Questions that do not deserve a thread

[BazookaBen]

Is the Crescendo Systems RTC2220 still the best option for transcoding YPbPr to RGBHV?

From the research I've done, the answer seems to be yes. Coincedentally, I just ordered one last week, so I'll be able to let you know soon how good it looks. I'll be using it to play Gamecube, Wii, and Xbox games on a CRT PC monitor.

Those are really the only systems a YUV>RGBHV converter is necessary for (and not even the Wii really, since apparently you can softmod it for VGA). If you have a PS3/4 or XO, the HDFury converts from HDMI beautifully and with zero lag. And PS2 natively outputs VGA at 480p, though your monitor must accept sync on green. Xbox 360 and Dreamcast have native VGA out as well.

The Wii U is a little more complicated, you would need to make sure you get an HDFury capable of color depth upscaling, since its HDMI is currently only 16-235 RGB.

Bummer, stretched picture it is then. Thanks for helping!

You can always stretch it horizontally a little more, you'll lose a little to overscan, but your geometry might be better. Thankfully I don't have this problem as all my CRT's can letterbox 1080p and 720p just fine.

[BazookaBen]

I want to get the best damn Genesis model out there, I know you should look for a model 1 that has "high definition graphics" in big letters over the cartridge slot but is there anything else to look for? Like a specific serial number?

Look up the "3/4 motherboard Model 2" as well. That's what I have, and it has beautiful sound. According to that Sega16 forum post, it's almost identical to the "HD graphics" model in the sound department. Just make sure you're using RGB out for video, because the composite is particularly bad on most model 2's.

[LEGENOARYNINLIA]

Is the Crescendo Systems RTC2220 still the best option for transcoding YPbPr to RGBHV?

From the research I've done, the answer seems to be yes. Coincedentally, I just ordered one last week, so I'll be able to let you know soon how good it looks. I'll be using it to play Gamecube, Wii, and Xbox games on a CRT PC monitor.

Those are really the only systems a YUV>RGBHV converter is necessary for (and not even the Wii really, since apparently you can softmod it for VGA). If you have a PS3/4 or XO, the HDFury converts from HDMI beautifully and with zero lag. And PS2 natively outputs VGA at 480p, though your monitor must accept sync on green. Xbox 360 and Dreamcast have native VGA out as well.

The Wii U is a little more complicated, you would need to make sure you get an HDFury capable of color depth upscaling, since its HDMI is currently only 16-235 RGB.

Thanks. Do you mind telling how much you paid for one? The thing is that my monitor doesn't sync on green so I need this device for 480p stuff.

[BazookaBen]

Thanks. Do you mind telling how much you paid for one? The thing is that my monitor doesn't sync on green so I need this device for 480p stuff.

I got the version with adjustable gamma, which is 190. I think the version without is 160.

[BuckoA51]

Is the Crescendo Systems RTC2220 still the best option for transcoding YPbPr to RGBHV?

I'd say it's overkill for video games. The Startech component to VGA transcoder I tested performed fantastically, have a look here - http://www.videogameperfection.com/2014 ... ranscoder/

[Fudoh]

What's a common price for the Startech and where did you order yours ?

[Xyga]

Looks like a CPNT2VGAA, not distributed in Europe (?) expensive import...

[BuckoA51]

I am in Europe so it is definitely available here Like the review says I got it from eBuyer.com but there are lots of stores that stock it. Price around £50.

[Fudoh]

Do you still have it ?

If yes, could you check, if it properly cleans up the Green channel ? Some other transcoders leave sync on "G" although they output in H/V as well. This can cause some problems on displays that support both sync signals.

[BazookaBen]

If yes, could you check, if it properly cleans up the Green channel ? Some other transcoders leave sync on "G" although they output in H/V as well. This can cause some problems on displays that support both sync signals.

This is interesting. I'm currently using the Audio Authority 9A65, and on some of my monitors it has a weird porch issues in the middle of the screen if I leave it in RGBHV mode. Picture is fine if I set it to RGBs.

The reason I'm upgrading to the Crescendo is because the AA seems to have Gamma problems. The picture seems to be darker overall, especially at 480p, and the gamma seems to be at 2.0 when it should be at 2.2. Then again, that may be the fault of my PS3's component out (I've heard complaints about it), I don't have a way to do a definitive test. Picture still looks pretty good though, I've just become a bit of a perfectionist.

[BuckoA51]

If yes, could you check, if it properly cleans up the Green channel ?

I do still have it but I'm not sure how I'd check for that?

[Fudoh]

I do still have it but I'm not sure how I'd check for that?

for example just connect RGB (without H/V) to your Extron interface and see if the Extron can make something useful out of it (if yes, then sync is still there on G).

[BuckoA51]

Ah yes I have a BNC female to VGA that I could do that with somewhere... so I'd basically put VGA to bnc female on the output of the transcoder then attach just the RGB lines and not sync to a male BNC to VGA and put that into the Extron... I'll let you know.

[Sixfortyfive]

I just bought a Leo Bodnar lag tester in anticipation of an HDTV I want to test, so I decided to give it a run on my 2 existing gaming displays first and get a feel for how I'm supposed to interpret the numbers.

LCD monitor, connected directly through HDMI
LCD monitor, HDMI-to-VGA via HD Fury 2
CRT monitor, HDMI-to-VGA via HD Fury 2

I'm assuming that, on a zero-lag display, the top of the screen should give a result of 0 ms and the bottom should be about 16.6 ms, since that's how long it takes to scan a full frame at 60 fps. And the reason why the CRT readings are above 0 at the top and below 16 at the bottom is because the viewable area of the screen only accounts for part of the total area that gets scanned. Is that about right?

I'm a little curious why the VH236H's readings would only be 2-3 ms higher than the CRT, then, as any side-by-side camera test I remember seeing for that monitor usually pegged it at about 8 ms behind a CRT instead.

[Fudoh]

I'm assuming that, on a zero-lag display, the top of the screen should give a result of 0 ms and the bottom should be about 16.6 ms

nearly, but not exactly. There are confirmed offset readings available for all three bars. The unit starts a timer when transmitting the HDMI signal - starting with the first line of the frame. Check the Bodnar thread for the numbers.

You will also find displays that display the same number of all three bars.

With a reading like yours (without any benchmark comparison), it's really just useful to compare two displays based on similar tech.

[Kilmaattikahn]

Why is my PS3 clipping video levels?

No matter what I set "RGB Full Range (HDMI)" to, it will never output whiter than white nor blacker than black. If I switch from RGB to YCbCr it will correctly pass BTB and (if Super White is also On) WTW.
My 360 can pass WTW and BTB through both the VGA cable and the HDFury to the very same display.

[BazookaBen]

Why is my PS3 clipping video levels?

No matter what I set "RGB Full Range (HDMI)" to, it will never output whiter than white nor blacker than black. If I switch from RGB to YCbCr it will correctly pass BTB and (if Super White is also On) WTW.
My 360 can pass WTW and BTB through both the VGA cable and the HDFury to the very same display.

Yeah, I've noticed that too. I had a video with the bottom 0-25 on the color depth scale, and I couldn't see anything below 16 or so, even if I crank the brightness. It also clips black when playing PS1/2 games over component.

I just bought a Leo Bodnar lag tester in anticipation of an HDTV I want to test, .

Thanks for posting the numbers, it's awesome that the HDFury guys were able to create a virtually lagless DAC. I was worried when I first got mine, until I booted up Wipeout HD and it was just as repsonsive as playing over S-video on a CRT.

[BuckoA51]

for example just connect RGB (without H/V) to your Extron interface and see if the Extron can make something useful out of it (if yes, then sync is still there on G).

Tested that for you, soon as I remove either of the sync lines from the transcoder output I get no signal on the Extrons LCD and on the screen no picture.

[Fudoh]

Thank you very much!

[Smashbro29]

I want to get the best damn Genesis model out there, I know you should look for a model 1 that has "high definition graphics" in big letters over the cartridge slot but is there anything else to look for? Like a specific serial number?

http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread ... m-bad-ones
(Apparently the pictures are currently down, but the info is solid and as detailed as you can get)

So basically I want a model 1 that has "high definition graphics" written on it that doesn't have the "licensed by sega" screen.

[bobrocks95]

I want to get the best damn Genesis model out there, I know you should look for a model 1 that has "high definition graphics" in big letters over the cartridge slot but is there anything else to look for? Like a specific serial number?

http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread ... m-bad-ones
(Apparently the pictures are currently down, but the info is solid and as detailed as you can get)

So basically I want a model 1 that has "high definition graphics" written on it that doesn't have the "licensed by sega" screen.

I'd say more important than whether it has TMSS or not is the sound quality. Honestly I'm not sure which is better between the VA2 motherboard and VA3-6, they both seem to have their own set of pros and cons. It's possible the low-pass filter on the VA3-6 may be removable which would probably give it the edge on the VA2.

Either way the High-Definition models will blow everything else out of the water sound-quality wise, unless you get a Model 2 and mod it with TmEE's replacement audio circuit.

[mchay]

So, I'm looking to have another take on creating a male scart to BNC, for me to connect to the output on my scart switch, so that multiple consoles can be connected to my desktop broadcast monitor at the same time.

Having missed the part about needing to connect all grounds together which had me troubleshooting a whole lot a couple of weeks ago, I'm looking for the "create a male scart -> BNC for dummies" picture/instruction, for this to go as smooth as possible.

Does anyone have this info, so I can put my soldering iron to work and thereafter have some playtime?

[mchay]

So, I'm looking to have another take on creating a male scart to BNC, for me to connect to the output on my scart switch, so that multiple consoles can be connected to my desktop broadcast monitor at the same time.

Having missed the part about needing to connect all grounds together which had me troubleshooting a whole lot a couple of weeks ago, I'm looking for the "create a male scart -> BNC for dummies" picture/instruction, for this to go as smooth as possible.

Does anyone have this info, so I can put my soldering iron to work and thereafter have some playtime?

I'm going with the following pinout, connecting all grounding pins together, to forward an answer from Konsolkongen;

http://mastersystem.dk/modding/pinouts.php#scart

hopefully this will bring a working broadcast monitor vs scart switch vs console setup.

[BazookaBen]

Either way the High-Definition models will blow everything else out of the water sound-quality wise, unless you get a Model 2 and mod it with TmEE's replacement audio circuit.

I wouldn't go that far. If you read that thread on sega-16, you'll see that the three-quarter motherboard revision of the model 2 is very close to the "HD" model 1. I have that version and it sounds crystal clear to me.

[Smashbro29]

Either way the High-Definition models will blow everything else out of the water sound-quality wise, unless you get a Model 2 and mod it with TmEE's replacement audio circuit.

How do I ensure I get one or the other? That guide still doesn't have pictures and no one is posting there.

[Sid]

Asked in the B&O thread, but didn't get a response yet.

I am running a PS2 to a B&O MX4200 via a Piranha RGB scart lead but seemingly only getting a composite signal. I've tried both inputs on the tv, and they give the same results. Hoping to get advice on whether or not I might need to modify what pins are connected inside the cable to get it working correctly.

[bobrocks95]

Either way the High-Definition models will blow everything else out of the water sound-quality wise, unless you get a Model 2 and mod it with TmEE's replacement audio circuit.

How do I ensure I get one or the other? That guide still doesn't have pictures and no one is posting there.

Motherboard revisions are very hard to notice. The "High Definition" models have those words printed on the top of the console... Motherboard revisions beyond that are a coin toss.

The 3/4 motherboard Model 2 that BazookaBen mentioned is easy to spot if you look at the holes on the bottom- for full sized motherboards you'll see it through every hole, for 3/4 ones there will be a few empty-looking spots.

[BazookaBen]

Here's an image showing the difference between model 2's

[bobrocks95]

Whoops, forgot there's metal shielding beneath the board (makes much more sense in hindsight). Thanks for bringing up a picture.

I would like to hear some audio comparisons between a 3/4 model 2 and a high-definition model 1 at some point. Really prefer the Model 2's design, and as great as TmEE's audio bypass circuit sounds it doesn't look like fun to install for someone with limited soldering experience.

[CMcK]

My Ikegami monitor has developed a problem and I was wondering if anyone can tell me if it can be fixed or is it time to hunt for a replacement. Any advice would be gratefully received.