XRGB-mini Framemeister

[HydrogLox]

Extron 190 - not Extron 109. This came up over 2 weeks ago - http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... 64#p867264

[NWrain]

You wouldn't need the RGB interface in all those cases. It is being used in this circumstance to change RGsB sync on green into something the Framemeister can understand.

[Fudoh]

Was the Extron 190xi the best option?

all of them work. Search for "Extron RGB" on ebay and pick one.

why not put ALL of my consoles that are going to be using SCART through the process I'm using for the PS2?

because unfortunately not all 15khz RGBs signals play well with the Extron units.

[Smashbro29]

Was the Extron 190xi the best option?

all of them work. Search for "Extron RGB" on ebay and pick one.

why not put ALL of my consoles that are going to be using SCART through the process I'm using for the PS2?

because unfortunately not all 15khz RGBs signals play well with the Extron units.

They all work the same? Kick ass.

Less kick ass: This setup means I need to swap a cable everytime I use the PS2...

[Fudoh]

This setup means I need to swap a cable everytime I use the PS2...

no, you put a VGA switch in front of the XRGB Mini. On one input you put your Scart adapter for unprocessed sources, on one you put your modded DC box and on the third one you put your Extron unit with the PS2 connected to it.

[HydrogLox]

He's going to need an "operator's license" to operate all those switches. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgwHPox75GY

[Smashbro29]

This setup means I need to swap a cable everytime I use the PS2...

no, you put a VGA switch in front of the XRGB Mini. On one input you put your Scart adapter for unprocessed sources, on one you put your modded DC box and on the third one you put your Extron unit with the PS2 connected to it.

Good thing I have one of those then! Not powered or automatic or anything but it does the trick nicely.

So it's like:

SNES/GEN/ETC > Madcatz SCART switch > (turning into VGA somehow) > VGA switch

DC > modded VGA box > VGA switch

PS2 > (RGB) > Sync Strike > (VGA cable) > Extron interface > VGA switch

and finally the switch would just have a VGA plus audio to mini din (or SCART whatever I have the adapter already) and it's all kosher for passover from there right?

He's going to need an "operator's license" to operate all those switches. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgwHPox75GY

After all the streaming equipment I got rigged up adding some more of this is nothing. BRING IT ON!

Although in all honesty, this is pretty similar to what I've got going on with my crappy 20$ scaler and my straight to the TV DC VGA box this is just cleaner/better in every way/able to be captured by modern devices.

[pyrotek85]

I can't seem to find anyone that sells a vga+audio to scart/mini-din, anyone know where?

[Konsolkongen]

PS2 > (RGB) > Sync Strike > (VGA cable) > Extron interface > (VGA to MiniDin cable) > XRGB Mini

A BNC to MiniDin cable, right? In either case he'll have to have a cable made for this

[Smashbro29]

PS2 > (RGB) > Sync Strike > (VGA cable) > Extron interface > (VGA to MiniDin cable) > XRGB Mini

A BNC to MiniDin cable, right? In either case he'll have to have a cable made for this

BNC?

Oh jeez look at that total cost sky rocket....

I might have to hold off on some parts and slowly build the setup.

I'm just impressed none of these boxes will cause any lag.

Any Extron recommendations by the way?

[Overkill]

Folks, everyone who wants a xrgb-mini Framemeister can now grab one on solaris Japan, they just lowered the price to 289€. http://www.solarisjapan.com/products/XR ... -Unit.html

[Thomago]

Just tested something:

Cheapo Nintendo Gamecube RGB cable from bigben vs. original Nintendo Gamecube Component cable

The RGB cable's signal is blurry and noisy (the noise most likely can be attributed to bad shielding; I hope original Nintendo RGB cable does better), but the annoying flickering that can be encountered for example in Resident Evil Zero's Monitor Tuning Menu (above the red line; the other native NGC Resident Evils feature the same menu afaik) is gone.

This leads me to a question - does this work?

(PAL) NGC > (RGB cable) > Sync Strike > (VGA cable) > Extron interface > (VGA cable) > Mini => interlaced + progressive picuture

[Fudoh]

(PAL) NGC > (RGB cable)

does this combination at all allow 31khz output ? And if yes, through which connector ?

[Thomago]

does this combination at all allow 31khz output ?

That's why I'm asking.

[Fudoh]

but that's a question independent from cabling or the processing chain. I don't think that PAL gamecubes support 31khz output, no matter if you PAL or NTSC games.

[Overkill]

For Gamecube games with support for progressive scan i think its better use the WII with component cables instead.

[Thomago]

but that's a question independent from cabling or the processing chain.

Yeah ... would've been better to just ask for that.

[kamiboy]

I am pretty certain Nintendo nixed 480p support from the PAL Cube. I remember hearing that news back in the day and feeling pretty smug about my decision to import my system.

[Thomago]

Hehe Well, if that's the case indeed, it explains much.

EDIT: Oh wait ... the PAL Gamecube does support 480p if you use Freeloader and a Component cable!

[pyrotek85]

I still think it's odd that they'd drop 480p support or have none at all. The were quite a few games in that resolution, and they weren't minor titles.

[Joelepain]

PAL Gamecube supports progressive scan if you have the component cable and NTSC games that support it (no matter how you launch them, freeloader or modchip). That's what I'm doing, I've got a viper gc modchip.

The problem is there are no PAL games that support 480p or 576p at all. 576i 50hz or 480i 60hz if you press B for most of the games. Only 576i 50hz for a minority.

You can force 480p or 576p with homebrew like gcos or swiss-gc, but the compatibility depends on the game.

The question here is can the av-output do rgb 31khz. I don't think so, but the only way to be sure is to test Thomago chain or to analyze the signal through an oscilloscope or something.

[HydrogLox]

In 2004 the DOL-101 replaced the original DOL-001. In order to reduce production costs Nintendo dropped the Digital AV Out port necessary to support the GameCube component cable on the DOL-101 - which basically ended 480p support.

[Joelepain]

In 2004 the DOL-101 replaced the original DOL-001. In order to reduce production costs Nintendo dropped the Digital AV Out port necessary to support the GameCube component cable on the DOL-101 - which basically ended 480p support.

Yes there are some Gamecube that don't have the digital port.
I love Nintendo but sometime they are difficult to understand. They were no PAL games that support progressive scan, they sold the cable only on their website, and they even didn't tell people the cable exist and its benefit, and then they were surprised that no one used the digital port so they removed it. The story of the egg and the chicken....

And it's the same for the av-output. It can support composite, s-video and rgb at the same time, and this since the nes era, but they decided to remove rgb in ntsc country and s-video in pal country, just to save a bunch of components that cost less than 50 cents all together...

[pyrotek85]

In 2004 the DOL-101 replaced the original DOL-001. In order to reduce production costs Nintendo dropped the Digital AV Out port necessary to support the GameCube component cable on the DOL-101 - which basically ended 480p support.

Yes there are some Gamecube that don't have the digital port.
I love Nintendo but sometime they are difficult to understand. They were no PAL games that support progressive scan, they sold the cable only on their website, and they even didn't tell people the cable exist and its benefit, and then they were surprised that no one used the digital port so they removed it. The story of the egg and the chicken....

And it's the same for the av-output. It can support composite, s-video and rgb at the same time, and this since the nes era, but they decided to remove rgb in ntsc country and s-video in pal country, just to save a bunch of components that cost less than 50 cents all together...

Agreed. I've never cared that they had weaker specs than other systems, I cared about the games. But they sure have made some weird decisions along the way. I'm still not sure why the gamecube uses a mini-dvd, it's a home console not a portable like the psp. The system wouldn't have been that much larger if they had used full size dvds. What did they gain? All I see is that the games had to be smaller, which meant that some developers would pass on the system.

[Joelepain]

I think mini dvd was used to prevent piracy, and technically to reduce access time. In fact I'm quite fan of the gamecube mini dvd's. Most of the game don't even use all the capacity. What they should have done is to make the optical reader capable of reading double layer mini dvd, just for the bunch of developpers who can't make a game without their stupid FMVs.

And I don't agree with Nintendo having weaker specs. That's true only for the last generation (wii / DS).
Super Nes had a weak cpu but had a better gpu than Megadrive.
N64 had its flows but was far more powerful than ps1 and saturn.
Gamecube had less raw power than xbox but in my opinion was the best thought design and efficient architecture of its generation.
It's just that at each generation, Nintendo make a move that screws everything.

But we are deviating from the topic and we're not here to rewrite history

[Joelepain]

And to get back to the rgb progressive scan thing, even with NTSC games, if you press B at game start without the component cable, it won't do anything.
So you MUST have the component cable, which make the "cost argument" ineffective.
Maybe you can trick the system with forcing progressive scan through homebrew, but maybe you will end up with the same compatibility problems as with PAL games.

And even if all this work, and even if the component output of the GC is only 4:2:2, the differences with RGB would be difficult to see.
So that make the "quality argument" ineffective.

So in fact the whole question is not really interesting, beside for general knowledge (which in fact make it interesting )

[Thomago]

And even if all this work, and even if the component output of the GC is only 4:2:2, the differences with RGB would be difficult to see.

That's the point: It should be difficult to see, but thanks to the Framemeister's subpar Component processing it isn't.

[eightbitminiboss]

Is there a recommended alternative power supply for the XRGB-mini? I remember reading that the power supply output is unusual by US standards. I'm deciding if I should bother looking for one or just get a step down transformer.

[Fudoh]

very easy to find a generic PSU. What was it again ? 5V, 3A ?

[eightbitminiboss]

very easy to find a generic PSU. What was it again ? 5V, 3A ?

5V, 2.3A, center positive, 4.0/1.7mm barrel according to this Wiki.

Edit: Huh, somehow missed that there's a link to one...