GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

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NoAffinity
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by NoAffinity »

Puppydogpals wrote:I built mine around Aug 2021, has their been any major updates or fixes on the firmware in sense that i should get around to updating the firmware??
Check rama's github and the date on the firmware. I dont think theres been any updates in a couple years. Rama deemed it as complete as he was interested in getting it as of his last update.

But the final update, I believe changed the 720p profile to a 16:9 image and 1080p to a 4:3 image on a 16:9 canvas, and some other quality life improvements.

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Taiyaki
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Taiyaki »

A quick question for those experienced with the GBSC. Is it possible for the device to send out 31khz by glitch or reset on the device? Obviously I'm hoping to lock it at 15khz, but I'm just hoping the thing is solid and secure in this area (like how crt emudriver is on groovymame builds). Would really hate to have my CRT receive occasional (or intermittent) 31khz signals during use.
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vol.2
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by vol.2 »

Can anyone tell me what the current state of downscaling a 480p RGBHV signal from a PC to a 240p 15kHz RGBS or RGBHV signal is here?

As in, I want to connect my PC and downscale SVGA resolution games from 640x480 to 240p and display on my Ikegami in 240p.

I remember somewhere back in the thread that RGBHV input is no-good. Is that still an obstacle to this setup? If so, can I just use a sync combiner circuit and hook it up RGBS from there?
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NoAffinity
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by NoAffinity »

You don't have to go back too many pages to see this discussed recently.

Rgbhv downscaling doesnt work. Rgbs or ypbpr downscaling works great. Output is native rgbhv or ypbpr with a mod.

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RuffNEC
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by RuffNEC »

I know the brand RetroScaler isn't something id recommend using (older unit) but what about this new? GBS-C Variant?

Anyone has tested it and does it hold up to the ususal GBS-C Setups?

Image
Image

the slick PCB looks nice it has also a glock gen inside, think it's alswo firmware upgradable from the usual GBS-Cs right?!

I've read that for example the ODV Variants should be avoided because of image ringing effects but what about the quality of this one? its very inexpensive aswell
Dreamcazman
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Dreamcazman »

RuffNEC wrote:Anyone has tested it and does it hold up to the ususal GBS-C Setups?
Thanks for posting, I was not aware of this new model. I picked one up just now as cash rewards have a 20% off deal going tonight on Aliexpress plus I was curious to test it out.

It has many features my current GBS-C setup doesn't have so hopefully it works well.
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NoAffinity
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by NoAffinity »

Interested to see performance on this one as well. My old trusty unit that has been kicking around since the early days of gbsc development continues to work well, but aesthetically...not so much. I would love to get something more visually appealing if the price is right and performance is there.

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RuffNEC
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by RuffNEC »

Dreamcazman wrote:
RuffNEC wrote:Anyone has tested it and does it hold up to the ususal GBS-C Setups?
Thanks for posting, I was not aware of this new model. I picked one up just now as cash rewards have a 20% off deal going tonight on Aliexpress plus I was curious to test it out.

It has many features my current GBS-C setup doesn't have so hopefully it works well.
well it doesn't support composite and s-video but that isn't something I'm going to use anyays. Bought one too now. but it's not here until march I guess :(
Taiyaki
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Taiyaki »

Yeah so this didn't work for me at all. It's wonderful on paper but in practice on my consumer CRT this wasn't working.

The web UI is very inconsistent seems to disconnect a lot (even when my wifi is solid) which makes it hard to reliably know that you are setting things the way you want (in my case downscale to 240p 15khz). I ended up relying on the screen to select downscale, but this didn't fix the issues I was having.

On the Dreamcast using Scart cables from Retro Access (both in 15khz and 31khz modes) I power up and downscale I get a lot of noise and video anomalies, and worst of all a huge horizontal black line across the screen making everything unplayable. Maybe it would work differently if I had a Dreamcast VGA box but I don't have one to test.

The worst part of it all is the tv still seems to send out ocassional 31khz signals (such as when powering a console up). This happens even when the console is sending out 15khz. Last of all when I power the console down the gbs-c reverts to sending 31khz on a black screen. Not cool for the CRT!

For those interested my set up was as follows:

Dreamcast > Scart (with sync combiner built in) out > GBS-C > VGA out > VGA2SCART > Scart out > Gscartsw > scart out > Audio Authority Comp switcher > Component > TV


I disconnected it and decided to give up. I think it's wonderful that these projects get made, and I guess the main market for this one might be upscaling with downscaling still a work in progress.

Maybe in 2023 or in the coming years we'll see downscaling continue to evolve and eventually reach a place where we can use it reliably on PS2 and DC, but I think it's not quite there yet.
Last edited by Taiyaki on Tue Jan 24, 2023 7:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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NoAffinity
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by NoAffinity »

You may have some faultiness in your unit. I use mine for downscaling regularly and have no problems.

As noted, rgbhv downscaling does not work, but rgbs and component downscaling works great.

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Taiyaki
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Taiyaki »

NoAffinity wrote:You may have some faultiness in your unit. I use mine for downscaling regularly and have no problems.

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Is that so? RGBHV downscale doesn't work? I believe my DC using that retro access cable was sending out RGBs though.

Could you link me to which model or make your GBS-C is? What console and what video out are you using it with for downscaling?
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NoAffinity
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by NoAffinity »

I'll provide the model date printed on the PCB when I get a chance. I've had this unit for quite a few years, so even if I could find the purchase link, no guarantees youd get the same model.

I've sent x360 ypbpr 480p, ps2 ypbpr 480i/p, xbox original ypbpr 480i/p, wii ypbpr 480i/p, Saturn rgbs 480i, n64 rgbs 480i, ps1 rgbs 480i through it with no problem.

The clock gen seems to be the most common failure or faulty part out of the box. If you have a clock gen on yours, it might be worth removing it and retesting.

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Ripthorn
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Ripthorn »

I bought this model because of the composite and s-video input, but it turned out to be complete shit.

Image
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005061485676.html

Some photos:
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlSgH9mVunlegpwNNK1 ... A?e=HCBBBB
Jailbars everywhere. S-video is bad but not bad as composite.

At least the other inputs work normally
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RuffNEC
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by RuffNEC »

Ripthorn wrote:I bought this model because of the composite and s-video input, but it turned out to be complete shit.
well you're not the first saying this. Could you test it with RGBs ? How is the image quality no ringing noise?
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Ripthorn »

RuffNEC wrote:
Ripthorn wrote:I bought this model because of the composite and s-video input, but it turned out to be complete shit.
well you're not the first saying this. Could you test it with RGBs ? How is the image quality no ringing noise?
Through the scart input the image is very clean, I didn't notice any artifacts.
I don't know exactly what ring artifacts would look like, but I'm pretty sure I didn't see anything resembling a ring appearing on the screen.

I will post more pictures later.
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NoAffinity
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by NoAffinity »

@Taiyaki Image

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Taiyaki
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Taiyaki »

Thank you NoAffinity for sharing!
4lexei
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by 4lexei »

Hello friends! I have been enjoying my GBS-Control for over a year and now I would like to purchase a new TV or PC monitor mainly to play old games at 1080p.

The television that I am using temporarily doesn't accept the signals from most of my consoles and I have to manipulate the Htotal+ and Htotal- values to make them work. By doing this I can play all my sistems but... image is not smooth, I can see stutter/judder all the time and some tearing (very noticeable playing Contra 3).

My Super Nintendo PAL forced to 60hz, actually works at 59.55hz. The television that I am using right now does not accept signals lower than 59.80hz.

Do you know if this problem is common? I would like to play without those annoying "microcuts". Do you have any recommendations on televisions or PC monitors? (max 32 inches)

Thank you all, every time I visit this forum I learn something new.
sharak
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by sharak »

I would love for this to be my method for playing Switch on my Astro City (15kHz) - but I believe this little unit is not the solution for that, which is a bit of a shame.

It's still very cool, but I need to think of a better use case for it as I'm not using it these days.
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Josh128
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Josh128 »

Switch outputs HDMI only, I believe, and you are correct, this product does not accept HDMI input. You would first need an HDMI to VGA transcoder/converter ($20) then feed the VGA into the GBS-C, then downscale to 480i/240p.
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Josh128
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Josh128 »

Ripthorn wrote:
RuffNEC wrote:
Ripthorn wrote:I bought this model because of the composite and s-video input, but it turned out to be complete shit.
well you're not the first saying this. Could you test it with RGBs ? How is the image quality no ringing noise?
Through the scart input the image is very clean, I didn't notice any artifacts.
I don't know exactly what ring artifacts would look like, but I'm pretty sure I didn't see anything resembling a ring appearing on the screen.

I will post more pictures later.
This is a model 2 Sega Genesis >GBS-C > VGA monitor. This is what I get. The photo doesnt quite do it justice, but how anyone can say it looks like complete shit is perplexing to me. Does your unit output similar to this? If so, what do you find shitty about it? If not, you have a signal or installation issue.

https://i.imgur.com/XEmtZQd.jpg
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NoAffinity
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by NoAffinity »

^thank you for sharing. Always love the pr0n.

Is that at 480 output with native scanlines, or with the gbs scanline function enabled?

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Josh128
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Josh128 »

NoAffinity wrote:^thank you for sharing. Always love the pr0n.

Is that at 480 output with native scanlines, or with the gbs scanline function enabled?

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480 output to PC CRT, gbs scanline function enabled. Dont remember the scanline intensity used here though. :D
Frosal
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Frosal »

Any consensus on which Aliexpress product to buy? PRIMARILY FOR VGA CRTs and 240p/480i PVMs...

Anyone got this one?

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/32568044 ... _shipto=US
Dreamcazman
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Dreamcazman »

Dreamcazman wrote:
RuffNEC wrote:Anyone has tested it and does it hold up to the ususal GBS-C Setups?
Thanks for posting, I was not aware of this new model. I picked one up just now as cash rewards have a 20% off deal going tonight on Aliexpress plus I was curious to test it out.

It has many features my current GBS-C setup doesn't have so hopefully it works well.
Mine finally arrived the other day, there was a delay due to Chinese holidays.

Overall, it's a quality unit, both VGA and HDMI out is clean with no noticeable interference or wavy lines in the image. I don't have a CRT so I can't test 240p output.

The OLED screen is nice to be able to change resolution settings quickly without having to connect via the web interface.

The only minor gripe is I wish the DC power jack was at the back, it's annoying having it on the side.
Ripthorn
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Ripthorn »

Josh128 wrote: This is a model 2 Sega Genesis >GBS-C > VGA monitor. This is what I get. The photo doesnt quite do it justice, but how anyone can say it looks like complete shit is perplexing to me. Does your unit output similar to this? If so, what do you find shitty about it? If not, you have a signal or installation issue.

https://i.imgur.com/XEmtZQd.jpg
You misread my post, I was talking only about composite video and s-video :lol:
There is zero issue on your photo, the image looks very similar to my gbs control.

Here is some photos of my gbs control: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlSgH9mVunlegpw-tS2 ... Q?e=QQ3Onc
The photos are not so good thanks to my camera, but you get the idea.

I was using a MD Lite clone console with shielded SCART cable.
Cows
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Cows »

Dreamcazman wrote:
Dreamcazman wrote:
RuffNEC wrote:Anyone has tested it and does it hold up to the ususal GBS-C Setups?
Thanks for posting, I was not aware of this new model. I picked one up just now as cash rewards have a 20% off deal going tonight on Aliexpress plus I was curious to test it out.

It has many features my current GBS-C setup doesn't have so hopefully it works well.
Mine finally arrived the other day, there was a delay due to Chinese holidays.

Overall, it's a quality unit, both VGA and HDMI out is clean with no noticeable interference or wavy lines in the image. I don't have a CRT so I can't test 240p output.

The OLED screen is nice to be able to change resolution settings quickly without having to connect via the web interface.

The only minor gripe is I wish the DC power jack was at the back, it's annoying having it on the side.
Have you tried updating / upgrading the GBS Control firmware on your unit by any chance and does it detect the clock generator when you are using the web ui? I'm thinking about getting this GBS just because it is the only one I have seen with a clock generator built in. Also does the audio output through the HDMI? Thanks
andrewtjb
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by andrewtjb »

Is it normal for colour to be tinted with gbs control?

I recently picked up one from retroscaler and I’ve been trying it out on my 4k tv with my pal ps2 over component but I’ve noticed there’s always a tint to the colour.

With the default settings there’s a green cast over everything but if I disable the ADC calibration it goes away but still get a blue tint.

I played around with the developer settings and found the if auto offset setting and turning this on changed the blue tint to red.

I’ve also noticed some issues with the scaling causing text to look garbled it goes away if I disable the full height setting but if I make any changes to the scaling it comes back.

If I connect the ps2 directly to my tv I don’t get any of these issues and black is displayed correctly.
sin360
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by sin360 »

Hello everyone,

I have a GBS8200 that I made and it was working really good for over a year with multiple consoles. I use scart in and VGA to HDMI converter for output. When I noticed it stopped working I had my Saturn hooked up and noticed the blue light on my ESP that usually comes when input signal is detected no longer came on. I re-flashed my board with the latest version and still got the same results.

I removed the VGA to HDMI converter and hooked it up to a monitor. Then I noticed when I tested my Sega Genesis that the blue led on my ESP would come occasionally and I had output on my monitor, but the picture is terrible. I hooked my Saturn up again and still no led and no picture. I have uploaded several pictures to over in the GitHub page to see if anyone can help me with my issue. Here is the link to issue.

github.com/ramapcsx2/gbs-control/issues/417

Thank You
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Kez
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Re: GBS 8200/8220 CFW Project

Post by Kez »

sin360 wrote:Hello everyone,

I have a GBS8200 that I made and it was working really good for over a year with multiple consoles. I use scart in and VGA to HDMI converter for output. When I noticed it stopped working I had my Saturn hooked up and noticed the blue light on my ESP that usually comes when input signal is detected no longer came on. I re-flashed my board with the latest version and still got the same results.

I removed the VGA to HDMI converter and hooked it up to a monitor. Then I noticed when I tested my Sega Genesis that the blue led on my ESP would come occasionally and I had output on my monitor, but the picture is terrible. I hooked my Saturn up again and still no led and no picture. I have uploaded several pictures to over in the GitHub page to see if anyone can help me with my issue. Here is the link to issue.

github.com/ramapcsx2/gbs-control/issues/417

Thank You
Seems like it could be a sync issue. Did you put a 100ohm resistor on the sync line? I know a common approach for that is to just wrap a resistor around the pins - if you did that could it have come loose perhaps?
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