XRGB-2 VS XRGB-2+ (and super mode) on a pc crt monitor.

[bateman82]

I'd like to buy another linedoubler to put beside my DISPL but I can't find a complete comparison (like Fudoh's one) between XRGB-2 and XRGB-2 Plus to use with a pc crt monitor.

The only discussions I found:

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=51080
http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=55532

To sum up:

A better image quality (???) on the plus but a shaking image issue, so overall, better going with the 2, but I'd like to hear more feedbacks.

Next, I don't find any info on the XRGB-2+ supermode (except from the micomsoft site), does anyone have tried to use hide settings?

[Xyga]

The 2+ can be shaky with some sources yes... 3 looks almost exactly the same and is much more stable.

EDIT: I've missed the opportunity to try the 2+'s super mode, but I doubt it hides an AFC slider to eliminate the shaking.

2 looks the softest (softer than the DISPL) but it can handle more sources like arcade pcbs. Its only really annoying flaw is that it cuts some lines to fit the source resolution into an ideal 480 lines output, which sometimes cuts out the bottom portion of the picture where health bars, lives, bombs etc, stand.

Unless you need compatibility with arcade boards and considering you're going to use PC CRT, the 3 is almost certainly your best bet, unless you're ready to buy an OSSC+VGA adapter, or a second DISPL.

[bateman82]

Thanks a lot for your fast reply Xyga!

So the 2+ and the 3 (just as a linedoubler) are basically the same (minus the shaking issues of the 2+)?

I'm not a big fan of mess up with settings (that's why I don't like my Xpc-4) and the simplicity of DISPL for me is pure gold, so I'm not interested in buyng the XRGB-3.
At the same time, I don't like to add a converter to a chain, so no OSSC (just with a plasma/lcd)

I don't understand your advice of finding another DISPL, can you explain me?

[Xyga]

So the 2+ and the 3 (just as a linedoubler) are basically the same (minus the shaking issues of the 2+)?

Very, very close in terms of sharpness/clarity, the 3 looks the sharpest and clearest of the two by a low margin and is still awesome today, but on a lcd I sometimes see a very faint coarseness at the corners of the brightest pixels that tends to disturb the integrity of the masking/black lines. Though it can practically be eliminated by lowering the sharpness and tweaking the ADC level.
It is also much less visible if the lines density is set rather high (50% or even darker)
The 2+ doesn't show the same very faint imperfection, or not as much from my memories, but the shaking is really infuriating.

important clarification: I have never used any of those on a PC CRT myself, so what I'm giving you there are my impressions with different XRGBs and various flat panels over the years.
On a CRT it is well possible that some of the tiny detail-flaws I'm talking about are not visible.

I'm not a big fan of mess up with settings (that's why I don't like my Xpc-4) and the simplicity of DISPL for me is pure gold, so I'm not interested in buyng the XRGB-3.

Me too I love the extreme simplicity of the DISPL, that thing's magical (that's why I added the option to find a second one) but the 3 in linedoubling mode is almost as hassle-free, really.
In fact the 2 might be compatible with more sources, but with it you will end up going through the menus to adjust the DTC and AFC sliders way more often when switching sources. 3 doesn't need that thanks to its built-in auto DTC/AFC and low pass filter.

At the same time, I don't like to add converter to a chain, so no OSSC (just on a plasma/lcc)

There's a recent thread discussing the best >VGA converters for the OSSC, I think they've narrowed to one that's basically issues-free, you should check.

So;
The OSSC is the best no question, but the DISPL holds a special place for its signature look and straightforwardness since it is direct VGA-RGB.
The DISPL being extremely hard to find, I can only see the XRGB-3 as the logical alternative for you if you don't want to go for an OSSC+adapter.

[NJRoadfan]

The XRGB2+ tends to be well behaved directly connected to CRTs, which tend to mask flaws unstable video sources (think videotape time-base errors). I only had the jittering video problem when connecting it to LCDs and capture cards.

[bateman82]

Thanks for your feedback NJRoadfan, have you ever tried to enable supermode to correct the shakiness?

I'm not a big fan of mess up with settings (that's why I don't like my Xpc-4) and the simplicity of DISPL for me is pure gold, so I'm not interested in buyng the XRGB-3.

Me too I love the extreme simplicity of the DISPL, that thing's magical (that's why I added the option to find a second one) but the 3 in linedoubling mode is almost as hassle-free, really.
In fact the 2 might be compatible with more sources, but with it you will end up going through the menus to adjust the DTC and AFC sliders way more often when switching sources. 3 doesn't need that thanks to its built-in auto DTC/AFC and low pass filter.

So the Xrgb-3 (for my linedoubling use) is "easier" (and hassle free) than the plain XRGB-2?

I've just bought for 5000 yen from Yahoo Japan a Xselect D-4 to use it as a transcoder (component input: Wii, Ps2, Output to a Gdm Fw900 via VGA) and combined with a simple upscaler (like Xrgb-2) for 240p.

Maybe the best choice (one device instead of two) is the Xrgb-3, but I've read a really poor handling of component source instead of the pristine signal of the Xselect-d4, have you ever tested the two devices side by side?

[Xyga]

XRGB-3 + Xselect D-4 iirc is a fantastic combo according to Fudoh, the Xselect 'cleans up' the noisy component from the PS2 for instance, and is a reference quality transcoder.
Actually I have a D4 there that isn't mine and I haven't even put it to test with my stuff yet.

Yes I believe the Xrgb3 as a linedoubler requires less frequent intervention from the user than the 2.
One thing though: the 3 lets you adjust the sharpness to some extent, and the fake scanlines density at many levels of darkness/brightness. Once you know that it is difficult to refrain from frequently changing those couple settings or whatever others from the remote.

PS: I don't know what's in the 2+'s super mode, I was just saying that in the best miraculous case there might be an AFC setting or something to stabilize the picture.
But since NJRoadfan testified that the 2+ is more stable on a CRT it is not that important a 'feature' in your case then.