shmups.system11.org

In my experimentation last year with HW1, the UltraHDMI would do 60Hz HDMI output if the controller button combo reset was performed while it was connected to an NTSC board, or 50Hz HDMI output if connected to a PAL system while performing the reset. Back then it confused me because I knew my TV was compatible with PAL N64s running UltraHDMI, but the board that was sent to me made the TV show "unsupported signal," even after I tried to initialize settings by holding Reset. It had the same issue with my test system, so I thought the UltraHDMI board was bad for a little while. Apparently the previous PAL systems worked with my TV because I tested all my UltraHDMI boards first using an NTSC test system, so the UltraHDMI boards configured themselves for 60Hz HDMI output before they were installed in PAL systems. In the case which confused me, the board was sent to me for install and its initial power-on test was done with the PAL system, so the UltraHDMI set HDMI output to 50Hz and my TV said "unsupported signal" until I performed the button combo reset. It was more perplexing at first because I expected both resets to behave the same way. I always held the console's Reset button to do a jumper / IGR reset -- and that wasn't going to work.

Maybe Marshall can tweak the firmware slightly so the jumper / IGR reset is just as thorough as the controller button combo reset.

Practically all the boards I've received from Marshall and Game-Tech.US will show "settings corrupt, defaults loaded" the first time it's powered-on. That indicates it was never powered-on after Marshall programmed the firmware. It will also set 50Hz or 60Hz HDMI output based on the N64 board type (PAL or NTSC). If the current frequency is incompatible with your TV, I believe the only thing you can do is move the UltraHDMI to the correct type of N64 board (PAL or NTSC) to match your TV and then perform the controller reset method.

It is good to hear you are getting to emails now, I sent one over a week ago and I'm hoping to get on the buy list soon. Now I just need to decide whether I should buy a working ice blue console to install it in or just pick up a dead one and transplant my current system into it.

Can the analogue board be installed with the original hw1 board? Or would I need to just do a new install with the updated hw2 board?

I'm certain that the HW1 boards lack the required connection for the analogue board; you will need to fully uninstall your HW1 (including the flex cable) and do a fresh install with HW2. On the bright side, I believe it's been confirmed that the main board is a drop-in replacement for HW1, so you shouldn't need to make further modifications to your console's shell.

And, on that note, is there enough clearance to use Greg Collins's no-cut mod with HW2 with the analogue module?

Man, there’s almost 1000 paid orders on the tracking sheet. I really wish that could help motivate things to move faster.

On another note, I’m moving in November. I’ll send an email to update my new address.

Jeez that many!!!! I paid for mine 10 months ago.

Yeah in comparison only a handful of units were sold in all the other rounds. Hate to say it, but it's difficult to have faith that this round can possibly get completed.

At the time of writing, there are 406 aliases who have paid and 905 kits have been paid for, so there has been an average of ~2.23 upgrade kits per person. A few large buyers are getting 5 or more, but I would have expected the average to be a lot closer to 1.

@Ichinisan
Hi James.
the people ask for some news about the production. do you have some news about marshall. can we expect more until the end of the year? maybe you have to update your first post about the situation.

Marshall said he's ready to start provisioning the rest of the boards if I don't see any problems with the current firmware. I told him I tested several scenarios with my HW2 kit but I didn't put much time into actually using it (I've just been too busy to spend any time playing N64). I made a couple minor usability suggestions that he is considering. He should send the first wave of UltraHDMI kits very soon and schedule production for the next batch soon after.

I'm almost caught-up on email, then I'll catch up on this thread. Over the next few days I will contact all the people who should be covered by this first shipment to make sure I have up-to-date address info and request any N64 consoles that need to be sent to me.

Exciting news. Thanks for the updates.

Is it safe to assume that if we don't hear from you that it's due to being in the second batch? I know I still owe you a couple dollars for the remaining shipping on my kits, and I'd like to confirm payment for the DAC units and potentially an additional kit should I be in the later batch.

Thanks!

This is positively fantastic news! Thanks for the update, Ichinisan!

I am getting so excited now! This is great news.

Exciting, I hope we receive them by the end of the year.

So will the next Ultra HDMI batch have the ability to ouput de-blurred (and 15-bit color mode) analog RGBS via CSync?

Any ETA on this iteration of the UltraHDMI now that it is in production? I haven't heard anything... or does that mean bad news?

We'll be lucky to receive them by the end of next year at this rate

Quick update: Marshall asked me to do some more analog testing, so I drove 90+ minutes to meet with one of the group-buy participants and test my HW2 unit with his Framemeister. Marshall probably assumed I owned one. I also did some more testing with my OSSC. He considered a small change to the install procedure, disconnecting the N64's CSYNC signal from the multiout connector and using sync from the UltraHDMI HW2 DAC. The UltraHDMI HW2 DAC is slightly faster (lower latency) than Nintendo's DAC. The screen can be shifted by a few pixel columns depending on where your TV or scaler is pulling the sync signal. Currently, pulling sync from composite, luma, or CSYNC will get the slightly delayed sync from the N64's original DAC. Using RGsB (sync-on-green) or Y/Pb/Pr (component) will get sync from the UltraHDMI DAC.

I would never notice the slight shift in the image if I didn't take pictures and compare:
https://imgur.com/a/9AGHxbX

• Marshall's high-quality RGC brand cable is labeled "CSYNC," but apparently gets sync from luma.
• I have some cheap Chinese EuroSCART cables that get sync from composite.
• If I recall correctly, HD RetroVision cables pull sync from composite.

For most people it's probably not worth bothering with an extra step for CSYNC if most SCART cables still won't use it.

Ichinisan
- Tested with a friend's Framemeister today.
- Works.
- I don't know anything about optimizing settings for Framemeister, but it works.

Marshall H
- ah cool!
- does sync-on-green RGB work with the framemeister?
- I tried that with a Dell monitor i ahve that supports SOG for my SGI machines
- If you can think of anything else we ned to watch out for, let me know
- But i think we should get on shipping
- The only thing I don't know how to handle is the CSYNC line generated by the board, compared to the N64's csync
- they are the same, but one is a bit delayed (the original one)
- You can see this if you have a PVM, and wire up the original n64's CSYNC.
- If you then switch between Component/RSoGB and then external sync, you will see a horizontal shift

Ichinisan
- Didn't get to try sync on green. Maybe I'll be near there again some time (about 1.5 hours away from here).
- HD RetroVision RGB to Y/Pb/Pr cable gets sync from composite. Would that also be delayed?
- I can probably test sync-on-green with my OSSC
- I'll try that

Marshall H
- if anything uses sync on composite, it will be slightly delayed versus the ultrahdmi dac
- since the dac is actually faster


Later I tested RGsB with my OSSC and updated the IMGUR album.


Marshall said he's more interested in finishing these, but I haven't heard anything since that a couple weeks ago.

My friend is re-opening his restaurant during COVID, so helping him has taken a lot of my time recently. He will hire someone soon and won't need my help as often. I'm still working through email, but I'm much closer to being caught-up. One participant created a Google form that might help to automate the process. I hope to implement that soon!

I'll be back to the thread soon. Working late on email tonight...

If ever. Starting to think the whole thing is a scam

The horizontal shift issue has been known to occur ever since Tim Worthington and Borti released their RGB mod boards.

Providing an attenuated CSYNC output at 75ohm levels (rather than TTL) would allow people to replace composite video with 75ohm CSYNC for correct horizontal sync. Certain cables cannot be easily modded to use the CSYNC pin (RAD2X, HD Retrovision) so having the option for 75ohm CSYNC would be useful.

The horizontal shift can be more obvious on a CRT as a black vertical bar will appear on the left, instead of the image filling the screen. Anyone going to the effort of buying or installing the UltraHDMI surely won't want part of the image cut off.

IMO the TTL CSYNC signal should always be connected to the Multi AV port for any RGB modded NTSC console, so that the RGBS signal output is functionally identical to the stock NTSC SNES. CSYNC Scart cables are easy to find from the reputable sellers (Retro Gaming Cables, Retro Access, Insurrection).

Just curious my friend, is there a point where you and Marshall say to yourselves "this product is good enough for 99.9% of our interested buyers, let's produce a bunch as-is to get people their goods and then continue to improve the product later"?

Many people who own this product from years' past are very happy with it, most of your current pre-paid customers will be happy with the product as it is. Would it not make the most sense to just get it out and off your plate? Additionally so that you don't have the pressure of hundreds of people waiting on you as well?

Maybe something to think about

Aa someone who knows a lot less about the minutiae of implementing RGB and ultimately using it on a display than any person who has waded the waters of the various solution from dropping a THS7374 (or whatever) and a couple resistors to N64 Advanced, it seems like to fully support the large amount of permutations natively would be next to impossible. That being said, it does seem like it can be done by the end user by making some decision about how to finalize some part of the installation whether it be routing a signal here, cutting a trace there, or removing a cap or resistor to open a circuit around the multiout.

This is me being impatient, but it seems like, 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. A vast majority of these edge cases are going to be in the domain and ownership of someone who has been pushing whatever hardware they have to the limit anyway. Can't plan for every permutation: engineer for the 99%, and fashion some bullet point rules about what can and can't be done.

Guaranteed that if stock was kept flowing, taking into consideration the mythical nature of ultraHDMI and how it seems it kick started an entirely new industry, the number of units sold would go beyond quenching the purely enthusiast market. You'd have OEMs wanting to license the tech, opportunities for a truly lucrative path to open! And it's a win-win because we'd all have more access to it. Artificial scarcity works for precious metals and gems because without massive infrastructure, you can't mine like a De Beers group, but a small group or even an individual could beat this to mainstream market penetration. I've heard and seen rumblings (not that silly 720p console thing) of competition, and it's only going to help is consumers, but marshall has the mythical aura... Use it!

Serenity now!

Well, considering this is a group-buy for a product that doesn't exist yet (We are buying the improved UltraHDMI which is still in the development phase, not the original model), and it's the 7'th group buy, with various repeat customers - during a GLOBAL PANDEMIC while these people still have other jobs and lives and families to take care of...

I would recommend thinking a bit harder about it before posting that kind of negativity. If you're that convinced it's a scam, ask for a refund, and one of us will take your place in the list. I'll happily buy another unit to make up for it.
Or, be patient, and realize that there's a LOT going on right now, and the product is ALMOST ready for production. While I do doubt we will see them this year, we will see them.

I bet if you were to poll the customers who have already paid you would see that the majority are waiting for HDMI functionality, not RGB. If the hardware is finalized I don’t see why Marshall wouldn’t be able to move ahead with orders and inform us that RGB is still a work in progress.

Dear @Ichinisan,

I feel a lot of people are getting nervous seeing the amount of paying customers getting longer on this round with seemingly very slow progress.

I know you are doing your best and Marshall is known to work on his own clock, but when is the good time to either stop taking Pre-orders, or start getting a clear time-line for delivery?

Is Marshall aware of the size of this list?

I know the pressure must be high on your shoulders but please understand the anxiety on the other side.

Thanks,

Romi

Many people are tired of waiting, and some don't understand that it's not in the Ichinisan team's hands. I'm sure Ichinisan and team have some persuasion, and are trying to get it wrapped up as best they can with the developer with the persuasion they have. But ultimately, it's up to the developer of the kit when it's ready. This group buy forum should be assumed as the best way to get a hold of this kit, but timeliness was never guaranteed. We all knew this thing was a unicorn in retromod gaming. I'll say, if you are on the list, consider yourself lucky.

Where else are you going to get this thing before it's gone? Marshall will release it when he believes it's ready, and I hope you are all smart enough to be patient and not lose out.

Or get the warrior64 (insert Ernest goes to... ew scene)

Asked to be placed on this waiting list and prepaid back in February and have just sat back patiently waiting since, but I must say I am absolutely stunned at the number of folks on the list now that I’ve dropped by to check on the progress some 10 months later - I imagined there would have been a limit to the number of orders each round, but it appears not?

When I look at this list and see the number of prepaid orders and not a single shipment of this round, I must be honest, I’ve been a part of situation like this once before and the end result wasn’t good for those who prepaid. In that situation, there was originally good intentions, but overwhelmed, which equaled several hundred of us getting taken.

I would imagine the thousands of dollars that have been prepaid by customers like myself have already gone to the developer of these kits? I haven’t been on this forum other than my original discovery of this list, but the fact I hadn’t gotten any email updates in 10 months made me curious, so I dropped by. I’ve read the updates before making this post, so I see the dialogue, but it still brings up the old saying “once bitten twice shy.”

No offense intended to the OP, but an email update would have been a good sign over the last several months.