2600RGB - Video upgrade kit for the Atari 2600

[FBX]

I see now. Thanks for the clarification on that quirk!

-FBX

[skooter]

I was testing a few games and I found out another two that have issues with 2600RGB + Framemeister.

They are:
- Video Pinball: it crashes on the first screen, unplayable
- Tapper: playable, but graphical issues everywhere

Tapper is one of my favorite games, I hope there is a fix.

[ApolloBoy]

I haven't had a problem playing either game on my modded 2600s, you sure it's not just dirty carts?

[skooter]

I was using an Harmony Cartridge. Both ROMs from Rom Hunter v13.

[ApolloBoy]

I was using an Harmony Cartridge. Both ROMs from Rom Hunter v13.

Odd, I've also got a Harmony cart and never had a problem. Try different ROMs maybe?

[skooter]

Are you using the RGB output from 2600RGB and Framemeister?

I tried Tapper on CRT using composite output before and it worked just fine. The problem is only with the RGB output + Framemeister.

I tried the PAL versions of Video Pinball and they work fine. Only the NTSC version has issues, sync issues.

Tapper unfortunatelly has only one version.

I'll upload a video showing the problems soon.

[FBX]

Only the NTSC version has issues, sync issues.

That might be on the Framemeister end of things if it's sync issues. It's too bad you don't have a PVM or something similar to check with, so you can eliminate the Framemeister from the equation.

[skooter]

Both these games work using a LHE S-Video Modded Atari 2600 through Framemeister.

I'll check if they work on 2600RGB S-video output with Framemeister.

While the issue on Video Pinball seems sync related, the Tapper issue doesn't.

The only game I tested that has sync issues on both the LHE S-Video Modded Atari and 2600RGB Modded Atari is Condor Attack. But this one has issues even on CRTs and it's probably poorly programmed.

[FBX]

Both these games work using a LHE S-Video Modded Atari 2600 through Framemeister.

But that's a different mod, and of course doesn't involve csync.

[skooter]

I tried Tapper and Video Pinball through 2600RGB S-Video output + Framemeister and they worked just fine.

So the problem is with 2600RGB RGB output + Framemeister.

Warlords had issues and it was patched to work with 2600RGB + Framemeister. However, the source code was available to be fixed. It's probably not the case with these two games.

Here is the video showing the problems:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M9J7tk ... e=youtu.be

[FBX]

Here is the video showing the problems:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M9J7tk ... e=youtu.be

I've never seen anything like that happen with the Framemeister. The Tapper demonstration definitely looks to be the RGB mod not being compatible with that game. Likely the same with Video pinball, since S-Video works fine with it into the Framemeister.

The only 'out of range' issue I ever encountered with the Framemeister (aside from Sonic 2 split-screen) was back when I was helping test out Artemio's N64 test suite, where the screen bounced up and down 30 times a second. In that case, Artemio knew the cause was because of the 'unsafe' edge boundaries of the N64's display porch.

[skooter]

I found some information on Tapper:
http://atariage.com/forums/topic/260024 ... old-issue/

So, it does some weird thing that generates an out-of-spec signal which most TVs will handle just fine, but Framemeister in its RGB input won't.

I guess it can be fixed with some hack, the same way Warlords was.

I couldn't find any info on Video Pinball though. But since the PAL versions are working, I guess it's fixable too.

I bet we are going to find more games with issues if we test the whole library. Atari is unique in the sense that games are responsible for sync signals. There is probably more weird stuff that the programmers did back then that works just fine on CRTs, but the Framemeister will be much more picky about.

[FBX]

I bet we are going to find more games with issues if we test the whole library. Atari is unique in the sense that games are responsible for sync signals. There is probably more weird stuff that the programmers did back then that works just fine on CRTs, but the Framemeister will be much more picky about.

LOL so it's back to being that you need to eliminate the Framemeister from the equation.

-FBX

[skooter]

I would if I had a choice. Maybe OSSC, but who knows how it handles 2600RGB? Maybe it is even worse.

But I still believe the experts on Atari 2600 programming will hack these games to make them work properly.

[skooter]

Tapper is fixed.

I got the PAL60 hacks from Omegamatrix and alex_79. They had already fixed the timing problems, so I just had to generate binaries of the original NTSC version, including their hacks.

More info on my blog post: http://www.skooterblog.com/2017/07/26/p ... memeister/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y794SSQWfs0

[tighecg]

I just tried installing an RGB board, but I'm having trouble.

I tested out the video and got nothing. There's 5 volts going to the board. The grounds are connected. The LED on the board goes red for less then a second, then nothing. I'm using composite video for sync. I have no idea what to do.

Any ideas?

Did you ever figure this out? I am having the same issue. I'm trying to use a 9 pin mini din, with a genesis 2 pinout, and I did not hook up the palette switch. I seen something about shorting pins 2 and 3 by jumper 2, but that was if the led doesn't blink.