New Scanline generator SLG3000 - available now!

[Konsolkongen]

Mars Matrix. Looks great IMHO:

Can you post a full screen shot of Mars Matrix with scanlines? Do you have Giga Wing too?

I got the XRGB-3 but this looks very promising, and it's very cheap too. I'm considering getting one just for Mars Matrix and Giga Wing on the Dreamcast

[emphatic]

Can you post a full screen shot of Mars Matrix with scanlines? Do you have Giga Wing too?

I should be able to do that, but you'll have to be patient, as I have almost no "game time" during the weekend. Family calls.

[ZOM]

Finally got to test this nice little unit and man, it works like a charm. Pics incoming!

General Setup: [Console@60Hz via RGBS]--> Extron SW6 --> Holo3DgraphII(640x480) --> SLG3000 --> Sony LCD


SMS










MD








PCE














PS1







Gradius Gaiden looks F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C on this setup! The pics don't do it justice, almost no difference from a CRT.

Still need to check out some other systems and a bunch of games with this setup, but so far i'm *very* pleased; the Holo does a great job at linedoubling and the "things that aren't so great" get masked by the SLG.
Tbh, it took me a while to find a trimmer setting to "hide&forget" the unit - seems like the regulating strenght isn't exactly linear... anyways, have it at about 45% turned and now it's perfect. (which I'm sure isn't 45 percent scanlines but a bit more, correct me if I'm wrong)

Good job guys, now we just need the "SBG(slight bloom generator) 4000" & "SMG (Shadow Mask generator) 5000" and we can kiss CRTs goodbye

[Fudoh]

Waaaa, I want my Holo back !!!!!11111 Na, just kidding. Gratulations, looks amazing! Do you use the graphics card VGA output or the Holo II's RGBHV output ? If you're using the graphics card output, would you mind testing the Holo II's output as well to see if there's any difference to be seen (or felt, lag-wise) ?

(On the Holo's RGBHV output you don't get the OSD menu, so you have to connect the PC twice to the TV, once via VGA from the Holo and once via HDMI from the graphics card - or use a switch....)

[ZOM]

Too late man, but you have my eternal gratitude

For the time being, I'm still using the PC's RGBHV output which is indeed a bit laggy, I blame it on the intel gma onboard the atom mobo I'm using (I don't think the sony adds much for the 480p to 1080p conversion in gamemode with all fancy options off).
Already planned on incorporating the SLG into the system and hooking the Holo's RGBHV output directly to the SLG. I just need to build my own "RGBHV addon", since there's no way I can cram that sturdy original one into the case, hence why I'm using intel's chip for now. If all goes well I start these coming days and tell you how it goes.

As for the second screen needed, sticking a tiny lcd on the HTPC's front just for the OSD would surely look ace... but this little project is slowly hurting my wallet.

[Konsolkongen]

Can you post a full screen shot of Mars Matrix with scanlines? Do you have Giga Wing too?

I should be able to do that, but you'll have to be patient, as I have almost no "game time" during the weekend. Family calls.

Of course. Thanks

[jugu]

Unit #25 arrived here in San Jose. Will post pics once I have it setup later tonight.

jugu

[Zapf]

I would totally pick one of these up if there ever is a revision where its encased in something - I have an ocd about bare pcbs just lyin around =/

[KBZ]

Amazing scanline pics

these are just incredible, best I've seen yet. What else is at play here? At times it looks like there's an rgb mask being used.

[bencao74]

Hi,

only short the current state : second wave is sold completly, third wave will be available soon.

[ZOM]

What else is at play here? At times it looks like there's an rgb mask being used.

It's just the TV's RGB sub-pixels that look rather "coarse" on that set, as shown by the peeping-eye uber-close-up. Coupled with the scanlines it does produce a nice effect, too bad that you have to be glued to the TV to get something out of it.
The Kaze no Densetsu Xanadu II titlescreen-shot represents the most how it looks from a normal but close viewing distance, I think.

[Rossyra]

Mine was posted on the 26th, got it today, thanks Bencao

[supergoose]

first test with the 360 in my cab. i bought my cab as an empty shell for a project. the 18" crt was missing, so i put in a 20" LG L2000 CP monitor with a native resolution of 1600x1200. there's a tinted piece of plexiglas covering the monitor.

xbox360 -> microsoft vga cable -> vga extension cable (temporary setup) -> slg3000 -> vga cable -> monitor

because of the ~6 meter long cable, i expected the picture to be a bit shitty, but it looked absolutely stunning. deathsmiles black label in 360 mode:



i was used to playing my games on a european 27" sony crt that died in late 2007 and couldn't be repaired. that was a really sad day. especially since that tv was one of my first bigger purchases, when i was young. i got a used 20" crt for the neo later on, but sort of gave up on retro gaming. the slg3000 definitely changed things for the better. thanks, guys!

[fagin]

SNES -> LO-RES CRT


SNES -> CHEAPO SCALER -> SLG3000 -> DELL LCD MONITOR


SATURN -> CHEAPO SCALER -> SLG3000 -> DELL LCD MONITOR


GAMECUBE -> CHEAPO SCALER -> SLG3000 -> DELL LCD MONITOR

[SGGG2]

Fagin, c'mon, tell us what scaler you're using...

[fagin]

Fagin, c'mon, tell us what scaler you're using...

Christ knows.... it's some proper piece of shite! It hasn't even got a name on it, but I believe it is similar if not the same as one made by a company called CYP. I suspect it is a knock off as it only cost about £50 a few years back. You can tell it is cheap as you tend to get a bit of ghosting, that you can see if you just use the scaler on it's own. However once you connect up the SLG, it hides these imperfections well enough.

TBH I won't be using the SLG on LCD's as I already have various arcade cabs with tri-sync CRT's, that will accept native lo-res RGB from my consoles. I will be using the SLG for my CAVE 360 ports from the xbox360, a few PS2 / XBOX / Gamecube 480i games, to my CRT's.

I have only showed the pictures to give you examples of worst case scenario's really. Also remember I am using a computer LCD for these examples, so a decent LCD TV or plasma should provide a better quality image imo.

[neorichieb1971]

I hope these screenshots are really close to the screen, they look huge.

[Fudoh]

Of course they are. You get exactly one scanline per line of input resolution on 240p games.

[gundamalpha]

#0044 arrived

First impression is it's very sturdy. Can't wait to test it tonight

[HDgaming42]

#0044 arrived

First impression is it's very sturdy. Can't wait to test it tonight

Stupid question--where is the number printed? On the PCB?

[gundamalpha]

On the anti-static bag

[bencao74]

Hey,

and in black hand written on the bottom of the PCB....

[BuckoA51]

No doubt this is an impressive bit of kit, but I'm not sure it really renders the XRGB3 obsolete as some have suggested. I don't always use scanlines (depends what mood I'm in, bizarrely enough) and I still prefer the XRGB3's line-doubling to that of the Edge and although I've not seen HD Box Pro clones working I daresay they are not as good either.

For all your 240p stuff you're still going to need a line-doubler before you can use the SLG3000, there's things like the VP30 but it's not exactly easy to find. DVDO Edge doesn't have analogue out, so you're going to need something like a HD Fury, then if your TV's VGA isn't so hot, you have to convert to digital again! All that and the ABT scalers have more ringing than the XRGB3 too.

It does depend on your setup but I think the XRGB3 still has its place, warts and all. That said I'm quite tempted to pick one up to try with the 360's VGA output on Deathsmiles and other cave shooters.

[Fudoh]

but I'm not sure it really renders the XRGB3 obsolete as some have suggested

nothing but a price question. For many if not most users the processing quality of cheaper linedoublers and scalers is fully sufficient and for them the only selling point of the XRGB was the scanline emulation. I won't sell my XRGB just because of the SLG3000, but I'll also use other processors (depending on the source system).

If you get the SLG3000, you'll eventually get a HDFury as well and you'll be surprised how close the result will be to a XRGB. I was and I am complaining about the Edge's ringing in 240p, but the SLG3000 masks this to an extend which makes me no longer worry or care about it.

[BuckoA51]

Oh I have a HD-Fury I used it with the PS3 before I got a TV with HDMI, but that would mean I needed to go Console->Edge->HD Fury->Gefen (or similar VGA to HDMI conveter)->TV since my TV's VGA is nowhere nice as it's HDMI....Plus the HD Fury isn't exactly cheap either, even if you have a display with reasonable VGA input.

Can't believe I'm defending the XRGB3 considering what a bag of crap it is at times

[Fudoh]

since my TV's VGA is nowhere nice as it's HDMI

I was wondering about that before. On both my old (2007) and my new (2010) Sony TV the VGA port is just as good as the HDMI connection, plus it allows for more aspect ratio options and more fine tuning. The only reason (for me) to use HDMI instead is the added 50Hz compatibility. Which TV do you have again ?

[BuckoA51]

The KDL-40Z4500. 720p via VGA isn't terrible to be fair would probably be adequate for SLG3000, could always put a HDMI splitter on the Edge output and then just set the Edge to 720p when I wanted to use the SLG3000.

[emphatic]

Can you post a full screen shot of Mars Matrix with scanlines? Do you have Giga Wing too?

Sorry, I don't have Giga Wing. Here's a full screen comparison shot of Mars Matrix: http://www.emphatic.se/SLG3000/mars_matrix_huge.jpg

I also tried to tweak the SLG3000 to look better on my 24kHz NANAO MS9. I went with just a hint of scanlines, and set the dips to display on even lines (I think) instead of what I had the first time I tried it:







(I have to hold the camera in my hand when I shoot the cabinets, so the images are blurrier). It does look a bit "artificial" to me, so I'll probably won't use it in my cabinet.

[Fudoh]

As you stated yourself, the down conversion to 384 lines is obviously a problem. I guess switching the UVC to 15khz instead would be a more suitable scanline-option for 15/24khz monitor-users like yourself.

[emphatic]

As you stated yourself, the down conversion to 384 lines is obviously a problem. I guess switching the UVC to 15khz instead would be a more suitable scanline-option for 15/24khz monitor-users like yourself.

Yes, I totally agree. It was more of an experiment really.