XRGB-mini Framemeister

[Konsolkongen]

How are they not right on the Saturn?

[Shozuki]

Well theres 4 darker lines across the screen similar to another issue that was posted with the Neo-Geo a few pages back.

It's incredibly annoying... I know I can switch it back to 1.05 - just cant seem to work out how...

[Shozuki]

Scanlines on the Neo Geo MVS is messed up in the new firmware. At two locations, two of the scanlines are kinda merged together to form one thicker (a super scanline if you will...) and it looks horrible. Much more noticeable in 480p output. Here is a shot of this bug:


Larger picture of the whole screen here:
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e236/ ... 0_0858.jpg

MegaDrive, Saturn and SNES all look fine of course.

PAL support (although a little buggy) is a very nice touch, but for now I'm going back to the old 1.05 firmware again.

Lol, its this exact issue mate, one you had!!

[ZellSF]

You downgrade the same way you upgrade...

[Shozuki]

but thats the point, last 2 times the update has happened automatically - i.e as soon as I put the SD card in. I'm struggling to find the option to allow me to change firmware...

if someone could tell me where that is please, I would be grateful.

[ZellSF]

but thats the point, last 2 times the update has happened automatically - i.e as soon as I put the SD card in. I'm struggling to find the option to allow me to change firmware...

if someone could tell me where that is please, I would be grateful.

Disconnect the power entirely. The firmware update won't trigger until you do that. Surprised that it would trigger by you just putting the SD card in in the first place.

[Shozuki]

ok, so:

Disconnect the power, put the SD Card in, Put the power back in? Cos im doing that but the damn thing still isnt updating!! GRR!!!

[ZellSF]

ok, so:

Disconnect the power, put the SD Card in, Put the power back in? Cos im doing that but the damn thing still isnt updating!! GRR!!!

I think you need to turn it on.

You should probably do a settings reset on the Framemeister first?

And download the files again and copy them over again (delete the existing files), make sure the folder structure is correct.

[Shozuki]

erm, im stoooooopid!!

Basically when you extract the 1.05 firmware its like this:

XRGBmini_v1_05
XRGBmini
EDID etc

Basically I left the XRGBmini_v1_05 folder on the SD root, rather then the XRGBmini folder...

all is well now - and for some odd reason the SNES also works with no problems in 1.05 too....! I just can't seem to change the language back to english now - but thats secondary really!

Thanks!! (feels stupid...)

[philexile]

Hello,

I'm having some issues rewiring the Japanese SCART to the European standard for my consoles. Could someone who has done this please post exactly which wires go to which pin numbers? I can get audio, but no video for some reason.

Thank you

[HDgaming42]

Get it. It's great. I have the 12/8 version. Making cheap Scart to BNC adapters is easy.

The audio inputs and outputs are unbalanced / balanced multi inputs. When unbalanced audio is used some pins are bridged.

It might be easy, but in Canada it sure isn't cheap. Do you have a good source for female SCART plugs to make such cables with? The only cables I've "made" are RG6 and CAT6.

I guess I'd need female Euro SCART, 3 male BNC ends and...what wire would I use? Not terribly on topic I suppose...

[pyrotek85]

Hi, I've just recently joined but I have been doing some research about scalers since last Fall. I wanted as few devices as necessary so I was previously considering the Edge, mainly because I got the impression that the XRGB-3 could be finicky and was best paired with another device rather than by itself. Fortunately I held off on my decision as the XRGB-mini seems like a better all-in-one solution, and it is only getting better with firmware updates. I've finished reading the entire thread but I was hoping I could get some clarification about some things before I place any orders.

I plan to use the XRGB-mini for Gamecube, Wii, PSOne, and PS2 games. Is performance better when you play a game on their native console, as in PS1 games on the PSOne (SCPH-101) rather than emulated on my PS2 Slim (SCPH-90001)? Same for Gamecube games on the Gamecube versus playing them on the Wii. I'm planning to use scart cables for everything, but I do have component as well for the handful of games I have that I believe feature 480p. I don't think I'll need a sync splitter with the newer firmware.

Also, it sounds like many of you are using HD plasma/LCD televisions. Would an HD LCD computer monitor via HDMI work in the same manner? I'm under the impression that televisions and monitors are pretty close nowadays, so I'm assuming mine will work as long as the XRGB-mini is sending it a signal it can handle.

Thanks

[Fudoh]

posted by RGB32E a few pages back: http://www.cablesandconnectors.com/ They have female scart connectors for $1.50.

For Scart adapter cables you need 4 wires + BNC plugs.

[Fudoh]

Is performance better when you play a game on their native console, as in PS1 games on the PSOne (SCPH-101) rather than emulated on my PS2 Slim (SCPH-90001)?

The PS2 does not emulate PS1 games, it's all hardware. I use a Slim myself. If you use RGB from both system, quality's the same. Component from a PS2 a tiny bit worse.

Same for Gamecube games on the Gamecube versus playing them on the Wii.

Original cube has better quality than the Wii.

I don't think I'll need a sync splitter with the newer firmware.

that's right.

[pyrotek85]

Is performance better when you play a game on their native console, as in PS1 games on the PSOne (SCPH-101) rather than emulated on my PS2 Slim (SCPH-90001)?

The PS2 does not emulate PS1 games, it's all hardware. I use a Slim myself. If you use RGB from both system, quality's the same. Component from a PS2 a tiny bit worse.

Thanks, I must have been confusing something I read, probably with the old vs new PS3s lol.

Same for Gamecube games on the Gamecube versus playing them on the Wii.

Original cube has better quality than the Wii.

I neglected to mention that these are all NTSC consoles. It looks like scart might still be possible for Gamecube but I'd have to make something, I only see scart cables made for NTSC Snes. Do you think it's worth attempting to make one for the Gamecube, or should I try playing them from the Wii and use it's component out? I don't think they looked bad on the Wii but I don't have as good an eye for it as you guys do. I never thought to try comparing them but I'll take your word for it if you think the difference is significant or not. I do have an older Gamecube with digital AV out (no Gamecube component cable though), if that factors in at all.

I don't know what I was thinking with scart on the Wii, pretty much everything seems to be 480p so I take it that component out for Wii games is what I should do.

[Fudoh]

I was comparing component on both the NTSC Gamecubes and the NTSC Wii systems. The Wii's component output is shabby. It's kinda ok on the Framemeister, but if you have both systems, I'd play Cube games on a genuine Gamecube instead.

[matrigs]

Same for Gamecube games on the Gamecube versus playing them on the Wii.

Original cube has better quality than the Wii.

the same for progressive output ?

[GregI]

I was comparing component on both the NTSC Gamecubes and the NTSC Wii systems. The Wii's component output is shabby. It's kinda ok on the Framemeister, but if you have both systems, I'd play Cube games on a genuine Gamecube instead.

Might be true for component but for composite the findings I got were reversed on my Aver. The GC was slightly blurred and Wii showed more detail, but I guess you could blame the card. Tell me what you think.

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/127494

[Fudoh]

never used composite on the newer Nintendo machines. But you're screenshots both look pretty good (for composite!).

the same for progressive output ?

especially for 480p, yes.

[ZellSF]

I've heard that a lot of times, are there any good comparison pictures anywhere? All I ever could find was pictures taken from different angles, at different distances. For image quality comparison.

[Fudoh]

Isn't it obvious that the Wii's 480p output is a mess ?? It's the worst analogue 480p picture any videogame system delivers.

[ZellSF]

Isn't it obvious that the Wii's 480p output is a mess ?? It's the worst analogue 480p picture any videogame system delivers.

Oh I wasn't doubting that the Wii's output is worse, I'm just wondering by how much.

[blizzz]

I've heard that a lot of times, are there any good comparison pictures anywhere? All I ever could find was pictures taken from different angles, at different distances. For image quality comparison.

I didn't even know that the output of the Wii was bad. Here you go: Zeruda no Densetsu - Kaze no Takuto. Guess which one is which system



Edit: Screenshots are now of the same frame.

[GregI]

Nevermind, working now.

The gamecube on the left definitely has more detail but really hard to see. Check out the thatched roof on the right side.

There is also slight colour changes between each image.

[matrigs]

well there is idd.

if the gc component cables just wouldn't cost as much as a used wii.

[pyrotek85]

I think the plan will be to see how Gamecube games look on the Wii through component, before getting the expensive Gamecube component cable or even trying to construct a scart from one of the guides. If it can look like those screenshots when scaled that will be fine for me. Those composite picture's from GregI don't look bad at all to me either, so that or S-Video might even be a backup option.

I have and I'm interested in getting more PS1/PS2 games than for GC/Wii, so I'm fine if it's not perfect. I'd just like to make a reasonable effort if I'm going to spend ~$500 on a video scaler.

I have another question too concerning audio. As I said in my first post, my plan is to use my monitor. It does have speakers but they sound like crap, so I have a separate solution for my PC's audio. Is it better to separate the audio from the HDMI output after it's gone through the scaler, or should I divert it before it reaches the scaler's inputs. Would the latter method ever cause the audio and video to be out of sync? What works for you guys?

[RGB32E]

I didn't even know that the output of the Wii was bad. Here you go: Zeruda no Densetsu - Kaze no Takuto. Guess which one is which system

Edit: Screenshots are now of the same frame.

What's the exact setup here? The left/top image definitely looks sharper than the right. I recall other comparisons being made between the cube and the Wii that illustrate "pre-scaling" like artifacts with some or all games. Perhaps that was in part due to the devices in the chain.

So for you comparison it's just JP cube and Wii with official component cables connected to what capture card?

[GregI]

So for you comparison it's just JP cube and Wii with official component cables connected to what capture card?

Not sure if blizzz has a JP Gamecube but the capture card was the Aver H727.

I remember reading somewhere that the Wii when fed a GC games was pretty much a gamecube (The Wii will underclock to Gamecube speeds) and stuff like USB is disabled.

Probably wrong but maybe the difference is in the actual build quality of the cables?

[blizzz]

What's the exact setup here?

Left: NTSC Gamecube with official component cable to H727
Right: PAL Wii with Snakebyte (I think) component cable to H727 (using GCN Loader homebrew)
Both consoles are first revision and output at 480p.

[philexile]

Hello,

Could anyone help out with this?

I'm having some issues rewiring the Japanese SCART to the European standard for my consoles. Could someone who has done this please post exactly which wires go to which pin numbers? I can get audio, but no video for some reason.

Thanks!

PS - Yes, the Wii is quite craptastic. However, I've noticed that YUV output to an SDTV (480i/240p) looks very good.