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The High Definition Retrogaming Thread (Including CRT/BVM/PVM Chatter)

Kazin

did i do all of that?
(he/him)
I forgot this thread existed.

I got my Retrotink 2x Mini today! I know there was just orders for the 5x but I didn't really need one because I only wanted to hook up my N64, and I'm pretty impressed with the results. First of all, it outputs in 4:3, which is great because my TV doesn't let me force 4:3 from a HMDI source. Second, both the smoothing filter looks great for games that benefit from it, and the sharper other option looks great for the other games. The included s-video cable is great, too, since I certainly never owned one for my N64.
 

ShakeWell

Slam Master
(he, etc.)
I got my RetroTINK5x today.

I played about an hour of RE2 on N64 with the Expansion Pak in. It's... glorious.
 

Sarge

hardcore retro gamin'
Nice. I tell ya, I really wanted one the other day when I decided to goof around with Die Hard Arcade. The 2X just doesn't switch fast enough and it's virtually unplayable. Gotta stick with the CRT for now.
 

Ludendorkk

(he/him)
What's the PVM market like these days? I've never super liked the 14" CRT I use for the N64 and wanna replace it with a small PVM.
For something with color you're looking at probably $200 US minimum unless you get exceptionally lucky, plus whatever it costs to ship a CRT these days. Small black and white ones can sometimes be had for double digits. Units larger than "10 can often go $500-$1000 in price.
 
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Ludendorkk

(he/him)
From my experience small Trinitrons are probably the best for retrogaming nowadays unless you are seriously trying to to squeeze maximum performance out of your setup, you can still find a ton of them for relatively cheap on Facebook Marketplace, thrift shops, etc. and probably locally too so you don't have to ship. @ShakeWell and @Ixo probably know this better than me, though
 

Ixo

"This is not my beautiful forum!" - David Byrne
(Hi Guy)
The thing about looking online for a CRT is there’s no middle ground. Someone with a set is one of two people:

a) “Old tube TV? No one wants those. Just take it to the dump, who cares.”
b) “PVM / CRT Model [whatever] RETRO GAMING OOS L@@K!!! $$$$”
 

ShakeWell

Slam Master
(he, etc.)
I thought you had an UltraHDMI mod, no? Were there still issues with resolution switching with that one?

Nope. eTim's RGB kit with Borti's deblur.

What's the PVM market like these days? I've never super liked the 14" CRT I use for the N64 and wanna replace it with a small PVM.

It... honestly depends on what you're looking for. You can get a very small PVM (like 8"?) with just composite for probably under $100 pretty easily. I have a 12" PVM with RGB inputs that was about $120, but I got it local pickup, because fortunately for me, one of the premiere repair/refurbish guys, Steve Nutter, lives in up the road in Murfreesboro, so it's just a 20 minute drive.

One option might be to look into RGB modding your current set, though that can be quite literally dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.
 

Ludendorkk

(he/him)
I do want to underline dangerous there -- a CRT can very easily discharge a lethal shock even if not plugged in. (I don't want to sound patronizing but I'd rather be safe than sorry here).
 

ArugulaZ

Fearful asymmetry
Yep. Get something metal under the anode cap without protection and it could stop your heart just like that. Watch some videos online to see which precautions you should use. I don't screw with CRTs at all for that reason; too risky.
 

Mr. Sensible

Pitch and Putt Duffer
After ignoring my OSSC for months, I finally sat down and tinkered with it over the weekend and managed to get it working with a few different consoles.

When I first got the OSCC, I had been exclusively using it to take 480p VGA signal from my Dreamcast with an attached Toro box, and I was getting some very nice results in Line2x output mode. Unfortunately I had no success getting video out of my component-connected consoles like PS2 and GameCube in any of the OSSC's output modes, aside from Passthru. I had initially chalked it up to my decade-old Samsung 40" LCD simply being incompatible with the Line2x video signal from the OSSC for those particular consoles.

I'm honestly not sure what I did to resolve the problem, but now I'm getting signal in Line2x output mode from all my component consoles and it is glorious. When it actually works correctly, OSSC definitely handles 480p better than the Framemeister. Now if I could just get it to recognize 240p signal from my NES and SNES...
 

Kazin

did i do all of that?
(he/him)
So, assuming a follow up to the Hi Def NES mod ever comes out, does anyone here have any experience modifying their NESs to output into HD? Or even S-video. What little research I've done indicates both mods are pretty difficult. I just dug my NES out of my closet and cleaned it up, and eventually (probably years from now), I might pick up an Everdrive to use with it. My end goal when my wife and I get a house is to set up a nice little gaming room, and have all these systems hooked up.
 

ShakeWell

Slam Master
(he, etc.)
I have experience sending it to Voultar and having him install a HiDefNES for me. Does that help? Probably not...
 

Kazin

did i do all of that?
(he/him)
I randomly asked the guy at the local audio/video shop if they sold CRTs, and I found a 20 inch (exactly the size I wanted) Sylvania from 2006 with, among other things, S-video input for $40. Took it home, synced my remote to it, and games look fantastic on it. i tested N64 and Super Famicom before putting it away, since we have no room in our apartment for it to be out currently, and we have company over tomorrow. Still, I'm thrilled, I didn't think I'd find a decent CRT anytime soon. Time to buy some more S-video cables! We're looking for a house, too, so whatever we move into should have extra space for my nerd crap.
 
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Sarge

hardcore retro gamin'
Rock on! Glad you found something that worked well for you. I've got a 20" RCA that I'd like to put in circulation, but I don't really have a spot for it. And no S-Video on it, only component and composite, which makes it super weird for a CRT.
 

MCBanjoMike

Sudden chomper
(He/him)
That’s a nice find, 20” TVs are rare and they tend to go pretty quick - as opposed to larger CRTs, which still seem to be plentiful, at least around here. I actually picked myself up a nice Toshiba 24” CRT over the weekend for use with my MiSTer. That one was free, but all the decent 20” sets I’ve seen in the local classifieds have been snatched up before I could get to them (or were being sold for more than I wanted to pay).

Sarge, that TV of yours sounds like it would be perfect for a MiSTer setup…
 

Sarge

hardcore retro gamin'
Sarge, that TV of yours sounds like it would be perfect for a MiSTer setup…
I'm definitely curious what it would look like on there - right now I've got it hooked to a 32" Trinitron, which looks mostly great but does have some small geometry and alignment issues.
 

Kazin

did i do all of that?
(he/him)
I have experience sending it to Voultar and having him install a HiDefNES for me. Does that help? Probably not...
I'm thinking about doing this next year with my NES actually, since his price isn't too bad (just want S-video, not the hidef one). How long does it typically take? I mean, it's fine regardless, but is this something that took months for you, or was it fairly quick?
 

John

(he/him)
If you don’t already have the hi-def NES kit, your best bet is to spend way too much on a preinstalled console. They’re out of stock, and the creator Kevtris isn’t interested in doing new runs, as he’s been working with Analogue on designing their FPGA consoles. I bought a kit years back, and tried to install it in a top-loader without a proper desoldering gun and temp controlled solder station. I also forgot a riser on one of the chips. Pretty sure I ruined both the top loader and the hdmi kit.

I thought I could handle it because I did a bunch of PS1/PS2 modchip installs a long time ago, but the game has changed. I don’t even look at things like the Dreamcast HDMI mods that need drag soldering across super tiny pins.
 
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