Question about the sega 32x

[mas]

I have a quick question about the 32x. I now about the flaws about the system and how bad it was marketed in the U.S. I know how bad alot of the games were on that system but if you buy the arcade ports like mk2 and after burner, wrestlemania arcade, primal rage and virtua fighter. Those game are great ports to play but the question i wanna ask is when the system was coming out I remember reading an article that the 32x system make genesis games look better because of the hardware the 32x uses. Is this true or was this another bluff from sega.

[Hatta]

No, the 32X doesn't enhance genesis only games. Games have to be specifically coded for the 32X to take advantage of its hardware.

[superlarz]

As stated, it does nothing for Genesis games. I dont recall ever reading that it did. Would be interesting to find out where you read that or if your memory is just playing tricks on you

[TheSecondChanceGamer]

Not true it does enhance one game that game is Eternal Champions for the Sega CD it takes off the 256 color mode!

[Hobie-wan]

Also, the video signal quality (and I believe sound as well) out of a 32x is better than it would be out of most variations of the Genesis.

[DrCirno]

When using a 32X it pulls the RGB signal out of the genesis and puts it out to your tv using its much higher quality AV encoder. So when playing Genesis games on your 32X they do look better. The video quality is sharper and more vibrant. Little problems such as rainbowing are lessened using the 32X. (Ex: The shadow under the character in Comix Zone)

[elvis]

When using a 32X it pulls the RGB signal out of the genesis and puts it out to your tv using its much higher quality AV encoder.

Pulls the RGB signal out of where?

I hijack RGB straight off the Sony video chip on my (first gen PAL) Megadrive to push raw RGB into an arcade monitor. Signal quality from that is pretty damned good. Is the 32X grabbing the analogue RGB, or is it grabbing it digitally pre-output?

From what I've read * , the later model Megadrive and Genesis consoles (especially the Genesis 2) used cheaper video and sound encoder chips, which made things look and sound a lot worse.

* Genesis, Megadrive and Nomad audio tests:
http://www.protoman.com/genesisaudio/

A couple of GamesX threads:
http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?topic=3141.0
http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?topic=3719.0 (interesting audio mod I want to try)

And links from those threads:
http://www.soundshock.se/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=149
http://www.spritesmind.net/_GenDev//for ... .php?t=320
http://www.spritesmind.net/_GenDev//for ... .php?t=365

[mas]

If i remember correctly I read it i think in the sega visions magazine. Also you guys are telling me that the model one sega genesis has better sound and better picture on genesis games than the model 2 or 3? Is that true?

[Dylan]

If i remember correctly I read it i think in the sega visions magazine. Also you guys are telling me that the model one sega genesis has better sound and better picture on genesis games than the model 2 or 3? Is that true?

Indeed. Always irritated me that Sega kinda crapped out at the end, there.

[DrCirno]

When using a 32X it pulls the RGB signal out of the genesis and puts it out to your tv using its much higher quality AV encoder.

Pulls the RGB signal out of where?

I hijack RGB straight off the Sony video chip on my (first gen PAL) Megadrive to push raw RGB into an arcade monitor. Signal quality from that is pretty damned good. Is the 32X grabbing the analogue RGB, or is it grabbing it digitally pre-output?

It pulls the RGB signal digitaly pre-output. This by-passes the earlier chips on the model 1 and the crappy chips on full motherboard model 2 genesis. Even the video output of a 3/4 motherboard model 2 (which has a great sony chip) is improved slightly. Unfortunately it does nothing to the sound chips in the crappy full motherboard model 2's.