SCART Cables: What to Buy?

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SCARTicus
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by SCARTicus »

ldeveraux wrote:
evil_ash_xero wrote:I'll chime in on Retro Access. Their cables are really good, but I'm not fond of how thick they have gotten. But they say it was demanded for, by fans. So, I guess that's that.
Again, unless they've improved their QC in the last few years, they aren't "really good." I popped countless solder joints simply inserting the cable to the console.
It's true that their quality control should be better. I've got a SCART cable from them that has shitty solder joints, and the jacket does not make it all the way in to the SCART hood. Given the eons that they take to make the cables, and the fortune that they charge there really is no excuse. Most of the cables that they have made for me are fantastic, though.

Sadly, they are still practically the only game in town for better-than-trash gaming console cables. Retro Gaming Cables is supposed to be great, but I remember when they used to use hot-glue damnit. Also, Americans get shafted on the exchange rate between GBP and USD. Insurrection only does SCART, and only for a scant few consoles, and they don't do full shielding (cheapos). HD-RetroVision is often not available, and quite expensive ($82 to hook up a PSX before shipping). Of course, HD-RV cables get rid off all of the RGB bullshit and allow the use of cheap and highly available equipment.

It really is a shame that our options are so poor. I would roll my own if it weren't for my shaky hands and my history of burning them. I don't solder any more.

SyncBaby is really the ideal paradigm, but of course it is only for Nintendo MultiAV ports.

I'm giving serious thought to having a friend install DE-15 and 3.5mm ports on the enclosures of all of my consoles (with sync strippers where appropriate) so that I can do away with non-standard cables completely forever.
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FinalBaton
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by FinalBaton »

^^^^^^^^^^^
I think maxtherabbit does console-to-DE15 female adapters.

I just orderd a playstation DE-15 cable with syncstripper from RetroAccess and it cost me a bit above $80 CAD with shipping. That hurts :'(

I understand the cost in time and part and I'm not necessarily mad at the price for this quality cable. But I just wish there was more options.
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maxtherabbit
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by maxtherabbit »

FinalBaton wrote:^^^^^^^^^^^
I think maxtherabbit does console-to-DE15 female adapters.

I just orderd a playstation DE-15 cable with syncstripper from RetroAccess and it cost me a bit above $80 CAD with shipping. That hurts :'(

I understand the cost in time and part and I'm not necessarily mad at the price for this quality cable. But I just wish there was more options.
Printing a case for one as we speak. This is my first prototype of the Playstation version

Image
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FinalBaton
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by FinalBaton »

a playstation one! Very cool. Let us know how it goes
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SCARTicus
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by SCARTicus »

FinalBaton wrote:^^^^^^^^^^^
I think maxtherabbit does console-to-DE15 female adapters.
He made me a prototype pigtail for my Genesis 2 and it works great. I love it. I'm actually using it with a High-Definition Graphics model at the moment with a Genesis 1 to Genesis 2 cable courtesy of HD-RV. My SegaCD stopped reading discs :(
FinalBaton wrote: I just orderd a playstation DE-15 cable with syncstripper from RetroAccess and it cost me a bit above $80 CAD with shipping. That hurts :'(
I understand the cost in time and part and I'm not necessarily mad at the price for this quality cable. But I just wish there was more options
You're assuming that they choose to do a good job on your cable. That is not guaranteed. Max's option will definitely be superior as long as he uses sync-strippers where applicable. My current order for Retro-Access should have shipped by now, but it has not...
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by fernan1234 »

maxtherabbit wrote:Printing a case for one as we speak. This is my first prototype of the Playstation version
Doing God's work.
eightbitminiboss
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by eightbitminiboss »

I went nuclear and updated most of my SCART cables to replace my old ones from various vendors in the past (2011-14?) for the Retrotink 5x. I went with Insurrection Industries this time. I took delivery of 6 cables (3x Nintendo MultiAV Sync-on-Luma, 1x Sega Saturn Sync-on-Luma, 1x PS1 Sync-on-Luma, 1x Sega Genesis Model 2 CSync for use with my PC Engine). Video quality has been good overall and no obvious problems with audio.

They all look fairly professionally made with the console end connectors and wiring looks great in general. Only fault I came across was the Saturn cable failing the jiggle test, but their customer support is fairly smooth. It was just creating a ticket, explaining the issue, confirming my mailing address and I'll be getting a replacement soon.

Not bad in my opinion.

Edit: Also right now, I'm waiting on Retro-Access to figure out their supply issue so I can get a hold of their Dreamcast cable to replace the Toro. Apparently it's gained a reputation the last few years here. :shock:
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Tempest_2084
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by Tempest_2084 »

eightbitminiboss wrote:I went nuclear and updated most of my SCART cables to replace my old ones from various vendors in the past (2011-14?) for the Retrotink 5x. I went with Insurrection Industries this time. I took delivery of 6 cables (3x Nintendo MultiAV Sync-on-Luma, 1x Sega Saturn Sync-on-Luma, 1x PS1 Sync-on-Luma, 1x Sega Genesis Model 2 CSync for use with my PC Engine). Video quality has been good overall and no obvious problems with audio.

They all look fairly professionally made with the console end connectors and wiring looks great in general. Only fault I came across was the Saturn cable failing the jiggle test, but their customer support is fairly smooth. It was just creating a ticket, explaining the issue, confirming my mailing address and I'll be getting a replacement soon.

Not bad in my opinion.
Wow that's funny, I did the exact same thing and for the exact same reason except I got an SMS cable instead of the PS1 cable (I already had that). Glad to hear they're of decent quality.

I have a DC SCART cable, but I honestly don't recall where got it from. It works with my Shinybow so I imagine it must be RGB and not composite.
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maxtherabbit
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by maxtherabbit »

SCARTicus wrote:Max's option will definitely be superior as long as he uses sync-strippers where applicable.
The PS prototype uses a Renesas ISL59885 and strips sync from luma. It is switchable to output RGBHV or RGBS which I think is pretty cool. This same design can easily be adapted to a PAL Nintendo version and PAL Saturn version since they don't offer C-sync from the multi-out either. I've just got to make the actual wire pigtail and do a bit of testing but everything is fitting nicely so far.
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kitty666cats
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by kitty666cats »

Just wondering if people are aware of this -

https://xuner.m.en.alibaba.com/productg ... lgr.114.i1

^ randomly found this company on Alibaba a while back... if you peel around their stock, it seems abundantly obvious that they are the ones who actually make cables for Retro Gaming Cables UK. Does RGC UK mention that anywhere on their site? Obviously they (RGC) still do some installation on their end (providing housing / mini transcoder chips for those DIN to component cables in the above link... probably) but it still makes me curious...


EDIT: ah, looks like the VGA to SCART and mini-DIN to component cables are no longer on there. Still odd tho
Last edited by kitty666cats on Fri May 07, 2021 9:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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FinalBaton
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by FinalBaton »

[quote=''SCARTicus'']You're assuming that they choose to do a good job on your cable. That is not guaranteed. Max's option will definitely be superior as long as he uses sync-strippers where applicable. My current order for Retro-Access should have shipped by now, but it has not...[/quote]
I know they had issues up to say 3 years ago, but everything I've read recently said they had listenend to the EE of retrogaming and had upped their game. Until reading this thread I guess. Oh well, cae is ordered, we'll see I guess.
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maxtherabbit
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by maxtherabbit »

FinalBaton wrote:I know they had issues up to say 3 years ago, but everything I've read recently said they had listenend to the EE of retrogaming and had upped their game. Until reading this thread I guess. Oh well, cae is ordered, we'll see I guess.
From what I've heard their problems aren't really engineering related, they are execution related.
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by bobrocks95 »

maxtherabbit wrote:
SCARTicus wrote:Max's option will definitely be superior as long as he uses sync-strippers where applicable.
The PS prototype uses a Renesas ISL59885 and strips sync from luma. It is switchable to output RGBHV or RGBS which I think is pretty cool. This same design can easily be adapted to a PAL Nintendo version and PAL Saturn version since they don't offer C-sync from the multi-out either. I've just got to make the actual wire pigtail and do a bit of testing but everything is fitting nicely so far.
So do you have a store or a for sale page on a forum for these?

Also what VGA cables do you all use because I've had plenty of stinkers over the years. My current Dreamcast cable is the thickest I could find and it has interference all over the place.
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by maxtherabbit »

bobrocks95 wrote:
maxtherabbit wrote:
SCARTicus wrote:Max's option will definitely be superior as long as he uses sync-strippers where applicable.
The PS prototype uses a Renesas ISL59885 and strips sync from luma. It is switchable to output RGBHV or RGBS which I think is pretty cool. This same design can easily be adapted to a PAL Nintendo version and PAL Saturn version since they don't offer C-sync from the multi-out either. I've just got to make the actual wire pigtail and do a bit of testing but everything is fitting nicely so far.
So do you have a store or a for sale page on a forum for these?

Also what VGA cables do you all use because I've had plenty of stinkers over the years. My current Dreamcast cable is the thickest I could find and it has interference all over the place.
No I just got a 3d printer to make the cases a couple weeks ago. Heretofore I was just making one offs for people.

I use cables2go (aka legrand) VGA cables. I got a huge lot of them on ebay for dirt cheap. They are coax
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by Guspaz »

SCARTicus wrote:Sadly, they are still practically the only game in town for better-than-trash gaming console cables. Retro Gaming Cables is supposed to be great, but I remember when they used to use hot-glue damnit. Also, Americans get shafted on the exchange rate between GBP and USD. Insurrection only does SCART, and only for a scant few consoles, and they don't do full shielding (cheapos). HD-RetroVision is often not available, and quite expensive ($82 to hook up a PSX before shipping). Of course, HD-RV cables get rid off all of the RGB bullshit and allow the use of cheap and highly available equipment.
HDRV cables might occasionally go out of stock for a few months between production runs, but they tend to stay in stock for long periods of time. I've had the HDRV Genesis cables in stock for ~4 months, and I probably have 2-3 months of supply left before I need to restock.

Yeah, they're not cheap, but they're well made, properly shielded coax cables, which pretty much "just work" without having to worry about sync types or standards.
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SCARTicus
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by SCARTicus »

bobrocks95 wrote:Also what VGA cables do you all use because I've had plenty of stinkers over the years. My current Dreamcast cable is the thickest I could find and it has interference all over the place.
I use whatever I find. I'm always finding old VGA cables. It is rare that I find a bad one. The thin flex ones suck, and the Amazon brands are not worth taking chances on. If you just need one or two, buy old ones on eBay. A quick search right now shows VGA cables for sale from Belkin, RCA, Radioshack, and HP, all of which I would buy confidently. A good cable does not have to be thick, unless it is long.

Great cable brands are: Kramer, Atlona, Startech, Dell...

Old products or "new old stock" (NOS) are a safer bet than new cables if you cannot find a trusted brand to buy new at a decent price. Everything was manufactured to a higher standard. My best VGA cables were made in the 90s, except for this 50 foot Atlona that I bought new.

Never buy MonoPrice. Yes, it makes buying a whole setup of cables very affordable, but some things are too good to be true. They often wire their products incorrectly. What am I supposed to do with 80 25-foot XLR cables that are all wired differently?!

It is important that once you identify and replace a bad cable, that you then trash it if you do not plan to repair it. Lots of people will replace a known bad cable and put it with away with good cables, only to unwittingly deploy that bad cable later on, or count it as part of the good-cable inventory.

Guspaz, I checked and you are right that they are in stock at the moment. I am glad. I've never heard a complaint about HDRV and as such I do consider it to be the premium analog cabling option. No RGB/SCART/sync/noise bullcrap and the signal can be shuttled around so cheaply and easily. I love RCA connectors. They really are great as far as consumer stuff goes. The price makes sense, it is just out of my price range. Like a Porsche. I hope you sell a ton of them.

Bobrocks, which VGA box do you use on your DC?
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by Guspaz »

I've used hundreds of monoprice XLR cables (via a large convention I work for) and I've never had one miswired. However, I've had plenty of monoprice cables that weren't all that great quality. Their large-gauge HDMI cables have proven somewhat unreliable.
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by FinalBaton »

VGA cables are actually tricky. some of the thick ones are junk. so it's good to collect info on particular brands.

I've had good luck so far with the monoprice ''SVGA double-shielded'' ones (as well as their vga-to-bnc and bnc ones) that have some design molded on the connector (stripes plus a rectangle), but not their ultra-slim ones (those just get kinks in them). but this is not scientific testing, just eyeballing the result on PVM monitors. those are pretty cheap yet seem to do the job I need them to.

They also have some ''SVGA triple shielded CL2 rated'' ones that have the 5v pin included and an external 3.5mm audio jack, but I haven't tried those.
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maxtherabbit
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by maxtherabbit »

Search for "50212 cable" on ebay. That's the part number for a 6' VGA patch cable from Cables2Go
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by RottenToTheGore »

fernan1234 wrote: As for DB15 switches, I recommend any Extron "VGA Ars" switches...
edit2: unlike some BNC switches, these work with any kind and level of sync.
Any kind meaning TTL and such right? Couldn't use something like sync on composite or luma correct?
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by fernan1234 »

RottenToTheGore wrote:
fernan1234 wrote: As for DB15 switches, I recommend any Extron "VGA Ars" switches...
edit2: unlike some BNC switches, these work with any kind and level of sync.
Any kind meaning TTL and such right? Couldn't use something like sync on composite or luma correct?
No, they can accept any kind of sync on the input side. The output side seems to be elevated to TTL, as I confirmed recently, which is fine unless one of the outputs goes to SCART in which case attenuation on the SCART end would be needed (but the whole point is to avoid SCART).
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by Guspaz »

VGA uses TTL sync, so this is to be expected.
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by RottenToTheGore »

fernan1234 wrote:
RottenToTheGore wrote:
fernan1234 wrote: As for DB15 switches, I recommend any Extron "VGA Ars" switches...
edit2: unlike some BNC switches, these work with any kind and level of sync.
Any kind meaning TTL and such right? Couldn't use something like sync on composite or luma correct?
No, they can accept any kind of sync on the input side. The output side seems to be elevated to TTL, as I confirmed recently, which is fine unless one of the outputs goes to SCART in which case attenuation on the SCART end would be needed (but the whole point is to avoid SCART).
Understand about the output, I have a cable going from my switcher to the OSSC that's properly attenuated.

But the inputs... all the systems I use output some form of sync or another, but PS1 for example has a sync stripper so that I can use it with my crosspoint. So if I went ahead and made my own cables to use with a VGA switch like that, I could just add the required capacitors and resistors, and not need a sync stripper?
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by fernan1234 »

RottenToTheGore wrote:But the inputs... all the systems I use output some form of sync or another, but PS1 for example has a sync stripper so that I can use it with my crosspoint. So if I went ahead and made my own cables to use with a VGA switch like that, I could just add the required capacitors and resistors, and not need a sync stripper?
That's right. People often think that all Extron gear requires clean sync because of the more well-known Crosspoint boxes do, and maybe some of the RGB interfaces too, but these "VGA" switches are not like that. They will work with anything.
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by maxtherabbit »

fernan1234 wrote:
RottenToTheGore wrote:But the inputs... all the systems I use output some form of sync or another, but PS1 for example has a sync stripper so that I can use it with my crosspoint. So if I went ahead and made my own cables to use with a VGA switch like that, I could just add the required capacitors and resistors, and not need a sync stripper?
That's right. People often think that all Extron gear requires clean sync because of the more well-known Crosspoint boxes do, and maybe some of the RGB interfaces too, but these "VGA" switches are not like that. They will work with anything.
Idk about all that. My MVX 84 VGA A certainly will not accept anything but clean sync. I haven't tested my SW4 VGA A yet, but I will
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by fernan1234 »

maxtherabbit wrote:Idk about all that. My MVX 84 VGA A certainly will not accept anything but clean sync. I haven't tested my SW4 VGA A yet, but I will
Yeah I've been talking only about the Ars series, which is IMO the best Extron offering anyway. Probably the last VGA boxes they made.
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maxtherabbit
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by maxtherabbit »

fernan1234 wrote:
maxtherabbit wrote:Idk about all that. My MVX 84 VGA A certainly will not accept anything but clean sync. I haven't tested my SW4 VGA A yet, but I will
Yeah I've been talking only about the Ars series, which is IMO the best Extron offering anyway. Probably the last VGA boxes they made.
I have a SW4 VGA Ars. I have not tried piping luma or CVBS through the H sync pin, because I assumed it would not work, but I'll give it a try.

You've done this and it works?? I must admit a healthy dose of skepticism
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by matt »

I can confirm that Extron VGA/ARS switchers do not work if you try passing composite video through one of the sync pins. They are the same as the MVX or Crosspoint switchers in this regard. I have an SW6 and tried this out soon after I got it.

They work fine with 75 ohm level csync, but as with other Extrons the output is still TTL.
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by fernan1234 »

matt wrote:I can confirm that Extron VGA/ARS switchers do not work if you try passing composite video through one of the sync pins. They are the same as the MVX or Crosspoint switchers in this regard. I have an SW6 and tried this out soon after I got it.

They work fine with 75 ohm level csync, but as with other Extrons the output is still TTL.
Right, if you're trying to get an actual CVBS signal out of them it won't work for that, but composite video as sync will work for RGBS signals.
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maxtherabbit
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Re: SCART Cables: What to Buy?

Post by maxtherabbit »

fernan1234 wrote:
matt wrote:I can confirm that Extron VGA/ARS switchers do not work if you try passing composite video through one of the sync pins. They are the same as the MVX or Crosspoint switchers in this regard. I have an SW6 and tried this out soon after I got it.

They work fine with 75 ohm level csync, but as with other Extrons the output is still TTL.
Right, if you're trying to get an actual CVBS signal out of them it won't work for that, but composite video as sync will work for RGBS signals.
This is not the first time I have had someone make a similar claim. I was discussing with SCARTicus in PM where he claimed that using luma-as-sync was working through his MVX 84 VGA A.

I tested using luma as sync on my own MVX 84 VGA A and got this:
Image

I have to wonder if y'all are also getting these garbage waveforms but somehow your display or scaler is still managing to sync to it?? Maybe you just didn't notice the problem?

Do you have a scope?
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