HDMI mods being made for NES, N64, GC, DC..... why not PS2?

[cr4zymanz0r]

So it's great that HDMI mods are being made for various consoles, though I don't have a need for most of them since I like being able to output my retro consoles to CRT or HDTV (via XRGB3) at the push of a button. NESRGB makes NES pretty much crystal clear on either display. N64 HDMI does have the option to eliminate some of the filtering to make the image more crisp, but that appears to be getting added to RGB mods as well. Gamecube component output is already really good in my opinion, so I'm set on that front since I've had the component cable for a while. On DC I've modified a VGA box to let me output either VGA or RGB at the flip of a switch, and both look fantastic. I can still appreciate the HDMI projects though, and they're probably great for people that no longer have or want a CRT.

However, one HDMI mod I really wish would get made would be one for PS2. PS2 component output is already not the best. RGB output from it is suppose to be better, but you have to jump through hoops get 480p output on that since it switches to sync-on-green when doing 480p in RGB output mode. To further complicate things, none of my CRTs accept 480p input (except a 14" PVM, but that's not practical for my main setup due to the small size). This leaves me with the only practical way to display 480p content is on a HDTV, and the noise in the component signal is even more apparent on that display. Not to mention, getting 480p sync-on-green RGB to a US HDTV is no small task.

I think it'd be great if someone with the know-how could do like these other projects and grab the digital signals from the PS2, encode them to HDMI, then make a nice board we can buy and install . Then if I want to play on the HDTV I could use crystal clear HDMI along with using homebrew like GSM to force 480p on additional games, or use the stock RGB output to a CRT if I'm in the mood for that or playing a 240p game. I figure someone will suggest just getting a backwards compatible PS3, but I like using the original system to not run into compability issues. It's also far easier to run homebrew on a PS2 so I can do things like load all my games from a HDD (or SD card with additional adpaters) so I don't have to get out the discs or worry about failing disc drives (another passion of mine, finding solid state solutions for proprietary optical drives).

What does everyone else think? Does anybody else crave a HDMI mod for PS2, or am I just an oddball?
(PS, don't dare suggest those HDMI dongles that plug into the AV port and encode the noisy component video to HDMI )

[tacoguy64]

My guess is that the demand isn't as high for an HDMI PS2 because of the PS3 backward compatibility.
Also you might be an oddball :p

[Fudoh]

because the majority of PS2 games is running in 480i and implementing a PROPER deinterlacing engine on an affordable FGPA board is not possible. If you want HDMI from a PS2 just get a video processor.

This leaves me with the only practical way to display 480p content is on a HDTV, and the noise in the component signal is even more apparent on that display

just get a better component to HDMI transcoder. I got ZERO visible noise when running my PS2 on a big LCD.

[ZellSF]

NES mods for high video quality are pretty expensive, selling a HDMI mod is a bit easier when the alternatives are pretty expensive too.

N64 HDMI mod offered features (scaling, linedouble, deblur, scanlines) that justified its cost. In addition to the fact that the N64 offered svideo as the best video quality so you might want to spend some money mod the system anyway.

Gamecube HDMI mods are an alternative to 200$+ component cables.

None of that is relevant for the PS2. Getting optimal image quality from the PS2 is cheap. I can't think of any features that would really sell such a device. In addition to do much to the PS2's signal you probably need a high quality deinterlacer too and Fudoh is probably correct when he says that's not feasible.

[leonk]

no one working on hdmi for snes or genesis?

[Guspaz]

IIRC the SNES was tricky, and would involve re-implementing more of the SNES on the FPGA than something like the HDN does.

There was also some interest in trying to do something through the expansion port for a mod-free solution, but that would basically require implementing almost all of the SNES on the FPGA (everything but the CPU), leaving the SNES as little more than a cartridge slot and controller adapter.

There are a few groups either working on or planning to work on an FPGA clone SNES, though.

[cr4zymanz0r]

because the majority of PS2 games is running in 480i and implementing a PROPER deinterlacing engine on an affordable FGPA board is not possible. If you want HDMI from a PS2 just get a video processor.

I'd be fine with just a 'simple' digital video signal to HDMI board. I'm ok with my HDTV's deinterlacing, and I'd try to force as many games as I could to 480p as well.

just get a better component to HDMI transcoder. I got ZERO visible noise when running my PS2 on a big LCD.

Are you using one of the dongles that plugs into the AV port that transcodes to HDMI? I'd read reviews for the Wii version and basically the consensus seemed to be "not great component quality transcoded to HDMI = not great HDMI quality". Let me know what you're using though. You tend to have a history of knowing what you're talking about when it comes to video . Also, how would you say your PS2 HDMI transcoding setup's quality compares to (what you would expect from) native HDMI?

[Fudoh]

it's a matter of getting one with the right low pass filter. Unfiltered component from the PS2 will show some noise, but most if not all transcoders I've used filter this out rather well.

What you read abou the Wii dongles refers to the actual quality of the signal, not neccessarily to noise. The Wii's 480p output is just fuzzy and it will remain fuzzy if transcoded to HDMI.

Also, how would you say your PS2 HDMI transcoding setup's quality compares to (what you would expect from) native HDMI?

subjectively identical. The PS2's component signal is GREAT (aside from a little noise) and the resulting HDMI image is great as well. DC, PS2 and 360 have great 480p quality. XBox is behind that. Cube after that and Wii's the worst.