Can anyone in Germany do me a favour?

[BuckoA51]

I'm looking to order some bits from Wolfsoft.de, using Google Translate I was able to get the items into my basket but apparently they don't ship to the UK. Would anyone be willing to act as a middle man for me? Thanks in advance!

[Oliversum]

You sure you can't find the items you want somewhere else?
Just a tip, as Wolfsoft prices are mostly too high.

[Fudoh]

I tend to agree. Wolfsoft wouldn't be my 1st choice. But hey, if you need assistance, you can shoot me a PM anyday.

[BuckoA51]

Thanks Fudoh very kind, I'm after the Retro Adaptor http://www.wolfsoft.de/shop/product_inf ... apter.html
and their chroma for sync SCART for PS http://www.wolfsoft.de/shop/product_inf ... mized.html

I can't find these anywhere else online but if anyone knows somewhere please do let me know

[HydrogLox]

their chroma for sync SCART for PS http://www.wolfsoft.de/shop/product_inf ... mized.html

That looks like a Snakebyte PS3 RGB cable to me.
Amazon UK recently sold out http://www.amazon.co.uk/Snakebyte-PS3-P ... B000N8UYKK.
Amazon DE has a Marketplace offer http://www.amazon.de/Snakebyte-SB903236 ... B000N8UYKK.

The other item seems to be a KEIO retro adapter. According to the news Wolfsoft is the only one with stock left.

[BuckoA51]

I don't think the Snakebyte cable has chroma for sync. I've tried a bunch of SCART cables with my PS2 and the XRGB mini and they all have that heavy diagonal checkerboard pattern that the chroma for sync is supposed to cure. No doubt if I had soldering skills I could make my own but sadly I don't.

I'll send Fudoh a PM in the near future then.

[Overkill]

Quite interesting. Optimized cable. But 33.33€ If you buy it let us know the feedback

[HydrogLox]

I don't think the Snakebyte cable has chroma for sync.

Reading closer:

als Basis wird das Premium RGB-Cable von Sunflex verwendet

From the back of the "Snakebyte Premium RGB cable for PS3" package (got two from Amazon UK beginning of February for £15 each after Fudoh recommended it): "Snakebyte® is a registered trademark of Sunflex Europe GmbH"

So they claim to have modified it. That being said I've been using this "cheap" one for a while and never observed any interference patterns on the screen (unless that is a 50Hz thing). Now I would imagine that improper shielding of the individual leads within the cable could lead to crosstalk between the colour and sync signals which in turn could lead to interference patterns on the image. Point being - simply picking up a cable that is known to be of good quality (like the Snakebyte) might fix your problem.

[Fudoh]

I've been using the original Sony RGB cable for 18 years now and have yet to experience any checkerboarding. The Sony cables just uses composite video for sync. But it may very well be a problem on PAL units.

[Thomago]

Simply getting some good quality cable won't fix your problem (I tried enough myself!); you DEFINITIVELY need a modified cable.
But this might really be a PAL-only problem.

Btw as you probably know I own some of these modified RGB cable. The modifications - you can actually see them - aren't examples of fine craftsmenship, but they work perfectly

[Fudoh]

Simply getting some good quality cable won't fix your problem (I tried enough myself!); you DEFINITIVELY need a modified cable. But this might really be a PAL-only problem.

but in this case it would be easier to just modify the console, wouldn't it ? I mean changing the two pins on the console would allow him to use any RGB cable in the future and still benefit from the better luma signal. Who needs composite after all ?

[Thomago]

Yes, he could do that. Or he could modify the cable he already owns. But that isn't the point, right?

[Fudoh]

But modding an existing cable is extremely hard, while modding the system doesn't get any easier.

[Thomago]

Don't know about that ...

However, as long as it isn't absolutely necessary, I'd never modify a console. Would be kind of a desecration for me

[Fudoh]

Your choice, but there are enough systems which just can't deliver their best quality without midding. PC Engine, Mega Drive and N64 to name just the obvious.

[Thomago]

Well, this would run under "absolutely necessary", I guess

But well, these aren't my systems of choice anyway.

[BuckoA51]

Yeah I just don't have the soldering skills to mod my console or the cable myself and sending it off to someone to do would probably cost as much as getting the cable from Wolfsoft, plus fully mod-chipped PS2's like mine are kinda rare now, so it's a less risky proposition than poking around inside it.

I've been using the original Sony RGB cable for 18 years now and have yet to experience any checkerboarding.

The checkerboarding I get on my PS2 with the XRGB Mini is utterly hideous.

I'm still debating with myself if the Retro Adaptor is worth it. Keio's stuff tends to be nice and lagfree, but its a lot to shell out when there are Mayflash adaptors that are much cheaper.

[Thomago]

Could you possibly take a photo of the checkerboarding? I failed to take a photo of it and now it's to late, since I got rid of all unmodified cables.

[BuckoA51]

Hmm.. as stupid as this is going to make me look, I fired my PS2 up with the intention of capturing the checkerboard effect and... its not doing it any more.

I have no idea what has changed, perhaps something in the newer firmware, but I could have sworn it was on this firmware that I checked it before.

I still have problems though. Since the PS2 boots in interlace, then switches to 288p, that trips up the mini. Course I could just use my XRGB3, but that has sync dropouts with the PS2 when running PS1 games, which the cable /might/ cure, you never know.

I actually think I'll wait for now. I intend to pick up a NTSC PS1 when those SD card loading devices become available.

Still interested in the Retro adaptor though.

[Fudoh]

I still have problems though. Since the PS2 boots in interlace, then switches to 288p, that trips up the mini. Course I could just use my XRGB3, but that has sync dropouts with the PS2 when running PS1 games, which the cable /might/ cure, you never know.

do you use PAL PS1 games, so 288p is important to you ? I wust just switch the input on the XRGB until the PS2 has switched into PS1 mode and switch to the RGB input just then.

[Thomago]

Thankfully I never experienced such problems. My Mini takes its time to switch from 576i to 288p (as it takes from 480i to 240p), but that's it, no tripping up here at all.

[BuckoA51]

do you use PAL PS1 games, so 288p is important to you ? I wust just switch the input on the XRGB until the PS2 has switched into PS1 mode and switch to the RGB input just then.

Yep that's basically what I'm doing (my PS2 doesn't seem to like NTSC PS1 games for some reason, and either outputs them at 50hz or a very out-of-spec 60.9hz).

However, a lot of PS1 games seem to switch between interlace and progressive. The XRGB3+Edge is slow with this, but the Mini is much worse.

Thankfully I never experienced such problems. My Mini takes its time to switch from 576i to 288p (as it takes from 480i to 240p), but that's it, no tripping up here at all.

Could be display dependent then, mine doesn't always go wrong, but often enough to be annoying. 576i to 240p is probably the most problematic.

[Thomago]

I would really like to see the Mini to be able to switch between 576i and 288p respectively 480i and 240p without any kind of picture dropout ... I mean, look at stuff like the smooth transition between the opening video and the menu in Vagrant Story - that stuff just doesn't work :-/