XRGB-mini Framemeister

[Mikeyy00]

Hi all,

Quick? question..

I have a PSX, 3DO and an MVS console all going in through S-Video.. they all kind of look like crap.. The reds are blown out, and it seems like the gamma is too high..

Any recommended settings for S-Video I can try? (the rest of my systems are RGB, and I'd do the same to these, but I can't justify $250USD for the SCART switch currently..my current 5 port BandRidge one is full).

Do FBX's profiles work on S-Video? I'm assuming not.

Thanks!

[Guspaz]

You should be able to stack switches without paying $250 for a second one. I thought he was sold out of the automatics, but tvdwerf is now back in stock with all three switch types (5-port Bandridge manual, 5-port Bandridge automatic, 3-port Bandridge automatic).

He sells the 3-way automatic for €22.45, the 5-way manual for €34.95, and the 5-way automatic for €42.45. They're all new-in-box (unopened), since he's getting them from crates.

No idea where he's getting all these crates of Bandridge switches (I thought they weren't made anymore), but for the moment, it's nice that they're available.

[Mikeyy00]

You should be able to stack switches without paying $250 for a second one. I thought he was sold out of the automatics, but tvdwerf is now back in stock with all three switch types (5-port Bandridge manual, 5-port Bandridge automatic, 3-port Bandridge automatic).

He sells the 3-way automatic for €22.45, the 5-way manual for €34.95, and the 5-way automatic for €42.45. They're all new-in-box (unopened), since he's getting them from crates.

No idea where he's getting all these crates of Bandridge switches (I thought they weren't made anymore), but for the moment, it's nice that they're available.

Holy hell.. no way. I paid almost $150 for an automatic 5 way :/. I'll have to grab another 5 way then.

[Blair]

Hi all,

Quick? question..

I have a PSX, 3DO and an MVS console all going in through S-Video.. they all kind of look like crap.. The reds are blown out, and it seems like the gamma is too high..

Any recommended settings for S-Video I can try? (the rest of my systems are RGB, and I'd do the same to these, but I can't justify $250USD for the SCART switch currently..my current 5 port BandRidge one is full).

Do FBX's profiles work on S-Video? I'm assuming not.

Thanks!

you can find pretty decent scart switches for $20, I'm using the silver (three port) max view and it's fantastic for my needs, but you will need some type of scart to JP 21 din cable to connect the RGB switch to your framemeister (be careful as scart and Jp 21 are not directly compatible, because of the pin-out differences, you want to make sure you have the properly wired cable or you could damage your equipment)

(I was just testing out PlayStation S-video on my HD+, looks pretty awesome with the exception of very deep reds being a little bloomy. but I can adjust the red balance and Y/C settings to make it practically perfect, looks about as good as RGB from a direct source after calibrations).

[Shuco13]

you can find pretty decent scart switches for $20, I'm using the silver (three port) max view and it's fantastic for my needs,

Is that maxview device active or passive (with/without power supply)? Would you recommend it in terms of picture-accuracy?

[raziel2662]

Hey everyone,

Having a strange problem here, everything works well on ps2 (component) although there's a bit of screen flickering going on. Real problem is no matter which ps1 game i put in the ps2, it ends up showing a blue 4:3 screen with the XRGB status screen saying: 720x240p PCM 1920x1080p VLock

If i use the component passthrough on my sc-512n1-l/dvi, connected to my tv's component channel, the game runs fine. I would love to just do that and have the xrgb run everything else, but the sc-512n1-l/dvi doesn't work properly for recording ps1 games on OBS using the ps2 component output either. I thought getting the XRGB would help with that since i'd be able to route everything through hdmi to the sc-512n1-l/dvi, but it looks like 2 very expensive micomsoft products later and i'm back to square 1.

Anyone with the same issue?

[Blair]

you can find pretty decent scart switches for $20, I'm using the silver (three port) max view and it's fantastic for my needs,

Is that maxview device active or passive (with/without power supply)? Would you recommend it in terms of picture-accuracy?

it's a passive adapter, so no power supply. handles RGB very well, with no added noise or distortion to the picture. overall a very good product. (they also make a two port switcher that also works very well).

[Fudoh]

Having a strange problem here, everything works well on ps2 (component) although there's a bit of screen flickering going on. Real problem is no matter which ps1 game i put in the ps2, it ends up showing a blue 4:3 screen with the XRGB status screen saying: 720x240p PCM 1920x1080p VLock

I never had a problem with a PS2 running PS1 games. Do you have a standard NTSC machine ? First try to unlock the v-sync. That might be perfect for playing, but it should at least definitely give you a picture.

[Larrs888]

Hello all,

I have been a long time lurker of this thread and have had an XRGB Mini for around 18 months, I absolutely love this machine and it has made retro gaming all the more enjoyable and convenient with modern displays. I recently picked up a Toro VGA box for my Dreamcast so I can run VGA over SCART to the XRGB Mini. I prefer to use 720p so I get nice scaliness with the games I play, mainly 2D fighters but I find they also look good on 3D stuff.

The issue I have is that in 720p I my image is overscanned (using the Normal2 setting in order to get the correct 720X480 aspect ratio), If I try to compensate with the Zoom setting the scanlines get messed up, equally if I use 1080p mode the picture fits the screen properly with nothing missing but the scanlines look awful. Is there a way to get the image to fit my screen properly with the correct Dreamcast aspect ratio and have nice scanlines? I have a 2008 Sony Bravia (is that retro now?) and the image is set to normal, -1 or -2 make it worse and zoom in further. I can't use pixel as I'm using 720p.

Many thanks everyone.

L

[bonzo.bits]

I need to play around with previous firmware version in order to resolve Saturn jailbars.

Can someone tell me where I can dl the old firmware?

[Blair]

I thought you could fix Saturn jail bars with current firmware by adjusting the PLL and other settings of the digitizer. what type of sync is your Saturn using? (C-sync or Sync on luma?)

I was having some pretty bad jail bar issues on all three of my Saturn's when directly connecting it to the TV (Sync on luma), but changing to a better quality power cord and connecting the system to a plug strip with good power filtering actually helped minimize the bars by quite a bit. and then I finally just plug it into my DVDO processor directly and that completely eliminated the bars

[bonzo.bits]

Another user, Das Muel, posted about his experience with trying to fix jailbars on his Saturn. http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=56355

I'm working on the assumption that my problem is caused by Firmware, as the jailbar issue did seem to worsen between 2.00 and 2.03. Could be that I'd also started messing with gamma and brightness around that time though......

I use the good cable from the renowned Ebay seller in the US, retro console accessories or something. Pretty sure it does C-SYNC.

What's weird is that, as with Das Muel's posts, jailbars are only apparent in certain games and his thought was that it may be caused by certain resolutions.

EDIT: found the old firmwares link on Micomsoft site: http://micomsoft.co.jp/xrgb-mini_download_old.htm

[Cirdan]

Hey Everyone,

so fired up my xrgb mini after i bougth a switchless modded mega drive.
After playing some games i was running into a strange behavior in Thunder Force 4.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvaPfNjfioQ
It's at the end of the video - none of my adjustments seem to work.
Anyone here with similar issues ? Should i get new cables ?

Kind regards

Ruben

[austin532]

Hello all,

I have been a long time lurker of this thread and have had an XRGB Mini for around 18 months, I absolutely love this machine and it has made retro gaming all the more enjoyable and convenient with modern displays. I recently picked up a Toro VGA box for my Dreamcast so I can run VGA over SCART to the XRGB Mini. I prefer to use 720p so I get nice scaliness with the games I play, mainly 2D fighters but I find they also look good on 3D stuff.

The issue I have is that in 720p I my image is overscanned (using the Normal2 setting in order to get the correct 720X480 aspect ratio), If I try to compensate with the Zoom setting the scanlines get messed up, equally if I use 1080p mode the picture fits the screen properly with nothing missing but the scanlines look awful. Is there a way to get the image to fit my screen properly with the correct Dreamcast aspect ratio and have nice scanlines? I have a 2008 Sony Bravia (is that retro now?) and the image is set to normal, -1 or -2 make it worse and zoom in further. I can't use pixel as I'm using 720p.

Many thanks everyone.

L

I notice at least 3 things wrong here.

A. Scanlines look bad in 1080p mode unless you are using a profile
B. Scanlines look bad with 480p games which I assume is what you are outputting from the Toro
C. The image should be set to Full Pixel mode for best results

Use the 2x Dreamcast profile in 1080p mode then decide whether you want to output 480i or 480p from the Toro. 480i with give you decent scanlines while 480p with give you a slightly better picture with crappy scanlines. Some Dreamcast games even output 240p which is the best way to go.

The default scanlines look ok but if you want something better with a lot more choices, I have a whole list of them that I posted here. http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... start=9600

[Shuco13]

Does anybody of you know a good supplier for single MINI DIN 8 PIN connectors to use with the Framemeister?

[Blair]

What's weird is that, as with Das Muel's posts, jailbars are only apparent in certain games and his thought was that it may be caused by certain resolutions.

for me it happened with both 240p and 480i, just seems to be that video processors (even HD televisions) are a little picky with signals from the Sega Saturn (you might've already mentioned it, is yours a model one or two?)

Das Muel and marqs seem to figure out why it was happening in this thread
http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... d#p1195433

I'm really happy with the way my current video processor handles the Saturn, no jail bars and virtually no input lag.

I use the good cable from the renowned Ebay seller in the US, retro console accessories or something. Pretty sure it does C-SYNC.

she sells both a C-Sync version and a Sync_on_luma version. the main difference is that Sync_on_luma is more compatible with more models of the Sega Saturn, as C-Sync can cause some video output issues with various Saturn board revisions (video usually appears washed out with kind of a reddish line going horizontally over the screen)

[Larrs888]

Hello all,

I have been a long time lurker of this thread and have had an XRGB Mini for around 18 months, I absolutely love this machine and it has made retro gaming all the more enjoyable and convenient with modern displays. I recently picked up a Toro VGA box for my Dreamcast so I can run VGA over SCART to the XRGB Mini. I prefer to use 720p so I get nice scaliness with the games I play, mainly 2D fighters but I find they also look good on 3D stuff.

The issue I have is that in 720p I my image is overscanned (using the Normal2 setting in order to get the correct 720X480 aspect ratio), If I try to compensate with the Zoom setting the scanlines get messed up, equally if I use 1080p mode the picture fits the screen properly with nothing missing but the scanlines look awful. Is there a way to get the image to fit my screen properly with the correct Dreamcast aspect ratio and have nice scanlines? I have a 2008 Sony Bravia (is that retro now?) and the image is set to normal, -1 or -2 make it worse and zoom in further. I can't use pixel as I'm using 720p.

Many thanks everyone.

L

I notice at least 3 things wrong here.

A. Scanlines look bad in 1080p mode unless you are using a profile
B. Scanlines look bad with 480p games which I assume is what you are outputting from the Toro
C. The image should be set to Full Pixel mode for best results

Use the 2x Dreamcast profile in 1080p mode then decide whether you want to output 480i or 480p from the Toro. 480i with give you decent scanlines while 480p with give you a slightly better picture with crappy scanlines. Some Dreamcast games even output 240p which is the best way to go.

The default scanlines look ok but if you want something better with a lot more choices, I have a whole list of them that I posted here. http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... start=9600

Thanks for the reply, I have messed around with scanline settings at 1080p (Dreamcast 480p output) and can't quite get the look right compared with 720p. Is there a way to have the image displayed correctly at 720p on the Framemeister using a Dreamcast 480p output, perhaps some clever use of the visual set and zoom menu to preserve scanlines and the picture ratio is is my TV just rubbish at scaling 720p content?

Dreamcast Toro to XRGB Mini VGA 31KHz 480p output. XRGB Set to 720p and screen set to Normal 2 to display for proper DC aspect ratio. The top and bottom of the screen are missing. If I use Zoom set I lose the aspect ratio and scanlines look terrible.



Scanlines at 720p:


XRGB Mini set to 1080p, correct screen area now displayed even when using Normal 2. TV can use Full Pixel at 1080p which is probably why. Notice the extra space above the timer and below the power meter. I'm using firmware 2.00a.



Scanlines at 1080p:


Thanks very much guys

[RGB32E]

Does anybody of you know a good supplier for single MINI DIN 8 PIN connectors to use with the Framemeister?

Here's what I've been using for the past several years.

A. Scanlines look bad in 1080p mode unless you are using a profile

Yes, unless you load a profile from an SD card, scanlines will look bad! Pay no mind to those other settings... (j/k around here)

[Shuco13]

@RGB32E
Thanks, were did you get it from?

@Larrs888
Your're sure you didn't swap the 1080p and 720p scanline screenshots? It's weird that those lines look so much thicker at 1080p.

[Larrs888]

@RGB32E
Thanks, were did you get it from?

@Larrs888
Your're sure you didn't swap the 1080p and 720p scanline screenshots? It's weird that those lines look so much thicker at 1080p.

Nope the screen shots are correct. I'm quite happy with 720p and scanlines, I play all my consoles this way and they look great full screen. I guess my question should be can the XRGB Mini scale the picture to remove the overscan, keep the aspect ratio for the Dreamcast ( the unusual 720X480 res) and retain nice even scanlines. Do any kind folks have a good profile they use for their Dreamcasts please?

Thanks.

[FBX]

@RGB32E
Thanks, were did you get it from?

@Larrs888
Your're sure you didn't swap the 1080p and 720p scanline screenshots? It's weird that those lines look so much thicker at 1080p.

Nope the screen shots are correct. I'm quite happy with 720p and scanlines, I play all my consoles this way and they look great full screen. I guess my question should be can the XRGB Mini scale the picture to remove the overscan, keep the aspect ratio for the Dreamcast ( the unusual 720X480 res) and retain nice even scanlines. Do any kind folks have a good profile they use for their Dreamcasts please?

Thanks.

I made a profile for 1080p using the Toro and vertical integer scaling if you want to try it out. Scanlines will be perfectly even, although remember that 480p means twice the scanlines than you'd normally see for say a 240p game. I can also make a 720p profile if you don't like the 1080p one I made.

[bonzo.bits]

@Blair

Thanks mate.

I have a Model 2 JPN console. I don't have the issue caused by the sync type, not as it is described anyway. I do have the vertical bars though, which, given that is mentioned in the OSSC thread, might not be relevant to the FM..? There is mention of a fix coming but again, it's hard to tell if scaler-specific or not. Guess I should just go post that question

[Larrs888]

@RGB32E
Thanks, were did you get it from?

@Larrs888
Your're sure you didn't swap the 1080p and 720p scanline screenshots? It's weird that those lines look so much thicker at 1080p.

Nope the screen shots are correct. I'm quite happy with 720p and scanlines, I play all my consoles this way and they look great full screen. I guess my question should be can the XRGB Mini scale the picture to remove the overscan, keep the aspect ratio for the Dreamcast ( the unusual 720X480 res) and retain nice even scanlines. Do any kind folks have a good profile they use for their Dreamcasts please?

Thanks.

I made a profile for 1080p using the Toro and vertical integer scaling if you want to try it out. Scanlines will be perfectly even, although remember that 480p means twice the scanlines than you'd normally see for say a 240p game. I can also make a 720p profile if you don't like the 1080p one I made.

Hi FBX,

Many thanks for this its much appreciated. I presume these are for Firmware v2.03a. I'm currently on 2.00a, is it actually worth the upgrade as I'm pretty happy with all my other 720p profiles for other consoles at this version. Is there any chance I could take you up on your offer of a 720p profile please if it is not too much trouble?

Thanks.

[peterwright1234]

Where should I get an adapter for my euro scart cables? I used to buy cables from retro_console_accessories but just found out they aren't on ebay anymore. Thanks guys.
btw is there a beginners guide of some kind for the framemeister? I know nothing about it and I just bought one.

[FBX]

Hi FBX,

Many thanks for this its much appreciated. I presume these are for Firmware v2.03a. I'm currently on 2.00a, is it actually worth the upgrade as I'm pretty happy with all my other 720p profiles for other consoles at this version. Is there any chance I could take you up on your offer of a 720p profile please if it is not too much trouble?

Thanks.

It should work for your older revision, but you should get into the habit of updating the firmware. You can do it from the menu under "CPU_Update" where you turn that on and then just power off the Framemeister and it will start the update process from your microSD card.

But anyway, I'll dig out the Toro and see what I can work up for you tomorrow.

[copy]

Where should I get an adapter for my euro scart cables? I used to buy cables from retro_console_accessories but just found out they aren't on ebay anymore. Thanks guys.

They're still around: http://www.ebay.com/usr/retro_console_accessories

They put small quantities of their cables up for sale each morning. Just check back early in the day.

[austin532]

Where should I get an adapter for my euro scart cables? I used to buy cables from retro_console_accessories but just found out they aren't on ebay anymore. Thanks guys.
btw is there a beginners guide of some kind for the framemeister? I know nothing about it and I just bought one.

She often closes her store whenever so needs time to catch up or runs out of supplies. Keep checking back.

You should always do your research on something before you buy it. There are plenty of people out there that want your money and sell crappy products. By far the best beginners guide out there would be to watch the video's from a youtube channel called My Life in Gaming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43dzrCA ... jU65T8eFVM

[peterwright1234]

Where should I get an adapter for my euro scart cables? I used to buy cables from retro_console_accessories but just found out they aren't on ebay anymore. Thanks guys.
btw is there a beginners guide of some kind for the framemeister? I know nothing about it and I just bought one.

She often closes her store whenever so needs time to catch up or runs out of supplies. Keep checking back.

You should always do your research on something before you buy it. There are plenty of people out there that want your money and sell crappy products. By far the best beginners guide out there would be to watch the video's from a youtube channel called My Life in Gaming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43dzrCA ... jU65T8eFVM

Thanks for the tip about retro console accessories. What I should have said is "I don't know anything about USING the framemeister". I've already heard about what it can do and seen some images and video demonstrations. I just am completely unknowledgeable about getting it set up with a firmware and using these "profiles" I Keep hearing about. Those videos were agonizing. I made it through the first one and a half but it seemed like it was aimed towards school children so I turned it off. It didn't seem like they were actually gonna give any instruction. Are there any written guides with specific instructions on how to set up the frame meister?

[Larrs888]

Hi FBX,

Many thanks for this its much appreciated. I presume these are for Firmware v2.03a. I'm currently on 2.00a, is it actually worth the upgrade as I'm pretty happy with all my other 720p profiles for other consoles at this version. Is there any chance I could take you up on your offer of a 720p profile please if it is not too much trouble?

Thanks.

It should work for your older revision, but you should get into the habit of updating the firmware. You can do it from the menu under "CPU_Update" where you turn that on and then just power off the Framemeister and it will start the update process from your microSD card.

But anyway, I'll dig out the Toro and see what I can work up for you tomorrow.

Thanks FBX, you are a real legend. Again I genuinely appreciate all the help on here, a great bunch of people! Hopefully you can cook something up to keep the correct screen size and aspect ratio for the DC with nice scanlines at 720p being fed the VGA 720X480p signal from the Toro.

I'm glad I got the Toro because previously I was plugging the DC directly into my TVs VGA input which seemed ok but the aspect ratio was slightly too narrow due to the quirky VGA signal from the Dreamcast, also there are very limited options to reposition the image on the TV via this input. Basically the Dreamcast hooked up to the Framemeister via a Toro using 480p looks way better I recommend all DC owners to get one or another sync combiner device.

[masqdgamer]

Where should I get an adapter for my euro scart cables? I used to buy cables from retro_console_accessories but just found out they aren't on ebay anymore. Thanks guys.
btw is there a beginners guide of some kind for the framemeister? I know nothing about it and I just bought one.

She often closes her store whenever so needs time to catch up or runs out of supplies. Keep checking back.

You should always do your research on something before you buy it. There are plenty of people out there that want your money and sell crappy products. By far the best beginners guide out there would be to watch the video's from a youtube channel called My Life in Gaming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43dzrCA ... jU65T8eFVM

Thanks for the tip about retro console accessories. What I should have said is "I don't know anything about USING the framemeister". I've already heard about what it can do and seen some images and video demonstrations. I just am completely unknowledgeable about getting it set up with a firmware and using these "profiles" I Keep hearing about. Those videos were agonizing. I made it through the first one and a half but it seemed like it was aimed towards school children so I turned it off. It didn't seem like they were actually gonna give any instruction. Are there any written guides with specific instructions on how to set up the frame meister?

Just plug it in and start using it.
The best way to come to grips with the FM is to just start messing around with it and see what it can do.

You should also keep in mind that profiles are just other users preferred settings.