Non-powered active HDMI to VGA adapters for OSSC

[Gunstar]

Some of you might be wanting to use your OSSC with a pc-CRT and so might be looking to get a DAC that will give you VGA. I'm not a fan of adding more wires if I don't have to so I've tried a few adapters that don't require additional usb power and thought I'd share my impressions of them. If you have any good suggestions then please share them!

Tendak female HDMI to male VGA/DSUB


-£13/$16.80/€15.40 (approximate prices)
-Audio out
-Would require a Female to Female gender changer to get it to connect to your pc-CRT
-No power required
-Allows Blu-ray playback (ps3 tested @720p)

This is the one I recommend as it doesn't crush black detail and should be easy to get on amazon. Comes with a warranty which is nice as these adapters can be fragile in my experience. Build quality is okay, the case is plastic and it feels fairly light, I think you'd need to be careful of dropping it.


No crush on the grey ramp test:


Unbranded female HDMI to female VGA (Branded version shown)


-£5/$6.50/€5.92
-Audio out
-No power required

I've had several of these, one worked just as good Tendak with no black crush but died on me during testing, I might have had the monitor and OSSC powered so its destruction could be entirely my fault...Another would slightly crush black detail so they seem inconsistent. I originally bought these from eBay but they're almost half price on AliExpress, I have the cheapest model on the way to me for those who might be interested in the cheapest option and will update this thread when I test it. Can't recommend since you don't know if you'll get a good one.

MECO female HDMI to male VGA


-£9.60/$12.40/€11.37
-Audio out
-Gender changer Female to Female required
-No power required

Wouldn't send a signal through to the pc-CRT so can't comment on the picture, like the others, it doesn't use power nor does it have an option to be powered. The plastic case wasn't properly aligned so I might have had a broken version. If anyone has tested these then please let me know if you got it to work.

Unbranded DVI to VGA


-£3.36/$4.34/€3.98
-No power required

Crushes blacks. Avoid these type of adapters.


HD Fury 3


-£220/$284/€260
-Audio out
-Horizontal manual shift
-Dual female HDMI inputs
-Can aslo Transcode to YPbPr
-USB power required

You were supposed to be the one! Ahem, well it doesn't crush black and it's got some cool features like shifting the picture left and right and being able to expand the RGB range (I couldn't get this to work) but from what I'm seeing it has some ringing and maybe it's doing some scaling? This is a reticule comparison on Halo:


It probably isn't clear in these shots but the reticule has these additional pixels around it that are of a darker value, through the HD fury 3 they're not visible not to mention it looks a little softer. I've tested against a component transcoder and it looks like exactly like the image I get from the Tendak/UnbradedHDMI to VGA. I made sure to play with the OSSC's 480p DVI/HDMI options too but it still wouldn't look correct. I wonder if the HD Fury 2 and the Nano are better in this regards?

Black detail comparison (Artificially brightened since photoshop gif output seems to mess with the image):


Startech HD2VGAE2


-£23.20/$24.47/CDN$ 38.98/€33.69
-No power required

Recommended by Das Muel: "Very stable. No apparent black or white crush. Works fine with x5 (although personally I use x4 with my PC CRT)."
Seems there's a compact version of this too.

UPDATE: I tried two of these and they didn't work for me, might have been unlucky.

UPDATE2:

I also bought one of those startech adapters.

Didnt work at all, all i got was a black screen.

-2 for the Startech.

Not recommended.

Unbranded male HDMI to female VGA


-£1.85/$2.39/€2.19
-No audio out
-No power required

Cheapest on the internet? Thought it might worth seeing how this works for those looking for the cheapest. I will update this when I get it.
UPDATE: Didn't work for me, pc-CRT won't power on.

[Xer Xian]

Thanks for this I do use my OSSC with a PC CRT monitor through a powered transcoder so this is indeed helpful (I dislike having to power on lots of contraptions as well).

I'll say that the results you got from the HDFury 3 are quite surprising - I was expecting it to be the reference for the job. It also transcodes to Component YPbPr (and has dual inputs) so I was planning to buy one soon. In fact, I bid on one a couple of weeks ago and ended up making the 2nd best offer, I should probably be happy to have dodged a bullet. Just saying, did you try to take more than a single picture for each device (and select only the best one)? I've done a comparison a few days ago in a similar way (camera shots of the monitor) and realized that the result can sometimes vary quite a bit (due to shaking/different light conditions, etc).

[Gunstar]

I was expecting the same and yeah, the price is crazy on the HD Fury 3! I've played around with the dip switches and couldn't get it to improve the image from what anomalies I'm seeing. I think I still need to test it a bit more but I did everything I could think of like trying various dip settings, such as limiting the screen to 1080i etc. I first heard of these being used with the WiiU and its limited RGB so wanted it for that feature but it didn't seem to change the picture on my Xbox tests.

I use a tripod and the same camera settings, the image still moves a bit and the colours don't always match though. My main concern was to show black crush and the ringing, although those reticule shots aren't the greatest you can sort of see some artifacts to the right of HD Fury shot.

Would like to hear if the people with HD Fury 2 or HD Nano see these subtle issues. Maybe mine is a duff?

[ShadowofBob]

Thanks for the breakdown. Went ahead and got one of the Tendak to test with my monitor and compare the generic equivalent DVI to VGA adapter I have now.

[Gunstar]

Thanks for the breakdown. Went ahead and got one of the Tendak to test with my monitor and compare the generic equivalent DVI to VGA adapter I have now.

Just a heads up but on my monitor, it uses a wired male D-sub input cable so I had to use a female to female VGA/D-Sub gender changer to connect the Tendak, hopefully, you have one or don't need it.

[orange808]

Interesting.

Does the Tendak pass on EDID information?
Does the Tendak function with an HDMI powered switch or splitter on the same run? If not, does it have an option for an external power supply?

[Gunstar]

Interesting.

Does the Tendak pass on EDID information?
Does the Tendak function with an HDMI powered switch or splitter on the same run? If not, does it have an option for an external power supply?

I've only got a non-powered switcher here and unfortunately, it doesn't work with that. Let me know a good test for checking EDID, I don't know too much about it but it's meant to pass on info to a display so it can sort of auto setup?

The Tendak adapter doesn't offer the option for external power same goes for the others apart from the HD Fury 3 where it's a requirement.

[Guspaz]

How is the Tendak's compatibility with retro consoles where the timing is a bit funky (such as NES/SNES, or even something like GBI-ULL or GBI-LL)? How about compatibility with 3/4/5x?

[Xyga]

How is the Tendak's compatibility with retro consoles where the timing is a bit funky (such as NES/SNES, or even something like GBI-ULL or GBI-LL)? How about compatibility with 3/4/5x?

+1

[Gunstar]

How is the Tendak's compatibility with retro consoles where the timing is a bit funky (such as NES/SNES, or even something like GBI-ULL or GBI-LL)? How about compatibility with 3/4/5x?

Tested with a pal N64 RGB Scart> OSSC> DVI to HDMI> HDMI to Tendak> pc-CRT. 4x works perfectly. 5x shows a green light but no picture, I tried playing with the sampling options but I don't really know what I'm doing, sometimes the pc-CRT makes a sound like it's about to sync but doesn't. I know the Tendak can handle the 1080p bandwidth since I can use an Xbox One with it on the same monitor. I also tried the powered HD Fury 3 and 5x wouldn't work so my assumption is it's an OSSC thing. (Monitor should handle 1920x1440)

I have two pal SNES's (unmodded so low tier 50hz) that I've tested before, I get the documented issue with the OSSC of sporadic desyncs but I think that test was on an LCD, I'll try again on the pc-CRT through the Tendak. No NES unfortunately.

I don't think the DAC would be altering the timing, handling weird timing should still be dependent on the display, right?

[BuckoA51]

Mind if I duplicate this on our forum and/or the wiki?

[Gunstar]

Mind if I duplicate this on our forum and/or the wiki?

Go for it!

[kel]

Tested with a pal N64 RGB Scart> OSSC> DVI to HDMI> HDMI to Tendak> pc-CRT. 4x works perfectly. 5x shows a green light but no picture, I tried playing with the sampling options but I don't really know what I'm doing, sometimes the pc-CRT makes a sound like it's about to sync but doesn't. I know the Tendak can handle the 1080p bandwidth since I can use an Xbox One with it on the same monitor. I also tried the powered HD Fury 3 and 5x wouldn't work so my assumption is it's an OSSC thing. (Monitor should handle 1920x1440)

I can get 5x with a HDFury 2 on PC CRT but it is quite blurry and looses sync often. Messing with the advanced timing options didn't really help but then I didn't spend much time trying. In fact both 4x and 5x show as letter boxed, maybe could also be fixed with advanced timing options. I will have to give it another try when I have more time spare.

[Das Muel]

I'm using this at the moment:

https://www.startech.com/uk/m/AV/Conver ... 0~HD2VGAE2

Very stable. No apparent black or white crush. Works fine with x5 (although personally I use x4 with my PC CRT).

[BazookaBen]

Would like to hear if the people with HD Fury 2 or HD Nano see these subtle issues. Maybe mine is a duff?

I experienced a bit of ringing on my Nano GX in conjunction with my PC. I didn't notice on PS3 or Vita TV, for whatever reason. Also never noticed ringing on the original HD Fury.

Either way, the ringing wasn't noticeable 99% of the time, so I was never motivated to contact HD Fury about it. But you definitely should hop on their forums and talk to them about it, maybe they can replace it if it is not running correctly.

So if anything, I'm thinking for this community, the less complex HD Fury versions are the way to go. HD Fury 1, 2, and Nano GX.

EDIT: Here's a guy who experiemented with the HD Fury 3 a lot and noticed some issues too. Maybe the HD Fury 3 messes with the image too much? Maybe the have a firmware update by now to deal with low resolutions.

http://dme.ghost2.net/forum/viewtopic.p ... 11dae6dd0d

[headlesshobbs]

My PC monitor is pretty much out, so I'm not going to be able to do any testing unless I'm willing to do a complete re-route on my setup. (ossc hdmi-vga -> vga to hdmi). I've got a few of those analog to digital converters on hand, so I'll see what I can do.

Device I'm using is Belkin HDMI to VGA, if anyone wants to test that out. Thanks for making this thread btw. It's not just the ossc, but current gen systems considering that they can have a native 1:1 output and I want to know about the games that can be used perfectly with a scanline generator.

I just want to state for the record that whoever said 1080p isn't possible on a crt is wrong. I've tested this years ago and got as far as 3k-4k, but it really depends on the monitor being used. You can run current gen systems on your monitors.

[BuckoA51]

Thread has now been wikified - http://junkerhq.net/xrgb/index.php?titl ... s_for_OSSC

[Hoagtech]

This thread rules. I was a victim of Gofanko black crush and just ordered your reccomendation.

I'm stoked thanks

[Gunstar]

@kel That's good to know about the HD Fury 2, might be the same case as with the Nano where 720p and less is ideal

@Das Muel Thanks for that suggestion I will add that to the list when I get time!

@BazookaBen Wow man, great link! Seems like he was experiencing the same situation, he recommends the Nano at 720p and below. I did notice that 480p x2 was a lot better but still had ringing and softness which this guy is calling "energy conservative resampling" Thread ends Jan 2016 with no word if they released a firmware update, might try to contact them. Thanks for that link!

@headlesshobbs Interesting, that Belkin HDMI to VGA looks similar to the Startech adapter that Das Muel uses, maybe a rebrand? Do you see any issues likes black crush?

@Hoagtech Hope it lasts, reading reviews on all these devices and they seem to be prone to failing after a few months, even the more expensive options!

@Guspaz I just spent some time playing Castlevania 4 at line x4 on a pal 1-Chip SNES at 50hz, no desyncs. Interestingly enough I did find an issue with my non-1-chip, it would desync on the Konami splash screen and when you pick up the amulet that makes the screen flash white. At first, I thought it was the SCART I was using since I've got one with the resistors removed but that SCART works fine on my 1-chip, no desyncs in those places must be SNES hardware difference? Also for anybody experiencing diagonal jail bars, my official pal Gamecube SCART seems to not exhibit that issue but my 3rd-Party SCART does, might be worth checking out another cable?


SNES line x4 mode with Tendak

[Hoagtech]

Was there any noticeable input lag on the tendak?

That would be a deal breaker. I wonder what input setup would be necessary to test that

[BuckoA51]

The Furies have been tested as lag free with Leo's tester, the cheaper ones I can't imagine would add lag since that would mean they'd need a framebuffer.

[FinalBaton]

Thanks for the review Gunstar! Will be getting me a Tendak one. Was looking for a converter for the NEC XM37, this will be perfect! it even has the perfect form factor, with a male dsub that will plug in the NEC and a female hdmi port that will receive an HDMI cable. And no external power, which really reduces the clutter in my setup

[BazookaBen]

I personally prefer HD Fury, since they have a small staff you can talk to directly on their forums. The rarely take more than a couple days to answer questions. That is super rare with products like these. I doubt you get anywhere near that level of support from "Tendak".

[bobrocks95]

I personally prefer HD Fury, since they have a small staff you can talk to directly on their forums. The rarely take more than a couple days to answer questions. That is super rare with products like these. I doubt you get anywhere near that level of support from "Tendak".

When the Tendak is $250 cheaper and seems like it actually performs a little bit better though...

[BazookaBen]

The Nano GX ($90) has been great in my experience using it with PS3 and Vita TV, as was the original model HD Fury. But I think they're mostly trying to diversify and not have all their eggs in the DAC game, especially if legal troubles keep them from releasing the HD Fury 5.

But you can still ask them anything about any of their DAC's and they will answer you in short order.

[Guspaz]

Any decent places to buy these in Canada? Example, for the Tendak one, all in:

Amazon (CA): $81.02 CAD
Amazon (USA): $39.50 CAD
eBay: $53.75 CAD

Those are all way higher than the "going rate" listed for the thing

[FinalBaton]

Any decent places to buy these in Canada? Example, for the Tendak one, all in:

Amazon (CA): $81.02 CAD
Amazon (USA): $39.50 CAD
eBay: $53.75 CAD

Those are all way higher than the "going rate" listed for the thing

I see a "prime" logo next to the item on amazon.com . Does that mean that prime members get free shipping on it?

[orange808]

I've got one of these Tendak units coming. We'll see how it performs.

[Xyga]

I see a "prime" logo next to the item on amazon.com . Does that mean that prime members get free shipping on it?

Prime is a subscription trap-offer, if you don't cancel beyond your first 'trial' use(s) you actually agree to pay for it (explanation and cancellation procedure are somewhat camouflaged behind several links). It is only beneficial to those who do frequent small amount orders and want to see their packages arrive maybe a couple of days earlier.

[Gunstar]

@Hoagtech I didn't notice any lag but I didn't really spend too much time with the manual 240p lag test suite, I'll test it out when I can.

I've got one of these Tendak units coming. We'll see how it performs.

Cool, would be interested to see your results!

Any decent places to buy these in Canada? Example, for the Tendak one, all in:

Amazon (CA): $81.02 CAD
Amazon (USA): $39.50 CAD
eBay: $53.75 CAD

Those are all way higher than the "going rate" listed for the thing

Damn, is it that expensive because of shipping?

I've ordered the Startech to test which can be had for CDN$ 20.31 (3rd party seller) on amazon.ca, I should get it tomorrow if you can wait for me to check it out.