Best Video Connections

[thelolotov]

He hasn't open-sourced the 7800 mod, and doesn't sell it, so, leaving it off the guide.

Uhh... it says "NOW OPEN SOURCE" right at the top. Check this link, it has links to install guides (per console revision) schematics, parts lists, etc: http://longhornengineer.com/DIY/Atarivideomods/

Also, the Longhorn mods add S-Video AND composite. I noticed you linked the Longhorn guide for the 2600 as "composite" but it actually does both.

Added some of the guides you linked as extra/replacement depending on quality. Thanks for the contributions!

No problem !

Ahh, I was skimming, tired and distracted. I'll correct all that stuff.

[KalessinDB]

The forums over at http://www.pcenginefx.com have a guide for adding Component to the TG16/Duo, as well as guy selling boards to do it on the cheap. Might be worth adding for a "Second best" since that seems to be where you rank Component below RGB rather than the S-Video. I'd link the thread directly, but it's blocked at work sooo I can't sorry.

[thelolotov]

The forums over at http://www.pcenginefx.com have a guide for adding Component to the TG16/Duo, as well as guy selling boards to do it on the cheap. Might be worth adding for a "Second best" since that seems to be where you rank Component below RGB rather than the S-Video. I'd link the thread directly, but it's blocked at work sooo I can't sorry.

Yeah, as I am biased towards NTSC, and this guide was written with NTSC consoles in mind, since, you know, that's all I know, haha. RGB is technically better, if we're following the formula of least color combination in analog. I'll add that if you can find me a link, too tired to look right now.

[KalessinDB]

Will do when I get home. Or possibly Monday. Because when I get home, I get to turn around and be back at work in under 8 hours for another double

And I dunno, depends on what you read. The vast majority of sources that *I'VE* read will put YPbPr and RGB as being functionally identical, though a few purists say RGB is superior. For my glasses-wearing eyes on 20+ year old video game systems, I'm sticking with them being functionally identical.

[theclaw]

The forums over at http://www.pcenginefx.com have a guide for adding Component to the TG16/Duo, as well as guy selling boards to do it on the cheap. Might be worth adding for a "Second best" since that seems to be where you rank Component below RGB rather than the S-Video. I'd link the thread directly, but it's blocked at work sooo I can't sorry.

Yeah, as I am biased towards NTSC, and this guide was written with NTSC consoles in mind, since, you know, that's all I know, haha. RGB is technically better, if we're following the formula of least color combination in analog. I'll add that if you can find me a link, too tired to look right now.

Well I think we should try to set basic guidelines of what counts.
Virtually any console with RGB can have a separate s-video or component encoder installed.

[KalessinDB]

True. I suppose it's just a question of "Easily done/has someone done it"

That said:

http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index. ... ic=14876.0

Is the link to the thread where the guy's selling the board/install services for the TG16 et al (claims on the last page that it should work with Genny, so I think this is one of those "Any RGB system" things... but I have it on a TGCD dock and it's very nice), and

http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index. ... ic=13231.0

is the original thread that the design came from. Not sure which, if either, you'd want to link in the guide.





For me, separate encoder or not, if I can get YPbPr coming out of the back of the system via rca jacks, I'm gonna get it done. I want to standardize as much as possible. If I can't, S-Video. If I can't do that, Composite. Between those 3 I can get almost every system ever made.

[Ziggy]

Oh, I also wanted to note something about the NES RGB mod. I was not aware for the longest time, and I'm sure the same goes for many, that it kinda fucks up the colors. Certain colors are wrong. For THAT alone, I will never use the PPU from a PlayChoice in my NES or Famicom. I'd much rather use composite and have correct colors.

[AppleQueso]

Oh, I also wanted to note something about the NES RGB mod. I was not aware for the longest time, and I'm sure the same goes for many, that it kinda fucks up the colors. Certain colors are wrong. For THAT alone, I will never use the PPU from a PlayChoice in my NES or Famicom. I'd much rather use composite and have correct colors.

Yup. It's the reason why I haven't done it.

Neat fact, the NEStopia emulator has an option to toggle between normal PPU colors and the Playchoice PPU's colors for if you were to do an RGB mod. Lets you get a look for yourself. You can also just google around online.

The NES palette isn't fantastic to begin with, but a lot of the RGB PPU's colors are just play gaudy. Some games look okay, but others are just blech.

[Anapan]

Just want to mention that I never actually got that "universal VGA cable" project done, so unless you can track down one of those Net Yaroze related ones that were scarce to begin with you are sol (edit - read the wiki link... damn, the Yaroze needed SOG too? - glad I lost that ebay auction);

Anyway, about the time I was finalizing that project I found out I could just buy the same thing. I bought a Sync Strike, and the rest of the kit from ArcadeForge (SLG3000 & Generic CGA to VGA Scaler (GBS8220).

The WIP project I displayed earlier in the topic is actually the exact same as the Sync Strike so I just bought their product rather than resorting to soldering the mess I had on breadboard onto a perfboard.

ArcadeForge now offers a SLG-in-a-Box which is just a housing for the 3 components necessary to get 240P and up converted to VGA with optional scanlines at a lower price than a Micomsoft XRB upscaler/VGA box.

I'm now using an XRGB-3 for mostly all my consoles (For PS1, certain titles have problems so I'm using a CSY2100 inline), but the Sync Strike and GBS8220 also work well (tho without the SLG3000 the 240 is a little muddy/blurry and the GBS8220's 480I interpolation sucks).

Therefore OP's listing for PS2 needs to be updated - not that it's a mod really, but using an off-the-shelf (in Europe) PS1/2 SCART cable and ArcadeForge's Sync Strike, you can then use the PS2's system menu to set it's video output to RGB and the video will be transcoded realtime to a proper VGA signal (further information on the results here and here). If your CRT monitor or flat screen supports the various resolutions and refresh rates the system outputs in RGB mode, it'll be the best signal the system supports. Still, unless it's an older VGA CRT (Tri-scan preferably), you'd still probably need a scaler to make sure the signal's always at a standard refresh rate and at least 640x480. (Some games do output 240P, and many LCDs do not support that signal since it's not in the NTSC standard - in fact it was forbidden by the FCC). If your system's modded, you can use various utilities to force 480P output and most any VGA compatible TV will display a slightly better picture than the signal a standard PS2 component cable would provide.

Is it worth it?

NOPE!

Not to me, at least. My PS2 is hooked into my 1080P LED-LCD flat screen with component cables. I force 480P on games I'm invested into, but if I don't use component, I can't actually play all my games easily. A few games use nonstandard modes that screw the hardware up no matter what. Some games I can't even tweak to display without hooking into another scaler device. My LCD handles 480I pretty well - it's scaler is decent, and GSM's setting for omitting half of a 480 picture's lines (NTSC NI to NTSC I Field) makes games that were supposed to be 240P but got interlaced during the port look perfect - the same as my XRGB-3 could do but without the complicated circuitry in-between the console and the display. Fortunately, my TV allows me to turn off all the enhancements so unless it's interlaced the TV does nothing. If your TV always over-processes the component input (many do), using the hardware mentioned earlier and putting it in PC mode may be your best bet.

[AppleQueso]

Sync-on-green makes using RGB on the Ps2 a pain in the ass.