XRGB-3

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playboycougar
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Post by playboycougar »

Hi all. I'm having a strange issue with my XRGB-3. My colors are very out of whack. They looks rainbow colored or psychadelic. I'm not sure what to do. This is an issue on both component and DVI inputs. I tried alternative monitors and VGA cables. I did a reset (hold MENU + OK, hit power, unit resets)

I'm at firmware CPU version 2.01

Any suggestions?
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hermosaguy
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Post by hermosaguy »

playboycougar wrote:Hi all. I'm having a strange issue with my XRGB-3. My colors are very out of whack. They looks rainbow colored or psychadelic. I'm not sure what to do. This is an issue on both component and DVI inputs. I tried alternative monitors and VGA cables. I did a reset (hold MENU + OK, hit power, unit resets)

I'm at firmware CPU version 2.01

Any suggestions?
Try emailing to see if your monitor is compatible. If not, let me know.
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playboycougar
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Post by playboycougar »

FYI guys, I'm creating a site dedicated to the XRGB-3. It has some info on it now but will grow the more I know. Thanks

http://pages.csam.montclair.edu/~rozewskic/xrgb-3/
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Fudoh
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Post by Fudoh »

From a fellow XRGB-3 owner with no luck registering over here:
I recently bought an XRGB-3, which I updated using the latest full firmware 2.01 including XRGB-3 CPU Version2.01 + CMD Version2.01 + XRGB-3 FPGA(B2) Version2.01.
Then I selected B2 which match the FPGA ver 07_01_31 to enable scanlines mode, but I couldn't find the option to do this anywhere on the menus. Could you please explain me precisly how to get access to it?

Then to use the WINinP viewer, I guess I have to plug my pc DVI video card cable into the XRGB-3, then output the XRGB-3 in passtrhough mode while powered on to my monitor. However altough I installed WINinP software well, when I try this setup, my monitor can't detect any signal, and I can't understand why?
and
So I switched to B1, however scanline was still nowhere to be found. The option you pointed to me was the same than other Banks, i.e Drawing method which just allow to undersize or not the picture to fit tv screens which crop the borders unlike pc screens.
(taken from a thread on the AVScience Board)

I'm sure one of your guys with a XRGB-3 in usage can help out here !
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Strider77
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Post by Strider77 »

wanted to ask since some time has passed, with all the firmware updates can the XRGB3 function just the same as an XRGB2+?

can it output 480p with no lag and have a fake scanline option that is adjustable like the 2+. plus do this via the 21 pin RGB port?

would you say the picture it better than the XRGB2+ being used this way?
Damn Tim, you know there are quite a few Americans out there who still lives in tents due to this shitty economy, and you're dropping loads on a single game which only last 20 min. Do you think it's fair? How much did you spend this time?
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Fudoh
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Post by Fudoh »

No, it can't.

It's lag-free in 480p mode, but you can't get fake scanlines as of now and the image isn't any better than with the 2+, especially in terms of image stabilty.

It's still a very nice scaler for digital 20-27" LCDs when you set the XRGB-3 to 1600x1200. The image is very close to what the VP30 can produce in terms of clarity and even a bit sharper while it's a third of the VP30's price.
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Shin
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Post by Shin »

hi there !
just wanted to say new firmwares are available from micomsoft's d/l:
http://www.micomsoft.co.jp/xrgb-3.htm

okay, I'm not sure what the 1st new one is for... (it's a release, not a beta)
-digital RGB overclock support fixed (apparently there was stability issues...maybe that's a fix attempt for this)
-a bug with a frozen input led fixed...

-line double and digital transcoder (BANK1) (?)

the 2nd one seems to be the same as above but adds support for full screen games with psp slim and tv-out (in conjuction with the D-term cable or YUV with provided YUV to D-Term support) when connected on D-term port 2 and underscan is on (?)
has some of you may know, psp slim with tv-out doesn't support fullscreen, so that's why this option will be apreciated ^^

so do you basically lose the advantage of the 2.01beta fw if you install this ? o_O
darthjones
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Conversion from a 16:9 to a 16:10 aspect ratio.

Post by darthjones »

Some have alluded to this in previous posts but nobody has flat out asked and/or confirmed it so I figured that I might as well ask so that I know for sure before I put down $300+ for the XRGB-3 -

I want to use my Xbox 360 (through component, VGA, and/or HDMI/DVI) on my monitor using the highest resolution it can output (1920x1080). Unfortunately, my monitor has a native resolution of 1920x1200. It also does not have 1:1 pixel mapping so the resulting image is stretched vertically (and I'm sure there's lag as a result). My question is: will the XRGB-3 take in a video source with a 16:9 aspect ratio and output an image with a 16:10 aspect ratio with black bars on the top and bottom so that the original 16:9 image is shown unscaled?
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Post by Geezer »

If I set the XRGB-3 to 1680X1050 and feed it a 4:3 source will it be stretched to 16:10? Or is there an option for it to preserve the 4:3 aspect ratio and fill the extra space with blank pixels?

Geezer
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Fudoh
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Post by Fudoh »

The XRGB-3 can do both. You can switch between 4:3 and 16:10 whenever you like.
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Post by darthjones »

Fudoh wrote:The XRGB-3 can do both. You can switch between 4:3 and 16:10 whenever you like.
Is that an answer to both of our questions or just Geezer's?
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Post by Fudoh »

Sorry, this was an answer to Geezer's question. I can't comment on yours, since I have never tried the XRGB-3 with HD material.
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Post by Geezer »

Thanks for the reply Fudoh :)
I take it there will be some lag when scaling to 1680X1050?
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Post by darthjones »

I think a better question is - What is the maximum the XRGB-3 can output without lagging? And, while you're at it, how about the XRGB-2+?
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Post by Fudoh »

480p but without proper deinterlacing - just the same as the 2+. Every other mode lags. In 480p mode the fields are no deinterlaced but simply upscaled (field scaling).
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Shin
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Post by Shin »

hey there was a fw update last month ^^
http://micomsoft.co.jp/xrgb3_update_setup_v2_05.exe

fixes a shaking problem ocuring in 1080i mode
fixes gamma issue
LowPassFilter has been addes to the special menu (useful to decrase horisontal noise issues when using PS2/GC etc)

on 525p LFP can change the display quality somewhat.
LFP with 1125i and 750p with Dterminal is possible but not recommanded as display quality can decrese a lot.

here's the chart to the LFP conpatibility filter :

Video Mode LPF working (when reset)
VIDEO IN 1 ON
VIDEO IN 2 ON
S IN 1 ON
S IN 2 ON
  525i 525p 1125i 750p
D IN 1 OFF
D IN 2 ON ON OFF OFF
D IN 3 OFF
GAME IN (21pin) ON OFF OFF OFF

when using RGB mode, if the display isn't showing up properly use the "PC horizontal dot match" option (it's in the menu somewhere, Idon't remember where)

I didn't understand the rest of the upgrade infos ^^''

it's basically a noise flitering update for SD signal subject to noise distortion like when using composite ou svideo etc (shouldn't be an issue if you're using RGB or YUV already)
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Post by zakk »

I just got one of these for a bit of experimenting.

Does anyone still have the OSD translation PDF?

Failing that, how do you get this thing into the line doubling/transcoder mode? I''ve updated the firmware to latest, but all I'm doing meandering through the menus is getting intimately familiar with the reset procedure.


Edit:

Ok, I found the translation PDF; still could use some pointers as to line doubling

Edit again:

Hint for those that come after me: Apply the firmware updates IN ORDER. If you jump directly to 2.05, it doesn't update FPGA 2,3 etc and hence you do not have B1,B2 etc.

Really annoying and tedious update process!
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Icarus
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Post by Icarus »

How good is the DVI output on this thing? Any particular visible artifacts?
How well does it handle PCBs (particularly Cave SH3)?
Looking to get one and, with a bit of trickery, send the output to a Blackmagic Intensity Pro for recording (since the recent purchase of a 24in monitor that does 1920x1200 rendered my current capture setup obsolete). I'm not fussy about fake scanlines etc, I just want something that I can plug stuff into without too much fuss.
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Post by Fudoh »

You won't be able to record the video from the XRGB-3 with an Intensity, since the Intensity won't record 480p and the XRGB-3 won't output 720p or 1080i.

Since using the DVI out on B1 mode introduces some lag anyway, why not look out for some real scalers ? You might be able to get a iScan HD for around the same price and it will let you output what you need to record it on your Intensity.
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Post by zakk »

Icarus wrote:How good is the DVI output on this thing? Any particular visible artifacts?
How well does it handle PCBs (particularly Cave SH3)?
Looking to get one and, with a bit of trickery, send the output to a Blackmagic Intensity Pro for recording (since the recent purchase of a 24in monitor that does 1920x1200 rendered my current capture setup obsolete). I'm not fussy about fake scanlines etc, I just want something that I can plug stuff into without too much fuss.
It's ok with PCBs; you'll probably get some bits of the screen cut off no matter what, though.

Overall it does an ok job of handling odd PCB stuff, it'll even take Seibu 54hz in B0 mode, although there's some screen cutoff.

Fudoh: I cannot find an iScan HD that comes anywhere near the $300 you can get an XRGB3 for... Does the iScan deal with bizzaro vertical refresh rates at all?
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Post by Icarus »

Fudoh wrote:You won't be able to record the video from the XRGB-3 with an Intensity, since the Intensity won't record 480p
Yeah, I kind of found that out trying to plug in a PSP Slim via Component. :p
Fudoh wrote:and the XRGB-3 won't output 720p or 1080i.
But I didn't know that. That sucks. -_-;;
Fudoh wrote:Since using the DVI out on B1 mode introduces some lag anyway, why not look out for some real scalers ? You might be able to get a iScan HD for around the same price and it will let you output what you need to record it on your Intensity.
You mean one of these? I see one for about £250 before shipping, interesting (especially since they're being touted at nearly 3x that on some sites).
How does it compare to the X-RGB3 (and the other stuff like the VP20 that you and others discussed at this forum)? Good quality? I'm guessing it can take PC signals too? And like zakk asked, is it any good with PCBs?

Sorry for all the questions. For the amount of money these things go for, I need to be certain. ^_-
Last edited by Icarus on Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Fudoh
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Post by Fudoh »

You mean one of these?
exactly, not neccessarily a HD+, since a HD (without the +) would fit your needs already.
I see one for about £250 before shipping, interesting (especially since they're being touted at nearly 3x that on some sites).
since you're in europe, check out ebay.ch. There's a cheap one right now and nobody seems to be interested.
How does it compare to the X-RGB3 (and the other stuff like the VP20 that you and others discussed at this forum)?
much more features than a XRGB-3. the VP20/30 is the same as the HD+ except for some more HDMI inputs and the possibility to upgrade the deinterlacing card.
Good quality? And like zakk asked, is it any good with PCBs?
don't forget that these were 1500 EUR units upon their release, they're really nice. They handle PCBs quite good, but I have never tested a 54Hz Seibu board on them. You have the possibility to lock the output framerate to the input (e.g. 59Hz in, 59Hz out) or you can perform a frequency conversion (e.g. 50Hz in, 60Hz out). It probably all depends what your display can handle. And in case of the Intensity I guess the accepted frequency rage is rather thin, in other words you'll appreciate the conversion to straight 59,94Hz.
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Icarus
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Post by Icarus »

Fudoh wrote:exactly, not neccessarily a HD+, since a HD (without the +) would fit your needs already.
Ahh, good. I take it there's not much difference between the plus and the non-plus versions, then (besides the ability to take HDCP and process more signal types, rather than just pass them through). Good to know.
Fudoh wrote:
I see one for about £250 before shipping, interesting (especially since they're being touted at nearly 3x that on some sites).
since you're in europe, check out ebay.ch. There's a cheap one right now and nobody seems to be interested.
Hmm, I see it. Thanks for the heads up.
Fudoh wrote:don't forget that these were 1500 EUR units upon their release, they're really nice. They handle PCBs quite good, but I have never tested a 54Hz Seibu board on them. You have the possibility to lock the output framerate to the input (e.g. 59Hz in, 59Hz out) or you can perform a frequency conversion (e.g. 50Hz in, 60Hz out). It probably all depends what your display can handle. And in case of the Intensity I guess the accepted frequency rage is rather thin, in other words you'll appreciate the conversion to straight 59,94Hz.
Yeah, that's why I asked. These things are quite pricey and I don't want to blow a crapload of money only to find it doesn't work properly. Thanks for the info. ^_-

I don't mind frequency conversion with the more unconventional signals like Seibu SPI (can probably sort that out in Virtualdub after capture to match soundrate), my only concern is plugging stuff into it and seeing a picture on my monitor (as well as recording stuff to PC). If this thing is as good as you (and a number of reviews) say, then it's probably worth a shot.

Thanks again.
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Post by zakk »

Haha, I just started looking at the AnchorBay site.

Good news: I can get a $300 credit for my iScan Pro!
Bad news: Only on VP50 models!

Really all I'm looking for is a less flaky vidcap solution; even NTSC/PAL capture cards/devices tend to hate PCBs in random ways (odd field shifting, image bobbing etc), so I'd be happy with something that just output 480p with the vert refresh not locked to the input.

Basically an XRGB3 with component 720p output would be perfect.

On a random related question: did the original XRGB2 pass-thru vertical timing or was the output always locked to 60hz?
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Post by zakk »

Well I just bought a VP30, so we'll see how this works out!
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Icarus
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Post by Icarus »

zakk wrote:Well I just bought a VP30, so we'll see how this works out!
How much did you get it for?
Look at one as well, only because it outputs straight to HDMI (so no faffing with extra conversion of signals). The only thing I'd need after that is a splitter to send to both capture card and monitor simultaneously.
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Post by Fudoh »

A reasonable pricing for a VP30 without the ABT102 upgrade would be 350-400 EUR as of late july.
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Post by zakk »

Icarus wrote:
zakk wrote:Well I just bought a VP30, so we'll see how this works out!
How much did you get it for?
Look at one as well, only because it outputs straight to HDMI (so no faffing with extra conversion of signals). The only thing I'd need after that is a splitter to send to both capture card and monitor simultaneously.
$494 shipped.
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Post by Icarus »

That's not bad at all. Let me know how it works out, as it looks pretty sweet.
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zakk
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Post by zakk »

Ok, my VP30 showed up today.

Summary: finally, something that works.

Here's a short video of me throwing various PCBs at it. I didn't bother messing with overscan/shifting/etc settings yet; this is just default settings.

http://bigcore.rsdio.com/zakk/stuff/vp30.mp4

If you'll all excuse me I have a bunch of video equipment to go ebay...

Oh: this was set to 480p component output, frame rate set to unlocked@60fps.
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