UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

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Ikaruga11
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by Ikaruga11 »

shoobopper wrote:Just going to chime in to say that the RGB portion of HW2 is extremely important to my setup and I am fine waiting however long it takes to iron out the difficulties.
same

I've held off on buying an Ultra HDMI for years. The analog RGBS CSync output is what's finally making me jump in.
dryja123
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by dryja123 »

GeneraLight wrote:
shoobopper wrote:Just going to chime in to say that the RGB portion of HW2 is extremely important to my setup and I am fine waiting however long it takes to iron out the difficulties.
same

I've held off on buying an Ultra HDMI for years. The analog RGBS CSync output is what's finally making me jump in.

Borti made an awesome ribbon that would allow you to install an external RGB mod, alongside the Ultra HDMI. It’s just an option: https://www.retrorgb.com/bortis-n64-fle ... pdate.html

It’s just me, but if RGB firmware is going to continue to delay this I would say ship it and fix RGB later in firmware. That’s depending is the hardware is final. Round 7 is about it enter year 3 and I’d imagine it’s gotta be nerve wracking to have $130k sitting in a bank account that’s slated to fulfill orders. I know if it were me the anxiety would be crippling.
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flipsideaut
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by flipsideaut »

Dear Ichinisan,

I really appreaciate your and Marshalls hard work in this and there is a lot pressure i can guess, but we all really would love to get our ultra HDMI N64 projects for the wintertime =)
Some focus more on the RGB but i think there is a lot more ppl just wanting the ultra HDMI functionality.

It would be so awesome if round 7 could be shipped this year.

Wish you the best,
thanks,
BR Adrian
Last edited by flipsideaut on Sun Nov 15, 2020 2:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
sanfordseven
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by sanfordseven »

dryja123 wrote:
GeneraLight wrote:
shoobopper wrote:Round 7 is about it enter year 3 and I’d imagine it’s gotta be nerve wracking to have $130k sitting in a bank account that’s slated to fulfill orders. I know if it were me the anxiety would be crippling.
130K?!?!? Boy, this is some serious M’s in the bank account...
WinManX2000
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by WinManX2000 »

thenrz wrote:assuming the digital processing topology is ready to go along as is the analog and new DAC sans some edge cases, shipping units and filling orders is the top priority.
This right here.

I cant imagine what people are feeling who have been on the list for so long. I am a late comer to this list of pre-paid individuals, and I am nervous as all get-out. To me, it would seem logical to push out boards to people that did not order the RGB option and only care for the HDMI out. Unless of course, there is something wrong with the HDMI portion as well.
farleyflex
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by farleyflex »

@Ichinisan this may be a question you're unable to answer and it's totally fine if that's case. Is there any timeline for those in the first 250 on the list. I know you mentioned that you received 250 units. It's a tough time for everyone with covid so delays are understandable. Just wondering if that's possible to give some sort of estimate.
terzdesign
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by terzdesign »

What does the RGB addition even do for someone’s setup? I’m not tech savvy
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Lopenator
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by Lopenator »

Hey, I'm looking to join the group if possible.
nmalinoski
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by nmalinoski »

terzdesign wrote:What does the RGB addition even do for someone’s setup? I’m not tech savvy
First, the N64 shipped with only S-Video and composite video for video output, so the RGB (and YPbPr!) output would have better fidelity than either of those.

Additionally, the simultaneous output means one could connect the analogue output to a CRT for lag-free play (with the aforementioned quality benefit) while using the HDMI output for recording, streaming, and/or distribution to other displays. I'm sure there are also people who move their consoles between flat panels and YPbPr/RGB CRTs who would benefit from the expanded output options.
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kronflux
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by kronflux »

Lopenator wrote:Hey, I'm looking to join the group if possible.
The instructions are in the First Post on Page 1
thenrz
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by thenrz »

I think, for me anyway, the fact that I don't love and breathe retro gaming, but simply enjoy it, enjoy the fun mods to install, and go on about my business. The only reason I'm still in this 3 units deep is because of the talks I've had with the proprietor of this thread. It seems it's a "that's marshall!" Situation...throw your hands up and wait because we all know we want it.
NeverCameBack
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by NeverCameBack »

When I first heard about the Ultra HDMI, I waited years for that email saying units are in stock. Lies. Years came and went. It's been over a year that I've found the truth. To buy from the father you must go through the son. It is a possibility that the bulk of funds have been pissed away at a Vegas table or digitized in the wild world of cryptocurrency. But after 6 successful rounds, would round 7 be the one to go sour? The creator can't possibly be in it for the money. When I was desperately waiting with cash in hand for years, none would accept it. In my restless dreams I still see that ultra HDMI. I'm here waiting for it. But it never comes.
DinoHunter
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by DinoHunter »

In for 2. I've always wanted to do the mod myself and I know the orders have been backordered for a while now and people have been on the list for months, here's hoping I can get one at this point for the upcoming batch. Cheers!
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PULOVR
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by PULOVR »

Hi Ichinisan, I sent you an email so I could be added to the waiting list (as per the directions in the first post). I did get an automated response, so I know that I sent it to the correct email. The user name I picked for this forum, is the same one I mentioned in the email you.

By the way, I can see that it's been a few weeks since you last posted a response to this thread, and even longer than that for your brother. Just wondering what's happening? Thanks.
Last edited by PULOVR on Mon Nov 30, 2020 4:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
Ikaruga11
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by Ikaruga11 »

I'm not sure whether to get the no-cut mod or the standard cut mod. How good is Ichinisan's cutting skills? If the cutting tightly hugs the contours of the mini HDMI port like pic related:

Image

then I'm fine with cutting. If the cut is a standard rectangle with empty space around the mini HDMI port, then I'll get the no-cut mod.
thenrz
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by thenrz »

I was thinking about it, and I'd imagine that the two running this are probably way more worried about it all than they portray. I've had some great conversations and those are some really intelligent individuals there. They're basically bound to marshall, and it's his actions, or lack of, that have kept this ridiculous sum of money tied up. Can you imagine not necessarily caring too much about tens of thousands of dollars of many people's money waiting for you, and you think, "...meh."?? I can't. I'm guessing either there's more to the story and 2020 strikes again, or we might all just need to take our refunds and give it all to someone who could do it quickly and perfectly...

(Dan Kunz)? It's really not a bad idea to go at someone known to do good work with this huge group buy and say, here, we all get units and stuff, but shut up and take my money. Thoughts?
hushed
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by hushed »

If someone wants a more immediate discussion, instead of his slow message board which requires some level of post approval before posts (at least mine) go through, you can join a Facebook groups started here by Ichinisan's brother: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ultrahdmigroupbuy/.
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Lopenator
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by Lopenator »

I don't have a Facebook :(
dryja123
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by dryja123 »

hushed wrote:If someone wants a more immediate discussion, instead of his slow message board which requires some level of post approval before posts (at least mine) go through, you can join a Facebook groups started here by Ichinisan's brother: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ultrahdmigroupbuy/.
Haven’t had a Facebook account in 10 years.
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PULOVR
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by PULOVR »

GeneraLight wrote:I'm not sure whether to get the no-cut mod or the standard cut mod. How good is Ichinisan's cutting skills? If the cutting...
It's not snug like the pic you posted. Also, from all the 3D printed pieces I've seen so far, it's not snug either.

Example https://ibb.co/nLnsSd0

If you want a snug fit, you'll have to cut the lower case of the N64 yourself.
terzdesign
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by terzdesign »

Not going to lie, I’m starting to get worried here since no updates have been made and the group is now huge. I’ve personally been waiting over a year on 5 units.
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Ichinisan
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by Ichinisan »

I hoped I would have a tracking number and post here before the end of the month, but I don't want this month to pass without some kind of update.

Here are my most recent conversations with Marshall...

Ichinisan [2020-11-11 14:24]
- Back again.

Marshall [2020-11-11 17:29]
- yeah i think it's past time to get going with programming the boards
- since there dont' seem to be any issues
- i do have another scanline option in progress but its nothing major. will finish it later
- have there been any new rgb cable developments

Ichinisan [2020-11-11 18:06]
- It just so happens I contacted Retro Access and RGC via Twitter to ask about bulk-ordering some cables.
- RGC replied, but seemed a bit confused at first.
- https://imgur.com/uiRqzLy

Marshall [2020-11-11 18:12]
- man
- i can tell this is already going to be a shitshow lol.
- good luck

Ichinisan [2020-11-11 18:12]
- Haha...yeah. Maybe encouraging everyone to use Y/Pb/Pr would be ideal. CRTs with that input are common at thrift stores around here.
- Dirt cheap.

Marshall [2020-11-11 18:13]
- it does appear slightly differently on a crt from rgb, because of bandwidth limitations and the way the colorpsace is converted inside the tv
- it's pretty minor

Ichinisan [2020-11-11 19:43]
- online guides say PAL SNES has 12V on the multi-out pin that would be CSYNC on an NTSC SNES (pin 3). I checked pin 3 on a PAL N64 and there was no voltage, so I guess that's not a concern for N64.

[ten days pass]

Marshall [2020-11-21 11:36]
- ping
- i am programming boards now :)

Ichinisan [2020-11-21 20:35]
- Awesome! if you have any extra, let me know. I will buy as many as you have for the people waiting in line for the group-buy.

Marshall [2020-11-22 12:11]
- ok
- i’ll focus on getting your outstanding stuff shipped
- the 80 order is ready to ship
- you have an updated address?

Ichinisan [2020-11-22 12:19]
- Cool. It's still J E Turner, [you guys know it]
- …or the new PO Box might be better
- Just a sec...
- J. E. Turner
- PO Box [you guys know it]
- ...or I can still drive out there!
- If it's easier to finish the other 150 and ship one package, that's cool too.
- Whichever is easier / safer for you.

Marshall [2020-11-22 12:31]
- Ok i'll ship to teh PO box
- I'm including 39 extra HW1 flex as well
- I'm sure someone coudl put them to use if they are upgrading/buying someone else' HW1
- I will update the installation guide with solder points for the new flex, and then figure out what components people must desolder/cut to allow the analog RGB option to drive Csync

Ichinisan [2020-11-22 13:10]
- Cool. Thanks for the flex cables. A few people asked me about them recently and I told them I have to be careful with the few I have. I'll get these out to anyone everyone that asked me.

I'm encouraged to hear that Marshall is getting ready to ship something, but disappointed to hear he won't be shipping both of my orders together. Maybe he's being cautious in case the first units reveal a major issue with the new HW2 design. I expect him to start another full-size production batch soon after these start going out.
dryja123
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by dryja123 »

This is great. How many units is he sending you? Is Marshall planning on submitting the order for the rest of the kits before the Chinese New Year? If not, we’re looking Spring time 2021 at least.
Max_P0
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by Max_P0 »

@dryja123 I think we aren't getting anything in 2020 .....
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Downcry
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by Downcry »

I noticed that the buy-in cost is the same whether you want the optional DAC module or not.
Is this an error?

I requested the DAC Module and I would not want my order held up by not having paid whatever cost it adds.
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PULOVR
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by PULOVR »

Ichinisan, in the Nov 27th email I received from you (and thank you for responding sooner than I thought you would :) ), you mentioned that Marshall has around 250 kits on hand. It that's true, that would of taken care of around 1/3 of the list as it stands right now but if you'll eventually get 230 kits (80, then 150), that is still pretty good. It will take large chunk out of that huge group 7 list.

I'm glad to see that things are rolling (albeit slowly) in the right direction. Maybe some of the people that have been waiting the longest, might actually have something to look forward to for Christmas this year?
Is Marshall planning on submitting the order for the rest of the kits before the Chinese New Year?
From the email I received from Ichinisan a few days ago, and from reading the post he made above... unless Marshall already has the Taiwan factory lined up and ready to go (which I don't think it is, because he probably would have mentioned that important detail to him), I would say, probably not. :(

Chinese New Year falls on Feb 11 next year. That's still over 2 months away, but I think there will still be a long wait for the rest of us. Unless I understood it wrong, the kits Ichinisan is getting right now, came from the Chinese factory that Marshal used before (and not the new Taiwanese factory he wants to use). If that's true, Marshall would likely do a small batch run first with that new factory (to make sure the boards they make are up to snuff). That could take 1-2 months (from what some people have told me). That would bring us to some time in February(?). If the boards made by that new factory turn out to be ok, they would then have to be programmed and tested by him, and then sent to Ichinisan for his install and testing. If everything thing goes well, a huge batch could then be ordered for the rest of the group 7 list (around April..?)... which would likely mean another 1-2 month wait after that for the new huge batch of boards to arrive (which would bring us to some time in June..?)... then add in the time Marshall needs to check all those new boards and to install their programming, and then for Ichinisan to do his part again... my guess, if everything goes smoothly (which I'm afraid to say it probably won't), the earliest the rest of us would be getting our kits, might be August/September(?). But I'm hoping that it won't take that long.

Downcry wrote:I noticed that the buy-in cost is the same whether you want the optional DAC module or not.
Is this an error? I requested the DAC Module and I would not want my order held up by not having paid whatever cost it adds.
If I recall correctly, Ichinisan said that as soon as Marshal let's him know if there would be any additional cost for that, he would let us know so we could pay the difference (if any), and that would be before the final order was put in. As long as your order was for at least $130, you are good to go.
Last edited by PULOVR on Wed Dec 02, 2020 6:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Simoncino
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by Simoncino »

@ichinasan Hello J, i am S. from Italy. We all wait news and final tests of hw2 kits and flex cables from Marshall. I have seen you are not reading emails... (maybe too much.....)..
Just write here and let me know when you receive DAC and hw2 kits finally ready...
For sure we will receive n64 not before 2021 march i think....?
viper1701
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by viper1701 »

I have to say I feel a little anxious about this one.

After almost a year, Marshall is ready to ship... 80 boards.
Checking the file I see we are currently at 974 paid boards for a total of ... 110 926 dollars.

It's hard not to be worried with so much money in the air. Marshall is a genius but has been known to be quite unreliable in delivering his products. And I 100% trust Ichisan but I would feel worry with anybody handling so much money without the products in hand.

It will take a lot of good karma to make it happen.
krazyjakee
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by krazyjakee »

I've had 2 kids since I signed up to round 7, the second one said her first word a few weeks ago. Whatever UltraHDMI could have given me, it's now ruined.

For all the "good things come to those who wait" trolls, there have been 6 rounds before this one and manufacturing sources have only been slowed by coronavirus, not stopped. This is not some AAA video game release, it's an existing circuit board and 20 minute fitting service. It should not take years to satisfy zero orders.

Whether you get the thing or not, you have already been fooled. It would be easy to sink 130k into stocks for 2 years, string along hundreds of people with excuses every few weeks, scoop the profits and either run, refund or deliver.

I think it's time for option 2. What's the situation with refunds?

My forum name is the same as reddit, you also have my paypal details. Do the right thing.
10mile
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - accepting participants

Post by 10mile »

krazyjakee wrote:I've had 2 kids since I signed up to round 7, the second one said her first word a few weeks ago. Whatever UltraHDMI could have given me, it's now ruined.

For all the "good things come to those who wait" trolls, there have been 6 rounds before this one and manufacturing sources have only been slowed by coronavirus, not stopped. This is not some AAA video game release, it's an existing circuit board and 20 minute fitting service. It should not take years to satisfy zero orders.

Whether you get the thing or not, you have already been fooled. It would be easy to sink 130k into stocks for 2 years, string along hundreds of people with excuses every few weeks, scoop the profits and either run, refund or deliver.

I think it's time for option 2. What's the situation with refunds?

My forum name is the same as reddit, you also have my paypal details. Do the right thing.
100% agree. Been the same update for the last 8 months. Tested some units, making some tweaks, sampling units from different factories, manufacturing to start “soon”. Meanwhile we’re all just content being fed little crumbs of information every month or two.

Where’s the urgency? There seems to be zero understanding or empathy from both Marshall and Ichinisan shown toward their paying customers. Marshall can continue to iterate his design for years to come, no problem. Just get us the units we’ve paid for.

At this point I agree with my friend above, there’s no reasonable explanation for the actions of Marshall and Ichinisan other than that we’ve been played.
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