Is there any way to contact Retro Access anymore?

[energizerfellow‌]

dseleski--would you ever consider making a good quality, shielded S-video cable for the SNES/N64?

Yes, the SNES/N64/GCN, Wii/Wii U, Saturn, Dreamcast, PS1/PS2/PS3, and OG Xbox could all use some modern, high-quality S-Video cables.

[nmalinoski]

dseleski--would you ever consider making a good quality, shielded S-video cable for the SNES/N64?

@dseleski: On a similar note, I'd like to know if you'd consider making component cables for systems like the Wii and PS2/PS3.

[dseleski]

Castlemania games are stocking our s-video cables which I made for them on request. However, the full range is 1. Not out yet 2. Currently made out of Scart coax - there will likely be a version made out of s-video coax in the near future. I have to ask our supplier if they will sell us a limited amount of s-video cabling - they produce it on-reel, it doesn’t have to be made custom like we had to make the Scart coax so there is a possibility it will not have to be bought in bulk (which is not practical). Hopefully, given the lesser interest this will be possible. A single reel sold by them is as expensive as our coax costs in bulk. However, it will be less bulky and there is a modicum less work involved isolating the s-video line. So it can be made more cheaply. Watch that space, in other words. Er it’ll be blue. Why blue? Annoyingly this is kinda a European thing - higher grade tv cable is *often* blue to define it as different from cheaper cable. That’s why our old coax scarts were blue. Thoughts? If I ask them to make it in black then it becomes “custom” and I have to buy 10,000 feet which is really not practical for a lower seller.

Component cables: I covered this in a previous post in the thread. I can make it on request but I can’t compete on price because I insist on making it properly by hand so you may as well source it from HD Retrovision. I use their cables on my ps2. There is no difference in the coax grade far as I can tell (I think their coaxes are actually a tiny, tiny bit thicker, which isn’t practical for us given the RGB coax we use has 6 lines vs 5 which would mean thicker outer diameter using the exact cabling they use)
Otherwise it will cost around $45 direct from us vs their $30 pricing on non transcoder equipped cables.

Can’t really go cheaper - even China makes proper 75 ohm coax at not much less then Italy and then there’s a tariff to pay. Sticking to Italy and hand soldering in the USA for now. We don’t have plans to go into that market fully and we don’t honestly see the point because Hd Retrovision cabling is perfectly fine.

[Ikaruga11]

I've heard that RCA has worse image quality than BNC. Is this true? Is RCA -> BNC as good as straight BNC?

[maxtherabbit]

I've heard that RCA has worse image quality than BNC. Is this true? Is RCA -> BNC as good as straight BNC?

there are two types of BNC connector, 50 ohm and 75 ohm
RCA connectors are not impedance controlled

using a properly matched 75 ohm connector does in theory prevent tiny signal reflections, but in reality at SD (and even HD) video frequencies it's not going to make a meaningful difference to even the most discerning eye

the female RCA to male BNC adapters do have a tendency to suck balls though

ETA: please don't take this to mean I don't care about impedance matching - that's not at all true - it's just that the characteristic impedance of the connector matters by orders of magnitude less than that of the cable itself

[dseleski]

It’s not as simple as that. A single connector won’t be the difference between a perfect or not so perfect image, unless you connect a bunch of such connectors together. It’s the potential for signal reflections, which we’ve seen and tested for when stacking adaptors. Some of our test setups require connecting multiple cables and switch boxes together, and we’ve seen image degradation from this which we could pinpoint at a certain point.

So in other words rca won’t maintain 75 ohm impedance. From what I’ve seen though the connectors don’t have the same impact as cable over a distance, but hooking up a bunch of them can. I had a single Bnc to JP-21 going through an extension cable then a jp-21 to Scart adaptor behave pretty awful in terms of ghosting. Same amount of Bnc hookups won’t result in this.

Edit: this response was for generalight.

[maxtherabbit]

that is a good point about connector stacking, creating multiple impedance "bumps" over the course of a transmission line can easily add up to meaningful signal reflections

[Ikaruga11]

So avoid RCA cables if possible and stick with BNC?

[GojiFan90]

Castlemania games are stocking our s-video cables which I made for them on request. However, the full range is 1. Not out yet 2. Currently made out of Scart coax - there will likely be a version made out of s-video coax in the near future. I have to ask our supplier if they will sell us a limited amount of s-video cabling - they produce it on-reel, it doesn’t have to be made custom like we had to make the Scart coax so there is a possibility it will not have to be bought in bulk (which is not practical). Hopefully, given the lesser interest this will be possible. A single reel sold by them is as expensive as our coax costs in bulk. However, it will be less bulky and there is a modicum less work involved isolating the s-video line. So it can be made more cheaply. Watch that space, in other words. Er it’ll be blue. Why blue? Annoyingly this is kinda a European thing - higher grade tv cable is *often* blue to define it as different from cheaper cable. That’s why our old coax scarts were blue. Thoughts? If I ask them to make it in black then it becomes “custom” and I have to buy 10,000 feet which is really not practical for a lower seller.

This is awesome news. Thanks so much for the detailed reply! I couldn't care less about the color of the cable--a blue cable is actually pretty unique and cool. I can't wait for these cables!

[nmalinoski]

So avoid RCA cables if possible and stick with BNC?

I would say whatever kind of cable you need for a direct connection is best. If you're hooking a SNES to an Extron RGB CrossPoint, you'd use a cable with a Nintendo AV Multi-out on one end and BNC+Phoenix on the other; if it's an Extron RGB interface to a gscartsw, you'd want BNC plus whatever your audio source is to SCART.

That said, if you don't have the budget for custom cables, or you're not up to modifying your original cables, or whatever, adapters are still very valid solutions.

[energizerfellow‌]

Castlemania games are stocking our s-video cables which I made for them on request. However, the full range is 1. Not out yet 2. Currently made out of Scart coax - there will likely be a version made out of s-video coax in the near future. I have to ask our supplier if they will sell us a limited amount of s-video cabling - they produce it on-reel, it doesn’t have to be made custom like we had to make the Scart coax so there is a possibility it will not have to be bought in bulk (which is not practical). Hopefully, given the lesser interest this will be possible. A single reel sold by them is as expensive as our coax costs in bulk. However, it will be less bulky and there is a modicum less work involved isolating the s-video line. So it can be made more cheaply. Watch that space, in other words. Er it’ll be blue. Why blue? Annoyingly this is kinda a European thing - higher grade tv cable is *often* blue to define it as different from cheaper cable. That’s why our old coax scarts were blue. Thoughts? If I ask them to make it in black then it becomes “custom” and I have to buy 10,000 feet which is really not practical for a lower seller.

Yeah, I'd be OK with blue cables, especially in darker hues. Would make for a nice product differentiation from the other lines as well.

[maxtherabbit]

So avoid RCA cables if possible and stick with BNC?

If they are 75 ohm BNC like RA uses then yes, they are ostensibly better

If they are 50 ohm BNC (like 90% of the cheap Chinese cables and adapters on eBay) then you're gaining absolutely nothing

[Ikaruga11]

So avoid RCA cables if possible and stick with BNC?

If they are 75 ohm BNC like RA uses then yes, they are ostensibly better

If they are 50 ohm BNC (like 90% of the cheap Chinese cables and adapters on eBay) then you're gaining absolutely nothing

So would BNC RGB cables by Retro Access be better for the GameCube and Wii than RCA YPbPr cables by HD Retrovision?

I plan on using RGB BNC cables by Retro Access for every console except for the GameCube, Wii, Wii U, XBox and XBox 360, which would use RCA YPbPr cables or HDMI -> BNC YPbPr.

[maxtherabbit]

So avoid RCA cables if possible and stick with BNC?

If they are 75 ohm BNC like RA uses then yes, they are ostensibly better

If they are 50 ohm BNC (like 90% of the cheap Chinese cables and adapters on eBay) then you're gaining absolutely nothing

So would BNC RGB cables by Retro Access be better for the GameCube and Wii than RCA YPbPr cables by HD Retrovision?

I plan on using RGB BNC cables by Retro Access for every console except for the GameCube, Wii, Wii U, XBox and XBox 360, which would use RCA YPbPr cables or HDMI -> BNC YPbPr.

What is this all being terminated into, an Extron?

[dseleski]

So avoid RCA cables if possible and stick with BNC?

If they are 75 ohm BNC like RA uses then yes, they are ostensibly better

If they are 50 ohm BNC (like 90% of the cheap Chinese cables and adapters on eBay) then you're gaining absolutely nothing

So would BNC RGB cables by Retro Access be better for the GameCube and Wii than RCA YPbPr cables by HD Retrovision?

I plan on using RGB BNC cables by Retro Access for every console except for the GameCube, Wii, Wii U, XBox and XBox 360, which would use RCA YPbPr cables or HDMI -> BNC YPbPr.

Entirely up to you. To be honest I can;t see a difference between component and RGB (in the case that you go for rgb), their cables are similarly compatible with extrons (well, using adaptors), their cables are similarly 75 ohm mini coax and a single rca connection is not going to make a difference in a mix from what I can tell. Use whatever is convenient for you. If they work out cheaper with adaptors, you might want to wait: if you don’t want to wait: well like I say I can do it on request (for component) but I am not doing it “officially”.

I have to be honest: a single rca connection is not gong to cause any trouble. Putting it through multiple rca connections, there might be some issue visible at some point.

[Ikaruga11]

What is this all being terminated into, an Extron?

Yes. All consoles will be going into an Extron Crosspoint 450 Plus, which accepts CSync RGB and YPbPr, which will then go into a BVM CRT, which also accepts CSync RGB and YPbPr.

Entirely up to you. To be honest I can;t see a difference between component and RGB (in the case that you go for rgb), their cables are similarly compatible with extrons (well, using adaptors), their cables are similarly 75 ohm mini coax and a single rca connection is not going to make a difference in a mix from what I can tell. Use whatever is convenient for you. If they work out cheaper with adaptors, you might want to wait: if you don’t want to wait: well like I say I can do it on request (for component) but I am not doing it “officially”.

I have to be honest: a single rca connection is not gong to cause any trouble. Putting it through multiple rca connections, there might be some issue visible at some point.

It would just be a single RCA Connection and then all BNC after that. I'm using the Monster YPbPr Cables with digital TosLink output for the OG XBox.

[dseleski]

I can’t read too well today it seems, you’re doing component for all native capable systems.

Ok, it depends on:

Can you get a good rca to Bnc adaptor?

And:

We are going to be more expensive, factor this in. For 3 BNCs vs 4, there will be a small price drop vs our rgb BNC cables.

And:

There will be a wait for the alternative. So, it’s basically up to you.

[nmalinoski]

What is this all being terminated into, an Extron?

Yes. All consoles will be going into an Extron Crosspoint 450 Plus, which accepts CSync RGB and YPbPr, which will then go into a BVM CRT, which also accepts CSync RGB and YPbPr.

If you already have component cables for the systems you're going to connect, pick up a bunch of cheap female RCA to male BNC adapters and use your existing cables to prototype your setup. If everything looks fine to you, then you've just saved yourself a bunch of money. If you notice any visual noise, then you can look into getting BNC cables for your consoles.

If you're starting from scratch and have the budget for it, then, sure, go right for the BNC cables.

[Ikaruga11]

I can’t read too well today it seems, you’re doing component for all native capable systems.
Ok, it depends on:
Can you get a good rca to Bnc adaptor?
And:
We are going to be more expensive, factor this in. For 3 BNCs vs 4, there will be a small price drop vs our rgb BNC cables.
And:
There will be a wait for the alternative. So, it’s basically up to you.

Correct. I'm going to use CSync RGB BNC cables by Retro Access for ALL systems except for MAYBE the GameCube, Wii, Wii U, OG XBox and XBox 360. Those all generate YCbCr internally where YPbPr would be the superior color space, depending how good the YPbPr cables are. It depends on how good HD Retrovision's YPbPr RCA cables will be compared to Retro Access's RGB BNC cables for those five systems. Yes, I'll be getting the highest quality RCA -> BNC adapter I can find if the former are superior.

If you already have component cables for the systems you're going to connect, pick up a bunch of cheap female RCA to male BNC adapters and use your existing cables to prototype your setup. If everything looks fine to you, then you've just saved yourself a bunch of money. If you notice any visual noise, then you can look into getting BNC cables for your consoles.

If you're starting from scratch and have the budget for it, then, sure, go right for the BNC cables.

I only have YPbPr cables for the GameCube (Official Nintendo), Wii (Official Nintendo), and OG XBox (Monster) right now. That's it. I won't be using the GameCube's since I'll be using the GCHD MK-II, so it boils down to using official Nintendo Wii Component RCA cables, HD Retrovision Wii YPbPr RCA cables, or Retro Access CSync RGB BNC Cables. The WiiDual will give me same decision with the Wii.

I will be using the Monster YPbPr RCA cables with my OG XBox however, since they're the best analog cables for the OG XBox on the market right now. They also output lossless digital audio via TosLink breakout and everything is brand new.

[maxtherabbit]

I can’t read too well today it seems, you’re doing component for all native capable systems.
Ok, it depends on:
Can you get a good rca to Bnc adaptor?
And:
We are going to be more expensive, factor this in. For 3 BNCs vs 4, there will be a small price drop vs our rgb BNC cables.
And:
There will be a wait for the alternative. So, it’s basically up to you.

Correct. I'm going to use CSync RGB BNC cables by Retro Access for ALL systems except for MAYBE the GameCube, Wii, Wii U, OG XBox and XBox 360. Those all generate YCbCr internally where YPbPr would be the superior color space, depending how good the YPbPr cables are. It depends on how good HD Retrovision's YPbPr RCA cables will be compared to Retro Access's RGB BNC cables for those five systems. Yes, I'll be getting the highest quality RCA -> BNC adapter I can find if the former are superior.

If you already have component cables for the systems you're going to connect, pick up a bunch of cheap female RCA to male BNC adapters and use your existing cables to prototype your setup. If everything looks fine to you, then you've just saved yourself a bunch of money. If you notice any visual noise, then you can look into getting BNC cables for your consoles.

If you're starting from scratch and have the budget for it, then, sure, go right for the BNC cables.

I only have YPbPr cables for the GameCube (Official Nintendo), Wii (Official Nintendo), and OG XBox (Monster) right now. That's it. I won't be using the GameCube's since I'll be using the GCHD MK-II, so it boils down to using official Nintendo Wii Component RCA cables, HD Retrovision Wii YPbPr RCA cables, or Retro Access CSync RGB BNC Cables. The WiiDual will give me same decision with the Wii.

I will be using the Monster YPbPr RCA cables with my OG XBox however, since they're the best analog cables for the OG XBox on the market right now. They also output lossless digital audio via TosLink breakout and everything is brand new.

if I was you I'd just stick with the OEM component cables for both the GC and Wii

but I'm not you, and you seem to love your money a lot less than I love mine, so get wild I guess - get her to make you some BNC cables and you can rest soundly knowing you have achieved Z0 zen

getting RCA->BNC adapters that don't suck fat nuts is going to cost ~$1.50 per adapter x3 per cable so keep that in mind

[Ikaruga11]

if I was you I'd just stick with the OEM component cables for both the GC and Wii

but I'm not you, and you seem to love your money a lot less than I love mine, so get wild I guess - get her to make you some BNC cables and you can rest soundly knowing you have achieved Z0 zen

getting RCA->BNC adapters that don't suck fat nuts is going to cost ~$1.50 per adapter x3 per cable so keep that in mind

Thanks. Do you know what the best brand of RCA->BNC adapters are and where to buy them?

[maxtherabbit]

if I was you I'd just stick with the OEM component cables for both the GC and Wii

but I'm not you, and you seem to love your money a lot less than I love mine, so get wild I guess - get her to make you some BNC cables and you can rest soundly knowing you have achieved Z0 zen

getting RCA->BNC adapters that don't suck fat nuts is going to cost ~$1.50 per adapter x3 per cable so keep that in mind

Thanks. Do you know what the best brand of RCA->BNC adapters are and where to buy them?

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/ ... -ND/414256

[davidwhangchoi]

This is Retro Access -

Hi, myself and another member on a PVM facebook group are having trouble getting in touch with you (retro access) for broken cables. I sent an e-mail but from several members of the group, they said their e-mails were not ever answered. One member said after not getting a reply, he used twitter and that worked well and it was taken care of. However, i don't have access to twitter and can't register at the moment (i tried but i think there's some ISP issue that's preventing me)

maybe, i can get in touch with you here.
i posted pics of my retroacess dreamcast cable that broke over here:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=64498&p=1419180#p1419180

hopefully, i'll have more success here getting in touch =)

[kitty666cats]

I've e-mailed 'em twice this year and never got a response

[davidwhangchoi]

I've e-mailed 'em twice this year and never got a response

hmm... seems to be a common issue as repeated by several others.

Hope they can resolve communication issues soon for support.

[Taiyaki]

Gosh I created this thread a while ago. Sorry to see that they still haven't corrected the poor communication issues. They make a terrific product, but the prices are certainly not low, and you'd expect a certain degree of customer service from them. Customer service is easily their weakest point, and I hope they get things together and improve on that front.

[kitty666cats]

I miss putzing around with the GUI for their custom cable maker, heh. It's probably a massive undertaking, but someone who can churn out a repertoire of custom cables similar to their variety of options would be pretty cool!

[davidwhangchoi]

Gosh I created this thread a while ago. Sorry to see that they still haven't corrected the poor communication issues. They make a terrific product, but the prices are certainly not low, and you'd expect a certain degree of customer service from them. Customer service is easily their weakest point, and I hope they get things together and improve on that front.

I finally got a reply from retroaccess about 3 weeks ago. I instantly replied back and it's since been 3 weeks, no response from retro access.

Replied back to their e-mail again with a follow up e-mail two weeks ago asking if they recieved my response and haven't heard a thing...

not sure what to think at this point

[davidwhangchoi]

i'll post my message here and the other thread with the hopes it will be seen.



Hi Drew,
i responded to your e-mail with my order number and description of the problem as you resquested.

I sent a follow up e-mail a week later, it's been about a month and wondering if you are getting the responses so i'm trying here.

Hi Drew,
this is my order number: Order #5208
and attached pics of the cable.

My cable fell apart at the end. I was playing my dreamcast on my BVM and when I was done playing I detached the cable to clean up and the end got stuck in the port broke off and did not want to come out. I finally got out the end piece
and tried reattaching it to the cable but it slips right out and it now goes in and out of sync at the slightest touch or movement of the cable.

Thanks for your help,
David

[Ikaruga11]

Does Retro Access ever have any sales on their cables, such as Black Friday? I've been thinking about holding off purchasing until then if they do.