austin532 wrote:Also what's this talk about the XRGB mini "N"?
http://www.micomsoft.co.jp/micomsoft_news.htm
Xan wrote:OK, Josh did hype it up a bit too much at times
You think?
Hype train at warp speed!
Xan wrote:The mini on the other hand is a dedicated unit that has a whole laundry list of annoying issues, and a few of its users here seem to agree with me. The "price" argument is also flawed as it's not like they put out a higher end unit alongside the mini.
All of Micomsoft's XRGBs have their idiosyncrasies... just how it is. Even their RGB encoders (XMD* & XAV2s) had issues with chroma jitter due to the simple external clock used for the sub carrier signal in lieu of the internally generated signal. Then again, most external RGB encoders used in arcade rigs and the like had the same issue.
I purchased the mini when it was released and have no regrets. Despite a handful of things I really don't like about it, it works extremely well overall. There really isn't a 240p to 1080p scaler for sharp picture on a 1080p panel aside from the XRGB-3/XPC-4. Plus, the Zoom mode Micomsoft added to the is a real treat for getting square pixels! Though the XPC-4 might have a similar zoom feature IIRC.
Xan wrote:The XPC-4 seems to be better in some respects (4:4:4 support and fast transition times anyway), but it's not meant as a replacement for the mini and I'm not aware of possible flaws that it might have on its own.
Its a full FPGA scaler like the XRGB-3 according to Fudoh. My main concern is the 1080p DVI-D output. It "might" have the same compatibility issues the XRGB-3 had in B0 mode. When I was using the XRGB-3 in B0 1080p I had to use an analog connection as DVI to HDMI didn't work. I'd think Micomsoft would have resolved the compatibility/timing issue considering that the XPC-4 was a post XRGB-3 product. Also, it sounds like you have to press an auto calibrate button each time you connect a new source. Also, having to work with a single DVI-A connection is kind of a pain. There's isn't a ready source of DVI-A to SCART cables. However, lopping off a DVI-A cable and fitting to a female SCART/RGB21 connector is something I could do pretty easily.
According to Fudoh the XPC-4 also just field doubles 480i, and doesn't have the CRT like mode that is available in the XRGB-3 B1 mode (output 480p similar to the same way a CRT displays a 480i signal). So it doesn't sound like 480i looks good at all on the XPC-4. Perhaps he can clarify. I'll likely order a XPC-4 N from Amazon.co.jp or Micomsoft directly later this year.