Great introduction to MiSTer's Shadow Masks.👍 I was worried TH-cam's compression would ruin things, but your video came out looking really good. And great advice to everyone about experimenting and find the settings that look best on their own TVs; the Shadow Masks can look vastly different depending on the sub-pixel layout and internal scaling logic of the TV it's being displayed on. Nerdy stuff aside: great video! P.S. As a film maker: I hope you get a chance to explore some of the demosaicing related Masks hiding in the depths of "Tonurics Masks/Mosaic"
I upped the bit rate of the export on my end before it hit YT compression in hopes of keeping the detail as well as possible. I am glad it came through well as well
I joined the MiSTer forum to try and get some more in-depth information about the shadow masks because there isn't much available when searching Google and the threads currently available. I wanted to know if certain shadow masks are designed for specific setups (particular resolutions/integer scales, analogue output vs HDMI etc) and what the shadow masks with non-descriptive titles are trying to emulate. I had some useful feedback. Apparently, the higher resolution the display they're being used with the better, some are targetting specific integer scales to display correctly, the sub-pixel arrangement of the display being used can affect results and some are better suited to analogue output. I was also given some descriptions of how they work and some caveats, but I haven't been able to get details regarding the specific shadow masks themselves. I've considered taking it upon myself to list the options available along with intended use case and what the intended effect is or what display is being emulated. I'm just not sure it would be worth my time though because it would require input from the community/creators and there seems to be little interest at present. There was one guy there that didn't seem to like the fact I was asking questions (on a forum!), couldn't comprehend that if I'm evaluating whether or not I like shadow masks that it's helpful to know I'm getting the intended effect by using a mask that displays properly on my setup and basically said: Listen to me or get lost (not exactly what he said, but that was the sentiment)!
Forums can be like that sometimes. You just need to find the people who want to help. Honestly the amount of mask options VS the information about the best use case scenario is minimal. It really is an experiment yourself kind fo thing. But if you want to MAKE that info, the community would thank you!
Great subject matter, great content. I have a CRT but these shadow masks could tip the scales with the right LCD. Hopefully one day we will get a convex 4:3 OLED.
I think that’s a really nice touch. I’ve seen emulators go so far as to emulate the plastic bezels and even the soft reflection from the crt. But I really really like seeing curved glass. Purely for nostalgia sake I think. I don’t even like flat CRTs. But thanks for the note!
Only comemnt I have is that it is a Electron Gun, not a photon gun. ;) The Photons/light you see of the CRT is emitted by the phosphorecent screen, that is energized by the electrons, and this energy is than emitted as photons/light.
Haha yeah def the fact I am not a scientist but a filmmaker. Photons / light science is what I know but when we get to electrons that knowledge drops off
This is great! I played my MiSTer with scanlines because I preferred that over the pixel look, but ever since I’ve connected it to my CRT I haven’t had the need to use filters anymore. It’s so great to see the MiSTer project developing so rapidly!
@@VideoGameEsoterica I bet that looks awesome! We’re still working in our new house so I keep my gaming stuff in my little retro nook in the house away from all the dust, but I’m sure I’ll play on my flatscreen sometime in the future and those new filters are definately a welcome addition :-)
It is necessary to compare the real CRT TV and this mask. If this mask really blurs the clarity and colors like real old TV, which was used by the developers of those games to get more detailed images, then that's very cool
Our childhood home and later my own home always had nothing but Trinitron TVs back in the days. I was a huge fan of Sony's Trinitron-tech back then. Loving these Trinitron options!
My bedroom tv was a trinitron. Got it as a Christmas gift. Mostly because I think my parents were tired of me asking to use the living room tv for games as a kid haha
Minor correction: CRTs use electron guns. Photons (also known as gammas) are particles that also exhibit the properties of light waves. Electrons are negatively charged particles. The electron beams hit the phosphors on the tube which causes them to glow,. Shadow masks were used to focus the 3 colored electron beams onto the correct area, as the guns are not accurate enough to do that on their own. It's the aspect of a CRT that makes it look like it has "pixels," even though they're not actual pixels. The great thing about shadow masks is that they're not part of the image, so they don't contribute to the brightness or color of the image. Hence why CRTs are both brighter and higher contrast than LCD panels. CRT technology is honestly so amazing it's hard to imagine it being invented long before LCD screens. But I digress. These options look awesome! Much closer to a CRT look than typical scan lines.
Haha my film background betraying me. Spend four years in cinematography classes with math and science of how light strikes film / sensors and those terms will be burned into your brain...just like screen burn 😂
@@VideoGameEsoterica I'm so sorry, not trying to be a dick. I just super love CRT technology so I had to comment. Edit: I was also a radcon tech on a nuclear submarine so I know about radiation from that aspect, and an electron and a photon are quite different things.
@@VideoGameEsoterica Pretty much! No actually, our total effective dosage limits were one tenth that of OSHA's, meaning we generally received less than typical background radiation (being underwater we were shielded from background radiation). I think my total dose over the course of 2 years on the boat was around 200 mrem, which is less than the typical average of 300 mrem/yr. But I also wasn't on the boat 24/7, so you have to add that to the background radiation I received. But it was still probably significantly less. However, the effects of ionizing radiation are real. I'm not ever planning on having kids, but if I did, it's likely that they would all be female. Not sure of the science behind that, but statistically it's a thing!
I really like the new shadow masks for Mister, but the sheer amount is almost overwhelming, especially with the very basic menu it can be a pain to choose one or try out several and then remember which one looked good. I also use a slight blend/blur to make the image look less blocky and more like a CRT, also tried combining scanlines and shadow masks, but the image gets way too dark for my taste. But one thing I often see on Twitter and forums when people share their shadow mask settings and screenshots: Many seem to have forgotten what a CRT TV really looked like and slap heavy filters and massive scanlines on top of each other, making the picture dark as hell. My 90s Sony Trinitron TV hardly produces any scanlines, the aperture grill filters are pretty close though. Sometimes less is more...
What was that shooter near the end (8:32 mark or so)? I wish that all YT creators would put the name of the game on screen when showing different games. It would be so useful.
The "shadow mask", or dot pitch, is noticeable on low grade consumer sets and even PVMs - simply because they aren't made for high resolution graphics. VGA monitors, BITD, had extremely fine dot pitch to the point where you didn't see it (unless you had a super crappy VGA monitor) compared to an NTSC CRT. Another thing to note, that you're probably gonna need to adjust gamma when you apply these shadow mask options (although it looks like some of these filters already have a boost built into them). Just wanted to say, scanlines (or rather scanline gap) is independent of the shadow mask pattern. The gap exist because the NTSC monitors were meant for 480i signal. You had some slight overlap between the two field scanlines (bloom) simply because field combing effects look awful. So the same fields in the exact same place, aka 240p, is going to have a gap. Obviously something like a higher end PVM or BVM is going to have a much more pronounced gap because it doesn't have the bloom for bright colors for lower like consumer grade CRTs. Every NTSC CRT is going to have some sort a line gap (VGA monitors didn't for low res 320x200 because they line doubled). Anyway, the point is that if you're going for ~authentic~ look, then you'll need both a shadow mask pattern and scanline gap - and you'll need to adjust the gamma to help fine tune the look. On the Retrotink 5x FW that just got released last week, it also has color boost along with gamma. I hope Mister will implement that options as well. Great video! The more exposure for Mister, the better. I did have a question though.. what res were you running for these mister examples? I find the shadow mask patterns don't look so great for 1080p output. It needs something higher res. I remember reading that some people were able to do 1200p and higher output on mister.
Yes the funny part is for some people the shadow mask will look super natural and they will remember it and for others they had TVs that probably didn’t show it as much. All down to grand and expense
@@VideoGameEsoterica I DO love the fact that we have these options now, though! Now, if we could just get the option to assign "per game" settings haha
Looks more like a GBA screen than a CRT. I don't recall any CRTs looking like this tbh, just looks odd without scanlines included as well. But as you said its there to be used it if you want.
Composite video signal is just that, a composite of all the signaling needed for an image to appear on tv. Composite is a single channel signal so all the information about color, sync, etc is combined into one. In reality this is chrominance and luminance for color. That had a very specific look that people remember back in the day as most TVs were composite only until S video became more prevelant
Nice that you added footage of Super Bomberman 2 to your video. There is a level in the last world that is so difficult that it took me quite some time to beat me but the end boss of the entire game is just too hard. I just gave up and never finished the game. Super Bomberman 1 and Bomberman 2 on the NES are easier. Still a fantastic game with great graphics and level design and nice music.
I got an excellent result with CPS2 core. I edited my MisTer.ini file with 1080p/60 (not 720p like I used to do), integer scaling turned on. I used ShadowMask2 together with blending HV 25, or blendig 25. The result was amazing! My Samsung 27-inch Full HD monitor looks like a CRT now!
The JVC shadow mask reminds me of the picture you would get on the later CRTs that had a flat tube on the front (Toshiba, Sony). I never actually saw a JVC CRT in real life but this is a great option.
@@VideoGameEsoterica In 2006, I left MI for FL. We had a 36" Toshiba tube and 20" Wega. The Toshiba was given away because it was huge. But we ended up using that Wega for many more years! I did give it away because...the future. UGH Like you, I wish I still had it. A real beauty.
@@VideoGameEsoterica really i'm not a pro at all and not especially a fan of crt, but thanks to you it became clearer in my mind ;) In my geek career and since the 80's the goal has always been to have the sharpest image possible and now that we are almost at the top I still have trouble going back, but that's me ;)
Haha I get that. I spend all day behind cinema cameras that deliver the most pristine, clear image possible. Then my job is to make that clarity not look so clear but film like. Always fighting to make it look different no matter what realm we are dealing with
It makes everything look better in my opinion but the only thing is it seems like it's too severe? Like they have the 1x setting and higher but to me it seems like they need a 0.5x in between 1 and 0. Like it seems when you watch the game on an actual CRT the scanlines aren't as prevalent as they are on emulation.
I honestly think that without shadow mask & or scanline the artwork doesn't look correct because your brain is not able to complete what's missing. (You just see pixels) Meanwhile with the shadow mask your brain is guessing the intricated detail (that isn't really there) and it looks just how it was suppose to be in the first place. So these shadow masks are a blessing for me. Now we have a way to preserve the real look of games during that era. We just need better TV's to allow them to shine even more.
I enjoy it either way. I do love a big chunky pixel but I do get that we see games in 2021 well outside the intended method the artists wanted us to. As a filmmaker that annoys me but as a lover of pixels I don’t mind.
I have my doubts. Firstly, the SoC in the MisTer has no GPU. Any shaders would have to be ported to Verilog or VHDL, taking up precious logic gates. CRT Royale often requires a pretty beefy desktop-class GPU, depending on what options you select. Implementing everything in CRT Royale could very well eat up too many gates. It looks like this work is the next best thing - implementing the cheap/easy parts of a CRT effect, but not the expensive features that CRT Royale does.
@@IanTester how about 2 De10 Nanos? One of them dedicated to implement the shaders, with video signal input from MisTer or any retro console (like a real Super Nintendo). What do you think?
@@VideoGameEsoterica Not that I recall. I apologize, my comment was not meant to be a criticism. It's just non integer scaling is the biggest issue regarding shaders. Few GLSL and SLag shaders, I believe few have the ability to compensate. Although, I don't think the mister implementation does. You are just always so thorough, and non integer scaling is the biggest gotcha here.
Awesome study regarding shadow masks. Even as a dev I always thought scanlines was the be all end all. Thank you so much for this. I used to do photography so its nice to hearing the topic from that perspective. But one of the reasons I really want to have a CRT that only VR can emulate, is that awesome curve CRTs have. Also I really enjoy the bloom a CRT radiates.
Yes bloom and curvature are unique. I have flat and curved CRTs. I need the curve for light gun arcade games as the aim calibration can be trickier at the edges on a flat panel
And yes my perspective is always from my educational / working background as a filmmaker. I don’t know if that’s the best methodology but it’s the one I see all these image adjustments through
Doesn't really look like a PVM to me. You also own one too though so I'm wondering what you're seeing. Not saying you're wrong, just found it interesting.
For me Oled is the CRT of the 21st century. I never liked the image produced by LCD, I was only satisfied with a modern TV after I bought Oled. Today I have a Sony Wega CRT and an LG CX and I am very happy.
I have a Samsung QLED 4K 70” and I have zero issues with their technology. OLED is awesome but I’ve yet to make the jump. Probably when this Samsung needs replacing. Which won’t be for awhile. Probably be at 8K by then
@@VideoGameEsoterica They are good TVs, the image is very good. But there's something about technology that I don't like, but I can't explain it. When I bought my first LCD back in 2008 I thought the problem was the low response time causing ghosting. But even with my brother's LG Nano(2020), I don't like much for video games. But maybe it's Oled's contrast and color that reminds me of CRT TVs that appeal to me more than LCDs.
I like the idea, but unfortunately the colors look a bit washed out on arcades i play, especially with complex masks. I find the mono mask the least aggressive to colors.
@@VideoGameEsoterica I have a strange question... I just was helping my friend setup his Mister and his menu core static background looks very different from mine. I have square static pixels, yet he has sqwiggles, more like yours on the CRT in this video... Any idea how to change this or why they would be so different? we are both up to date.
I'm starting to think the shadow masks aren't that great because they don't act like filters do in my emulators. Blraggs NTSC Composite filters look amazing to me.. but this seems like a half assed attempt, and rather than filtering anything, they just overlay an image of a grid or scanlines.. that's not the same as a CRT look.
Ahh someone who knows film terms LOL. I rarely encounter that so I didn’t even assume. Yes but at a MUCH smaller scale in concept but the egg crate is mostly just for that directional hard shadow look. So visually it’s the exact same concept but the underlying function (keep the electron beam striking the right phosphors vs making a more directional hard light) is different :)
@@VideoGameEsoterica well is sorglik a poc? How many trans people are doing work on the 486 core? I see rampant rrrrrasssicm and sssseexxxxiiiissmm in the mister community. If there are no issues...be creative: make them up ;)
Heck yeah. I absolutely love CRT shaders. First thing I do when I load up an older game is figure out the best CRT emulation settings.
Normally I don't use them but shadow masks on MiSTer have made me a fan
I’ve been waiting for a vid. Like this. Thank you - keep up the good content.
So long as you keep watching I will keep making!
Ditto!
I've got lots of fun stuff planned for 2022. MiSTer stuff, arcade stuff, console stuff, more mods, etc
Great introduction to MiSTer's Shadow Masks.👍
I was worried TH-cam's compression would ruin things, but your video came out looking really good. And great advice to everyone about experimenting and find the settings that look best on their own TVs; the Shadow Masks can look vastly different depending on the sub-pixel layout and internal scaling logic of the TV it's being displayed on. Nerdy stuff aside: great video!
P.S. As a film maker: I hope you get a chance to explore some of the demosaicing related Masks hiding in the depths of "Tonurics Masks/Mosaic"
I upped the bit rate of the export on my end before it hit YT compression in hopes of keeping the detail as well as possible. I am glad it came through well as well
I joined the MiSTer forum to try and get some more in-depth information about the shadow masks because there isn't much available when searching Google and the threads currently available. I wanted to know if certain shadow masks are designed for specific setups (particular resolutions/integer scales, analogue output vs HDMI etc) and what the shadow masks with non-descriptive titles are trying to emulate.
I had some useful feedback. Apparently, the higher resolution the display they're being used with the better, some are targetting specific integer scales to display correctly, the sub-pixel arrangement of the display being used can affect results and some are better suited to analogue output. I was also given some descriptions of how they work and some caveats, but I haven't been able to get details regarding the specific shadow masks themselves. I've considered taking it upon myself to list the options available along with intended use case and what the intended effect is or what display is being emulated. I'm just not sure it would be worth my time though because it would require input from the community/creators and there seems to be little interest at present.
There was one guy there that didn't seem to like the fact I was asking questions (on a forum!), couldn't comprehend that if I'm evaluating whether or not I like shadow masks that it's helpful to know I'm getting the intended effect by using a mask that displays properly on my setup and basically said: Listen to me or get lost (not exactly what he said, but that was the sentiment)!
Forums can be like that sometimes. You just need to find the people who want to help. Honestly the amount of mask options VS the information about the best use case scenario is minimal. It really is an experiment yourself kind fo thing.
But if you want to MAKE that info, the community would thank you!
i found that using composite blur in combination with the trintron mask looks really good.
but you also love lamp so can we really trust you? Lol
Great subject matter, great content. I have a CRT but these shadow masks could tip the scales with the right LCD. Hopefully one day we will get a convex 4:3 OLED.
I really do wish 4:3 LCDs were made with modern tech. Would be such an amazing addition to retro gaming
i dunno if you have tried it yet but puNES emulator has a filter that curves on the edges th-cam.com/video/n4X8-ZPTLCc/w-d-xo.html
How does that look in motion on a tv? Curious myself
I think that’s a really nice touch. I’ve seen emulators go so far as to emulate the plastic bezels and even the soft reflection from the crt. But I really really like seeing curved glass. Purely for nostalgia sake I think. I don’t even like flat CRTs. But thanks for the note!
I like the curve and I like the flat glass. Both look great to me
Only comemnt I have is that it is a Electron Gun, not a photon gun. ;)
The Photons/light you see of the CRT is emitted by the phosphorecent screen, that is energized by the electrons, and this energy is than emitted as photons/light.
Haha yeah def the fact I am not a scientist but a filmmaker. Photons / light science is what I know but when we get to electrons that knowledge drops off
This is great! I played my MiSTer with scanlines because I preferred that over the pixel look, but ever since I’ve connected it to my CRT I haven’t had the need to use filters anymore. It’s so great to see the MiSTer project developing so rapidly!
Yes MiSTer is great on CRT. But I move it from room to room. Sometimes CRT and sometimes 4K LCD
@@VideoGameEsoterica I bet that looks awesome! We’re still working in our new house so I keep my gaming stuff in my little retro nook in the house away from all the dust, but I’m sure I’ll play on my flatscreen sometime in the future and those new filters are definately a welcome addition :-)
Yes they really help on 4K if you aren’t into / get tired of the chunky pixel look
It is necessary to compare the real CRT TV and this mask. If this mask really blurs the clarity and colors like real old TV, which was used by the developers of those games to get more detailed images, then that's very cool
Our childhood home and later my own home always had nothing but Trinitron TVs back in the days. I was a huge fan of Sony's Trinitron-tech back then. Loving these Trinitron options!
My bedroom tv was a trinitron. Got it as a Christmas gift. Mostly because I think my parents were tired of me asking to use the living room tv for games as a kid haha
Minor correction: CRTs use electron guns. Photons (also known as gammas) are particles that also exhibit the properties of light waves. Electrons are negatively charged particles. The electron beams hit the phosphors on the tube which causes them to glow,.
Shadow masks were used to focus the 3 colored electron beams onto the correct area, as the guns are not accurate enough to do that on their own. It's the aspect of a CRT that makes it look like it has "pixels," even though they're not actual pixels.
The great thing about shadow masks is that they're not part of the image, so they don't contribute to the brightness or color of the image. Hence why CRTs are both brighter and higher contrast than LCD panels. CRT technology is honestly so amazing it's hard to imagine it being invented long before LCD screens.
But I digress. These options look awesome! Much closer to a CRT look than typical scan lines.
Haha my film background betraying me. Spend four years in cinematography classes with math and science of how light strikes film / sensors and those terms will be burned into your brain...just like screen burn 😂
@@VideoGameEsoterica I'm so sorry, not trying to be a dick. I just super love CRT technology so I had to comment.
Edit: I was also a radcon tech on a nuclear submarine so I know about radiation from that aspect, and an electron and a photon are quite different things.
Haha not a dick at all. Zero worries
So what you are saying is you glow in the dark? LOL.
@@VideoGameEsoterica Pretty much!
No actually, our total effective dosage limits were one tenth that of OSHA's, meaning we generally received less than typical background radiation (being underwater we were shielded from background radiation). I think my total dose over the course of 2 years on the boat was around 200 mrem, which is less than the typical average of 300 mrem/yr. But I also wasn't on the boat 24/7, so you have to add that to the background radiation I received. But it was still probably significantly less.
However, the effects of ionizing radiation are real. I'm not ever planning on having kids, but if I did, it's likely that they would all be female. Not sure of the science behind that, but statistically it's a thing!
Another banger of a review.
appreciate that. Plenty more coming too!
Awesome. Should look great on those low lag ipad monitors
I should do a video on those at some point I think
Looks great, only strange thing is that I’ve just updated mine and the Shadow Mask folder is empty no matter which core I try it in…
Ah manually adding the shadow mask folder from the git hub to the root of my SD card has fixed it. Much better than artificial scan lines!
weird. should just come over via the update
glad you figured it out!
@@VideoGameEsoterica My folder was empty too running the regular updater. I had to use the update_all script instead.
Good to know
New subscriber here. Did I just hear mister mister - broken wings played in reverse during the entro? ♥️ Love the video.
Haha thanks for subscribing. You did....you are one of the few who got the Easter egg
great video love the Mister!
appreciate it!
Great vid , love me some shadow masks ! .. glad the x680000 core supports shadow masks, parodius looks amazing !
I need to revisit X68000 soon!
@@VideoGameEsoterica looking forward to it !
Me too! Love the X68000
Are Trashuncles shadowmasks still available in the current MiSTer build..cant seem to find them anymore 🤷♂️
You know I haven’t looked in forever honestly
Hoping GBA gets that vertical and horizontal LCD look
My guess is someone is looking into it. But that’s just a guess
I really like the new shadow masks for Mister, but the sheer amount is almost overwhelming, especially with the very basic menu it can be a pain to choose one or try out several and then remember which one looked good.
I also use a slight blend/blur to make the image look less blocky and more like a CRT, also tried combining scanlines and shadow masks, but the image gets way too dark for my taste.
But one thing I often see on Twitter and forums when people share their shadow mask settings and screenshots: Many seem to have forgotten what a CRT TV really looked like and slap heavy filters and massive scanlines on top of each other, making the picture dark as hell. My 90s Sony Trinitron TV hardly produces any scanlines, the aperture grill filters are pretty close though. Sometimes less is more...
Yes the filters can be easily overdone. It’s a fine line between too little / perfect / overdone
What was that shooter near the end (8:32 mark or so)? I wish that all YT creators would put the name of the game on screen when showing different games. It would be so useful.
It was either Magical Chase or Super Star Soldier
@@VideoGameEsoterica Thank you! It was Super Star Soldier and it might be the best shoot 'em up I've ever played. Wow!
Happy to help!
The "shadow mask", or dot pitch, is noticeable on low grade consumer sets and even PVMs - simply because they aren't made for high resolution graphics. VGA monitors, BITD, had extremely fine dot pitch to the point where you didn't see it (unless you had a super crappy VGA monitor) compared to an NTSC CRT. Another thing to note, that you're probably gonna need to adjust gamma when you apply these shadow mask options (although it looks like some of these filters already have a boost built into them). Just wanted to say, scanlines (or rather scanline gap) is independent of the shadow mask pattern. The gap exist because the NTSC monitors were meant for 480i signal. You had some slight overlap between the two field scanlines (bloom) simply because field combing effects look awful. So the same fields in the exact same place, aka 240p, is going to have a gap. Obviously something like a higher end PVM or BVM is going to have a much more pronounced gap because it doesn't have the bloom for bright colors for lower like consumer grade CRTs. Every NTSC CRT is going to have some sort a line gap (VGA monitors didn't for low res 320x200 because they line doubled).
Anyway, the point is that if you're going for ~authentic~ look, then you'll need both a shadow mask pattern and scanline gap - and you'll need to adjust the gamma to help fine tune the look. On the Retrotink 5x FW that just got released last week, it also has color boost along with gamma. I hope Mister will implement that options as well. Great video! The more exposure for Mister, the better. I did have a question though.. what res were you running for these mister examples? I find the shadow mask patterns don't look so great for 1080p output. It needs something higher res. I remember reading that some people were able to do 1200p and higher output on mister.
Yes the funny part is for some people the shadow mask will look super natural and they will remember it and for others they had TVs that probably didn’t show it as much.
All down to grand and expense
They definitely look better at 1440p IMO
@@VideoGameEsoterica I DO love the fact that we have these options now, though! Now, if we could just get the option to assign "per game" settings haha
Yes they do look good there
That would be nice for sure
Looks more like a GBA screen than a CRT. I don't recall any CRTs looking like this tbh, just looks odd without scanlines included as well. But as you said its there to be used it if you want.
Everyone can pick whatever they want filter wise to get the look they want. That’s the fun part
Great observations on shadow mask 👏✊ best for new year
Thanks. Appreciate that!
I found that combining shadowmasks with composit blend took me back to my childhood
At some point I’ll do a video on composite blend filters. Seems people really like it
whats composite blend
Composite video signal is just that, a composite of all the signaling needed for an image to appear on tv. Composite is a single channel signal so all the information about color, sync, etc is combined into one.
In reality this is chrominance and luminance for color.
That had a very specific look that people remember back in the day as most TVs were composite only until S video became more prevelant
Nice that you added footage of Super Bomberman 2 to your video. There is a level in the last world that is so difficult that it took me quite some time to beat me but the end boss of the entire game is just too hard. I just gave up and never finished the game. Super Bomberman 1 and Bomberman 2 on the NES are easier. Still a fantastic game with great graphics and level design and nice music.
The end game is super hard. Like most Bomberman titles. Which I love about them
that's definitely a massive improvement compared to scanline, not quite there but a huge benefit..I'm sure someone will improve even better
Yes MiSTer is always improving
I got an excellent result with CPS2 core. I edited my MisTer.ini file with 1080p/60 (not 720p like I used to do), integer scaling turned on. I used ShadowMask2 together with blending HV 25, or blendig 25. The result was amazing! My Samsung 27-inch Full HD monitor looks like a CRT now!
Good to know! I’ll have to check those settings out at some point in time
Good stuff; much better than generic scanlines.
100% I never really loved using scanlines myself but the shadow masks I am into
Random: Two Crude’s 2nd level is Christmas themed. I hope that helps for a future Christmas video.
haha remind me in 10 months
The JVC shadow mask reminds me of the picture you would get on the later CRTs that had a flat tube on the front (Toshiba, Sony). I never actually saw a JVC CRT in real life but this is a great option.
I did love the flat CRT. I had a Wega as a kid in my bedroom. Still wish I had it!
@@VideoGameEsoterica In 2006, I left MI for FL. We had a 36" Toshiba tube and 20" Wega. The Toshiba was given away because it was huge. But we ended up using that Wega for many more years! I did give it away because...the future. UGH Like you, I wish I still had it. A real beauty.
I’d rather a 20” Wega than a 36” toshiba too. At least one human can lift the Wega haha
Thx a lot for this great presentation !
Happy to do it. Glad you enjoyed :)
@@VideoGameEsoterica really i'm not a pro at all and not especially a fan of crt, but thanks to you it became clearer in my mind ;) In my geek career and since the 80's the goal has always been to have the sharpest image possible and now that we are almost at the top I still have trouble going back, but that's me ;)
Haha I get that. I spend all day behind cinema cameras that deliver the most pristine, clear image possible. Then my job is to make that clarity not look so clear but film like. Always fighting to make it look different no matter what realm we are dealing with
@@VideoGameEsoterica The world is crazy lol
It makes everything look better in my opinion but the only thing is it seems like it's too severe? Like they have the 1x setting and higher but to me it seems like they need a 0.5x in between 1 and 0. Like it seems when you watch the game on an actual CRT the scanlines aren't as prevalent as they are on emulation.
It may come in the future. It’s always evolving based on feedback and talk in the Discord
We’ve been presented with scanline options for decades I wish this was the default filter for retro collections instead.
I much prefer it to scanlines as well
I honestly think that without shadow mask & or scanline the artwork doesn't look correct because your brain is not able to complete what's missing. (You just see pixels) Meanwhile with the shadow mask your brain is guessing the intricated detail (that isn't really there) and it looks just how it was suppose to be in the first place. So these shadow masks are a blessing for me. Now we have a way to preserve the real look of games during that era. We just need better TV's to allow them to shine even more.
I enjoy it either way. I do love a big chunky pixel but I do get that we see games in 2021 well outside the intended method the artists wanted us to. As a filmmaker that annoys me but as a lover of pixels I don’t mind.
I'm waiting for a CRT Royalle port for MisTer! Is it possible?
I am sure its technically possible
I have my doubts. Firstly, the SoC in the MisTer has no GPU. Any shaders would have to be ported to Verilog or VHDL, taking up precious logic gates. CRT Royale often requires a pretty beefy desktop-class GPU, depending on what options you select. Implementing everything in CRT Royale could very well eat up too many gates.
It looks like this work is the next best thing - implementing the cheap/easy parts of a CRT effect, but not the expensive features that CRT Royale does.
LOL I meant to say not sure*
@@IanTester how about 2 De10 Nanos? One of them dedicated to implement the shaders, with video signal input from MisTer or any retro console (like a real Super Nintendo). What do you think?
Could you please cover the open source CRT chasis project?
Maybe? I mean id have to source one, look at costs, etc etc. I can’t buy everything I’d like for the channel sadly
i'm not sure these masks are well-represented by the capture? it almost looks like uneven scaling somehow
It’s V hard to capture such fine detail then have it compressed via YT compression. I was happy how it held up but it’s always not perfect
What about integer scaling? Won't not having even math break the masks presentation? It breaks scanlines. I'm surprised you never mentioned this.
It alters things look wise yes. Did I not mention that?
@@VideoGameEsoterica Not that I recall. I apologize, my comment was not meant to be a criticism. It's just non integer scaling is the biggest issue regarding shaders. Few GLSL and SLag shaders, I believe few have the ability to compensate. Although, I don't think the mister implementation does. You are just always so thorough, and non integer scaling is the biggest gotcha here.
Oh no I didn’t see it as criticism at all. I was just wondering at what point you noticed it
Awesome study regarding shadow masks. Even as a dev I always thought scanlines was the be all end all. Thank you so much for this.
I used to do photography so its nice to hearing the topic from that perspective.
But one of the reasons I really want to have a CRT that only VR can emulate, is that awesome curve CRTs have. Also I really enjoy the bloom a CRT radiates.
Yes bloom and curvature are unique. I have flat and curved CRTs. I need the curve for light gun arcade games as the aim calibration can be trickier at the edges on a flat panel
And yes my perspective is always from my educational / working background as a filmmaker. I don’t know if that’s the best methodology but it’s the one I see all these image adjustments through
Doesn't really look like a PVM to me. You also own one too though so I'm wondering what you're seeing. Not saying you're wrong, just found it interesting.
It all depends how close you get to the PVM LOL
I love scanlines but i need to have a look at the shadow masks they look great.
Yeah def check them out
What do you recommend for arcade cores, any shadow mask in particular?
It’s so hard to recommend as it’s such personal taste but the trashuncle trinitron seems to look good on everything IMO
@@VideoGameEsoterica Thank you. I'll try that
Yeah I think you’ll like it!
Shadow masks are great but.... TMNT on the MiSTer ? I thought the core wasnt finished yet, even if close... You have acess to a pre-release version ?
That's SNES, not arcade
@@VideoGameEsoterica ho yeah I'm dumb... Didn't remember that the SNES port was as good as this.
Haha yeah it’s a solid version for sure. Hopefully TNMT and other awesome Konami beat em ups in 2022!
For me Oled is the CRT of the 21st century.
I never liked the image produced by LCD, I was only satisfied with a modern TV after I bought Oled.
Today I have a Sony Wega CRT and an LG CX and I am very happy.
I have a Samsung QLED 4K 70” and I have zero issues with their technology. OLED is awesome but I’ve yet to make the jump. Probably when this Samsung needs replacing. Which won’t be for awhile. Probably be at 8K by then
@@VideoGameEsoterica They are good TVs, the image is very good.
But there's something about technology that I don't like, but I can't explain it.
When I bought my first LCD back in 2008 I thought the problem was the low response time causing ghosting. But even with my brother's LG Nano(2020), I don't like much for video games.
But maybe it's Oled's contrast and color that reminds me of CRT TVs that appeal to me more than LCDs.
Its probably the contrast ratio on OLED that makes you think of CRT because my Samsung exhibits no ghosting / lag. I love it
@@VideoGameEsoterica Yes. With today's technology there are no bad TVs, it's more a matter of consumer taste
Can we have Shadow masks on Raspberry pi4?
Maybe? I am looking into Pi for 2022. Like I have one sitting next to me waiting to be photographed
It would be cool if mister can emulate the look of the GB and GB light screens like the analogue
One day it may. It’s always evolving
It does, with the LCD filters
@@Romerco77 i mean the green gb screen and blue tint of the gb light, these aren't emulated right?
@@user-yk1cw8im4h i play GB on the Mister with green screen and lcd dot matrix filter. Don't know anything about that, blue? Thing though
A Sony shadowmask CRT sounds like tech from an alternative universe.
Bizarro world tv
I like the idea, but unfortunately the colors look a bit washed out on arcades i play, especially with complex masks.
I find the mono mask the least aggressive to colors.
Yes every game seems to have its own pros/cons with the masks. Just need to find the right one for you
It seems now it's a matter of time until we get overlays xD
maybe one day in 2022
Where's the link to math n science?
There isn’t one LOL
@@VideoGameEsoterica I have a strange question... I just was helping my friend setup his Mister and his menu core static background looks very different from mine. I have square static pixels, yet he has sqwiggles, more like yours on the CRT in this video... Any idea how to change this or why they would be so different? we are both up to date.
It changed with updating. Just a different look. Update :)
this is awesome!!!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Trinitron shadow mask?
It’s an aperture pattern that isolates colors
I'm starting to think the shadow masks aren't that great because they don't act like filters do in my emulators.
Blraggs NTSC Composite filters look amazing to me.. but this seems like a half assed attempt, and rather than filtering anything, they just overlay an image of a grid or scanlines.. that's not the same as a CRT look.
It’s one component of the crt look. You can combine them with filters / scanlines to your hearts content. It’s one more tool
I wonder if the shadow mask is like an eggcreate
Egg crate?
@@VideoGameEsoterica the thing you put on to softboxes to controll the spill.
Ahh someone who knows film terms LOL. I rarely encounter that so I didn’t even assume. Yes but at a MUCH smaller scale in concept but the egg crate is mostly just for that directional hard shadow look. So visually it’s the exact same concept but the underlying function (keep the electron beam striking the right phosphors vs making a more directional hard light) is different :)
What I mean is yes the egg crate and the shadow mask physically look similar (minus the size) but their functional differs greatly
😍
:)
Great video, once Again! You are rapidly becoming the go-to-mister channel. Now if you could only become woke AF then you'd be a made man LOL
Lol how can I be woke when I am talking about electronics?
@@VideoGameEsoterica well is sorglik a poc? How many trans people are doing work on the 486 core? I see rampant rrrrrasssicm and sssseexxxxiiiissmm in the mister community. If there are no issues...be creative: make them up ;)
You need a better intro theme rather than just playing a theme backwards.. it's rather cringy.
Yeah probably won’t change it though. It’s supposed to be cringe. I am in it for the Easter egg joke
i never liked the crt's
That’s fair. They are just options :)