It's an ST50. We did a lot of research before buying it. That lazy cropping sounds icky. Don't think I've owned a TV before that does that. So yours just lays black bars over what's already there to create a false 4:3?
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Upscalers, CRTs, PVMs & RGB: Retro gaming done right!
- Thread starter IrishNinja
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It's an ST50. We did a lot of research before buying it. That lazy cropping sounds icky. Don't think I've owned a TV before that does that. So yours just lays black bars over what's already there to create a false 4:3?
Such a shame. I just can't justify that kind of purchase. They go for over £100 pre-modded on ebay!
Once I get it this week hopefully I will certainly talk about it! This may eliminate my need for a XRGB mini even(until capture cards stop supporting 240p which I hope will never be the case).
MikeXXIeaf
Banned
Where can I find Super Famicom carts at reasonable prices?
GayForMaster
Banned
Yes, it's RGB modded... I'm at the point where I only do RGB and will never settle for composite or S-Video. It really doesn't look that great on an HDTV through the framemeister... unless you do Smart X1, but how am I supposed to enjoy such a small screen in the center of a 50" tv? I'm sure it will look infinitely better on the new PVM I'm getting.
BUT that's not the biggest issue I have with it, it was mostly the resolution blackouts.
That's the route I'm going.=O
The point of the 4:3 mode on those plasmas (mine included) isn't to create a false 4:3, but to hide black bars with gray so it is less damaging to the screen.
Can you show me a photo of what you mean? (Edit: Not just you Borman I mean in general I'm having trouble grasping this apparent issue with Panny plasmas, so if anyone who is having this issue could show me what they mean that'd be great) I'm having trouble picturing it in my head and haven't come across this before. Mine squishes to 4:3 and also allows me to change the colours of the sidebars to varying shades of grey to reduce image retention. Those settings are completely separate things on my TV. There's possibly a little image cut off in 4:3 but it's not just keeping 16:9 aspect and cutting it off at the sides.
I also just found this cool scrolling bar function to help clear image retention, cool!
Here's my TV. I set it to 720p since that's what people were specifically discussing, but it does the same with the PS4 set to 1080p.
16:9 setting:
4:3 setting:
Bonus shots with the side panel setting activated:
So I finally got around to testing out my PS2 with the Frameister - I forgot how loud the original fat PS2 is! Mine's still kicking strong from launch day, though it's not a big fan of the blue discs anymore...
What does everyone use for settings for 480i on the XRGB Mini? Here's what I had on, which looked pretty nice:
IMAGE_MODE = Natural
AUTO_SCALER = Video
What does everyone use for settings for 480i on the XRGB Mini? Here's what I had on, which looked pretty nice:
IMAGE_MODE = Natural
AUTO_SCALER = Video
sixteen-bit
Member
is this ur setup?
Thats amazing, my dream setup!
IrishNinja
Member
if you couldn't get the framemeister looking right without using smart X1, it's better that it got a home with someone who can properly use it
...maybe
is this ur setup?
...maybe
Alright, here is my panasonic plasma. It was bought whenever Uncharted 2 came out, whatever model that was. Here is is displaying standard 16:9 HD content, in this case my chromecast (Sorry for the crap pictures, but its late and Im lazy hah)
Here is the 4:3 mode on the same content
Notice how the image is simply cut off. My guess (and I think its what I read at the time) was that, should you be displaying HD content that is in the 4:3 ratio, it is better for the TV to display gray compared to black, less likely to burn-in or have image retention issues that way.
There is no mode to force HD content to display at 4:3 by squishing it on some of these. Clearly your TV is different though. There are no sidepanel options or anything of that nature, simply a format option that has Full, H-Fill, Just, Zoom, and the 4:3 mode you see.
Here is the 4:3 mode on the same content
Notice how the image is simply cut off. My guess (and I think its what I read at the time) was that, should you be displaying HD content that is in the 4:3 ratio, it is better for the TV to display gray compared to black, less likely to burn-in or have image retention issues that way.
There is no mode to force HD content to display at 4:3 by squishing it on some of these. Clearly your TV is different though. There are no sidepanel options or anything of that nature, simply a format option that has Full, H-Fill, Just, Zoom, and the 4:3 mode you see.
^ Ugh, that's nasty. I can't even think of a situation when you'd want to use that function, if you can call it that. Lol.
Also as an aside I'm also not sure how the colour of the bars is relevant to the scaling at all. It's just another function on the TV to reduce image retention.
Congratulations! Must be my turn next surely
Also as an aside I'm also not sure how the colour of the bars is relevant to the scaling at all. It's just another function on the TV to reduce image retention.
Congratulations! Must be my turn next surely
Friend of Sonic
Member
That's excellent
MikeXXIeaf
Banned
Sorry if this is a dumb question but is a CRT TV the preferred method if you can't get one of those convertors/upscalers?
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I have a reason!
It's an awesome function when paired with a Framemeister to crop away all the noise at the edges of a Genesis or Famicom/NES feed.
I have that exact era of Panasonic plasma... and I'm struggling to think of an instance where I've needed a 4:3 squeeze. I guess because I have a Framemeister, which can squeeze to 4:3 by itself. I'd say a Panasonic plasma is actually excellent when paired with a Framemeister.
bodine1231
Member
Sure,if you like scanlines. You can play them on a normal tv but I think older consoles look like crap on them.
MikeXXIeaf
Banned
So in order to play on my HDTV without issue I need a upscaler or convertor? Do these run cheap?
Ahh, so the Framemeister creates a widescreen image that has black bars and a 4:3 picture in the middle? I don't own one so I never knew that hehe. It certainly would be useful for that!
I'd much rather have the squeeze though. I don't own any equipment that produces an image like the Framemeister with space at the sides. The only non-widescreen stuff I plug into there is like, the Gamecube.. and uhh, well that's probably about it these days actually.
4:3 HD content exists, so I tend to use it for that. Or content i am upscaling that isnt automatically stretched.
And the color has nothing to do with the scaling, but like I said, image retention is less for gray than black.
For SD/480p content, the 4:3 mode would do what you would expect it to do, display it properly.
But it looks like someone else has it covered hah
baphomet
Member
Well you can play them on any TV, but they're going to look like shit if you're using composite. Goes for a CRT as well, albiet slightly less. You're looking at $300-400 for a good upscaler.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I have a theory that these Panasonics actually will give you a true 4:3 squeeze if you actually use the analog inputs. (and any HDMI outputting device surely has its own 4:3 squeeze)
Actually I'm positive it will... I definitely hooked up a NES to my Panny before I ever got the Framemeister... and there's no way I would have played in 16:9 (against my religion).
I think analog inputs give you a real 4:3 squeeze, while HDMI inputs crop the sides of the image to be 4:3.
Composite directly into the TV looked like butt, btw. That's why I got the Framemeister...
baphomet
Member
Yea I'm pretty stoked on it. Going to replace my 20m4u as my main monitor.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
So there ya go. All according to resolution specs keikaku.
If it's less than 720/1080p, you can squeeze to 4:3. If it's 720/1080p, it will handle anything like that for you.
IrishNinja
Member
geez, my man baphos lives in PVM-town...congrats man!
also boco has a point; i haven't really messed with the 4:3 option on my panny plasma but killing off some of the NES overscan, that might work!
also boco has a point; i haven't really messed with the 4:3 option on my panny plasma but killing off some of the NES overscan, that might work!
Friend of Sonic
Member
Well, I can't find anyone who works on CRTs in Arizona. I can keep trying, but then Savon-Pat, the retired Sony tech that sells PVMs on eBay, got back to me saying the 2030 is too difficult to work on and he doesn't even do it. Wonder if I should just offload this, then.
What work does it need doing? Mine needs some geometry/convergence adjustment, I was just gonna try give my Dad's mate a box of beers sometime in exchange for giving me a hand with it, lol.
Friend of Sonic
Member
I imagine the geometry isn't perfect on it, but the picture overall isn't terrible. Just a little soft. And it shut itself off once.
I had one guy at a TV repair shop tell me to buy a LCD. Sage advice.
Soon the PVM fort will be complete!
Friend of Sonic
Member
It's such a great monitor. I almost didn't seek out a 480p monitor but I'm glad I did. Incredible how the 480p games look versus on a HDTV.
If you can find a cheap BKM 129x module, you can have a second RGB/Component input. I use the module for component and the primary input for Scart. Really convenient to toggle back and forth.
Tldr; the 20l5 might be the best thing I've ever bought in my life aside from that cooler full of organs
The Mageling
Member
Do any of you guys know whether the PVM-14L2 supports composite as sync? (Am I even saying that right? Sync is so confusing to me...)
GayForMaster
Banned
I would like to get confirmation, does the Sony PVM 20L2 support component? I know the L5 does but the L5 is ridiculously high in price compared to L2.
Hey guys, maybe someone has one and could give me a clue... Is the Sony KV-29LS30E a good CRT for retrogaming?
I have the chance to snag one for a truly bargain price from a person who lives near to my house.
I still haven't seen it and I will probably check it out tomorrow (I want to make sure it works fine, it has its original remote etc...) but I'd like to know if it's worthy to begin with: Khaz very kindly helped me with my Thomson, but that TV is just too crappy, even if tuned up a bit via service menu, plus it's not multistandard, only has one scart and no S-Video.
I know most of you jumped on PVMwagon but for me that's not really an option: as usual in Italy, people dream to get rich with every kind of garbage they have in their basement, and it's impossible to find one at a decent price.
Thanks in advance!
I have the chance to snag one for a truly bargain price from a person who lives near to my house.
I still haven't seen it and I will probably check it out tomorrow (I want to make sure it works fine, it has its original remote etc...) but I'd like to know if it's worthy to begin with: Khaz very kindly helped me with my Thomson, but that TV is just too crappy, even if tuned up a bit via service menu, plus it's not multistandard, only has one scart and no S-Video.
I know most of you jumped on PVMwagon but for me that's not really an option: as usual in Italy, people dream to get rich with every kind of garbage they have in their basement, and it's impossible to find one at a decent price.
Thanks in advance!
Friend of Sonic
Member
The Racketboy article was on point.
Some of the oversized controllers won't fit, but that's okay, I have a piece of furniture complimenting my TV stand with one drawer that'll hold them. I need to buy a second one; luckily I have a second door in my game room as well.
Some of the oversized controllers won't fit, but that's okay, I have a piece of furniture complimenting my TV stand with one drawer that'll hold them. I need to buy a second one; luckily I have a second door in my game room as well.
IrishNinja
Member
^literally never seen that setup before, but that's hilarious
Well I was trying to think of a good way to run Arcade, Turbografx, or Neo Geo (don't have any of these platforms) games on my PVM, I accidentally uninstalled my Xbox Softmod while I was trying to get TG16 games running, and it's now the normal dash and wont play burnt discs, all my files I FTP'd over to it are still on it though. No real desire to reinstall it, since I would need to bring it to a relatives house who has a PC that was old enough to work for me when I first softmodded it.
Well it turned out that the video card I have been using on my PC since 2011 has an S-Video Out port that can run at the same time as the DVI out, albeit a separate, limited resolution. So basically, my crazy self saw this as an opportunity to run Mame and other emulators from my PC at 240p onto my PVM monitor so I get the benefit of all those scan lines. Ordered a 25 ft S-Video cable so I can discreetly wrap it around my room, waiting for it to arrive. Has anyone done anything like this before? Just curious. I hope it works.
I wanted to ask what HD consoles would be recommended for hooking into my PVM 20L5? I really want to test out the 720p and 1080i. I have a component Xbox but can't seem to find what games go above 480p. I don't have a PS2, but heard that has component as well. Do 720 and 1080 signals on this PVM add black bars at the top and bottom? For PS3 and 360 should I just stick to my 32" 1080p Sony Bravia?
How do you guys deal with having to switch out cords between RGB and Component? Should I just bite the bullet and get a BKM-129x expansion card?
Well it turned out that the video card I have been using on my PC since 2011 has an S-Video Out port that can run at the same time as the DVI out, albeit a separate, limited resolution. So basically, my crazy self saw this as an opportunity to run Mame and other emulators from my PC at 240p onto my PVM monitor so I get the benefit of all those scan lines. Ordered a 25 ft S-Video cable so I can discreetly wrap it around my room, waiting for it to arrive. Has anyone done anything like this before? Just curious. I hope it works.
I wanted to ask what HD consoles would be recommended for hooking into my PVM 20L5? I really want to test out the 720p and 1080i. I have a component Xbox but can't seem to find what games go above 480p. I don't have a PS2, but heard that has component as well. Do 720 and 1080 signals on this PVM add black bars at the top and bottom? For PS3 and 360 should I just stick to my 32" 1080p Sony Bravia?
How do you guys deal with having to switch out cords between RGB and Component? Should I just bite the bullet and get a BKM-129x expansion card?
Friend of Sonic
Member
Haha. They're designed to hold shoes. Most* controllers are roughly the size of a shoe!
*
Some are bigger than shoes
I like it. It's dirt cheap and functions exactly how I want. I find the controller easily instead of digging through drawers.
bodine1231
Member
It will probably be super expensive because of that too
I'm leaning toward the UniversalPPU guy at this point in time... You can use that to mod a toaster.
I'll be modding an AV Famicom. Extra sound channels on Castlevania 3 and Disk System!
A soft modded Wii will handle all you Neo Geo, Pc Engine and Arcade games (as well as SNES, NES, and Genesis). Just run component to your PVM and you're good to go, that's the setup I have now and they all run in the correct resolution. The Wii pretty much replaced everything retro except the cd based systems.
Friend of Sonic
Member
No, I wear a size 15 (US sizing) shoe. Lol, I didn't already own this as a means to house my shoes. I think these things are more marketed to women, who usually have much smaller feet.
Yes, even the Duke Xbox controller can't hold a candle to my foot. But I was using size of shoe as according to those pouches. Which are much smaller than my personal shoes.
What article?The Racketboy article was on point.
Some of the oversized controllers won't fit, but that's okay, I have a piece of furniture complimenting my TV stand with one drawer that'll hold them. I need to buy a second one; luckily I have a second door in my game room as well.
I have a Wii Mini
.sixteen-bit
Member
I have a Wii Mini
My condolences
For real! Seems to pick those things up left and right. Wish I had more than 1 myself.
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