PC retro gaming/emulation to SD CRT conundrum

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mrwasi
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PC retro gaming/emulation to SD CRT conundrum

Post by mrwasi »

So, I've done a little homework over the past week. I want to know what I need in order to have my PC hooked up to my Trinitron FS100 (s-video/component).
I've read about CRT Emudriver and am looking at acquiring a Radeon HD 5000/6000/7000 series GPU. A lot of people on this forum have recommended that I should get an Extron VSC 700 (Thanks @SavagePencil and @vol.2).

Are there any other converters worth looking into so I can broaden my search (240p/480i 15kHZ output)?
Is there anything I didn't mention that I may need?
Thanks in advance for your expertise
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Fudoh
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Re: PC retro gaming/emulation to SD CRT conundrum

Post by Fudoh »

The VSC700 is great, but it's 480i only.

Available 240p solutions are either expensive (Extron Emotia, Ultracade UVC, Mimo Genius II) or a bit more complicated to setup (Corio2 processors).
mrwasi
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Re: PC retro gaming/emulation to SD CRT conundrum

Post by mrwasi »

Fudoh wrote:The VSC700 is great, but it's 480i only.

Available 240p solutions are either expensive (Extron Emotia, Ultracade UVC, Mimo Genius II) or a bit more complicated to setup (Corio2 processors).
Is there a noticeable difference if the content is only 480i? If not, then I'm happy with whatever works.
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Fudoh
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Re: PC retro gaming/emulation to SD CRT conundrum

Post by Fudoh »

Is there a noticeable difference if the content is only 480i?
with 480i you don't get the typical low-res scanlines you might expect from classic games on a CRT.
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mikejmoffitt
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Re: PC retro gaming/emulation to SD CRT conundrum

Post by mikejmoffitt »

480i can be characterized by a wobbling, flickering image.

Having owned several Extron Super Emotia processors, my advice would be to pass on it and get any other 240p option.
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BazookaBen
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Re: PC retro gaming/emulation to SD CRT conundrum

Post by BazookaBen »

Wait, if you have a PC that can run CRT Emudriver, you already have 240p output. Why are we talking about scalers?
energizerfellow‌
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Re: PC retro gaming/emulation to SD CRT conundrum

Post by energizerfellow‌ »

BazookaBen wrote:Wait, if you have a PC that can run CRT Emudriver, you already have 240p output. Why are we talking about scalers?
Not only that, but the latest CRT Emudriver 2.0 drivers support clear up to AMD Vega cards, complete with combined sync mode. Get a VGA -> SCART cable (probably from Retro Access) and a Shinybow SB-2840 converter, which will give you YPbPr component from VGA running in RGBs composite sync mode.

Keep in mind that the RX 300-series cards were the last Radeon cards to still have built-in analog VGA and current AMD drivers only support modern-ish GCN-based cards, i.e. R5 240 and newer. You'll also want a HD 5000 or newer card to avoid issues with composite sync. Composite sync also requires a GPU firmware hack via ATOM-15 if you want a picture during OS boot.

http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/viewtopic.php?id=295
http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/viewtopic.php?id=64
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AMD_graphics_processing_units
Last edited by energizerfellow‌ on Sat May 11, 2019 4:12 pm, edited 4 times in total.
mrwasi
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Re: PC retro gaming/emulation to SD CRT conundrum

Post by mrwasi »

So do I still need a transcoder if using CRT emudriver? Or do I just need a VGA to component adapter? I thought I needed a transcoder for the 15kHZ signal?
energizerfellow‌
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Re: PC retro gaming/emulation to SD CRT conundrum

Post by energizerfellow‌ »

mrwasi wrote:So do I still need a transcoder if using CRT emudriver? Or do I just need a VGA to component adapter? I thought I needed a transcoder for the 15kHZ signal?
You'll still need a RGBs (SCART, typically) or RGBHV "VGA" (DE15, typically) -> YPbPr (aka "component") transcoder since your TV doesn't have RGB inputs. Very specifically a transcoder, not a scaler.

This, basically:
https://retro-access.com/products/15-pin-rgbs-vga-type-plug-and-3-5mm-audio-to-scart
https://www.ani-av.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=220
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