32X Clean up Fuzzy Genesis Picture?

[Redifer]

OK here's the scoop from someone who actually owns a 32X: If your Genesis has rainbow banding in composite (common in the model 1) then YES the 32X will clean that up. The rainbow banding comes from the crappy NTSC encoder inside the system and manifests itself as giant vertical bars down the screen. You can see these easily in the waterfalls of Sonic 1, for example. The 32X works by taking the pure RGB out of the Genesis and sending it into the 32X, thereby bypassing it's video encoder . The 32X has a much better video encoder than the model 1 Genesis. I've never played a model 2 Genesis in composite so I can't comment there.

Here is an example of rainbow banding in the ENEMY life bar:



The 32X will display it so that it is MUCH more tolerable.

[theclaw]

True AFAIK the 32X does not, will NOT, clean up RGB. No way no how.
Vertical bars in RGB are an entirely different issue from composite rainbow banding!

[ATARI800XLfan]

True AFAIK the 32X does not, will NOT, clean up RGB. No way no how.
Vertical bars in RGB are an entirely different issue from composite rainbow banding!

what causes rainbow banding?

[theclaw]

True AFAIK the 32X does not, will NOT, clean up RGB. No way no how.
Vertical bars in RGB are an entirely different issue from composite rainbow banding!

what causes rainbow banding?

The way some Genesis revisions process composite video.

Composite format itself sucks in quality, and all Genesis units have worse composite than some other consoles.
Yet even then there's Genesis units so awful at composite they get rainbow banding.

[ATARI800XLfan]

True AFAIK the 32X does not, will NOT, clean up RGB. No way no how.
Vertical bars in RGB are an entirely different issue from composite rainbow banding!

what causes rainbow banding?

The way some Genesis revisions process composite video.

Composite format itself sucks in quality, and all Genesis units have worse composite than some other consoles.
Yet even then there's Genesis units so awful at composite they get rainbow banding.

then why and how does the Sega 32X seem to take care of rainbow banding when used on a Genesis 1 that has it?

[Redifer]

True AFAIK the 32X does not, will NOT, clean up RGB. No way no how.
Vertical bars in RGB are an entirely different issue from composite rainbow banding!

Who's talking about RGB? I'm talking about composite and like I said YES, the 32X does clean up the composite. (Forgive me if you aren't responding to me).

Here's a better example of composite video from my own system:



Case closed as far as normal composite video connections are concerned. 32X does it better.


EDIT: For clarity, if you are using RGB the 32X will make the video slightly softer than coming straight from a Genesis. That's because it has to go through "more stuff" for lack of better terminology. Therefore it loses a tiny bit of sharpness but it's really not that bad at all.

Check out this article I wrote for Sega-16 about Genesis video connections.

[theclaw]

then why and how does the Sega 32X seem to take care of rainbow banding when used on a Genesis 1 that has it?

Because Sega 32X uses a separate video encoding chip. Genesis first sends its RGB upward into the 32X, who then generates composite.

Who's talking about RGB? I'm talking about composite and like I said YES, the 32X does clean up the composite. (Forgive me if you aren't responding to me).

Here's a better example of composite video from my own system:

I know. I was just saying 32X does not clean up RGB. Unfortunate for those of us who use it or want to.

[jinxmitchell]

Thanks great! Thanks for the info! Still haven't found a 32x in my area yet, but I'm still looking.

[Redifer]

I was just saying 32X does not clean up RGB. Unfortunate for those of us who use it or want to.

Genesis RGB doesn't need cleaning up from everything I've seen. It's fantastic.

[theclaw]

I was just saying 32X does not clean up RGB. Unfortunate for those of us who use it or want to.

Genesis RGB doesn't need cleaning up from everything I've seen. It's fantastic.

I'll stay brief since it's off topic. Both Master System and Genesis under certain conditions may have vertical bars in RGB.
While specifics on the cause aren't yet 100% clear, it could be a side effect when using composite video as sync.
Since disconnecting the color subcarrier is one reliable fix for users who don't need composite.

Knock yourself out with pages upon pages of discussion (mostly Genesis focused) here or here.
Below are my own old pics.

Master System:


Genesis: