YPbPr ouput mod for SNES consoles (Resurrected)

[getafixx]

So with that out of the way, the only issue is finding an HDTV that definitely handles 240p properly. Kind of a shame there's not more in the way of cheap, no-latency line doublers. (you can do it, but that stuff gets so expensive ... culminating in the $500 XRGB Mini.)

I have to be honest...it is worth every penny. I bought one last year for hooking up all my retro systems to my 110" projector setup, and the picture is sharp and beautiful. No latency, no issues. The only time it sucks is with games that constantly switch between 240p and 480i signals, as it takes about 5 seconds for the XRGB mini to switch.

All this work on the SNES systems, buying extra circuits and such (not to mention drilling holes in the back) seems like a little too much work, when for $400 you can buy a device that properly handles ALL your retro systems...and you can even add scanlines

[tepples]

The only time it sucks is with games that constantly switch between 240p and 480i signals, as it takes about 5 seconds for the XRGB mini to switch.

The only game I can think of like that is Dance Dance Revolution series for PlayStation, which uses 480i in menus and 240p in game. What Super NES games switch back and forth?

[getafixx]

No SNES games that I know of do that, or NES or Genesis for that matter. I meant games in general, pretty much anything PSX and later.

Another couple of titles are Chrono Cross on PSX which is 240p in game and 480i in menus, and Killer Instinct Gold on N64 that is 240p during fights, but 480i everwhere else.

[kriskizlyk]

Or just wait for the $99 Retron 5 , by which I am really excited for!

I have never heard of this XRGB Mini, it looks fantastic! I would buy one if I hadn't already found the Retron 5. The device is very over priced and sometimes the most expensive solution is not the "best". With this device you still have to get the RGB connection from your console to achieve "enthusiast" results and I am sure that there are cables.

I just thought I would put my electronics knowledge to use and learn something new and maybe get something out to the masses where they don't have to pay top dollar. The little circuit that I built only cost me < $10, now it isn't perfect and requires some tweaking but I get what I am looking for.

[getafixx]

Don't get me wrong, I think what you've got working is great! I am in no way bashing anything you've done.

What I'm saying is, for me instead of spending hours on modding 1 system to get a better picture, why not spend the money and make it so that all your retro systems can benefit at the same time? My Genesis was *unplayable* on my projector before I bought the XRGBmini....literally, the colors bled together so bad that it looked like someone vomited on my screen. Now it looks just as good, nay, better than it did on my old CRT.

I guess my mind-set is more "time=money", so it made sense to me to spend the money and save the time. It's not the choice for everyone, as byuu pointed out.

[tepples]

I guess my mind-set is more "time=money", so it made sense to me to spend the money and save the time.

Time is not money; they have different units. I'm pretty sure you're trying to say that time is proportional to money, and I'll agree with that. But the proportionality constant depends on several things.

• One is the exchange rate between your country's currency and the dollar and euro. The buying power of a country's currency tends to run lower in countries without an established export sector.
• Another is the employment situation in your area. If all you can find is a job for which you're drastically overqualified, time is worth less money.
• Another is your country's import duties (hi tokumaru).
• Another is the cost of working around other countries' sanctions on your government (hi Farid).

[kriskizlyk]

Don't get me wrong, I think what you've got working is great! I am in no way bashing anything you've done.

What I'm saying is, for me instead of spending hours on modding 1 system to get a better picture, why not spend the money and make it so that all your retro systems can benefit at the same time? My Genesis was *unplayable* on my projector before I bought the XRGBmini....literally, the colors bled together so bad that it looked like someone vomited on my screen. Now it looks just as good, nay, better than it did on my old CRT.

I guess my mind-set is more "time=money", so it made sense to me to spend the money and save the time. It's not the choice for everyone, as byuu pointed out.

I really appreciate the XRGBmini suggestion and I wish that it was thrown out there before I did all this research. Now that the this device is in the brain bank I always have a fall back. When it comes down to it your right, time=money especially with a Full-Time job, Wife, Kids and so on. The previous topic was a wash and nothing got solved, people started attacking each other which just ruins any new people's perspective of accomplishing the project.

What are your thoughts about the Retron 5 being that you have a projector just like myself?

[tepples]

RetroN 5 has 5 slots for 5 platforms; NES has both 60 and 72 pin slots, and the GBA slot takes both GBA and GBC carts. But I've read that it's just an emulator that dumps the cart to RAM and plays it from there. Emulators tend to break with programs that rely on hardware edge cases that the emulator handles incorrectly and with newly discovered or invented mappers (NES) or coprocessors (Super NES). For example, an emulator created prior to a few years ago won't support the Action 53 mapper (#28) or the MSU-1 coprocessor. You rely on the hardware manufacturer for making games compatible. I'd love to see what it does with the PowerPak.

But then I could be wrong; if so, please correct me.

[kriskizlyk]

RetroN 5 has 5 slots for 5 platforms; NES has both 60 and 72 pin slots, and the GBA slot takes both GBA and GBC carts. But I've read that it's just an emulator that dumps the cart to RAM and plays it from there. Emulators tend to break with programs that rely on hardware edge cases that the emulator handles incorrectly and with newly discovered or invented mappers (NES) or coprocessors (Super NES). For example, an emulator created prior to a few years ago won't support the Action 53 mapper (#28) or the MSU-1 coprocessor. You rely on the hardware manufacturer for making games compatible. I'd love to see what it does with the PowerPak.

But then I could be wrong; if so, please correct me.

Completely understand what it does, and emulation at its best. I have had mine pre-ordered since last September, personal opinion is what I was looking for. I hope they designed it to properly upscale the graphics so that the processor can handle the game play smoothly.

Emulation dump, is perfectly fine for me just as long as it works as I have a sd2nes, Everdrive MD, Everdrive N8, Gameboy ED adapters and was hoping to rock those. I am looking forward to the wireless Bluetooth controller because I do have a projector.

[getafixx]

Time is not money; they have different units

Thanks for the math lesson

What are your thoughts about the Retron 5 being that you have a projector just like myself?

I don't really care for clone systems myself...but maybe that's just me. Given, the HDMI out is a nice feature, but I don't believe it will look as good in comparison to a dedicated upscaler/line doubler. Unless they have a really kick-ass system in there, but given the past Retron systems' manufacturing quality I kinda doubt it. I hope I'm wrong, as there is a lot of hype about it.

I'm sure it will get the job done. At the very least it will look much better than composite or S-Video on most HD devices...and at $99 I guess you can't complain too much

[tokumaru]

But I've read that it's just an emulator that dumps the cart to RAM and plays it from there.

I wonder how it works around the multitude of mappers present in NES and Famicom carts. Could the dumping script be selected based on a database of CRCs? That would suck for people wanting to play homebrew games.

I'd love to see what it does with the PowerPak.

Many people are wondering what it'll do with Krikzz's Everdrives too. My guess is that they'll simply not work.

[mikejmoffitt]

I'd love to see what it does with the PowerPak.

Many people are wondering what it'll do with Krikzz's Everdrives too. My guess is that they'll simply not work.

I predict the same, but the idea of using an SD card based cartridge on a system that dumps what it expects to be ROM cartridges to run with an NES emulator on a shitty Android platform is hilarious already.

[tokumaru]

the idea of using an SD card based cartridge on a system that dumps what it expects to be ROM cartridges to run with an NES emulator on a shitty Android platform is hilarious already.

Indeed! A device pretending to be a cartridge connected to a device (which most likely is able to read SD cards directly, even if this feature is hidden from the user) pretending to be a console... sounds like the most inefficient setup ever!

[tepples]

There is less efficient: a CHIP-8 emulator for NES in PocketNES in VisualBoyAdvance GX in Dolphin in VirtualBox. Do it!

Now back to choosing the proper components for component video from an authentic console.

[kriskizlyk]

There is less efficient: a CHIP-8 emulator for NES in PocketNES in VisualBoyAdvance GX in Dolphin in VirtualBox. Do it!

Now back to choosing the proper components for component video from an authentic console.

I have done some research and I have found some schematics and design ideas very similar to what the XRGB mini does and tones of other similar products for relatively less cost. I might go down the route actually build something similar to this that would work with every console. However, it would take a lot of my time and I do not have much experience with video signals nor the equipment (100MhZ+ Scopes and DSO) the reward might be worth the risk.

Your thoughts?