HDTV Retro Options: Retro Bit Trio vs Retron 5

[SpaceBooger]

I currently have a 50" Panasonic Viera 720p HDTV. Connected to it I have a S-Video modded Genesis M1 and a SNES via a S-Video cable (I also have a s-vid Staurn, HDMI: PS3 WiiU).
I want to hook up a NES to the TV, but modding it is too much. So I am thinking about replacing my SNES and Genesis with one of the clones that work for both systems and a NES.

My two options seem to be the $140 HDMI Retron 5 or the $70 S-Video Retro Bit Trio. By replacing them I will free up some spots on the powerstrip and TV, so I need advise from you guys.

1. How much of a difference is the S-Video to HDMI on my TV?

2. If I am already used to S-Video, why wouldn't the half price Retro Bit Trio?

Since I don't care about extras (cheats and save states) and I only care about quality and playing my games:
3. Which one should I choose? Is it worth doubling the price for HDMI?

4. Or should I just run a NES on the HDTV using the natural outputs when I want to play and save my monies?

[Ziggy]

I know you posted this over a month ago, but I figured I'd answer anyway since no one else did.

Or should I just run a NES on the HDTV using the natural outputs when I want to play and save my monies?

This is what I would do.

Since I don't care about extras (cheats and save states) and I only care about quality and playing my games

And that's why.

With a clone console, you're not gonna gain anything. And you're gonna lose a little too, considering that the clone consoles are never 100% accurate to the real hardware (and some times way off).

If you don't mind not having 100% accuracy, then maybe you'd consider emulating the NES on a console you already own. The quality varies, but NES emulators are available for the N64, PS2, Xbox, Wii, and maybe some more. If you own any of those, and already have them hooked up to the TV in question, then maybe check it out.

[DonSilvestre]

The problem with using normal composite hookups to your HDTV is input lag, which can make many games anywhere from a little janky, to completely unplayable. For this reason, I actually vastly prefer emulators to original hardware if you can't play on a CRT. A Retron 5 on an HDTV, to me, is a vastly superior experience to original hardware via composite cables. There's crystal clear picture and sound, original controllers, and the ability to save directly to the system should your cart batteries die. No, it's not the authentic experience, but if you can get over that, I would actually argue it's an overall better experience than playing original hardware on a CRT. I know that's blasphemy, but that's how much I'm loving my Retron 5, and I've been looking for a solution to the input lag problem for years.

[Tanooki]

If you're using an original NES on a HDMI tv I would check and see if it's listed at displaylag.com because if that TV rates anything over 30ms the lag that will pop up will wreck more and more games progressively worse. The trio is junk anyways, internally the NES on it is the same flawed system on a chip the NES adapter they made for their handheld SNES uses which means common games don't work, work with missing notes, offkey notes, and an incorrect color palette. Also whatever your processor decides to do with your TV is a crap shoot. You could get crisp visuals, you could get a blurry hot mess, and it could be anything from full screen (or mostly so) to a square in the middle.

The only choice really would be the Retron5 for the absolute best response time and visual output possible while using real carts. Second to that would be another android emulator using an Ouya. You could get one of those xgbmini things, but they cost hundreds and the input lag they even create is a few ms which would kick a LCD over the top of a R5 easily too. The R5 earlier on was fairly bad and improved with each release and the latest firmware 1.5 is fantastic as it beats the crap out of any system on a chip setup so the added price is totally worth it, plus it handles 10 systems while the Trio is like 1/2 that.

[SpaceBooger]

I tried the NES on my 50 inch Viera Plasma TV and it looked and played horrible.
Since then, I have just stuck to playing my SNES and Genny via S-Vid and emulating the NES on my oXBOX via component cable.

I will one day get a Retron 5, but right now I'm ok with my current setup since it cost me $0 extra.

I do appreciate the advice and enjoy the discussion. I should have posted this, but upon doing some research I found that the Retro Bit Trio would not output the NES via S-Vid (it does but worse that the composite). So that was the deciding factor to me.

[foxhound1022]

I can also interject that if you want to play cart based stuff on a HDTV, the R5 is the way to go. I have mine hooked up to a Wega HD CRT, and the picture quality is exceptional.

Add in the ability to stop and save in games which previously didn't allow for it, original controller support, and every region playabilty; it's really a great piece of hardware.

The cherry on top is GB, GBC, & GBA, along w/SMS.

[ninjainspandex]

just get a little tube TV from a thrift store for a couple bucks. Personally I think the NES looks better on smaller tubes. composite on an HDTV will make your eyes bleed and if your using a Retron 5 you might as well emulate with an OUYA.

[Gunstar Green]

The problem with the Super Retro Trio is it's just another console-on-a-chip clone with the typical issues that implies. The emulation on the Retron 5 will give you a much better experience in the long run.

[Ziggy]

Composite on an HDTV will make your eyes bleed

That's not always the case though, it depends on the TV.

[SpaceBooger]

just get a little tube TV from a thrift store for a couple bucks. Personally I think the NES looks better on smaller tubes. composite on an HDTV will make your eyes bleed and if your using a Retron 5 you might as well emulate with an OUYA.

I have a CRT in the basement, but sometimes I like to hang out in the same room as the wife. So any chance I can play games on the main TV I get, I take them. If I hang out in the basement too much she says that she never sees me.