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HDMI mod coming for NES (video demos inside)

S

Sixfortyfive

He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
Some cool tech in the works. Those of you eyeing the Analogue NT might want to hold off for a bit.

summary of features and current plans
Super Mario Bros. 2 demo footage

A few points of interest, many of which are analogous to the existing NESRGB mod:
- built-in upscaling to common resolutions (480p, 720p, 1080p)
- compatible with NTSC and PAL systems
- selectable color palettes (NES, Playchoice, etc.)
- low lag (8-scanline buffer out of a presumed 240; likely less than 1ms altogether)
- overclocking options
- Famicom expansion audio support
- fairly technical installation process, requiring removal and reinstallation of CPU and PPU chips
- uses data directly from the original CPU and PPU to generate video and sound; it does not "emulate" them
- price TBA; aiming for sub-$150 for the physical components

They're also aiming to make it reasonably easy to upgrade via firmware.
 
L

Lettuce

Member
I wonder if the toyed with the idea of soldering the 2 pcb's that go between the CPU and PPU chips to the underside of the nes mainboard instead, that way you wouldn't need to desolder the CPU and PPU chips.

Yeah and thus defo needs a Scanline option
 
T

televator

Member
This is still a work in progress but I really do hope that good tweakable scanline options are included and maybe there is an easy way to get the pure digital audio out through an optical connection.

For a while I was excited for the NT until I heard about them tearing apart Famicoms to make them... This new mod could end up being the best solution.
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
The guy in the green shirt is smarter than most of us @_@
 
R

Rich!

Member
manzo said:
That looks horrible.
Click to expand...

Explain, please. It's pure digital output from the console, and it's the best possible picture quality you can get from the hardware.

Would you rather have the alternative:

iGofTLUPeGecu.jpg
Click to expand...
?

Because that's what you'll be stuck with without either this mod or the RGB mod.
 
The Spoony Hou

The Spoony Hou

Member
richisawesome said:
Because that's what you'll be stuck with without either this mod or the RGB mod.
Click to expand...

Well, i'm happy emulating my NES games through the Wii, with the output set to original, on my CRT.

Of course, if you don't want to emulate and don't have a CRT, this is possibly the best you got.
 
R

Rich!

Member
The Spoony Hou said:
Well, i'm happy emulating my NES games through the Wii, with the output set to original, on my CRT.

Of course, if you don't want to emulate and don't have a CRT, this is possibly the best you got.
Click to expand...

Well yeah, of course. The other option is the NES RGB mod and a Framemeister...but this HDMI mod will be cheaper for the same effect.
 
E

El Pescado

Member
televator said:
This is still a work in progress but I really do hope that good tweakable scanline options are included and maybe there is an easy way to get the pure digital audio out through an optical connection.

For a while I was excited for the NT until I heard about them tearing apart Famicoms to make them... This new mod could end up being the best solution.
Click to expand...

But you also have to tear apart your NES to install it?

Don't get me wrong, I'm probably one of the first people to reserve a NT, but this does look pretty sweet. I'll be keeping my eye on this. You can never have too many NES systems.
 
R

_Ryo_

Member
Wow. That's pretty clean. Except the stretching but other than that it's the most clear I've ever saw an NES game run. Thought it was some flash NES remake for a second. haha
 
S

Sixfortyfive

He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
Xane said:
There's almost no difference to emulating a game when it looks that crisp.
Click to expand...
Well, other than the fact that the game should still play 100% accurately, sure.

It'll also run better on any modern TV than an un-modded console, 'cause HDTVs don't even remotely know how to handle sub-SD video signals correctly.
 
MrCunningham

MrCunningham

Member
But NeoGAF has thought me that clean HD images on classic consoles are a sin and the only true way to play these games are with upscalers and scanlines.
 
HUELEN10

HUELEN10

Member
Please tell me there's grey bar aspect compensation...

It NEEDS to be grey too, as black would be bad for lots of early games, like space games.
 
D.Lo

D.Lo

Member
Is it based on Tim Worthington's PPU work? Looks like they work with that on their website.

I'll stick with the NESRGB since it's more versatile, but I guess if you only care about NES and don't care about using a CRT or scanlines this would be better than that plus an XRGB?
 
S

Sixfortyfive

He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
D.Lo said:
Is it based on Tim Worthington's PPU work? Looks like they work with that on their website.

I'll stick with the NESRGB since it's more versatile, but I guess if you only care about NES and don't care about using a CRT or scanlines this would be better than that plus an XRGB?
Click to expand...
Jason is one of the most experienced modders in the US with NESRGB work, as far as I know, so it's definitely a major inspiration for this project.

You'd be right on both counts, too. If CRTs are important to you, then the NESRGB would be preferable to this, but if you only use HDMI screens then this new mod should end up being the better option.
 
HUELEN10

HUELEN10

Member
But does it have aspect compensation? if it doesn't, thats a deal breaker.

That SMB2 footage made be cringe...
 
P

Peltz

Member
Sixfortyfive said:
I wrote like 95% of the content in this post and even I tend to take potshots at scanline fetishists.
Click to expand...

My eyes! It's like an emulator!!! Daisy chaining RF cables through VCR input is the only real way to play!
/s :p

Seriously though, this is really impressive stuff. It's amazing what modders have been able to achieve on real hardware. I think it's as legitimate of a way to enjoy games as any other.

Very cool option for those who have a raw-pixel fetish.
 
S

SegaShack

Member
Wait for Bunnyboy's (Nintendoage Member) HDMI NES to come out, he has spent years on it and is an expert. He created the first NES flashcart years before the everdrives were a thing.
 
G

GayForMaster

Banned
richisawesome said:
Explain, please. It's pure digital output from the console, and it's the best possible picture quality you can get from the hardware.

Would you rather have the alternative:

?

Because that's what you'll be stuck with without either this mod or the RGB mod.
Click to expand...

Doesn't look better than RGB on a CRT, lol.
 
O

Occam

Member
This looks awful. AV Famicom with RGB mod and a real CRT TV for the win.
If you want your Famicom/NES to look like this, then you may as well use an emulator.
 
P

plainr_

Member
Glad i'm not a purist when comes to retro gaming.

I'll just put my emulators at 2xsai 1080p and be done with it.
 
T

Timu

Member
I didn't like how stretched that 2nd footage was but I wouldn't mind doing 480p through HDMI on a NES.
 
L

lobdale

3 ft, coiled to the sky
As a guy who runs his AV modded Famicom out to an RF adapter and then into the back of a 1986 red Zenith 10" CRT television with beautiful tube flashes and imperfect geometry and all the delightful imperfections and warm fuzzies that the original gear brings with its mess...


nah
 
A

antibolo

Banned
If they want me to take their project seriously then their first footage of the result shouldn't be stretched to 16:9.
 
J

Josh7289

Member
Love to see all this work on older analog-output consoles to make them work well with modern digital connections and displays.
 
stufte

stufte

Member
lobdale said:
As a guy who runs his AV modded Famicom out to an RF adapter and then into the back of a 1986 red Zenith 10" CRT television with beautiful tube flashes and imperfect geometry and all the delightful imperfections and warm fuzzies that the original gear brings with its mess...


nah
Click to expand...

Exactly. There is something clinical and sterile about a nes game being played without all the trappings of the original intended output and equipment. It doesn't feel warm and fuzzy, it feels cold and unwelcoming.
 
baphomet

baphomet

Member
It doesnt look bad, but no way I would pay someone to install it which seems to be the only way they're doing them so far.
 
L

lobdale

3 ft, coiled to the sky
stutte said:
Exactly. There is something clinical and sterile about a nes game being played without all the trappings of the original intended output and equipment. It doesn't feel warm and fuzzy, it feels cold and unwelcoming.
Click to expand...

The real thing that a lot of these people hooking up old gear to new TVs miss about NES/Famicom stuff is that the bright "flashes" that a lot of old games were designed around (flickers, background pulsing lights that distort the picture slightly) aren't replicated well on any non-tube technology that can't really "blast" bright flashes that overpower the rest of the picture.

Flicker effects too, where the NES would alternate blinks on scanlines, also usually find themselves borked on progressive displays unless you're using an emulation system that's been designed to also emulate that flicker correctly.
 
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