XRGB-mini Framemeister

[NWrain]

This is really unfortunate. This is a NTSC US 1Chip-03 SNES. All my consoles are NTSC.

[Fudoh]

haven't checked in a while. The 59.94Hz on display are typical for unlocked output, but in locked mode, shouldn't it say 60.00Hz straight all the time ? I think to remember that the output STATUS screen with locked output never matched the input status screen.

[NWrain]

Maybe I clicked the wrong setting. Where do I go to turn v-lock it off? I set Auto-sync to off. Is this correct?

[BuckoA51]

Hmm, my Super Famicom is 60.10 and manages to V-lock okay. The problem seems to be that the mini isn't outputting the correct vertical refresh to match in your case. Perhaps it thinks your display won't tolerate 60.10 ?

If you go to status ( not full status ) it should say VLOCK if v-lock is on, does it?

[Fudoh]

and why does your mini change to YCbCr output just by switching the v-lock ?

[Overkill]

For PSP gaming is better to use letterbox 1 or 2? or i should use another mode instead? also, if not using scanlines is ok to put the output as 1080p, or should i stick with the 720p output?

[Fudoh]

Without scanlines, it's matter of how sharp you want your picture. 1080p is usually better. And if get too sharp, just raise the H_SCALER value to 12 or so. As the aspect ratio I think neither lbx1 nor lbx2 were a perfect match for PSP and I had to increase the vertical sizing in addition.

[NWrain]

and why does your mini change to YCbCr output just by switching the v-lock ?

I don't know why. I set it back to RGB, and went through V-lock test again. It stayed on RGB this time.

Hmm, my Super Famicom is 60.10 and manages to V-lock okay. The problem seems to be that the mini isn't outputting the correct vertical refresh to match in your case. Perhaps it thinks your display won't tolerate 60.10 ?

If you go to status ( not full status ) it should say VLOCK if v-lock is on, does it?

It does.


V-lock on








V-unlocked

[Fudoh]

The 60.00Hz during v-lock (2nd picture from top) is how I remember it. You should not get any stutter when it runs like do, or do you ?

[NWrain]

I get some stutter that is noticeable on some games, on others no. Maybe a more accurate word is that I get judder.

[Fudoh]

any chance you can try another display ? Just to rule out a bad setting or something...

It would be a real first that somebody has problems with a SNES not running smooth, especially on a pure NTSC setup like yours.

[NWrain]

I do have a another display, but is being used with the XPC-4, so it will take some time to get things organized. I'll try the Mini on it to see how it behaves.

Most games run fine, it's just that some games across all the consoles I have give me issues.

For example. I think the Sega Saturn Battle Garegga intro video gives me some stutter, but everything plays fine while in the game.

[Konsolkongen]

Are you sure it's not just the games themselves that have framedrops or slowdown? I have a modified EU SNES with a US crystal and it also says 60.08 and it runs absolutely smooth. The same goes for my JAP Saturn.

[NWrain]

I will see if I can make a video and post it somewhere. I've never done that, so it may take a while.

[BuckoA51]

Trying to record video stutter is pretty difficult, keeping in mind that your video will probably be going through a frame-rate conversion itself especially if you Youtube it.

The 60.00Hz during v-lock (2nd picture from top) is how I remember it.

It's what mine displays too, and yep the scrolling is smooth.

[NWrain]

I apologize for the terrible everything. This is a video of one issue I have. Everything in the center scrolls smooth, but surrounding sprites are kind of choppy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyGMrvVJuN0

[BuckoA51]

I can't see anything wrong with that, what should I be looking for?

Is your TV in game mode, interframe creation etc all turned off?

[Fudoh]

do you have a 60fps version of the video ? Otherwise I would suggest that IVTC is switched on on the TV set.

[darcagn]

I have played a LOT of Earthbound in my life, but I have to say, I never noticed it before--but that's just the way the game is. I tested an original EarthBound cart on a GPM-02 SNES and a 1CHIP-03 SNES, both RGB via Framemeister as well as composite directly to TV. My TV is a Samsung 51" plasma with Game Mode on. Under both scenarios, I saw surprisingly significant stuttering in the background while walking around Twoson (where my game save was). I have no doubt that what I saw has to be what you're describing. Both SNES models show 60.09Hz when connected to the Framemeister as well, btw.

EDIT: I can see it in your video as well, if I focus on one element in the environment as the party walks. To everyone else I can understand why it may just appear that way because of the video, but it's actually in the game.

[Konsolkongen]

Kinda OT. But on my 51" Samsung plasma setting the input label to either PC or PC DVI is faster than game mode.

[NWrain]

I can't see anything wrong with that, what should I be looking for?

Is your TV in game mode, interframe creation etc all turned off?

The background objects judder while the game scrolls. I made sure to turn game mode on, and any interframe creation off.

do you have a 60fps version of the video ? Otherwise I would suggest that IVTC is switched on on the TV set.

I double checked the specifications for my camera. It only records at 30fps. I'm not sure how to check for inverse telecine on my TV.

I have played a LOT of Earthbound in my life, but I have to say, I never noticed it before--but that's just the way the game is. I tested an original EarthBound cart on a GPM-02 SNES and a 1CHIP-03 SNES, both RGB via Framemeister as well as composite directly to TV. My TV is a Samsung 51" plasma with Game Mode on. Under both scenarios, I saw surprisingly significant stuttering in the background while walking around Twoson (where my game save was). I have no doubt that what I saw has to be what you're describing. Both SNES models show 60.09Hz when connected to the Framemeister as well, btw.

EDIT: I can see it in your video as well, if I focus on one element in the environment as the party walks. To everyone else I can understand why it may just appear that way because of the video, but it's actually in the game.

Some games do strange things like this. The majority of games run 100% smooth, but I run across some strange things once in a while.

[NWrain]

I spent an entire morning testing everything. I found out the culprit that was causing the actual stutter and exacerbating other issues was the digital overscan feature on my computer monitor.

[darcagn]

Hmm, I adjusted pretty much all the settings (including overscan) on my television and couldn't get it to stop the stutter. I'll try hooking it up to a different TV later on and I'll see if I can get some different results.

[NWrain]

I'm sorry I made things pretty confusing. The Earthbound scrolling is just the game like you said. However, I was apparently getting another layer of stutter/frame tear/? because of the overscan feature on the Eizo FS2333. I tested it out on many of my tate-games on other consoles and turning the overscan feature to off solved all my stutter issues on those games.

I went back and tested on my TV and the overscan feature on my HDTV does not cause any issues.




On a completely unrelated note, I just found out that the overdrive setting on a display can affect drop shadows.


Edit.Warning. I maxed out the overdrive setting and left the game on, and went to make some food. Now the drop shadows are burnt into the screen. Don't do what I did.

Overdrive Off


Overdrive Standard


Overdrive Max

[fagin]

Now the drop shadows are burnt into the screen. Don't do what I did.

Are you sure you're not confusing "screen burn" with "image retention"?

[PixelDharma]

First crack I've seen in my Framemeister's armor: While playing DDR games on my PS2, the picture will go out of sync for a moment (I think that's what's happening). It happens every 30-60 seconds, kinda irregularly. Can anyone explain to me what's happening? Most other PS2 games have been fine.

I tried it on two PS2s. It could be the cable? There is a lot of noise on it when I hook it natively to my TVs component input.

[NWrain]

Now the drop shadows are burnt into the screen. Don't do what I did.

Are you sure you're not confusing "screen burn" with "image retention"?

Yes, I did make that mistake.

It still flickers like a drop shadow too.

[Fudoh]

Image retention like this on a LCD screen is terrible hardware design. Did you contact Eizo about this ?

[BuckoA51]

That must be a plasma surely? That looks like what my old Hitachi used to do. I let my mum play Hexic HD while I was at work, I came back and there was a honeycomb grid burned into my screen for about a week

[lettuce]

Image retention like this on a LCD screen is terrible hardware design. Did you contact Eizo about this ?

My first ever 32" LCD Samsung TV developed this retention problem after about 3 1/2 years, not sure what cause the problem to start however!?