Overview of my newly aquired XRGB-2+

[fagin]

As some of you may know I have quite a plethora of scalers and line doublers now, but I believe I have now finished with my "collecting" of these artifacts.

The final piece in the jigsaw was getting hold of a XRGB. It's probably worth saying I have no great need for any of these devices, but I just like playing with "gadgets" and learning.

This will not be any news to a lot of your guys, but I suspect some may benefit.

So.....

I have so far:

DVDO EDGE
Cinemateq Picture Optimiser
CGA to VGA Scaler (Ebay Special modded to accept retro SCART RGB)
Various other "cheap" scalers

I bagged a XRGB-2+ fairly cheapily as I was "gagging" to experience "halo free" 240p line doulbing.

I was quite surprised how small the XRGB is..... I don't know why but I thought it was going to be a lot bigger. It really is a neat little unit.

It comes with a number of "bits" including a JAP PSU, component to RGB and component to D Terminal leads. Since we know these devices are wired for JAP SCART, you also need a JAP to EU SCART convertor, which this unit had in addition.

So was it worth the bother just for 240p gaming goodness.....

The problem (or should I say solution) nowadays is that the great SLG3000 is available. This makes any turd of a scaler look decent now when playing retro console stuff. So is there still a need for something like a XRGB. In reality that is questionable. You can get cheaper solutions that for most people (coupled with the SLG) will suffice.

However the XRGB does have some clear pluses:

*The 240p line doubling quality is simply superb, with virtually zero ringing
*The RGB colour control is very very good and gives very deep colours - looks fantastic on a LCD
*The processing lag is virtually non existant

Since I am quite anal I would still say that I can see a difference between the XRGB output with scanlines enabled and even something like my CPO with the SLG. The XRGB is sharper! But because I am anal the downside with the XRGB is that you get a slight shimmer. From a "gaming distance" it is very miniscule, but it does exist which is a shame.

In reality for the price I paid for my CPO it was a comparative steal, for the stability and quality (especially when linked with a SLG). The DVDO kicks arse with 480i & 480p input and the XRGB is very good with 240p. All in all it is a "no solution fits best for all scenarios" and I suspect that when I do infrequently use these devices, it will be the one for that specific task that will be used.

They are all great bits of kit for their own remits.

The journey continues.... what shall I get next!

[BuckoA51]

People put too much emphasis on scanlines here, for me the XRGB3 is still a much nicer solution than say, DVDO Edge for 240p material, I either turn the scanlines off or have them on really low. I don't have a SLG3000 (doesn't work with HD Fury 2 so not going to bother) but I can't stand MAME scanlines for instance, they don't look natural to me.

[fagin]

People put too much emphasis on scanlines here, for me the XRGB3 is still a much nicer solution than say, DVDO Edge for 240p material, I either turn the scanlines off or have them on really low. I don't have a SLG3000 (doesn't work with HD Fury 2 so not going to bother) but I can't stand MAME scanlines for instance, they don't look natural to me.

It's certainly horses for courses.

I don't like the "emulated" solid look, so scanlines (to whatever degree) are important for my gaming experience. Having three arcade machines with decent CRT's doesn't help and I want to emulate that experience if I choose to use a HD panel.

The great thing about scanlines (ergo the SLG3000) is that it is now possible to "polish a turd", scaler wise.

Don't get me wrong I am very happy with the 240p capabilities of the XRGB. Certainly glad I got hold of one. Unfortunately with so many requirements of 240p, 480i and 480p, you either have to have several devices or you go and use something like an EDGE which does many things well.... especially when you use a SLG for 240p output (which "hides" the ringing issue).

The more anal you get, the more you start to pick at things...... I suspect there arn't many people that take this to the nth degree. There is a whole world of exciting gadgets out there if you want to though!

To be honest all of this for me is about learning and trying different things. Nothing as of yet gives me the CRT satisfaction I get with my arcade cabs, so in reality I don't actually use these scaler / line doublers other than trying stuff out.

No doubt these devices will come in to their own when my cabs decide to blow up!

[Rock Man]

Arcade cabs can be a costly venture though, moreso than buying XRGB+, DVDO Edge, or the SLG3000. Dunno about any low-tier upconverters (anything lower than said adapters) but the high-tier upconverters can do your game justice! My standards lately are ridiculously high however the XRGB series serves a purpose for my equipment. While they may not act like a 100% CRT I think they do the job well enough.

[fagin]

Arcade cabs can be a costly venture though, moreso than buying XRGB+, DVDO Edge, or the SLG3000. Dunno about any low-tier upconverters (anything lower than said adapters) but the high-tier upconverters can do your game justice! My standards lately are ridiculously high however the XRGB series serves a purpose for my equipment. While they may not act like a 100% CRT I think they do the job well enough.

It's not only the cost of Arcade Cabs but their physical size and I feel I am priviledged in many ways to own four of them (I would own more if I could justifiably take over more of the house lol)...... but when you look at the "whole" nothing really comes close to that original feel. The CRT aspect is only one side..... a nice cabinet with a quality Control Panel is the icing on the cake for that full on arcade experience. It's just not the same playing on a CRT TV or LCD panel, with even a good quality joystik or control pad.

Saying all of this though, these bits of equipment you can buy really do make a major difference using todays panel technology. There is plenty of life left yet in the retro scene, for the purpose of getting a very good image display, near to what was originally intended.