Which brand of OSSC should I purchase ?

[ldeveraux]

Why should these upscaling devices only have one input? Why not support all standards so most users individual needs are covered? You don't seem to acknowledge that there are many more users who have only scart than there are people with custom VGA/BNC/component cables.

I wish they had more than one input for RGB! I can understand design and cost-related issues getting in the way, leading upscalers to default to the connector that the majority uses.

There's no need to acknowledge that most people use SCART for their RGB needs still, that's a well known fact. The hope is that this could change over time, for the benefit of all in the long run, but I know this is unlikely. Change is hard.

If I were in charge of a 5X/OSSC revision or say the Tink-4K and OSSC Pro, I'd probably keep SCART but at the same time add two more RCA plugs in between R/R-Y, G, B/B-Y and the L R audio jacks, for CS/H and V sync. That wouldn't add much more size on the board/device while giving D-Sub/BNC users the option to use them with the simple addition of 5 female BNC to male RCA adapters.

Alternatively, if I wanted the board/device to be as space-efficient as possible, I'd go with a single D-Sub port that can do it all, composite, s-video, YPbPr, RGBS, RGsB, RGBHV, etc when paired with the appropriate pigtail/adapter. SCART users simply need a female SCART to D-Sub pigtail, and BNC users a BNC to D-Sub cable which they probably already have anyway. That's what Analogue for instance did for the analogue output on the Nt Mini, and it works really well.

You're just talking for the sake of talking at this point. You say that none of the connections is perfect, then say we should all switch to component. Or that you switched because it's more universal, or nicer, or whatever. Honestly, this conversation is dead anyway. There's no reason to complain about changing the RT5x, which isn't going to happen. Nor should everyone switch from SCART because you say so.

[fernan1234]

Being an emotional guy, having grown in France, when I see a scart cable my mind automatically and unconsciously associates it with videogames, VHS, pleasure, fun.

I can see this. I would get that kind of feeling from good old yellow, white, and red RCA plugs, though the nostalgia is not good enough to take the lower quality picture now. With SCART having both RGB and the nostalgia factor, it's a stronger reason to stick with it though, I'll admit!

You're just talking for the sake of talking at this point. You say that none of the connections is perfect, then say we should all switch to component. Or that you switched because it's more universal, or nicer, or whatever. Honestly, this conversation is dead anyway. There's no reason to complain about changing the RT5x, which isn't going to happen. Nor should everyone switch from SCART because you say so.

Not really what I was saying but okay!

But you know what, you've changed my mind: everyone should switch from SCART because I say so, starting with you. You have 24 hours to burn all your SCART cables or else

[maxtherabbit]

But you know what, you've changed my mind: everyone should switch from SCART because I say so, starting with you. You have 24 hours to burn all your SCART cables or else

Take this seriously folks we are coming

[ldeveraux]

You're just talking for the sake of talking at this point. You say that none of the connections is perfect, then say we should all switch to component. Or that you switched because it's more universal, or nicer, or whatever. Honestly, this conversation is dead anyway. There's no reason to complain about changing the RT5x, which isn't going to happen. Nor should everyone switch from SCART because you say so.

Not really what I was saying but okay!

But you know what, you've changed my mind: everyone should switch from SCART because I say so, starting with you. You have 24 hours to burn all your SCART cables or else

What are you saying then? You literally haven't given a single reason why any alternative is better than SCART. All you've said is you like component and you're glad you switched. Why then?? Defend yourself!

[bobrocks95]

Do most SCART users use a $300 gscartsw or do you all just swap your cables around?

[KPackratt2k]

Do most SCART users use a $300 gscartsw or do you all just swap your cables around?

I'm in the swapping cables around club as I only have one console plugged in at a time. I don't have the room nor budget to set them all up at once in a permanent setting. To be fair I opted for RCA jacks for RGB when I RGB modded my CRT TVs, so I have the flexibility to use any connector I want via a breakout cable (I have one for VGA/15-pin D-Sub, two for SCART input, and one for SCART output from the COMP2RGB for certain use cases).

[NoAffinity]

Do most SCART users use a $300 gscartsw or do you all just swap your cables around?

Aliexpress 6 in 2 out auto switcher. I think it was around $80.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[bobrocks95]

Does it work well I take it? The low number of sales I see on AliExpress has me wary on them. Lots of designs floating around too- I didn't actually see a 6 in 2 out searching for "SCART switch".

[fernan1234]

What are you saying then? You literally haven't given a single reason why any alternative is better than SCART. All you've said is you like component and you're glad you switched. Why then?? Defend yourself!

Make you a deal, I'll tell you all the secret reasons after you find the post where I said I switched to component.

Aliexpress 6 in 2 out auto switcher. I think it was around $80.

There definitely seem to be better/more reasonable options for a SCART setup than back when I had one. First I was on JP21 which feels just like SCART except good cables are even harder to get, and then I was on the Axunworks 10-input passive switch which was okay but by no means cheap, and then after having issues with that (cables coming loose and getting tired of manual switching) I went for a gscartsw, which in spite of being expensive had issues of its own and finally made me reevaluate the whole thing.

Things are better now though, lower cost options and less of a mess of standards and more options for getting cables.

[cfx]

Do most SCART users use a $300 gscartsw or do you all just swap your cables around?

I swap; I only have one console out and hooked up at a time. I don't have a lot of space, and I have a dust problem so I prefer keeping other consoles in drawers/cabinets/boxes.

I have a question for those of you who so militantly hate SCART and want everything as HD15 and want the rest of us to switch apparently. Where do you put any capacitors, resistors, or anything else that a given console may require in an RGB cable? SCART connectors have sufficient room for such; HD15 connectors do not. I find just getting all the wires to fit in a HD15 hood when using cables with individual shielding on the RGB lines to be near impossible. Maybe that's a me problem; I don't know.

[bobrocks95]

Do most SCART users use a $300 gscartsw or do you all just swap your cables around?

I swap; I only have one console out and hooked up at a time. I don't have a lot of space, and I have a dust problem so I prefer keeping other consoles in drawers/cabinets/boxes.

I have a question for those of you who so militantly hate SCART and want everything as HD15 and want the rest of us to switch apparently. Where do you put any capacitors, resistors, or anything else that a given console may require in an RGB cable? SCART connectors have sufficient room for such; HD15 connectors do not. I find just getting all the wires to fit in a HD15 hood when using cables with individual shielding on the RGB lines to be near impossible. Maybe that's a me problem; I don't know.

For SCART, D-Sub/HD15, BNC, or component users, I don't know that you'll find a lot of people who make their own cables... I've heard a few people mention they do before, but it was very few. I mean the answer for me is I let Retro-Access figure out where to put all the components.

[cfx]

Other than the official ones from Sega, Sony, etc. I've always made them, and just thought that was the normal thing to do.

When I started doing this, I don't think places like Retro-Access even existed. There was a place called Redmond Cable that I had make one for a Genesis as I couldn't get my own to work, and I had to fix that cable as it arrived with a short in it.

I did originally use DB25, as the first monitor I had with RGB was a Sony PVM-2530, and those are large enough to fit things in. I personally didn't find it superior to SCART. I got tired of having to rewire existing cables and once I found a source for SCART connectors, I switched.

[bobrocks95]

Growing hobby, changing standards, lots of options available now and all that. I of course never had RGB as a kid and had no OEM cables, but I never had to deal with 50Hz either. I will say cable quality in general for RGB stuff has greatly improved since 10 or so years ago.

[EnragedWhale]

Do most SCART users use a $300 gscartsw or do you all just swap your cables around?

I ended up with two gscart’s.

I would like a good, reasonable sized automatic component switch. Are there any cheaper options? The GCompSW is the same price as the scart verison.

[fernan1234]

I remember a really good deal last year, someone was selling 3 SW12 Ars which can auto-switch 12 inputs into 2 simultaneous outputs all for 70 bucks. I could have also bought a single one for 30 bucks from another seller, but I decided I was already covered with my 8-input one so I just left it out there for someone else to grab.

The 12- and 8-input ones have become harder to come by, but the SW6 are pretty common and cheap (they're only missing the second output).

These BTW can be used as component switches too if you want to, just need easily available adapters. Not sure if they auto-switch with the sync-on-green but if you also have audio plugged in that should make the auto switch kick in as well.

[cfx]

Sometimes I forget not everyone is old like me. Videogames didn't yet exist when I was a kid. Space Invaders (arcade) came out while I was in college.

That obviously leads to a different perspective.

[ldeveraux]

What are you saying then? You literally haven't given a single reason why any alternative is better than SCART. All you've said is you like component and you're glad you switched. Why then?? Defend yourself!

Make you a deal, I'll tell you all the secret reasons after you find the post where I said I switched to component.

No you're right, you've been intentionally vague this entire conversation. You never even mentioned what you switched to, why you did it, etc. Thanks for wasting my time.

[maxtherabbit]

Do most SCART users use a $300 gscartsw or do you all just swap your cables around?

I swap; I only have one console out and hooked up at a time. I don't have a lot of space, and I have a dust problem so I prefer keeping other consoles in drawers/cabinets/boxes.

I have a question for those of you who so militantly hate SCART and want everything as HD15 and want the rest of us to switch apparently. Where do you put any capacitors, resistors, or anything else that a given console may require in an RGB cable? SCART connectors have sufficient room for such; HD15 connectors do not. I find just getting all the wires to fit in a HD15 hood when using cables with individual shielding on the RGB lines to be near impossible. Maybe that's a me problem; I don't know.

I put the components on a PCB in the dongle. Instead of making custom cables I use COTS VGA and 3.5mm audio cables and just custom make an adapter dongle with pigtail that plugs into the console's multiout and has a female VGA and 3.5mm stereo audio jack on it

[Konsolkongen]

Growing hobby, changing standards, lots of options available now and all that. I of course never had RGB as a kid and had no OEM cables, but I never had to deal with 50Hz either. I will say cable quality in general for RGB stuff has greatly improved since 10 or so years ago.

What was wrong with 10+ years old RGB cables? All the OEM cables I own display a perfect image/sound.

[bobrocks95]

Growing hobby, changing standards, lots of options available now and all that. I of course never had RGB as a kid and had no OEM cables, but I never had to deal with 50Hz either. I will say cable quality in general for RGB stuff has greatly improved since 10 or so years ago.

What was wrong with 10+ years old RGB cables? All the OEM cables I own display a perfect image/sound.

Not referring to OEM there, referring to third party. Retrogamingcables, retro access when they were what, retroconsolecables or something confusingly similar?

Custom made cables used to have poor shielding, not bother connecting all the ground pins, not attenuate TTL sync signals, etc.

[Konsolkongen]

Not referring to OEM there, referring to third party. Retrogamingcables, retro access when they were what, retroconsolecables or something confusingly similar?

Custom made cables used to have poor shielding, not bother connecting all the ground pins, not attenuate TTL sync signals, etc.

Right, that makes sense

[Rulumi]

Didn't the Framemeister used an adapter instead of using an SCART connector directly?

A similar adapter with some of the said connectors as the input (DB-15, D-terminal) in theory should be less cumbersome than the reverse with the SCART as input and make an easier to replace design too.

[fernan1234]

Yeah the Framemeister used an 8-pin mini-din connector, if I recall correctly. It was a pretty good design choice to make the unique compact (it was called XRGB-mini after all).

I wouldn't have minded if that mini-din connector became the standard in the retro scene, which probably would create its own demand/supply for dongle adapters for SCART, D-Sub, etc.

[Guspaz]

It used the same connector as the NESRGB shipped with. Like all mini DIN connectors, it's fragile and best left to the dustheap of history.

[Konsolkongen]

That 8 pin mini din connector was the worst POS. It sure wasn’t the SCART end that caused issues when playing on the Framemeister. I considered soldering the adapter to the FM PCB or replacing the din socket with those “aviation”-types, but then I got an OSSC instead

Din in general is bad. I regularly have to wiggle the plug on my Saturn to get a decent image. Mega Drive 2 is equally bad :/

[fernan1234]

Wow you're right, I'm also remembering how finicky the Saturn mini-din plug can be, especially when the cable is thick coax. I forgot about how it could also be an issue with the Framemeister since I only had it for a week after immediately realizing it was garbage, even at the time (compared to just using a CRT).

I remember seeing an 8-input RGBS switch box that used 8 mini-din connectors to be used with custom mini-din console cables. It had the compact form factor going for it, but I can see why it won't catch on.

[maxtherabbit]

can't really say I've ever had a problem with full size DIN but yeah mini-DIN sucks

[cfx]

can't really say I've ever had a problem with full size DIN but yeah mini-DIN sucks

Mechanically full size DIN has various advantages over mini-DIN, larger pins and they tend to just fit better in terms of not being too tight or too loose.

I haven't had the issue on Saturn in terms of signal loss with the official Sega RGB cables, but it's such a tight fit I'm sure eventually either the plug or jack is going to be damaged, or the solder joints connecting the jack to the board are going to crack.

Back when S-video was a common thing, I somehow bent a pin in one of those connectors by not lining it up perfectly plugging it in.

The other problem I've had, and I realize this is just crap quality connectors but it's happened to pretty much any I've bought from Digi-key or Mouser, is the pins turn black with some kind of corrosion. And given the small size of the connector, I don't have a clue how to clean that off. All of the ones I've bought to make Genesis 2 cables, various different brands, have done this.