I got overloaded with emails after some web sites mentioned the group-buy, so I had to take a break from that to work on some priorities around the house. In the meantime, we got HW2 installed and I plan to do a lot of testing with various displays.
viper1701 wrote:So how did it go?
https://twitter.com/jevansturner/status ... 08864?s=20
The initial firmware on mine does not have an OSD for analog output (and I don’t think an OSD for analog output is planned). The RetroRGB article about HW2 probably needs to be updated, but I’ll ask Marshall if it’s even possible to add OSD with a firmware update. The standard UltraHDMI OSD hot-key seems to cycle through 4 modes while using analog output, and one of those is de-blur. At least one of the modes causes the menu of my EverDrive64 v2.5 to look very strange. Probably because I have my ED menu set to 480i mode, when you don't want to force de-blur. When I get some proper CRTs set up, I’ll take some pictures of the different modes and ask Marshall for a description of what they do. When cycling modes, a color square briefly appears in the lower-left portion of the screen to indicate the current mode. I suspect this might change with firmware refinements. When using digital+analog outputs simultaneously, we’d probably want the analog options to use a different button combination. Otherwise trying to browse OSD via HDMI will cycle modes on the analog, or cycling modes on analog would trigger OSD on the HDMI output. Also, instead of cycling through modes I’d prefer to have a specific button combo to toggle de-blur on/off and another combo to toggle the other option. Cycling through source+mode combinations is one of the annoyances of my RetroTINK 2x. The UltraHDMI board knows when the DAC is present and reports on the info screen. With the DAC installed, relevant analog options appear in the "OPTIONS" submenu.
I moved giant CRTs to storage a couple months ago when the hot water heater ruptured and flooded the basement, so I still need to get those set up again. My initial testing was done with a less-than-ideal display for analog (HD RetroVision -> RetroTINK 2x -> Dell 24-inch 1920x1200 LCD monitor that does some strange scaling). Typically direct digital HDMI/DVI is the ideal way to use UltraHDMI with a flat-panel display such as this one. With my CRTs I will have to focus on Y/Pb/Pr component testing. My brother and I purchased two very large new-old-stock arcade CRT monitors, but UPS completely destroyed both of them at the beginning of the month (and I was already dealing with another UPS damage issue!). We’ll probably purchase another CRT from the same source, but we’ll need to find a different way to handle shipping.
Jeevan wrote:Ok, is it too late to change my mind on my LED???? What are all the choices lol. I went with regular red, but am thinking maybe there might need to be a diff. color for my new ultra n64.......Let me know if you would please good sir.
You can change your mind any time until I complete the install.
I noted you for a white LED after we corresponded by email.
Uzumaki wrote:Sorry if this has been answered already. If one were to have the add on board wired for component video, is there a cable that exists to plug into the nintendo AV port that outputs component video? Or would you just use a RGB cable with one of the wires disconnected?
Some RGB cables already have the correct kind of connection. Other's will need adapters. If there is a CSYNC connection, you would leave that one disconnected. If you have a RGsB cable ("sync-on-green," commonly used with Sony equipment), there will be no extra dangling connection. UltraHDMI HW2 has an option to output RGsB.
nmalinoski wrote:Assuming the module outputs YPbPr over the same pins as RGB, as the PS2/PS3 does, if you don't get a custom component cable made, you could use a regular SCART cable and pair it with a SCART to BNC adapter/cable with BNC to RCA adapters; then you just need to either directly connect the SCART to BNC adapter to your target device (if you get BNC adapters with male RCA) or use a male-to-male component cable (if you get BNC adapters with female RCA).
Yes. Adapters should work fine with SCART cables. Just make sure the adapter and cable are wried the same way (JP21 versus Euro-SCART).
Uzumaki wrote:nmalinoski wrote:Assuming the module outputs YPbPr over the same pins as RGB, as the PS2/PS3 does, if you don't get a custom component cable made, you could use a regular SCART cable and pair it with a SCART to BNC adapter/cable with BNC to RCA adapters; then you just need to either directly connect the SCART to BNC adapter to your target device (if you get BNC adapters with male RCA) or use a male-to-male component cable (if you get BNC adapters with female RCA).
Hmm, the cost of that sounds like the cost of just wiring it for RGB and using a HD Retrovision or RGC RGB to component cable, no?
Some cables won’t need adapters at all. I haven’t looked into it, but I assumed a SCART breakout adapter is very affordable.
dryja123 wrote:How’s Marshall making out with the kits he was working on in Mid-June?
He should still have them (minus the one he sent to me).
thenrz wrote:Hey Ichinisan!
I have sent a couple of emails, and I have sent many dollars into the aether directed your way. I just want to be sure everything is solid since the quantity ordered, which we had discussed may decrease by one, has done just that. There is a chance that it could go back up by one or even two, as super annoying as that is, but I wanted to get paid up for my kits and not have to worry about my less than fiscally responsible friends and acquaintances dragging their feet until I missed the cutoff myself.
Anyway, I've made the mistake of beginning to think about how I want to handle the ultraHDMI board in my solid 6061/like aluminum billet N64 build. I will be liquid cooling with 2x 120mm radiators and the waterblocks will be custom machined as well. My biggest hurdle is the interface between aluminum and copper that is going to be pretty rampant and will require a nice, neat, and tidy solution. I am thinking machined acrylic/poly-carbonate/lexan depending on how many samples I can amiably coerce from some of the reps from vendors around the shop. I'm so excited to get it going, while at the same time maximizing the graphical and audio acuities.
fff
James, when you get a moment, could you pop me off an email? I know you're busy and don't need to reply to my wall of text emails right away, but I want to be sure payment was made correctly and I can breathe again knowing when they get here, I'll be getting my sets.
Thanks!
We caught up in email sometime after this post. Overkill cooling will be interesting to see! I’ve watched videos of people trying to torture an N64 by running it all day with no heatsink. It didn’t even freeze! I still have to wonder if earlier CPU / RCP / RDRAM chips produced more heat than later ones. The actual package size of the chips apparently never changed. Slight revisions to the heatsink over time still had pretty much the same amount of surface area.
leonk wrote:Timing is everything and I seem to have the worst timing. As you know I placed my order in early 2019 and find my self 2nd on the current list. But wow. 2.5 years and waiting after paying full price for 3 kits. You think there’s any hope of me getting anything in 2020?
You joined round 7 in April last year (round 6 kits were already ordered). Based on the PM I received in September I think you were a bit confused about which round you joined. Round 6 had already ended.
(By the way, my PMs are unmanageable after reaching multiple limits, so email is preferred.)
In round 6, I had taken the places of two participants who asked for refund after payment was already sent to Marshall. I could always use more kits, but you were in a difficult situation due to the misunderstanding and I decided to let you take those round 6 spots. While keeping the package under 8 ounces, I stuffed your box with some 3D printed parts you might be able to use. If you need to back-out from the current round, let me know. I can refund (and have a few kits for myself!).
command-tab wrote:UltraHDMI HW2 is further along than I realized -- that's exciting!
Any idea if the HDMI port will fit in the same physical cutout as HW1? I have several N64 cases that have a HW1 notch that were awaiting a new round of HW1 boards before the supply dried up.
Thanks for the update!
Yup! The mini-HDMI port occupies the exact same spot, so the existing notch should line-up perfectly. There is no fitment issue with the standard notch-cut.
With the 3D printed "no-cut" pieces (designed by Greg Collins aka "collingall" / laserbear.net), there is a very minor clearance issue between the AV shroud and the DAC module. It is easily solved by snipping a bit of plastic on the inside. Also the analog flex PCB can snag on the multi AV connector screw mount (I tore my first one). Just have to be careful.
Landspeeder95 wrote:This is really exciting news!
@CZroe & @Ichinisan - A question set on the Multi-Out
1 - Without the Optional DAC, will the Multi-Out still work with multi-out to S-Video cable?
2 - With the Optional DAC, will the Multi-Out still work with multi-out to S-Video cable?
(I understand that the DAC enables R/G/B and Y/Pb/Pr)
1. Yes.
2. Yes.
I verified this with the RetroTINK 2x + Dell monitor setup. UltraHDMI doesn’t affect the signals on those pins at all. The N64’s original DAC continues to operate 100% while UltraHDMI is in-use. That doesn’t change when the UltraHDMI DAC is absent, installed + in-use, or installed + unused.
terzdesign wrote:Maybe I missed it down the line but why can't the UltraHDMI kits in their earlier version be manufactured so those that don't have a need / care about this new board can get their hands on one?
Marshall is reluctant to do a full-size batch in China since tariffs were implemented in 2019. This is the primary reason he made so few HW1 kits in his last batch. He did two small batches of HW2 in China. I think he’s feeling pressure to finish the kits he has on-hand, and I expect he’ll be ready to do a bigger batch soon after. If there’s still something preventing him from getting it done in Taiwan, I’ll ask him to do another small batch with his typical China PCBA service to keep things moving.
milo22 wrote:I would like to be added to the list of buyers. I just created this account and I'm not sure how to send a PM.
PMs are maxed-out, hitting multiple limits. They’re impossible to manage anyway, so the email address in the first post of this thread is the best way to reach me. I see that I have a couple email messages from you. Your messages missed my filter because "UltraHDMI" is misspelled. I’ll get to your message very soon!
Added another variation to the filter…
usps OR paypal OR venmo OR "cash app" OR nintendoage OR shmupsforum OR shmups OR marshall OR [redacted] OR retroactive OR ultrahdmi OR "ultra hdmi" OR ultrah
mdi OR "ultra h
mdi" OR "n64 hdmi" OR "N64 h
mdi" OR vipparcel OR "group buy" OR "group-buy"
cr4zymanz0r wrote:So I'm potentially interested but I have a few questions about somethings that seem unclear when reading old reviews, the manual, etc.
1.) So a lot of options like the OSSC, the Dreamcast, and upcoming PS1 HDMI mods have no latency (less than a 1ms, so I count that as no latency
). I see the UltraHDMI mod has "direct mode", but how versatile is that. Can it line triple or greater so you can get 720p or higher with no latency? The manual says there's an integer scaling option, but it's unclear if it's usable with direct mode with no latency or what. (Basically I want no latency and higher than 480p because most HDTVs I've dealt with scale 480p signals with a very soft look).
2.) Are scanlines and de-blur usable in direct (no latency) mode?
3.) The manual states direct mode comes at the price of tearing artifacts. Is tearing 100% guaranteed to happen in direct mode, or is it a situation where it'll just depend on your display? (similar to when you're using a OSSC with a console with non-standard video timings)
4.) One common problem in the retro gaming world is the use of upscalers and such in games that switch between 240p and 480i, where the video drops out while the display/scaler resyncs to the new resolution. How well does the UltraHDMI handle this? Does it handle it differently between the regular framebuffer mode and direct mode? Killer Instinct Gold is a big offender. When I play it on my RGB modded N64 hooked to an OSSC, it changes from 480i on the vs screen to 240p in the actual match, but the delay is long enough that the CPU player starts to attack for about a second before everything resyncs for you to see what's going on.
In the past I never tested direct mode very much because my TV didn’t like it. I might have a chance to try it with some of the other displays around here.
I know of some games that switch between 240p and 480i mode. Even with direct composite connection, many devices get confused by it. This has always worked seamlessly with my UltraHDMI while using it with standard output modes. I suspect "direct mode" might trigger the TV to reacquire the signal and blank out for a few seconds. Even if direct mode triggers re-sync, it should still be faster and less disruptive than having an intermediary scaler device between UltraHDMI and the TV.
TickleMyElmo wrote:Hey im interested , do i still email to be added to list or?
We corresponded by email. You are in
robotvendingmachine wrote:I am in group 7, but I saw people talking about paying already. Is pre-order paying going on?
I think we exchanged some PMs in 2018. If you’re in round 7, which alias did we use?
Tubo wrote:Hey Ichinisan,
Since it looks like Group 7 will for sure be the HW2 revision, will you notify participants who've already paid with the cost of the analog add-on board so we can choose to add it?
If Marshall ultimately decides to charge extra for the DAC, I will add a column to the public list and contact all existing participants to clarify the unit pricing and note if they are still interested in the DAC.
PyroPaperPlanes wrote:Hello! I would love to order a system. There would be no rush on the order. I've already sent an email to James (and received the automated message that there may be a delay in response time).
+ Ultra HDM w/Installation
--> Stock Red LED
--> Notch-cut install (if it isn't too much of a hassle!)
+ DAC (again, if it isn't a hassle)
Note: I reside in Ottawa (Canada).
...also, I might as well ask, is there a similar service for the Dreamcast (w/DC Digital) and PlayStation (w/PS1 Digital)? I am new to the forums, so I'll be sure to check some of the other threads.
Your email was received. I will start responding to emails again soon!
I believe DCHDMI is open-source, so I might work out some kind of pre-order / group-buy thing when I launch WeStillPlay.com some day in the future. Probably some GCVideo based boards too.
thenrz wrote:EDIT: Am I mistaken in noticing that the silk layer on the board shows there will be a new product name? Using "HDMI" like we had discussed is literally using a copyrighted name, and the rules and costs are ridiculous.... I see "UVD-002" [or is it "UVID-002"?] on there, "Ultra-something-Digital rev 2?"
It's nice to see some hw2 hardware in hand. I am sure that an already complicated process has been compounded by the pandemic, politics, tariffs, etc, but this is a step in the right direction.
[snip]
For now it seems the name has not changed. Original HW1 boards also had the "UVD" silk screen ID.
I don’t know the size of Marshall’s previous full-size batches, but I suspect it was a lot more than our current round. I recall him telling me about the anxiety of transferring enough money to buy an exotic car. When Marshall is ready, I definitely don’t want to discourage him from producing enough to satisfy current demand. Still I wouldn't be surprised if he proceeds with caution after the HW2 redesign.
Simoncino wrote:Hello J., we are all very happy to see that finally flex pcbs + kits are finally arrived from Marshall.
I have seen that round 7 arrived at 600 people....................
i am n. 119....
Just let us know when you install one hwkit2 on a console and you can start the production...
By the way: i imagine that you and your brother have some people that help you....... 300 consoles to install and mod.... are a lot...
Many of these will be installs. My brother and I have probably done far more UltraHDMI installs than anyone else, so I won't enlist an inexperienced helper with your console. In the past I was able to make time for 5 consoles on some days (installed, tested, packed, and shipped). I will definitely need to design a new work flow to handle so many. With the right procedures I can probably do 20+ consoles in a day (prioritizing installs over round 8 emails and such).
Now that we have the HW2 kit, I will want to install one of the extra HW2 flat cables in a PAL system to test UltraHDMI HW2. Your console will be a good candidate to confirm whether UltraHDMI works alongside UltraPIF or not (it should be fine).
Kashman wrote:Hi do I need to order a specific version or pal/ntsc or will it work either? How to I email to prepay?
Thanks
UltraHDMI works with all known N64s in all regions, though Pikachu N64s require an extra brace to hold the board in position. If you are outside of USA, it may be best to buy an NTSC N64 from the USA eBay site and have it shipped to me so you don’t need to pay international shipping both ways.
nmalinoski wrote:It works in either, and you can configure it to scale/framerate convert to 480p, 576p, 720p, or 1080p at either 50Hz or 60Hz, regardless of what the inserted game calls for.
What I'm not sure about is if the default/failsafe video mode is 480p60 universally or if the UltraHDMI detects the console region and defaults to either 480p60 or 576p50; I don't have any PAL hardware to test with.
While dealing with a kit running in PAL 50Hz that wasn’t supported by my TV, I found that the UltraHDMI jumper / IGR reset (typically holding Reset during power-on) doesn’t revert to 60Hz. For that, I had to do a controller reset. I don’t recall the specific button combination, but I think it was in the RetroActive install PDF.
