Questions that do not deserve a thread

[Issac Zachary]

I have two questions regarding the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

1. Are all Mini/Jr SNES's (except the SNES Mini Classic Edition of course) of the one chip design that can be RGB modified?

2. Would a casual gamer/hobbyist, like me, notice the difference between a two-chip and a good one-chip SNES with RGB if I've never seen RGB in person?

I mean, I understand that the one-chip SNES's are superior, and even if they have problems they can be modified to look great. But I'm just wondering if I should be on the lookout for a way to replace my ol' yellow-top two-chip SNES with a one-chip while I'm working on getting my RGB monitor. Or if I should just wait and try out an RGB monitor on my two-chip and then decide if I like it or not. It doesn't look like I'd be out of very much money if I got a one-chip SNES, even if it's a Mini and needs modifying, and sold my two chip. My problem is finding a one-chip, or even just any SNES that I could look at personally, let alone take it apart and look at the mother board. I've been contemplating buying a Mini/Jr SNES off eBay from a reputable seller and then having it modified. But I'd sure hate to spend $100 on something that doesn't work at all. Of course I'd also hate to get my NES RGB modified, seeing it be utterly superior, and then lament not getting a one-chip SNES when I had the chance. What can I say. I'm a frugal perfectionist.

Thanks for any suggestions or criticism!

[Xer Xian]

I have two questions regarding the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

1. Are all Mini/Jr SNES's (except the SNES Mini Classic Edition of course) of the one chip design that can be RGB modified?

2. Would a casual gamer/hobbyist, like me, notice the difference between a two-chip and a good one-chip SNES with RGB if I've never seen RGB in person?

1) Yes.
2) It's very possible, but it's not a sure thing since there can be a certain variability in the output quality of both 1 and 2CHIP SNES's.. and it also depends on your setup (you're less likely to see a difference on an average consumer CRT). Some time ago I bought a SFC that was 99% sure to hold a 1CHIP board (serial number starting with 25..) only to find that it was actually a 2CHIP. I never bothered testing it out until I did get a 1CHIP - when I did compare the two I didn't find any clear difference on a JVC monitor over s-video (didn't test RGB). I'd say this - if you find the picture quality of your SNES to be a bit soft or with a bit of noise, it may be worth hunting a 1CHIP. It may also be worth if you don't see anything wrong, but can't help but thinking what you could be missing by not getting a 1CHIP. Otherwise, the effort may not be worth it.

And the NESRGB is utterly superior to a stock NES due to the latter only having RF/composite out. The difference between a 1 and a 2CHIP SNES is an order of magnitude smaller.

[Issac Zachary]

1) Yes.
2) It's very possible, but it's not a sure thing...

Thanks! I'll go ahead and wait until i see what it looks like before deciding to search out a one-chip SNES. I'll be getting more into this this winter once the snow sticks and I can't do my outdoor projects.

(I wish there were a thank you button. I hate to not let someone feel appreciated for their contribution but also don't want to fill up threads with one line posts that only say "thanks".)

[DejahThoris]

Where's the switch between positive/negative sync on a BVM-D24e1WU?

[ryuuji]

What is the difference between the new arcade lcd monitors and pc monitors ? (except the price ofc) https://www.ebay.com/itm/19-Inch-LCD-Ar ... 2405173976

[Issac Zachary]

What is the difference between the new arcade lcd monitors and pc monitors ? (except the price ofc) https://www.ebay.com/itm/19-Inch-LCD-Ar ... 2405173976

Since it is an LCD, as with any flat screen, it will have some lag (at least two frames late). If the Computer screen is also a flat screen there will also be some lag. In either case it probably won't be noticeable unless you're playing a videogame that is either so intense it needs pixel perfect control or has some sort of device that needs perfect screen frame rates, such as a light gun, in which case you'd need a CRT screen. CRT's running off of an analog signal, such as VGA, are the only way to eliminate frame lag. Other than that there may be some quality differences depending on the brand and whatnot.

[Xyga]

What is the difference between the new arcade lcd monitors and pc monitors ? (except the price ofc) https://www.ebay.com/itm/19-Inch-LCD-Ar ... 2405173976

The metal frame qualifies it as 'arcade part' and makes it more expensive.
(everything sold as 'arcade' part is more expensive, even when it is otherwwise identical or even inferior technically speaking to a similar consumer-level product)
A similar pc monitor (19" with IPS panel) is typically worth around $150~180.
There's no rule for lag, unless tested you can't guess it. Tons of flat panel displays today have less then 1 frame of delay.

[ryuuji]

So the same rule as always 5ms or less in responsive time is the thing to go for ?

[bobrocks95]

Response time quoted from the manufacturer is different from lag. Response time is just the pixel transition time, when going from one color to another. You want that low (though if you're seeing 1ms it's going to be a crappy TN panel), but it's not an indicator of lag.

[ryuuji]

So how can a person know for sure what the input lag could be (not precise but get an pretty close idea) when checking the specs sheet of a monitor ? Better brands make a difference Nec/Viewsonic ... ? What about professional pc monitors ?
btw I m talking about 4:3/5:4 monitors not newer ones.

[bobrocks95]

As Xyga said unfortunately there's no rule for lag, you just have to test for it. Spec sheets won't help you, but reviews will.

That said I feel that most PC monitors these days are low lag. If you need one specifically for arcade use, you might just have to find someone talking about monitors on a forum somewhere though.

[Xyga]

Yup you won't find that in the specs, manufacturers don't bother. They never did, likely never will.

The only way is to read reviews from trusted websites like tftcentral.co.uk (rather high-end), pcmonitors.info (bit of everything), rtings.com (TVs and monitors too since recently) among many others, you can ask them questions on their forums/comments areas or twitter.
There's also rare but good independent reviewers like NCX on wecravegamestoo forums and his reddit (he's harsh with people but gives excellent advice).

All use specific testing methods to find out about lag, but we can do this ourselves too using devices like the Leo Bodnar Lag Tester, and a similar feature's been added to the OSSC also since recently (olny requires a few cheap components a wire and a box).

bobrocks95's right low lag monitors have become common, a lot of Full-HD (1920x1080) pc monitors are practically lagless, more and more WQHD and 4K as well, but it's always good to make sure by asking around if you cannot test and measure it yourself. Here and there some models give a bad surprise.
Note: the oder/legacy resolutions monitors, like the 5:4 (1280x1024) and 4:3 (1600x1200) don't get reviewed/tested anymore at all, so likely nobody will be able to give you more than a guess about the lag of those.

PS: don't freaking read amazon or newegg reviews or whatever, stick to specialized websites and communities like those I've mentioned. careful also that PC-gaming-oriented communities have their own over-the-top needs that aren't necessarily good for us in terms of price/performance ratio.

[Inspektor]

Quick question about my SFC setup. It is a 1-Chip-02 console (I opened it and actually looked at the PCB) so I bought this cable.
I hooked it up to my Sony PVM and guess what: no picture. The sound goes through but I get no picture at all. Another thing that seems strange to me is that on the front panel there are 4 leds (PAL, Secam, NTSC and NTSC 4.43) and even if I hook up my PAL-Wii, which works perfectly fine, nothing lights up.

[Dochartaigh]

Quick question about my SFC setup. It is a 1-Chip-02 console (I opened it and actually looked at the PCB) so I bought this cable.
I hooked it up to my Sony PVM and guess what: no picture. The sound goes through but I get no picture at all. Another thing that seems strange to me is that on the front panel there are 4 leds (PAL, Secam, NTSC and NTSC 4.43) and even if I hook up my PAL-Wii, which works perfectly fine, nothing lights up.

This isn't my area of expertise, but I've read that in some rare occasions the 1-Chip02's which are generally thought of as having Csync, do in fact STILL need to be modded for CSync as if they're 1-Chip-03's. (or I could be talking out my ass here...I'm assuming you've checked the cable on another SNES and it worked, and you've run other consoles to your PVM to rule that out - or the SCART to RGB breakout cable as being possible problems).

[Inspektor]

Quick question about my SFC setup. It is a 1-Chip-02 console (I opened it and actually looked at the PCB) so I bought this cable.
I hooked it up to my Sony PVM and guess what: no picture. The sound goes through but I get no picture at all. Another thing that seems strange to me is that on the front panel there are 4 leds (PAL, Secam, NTSC and NTSC 4.43) and even if I hook up my PAL-Wii, which works perfectly fine, nothing lights up.

This isn't my area of expertise, but I've read that in some rare occasions the 1-Chip02's which are generally thought of as having Csync, do in fact STILL need to be modded for CSync as if they're 1-Chip-03's. (or I could be talking out my ass here...I'm assuming you've checked the cable on another SNES and it worked, and you've run other consoles to your PVM to rule that out - or the SCART to RGB breakout cable as being possible problems).

Thanks for the answer.
The SFC RGB-Cable is only for NTSC consoles which I only have one of at the moment, so it could be the cable. The SCART to RGB breakout cable works with the PAL-Wii at least, even when I'm playing ntsc stuff. When I hook up the SFC it plays the sound so i don't know, the breakout cable seems fine.
Maybe you're right and I need the other cable for the 1-chip-03, but lets see what other users have to say about this issue

[Kez]

As you've ruled out the monitor and breakout cable, it seems likely to be either your console or the cable. I too have heard of 1CHIP-02 without c-sync. If you are prepared to open the console, it would be fairly easy to check as there will be some components missing from the board.

Without either another SNES/SFC to test or another (non-csync) cable, I don't think there is any way to be sure otherwise.

Although saying that, even without sync you would expect to see a garbled image on the screen - what happens if you connect the Wii through RGB with no sync cable? If you get an image then it would seem like something else might be causing the problem with the SFC.

[Inspektor]

I'm using a Sega Mega Drive power adapter which outputs 9v direct current, could this cause problems?
When I disconnect the sync cable I get no picture at all with the Wii. My breakout cable says "passive" and not "sync seperator", just for the record.

If I disassemble the SFC, what would I need to look for to check if it supports CSYNC or not?

Thanks in advance

[ahaddow]

Has anyone used/opened up the "Pro RGB" cables from Solair Japan?
I'm curious after the recent MLIG video if their PlayStation cable has the extra big capacitors like they recommended for PS2/an all purpose solution.

[Guspaz]

They're JP21 cables, not SCART, so they will be of limited use to most people here.

[naz]

Hello, this is an unrelated question:


My country uses 220V, but most of my consoles are 110V. I've been rotating one voltage converter (50W 220V to 110V 50/60Hz) and it works fine, but is a pain to keep changing it between consoles (it also gets really hot).

What I would like is to use just one big voltage converter, so I can plug all my consoles to it (just the power extension, not consoles directly).

Can you recomend a brand or model??? Can't find much information on google, but this seems ok to me:



The idea is to get one that won't make a noise (no fan) and that is good quality (don't want to mess with the consoles video output).

Hope you can help
Regards

[Xer Xian]

I don't get why you would need a 1500W up/down converter for your setup.. ? Yes, having to plug and unplug all the time is annoying, but to work around that what you actually need is buying 220v AC adapters for all your systems (trickier for those with internal PSU of course, but it can still be done).

Edit: You can also import a US multi-socket thingy I guess, and plug that into your step-down converter (but make sure you never overload it with more than 50W of course).

[Syntax]

Hello, this is an unrelated question:


My country uses 220V, but most of my consoles are 110V. I've been rotating one voltage converter (50W 220V to 110V 50/60Hz) and it works fine, but is a pain to keep changing it between consoles (it also gets really hot).

What I would like is to use just one big voltage converter, so I can plug all my consoles to it (just the power extension, not consoles directly).

Can you recomend a brand or model??? Can't find much information on google, but this seems ok to me:



The idea is to get one that won't make a noise (no fan) and that is good quality (don't want to mess with the consoles video output).

Hope you can help
Regards

I'm in the same boat but my solution was to steal the cable from my MD2 and install it into a 220v MD1 power supply. 1 supply 2 leads.
Used mainly for testing but powers 90% of my systems.

When everything is set up I'll.probably buy a cheap LED psu and wire all the systems to the 1 supply.

[LEGENOARYNINLIA]

Is there a difference between playing an NTSC-J release on a JP PS2 and a modded PAL PS2?

[Syntax]

No difference. You can force video output in the mod menu usually too.

[Kez]

I built this transistor based sync buffer circuit from gamesx (bottom right):



The purpose was to extract csync from the expansion port pins on my PC Engine interface - I have an RGB mod but it does not include a sync amp. My composite video sync seemed to be quite noisy so I thought I would try amping the csync instead.

My question is - will the output from this circuit be TTL sync? I have installed it and it has drastically improved my picture quality (into my CRT monitor and also OSSC), but it seems like there is more audio buzz now. I am thinking maybe I should be putting a 470ohm resistor on the output of the circuit - as I believe TTL sync is likely to cause more audio buzz due to the higher voltage.

EDIT: So I went ahead and added the resistor, at which point the buzz continued and the OSSC struggled to pick up a sync signal unless I turned down the Analog sync Vth. So I took it out again and just redid my audio wiring which seemed to fix the issue. I continued to research the csync output of the PCE and it seems that it is most assuredly not TTL level.

[DejahThoris]

2 questions:

Bought a PSX recently, and realized that component out is by D-Terminal. Is there anything specific I need or will just any D-Terminal to Component cable suffice?

Also while being on a weird console kick, I got a Wondermega RG-M1. Will it use the same SCART cable as my Model 1 Genesis, or do I need something else?

Hoping to order cables before the consoles arrive so I don't end up with them in hand and no ability to use them, haha.

[Fudoh]

D-Terminal adapter: be sure to get on with female RCAs. Makes it easier to connect a YUV cable of your choice. I think that's better than using a full length D-Terminal to RCA cable. The ones I've seen weren't great in terms of quality, while a 5 inch adapter doesn't really cause any problems when you're using it along with good cables.

Wondermega doesn't have RGB by default, but can be modded, since RGB is available internally.

[FBX]

1) Yes.
2) It's very possible, but it's not a sure thing...

Thanks! I'll go ahead and wait until i see what it looks like before deciding to search out a one-chip SNES. I'll be getting more into this this winter once the snow sticks and I can't do my outdoor projects.

(I wish there were a thank you button. I hate to not let someone feel appreciated for their contribution but also don't want to fill up threads with one line posts that only say "thanks".)

To elaborate on the 1CHIP consoles (-01, -02, -03, Junior), the main reason they have become highly sought after is because of digital displays and scaling with either the Framemeister or OSSC. Although you can see the difference in a quality CRT RGB monitor, on a digital display with proper quality upscaling, it becomes quite obvious the difference in PQ. You can get the 1CHIP revisions looking emulator-crisp, whereas the 2CHIP line will always have a 'smudgy' look to them. The worst of the 2CHIP line being the APU revision, which was the last 2CHIP revision right before they started the 1CHIP series.

With that said, the 1CHIP line does have some compatibility issues with a handful of games. Super Turrican can outright crash when played on a 1CHIP, Demon's Crest will have garbage pixels flickering in the top line of the screen, and a few other games have minor glitches like that. Many people like to keep the best 2CHIP picture quality console they can find on hand along with a 1CHIP console, just to have options in case of wanting to avoid issues like Super Turrican crashing.

Here's a good illustration using the best possible scaling and LPF features of the OSSC in 4X mode. First, here is stock RGB encoder on a 2chip SNES:

Spoiler

Keep in mind that's about as good as a 2CHIP will ever look short of using deblur functions (which cause artifacts of their own)

Now here's stock RGB encoder on a 1CHIP SNES:

Spoiler

If you can see the difference in these shots in terms of clarity, imagine that it gets even worse for the 2CHIP on the Framemeister for example. This is why there's such a fever lately for 1CHIP SNES consoles. However, I suspect that fever will die down with the release of the Super Nt. If it is every bit as accurate as Kevtris's NES Nt work, it will be the ultimate SNES solution.

-FBX

[Xyga]

I'm the only one in this world to prefer the 2chip.

[orange808]

FPGA knockoffs are "ultimate" in terms of video quality only. "Counterfeit" can be every expressed in every modern language. That's not a coincidence.