Saturn Component possibility?
Saturn Component possibility?
So I want to hook up my Saturn to my HD tv, but I don't want it to look like poop through the composite cables, and I don't have an S-Video cable which is apparently not that much better. Does anyone know if it's possible to mod a Saturn (even so far as sending it somewhere to get modded) to put out Component (RGB) video?
http://www.gamesx.com/avpinouts/saturnav.htm
Check out that site...it's got a pinout of the Saturn's hook-up....and there are ones marked....red green blue.....so hook a wire up to each of those pins and BAM component video in RGB format, I think, cause I haven't ever used RGB. It's a shame RGB isn't really used in the U.S. I wish there was a way to do YPbPr component with Saturn, but judging by the pin out....it would not be possible.
Check out that site...it's got a pinout of the Saturn's hook-up....and there are ones marked....red green blue.....so hook a wire up to each of those pins and BAM component video in RGB format, I think, cause I haven't ever used RGB. It's a shame RGB isn't really used in the U.S. I wish there was a way to do YPbPr component with Saturn, but judging by the pin out....it would not be possible.
Yeah your talking bout YPbPr then...the problem is the Y is luminacne, the Pb signal is blue to luminance difference and Yr is red to luminance difference....which unfortunately....there's no outputs for that. So the only way you could prolly do that is convert it to RGB....then buy a converter that makes it into YPbPr....whic I'm pretty sure those aren't cheap.
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skate323k137
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It would take both an upscan converter (RGB to VGA) and a component transcoder (VGA to Component), each of which are a couple hundred bucks, and then you would be lucky if it even looked that good afterwords. Thats assuming you can upscale the RGB output to the needed resolution (which i'm afraid may be 1080i) to work with the transcoder. in other words, its really not worth it as far as i can tell.
If s-video isn't good enough, scour the country for a euro TV with an SCART (true RGB, not compnent) connection. otherwise, have someone very skilled wire the RGB outputs of the saturn to an arcade monitor.
edit- if your hdtv has a VGA input, you may be able to use that input via an scart (or usually japanase RGB which looks just like scart but has a different pin-out) to vga upscan converter, but those are more expensive than i remember... a few hundred bucks for a good one. the xrgb3 (which im just using as an example) has japanese rgb input, and can output VGA. most if not all of the RGB cables you'll find for saturn have the euro SCART pinout, but can be re-wired to the japanese version.
look at: http://www.gamesx.com/avpinouts/rgb21pinj.htm
(that is the pinout for the japanese rgb which should be the accepted input of the xrgb3, looks just like euro scart)
http://members.optushome.com.au/eviltim ... escart.htm
(shows how to wire a saturn and many other consoles to a euro scart connection. you'll notice the pin number differences between the euro page here and the japanese pinout above)
If s-video isn't good enough, scour the country for a euro TV with an SCART (true RGB, not compnent) connection. otherwise, have someone very skilled wire the RGB outputs of the saturn to an arcade monitor.
edit- if your hdtv has a VGA input, you may be able to use that input via an scart (or usually japanase RGB which looks just like scart but has a different pin-out) to vga upscan converter, but those are more expensive than i remember... a few hundred bucks for a good one. the xrgb3 (which im just using as an example) has japanese rgb input, and can output VGA. most if not all of the RGB cables you'll find for saturn have the euro SCART pinout, but can be re-wired to the japanese version.
look at: http://www.gamesx.com/avpinouts/rgb21pinj.htm
(that is the pinout for the japanese rgb which should be the accepted input of the xrgb3, looks just like euro scart)
http://members.optushome.com.au/eviltim ... escart.htm
(shows how to wire a saturn and many other consoles to a euro scart connection. you'll notice the pin number differences between the euro page here and the japanese pinout above)
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peace4myheart
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if money isn't an issue, then invest in an xrgb upscan converter, which is around 200-250. You can use RGB cable for all your old consoles and connect them to vga monitor or hdtv.
"You're just given the illusion that your decisions can actually make a difference when in the end all has been decided by the programmers." NebachadnezzaR
This is neither a cheap nor easy hack.
Pretty much everything you've read here is accurate. The only option I'll add to the pile is a jrok video encoder:
http://www.jrok.com/hardware/RGBv4/index.html
Usually you use one of these for a Supergun, they run about $80.
Now, here's the thing: I don't know for a fact that the Saturn's RGB scart outputs 15khz video. I don't know that at all. I read on one site that it does. Truth is, I've had shitty luck the past few weeks so, bear that in mind.
The plus side is you should it work, it'll work for a lot of systems.
Pretty much everything you've read here is accurate. The only option I'll add to the pile is a jrok video encoder:
http://www.jrok.com/hardware/RGBv4/index.html
Usually you use one of these for a Supergun, they run about $80.
Now, here's the thing: I don't know for a fact that the Saturn's RGB scart outputs 15khz video. I don't know that at all. I read on one site that it does. Truth is, I've had shitty luck the past few weeks so, bear that in mind.
The plus side is you should it work, it'll work for a lot of systems.
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skate323k137
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- Location: Lansing, MI
Thats huge, i can't believe i didn't know about those.
it's no guarante, but probably the best shot you've got at getting component video out of a saturn. hell, if they're really only 80 bucks I'm almost tempted to buy one just to see if i could make it work. I really think it would, after searching around the web i see no reason why not, and even saw someone recommend the jrok on another forum. I probably will try one, but not any time soon.
When i was younger i soldered leads to the R/G/B and Sync on the bottom of a saturn's motherboard, and got it working on an ancient NEC multisync monitor. after that monitor died, the system was relatively worthless to me, as the 15 khz (15.1?) was too low to snyc up on any new monitors.
it's no guarante, but probably the best shot you've got at getting component video out of a saturn. hell, if they're really only 80 bucks I'm almost tempted to buy one just to see if i could make it work. I really think it would, after searching around the web i see no reason why not, and even saw someone recommend the jrok on another forum. I probably will try one, but not any time soon.
When i was younger i soldered leads to the R/G/B and Sync on the bottom of a saturn's motherboard, and got it working on an ancient NEC multisync monitor. after that monitor died, the system was relatively worthless to me, as the 15 khz (15.1?) was too low to snyc up on any new monitors.
I ran it up the flag pole on some tech forums and they seem to give it a thumbs up. An interesting perk to having one is if you ever decide to buy say a Neo Geo MVS motherboard (2 slot would be best since it has a headphone jack and controller ports) or any older arcade motherboards you can run it right into there too.
All of that said, the only knocks against the jroks have been that he 'overcharges'. I've heard a few people say that one could make such boards for much less. Despite that, I've never really ever seen anyone do it.
You can take the jrok, build a little case for it and then use that to convert any of your older systems to component. You'll need to drop a power supply into it and plug it in (I think it's just 5 volts), but no biggie otherwise.
But, yeah, modding your SNES or anything else that has a SCART cable to hook up to that should be trivial.
All of that said, the only knocks against the jroks have been that he 'overcharges'. I've heard a few people say that one could make such boards for much less. Despite that, I've never really ever seen anyone do it.
You can take the jrok, build a little case for it and then use that to convert any of your older systems to component. You'll need to drop a power supply into it and plug it in (I think it's just 5 volts), but no biggie otherwise.
But, yeah, modding your SNES or anything else that has a SCART cable to hook up to that should be trivial.