Questions that do not deserve a thread

[Guspaz]

Why would you want to trim roms? The EZFlash IV supports 32GB cards, which is more than big enough to hold the entire GBA library. Easier to just dump the whole library on there and use the real-time patching, which is not slower after the first launch.

[Ikaruga11]

What does trimming ROMs do? How do you do it?

Also, does the PS2 have video quality difference across revisions like the SNES and N64? What's the best revision of PS2 to get? Do the Slims last longer and make less noise?

[ZellSF]

Why would you want to trim roms? The EZFlash IV supports 32GB cards, which is more than big enough to hold the entire GBA library. Easier to just dump the whole library on there and use the real-time patching, which is not slower after the first launch.

Smaller rom sizes = faster loading speeds.

What does trimming ROMs do? How do you do it?

Removes padding data. GBA roms like most roms are the size of the flash media they are on which are preset sizes (4MB, 8MB, 16MB, 32MB). If a game uses 6MB of data it will still have to use a 8MB cartridge, even if 2MB of it isn't used. Rom trimmers remove those 2MB. A Google search for GBA rom trimmer should find you any software you need.

[Ikaruga11]

Why would you want to trim roms? The EZFlash IV supports 32GB cards, which is more than big enough to hold the entire GBA library. Easier to just dump the whole library on there and use the real-time patching, which is not slower after the first launch.

Smaller rom sizes = faster loading speeds.

What does trimming ROMs do? How do you do it?

Removes padding data. GBA roms like most roms are the size of the flash media they are on which are preset sizes (4MB, 8MB, 16MB, 32MB). If a game uses 6MB of data it will still have to use a 8MB cartridge, even if 2MB of it isn't used. Rom trimmers remove those 2MB. A Google search for GBA rom trimmer should find you any software you need.

Ah, I see. Thank you very much.

[Einzelherz]

I tend to only play one game at a time so I just load it into NOR and there's no load time. The only annoying bit is that it writes to the save file on reboot but I think even some of the everdrives are that way.

[Ikaruga11]

What's the difference between a FV120 and FV300 Sony Trinitron?

Neither have the high voltage regulator like the FV310, so I was wondering what differences were in the model numbers before that were.

[Chomolonzo]

Having an unusual problem with my N64. I have it hooked up to an Extron Crosspoint, and from there into a Sony BVM-A20F1M. It's a PAL console, RGB modded. A buddy gave me an NTSC copy of Mario 64 and one of those Universal Game Adapter V4 converters, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. As far as I can tell the game boots and everything, there's sound and colours, but the image is completely scrambled like there's no sync. Any idea why?

[Ikaruga11]

HD Retrovision is restocking their SNES and Genesis YPbPr cables tonight. How does the RGB->YPbPr compare to pure RGB?

[Einzelherz]

Having an unusual problem with my N64. I have it hooked up to an Extron Crosspoint, and from there into a Sony BVM-A20F1M. It's a PAL console, RGB modded. A buddy gave me an NTSC copy of Mario 64 and one of those Universal Game Adapter V4 converters, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. As far as I can tell the game boots and everything, there's sound and colours, but the image is completely scrambled like there's no sync. Any idea why?

Iirc the BVM-As are very picky about their sync being c-sync. Does the PAL N64 output that naturally? (I may be misremembering about the BVM-As.)

[Guspaz]

HD Retrovision is restocking their SNES and Genesis YPbPr cables tonight. How does the RGB->YPbPr compare to pure RGB?

I think it depends on how well your display/device handles YPbPr input. If you compare the OSSC (which supports full resolution/sample rate YPbPr) straight SCART vs HDR YPbPr, barring any differences in calibration, you're not going to have any difference in quality, and the new batch of HDR cables are probably going to do a better job cleaning up sync peculiarities than a regular SCART cable will.

One of the big advantage of the HDR cables is the amount of work that went into them, Ste spent a rather large amount of time staring at oscilloscope plots and measuring different sets of hardware to figure out the best way to get in-spec video signals out of them. One example of where this can have some benefit is a console with iffy sync like the PAL GameCube's RGB output: it has a funny sync signal that causes problems with some displays (the edges of the sync pulses are softer than they should be). Their gen 2 cables specifically have some tweaks that they're hoping will improve sync compatibility with displays with the PAL gamecube. I'll be doing some comparisons between their gen 1 and gen 2 cables on the PAL cube soon, as my projector was one device that had some problems with the raw output of the PAL cube via RGB or the gen 1 cables.

[Ikaruga11]

HD Retrovision is restocking their SNES and Genesis YPbPr cables tonight. How does the RGB->YPbPr compare to pure RGB?

I think it depends on how well your display/device handles YPbPr input. If you compare the OSSC (which supports full resolution/sample rate YPbPr) straight SCART vs HDR YPbPr, barring any differences in calibration, you're not going to have any difference in quality, and the new batch of HDR cables are probably going to do a better job cleaning up sync peculiarities than a regular SCART cable will.

One of the big advantage of the HDR cables is the amount of work that went into them, Ste spent a rather large amount of time staring at oscilloscope plots and measuring different sets of hardware to figure out the best way to get in-spec video signals out of them. One example of where this can have some benefit is a console with iffy sync like the PAL GameCube's RGB output: it has a funny sync signal that causes problems with some displays (the edges of the sync pulses are softer than they should be). Their gen 2 cables specifically have some tweaks that they're hoping will improve sync compatibility with displays with the PAL gamecube. I'll be doing some comparisons between their gen 1 and gen 2 cables on the PAL cube soon, as my projector was one device that had some problems with the raw output of the PAL cube via RGB or the gen 1 cables.

Sounds like they're worth getting. Brightness switch and lossless conversion.

[Chomolonzo]

Having an unusual problem with my N64. I have it hooked up to an Extron Crosspoint, and from there into a Sony BVM-A20F1M. It's a PAL console, RGB modded. A buddy gave me an NTSC copy of Mario 64 and one of those Universal Game Adapter V4 converters, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. As far as I can tell the game boots and everything, there's sound and colours, but the image is completely scrambled like there's no sync. Any idea why?

Iirc the BVM-As are very picky about their sync being c-sync. Does the PAL N64 output that naturally? (I may be misremembering about the BVM-As.)

It plays PAL games on the BVM just fine. Tim's N64RGB mod outputs CSYNC naturally from the console, and it's hooked up using CSYNC cables.

[werk91]

Has anyone had much experience with SDI cards for PVMs? How easy /cheap /plausible to correctly convert YpBpR from PS2 or VGA 480p from Dreamcast to SDI? I doubt I'll ever find another RGB/COMP input card for the JVC PVM but SDI ones keep popping up. There's some very cheap ones right now but I wanted to check if anyone has tried what I'm thinking of or even just used SDI. Could go VGA->HDMI->SDI but it's getting messy and not so cheap anymore

[Xer Xian]

I'm in the same predicament as you (actually worse, since I only have the Composite/S-Video input card with a more modest TM-H150cg), but I've read that 480p over SDI is not supported at all. If I remember correctly not even 240p is.

There are people that managed to mod these monitors for RGB, apparently it's relatively straightforward, you may want to look in the TV RGB mod thread (I may or may not have bought an 'Electronic for Dummies' book to learn how to do such mods ).

[werk91]

Xer Xian, looking at your model you can use the IF-C01C0MG card (for RGB/component) just fine. Finding one is a different matter though... Mine came with the monitor and I've seen JVC's with the Svideo/Composite card sell for £100 and ones with the RGB card for £1,000 or more As for the SDI I had the notion it won't be simple to integrate with retro stuff... Can always use it with PS360/PS4 etc if I find the need but doubt it. Thanks for your input on the SDI situation and good luck with getting RGB in your JVC. It's really a game changer once you do

[Xer Xian]

Thanks werk91 yeah as you can guess I know exactly the input card I should buy, but it's not that easy ^_^ £1000 is nuts, but even the €200 that the last one on eBay went for is too much for me (I use the JVC as a secondary monitor).

I'm eyeing a DT-V1710 on eBay.it with the CockOMG (whatever ) card installed, but it's quite pricey at the moment. I'm patiently waiting for the seller to get annoyed of relisting it and cut the price somewhat - that's when I'll snatch it

[Ikaruga11]

Whenever I'm playing my brother's N64, I notice crosshatched pixels and other pixel patterns during gameplay sometimes. These are not constant nor like the checkerboard effect of a composite signal being fed through an S-Video cable, but I feel they shouldn't be there.

He has a CPU-08 N64 (supposedly sharper image with Composite and S-Video signals), the official Nintendo S-Video cables, and a Shadow Mask 20" Toshiba CRT.

[Blair]

crosshatched pixels? like dithering?

[Ikaruga11]

crosshatched pixels? like dithering?

Sort of. But instead of looking like a checkerboard, it looks like xxxxx. This only happens on certain graphics and not the entire image.

[Stainomo]

Does anyone know if a DVDO VP50 Pro supports 240p and 480i input through the RGBHV input?

[Fudoh]

no 15khz support on the RGBHV BNC input.

[okerlo]

I'm currently thinking about CRT burn ins, how much of a thing is this to be aware of?
For example I just played a quick round of The Simpsons: Hit & Run and there is a minimap on the screen which pretty much never changes, could this be a potential source for a burn in or is this not realistic in a "normal" gmaing session?

[Xer Xian]

I wouldn't worry too much about that. While using screen savers was common practice back then, I can't say I've ever witnessed CRT burn-in in person. I think it takes several days of permanent high-contrasted images display for burn in to happen, which is a possible usage scenario only for train stations, airports etc.

Edit: Also a problem for monitors used to display surveillance camera recording.. like this one that would belong more to a landfill than eBay

[Ikaruga11]

What brand has the best screen protectors for a DSi XL? I'm trying to find Hori ones but I can't find any anywhere.

I just read that the Japanese N3DS is slightly smaller than the North American N3DS. Is that true?

[Guspaz]

I'll be doing some comparisons between their gen 1 and gen 2 cables on the PAL cube soon, as my projector was one device that had some problems with the raw output of the PAL cube via RGB or the gen 1 cables.

Tested the gen 2 cables today. Gen 1 cable had a slight skew to the left near the top of the screen. Gen 2 cable has solved the issue.

I also tested GBI-ULL, as the Shinybow (which otherwise works fine with the PAL cube) can't handle it. On bright screens it gets a ton of distortion that rapidly shifts around. The HDR gen 1 cables just exhibit the slight skew (less visible since the GBA image only starts part way down the screen), while the HDR gen 2 cables work perfectly.

[Magicalbottle]

PVM 2130QM: where do I adjust the TILT correct on the pcb? I opened the monitor but this is nowhere to be found.

[Einzelherz]

I wouldn't worry too much about that. While using screen savers was common practice back then, I can't say I've ever witnessed CRT burn-in in person. I think it takes several days of permanent high-contrasted images display for burn in to happen, which is a possible usage scenario only for train stations, airports etc.

Edit: Also a problem for monitors used to display surveillance camera recording.. like this one that would belong more to a landfill than eBay

A lot of the video game burn in issues were from the 80s. In the 90s they sorted a lot of that out with better phosphors. You'd have to play the same game *a lot* to get a 'modern' CRT to burn in.

incidently, playing FF5 on my 2013 Plasma gave it some image retention in the 4:3 window size and the combat text.

[Ikaruga11]

Do GameCube and Wii games load faster or slower from an SD Card compared to a disc?

[Extrems]

Slower, but there's no seek time. USB is faster.

[Ikaruga11]

Slower, but there's no seek time. USB is faster.

USB is faster than SD and disc? Even a Class 10 100MB/s SDHC Card? I heard USB have shorter lifespans than SD and aren't as reliable.

Can I load my WiiWare and VC games off a USB Stick too on my Wii?

I didn't know the GameCube had USB ports.