Awesome stuff you've just bought (+pics please)

[Shelcoof]

Wow that's pretty sweet!

I've always wanted a PVM... I've always had that itch to see how good they actually looked in person. With ebay prices and all there is no way I'm going to spend that kind of cash to experience what its like.

I guess I'll make due with my consumer grade Sony WEGA CRT TV. People say the later models are almost just as good as a PVM but I'll never know really until I see it for my own

tbh, while they're interesting on a technical level, they're not any more fun to game on. The high end models are so damn sharp and have so many columns or phospors, that you don't actually have a "crt feel" when gaming on them. Which is very strange experience.

I actually like a good consumer set or prosumer set or low tier pro monitor, way better than I like the monster PVM. My fave set that I own at the moment, is actually a consumer Sony from the '80s that has RGB. I'm perfectly happy with it. If I ever happen to stumble upon my grail for cheap(a large low tier PVM) then so be it, but if not then that's perfectly fine. And I'm not even making this up to comfort you : while I was thinkering with those high end PVMs, I was legit missing my consumer Sony and couldn't wait to game on it over the holidays(it's at my parents')

A good consumer set with RGB or component is a FANTASTIC way to enjoy retro gaming, and it's one of the best pictures you can get for these old grafx IMO. It's more flattering to those grafx' shading and has a more interesting grain. with a great RGB-to-component transcoder (or the HD Retrovision cables), you'll get an ace picture on a consumer crt. consumer sets are way bigger too!

Where are you at? I can always notify you if I see a cheap PVM in your area, I search that stuff a lot. You're in Ontario right? which part?

I swear this must be the second time you said something like this to me lol.

Honestly I think its just my curiosity with these PVMs/BMVs.

I'm actually really happy with my Sony WEGA SD TVs. They produce a great picture BUT!!! I'm always left wondering how much better could it get after this?

I also have several PC monitors that output really great picture. Dreamcast 480p looks amazing on these PC monitor via VGA. Anything 480i and under via an OSSC looks great as well and add in a scanline generator and I'm quit happy.

I don't know how much better it can get from there though maybe I just need to see a PVM/BVM in person and maybe then I can die a happy man lol

From what I've read though the higher end PVMs/BVMs start to look more closely to an LCD which isn't what I'm into. I do like seeing the grains on the CRT and a bit of bloom. I do like a clear, colorful and bright image though.

I do live in the Ottawa region but I don't think the wife would allow me to buy anymore CRTs. I think when I hauled home the HD WEGA into the house that was the last straw

Though I could try my luck with a smaller 14inch PVM or something lol

[Steamflogger Boss]

Wegas are great. I don't want to repeat myself too much but I'm in the same boat as FinalBaton. Hell if you were closer I'd offer you my 14'' PVM for what I paid for it.

[Shelcoof]

Wegas are great. I don't want to repeat myself too much but I'm in the same boat as FinalBaton. Hell if you were closer I'd offer you my 14'' PVM for what I paid for it.

That does put me at ease a bit

Never really actively went looking for a PVM. Never thought I would score one either.

Actually what's funny is that my new years resolution was to try and quit collecting stuff and just enjoy what I have.

Instead of actively looking for more stuff to get I'm actually finally enjoying what I have. I sort of forgotten how much fun it was to just game.

Of course what triggered all this was picking up all the wants for my Neo Geo MVS library in November. Its not a huge library but I felt satisfied with what I had and I went on to enjoy those games. Now I'm just trying to do this with all my systems.

The other day I had a blast with ESP Rade on my CRT monitor. I had adjusted the monitor just right to output a proper 4:3 image and it looked gorgeous!

I'm slowly learning to just enjoy what I have and so far its been working

[FinalBaton]

@Shelcoof check your PMs, I might have something for you

[Steamflogger Boss]

From BulletMagnet. VIIIIITA.

[CZroe]

Stopped at Goodwill after work...

...and an Extron Crosspoint matrix switcher appears!


$30. Only 8 in, 4 out (8x4), but it's a start. *REALLY* hoping someone donated a PVM with it and it's lingering in the back... processing for the sales floor but, by the looks of the original labels, it was likely used in a conference room projector setup with VGA ports on various wall plates.


I've been planning to refinish this thing into a retro gaming station so today I spent 15 minutes grabbing random consoles and repair junk to take this pic & show a bit of teaser for what I'm planning to do with the Extron.

Full resolution:
https://imgur.com/a/GRTyV60

I'll make a shelf extending from the top counter which will hold a giant RGB-modded consumer set. Hope to add a PVM off to the side in the future, which will really come in handy for Tate mode games. It'll also have a flat panel with OSSC, RetroTink 2X, Elgato, etc.

The Key Digital RGBHV/YPbPr switch (also from Goodwill) is the exact same size but, unfortunately, it only switches SPDIF audio... and only coax at that. Guess it won't be easy to use for PS2, XBOX, GameCube, 360, PS3, HD Retrovision, etc. It's like they only want me to use it for DVD players! For most of those I still have my old Pelican Universal System Selector Pro HD with optical TOSLink SPIDIF. I recently sold my JoyTech version (equivalent to the Pelican Pro HD 2) but who needs a remote control for this setup with an Extron, right? You gotta be there to turn consoles on/off and select inputs and outputs and such anyway.

Even so, I think I'll be building Rattboi's SCART input/output adapters with automatic switching... either that or I start making my own custom cabling.

[FinalBaton]

wtf an Extron crosspoint at Goodwill???

This is gonna be a cool setup I think. I like that furniture better than the usual ikea shelves

[Obiwanshinobi]

The Young Gods, I think, belong in catacombs after all. Truly underground. As nonchalantly graceful taking on the US as T.V. Sky could seem to be, let us not forget that A. Dvořák's "New World Symphony" was taken for a joke in his (nearly) homeland Prague, where "Nový Svět" is a name of a district.
It could be that, in the US, they have yet to recover from the damage Only Heaven* did to them over there. Well, possibly, Only Heaven is my most-listened to Young Gods album to this day, but - in hindsight - I wouldn't have a clue how to market it back in the day.

*) Seems actually rare, like the rarest of all their albums out there, these days.

P.S. Sweet F.A. - the radio station I'm listening to is just playing that 2019 Young Gods Album RIGHT NOW, no kidding. Like, it's happening just now. One very, VERY serious radio station, usually.

[CZroe]

wtf an Extron crosspoint at Goodwill???

I literally said "Holy sh*t!" out loud when I saw it so, yeah, I was similarly surprised. Probably turned a few heads. Still having trouble figuring the exact model since the labels don't look like anything I've seen from other Crosspoints. It's definitely one that doesn't have room for the stacked RCA jacks from dbElectronic's Phoenix adapter design.

This is gonna be a cool setup I think. I like that furniture better than the usual ikea shelves

Thanks. It was some sort of retail fixture (another Goodwill find) that's been sitting in the garage for months until I can move it to the "man cave" accessory building (16x16x16 insulated and electrified barn thing). Figured it wouldn't take much to get more console density than those Ikea shelves with enough strength for holding a heavy 36" flat-glass Trinitron. Always planned to double the number of shelves and load it up so hopefully the Extron is the kick-in-the-pants motivation I need.

Another idea:
My flea market game vendor friend has been after my PS2 retail kiosk for years (yet ANOTHER Goodwill find; $23.93). I just told him that I'm still not interested in selling it but he can use it "on loan" at the gaming lounge place he just opened on Friday (Infinite Games, Vila Rica, GA). It needs some work too but I wonder if I should do something similar with this RGB station gaming center... thing... since, well, there isn't room in the living room for all the consoles and there certainly isn't room for this. It looks like my building is getting repurposed for a while longer anyway.

While "on loan" I think I can secure each of the valuable consoles to a board that locks into each shelf with hardware store supplies. Heck, half of them already have threaded mounting holes on the bottom so it's mostly a matter of drilling and counter-sinking some bolts/machine screws. That should give me some comfort leaving my stuff there, since no one can just grab and run with the furniture. I doubt someone breaking in would happen to have the tools/time needed. Obviously all this RGB/HDMI stuff is too niche for a shop seeking walk-in clients but considering the nature of his business it might eventually get some of his clients asking about my RGB/HDMI services. I could also tell anyone in the Atlanta region where they can check this stuff out in person.

It's a lot to consider and each option sounds like a rabbit hole. I'm excited either way!

[JBueno MD]

Got these last month on launch, forgot to post about it.



Also last week I bought this Fixeight board after taking a gamble on a lot of PCBs on a local Facebook Marketplace listing, 30 bucks for non-tested boards. Normally I wouldn’t have gone for it, but after identifying the board from the pics provided I had to bite. Also in the lot a bunch of bootlegs, and a faulty Tecmo Wild Fang which boots but has graphic and color errors.

[FinalBaton]

Unbelievably stoked to have found a screaming deal on a brand new(open box) turntable cart and stylus from japanese manufacturer Nagaoka, their 4th model up the chain : the MP-200.

This really is the sweetspot of an excellent cartridge that's still affordable ($400 USD but I got it at $300)

unbelievably tight and balanced sound, without getting into that high end audiophile performance territory with lower or higher frequency extension that I'll never need anyway

This is my end game cart, I'll never need anything higher end than this.

[GaijinPunch]

At the risk of sounding like someone that knows shit about the genre anymore... how is the port? Only took what, 20 years?

[Marc]

Came home drunk yesterday and decided to treat myself to the Capcom Home Arcade. Woke up with buyer's remorse this morning, but the thing has already been shipped! Wonder if it's been hacked yet?

[BIL]

At the risk of sounding like someone that knows shit about the genre anymore... how is the port? Only took what, 20 years?

Damn good, it seems, per M2 Shottriggers' usual standard. Hoping for BATWIDER MARVEROUS, 22+ years on.

[CZroe]

My early November order from Yamatoku finally arrived yesterday. Woo-hoo!


Nintendo 64:
$52.50 - Midnight Blue (Grape) N64 with controller. Excellent-condition stick. Feels like new! I'll be putting UltraHDMI into this when the next order comes in.

3DO:
$9.26 - Panasonic Digital Stick Controller (AKA, arcade stick). Perfect for Super Street Fighter II Turbo!

Family Computer:
$6.50 - Disk System. It's boxed too! For the price I'm not surprised to find that it's non-functional but the listing didn't say anything about it being junk, untested, or broken ("acceptable"). Doesn't even show Yamatoku's usual checklist card where they would usually note such things. *shrug* Probably just needs a belt.
$4.77 - Ninja Ryukenden (AKA Ninja Gaiden). Supposedly this is easier than the North American version but merely changing enemy placement would add difficulty for me (throws me for a loop).
$9.77 - Super Mario Bros. 2. Other side has Ice Hockey and both manuals are included with the cased disk in a clear cover/sleeve.

Super Famicom:
$3.80 - Boxed Panel De Pon with manual and quick reference card. I think it's complete.
$9.50 - Rockman X3 for translation to English.

PC Engine:
$25.00 - Super System Card to replace the one I broke when attempting to mod it. I'm hoping it's the other PCB revision so I can see if modding is do-able... or I'll just end up breaking another.
$0.75 - 5-player PC Engine multitap. Pins were horribly mangled, bent, and pushed in deep despite no mention in the listing. For the price: Oh well. When straightening them with needle nose pliers, one pin pulled all the way out. I re-inserted it and tested with a single controller and at least that seems to work.
$20.50 - Avenue Pad 3 controller. The box is a little ratty but the controller inside turned out to be new/unused even though it was sold as used. Now I'm hesitant to use it!

Neo Geo AES/CD:
$27.77 - Neo Geo Fighting Stick Controller Pro... the kidney bean arcade stick they started selling after the Neo Geo CD controller. I like the original AES Gold controllers better but I already have a bunch of replicas made from Neo Geo X Gold controllers.

GameCube:
$7.50 - Indigo (Purple) Game Boy Player. They only sold Jet (Black) GB Players in North America and for $7.50, why not pick up an alternate color? No disc, of course, which wouldn't work in my system anyway. I'll just use my North American GB Player Start-Up Disc.

Sega Saturn:
$5.50 - White 3D control pad



Of course, there's an absolute MOUNTAIN of bubble wrap after getting all this stuff unboxed!

On Friday I had to prepare a spare Saturn for my former roommate but I couldn't find any of my AV cables other than HD Retrovision with Saturn adapter (he's not getting that!). I did find a junk Saturn RF switch (didn't work) so I spliced it to a leftover Nintendo AV cable for a pseudo-stereo Saturn AV cable. Anyway, I still had a crate full of spare Saturns to do something with so I kept my eyes open yesterday and found a NOS original RF switch and a Saturn cable being sold as a Genesis cable.



Also picked up Richter Amiibo since I happened to be near a Wal-Mart that flubbed the launch on Friday. Turns out they put it out early, retracted stock, then forgot to put it back out until I asked about it. I'm not one to spend full-price on Amiibos but they don't launch in the quantities they used to when they'd eventually go on clearance. Doubt you'll ever see Richter on clearance and I just had to get him next to his original pose!



At least it was $1.11 cheaper than other retailers (all out of stock).

[BIL]

$4.77 - Ninja Ryukenden (AKA Ninja Gaiden). Supposedly this is easier than the North American version but merely changing enemy placement would add difficulty for me (throws me for a loop).

You might be thinking of the third game, which was deliberately toned down on Famicom. The only difference between the first game's US/JP versions is the cutscene language, otherwise they are 110% identical. A sound pickup either way.

[BrianC]

$4.77 - Ninja Ryukenden (AKA Ninja Gaiden). Supposedly this is easier than the North American version but merely changing enemy placement would add difficulty for me (throws me for a loop).

You might be thinking of the third game, which was deliberately toned down on Famicom. The only difference between the first game's US/JP versions is the cutscene language, otherwise they are 110% identical. A sound pickup either way.

Not true, some of the power ups were placed higher in the JP version.

Afaik, that's the only change and a minor one.

[BIL]

Blimey Didn't know that! Someone pm Edmans, I gotta relinquish the NG thread. >;3

[CZroe]

Confirmed that the belt was the issue with the FDS:


Yuck!

$4.77 - Ninja Ryukenden (AKA Ninja Gaiden). Supposedly this is easier than the North American version but merely changing enemy placement would add difficulty for me (throws me for a loop).

You might be thinking of the third game, which was deliberately toned down on Famicom. The only difference between the first game's US/JP versions is the cutscene language, otherwise they are 110% identical. A sound pickup either way.

Thanks. Still look forward to another play-through when I can get settled in. Love this game!

[Casey120]

Ornament for the game room with two LCD screens, and actually fun to play !

[scrilla4rella]

Unbelievably stoked to have found a screaming deal on a brand new(open box) turntable cart and stylus from japanese manufacturer Nagaoka, their 4th model up the chain : the MP-200.

This really is the sweet spot of an excellent cartridge that's still affordable ($400 USD but I got it at $300)

Nice! I've been wanting to try a Nagaoka cartridge for some time. I recently upgraded my stylus and settled on the Audiotechnica VM540ML. Good bang for the buck at approximately 200 USD. The microline stylus completely eliminated the inner-groove distortion (IGD) I was experiencing on my TT. I totally would have bit on a MP-200 for that price.

Having these expensive styli really makes one think twice about buying/playing a used record that's less than perfect.

Here's one of my recent purchases:

Radiant Silvergun OST!!



Data Discs really know how to press a good piece of wax. It sounds dead quite. My favorite track is Penta. It get's me pumped up every time. This soundtrack reminds me of Castlevania IV's OST in that it's relatively short and works as a cohesive and cinematic whole while still being very listenable, even outside the context of the game (or maybe that's just because I've played the game a million times and can easily reproduce all the big moments in my mind)

[MX7]

Nice one, I got the RSG OST too. Chose solid orange though because... I like orange. This is my twelfth Data Discs LP. I'm no audio snob but some things sound better on record. Harsh lo-bit digital stuff gets nicely softened by the analogue format, especially YM2612 stuff. Data Discs rocks because unlike several other companies who just dump. wavs or whatever on to record and hope for the best, they actually master it in a studio from the original hardware. Kind of wish they'd just presented the arcade version soundtrack and cut it at 45rpm across two records like with Gunstar Heroes but it sounds amazing anyway.

[scrilla4rella]

Nice one, I got the RSG OST too. Chose solid orange though because... I like orange. This is my twelfth Data Discs LP. I'm no audio snob but some things sound better on record. Harsh lo-bit digital stuff gets nicely softened by the analogue format, especially YM2612 stuff. Data Discs rocks because unlike several other companies who just dump. wavs or whatever on to record and hope for the best, they actually master it in a studio from the original hardware. Kind of wish they'd just presented the arcade version soundtrack and cut it at 45rpm across two records like with Gunstar Heroes but it sounds amazing anyway.

I would have preferred it cut at 45 rpm as well. It was cool to hear those unused track but I usually stick to the arcade OST anyway. I only have the Streets of Rage II OST from Data Discs, the shipping kills me but the pressing quality makes it worth it. Would love to get more of these releases but again that shipping.

[Ghegs]

Still picking up the occasional NES title. I wanted Smash TV partly because it's the only NES/Famicom game (I think?) that allows real twin-stick shooting using two controllers per player, so it's a fun curiosity as well. And it does work pretty nicely, though I did have troubles hitting the occasional diagonal when shooting.



I already had two dogbone controllers, so I was all ready for the DOUBLE FISTED ACTION! I was not ready for the guy's bulge, though.



But I was definitely ready for the HOT BABES!


Oh wait that's a guy in drag

[Sumez]

though I did have troubles hitting the occasional diagonal when shooting.

Only sensible solution is a dual Advantage setup

[MX7]

Nice one, I got the RSG OST too. Chose solid orange though because... I like orange. This is my twelfth Data Discs LP. I'm no audio snob but some things sound better on record. Harsh lo-bit digital stuff gets nicely softened by the analogue format, especially YM2612 stuff. Data Discs rocks because unlike several other companies who just dump. wavs or whatever on to record and hope for the best, they actually master it in a studio from the original hardware. Kind of wish they'd just presented the arcade version soundtrack and cut it at 45rpm across two records like with Gunstar Heroes but it sounds amazing anyway.

I would have preferred it cut at 45 rpm as well. It was cool to hear those unused track but I usually stick to the arcade OST anyway. I only have the Streets of Rage II OST from Data Discs, the shipping kills me but the pressing quality makes it worth it. Would love to get more of these releases but again that shipping.

Have you checked out Ship To Shore Phono? They so some really nice VG releases and they're based in NY. But I've only bought one of their records because shipping stuff from US->UK seems to have (recently?) become INSANELY expensive... I think I ended up paying forty bloody pounds for the Lagrange Point OST thanks to surprise import duty AND it took months to get here.

[scrilla4rella]

Have you checked out Ship To Shore Phono? They so some really nice VG releases and they're based in NY. But I've only bought one of their records because shipping stuff from US->UK seems to have (recently?) become INSANELY expensive... I think I ended up paying forty bloody pounds for the Lagrange Point OST thanks to surprise import duty AND it took months to get here.

Yes! I like Ship To Shore's VGM catalog. I have Zuntata vol 1 and a classic Japanese 80s city pop record they released (Seaside Lovers). Unfortunately they sent me a record that was noticeably warped. Even though it was 35 USD for one LP they refused to replace it. So I can no longer support that company. Others on Discogs have reported receiving warped records from them. Buyer beware!

[Stevens]

Hahahaha.

DOUBLE FISTED ACTION

I might be avataring that.

[FinalBaton]

@Ghegs
"Double-fisted action!"

Nice! I've been wanting to try a Nagaoka cartridge for some time. I recently upgraded my stylus and settled on the Audiotechnica VM540ML. Good bang for the buck at approximately 200 USD. The microline stylus completely eliminated the inner-groove distortion (IGD) I was experiencing on my TT. I totally would have bit on a MP-200 for that price.

Having these expensive styli really makes one think twice about buying/playing a used record that's less than perfect.

Your AT VM540ML was on the shortlist of carts I wanted to get actually. It gets great reviews and seems super crisp and detailed, (thanks to the microline stylus), yet balanced. and as you said, you can kiss IGD goodbye with that stylus. and you get spectacular tracking. I'd actually love to try one in my system at some point. hopefully a friend of mine gets one soon so I can try it!


I haven't heard the Nagaoka yet but I can't wait. supposedly is extremely well balanced and clear and a little sweet sounding. Which should complement my system that's a hair on the bright side. Something I find fascinating with the Nag is the combo of boron cantilever and an elliptical cut. Now at first I thought "what the hell, why waste a boron cantilever on an elliptical diamond?", but now that I think about it it's pretty interesting : the light canti gives you better tracking and resonance, and the coarser cut picks up less surface noise. so it's gonna be about the best stuff to use to extract more music from old beat up LPs. (and my records aren't washed so they're not in pristine condition, althought they're not damaged for the most part, but some used ones have decent wear in the grooves).

[it290]

Came home drunk yesterday and decided to treat myself to the Capcom Home Arcade. Woke up with buyer's remorse this morning, but the thing has already been shipped! Wonder if it's been hacked yet?

Apparently there's a method to make them work as a PS4 controller (not sure which aftermarket parts are required), which makes the investment significantly more worthwhile in my opinion. https://www.reddit.com/r/CapcomHomeArca ... urce=share