Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 480p?

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HDgaming42
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by HDgaming42 »

Fudoh wrote:
I can probably safely assume this thing is toast, no?
if you're certain that you got an active source connected, then yes, probably.

Without an active source, the Extron disables its output as well. You can bring up a menu, but it has got a rather quick timeout. Also if you got a HDCP source, but HDCP on the Extron is disabled, you might not get a picture. I found a VGA or composite source a much more reliable test to start out with.
Thanks. I've now fed it via all the inputs and nada. I even held in "enter" for 20sec while applying power to do a factory reset. Just a solid amber light. Sigh.
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HDgaming42
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by HDgaming42 »

The seller refunded me, which is nice, but I've already got a basement full of dead gear.

Trying to disassemble it to see if there's anything obviously wrong from a visual standpoint (bulged cap, etc).

What I can't figure out is how to remove the two knobs on the front. They seem to have an inset hole on the bottom but I'll be damned if I can figure out how / what I'm supposed to use to remove them.

Anyone care to check their unit and hazard a guess as to how you'd remove the knobs?
Dochartaigh
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by Dochartaigh »

HDgaming42 wrote:Anyone care to check their unit and hazard a guess as to how you'd remove the knobs?

Look closer - there's a grub screw, probably allen.
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HDgaming42
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by HDgaming42 »

Dochartaigh wrote:
HDgaming42 wrote:Anyone care to check their unit and hazard a guess as to how you'd remove the knobs?

Look closer - there's a grub screw, probably allen.
Right you are! Damn they're small. Thanks--have it disassembled and it's as I feared--no swelling caps, which is about the only thing I could have troubleshooted. :(
doonut
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by doonut »

Hi guys,

Thank you for this topic! , I just got this gear and do some clip video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2VbdKGBdVo&t=6s
dc_coder_84
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by dc_coder_84 »

Hey guys,

I have static vertical lines/artefacts in my image on my dreamcast with the Extron DSC 301 HD + OSSC setup. You can see them on the right side of this image:

Image

It's also visible here on the grey bottom texture:

Image

Generally the whole image has always these lines but they are better visible in motion during gameplay. So it was not that easy to make them visible on screenshots.
Is there a way to get rid of these lines/artefacts? Do I have some wrong settings in my setup? Is it just bad vga cable/ vga box quality? Is it normal?

Many thanks in advance.
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Fudoh
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by Fudoh »

are the input resolutions settings correct on both devices ? OSSC set to DTV and is your input info screen on the DSC showing the right resolution ?
dc_coder_84
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by dc_coder_84 »

Many thanks Fudoh, the DTV setting did the trick. :)
fernan1234
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by fernan1234 »

Are there any alternatives to these scalers that can simply take analogue RGB and output HDMI but simply passthrough the signal?

I thought I could use one of these DSC 301's to solve my problem of getting 15khz/480i analogue sources into a flat panel that does excellent with 15khz but doesn't have analogue RGB inputs, but I just realized this Extron unit, like all other scalers and VGA-to-HDMI converters I've found, seem to have been designed only with PC resolutions in mind, so at best they only take 480p, and when they do take 15khz like this one they inevitably upscale it. Is an OSSC the only option available?
nmalinoski
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by nmalinoski »

fernan1234 wrote:Are there any alternatives to these scalers that can simply take analogue RGB and output HDMI but simply passthrough the signal?

I thought I could use one of these DSC 301's to solve my problem of getting 15khz/480i analogue sources into a flat panel that does excellent with 15khz but doesn't have analogue RGB inputs, but I just realized this Extron unit, like all other scalers and VGA-to-HDMI converters I've found, seem to have been designed only with PC resolutions in mind, so at best they only take 480p, and when they do take 15khz like this one they inevitably upscale it. Is an OSSC the only option available?
I think the OSSC is currently the best option for straight digitization. The RT2X will do it, but it doesn't do RGB, is limited to 15kHz input, and I think it needs to be configured for passthrough every time you power it on (someone please correct or confirm).

Where the DSC 301 HD is concerned, as far as I can tell, the scaler is always on, and it always scales to a specific output resolution and framerate, which makes it a great choice for doing last-mile upscaling and framerate normalization for the OSSC, but that makes it a bad choice for straight digitization. There might be a way to turn off the scaling, but I haven't had enough time with mine to figure that out.
fernan1234
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by fernan1234 »

nmalinoski wrote:I think the OSSC is currently the best option for straight digitization.
It sure looks that way. In fact it looks like it and the RT2X are the only options available (besides expensive input cards for Sony pro monitors). I guess there never really was a lot of demand for straight DACs for SD sources.
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Fudoh
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by Fudoh »

I guess there never really was a lot of demand for straight DACs for SD sources.
if it only was so easy. Analogue to digital always requires sampling and applying the proper rates can be essential. While for - let's say component to HDMI - the OSSC doesn't seem much differnent from the Retrotink (or any generic YUV to HDMI box for that matter), the differences are huge with the OSSC being so far ahead of its competition, that - if you look closely - anything more simple just won't do for a really good analogue to digital conversion.

Digital to analogue in comparison is a breeze.
fernan1234
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by fernan1234 »

Fudoh wrote:if it only was so easy. Analogue to digital always requires sampling and applying the proper rates can be essential.
The more I think about it the more this makes sense. No wonder DACs are a dime a dozen, whereas ADCs (which is what I meant to write in my previous post) are very specialized, and for most use cases people would want them to scale as well, almost no one would want them to just passthrough stuff given that flat panels are so crappy at handling old sources anyway.
dc_coder_84
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by dc_coder_84 »

I recently played Ridge Racer V on my PS2 set up with a component cable with my Extron / OSSC combo with GSM Selector set to 1080i and OSSC set to line2x. The picture is pretty nice this way and very sharp. Unfortunately there is tearing from time to time. It's not always there but if it's there it's obvious. I am pretty sure this is not from the game but from the Extron. I have an old firmware version (1.14.0007) on the Extron so I'll try to update and see if there is a difference. I tried to set the output in the Extron settings to "YUV 444 Full" instead of "auto" but that didn't change a thing. "auto" will output RGB 444 Full. Output resolution of the Extron is 1080p. Does anybody know how to solve this? Has somebody else experienced this? To me it looks like it's a bit too much processing for the Extron.
strayan
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by strayan »

dc_coder_84 wrote:I recently played Ridge Racer V on my PS2 set up with a component cable with my Extron / OSSC combo with GSM Selector set to 1080i and OSSC set to line2x. The picture is pretty nice this way and very sharp. Unfortunately there is tearing from time to time. It's not always there but if it's there it's obvious. I am pretty sure this is not from the game but from the Extron. I have an old firmware version (1.14.0007) on the Extron so I'll try to update and see if there is a difference. I tried to set the output in the Extron settings to "YUV 444 Full" instead of "auto" but that didn't change a thing. "auto" will output RGB 444 Full. Output resolution of the Extron is 1080p. Does anybody know how to solve this? Has somebody else experienced this? To me it looks like it's a bit too much processing for the Extron.
I get tearing only when my ipad is connected and outputting 1080p and only when the extron is set to output the native resolution of my TV (852x480). No idea why.
fernan1234
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by fernan1234 »

strayan wrote:I get tearing only when my ipad is connected and outputting 1080p and only when the extron is set to output the native resolution of my TV (852x480). No idea why.
What kind of TV is that with such a resolution? Maybe an old LCD or Plasma TV?
strayan
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by strayan »

fernan1234 wrote:
strayan wrote:I get tearing only when my ipad is connected and outputting 1080p and only when the extron is set to output the native resolution of my TV (852x480). No idea why.
What kind of TV is that with such a resolution? Maybe an old LCD or Plasma TV?
Yeah. Old Hitachi plasma (model 42PMA300A) with a DVI input.
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Lawfer
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by Lawfer »

strayan wrote:
fernan1234 wrote:
strayan wrote:I get tearing only when my ipad is connected and outputting 1080p and only when the extron is set to output the native resolution of my TV (852x480). No idea why.
What kind of TV is that with such a resolution? Maybe an old LCD or Plasma TV?
Yeah. Old Hitachi plasma (model 42PMA300A) with a DVI input.
How do 16:9 Wii games look on it?
dc_coder_84
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by dc_coder_84 »

I have now updated the firmware on my Extron from 1.14 to 1.26. The issue with tearing is still there when playing Ridge Racer V on PS2 in 1080i via GSM Selector and OSSC set to line2x output mode.

But what has changed is the 480i/576i picture and OSSC set to line3x. In static images there are almost no more "uncertain" / "jumping" pixels. Maybe the image for these Signals is a bit softer / less sharp now but I am not sure.
strayan
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by strayan »

strayan wrote:Today I discovered 2 things about my 301 (one good, one bad):

1. If I connect my PC to the D-sub connector it allows me to enable AMD Virtual Super Resolution [VSR] (woohoo!) in the Radeon Settings application whereas if I connect via HDMI, Virtual Super Resolution goes back to being 'not supported'. Any idea why this might be? Is there a workaround? I'd much rather stay in the digital realm.

2. Unfortunately if I connect my PC to the D-Sub input on the 301 it appears to throw the colour temp (or something) off. I can partially correct for it by adjusting the colour temp settings on my PC but something is still not quite right (everything has some kind of weird tint to it). Driving me nuts! Anyone else experienced this?
I ended up buying a Extron EDID 101V EDID minder and got VSR working again on my 1360x768 monitor even though AMD don't list this as a supported resolution. Can go up to 2560x1440 too.
dc_coder_84
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by dc_coder_84 »

When forcing progressive scan on PS2 via GSM Selector I get a better and sharper image then when activating the native progressive scan mode of some games like Shadow of the Colossus or Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. I assume the reason for this is that the back buffer is drawed directly to the screen instead of doing an upscaling by the PS2 hardware. Instead the scaling is done via the Extron DSC 301 HD. For some games like Jak and Daxter 2 and 3 this doesn't work and we have quite a blurry picture. I wonder if it is possible to disable the PS2 hardware scaling via cheat or hex codes via software like code breaker or ps2rdmod. Looks to me like there is still potential in getting a better image these days on PS2. Unfortunately I am no low level mips assembly hacker and this goes beyond my humble skills. But it would be really interesting to see some progress here. In this thread here they are discussing this topic a bit (also at the end of the thread):
http://psx-scene.com/forums/f291/frame- ... ty-111435/

I think they already have impressive results with hex codes. For example they were able to run Ico in 480p instead of the normal 240p. The drawback is reduced color depth but still this is amazing. In the thread they explain that with the right hex codes we can exceed the possibilities of GSM selector and HDTV Xploder. See the example images in the thread of Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution.
The original hex codes are from this page:
https://web.archive.org/web/20190320104 ... enei/7672/

So if anybody has some tips or ideas to disable the PS2 hardware scaling that would be very nice :)
ldeveraux
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by ldeveraux »

dc_coder_84 wrote:I have now updated the firmware on my Extron from 1.14 to 1.26. The issue with tearing is still there when playing Ridge Racer V on PS2 in 1080i via GSM Selector and OSSC set to line2x output mode.

But what has changed is the 480i/576i picture and OSSC set to line3x. In static images there are almost no more "uncertain" / "jumping" pixels. Maybe the image for these Signals is a bit softer / less sharp now but I am not sure.
Do you have insider access to the Extron PCS and firmwares? The company refuses to give me access despite owning 2 Extron devices. Can you share your update files somehow?
dc_coder_84
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by dc_coder_84 »

ldeveraux wrote:Do you have insider access to the Extron PCS and firmwares? The company refuses to give me access despite owning 2 Extron devices. Can you share your update files somehow?
I have the files from this thread. Just look back some pages/posts. I can recommend the update. In my experience I have less black screens!
Dochartaigh
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by Dochartaigh »

dc_coder_84 wrote:
ldeveraux wrote:Do you have insider access to the Extron PCS and firmwares? The company refuses to give me access despite owning 2 Extron devices. Can you share your update files somehow?
I have the files from this thread. Just look back some pages/posts. I can recommend the update. In my experience I have less black screens!
Did you update to 1.26?
dc_coder_84
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by dc_coder_84 »

Dochartaigh wrote:Did you update to 1.26?
Yes, it is version 1.26.0001 to be exact.
Rokkstar007
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by Rokkstar007 »

strygo wrote:Sent. Sorry for the delay. Anyone else, please feel free to message me.
Hello can anybody help me out with updated software? I just picked up a DSC 301 HD and it has older firmware and is dropping out on Original Xbox. I would greatly appreciate it.
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Paranoid_Andy
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by Paranoid_Andy »

Hey all,

I would like to be able to change the color saturation of my HDMI signal with this device but I don't know if it does that to HDMI. Basically I want to plug my OSSC output(Line 4x 1280x960) into the Extron DSC then back into my PC CRT. Does anybody here know if it will allow you to change the saturation controls if using only HDMI in and out?

Thanks!
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Fudoh
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by Fudoh »

no saturation controls for VGA or HDMI, only for composite.

What you could do is use an Extron to make the OSSC's output 100% compatible and then still opt for a DVDO for color controls and to act as a D/A converter.
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Paranoid_Andy
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by Paranoid_Andy »

Fudoh wrote:no saturation controls for VGA or HDMI, only for composite.

What you could do is use an Extron to make the OSSC's output 100% compatible and then still opt for a DVDO for color controls and to act as a D/A converter.
Hey Fudoh,

Thank you again lol. I didn't know my requirements would be such a difficult task. I'm not sure I understand what you mean.

It would be something like this?
Game Console(Analog) -> OSSC(Make digital) -> Extron(Make HDMI compatible-still digital) -> DVDO(Convert digital to analog-no longer pass-through mode) -> PC CRT(VGA or BNC in)

That conversion would make it so I'm able to use color controls with the DVDO then?

At this point, maybe I will need to save up for a Lumagen Radiance as you first suggested lol.
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Fudoh
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Re: Extron DSC 301 HD (RGB>HDMI+scaling)-Best settings for 4

Post by Fudoh »

It would be something like this?
indeed, yes.
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