PumpkinSpice
Banned
If you're going to buy a cheap iron, make sure to get something with standard tips that you can get for cheap, ideally on ebay from China.
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Upscalers, CRTs, PVMs & RGB: Retro gaming done right!
- Thread starter IrishNinja
- Start date
- Status
Haha, yes. We're here, we just need to organize...
IrishNinja
Member
congrats man! yeah, i think Genesis and NES benefit heavily from it due to shitty composite signals, but it really is a world of difference.
PeterBazooka
Member
I responded to this a few weeks ago. Dude is an a-hole. He wanted $295 originally, I offered $250 (I know still too much) and then he jacked the price up to $325 and said no as listed. I was so mad. I managed to snatch one one up on Toronto Craiglist for $60 a couple of weeks ago. They do pop up, but go quickly.
^That's messed up. If I were offloading a monitor to locals I would try to offer a deal, not try to rip off anyone.
Ordered a BKM-14L calibration probe for the BVM. A pain in the ass to find and at a sane price. I'm hoping this thing does a stellar job at getting the best colors out of my monitor and fixing the white balance.
Ordered a BKM-14L calibration probe for the BVM. A pain in the ass to find and at a sane price. I'm hoping this thing does a stellar job at getting the best colors out of my monitor and fixing the white balance.
Hah thats how I feel. It's a nice feeling to be able to get things natively, and yet an XRGB is still tempting.
NormalFish
Banned
I thought you were capturing via an Avermedia card with HDMI in? Did you get a new set up?
Yep, Startech PEXHDCAP. I still have Avermedia for current gen consoles though.
NormalFish
Banned
Ah okay, gotya. Makes sense. Honestly my IQ is so nice when streaming at a decent bitrate 720p/30fps via the Mini that I don't think I'll be getting a different capture device any time soon, even if I swap to a CRT.
The higher harmonics make the sound. Ask the pianist.
blast processed
Member
I just did the same a week ago and it really is fantastic. I can see the band on Blaze's thigh highs in SOR2.
socksfelloff
Member
In all honesty I would love to find a group of people to have a retro game night with. I'm bored of all the online stuff and really miss the local coop with some buds.
I have a 14" PVM, but I feel like my gaming needs are always expanding, lol. I may need to check myself in to CAMH soon... (#TorontoJokes.)
There is/was a guy on GAF selling a 20" BVM for around $150, but he was about 45mins outside of T.O., so it might be a bit problematic to get to. I believe his name is Hinzel. No idea if it's still available or not...
I'd be in to this as well. I feel like I live in a vacuum when it comes to retro gaming stuff. I don't know many people IRL still as in to it as I am. Any ideas on where there is a thriving community in downtown Toronto?
Kawika
Member
I am trying to find a decent 20" PVM in the Los Angeles/Orange County area. I have a 14" but its starting to get a little too small for my tastes. I have been on the hunt for about a year and this SHOULD BE THE TOWN to get old production equipment. Yet craigs list has been the only place that reliably gets PVMs that I know of. Anyone know where I should be looking in the LA area?
This is what kills OLED in my eyes. Supposedly shares this weakness and plasma doesn't.
socksfelloff
Member
Any chance you can find a link for this guy ? I live in Whitby but driving is no problem for me.
As for retro gaming, i have no idea what's around. I play competitive Melee though. That's about as far back as I can get people to go lol. Time to organize like you said !
Pretty much, unfortunately.
Friend of Sonic
Member
Just missed a chance for a FREE working NEC 37" presentation monitor (similar to XM29) Apparently someone in Canada is paying to have it shipped to him. Maybe for the best because that is waaaay too much CRT for me
D.Lo
Member
That's some top quality nerd you've got going on hereI've been spending some time digging through my carts to choose some games to set up at our wedding receptionI was gonna use the Everdrives but I thought people might get confused and/or break them somehow, lol.
That's some top quality nerd you've got going on here
Remove dance floor, add 20" PVM with a few systems set up, perfect, lolol.
We might have to do our first co-op game as husband and wife instead of the first dance.
sixteen-bit
Member
stream dat shit and become youtube famous
Google search for video production and equipment rental studios in LA. Call or email them about BVM and PVM monitors they may have lying around unused (they all moved on to HD OLED studio monitors). You will get more offers than you need within a few days. Don't sit back and rely on people posting CL ads.
Congrats to you both! Upload some pictures of the final setup when all is said and done. I'd love to see that.
speedlolita
Member
Cross post:
Launch Super Famicom using c-sync through an official GC SCART lead on a Sony PVM-20M4E.
Launch Super Famicom using c-sync through an official GC SCART lead on a Sony PVM-20M4E.
Question to those who know more than me on this subject... so I have a Sony BVM-14F5U and the color settings have been off on it since the day I got it.
Yesterday I decided to just manually go through and adjust RGB color temps and brightness/contrast until I got a decent picture out of it. Well I managed to do a pretty good job (well I thought), but I decided to daisy chain the BVM with a JVC broadcast monitor that I also have and that I know displays a good picture.
Long story short, my BVM displays red wherever yellow is supposed to be. There's one specific menu selection that shows up as yellow, so I know my BVM can actually display the color, but is there any reason for it to not display yellows from an RGB input?
Note: I also have a PVM-14N6U that I plugged the RGB input into and it matched the JVC, so I know it's not the cable or console causing the issue
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Edit: Never mind! Of course after I finally break down and ask, I figure it out.
I added 75-ohm endcaps to the blue, red and sync outputs
My camera isn't doing the picture on the BVM any justice, but the picture has come to life! 800 lines of retro gaming goodness is what the rest of my day is looking like
Yesterday I decided to just manually go through and adjust RGB color temps and brightness/contrast until I got a decent picture out of it. Well I managed to do a pretty good job (well I thought), but I decided to daisy chain the BVM with a JVC broadcast monitor that I also have and that I know displays a good picture.
Long story short, my BVM displays red wherever yellow is supposed to be. There's one specific menu selection that shows up as yellow, so I know my BVM can actually display the color, but is there any reason for it to not display yellows from an RGB input?
Note: I also have a PVM-14N6U that I plugged the RGB input into and it matched the JVC, so I know it's not the cable or console causing the issue
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Edit: Never mind! Of course after I finally break down and ask, I figure it out.
I added 75-ohm endcaps to the blue, red and sync outputs
My camera isn't doing the picture on the BVM any justice, but the picture has come to life! 800 lines of retro gaming goodness is what the rest of my day is looking like
Noisepurge
Member
Why do you have to live so far north
What game is that?
I would guess lunar 2
Haha, this is a small world, isn't it? I was the one who bought the 20M4E, can't wait to get it for myself.
Noisepurge
Member
And you would be correct
PumpkinSpice
Banned
Just checking -- would there be any good reason to run 480p to my Framemeister instead of my TV? I think my TV does a pretty good job scaling 480p FWIW. Does the FM do an especially good job with that or really just 240?
Also does anyone know a fast way to switch between RGB and YPbPr on PS2? It'd be nice if there was some way of using FreeMcBoot to highjack the settings... I'd be willing to set aside one memory card to just autoboot into YPbPr mode and another to go to RGB, since doing the menu thing kinda sucks.
Also does anyone know a fast way to switch between RGB and YPbPr on PS2? It'd be nice if there was some way of using FreeMcBoot to highjack the settings... I'd be willing to set aside one memory card to just autoboot into YPbPr mode and another to go to RGB, since doing the menu thing kinda sucks.
geniusbits
Member
I do and I personally think it looks a little better than going right into my TV but my only comparison is Wii and that system is not known for sharp video output no matter how you get it. It seems like the majority opinion is that most of the time 480p and up is better direct into a good HDTV in game mode or whatever. I keep my Wii through the FM mostly for Virtual Console any way.
It really depends on the TV. My past two HDTVs seems to scale from 480p just a little bit cleaner than does the Framemeister. Other Gaffers, such as Madao, prefer the Framemeister.
DracoBlade
Member
So if i were to theoretically buy SCART RGB/D terminal (for component) cables for my ps3 to play ps1 and ps2 games via framemeister would I see improved visuals as oppposed ti using direct hdmii from the ps3 (I'm pretty sure not due to the ps3 emulating the console regardless of the cables) ?
I'm guessing just going native ps1/ps2 hardware to play said games is always the best route.
I'm guessing just going native ps1/ps2 hardware to play said games is always the best route.
Any updates on this?
D.Lo
Member
Yeah any updates Khaz?
I've almost finished, just trying a few more machines. Will have a short video too.
I'm waiting for you to lend it to me
yeah I'm interested in the thing too, I saw a video of Classic Game Room where he used a VHS player to clean up a 2600 RF signal and output Composite. I was quite impressed by the result. I can't find a cheap demodulator online though, they are all in the $90 range.
yeah I'm interested in the thing too, I saw a video of Classic Game Room where he used a VHS player to clean up a 2600 RF signal and output Composite. I was quite impressed by the result. I can't find a cheap demodulator online though, they are all in the $90 range.
No, you won't see improved visuals as the PS3 already scales ps1 and ps2 games and cannot even output PS1 games in 240p (e.g. the native resolution for 99.9% of the PS1 library). If you're going to use a PS3, just use the HDMI cable for best possible lossless quality.
And you're right, PS1/PS2 to a CRT is the best route if you plan to have the an authentic experience. If you can't get that, then connecting them to a Framemeister is still far better than anything that the PS3 could provide for 240p gaming. The only time when PS3 is better than a framemeister is for games where the resolution switches during gameplay such as accessing the menu in Chrono Cross. Any such change in resolution will cause the framemeister to "black out" for a few seconds as it adjusts and re-handshakes with the source device.
In other words, for
240p gaming:
PS1/2 to CRT> PS1/2 to Framemeister > PS3
480i gaming:
PS2 to CRT > PS2 to Framemeister = PS3
Games that switch between 240p to 480i mid game:
PS1/2 to CRT > PS3 > PS1/2 to Framemeister
I'm waiting for you to lend it to me
yeah I'm interested in the thing too, I saw a video of Classic Game Room where he used a VHS player to clean up a 2600 RF signal and output Composite. I was quite impressed by the result.
What is this witchcraft?
Funky Papa
FUNK-Y-PPA-4
I'm waiting for you to lend it to me
yeah I'm interested in the thing too, I saw a video of Classic Game Room where he used a VHS player to clean up a 2600 RF signal and output Composite. I was quite impressed by the result. I can't find a cheap demodulator online though, they are all in the $90 range.
Say what?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWtaOT_hn-k
Apparently it's a known trick? It filters out most of the interferences from the audio and outputs a very clean picture. It's still Composite though, so there should still be some smear and dot crawl at the interface between two colours, but I don't see any static or interference within the colours. Some people use a VCR with Svideo out and say the picture is even better.
As a European, I'm still looking for a compact solution to play NTSC RF consoles, I can't really import a TV and don't want to bother with a bulky American VCR.
geniusbits
Member
I have this plan to build a retro multicade cabinet using a Sony KV-32FV310 and have some questions about repair/refurbishing a CRT. First of all the picture seems to have bowing at the top and bottom that I tried to capture:
Those scan lines are impressive though aren't they? Images are from Riven PS1 disc being played on a PS2 connected via component. Any way, so there is the bowing problem, and in general I wanted to "go over" the TV before going to the trouble of putting it in a big setup. I wanted to replace anything I could, such as capacitors or resistors etc., calibrate it as thoroughly as I can, and anything else that would both prolong it's life and improve the image the best it can be.
My question is, should I try and tackle this on my own or take it to an electronics repair place? And if the answer is on my own, does any one have some resources for getting started? I have some engineer friends and we were just going to start taking it apart and checking it out and looking at the caps and things and go from there seeing if we could find replacements, find the pots to mess with the image, etc. Lastly, if I was going to take it to a repair place, do you think they would be able to do what I want with it or would they just give it a quick look and say it's good enough? As you all should understand, my goal is not to have a "working" set but to get it to the best it can be, even if it costs a little extra.
P.S. - PS3 via component @480i looked pretty bad. I was surprised, especially during motion. We were playing "The Cave."
Those scan lines are impressive though aren't they? Images are from Riven PS1 disc being played on a PS2 connected via component. Any way, so there is the bowing problem, and in general I wanted to "go over" the TV before going to the trouble of putting it in a big setup. I wanted to replace anything I could, such as capacitors or resistors etc., calibrate it as thoroughly as I can, and anything else that would both prolong it's life and improve the image the best it can be.
My question is, should I try and tackle this on my own or take it to an electronics repair place? And if the answer is on my own, does any one have some resources for getting started? I have some engineer friends and we were just going to start taking it apart and checking it out and looking at the caps and things and go from there seeing if we could find replacements, find the pots to mess with the image, etc. Lastly, if I was going to take it to a repair place, do you think they would be able to do what I want with it or would they just give it a quick look and say it's good enough? As you all should understand, my goal is not to have a "working" set but to get it to the best it can be, even if it costs a little extra.
P.S. - PS3 via component @480i looked pretty bad. I was surprised, especially during motion. We were playing "The Cave."
Shadow Hog
Member
So here's a random question - if I wanted to go the CRT route (if only because the XRGB-Minis pauses between resolution switches annoy me to high heavens and Micomsoft don't seem interested in fixing them any time soon - everything else about the device, I'm cool with), which route would you say would be better - a PVM-1340 (which I can apparently pick up locally from my alma mater for $20 off eBay - although it's monoaural, so I guess I'd have to factor in the cost of some cheap-ish speakers to offset that) and attempting to use a SCART-to-BNC setup, or finding a decent consumer Trinitron with component input and using one of those $50 SCART-to-component transcoders?
geniusbits
Member
I think you should go with whatever option gets you a set in better condition. A lightly used consumer set is probably better at this point than a well used pro one.
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