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

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antibolo

Banned
So you're saying I wasted $2.50?? Ha

Thanks for your response. What does the DC sync on? Assuming I want to go from VGA to RGB (via BNC) for at least my PVM, would I need a cable with four leads?

Does your PVM actually support 31kHz? Because if it doesn't, you're not going to be able to feed it a VGA signal. You'll need a SCART cable for it (so you get a 15kHz signal with a single sync signal). Some recent VGA boxes do support freely switching between both modes though.
 

Zerokku

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?
Woo. Framemeister arrived. Now the wait for the rgb-modded snes mini to arrive. Halfway tempted to try my old one but given that I bought the specific scart cable (cysnc) with the mini in mind, not sure how well it'd look/work with the old non-1chip fatty snes :p

Anyways... My actual question. Is the only way to update the framemeister via micro-sd? What about the mini-usb port in the back?
 

baphomet

Member
Woo. Framemeister arrived. Now the wait for the rgb-modded snes mini to arrive. Halfway tempted to try my old one but given that I bought the specific scart cable (cysnc) with the mini in mind, not sure how well it'd look/work with the old non-1chip fatty snes :p

Anyways... My actual question. Is the only way to update the framemeister via micro-sd? What about the mini-usb port in the back?

Did he mod the mini to output csync as well? They normally don't.
 

KC-Slater

Member
Does your PVM actually support 31kHz? Because if it doesn't, you're not going to be able to feed it a VGA signal. You'll need a SCART cable for it (so you get a 15kHz signal with a single sync signal). Some recent VGA boxes do support freely switching between both modes though.

I don't think it does, now that you mention it. I guess I could use a Kuro or Hanzo with it, but I'd still need the proper VGA to BNC adapter for it. Not sure If it's worth spending the money on it, considering I can currently run it through S-Video on the PVM and VGA on the Plasma...

I appreciate the insight though, so thanks!
 

Madao

Member
a lil Wii vs Wii U capture comparison.

Wii with Wii2HDMI adapter:
ibf1DRSRagExVK.png


Wii through Framemeister with the adapter
ibcQRB3PPe7JlQ.png


Wii U with Homebrew (Nintendont to run GC games)
ir01zjtmqYgDA.png

i was a little short in time today due to some irl issues so i could only get these. i'll get more later.

other games could also be suggested. just ask and i'll do the requested game if i have it.
 

televator

Member
a lil Wii vs Wii U capture comparison.



i was a little short in time today due to some irl issues so i could only get these. i'll get more later.

other games could also be suggested. just ask and i'll do the requested game if i have it.

Thanks a lot for indulging me. Good, it seems the adapter isn't trying to upscale the image. Even in just these images it's evident in the stone blocks and pillars that the Wii is blending in the colors. Meanwhile color variation is much more defined on the Wii U. Blowing images up on my 1080p Plasma FTW! lol
 

Madao

Member
Should you really be using that Wii2HDMI adapter if you don't have to?

i was in a rush so i didn't have time to look for my component cables.

i'll use them when i do another comparison.

edit: i made more comparison pics with Component Cables and GC.

GC Component Cable
ibeuQgtQS2rWuf.png


GC through Framemeister
ibkWLGAzu14JXh.png


Wii Component Cable
ibwsf96UEsmtYG.png


Wii with Wii2HDMI adapter:
ibf1DRSRagExVK.png


Wii through Framemeister with the adapter
ibcQRB3PPe7JlQ.png


Wii U with Homebrew (Nintendont to run GC games)
ir01zjtmqYgDA.png

for some reason, GC through FM looks quite dark and i haven't messed with brightness settings.
 

Sixfortyfive

He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
So I'm finally getting around to trying the XRGB-3 firmware update that dropped a week or two ago, and it turns out that it adds some genuinely useful features/fixes. B0 mode (full upscaling mode) has better compatibility over DVI now, so I can actually get 1080p output on my current HDTV, and there's now a proper 720p resolution to pick (768p was the closest one available before).

for some reason, GC through FM looks quite dark and i haven't messed with brightness settings.
Maybe a limited/full range mis-match on one of the pictures.
 

televator

Member
On second thought, I think the FM might be blending colors more. What settings are you using on the FM? At this rate it seems the Wii U does a better job upscaling.

But the capture of different black levels weird. I wonder whats at fault there...

Maybe a limited/full range mis-match on one of the pictures.

Ah yeah, of course. Looks like the Wii U capture is affected the same way as the GC.
 

Peltz

Member
Edit: nevermind.

Edit 2: Madao, if you're taking requests, can you show us Sunshine or Wind Waker or something equally bright/colorful with a far draw distance?
 
Obviously it doesn't support 4K out, but I'm pretty sure the Framemeister as it exists does have HDMI inputs. Two of them, in fact.
 

Peltz

Member
Need a new Framemeister model with HDMI in and 4K support.
What would you upscale via HDMI in? 1080p content?

I thought 4k sets are supposed to be great at upscaling from 1080p?

If you're using lower res content, shouldn't your 4k set do the job well as long as you set the framemesiter to 1080p?
 

Madao

Member
Obviously it doesn't support 4K out, but I'm pretty sure the Framemeister as it exists does have HDMI inputs. Two of them, in fact.

yeah. they're very useful if you want more than 1 Component Cable console hooked up at the same time.
that's how i have both Wii and GC at the same time on my FM (you need a transcoder to get Component to HDMI. the Wii2HDMI adapter does that)
 

Madao

Member
Mario Sunshine pics:

GC Component Cable
iCcBGVUsiNUoh.png


GC through Framemeister
ipZHW0d7xdj52.png


Wii Component Cable
iX612jHN8h4Sk.png


Wii with Wii2HDMI adapter:
iM804mjmAqFTt.png


Wii through Framemeister with the adapter
iYdy9Kbkcb9NN.png


Wii U with Homebrew (Nintendont to run GC games)
ibi82VmGFes8at.png

Zelda Wind Waker pics:

GC Component Cable
ibl8YoNw1xud3U.png


GC through Framemeister
iwNegSQqNaZsF.png


Wii Component Cable
i9aHDM4OhiAoX.png


Wii with Wii2HDMI adapter:
ibr3NKBMtmlKf6.png


Wii through Framemeister with the adapter
ibyBhJ3sn5A7Rd.png


Wii U with Homebrew (Nintendont to run GC games)
iKBh77lJ9hTnA.png

it's interesting how different these look compared to TV.
 

televator

Member
The Zelda shots are best IMO. Quickly swapping windows back and forth shows anything coming out of the Wii is soft or fuzzy. Wii U actually looking better than GC... I guess HDMI trumped the analogue encoder on the GC comp cables.
 

televator

Member
Thanks for taking the time to share these pictures. Is there a consensus on which looks the best?

Wii U wins handily. Pure digital signal results in a very clear image and the upscaling comes through with no apparent flaw in detail. It beats the GameCube's component output, and that was better than the Wii's.
 
Nintendont/Wii U pretty much wins. Its a pure digital output and the upscaling is really good.

Wii U wins handily. Pure digital signal results in a very clear image and the upscaling comes through with no apparent flaw in detail. It beats the GameCube's component output, and that was better than the Wii's.
Thanks, guys. Looks like my GameCube will mainly be used for Gameboy Player purposes.
 

Huggers

Member
Whilst we're on the subject assuming a Wii U is out of the question. What is the best way to play GBA games on a big screen? GB Player? Retron (urgh)? I really have no idea but there are a couple of games I wouldn't mind playing
 

televator

Member
Whilst we're on the subject assuming a Wii U is out of the question. What is the best way to play GBA games on a big screen? GB Player? Retron (urgh)? I really have no idea but there are a couple of games I wouldn't mind playing

GBP + Swiss forced 240p + component cable + Framemeister
 

Peltz

Member
GBP + Swiss forced 240p + component cable + Framemeister

That setup would make action games unplayable. It's fine for turn base games.

I personally think that if you want to keep the input lag relatively within check on GB Player, you're going to need a setup that doesn't involve the Framemeister. GB Player is a unique beast due to its inherent input lag. So CRT is the way to go (and pretty much mandatory) if you're forcing 240p from your GB Player.

Otherwise, you're going to have to bite the bullet and play in 480p on an HDTV (or just not play games like Castlevania, Mario Bros., or Metal Slug) :-/
 

televator

Member
That setup would make action games unplayable. It's fine for turn base games.

I personally think that if you want to keep the input lag relatively within check on GB Player, you're going to need a setup that doesn't involve the Framemeister. GB Player is a unique beast due to its inherent input lag. So CRT is the way to go (and pretty much mandatory) if you're forcing 240p from your GB Player.

Otherwise, you're going to have to bite the bullet and play in 480p on an HDTV (or just not play games like Castlevania, Mario Bros., or Metal Slug) :-/

Well since "big screen" was mentioned for some reason I only thought of modern sets. However, I wouldn't say action games are unplayable or only turn based games are playable. I just beat Zero Mission and started playing Fusion on it. I'm shine sparking as well as I've always been able to... Not that I was ever very good at it. So yeah, I'm one of those "input lag lol" jerks.
 

Madao

Member
input lag in a FM + GBP setup can be low enough that most games are playable if you have a fast TV. also, being used to 1-2 frames of lag for many years makes it not such a big deal compared to people who switch to it and to CRT inmediately (i haven't used a CRT in like 8 years. i have basically forgotten how it feels to play on one of them.)

(also, if there's people who can get World Record times using a GBP, it means the lag isn't that bad)
 

Pachimari

Member
I don't know if this is the right thread, but if I plan on having multiple older consoles (Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube, Xbox) connected to the same CRT tv at the same time, will I need some kind of special box?
 

televator

Member
I don't know if this is the right thread, but if I plan on having multiple older consoles (Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube, Xbox) connected to the same CRT tv at the same time, will I need some kind of special box?

Depends how you connect them. Scart? Composhit? Component? What's up?
 
Assuming you're using Swiss. Otherwise, why would you do that to yourself.
Swiss in on my to-acquire list, along with a compatible memory card. I don't gave a component cable through, I have an RGB scart cable from the eBay seller that's been recommended on here a few times. I plan to buy a Framemeister at some point.
 

Peltz

Member
I tried to buy a swiss capable card from codebreakers and their website was all screwy. Anyone know of a good seller/product?
 

antibolo

Banned
Is the GB Player really that laggy? Speedrunners seem to use it a lot, or at least they do in those Games Done Quick marathons.
 

Peltz

Member
Yes, it's very noticeable. With the FM, it's downright unplayable for me.

Otherwise, I can tolerate it, but it never feels as good as it should even on a CRT. I mostly play on either a DS lite or an AGS-101. Still, I'd love to run swiss for turn based games.
 

Sixfortyfive

He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
At the moment I don't have an overview of what I'll connect them with honestly, as I'm on the lookout for a CRT tv first, but I don't know what to look for.
If you're in North America, look for a CRT with at least one component, s-video, and composite input each. Ideally, you'd want an EDTV (480p progressive scan support), but those aren't always easy to find, so you might have to settle on a normal SDTV (480i).

As far as consumer CRTs go, EDTVs are especially desirable for the Playstation 2 because, out of all mainstream consoles, its library has the greatest divide between 480i and 480p games. A TV that perfectly supports both video formats is nice to have.

I advise against HDTV CRTs (1080i/720p) for reasons already stated in the OP (which you should read in full if you haven't).

As always, try out CRTs before you buy, if possible. Make sure all the input jacks work and make sure that the screen isn't severely distorted in any way.
 
All this talk about lag through GB Player on Gamecube. I remember playing Metroid Fusion via it on my CRT back in something like 2003-5 and don't remember any lag at all.
 

Peltz

Member
All this talk about lag through GB Player on Gamecube. I remember playing Metroid Fusion via it on my CRT back in something like 2003-5 and don't remember any lag at all.

I'm sure you don't remember the dropped frames either, then. Doesn't mean it's not there.
 
I'm sure you don't remember the dropped frames either, then. Doesn't mean it's not there.
I'm not saying there isn't, sometimes I just don't notice this stuff - less trained eye, I guess. Internet gaming forums are good for making people worry about things they'd have never done otherwise.
 
I'm not saying there isn't, sometimes I just don't notice this stuff - less trained eye, I guess. Internet gaming forums are good for making people worry about things they'd have never done otherwise.

Probably good to acknowledge that in a thread like this, you're going to have a lot of answers skewed to the negative on the subject of good ways to play old games. The GBP is not actually that offensive. As others mentioned, if people can get WR times in something like Wario Land with frame-perfect tricks, then it is perfectly acceptable.
 

brainpann

Member
I'm not saying there isn't, sometimes I just don't notice this stuff - less trained eye, I guess. Internet gaming forums are good for making people worry about things they'd have never done otherwise.

If its not something that bothers you, then just keep using it. For me, it makes playing certain games feel off or even a bit sluggish. I notice the difference right away playing action games. Also, this is a thread dedicated to getting the best out of older consoles. I dont think its anyones intent to cause worry, lol. We just want to absolute best quality we can get.
 
So I found in my PVM 20L5 a secret menu when you push Degauss + Enter while the original menu is up. There's a few cool options that let you change the width/height (I've been looking for this for a while and didn't get any answers).

Is there a way to save width/heights to use them later with the push of a button, or will it require modifying all the time?
 

Huggers

Member
So I found in my PVM 20L5 a secret menu when you push Degauss + Enter while the original menu is up. There's a few cool options that let you change the width/height (I've been looking for this for a while and didn't get any answers).

Is there a way to save width/heights to use them later with the push of a button, or will it require modifying all the time?

With my BVM as long as you exit the menus properly. Press enter on the setting you changed. Then the channel is set that way until you adjust it again
 
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