Questions that do not deserve a thread

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Bassa-Bassa
Posts: 1522
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2019 5:18 pm

Re: Questions that do not deserve a thread

Post by Bassa-Bassa »

NikkolasKing wrote: Mon Jun 16, 2025 10:53 pm Hello, I'm a newbie to all of this and reddit has been super unhelpful.

I'm trying to put together a retro setup with a Dreamcast and CRT. I want a CRT TV and not a monitor because of the larger size and greeter availability in my area. I also want 480p and I found a CRT TV with it and Component output.

The 480p Component cables from Retro Cables say they can only do this if:
Compatible with:
Consumer Grade Televisions which accept component video, but only in 15KHz/576i TV mode only, and will not work in 480p mode. To use 480p Mode you need one of the following devices below.
Sony BVM which accepts 480p.
XRGB-mini Framemeister.
OSSC (Open Source Scan Converter).
RetroTink2, RetroTink2X Pro, RetroTink 5X and RetroTink4K.
So is this saying even if I have a 480p capable CRT TV, it won't display in 480p? Why is that?

And all these scalers are for modern displays. So I'd need an HDMI output on my TV, right?

Maybe I'm missing something obvious but I have no idea and that's why I figured I'd post it in here. I just hope somebody can explain what I need to buy for 480p from my DC and why so I can justify the cost.

Thank you.

Proper 480p on a large format is not an easy goal, mind. This forum's search feature will show you that many 480p CRT TVs use to upscale/postprocess the picture unless you force it somehow (usually with extra hardware). I've never used a 480p CRT TV so you'll get much better input from other people here, but if your set only supports 480p through "component cables" (YPbPr signal), you need the source to output it like that. The DC only outputs 480p through VGA (RGB), so if your set doesn't like that, maybe a transcoder will do in your case, but, as mentioned, I'd make sure first how it treats 480p before displaying.

Letting the experts here know what's your TV model will give you more accurate answers, anyway.

21'' PC monitors are not impossible to come by and work flawlessly for this stuff. Better yet if they support sync on green for the day you want 31khz PS2. It may not be big enough for your needs, but any other option is either, limited or way too expensive/troublesome.
NikkolasKing
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2025 10:34 pm

Re: Questions that do not deserve a thread

Post by NikkolasKing »

Bassa-Bassa wrote: Tue Jun 17, 2025 8:56 am
NikkolasKing wrote: Mon Jun 16, 2025 10:53 pm Hello, I'm a newbie to all of this and reddit has been super unhelpful.

I'm trying to put together a retro setup with a Dreamcast and CRT. I want a CRT TV and not a monitor because of the larger size and greeter availability in my area. I also want 480p and I found a CRT TV with it and Component output.

The 480p Component cables from Retro Cables say they can only do this if:
Compatible with:
Consumer Grade Televisions which accept component video, but only in 15KHz/576i TV mode only, and will not work in 480p mode. To use 480p Mode you need one of the following devices below.
Sony BVM which accepts 480p.
XRGB-mini Framemeister.
OSSC (Open Source Scan Converter).
RetroTink2, RetroTink2X Pro, RetroTink 5X and RetroTink4K.
So is this saying even if I have a 480p capable CRT TV, it won't display in 480p? Why is that?

And all these scalers are for modern displays. So I'd need an HDMI output on my TV, right?

Maybe I'm missing something obvious but I have no idea and that's why I figured I'd post it in here. I just hope somebody can explain what I need to buy for 480p from my DC and why so I can justify the cost.

Thank you.

Proper 480p on a large format is not an easy goal, mind. This forum's search feature will show you that many 480p CRT TVs use to upscale/postprocess the picture unless you force it somehow (usually with extra hardware). I've never used a 480p CRT TV so you'll get much better input from other people here, but if your set only supports 480p through "component cables" (YPbPr signal), you need the source to output it like that. The DC only outputs 480p through VGA (RGB), so if your set doesn't like that, maybe a transcoder will do in your case, but, as mentioned, I'd make sure first how it treats 480p before displaying.

Letting the experts here know what's your TV model will give you more accurate answers, anyway.

21'' PC monitors are not impossible to come by and work flawlessly for this stuff. Better yet if they support sync on green for the day you want 31khz PS2. It may not be big enough for your needs, but any other option is either, limited or way too expensive/troublesome.
My apologies i should have specified the TV. It's a Samsung Dynaflat, model TSK2790F
https://www.reddit.com/r/crtgaming/comm ... are_button

From the manual
When switching to the DTV mode, either 480p or 1080i format is automatically selected
according to the input signal.
Notes:
DVD menu mode selection- Intended for standard interlaced source material at 480i such as a DVD Player (Non Progressive Scan).
DTV menu mode selection- Intended for 480p or 1080i source material. Use this menu
option for a Progressive Scan DVD Player that outputs 480p refer to page 3.17
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orange808
Posts: 3646
Joined: Sat Aug 20, 2016 5:43 am

Re: Questions that do not deserve a thread

Post by orange808 »

I wouldn't use a Framemeister to upscale from 480p sources these days. You can get better quality elsewhere with less lag.
We apologise for the inconvenience
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bobrocks95
Posts: 3610
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:27 am
Location: Kentucky

Re: Questions that do not deserve a thread

Post by bobrocks95 »

NikkolasKing wrote: Mon Jun 16, 2025 10:53 pm Hello, I'm a newbie to all of this and reddit has been super unhelpful.

I'm trying to put together a retro setup with a Dreamcast and CRT. I want a CRT TV and not a monitor because of the larger size and greeter availability in my area. I also want 480p and I found a CRT TV with it and Component output.

The 480p Component cables from Retro Cables say they can only do this if:
Compatible with:
Consumer Grade Televisions which accept component video, but only in 15KHz/576i TV mode only, and will not work in 480p mode. To use 480p Mode you need one of the following devices below.
Sony BVM which accepts 480p.
XRGB-mini Framemeister.
OSSC (Open Source Scan Converter).
RetroTink2, RetroTink2X Pro, RetroTink 5X and RetroTink4K.
So is this saying even if I have a 480p capable CRT TV, it won't display in 480p? Why is that?

And all these scalers are for modern displays. So I'd need an HDMI output on my TV, right?

Maybe I'm missing something obvious but I have no idea and that's why I figured I'd post it in here. I just hope somebody can explain what I need to buy for 480p from my DC and why so I can justify the cost.

Thank you.
That reads like a disclaimer to cover their bases. If you have a CRT you know is 480p compatible on one or more inputs, you should be good. Like their disclaimer says though, the vast majority of standard 4:3 CRTs were 480i only. HD CRTs will take 480p but were often laggy and most were 16:9.
PS1 Disc-Based Game ID BIOS patch for MemCard Pro and SD2PSX automatic VMC switching.
NikkolasKing
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2025 10:34 pm

Re: Questions that do not deserve a thread

Post by NikkolasKing »

bobrocks95 wrote: Wed Jun 18, 2025 1:18 am That reads like a disclaimer to cover their bases. If you have a CRT you know is 480p compatible on one or more inputs, you should be good. Like their disclaimer says though, the vast majority of standard 4:3 CRTs were 480i only. HD CRTs will take 480p but were often laggy and most were 16:9.
Oh, that's great to hear. Thank you. I was thinking "what else can I do, maybe get a Dreamcast SCART cable with 480p from Retro Access and pair it with RGB2COMP transcoder." But buying a Component cable seems cheaper and easier.

Although maybe I'd still like to try the RGB2COMP some time for a PSX or other retro consoles I buy. I dunno.

Thanks again.
Bassa-Bassa
Posts: 1522
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2019 5:18 pm

Re: Questions that do not deserve a thread

Post by Bassa-Bassa »

NikkolasKing wrote: Tue Jun 17, 2025 2:14 pmMy apologies i should have specified the TV. It's a Samsung Dynaflat, model TSK2790F
https://www.reddit.com/r/crtgaming/comm ... are_button

From the manual
When switching to the DTV mode, either 480p or 1080i format is automatically selected
according to the input signal.
Notes:
DVD menu mode selection- Intended for standard interlaced source material at 480i such as a DVD Player (Non Progressive Scan).
DTV menu mode selection- Intended for 480p or 1080i source material. Use this menu
option for a Progressive Scan DVD Player that outputs 480p refer to page 3.17

It indeed seems to lack VGA/RGB inputs, which may be a hint that it lacks a proper monitor mode, meaning that it likely can't display 480p at 1:1 and full screen (or even non-full screen). Likely.

To clarify my point, there's little sense in displaying 480p on a CRT if it's not 1:1 (that is, unscaled and non-processed). Unlike a monitor, most of these TVs will upscale a 640x480 picture to something like 640x540. That process will not only destroy the picture's digital coherence, but also will add latency. So even if you're not after pixel purity, demanding games will suffer. If indeed you're not after pixel purity and just after large format, get yourself a well-regarded 15khz/SD TV and use the DC at 480i (preferably in RGB). Or a current flat TV set coupled with a nice scaler device with shader features.
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