

Yeah, my Phillips has the same problems with getting magnetized. The only way to degauss it is to turn it off and let it sit for a minute until you hear the tub *POP* very audibly.
 
Can the current gen consoles be set to 720p or 1080i? I'm wondering whether it would be most efficient to grab a nice wide screen BVM and use that for everything, including modern stuff like Apple TV and HD systems. The D32 BVM does up to 720p and 1080i through component. Do modern consoles still have component outputs, or did they switch over entirely to HDMI? Apple TV is only HDMI if I recall correctly.
 

Peltz

Member
It's because your display resolution is exactly twice as big as the software resolution. Scaling is just doubling each pixel vertically and horizontally, no approximation needed, smoothing, etc. It's like when watching a 1080p film on a 4k display, the quality is exactly the same.

I still see no jags even at different resolution intervals. Sorry, I haven't had the opportunity to photograph this yet. I will do so (hopefully) today.
 

Sixfortyfive

He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
Is there a lagless HDMI>>>YPbPr transcoder? Or does anyone know if there is an expansion card for the widescreen BVMs for HDMI input?

HDFury2 is lagless (personally tested). HDFury3 *might* be as well. I hear some of the later versions are not, though.
 
not sure and you're probably right. I just know there was high demand for those vga boxes which might not be the best method tbh.

I believe the appeal of the VGA boxes is being able to get any resolution in to the PVM via SCART. If you just want 240p/480i, I don't think it's necessary.
 

dhonk

Member
Is the Framemeister the best option for retro gaming on an HDTV? Are there any decent SCART switchers I can use with it?

Getting a Framemeister in, and yes I have the same quesiton.

The age old question of where can I get a good SCART switch? Auto switch would be top notch too, but not needed!

EDIT: should specify Im in the US.
 

goldenpp72

Member
Alright guys so I just ordered.. 7 different scart cables for my various consoles, a framemeister and a cable to convert them over. I'll be picking up a new TV soon and I have some questions still. Please if you can help me with any of them I'd appreciate it.

How can I go about getting an RGB mod for an NES console, I don't have one right now so if it's possible to get it all in one shot that would be nice too. Maybe one with new pins too for the carts?

I'd like to get Scart support for a Turbografx, is it possible to get a mod done for a Turbografx and also the CD attachment?

For lesser interesting consoles such as 3d0 or cdi I don't plan on getting mods done to them, what should I look out for when buying them to ensure they support at least S-video and possibly Scart since the chart shows variances in them.

For Dreamcast I am always told to use a VGA box rather than Scart because of resolution, how does one go about hooking up a Dreamcast under ideal circumstances through a Framemeister?

Since I am in the US, I will be hooking up a mixture of composite, S-video, RF, Component, and of course Scart. Can all of these be supported with the Framemeister and what kind of adapters/converters will I need to make it work?

Are there any good switchers that can handle HDMI/Component/S-Video/Composite? I know the Scart ones are tricky so i'll likely find those independent of that.

Thanks all for the help, I just finished furnishing my basement and am ready to finally get all the equipment done, will probably be all I can afford to do game wise for the summer.
 

BTails

Member
For Dreamcast I am always told to use a VGA box rather than Scart because of resolution, how does one go about hooking up a Dreamcast under ideal circumstances through a Framemeister?

Since I am in the US, I will be hooking up a mixture of composite, S-video, RF, Component, and of course Scart. Can all of these be supported with the Framemeister and what kind of adapters/converters will I need to make it work?

For the Dreamcast, you'll want a Toro: it can output 480p through either VGA or SCART, the latter specifically designed to be accepted by the Framemeister. I have one and it's amazing. Google "Dreamcast Toro" and it should be the first thing that pops up.

The Framemeister can accept Composite, S-Video, and RGB straight out of the box (note, the SCART to Mini RGB adapter provided with the Frameister is JP-21; you'll probably want a Euro SCART adapter). Component needs a "Component to D-Terminal" adapter/cable to be accepted. I bought a cheap Chinese one and it works great.

I don't think RF is supported. You could try asking IrishNinja, he's the resident "RF Defence Force" around here ;)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom