XRGB-3

[INV2]

Hey everyone.

I just got back from Japan where I picked up a XRGB-3. This is a really new unit, so I believe it has all the newest firmware.

I've jumped into messing with it and have found a majority of the instructionals on the web. Hoping I might find some help with it here.

I cannot seem to access any of the upscaling, no resolution modes beyond 640x480 seem to work. When I push the mode button to the higher resolutions there is just a black screen.

I am running this in B0, DVI --> HDMI into my Panasonic plasma (PV10). I have the XRGB-3 set to 4:3, and my screen is set to 4:3. I've been using my Wii with a Nintendo official D-Terminal cable, and my PS2 with the Sony official D-Terminal cable.

[aznxtc]

I want to play all the xbox360 cave ports with scanlines on my LCD...Will the Xrgb-3 On LCD with emulated scanlines look just like a CRT?..

[Fudoh]

@INV2

I cannot seem to access any of the upscaling, no resolution modes beyond 640x480 seem to work. When I push the mode button to the higher resolutions there is just a black screen.

try the XRGB on a PC display to make sure it works fine. HDMI can be tricky when the HDMI receiver chips are working extremely close to HD broadcast specs only.


@aznxtc

I want to play all the xbox360 cave ports with scanlines on my LCD...Will the Xrgb-3 On LCD with emulated scanlines look just like a CRT?..

second part of the question: yes. First part of the question: the XRGB-3 will only scanline signals which would appear with scalines on a CRT as well (=240p). The 360 can't output this resolution. To gain scanlines from a 360 you an Emotia or UVC as well.

[Kiel]

XRGB-3 noob here, just got my unit and it works amazing with all my systems. Except my supergun which has a neobitz component output. Hooked it up through D1 input with the supplied D-terminal to component cable adapter.

Anything I should know or have to do? I didn't have the ambition to read through all 58 pages to see if this was a common problem.

[Artemio]

XRGB-3 noob here, just got my unit and it works amazing with all my systems. Except my supergun which has a neobitz component output. Hooked it up through D1 input with the supplied D-terminal to component cable adapter.

Anything I should know or have to do? I didn't have the ambition to read through all 58 pages to see if this was a common problem.

You can hook the supergun RGB output directly to your XRGB-3, would be the best and recommended option. If you can add this unaltered output so you can get the best out of your arcade pcbs.

[Kiel]

Unfortunately I cannot do RGB output with my supergun, when I had it made 7 years ago I never thought I would have an XRGB unit so I opted for component output only.

[Artemio]

Unfortunately I cannot do RGB output with my supergun, when I had it made 7 years ago I never thought I would have an XRGB unit so I opted for component output only.

That is very improbable, you only need to split the lines from the JAMMA connector. Pins you need are:

VIDEO GREEN N
VIDEO RED 12
VIDEO SYNC P
VIDEO BLUE 13
VIDEO GROUND 14

You only need to route those pins from before the encoder you have, you don't need to sacrifice your current output, you can split them and just drive those lines to a SCART/RGB-21 connector or to the other port that takes RGB on your XRGB-3.

[Kiel]

Well yes, improbable for some but I'd rather not risk messing up what I have now if I don need to. If it's absolutly necessay I may just try to build one but I'd like to stick with waht I have.

[Fudoh]

Your supergun should be compatible with the XRGB, even through component. The question is more related to the PCB actually plugged into your supergun. If there's any incompatibility it's with the game in question.

[aznxtc]

@aznxtc

I want to play all the xbox360 cave ports with scanlines on my LCD...Will the Xrgb-3 On LCD with emulated scanlines look just like a CRT?..

second part of the question: yes. First part of the question: the XRGB-3 will only scanline signals which would appear with scalines on a CRT as well (=240p). The 360 can't output this resolution. To gain scanlines from a 360 you an Emotia or UVC as well.

Can i use the XRGB-2 Plus instead of a XRGB-3 to get the same results?..

[RGB32E]

@aznxtc

I want to play all the xbox360 cave ports with scanlines on my LCD...Will the Xrgb-3 On LCD with emulated scanlines look just like a CRT?..

second part of the question: yes. First part of the question: the XRGB-3 will only scanline signals which would appear with scalines on a CRT as well (=240p). The 360 can't output this resolution. To gain scanlines from a 360 you an Emotia or UVC as well.

Can i use the XRGB-2 Plus instead of a XRGB-3 to get the same results?..

No, since you need to turn the 360 720p output into 240p before sending to any XRGB model. 720p (or 480p) to 240p conversion is performed by the Emotia or UVC.

[Fudoh]

I think he meant the combination of a XRGB-2plus and an Emotia/UVC. This would work, but depening on your target display, the XRGB-3 performs better.

[Kiel]

Your supergun should be compatible with the XRGB, even through component. The question is more related to the PCB actually plugged into your supergun. If there's any incompatibility it's with the game in question.

so yesterday I tested it out wih my MVS unit and I couldn't get it to work, after reading your post I checked with SH3 and PGM - both worked although the PGM was really bright and washed out (might be fixable by cranking the pots way down on my 'gun)

then I tried my MVS just to see what would happen and now IT WORKS! And don't know what was going on...

But at any rate this XRGB-3 is the best purchase i've made in a long time.

[INV2]

so...after two days of non-stop testing and trial and error. I did manage to get the 1920x1080 to happen. It takes A LOT of work though. The process "feels" very haphazard too.

I have to set my TV input to native, or as Panasonic refers to it "FULL."
Turn on the XRGB-3, which will default to 1280x720 with a grotesque picture. It's all over scanned and weird.
Then I have to set the FULL_HD setting in the options menu to "LOW."
Using the on-screen menu, I then have to select 1360x768 which makes my screen go absolutely bonkers. Artifacts everywhere, screen frozen, crazy stuff. The remote won't work at this point, so, I have to manually change the Mode.
I Mode cycle through all the settings, BUT, when I get to 1920x1080, it shows a correct picture.
Sometimes I have to go through this process several times. :crying:

All that said, when it does get into 1920x1080, I can confirm it in the on screen menus. And, when I push the status button on my TV remote, the Panasonic claims it's showing a 1080p signal. The 1920x1080 makes a substantial difference as well, the picture from my AES through RGB, and my PS2 through D-Terminal, both look fantastic.

However, the steps above sometimes have to be repeated numerous times. AND, if I switch my TV input, I have to do it all over again.

Any thoughts about what's going on here?

Two things to note, one, I actually do not own a PC monitor to test.
And two, for some bizarre reason I cannot locate a VGA cable to text something other than the DVI--->HDMI connection. I just ordered one from Monoprice for a few bucks, and it should be here in a couple days.

[Fudoh]

Any thoughts about what's going on here?

known incompatibility of the XRGB-3 with HD signals. The XRGB does not output 720p also. 1080p works on a few sets, but doesn't work at all on others. You're lucky, but i wouldn't call your method very user-friendly. I rarely use the XRGB's B0 mode, but if I do I use 1650x1050 (via VGA) on my setup. It's very close to the 1080p output and at least works every time.

In general most XRGB users in here found the DVI output to be more bogus than the VGA output. Doesn't your TV have a VGA input ? This would allow you to use other PC resolutions which are much easier to handle than your 1080p HDMI approach.

EDIT: didn't read your post to the end. You'll be lucky once you have a VGA cable on hand. This should improve the compatibility widely, even though you might be out of luck with 1080p...

[aznxtc]

I think he meant the combination of a XRGB-2plus and an Emotia/UVC. This would work, but depening on your target display, the XRGB-3 performs better.

How would I go about connecting the UVC rgbs cables to the XRGB?..

[INV2]

My PV10 does have a VGA port on the side. And I'll have the VGA cable on Thursday. I could swear I already have one, which I probably do, but I have no idea where it is.

Anyway, after a lot more testing this afternoon I have deduced that the method I outlined above, does work, albeit super dumb.

[RGB32E]

My PV10 does have a VGA port on the side. And I'll have the VGA cable on Thursday. I could swear I already have one, which I probably do, but I have no idea where it is.

Anyway, after a lot more testing this afternoon I have deduced that the method I outlined above, does work, albeit super dumb.

Great to hear your success with DVI @ 1080p! Not to get your hopes up, but Panasonic has a track record of capping analog signals at 1080i... regardless of component/RGB connection. This means analog PC input max rez is 1360x768 or 1280x1024 - your TV manual states this, and the CNet review of the V10 confirms this. However, from other Panasonic PDP/XRGB-3 owners, the VGA input has been reported to work well for B1 mode (analog output only). So, if you can consistently get B0 at 1080p DVI, and B1 via analog (VGA), you've got the two best configs covered!

Check the wiki and add your test results (would be appreciated):
http://junkerhq.net/xrgb/index.php/XRGB-3#Tests

I just double checked the wiki, and the G15 results appear/should be the same for the V10 (same guts):
Panasonic TC-P46G15 (US)
46" - 1080p (HDMI) / 1366x768 (VGA) - Plasma

XRGB-3 resolution HDTV/MONITOR
Resolution | VGA OUTPUT | DVI OUTPUT
320x240 no no
640x400 no no
640x480 yes (1) yes
1024x768 yes no (2)
1280x1024 yes no
1600x1200 no no
1280x768 yes no (2)
1360x768 yes no (3)
1440x900 no no
1680x1050 yes (4) no
1920x1080 no no (5)
1920x1200 no no
Notes
(1) On side scrolling game the the picture look unstable.
(2) Picture come up but is not centered correctly and can't be corrected with XRGB and/or TV setting.
(3) Picture all mess-up.
(4) Officially unsupported by TV but show properly for some reason O_o.
(5) Getting to show 1080p is a question of trial and error (switching between 480p & 1080p until it work). However when you got the picture on screen part of the top is repeated on the bottom and some part of the middle is repeated on the right side of the screen.

[INV2]

Yeah, I actually remember reading that the best resolution possible out of the VGA port is 1360x768, so I'm prepared for that. I am definitely interested to see what the B1 mode is like. Again, see my post above, forcing the thing into 1080p is defintiely trial and error, not a clean process. If I do decide to just use it in VGA on a regular basis, is there a true benefit in a super shielded (and obviously expensive) VGA cable?

[Fudoh]

How would I go about connecting the UVC rgbs cables to the XRGB?..

you have to built an adapter cable from the UVC's 5-pin Molex output to the XRGB's 21-pin japanese Scart input. If you use a XRGB-3 you can use the back 15-pin SubD VGA input as well.

[aznxtc]

How would I go about connecting the UVC rgbs cables to the XRGB?..

you have to built an adapter cable from the UVC's 5-pin Molex output to the XRGB's 21-pin japanese Scart input. If you use a XRGB-3 you can use the back 15-pin SubD VGA input as well.

Is there a diagram where i need to wire the UVC's 6wires R,G,B,G,Vsync,Hsync to the 21-pin Japanese Scart?....
Can i solder the UVC to this connector?...Or to the XRGB itself.

http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-RGB-21-pin-SCA ... 4150980772

[Fudoh]

If you want to use Scart you have to set the UVC to composite sync. You can check the Japanese 21-pin Scart layout on gamesx.com. It clearly shows where the signals go. The eBay link looks good. You can use this.

[INV2]

Just an update....

I installed the English firmware, that is some quality, QUALITY stuff. It's much easier to navigate through everything now, even though I have memorized where everything is anyway.

I managed to get everything to work pretty nicely with the VGA cable, my Panasonic will accept up to 1680x1050 through the VGA port. I have it in B1 mode for the scan lines, obviously.

There's a couple of small tweaks to get the AES to display properly through the RGB input, in the AFC settings.

The only thing I could not get to work is my Gamecube with my SHVC-010 RGB cable, the Nintendo branded RGB cable (for the Super Famicom). Although I think it works with the N64 as well. I don't think it's compatible with the Gamecube, since it probably wants to output progressive video through its digital AV port. So this may not be the XRGB-3's doing. Perhaps someone could confirm this?

I can see why a lot of people would be turned off by the XRGB-3, you have to have some fortitude and resourcefulness, because it does take some work.

[SGGG2]

I managed to get everything to work pretty nicely with the VGA cable, my Panasonic will accept up to 1680x1050 through the VGA port. I have it in B1 mode for the scan lines, obviously.

The resolution in B1 is permanently set at 640x480. Don't let the menu fool you.

[speedlolita]

The only thing I could not get to work is my Gamecube with my SHVC-010 RGB cable, the Nintendo branded RGB cable (for the Super Famicom). Although I think it works with the N64 as well. I don't think it's compatible with the Gamecube, since it probably wants to output progressive video through its digital AV port. So this may not be the XRGB-3's doing. Perhaps someone could confirm this?

NTSC GameCube cannot output RGB. Well, they can. http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/nintendo/gc-rgb.htm

They can output VGA instead, which is much better.

[INV2]

Well, clearly I don't have this thing down. I can very clearly see a difference between 640x480 and switching it to 1680x1050, so...this thing must be full processing mode not B1. I don't get it, I set it to B1 in FPGA menu, press OK. Then turn off the XRGB-3 and turn it back on. When I go to the FPGA meun it's selected on B1 mode. Am I not doing this correctly?

Do I have the most current firmware for the B1 mode?

It displays...

FPGA1 VER
VER 09 01 23

?

[Fudoh]

Get a D-Terminal or component cable for your NTSC Cube. This way you can run 480i and 480p games right through the XRGB-3.

If you haven't installed the B1 Firmware, then it's not there. Freshly shipped XRGB's don't have it installed. Not sure what your FPGA version indicates. There never was another B1 firmware after the initial release in 2008. If you see a difference between 480p and 1050p output, then your XRGB clearly defaults back to B0 during bootup. Also the scanlines don't work in B0 mode, so that's one easy determination.

[Chacranajxy]

Out of curiosity, would using my Wii with the XRGB (over SCART) look better than the Wii plugged straight into my TV with component? I've got the later setup right now, but I feel like the visuals aren't as razor sharp as what I get with my PS2 and Saturn on the XRGB. I just wanna find out if there'd be an appreciable difference before I shell out for a cable.

[Fudoh]

Out of curiosity, would using my Wii with the XRGB (over SCART) look better than the Wii plugged straight into my TV with component?

hardly. Going from 480p to 480i is the worst thing you can do. The Wii's video chip is mediocre at best. Transcoding from 480p component to VGA (which the XRGB-3 can do) looks best on my setup, but it might not be worth the effort on every setup.

On a side note: I'm sure if the NTSC Wii machines even output RGB via Scart. Do they ?

[em0ti0n]

The only thing I could not get to work is my Gamecube with my SHVC-010 RGB cable, the Nintendo branded RGB cable (for the Super Famicom). Although I think it works with the N64 as well. I don't think it's compatible with the Gamecube, since it probably wants to output progressive video through its digital AV port. So this may not be the XRGB-3's doing. Perhaps someone could confirm this?

NTSC Gamecube won't output RGB, but component / s-video / composite only, for use with XRGB-3 get yourself D-Terminal cable as advised and you will be set to go