I've been a long-time viewer of the +GameTechUS channel, and watching Jason and Kevtris take this mod from concept to prototype to production has been really impressive, and I've been looking forward to this for a long time! Great overview guys! :)
Daniel C Kiwi Kraze on the NES. It’s more commonly known as The New Zealand Story, since it was only called Kiwi Kraze in America. In Europe, it was ported to about 5 billion different 8-bit Home Microcomputers. The NES port is fairly bad though, especially since the NES lacks good colour options for yellow. Some of the European ports were much better, especially the Amiga port if I remember rightly, however I expect the best way to play is just the original arcade game in MAME.
This is my second "MLIG" vid with the first being Marshall's N64 ultra kit. I cannot say enough about how awesome your work is - especially the video comparisons (shame on the WiiU emulation - yikes!). I also love how you list the settings you used/preferred. This is my new favorite channel!!!
Theirs one for 64. Shoot once I have my new job. That is Def a purchase. As I'm breaking out my 64 for my new gaming setup, So I was already gonna take it apart and clean it might as upgrade it. I will use the rca ports on my screen for my og xbox lmao.
+KWKBOX [Try4ce] There's lots more features, but I focused on what seemed most important to me! If you want to hear from another source with details on a few other features, check out Retro RGB's article: www.retrorgb.com/hidefnes.html
hi there guys! I recently bought a hi-def nes kit for my AV Famicom and this video helped me optimize my settings! thank you! Just wanted to let you know that v2.25 does indeed fix the interpolation bug, and turning it on while using non integer horizontal scale removes the shimmering in scrolling. A 720p native monitor with the hi-def nes in 4:3 horizontal stretching with interpolation and scanlines set to NES looked pretty authentic to me!
+N64 Glenn Plant [Try4ce] You and me both! It's a bit outside what either of us could afford at the moment, but getting our hands on one to at least borrow is a priority right now.
+Videogame Bucko Question remains, what will be more expensive, buying component cables for GameCube or buying the HDMI mod and having someone install it for you?
+theimporter Price is similar either way, so in the end it's up to you. HDMI mod has some advantages over component cables especially if you're using a modern TV or a 31khz only display.
Great video as always guys. So in short, if you already have an RGB setup with the XRGB-Mini, go with a cheaper RGB mod for your NES or Famicom. If all you plan to play are NES games, then it would be cheaper just to get the Hi-Def NES mod since an XRGB-Mini proscaler is more expensive.
+theimporter [Try4ce] That's exactly what I'm thinking. Hi-Def NES does have a slight sharpness advantage, but considering I'm already all setup for RGB, if I ever add a Toploader NES to go alongside my AV Famicom (I don't want to mod my Frontloader), I'm leaning toward RGB instead of HDMI, especially because I want the scaling options.. However, in spite of my RGB setup, I'm definitely getting an Ultra HDMI ASAP!
***** Ya, N64 is a different ballgame. That being said, I'm not enough of an N64 fan to justify a 2nd (expensive) mod on the system. The RGB mod was cheap and I was having my Famicom modded at the same time by the same guy, hence why I upgraded from S-Video.
Just got mine in the mail a few days ago, and finished installing it 20 min ago. So far this mod looks amazing on my TV. Testing out all the features now, but easily worth every penny. Not a mod for the beginners to install, that is for sure. Thank you Cory and Try for this vid, which inspired me to order and install it.
+Michael Wieczorek [Try4ce] Was definitely not my intention going into the episode, but it kinda just came out that way! (Definitely learned a good bit about how the Framemeister works along the way too.)
I want to really thank you guys for this video (among others). It really helped show the advantages and options we now have for old-school gaming, and gave me the knowledge I needed to upgrade my set up. You guys really are one of the best places to find out information on these kind of things. Can't wait until I can finally try out my own Hi-Def Nes.
Given how easy it is to mod more games into it and the NES version still supports SNES style Wii U gamepads the NES/SNES classics are both an excellent budgetware option if you just want something small & simple you can plug into your modern TV to play 8/16 bit era games.
Another great episode guys! I already have an RGB modded NES so I don't think the high-def mod is for me, but I will definitely tell some friends about it. The biggest improvement for the average person is probably the 1080p scaling so that their TV doesn't induce all that horrendous lag when it upscales the image lol.
Also, the NES HDMI mod is great for newer collectors who have not invested alot of money on RGB / Framemeister setups. You literally just plug in the NES via HDMI and you're done! Great one-stop solution without alot of fiddling!!!
[Coury] Well, it makes sense if the only console you care about is the NES. Its worth just getting the HDMI mod then. On the flip side, the Framemeister can be used with any system you have or may get.
@@BELDAM808 yeah but it has some compatibility issues and is less intuitive than the framemeister..... its a mixed bag. I bought mine (framemeister) with my savings, it works great
Crystalis!! So few people have playted that game. I was thinking " I wonder how this mod handles compatibility issues, like scrolling" - Crystalis was one of the game that cause grief to emulators early on. I figured it would be 100% compatible, but was thinking maybe there are some edge cases where it would get wierd.
[Try4ce] Crystalis plays just fine. I guess that game does have somewhat complex scrolling for an NES game. It can display junk at the edges, but that's normal behavior.
You've neglected to mention that the hi-def NES has some video and audio issues: th-cam.com/video/RGS4AlozLVY/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/V4jhv5xjuFQ/w-d-xo.html You can even detect the video problem I am alluding to in your own video here at 7:38 Specifically, the NES PPU outputs a random corrupted scanline every few seconds on half of the CPU-PPU alignments in a few very popular games, and on the other alignments you get "pixel speckling" (corrupted pixels that give a speckle effect). The speckling is due to the special mode the ppu needs to run in in order to get the digital information out from what I can tell. Worse still, the kit drops a frame randomly on every reboot or hard cycle which means your monitor needs to refresh taking 3 seconds or more. The RGB kit is pretty authentic in that it's much more minimal, but also suffers from a similar pixel speckling issue on some games from what I can tell, due to it using the same ppu mode. Its a problem with the ext pin on the ppu chip. normally this pin is grounded on a org nes but with the kits its used to output pixel data, its a fundamental problem and can't be fixed. The RGB doesn't do away with the problem either.
I am really struggling between RGB and HDMI right now for my mod. My biggest problem with the HDMI mod is that I absolutely do not like the idea of cutting my NES. While the HDMI definitely looks better; the RGB mod can be done on my AV famicom while using the existing multiout port without having to cut the case.
If you still have or can get a decent SD CRT with component video you can get the Shinybow RGB SCART to Y/Pb/Pr transcoder. Costs $75 and you won't need to sell a kidney for a decent RGB monitor.
Interpolation is usually used to pull frames of vertical pixel animation together with horizontal pixel animation. It's only useful when your tv/monitor lacks game mode and runs the refresh rate at 120+Hz or 30Hz rather than 60Hz.
I have semi-moderate soldering skills, which made the Hidef NES a bit tricky to install. But, with patience, I was able to get both chips removed from the nes and soldered I to the risers provided. A quick install of the ribbon cables to the HiDef NES board, and all was good. It was trickier than I wanted it to be, but it was well worth the efforts.
Oh okay now I get why phonedork was wanting a 5X option. The 240 horizontal lines is actually more than we saw on most CRTs, the safe zone was 256x224 and title screens had to fit within 224x212. Although 240 scales better for HDMI.
The Hi-Def NES is really not a product for me (I prefer Tim's NESRGB, so I can either plug my NES in a CRT and get the best picture, or route the NES through an XRGB-3 or other linedoubler and send it to an HDTV). So for playing on an HDTV, I'd rather send all of my consoles RGB signals to an upscaler. The HDMI mod approach made sense for the N64, though, since the guy behind it created a great algorithm that can eliminate the blurriness introduced by the N64's anti-aliasing filter. But for the NES? not so much But hey to each their own
I would be interested in a mod for the N64 that keeps it RGB, but includes his algorithm for getting rid of the hideous anti-aliasing. Some of us (me included) only use CRTs for their 240p gaming, and would like to take advantage of his breakthrough too.
silfortytypex Don’t you just use the RGB output through a compatible TV? If I remember right it uses 240p, so you easily plug one into a Frameister or OSSC. I’m not sure if it has an analogue RGB output, a lot of old computers from that era only have composite or digital RGB output, which often has a limited colour gamut and requires a fancy RGB Monitor designed for computers. I think the RGB should just be as simple as using a SCART cable though, as I think it has analogue output.
I still remember hard wiring a Game Genie into my NES, so i would not have to put it on and take it off games. Plus it was just cool to have a stock looking NES and turn it on and there is the Game genie screen. lol
Been enjoying going down the video quality rabbit hole with these videos, but I'm sorry. I zoned out when you started playing Shadowgate music. It's pretty great.
Hey guys! How about the new FPGA NES models? The AVS HDMI NES from RetroUSB and the new Nt Mini from Analogue. How do you think these will perform? The AVS HDMI NES will output only 720p. Is this promissing?
I have my Hi-Def NES set to 1080p with 6X horizontal width and it looks absolutely gorgeous. No scanlines, no scaling, and the color palette is set to Beware's. I haven't had any complaints with those settings ever since I made them the default. This video is fairly old now and I have the latest 2.25 firmware and also the latest Hi-Def kit with the fixed HDMI port, so those could be contributing factors. It's absolutely amazing, I most certainly prefer it over the NESRGB mod. I don't own or ever plan on owning a PVM anyway.
really? hopefully that's not the case...if so, be preparted to max the color on your tv, contrast, raise the back light AND brightness just a smidge. also, screw the frame meister.....$500 for a device that introduces 16ms/1 frame of input lag not including the present lag on an HDTV? count me out, the lagless Hi-def and NES AVS are much better options plus they're $300 cheaper.
They should totally release one that supports the dotmatrix filter. I used it in Fusion (emulator) on my monitor using my laptop and dotmatrix was well, perfect. It felt like I was looking at the arcade machine. And didn't have those annoying lines or the blur.
Loved this episode. Any chance of making episodes on HDMI mods for SNES, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive and/or PC-Engine/TurboGrafx? And of course, I would like to hear your thoughts regarding the latest Cyber Gadget's Retro Freak machine (it's like Retron5 + PC-Engine/TurboGrafx compatible & soon, a special adapter to play Game Gear & Master System).
+Firis Rozley [Try4ce] I'm sure there are things in the works that I'm unaware of, but the only HDMI mods available or in the works that I know of are NES, N64, and Gamecube. I would love to see what people come up with for all those others, though! I'm sure someone is already thinking about them. We'd love to try out the Retro Freak machine. Last I recall, it was a bit more expensive than I expected. Not sure if availability has improved.
+Ohem1 [Try4ce] I believe kits are supposed to become available later, but unfortunately I'm pretty out of the loop on what's up with the distribution situation.
+Ohem1 Game tech US has a channel that gives updates on it. I think he said kits would become available mid summer or early autumn. Initial kits were limited and there were some bugs to be worked out so only modders were selected to recieve them.
Incredible work, you guys. I really love the production quality and the content of your videos. How do you do the visual distortion effects in the intro?
Jesus. That comparison at the end really puts the Wii U Virtual Console to shame. I've only purchased one NES game on the Wii U (Street Fighter 2010 of course) and the blurring was pretty annoying, especially after playing Super Metroid and Advance Wars on the console and having great quality sharp image from them. This NES HDMI mod is quite outside my price range, and as I have a Retron 5 it's kinda less warranted, but I am keeping an eye on that hdmi mod for the N64.
Great! I'll save this one for later. Have you considered doing a Playstation version? Maybe original psx hardware over rgb vs. running them on ps2 or ps3. I would love see the comparison.
+My Life in Gaming I'd be happy to provide input on that video as well. I've got PS1 RGB-sync-on-Luma (thanks to Ste), as well as RGB and Yipper cables for the PS2. You could even cover the rare emulation issues of certain PS1 games on the PS2, like Castlevania SotN.
Wow estos chicos son unos genios de los videojuegos retro el mejor canal en cuanto a como sacarle el mejor provecho a tu consola retro y mejorarlas aun más 💪😎🍻
I can't wait for you guys to cover the PS1 best picture quality. I do have an original PS1 console, but I also have a PS3. With the PS3, you have the option to have sharp pixels and smoothness on the PS1 games. I tend to find myself using the smoothing option since it's looks kind of better, but not to what I expect and at least they don't stretch the image. Also, can't wait for the Gamecube conversation.
Sounds wonderful. BTW, how do you capture your game footage? I'm using my Elgato capture for my retro console and I'm curious if it will work through the Framemeister.
Is it the Elgato60? I've never used an Elgato, but they're well regarded. Anything that accepts 1080p/60 should be fine. We use AVerMedia ExtremeCap U3, it's a few years old.
I would really like to get an RGB mod for my AV Fami for S-Video on my CRT, but want HDMI on my toaster for my HDTV... Thanks for this review. I learned so much. Once/if Kevtris adds 5x Vertical Scale for 1080p, the HiDef NES looks like it will be the ultimate solution. I really want to avoid buying the Framemeister because of the cost of RGB cables, no reliable/affordable RGB swichers, and added input lag.
+Amir Jubran [Try4ce] I actually saw just last night a video of Kevtris's where he said he wanted to add 5X, but couldn't. I'm curious if there's a hardware limitation there. Of course, I hadn't seen that video yet when I had written and recorded the script.
+My Life in Gaming Oh that sucks! You convinced me through your captures that 5x is so the way to go. I'm just going to wait things out then for new developments. For now I'll just RGB mod the AV Fami and enjoy that. Thanks for your reply!
+My Life in Gaming The hidef NES kit doesn't actually have any RAM chips onboard, so all he has to work with is the extraordinarily limited amount of memory built-in to the FPGA. He didn't have quite enough memory available to do the 5x scaling, and specifically mentioned needing to buffer 15-20 extra scanlines, which he didn't have room for.
+Adam Zey is right. In the #nesdev channel on the EFnet IRC network, kev explained that 5x would need a much taller scanline buffer. A taller buffer can mean an extra frame of lag, and it would have meant a more expensive FPGA, making it even more than the $200 quoted in the video.
Thank you for making this video! I have the RF-only top loader and am torn between the HDMI NES or doing the RGB mod (already have a top-loader). I'm still torn! But at least I feel more informed.
+NESJohnny [Try4ce] I also really want a toploader, and I'm very torn which mod I will get if/when I do so! I currently have an RGB-modded AV Famicom and an unmodded frontloader.
I use the Framemeister to zoom the 1080p 4x5 mode, no shimmer. I could also use my TV picture zoom settings, but the Framemeister is much easier to turn on/off.
To me it looked that the NES HDMI was a bit brighter than the RGB, but after spending all that money on the RGB, I think I'll stick to that since I don't think the digital input is that integral. The moment I heard of that mod I sort of felt regret for investing into RGB.
+BladeBlurX [Try4ce] I wouldn't regret it at all. It's easy to think something brighter is also better at a glance. And... well, it IS, for the most part, aside from the lack of flexibility with scaling. It's that flexibility, plus the ability to use it on a CRT, that I'm primarily going to continue to invest in RGB. If I get a Toploader NES, which I'm considering, I'll have to choose HDMI or RGB, which is a tough choice, but I think I'll still go RGB (cost certainly being a factor as well). In practice, it's hard to say that you'd really see any perceptible downsides to RGB versus HDMI, unless looking at them side-by-side, and even then, I think it's not earth-shattering like the N64 difference. N64 is an exception for me, and I'll get the HDMI as soon as possible.
The thing is I invest quite a lot of money in that mod and the Framemeister, which is also usable for all the consoles, so might as well stick with that. But yeah I do agree with the N64, that looks amazing.
+BladeBlurX The brightness/vividness factor can be adjusted in the framemeister. It can be made to look identical to the HDMI image if you take the time to adjust and compare until you get it to match, but the point of the video was to show the difference in sharpness. On that end, the HDMI mod does look a hair sharper, but the drawback is it has to be integer-scaled on horizontal as well as vertical to keep 'shimmering' scroll from happening.
Kevtris isn't making these any more. Does anyone else know of a comparable solution? I just found my old NES front loader console and I'm not doing that RBG/Framemeister crap. I need HDMI to my A/V system.
[Try4ce] Is it really discontinued? Sadly that's the only true HDMI mod for NES. If you need to stick with original hardware, an RGB mod to an OSSC (much cheaper and more available than Framemeister) is the best way to get the system in HDMI and looking its best. If you don't mind composite video, but just want to use it in HDMI, a RetroTINK-2X or RetroTINK-2X Pro is the best way to minimize the worst characteristics of composite video, while converting to HDMI and keeping lag to a minimum. If you absolutely need native HDMI, and still want to use your original cartridges, the AVS by RetroUSB is the best solution that you can get your hands on, but it's an FPGA, not original hardware (a very good FPGA solution though).
I feel that the HDMI mod has an upper hand, both in terms of quality on modern TVs as well as in convenience as you could just hook it into an input on any audio setup receiver along with anything else running HDMI. Keeps the clutter and number of remotes down. The downside being that there currently is no SNES HDMI mod to go along with the NES and N64. Now if one wanted to be overkill though, couldn't you pipe the HDMI output of a HDMI mod and/or an entire HDMI receiver/splitter through a Framemeister and get the benefits of both?
[Try4ce] You could, although earlier this year I discovered that the Framemeister's HDMI passthrough does not work all that well. Even when set to not process at all, there is some sort of colorspace conversion or mismatch going on, so I try to avoid HDMI input on the Framemeister now.
It's because true NTSC CRT's are a 512x512 resolution that can handle a 640x480 feed. Original NTSC screens were square, then stretched to the 4:3 size, because being anolog it never had a pixel, but a signal pass. Due to this, if anyone did video editing pre-hdef, you had a safe space within the 640x480 to put text or imagery that was mandatory in case the tv processing it cut it off. Now I feel old.
Big problem with going hdmi over RGB for many retro consoles, is the lack of support for light gun games on hdtvs. By going hdmi you have to give up all hope on ever playing light gun games. At least with RGB you can connect via a framemeister to an hdtv or play light gun games on a crt. Someone really needs to find a way to play light gun games on hdtvs with our old gear.
Uuumm the Framemeister has 2 HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI output. Why not just connect the HiDef NES to the Framemeister through HDMI and then out from Framemeister to a crt tv. Doesn't seem too dificult.
well your probably right, CRTs is still the only way to play light gun games. Luckily for me, the Hi Def NES I modded still has the regular Composite outputs working so I can just use a regular CRT for light gun games using RCA cables and just stick to HDMI on my regular LED Smart tv.
+Kirkklan [Try4ce] Nope, sadly the only feasible way to fix that is to play on a CRT. It has to do with the way CRTs draw the image, the brightness of the screen, and most importantly, the timing and speed of the refresh. If you want to play high quality Duck Hunt, you need an RGB mod, which will give you the option to use S-video or RGB on a compatible consumer CRT or PVM.
I like using both my NES Top and Toaster to record gameplay from my HDTV. I get kinda stingy with the slight noise that comes off of analog signal from my old RGB NES to the framemeister. The HDMI mod really shows how sharp and crisp the image coming off the NES looks. There are currently some game compatibility issues and oddities with the HDMI mod however. Blaster Master for example has some glitches that actually make it unplayable in some boss fights, and in the Super Mario games the fire sounds are a bit different (Probably due to the audio also being output as digital as well so it sounds less "muffled") Did you know that the HDMI mod also gives you the ability to overclock? Pressing select + up or down sets a clock speed for it. It's a great feature can reduce (and even eliminate) the slowdown on NES games due to the sprites on screen. Just make sure to set it to overclock the PPU that way the music stays on the same pitch level. Doing that to my NES certainly made my Contra Force co-op experience playable now haha. If you have an RGB NES connected to a CRT then I think that's a great enough setup as is. If you're more interested in playing on HDTV screens and getting more out of the NES, then the pure digital picture and audio clarity plus all of the bells and whistles it has are more than worth the upgrade. Especially if you're a NES junkie like me. :D
+AndresGP [Try4ce] I actually tried to get Blaster Master footage for this episode, but my cart wouldn't even load properly. I had lots of corruption on the title screen. I chalked it up to just NES games being NES games, but I wonder if it had something to do with the system.
+My Life in Gaming Both my HDMI top loader and toaster did show corruption near the top of the screen when I used a flash cart as well as the original to test them (Cleaning them beforehand as well). Then I gave them a try on my RGB NES and they did work flawlessly. It could be that it's just a small bug with kevtris' firmware. Master Blastin' will have to wait until another day I suppose. All in all though, I'm just glad I didn't have to blow on them..... as much. Lol.
The problem with focusing solely on the definition of the pixel is that it leaves aside the fact that the scan lines of the old tube screens were not only a limitation but were eventually used ingeniously as a tool, the visual aspect of the arts. they never had the intention of defining the pixels, on the contrary it was the design standard to achieve a smoother representation and that is where the Dithering effect is relevant but with the search for the "perfect pixel" it disappears and with it the very essence of the finish visual arts and its final aesthetics. someone think about dithering! 🤣
Its unbelievable that they use 1000 times of computing power of original nes to get the image displayed from old hardware. Its like using nuclear reactor to get the steam for old locomotive to operate.
+Starscreamious [Try4ce] Most likely it won't use a sharp scaling method. I've read about Panasonic 4K TVs that will do a sharp scale from 1080p to 4K though. But from 240p? Unlikely.
My Life in Gaming With the apparent ending of the framemeister production, I'm hoping we'll see and XRGB 4K iteration soon. The XRGB Mini was Micomsoft's most successful device, so I see no reason why they wouldn't want to develop a successor now that they are not able to source one of the chips in the framemeister to continue its production.
4k will be the next big thing in retrogaming scaling. I've seen some mockups of CRT effect that are really spot-on. The pixel are so tiny you could really replicate the aperture grill (or shadow mask) of a CRT.
also a suggestion, could you do some rgb , or maybe just best possible videos on systems that you didn't get to like turbografx/cd, neo geo cd , jaguar , 3do, neo geo, neo geo cd , sega saturn , and dreamcast . I love this serious ans would love to see some videos on these even if some of them are only s-video . I saw a turbografx add on that was capable of rgb
I'd like to see this for the Genesis. I tried buying a SCART cable and cheap SCART-to-HDMI upscaler and I couldn't get any picture on either of my TVs. I could get audio from the headphone jack (it's a Model 1) but other than that, there was just a black screen. I don't have the funds for a Framemeister, and HDRetrovision's Genesis and SNES component cables are taking too long to come out.
One day this is all going to become irrelevant: When you can basically run all these games in virtual reality (and that could be via simple emulation or by actually running the original carts through a console box that outputs directly to the VR headset's display). The reason for this is because in VR it can create a multiplication of the original NES resolution at whatever size you want and then simply generate a virtual TV box around the size and resolution you've chosen; it doesn't have to sacrifice proportions to fit on whatever screen size/ratio or stick you with huge borders on the top and bottom or sides of the screen. See, VR really is the future. Note: I'm talking about when VR is at such a resolution that you could basically have something like an 80 inch virtual screen on your virtual wall in your virtual retro-bedroom that displays your NES game at some huge size (multiplication) without any degradation or distortion in the individual pixels. I presume current VR headsets are, however, too low-res to really do this amazing well for now-but one day they won't be.
I've been a long-time viewer of the +GameTechUS channel, and watching Jason and Kevtris take this mod from concept to prototype to production has been really impressive, and I've been looking forward to this for a long time! Great overview guys! :)
*_HDMI my Intellivision please._*
Yes, a bad tasted remark has to made here: _HDMI my penis!_
P.S. Anyone into Yo Mama jokes?
More like H-D-MI penis.
HDM'Intellivision
NodMan Yes! I want to see this!
Hdmi my tiger electronics game
My god that picture at 8:23 is one of the cleanest I've ever seen
what game is that?
Daniel C Kiwi Kraze on the NES. It’s more commonly known as The New Zealand Story, since it was only called Kiwi Kraze in America. In Europe, it was ported to about 5 billion different 8-bit Home Microcomputers. The NES port is fairly bad though, especially since the NES lacks good colour options for yellow. Some of the European ports were much better, especially the Amiga port if I remember rightly, however I expect the best way to play is just the original arcade game in MAME.
This is my second "MLIG" vid with the first being Marshall's N64 ultra kit. I cannot say enough about how awesome your work is - especially the video comparisons (shame on the WiiU emulation - yikes!). I also love how you list the settings you used/preferred. This is my new favorite channel!!!
[Try4ce] Wow thanks!
Theirs one for 64. Shoot once I have my new job. That is Def a purchase. As I'm breaking out my 64 for my new gaming setup, So I was already gonna take it apart and clean it might as upgrade it. I will use the rca ports on my screen for my og xbox lmao.
Very informative. I really appreciate your attention to detail so I can decide on getting an HDMI mod for my NES. Keep up the great work!
+KWKBOX [Try4ce] There's lots more features, but I focused on what seemed most important to me! If you want to hear from another source with details on a few other features, check out Retro RGB's article: www.retrorgb.com/hidefnes.html
hi there guys! I recently bought a hi-def nes kit for my AV Famicom and this video helped me optimize my settings! thank you!
Just wanted to let you know that v2.25 does indeed fix the interpolation bug, and turning it on while using non integer horizontal scale removes the shimmering in scrolling.
A 720p native monitor with the hi-def nes in 4:3 horizontal stretching with interpolation and scanlines set to NES looked pretty authentic to me!
[Try4ce] That's awesome! I'd love to try one again with the newest firmware.
Great job again, guys!
+Coestar Hey Coe! Yeah these guys have amazing info when it comes to Retro RGB stuff.
I own one, it is beautiful. Kevtris did a great job! Props to game-tech.us for the installation as well!
+ChrisKewl I got one as well :) I picked up the "mint" toaster with blinking light win from game tech!
you guys need a million subs... I sure hope that day comes, you deserve it
cant wait for you guys to do the new gamecube hdmi mod!
+N64 Glenn Plant [Try4ce] You and me both! It's a bit outside what either of us could afford at the moment, but getting our hands on one to at least borrow is a priority right now.
+My Life in Gaming I'm sorting it for you don't worry :) Been an awful day thanks to a certain payment provider but we'll get there.
+Videogame Bucko Question remains, what will be more expensive, buying component cables for GameCube or buying the HDMI mod and having someone install it for you?
+theimporter Price is similar either way, so in the end it's up to you. HDMI mod has some advantages over component cables especially if you're using a modern TV or a 31khz only display.
+Videogame Bucko Thanks for the quick reply. How would you compare the HDMI mod Vs Component hooked to an XRGB-Mini?
Just got my Hi-Def NES-equipped AV Famicom back. Went back to this for help, and the 4x5 suggestion from Try is perfect. Thanks, guys!
I finally got a Hi-Def NES. Thanks for the great video.
Great video as always guys. So in short, if you already have an RGB setup with the XRGB-Mini, go with a cheaper RGB mod for your NES or Famicom. If all you plan to play are NES games, then it would be cheaper just to get the Hi-Def NES mod since an XRGB-Mini proscaler is more expensive.
+theimporter [Try4ce] That's exactly what I'm thinking. Hi-Def NES does have a slight sharpness advantage, but considering I'm already all setup for RGB, if I ever add a Toploader NES to go alongside my AV Famicom (I don't want to mod my Frontloader), I'm leaning toward RGB instead of HDMI, especially because I want the scaling options.. However, in spite of my RGB setup, I'm definitely getting an Ultra HDMI ASAP!
***** Ya, N64 is a different ballgame. That being said, I'm not enough of an N64 fan to justify a 2nd (expensive) mod on the system. The RGB mod was cheap and I was having my Famicom modded at the same time by the same guy, hence why I upgraded from S-Video.
Just got mine in the mail a few days ago, and finished installing it 20 min ago. So far this mod looks amazing on my TV. Testing out all the features now, but easily worth every penny. Not a mod for the beginners to install, that is for sure.
Thank you Cory and Try for this vid, which inspired me to order and install it.
Way to go explaining integer scaling to everyone just along the way. Great job. Love you, guys.
+Michael Wieczorek [Try4ce] Was definitely not my intention going into the episode, but it kinda just came out that way! (Definitely learned a good bit about how the Framemeister works along the way too.)
The Dreamcast it's also getting an HDMI mod!
+Rockmans1989 Nice!
+Rockmans1989 link??
+8bitDNA watch?v=cNuqMp6eemI
+Rockmans1989 Thanks for the mention. ;)
Still working on it. It's not been easy. lol
the Dreamcast already outputs 480p so not much of a problem... or use a TV with VGA and a VGA box..
You guys are like the scientists of retro upscaling. Good stuff, dudes!
I want to really thank you guys for this video (among others). It really helped show the advantages and options we now have for old-school gaming, and gave me the knowledge I needed to upgrade my set up. You guys really are one of the best places to find out information on these kind of things. Can't wait until I can finally try out my own Hi-Def Nes.
The RCA DVD player is also getting a HDMI mod!!!
I just bought an NES Classic Edition
The image quality looks great
Given how easy it is to mod more games into it and the NES version still supports SNES style Wii U gamepads the NES/SNES classics are both an excellent budgetware option if you just want something small & simple you can plug into your modern TV to play 8/16 bit era games.
I'm here because of AVGN's Nintoaster, I mean yeah it's already fixed but I love to see you guys in your perspective
Another great episode guys! I already have an RGB modded NES so I don't think the high-def mod is for me, but I will definitely tell some friends about it. The biggest improvement for the average person is probably the 1080p scaling so that their TV doesn't induce all that horrendous lag when it upscales the image lol.
Also, the NES HDMI mod is great for newer collectors who have not invested alot of money on RGB / Framemeister setups. You literally just plug in the NES via HDMI and you're done! Great one-stop solution without alot of fiddling!!!
RGB is a better solution then the 200$ HDMI mod ???
NO.
Here's 1 reason why:
The Framemeister alone is 400 bucks.
[Coury] Well, it makes sense if the only console you care about is the NES. Its worth just getting the HDMI mod then. On the flip side, the Framemeister can be used with any system you have or may get.
@@mylifeingaming I like your vids
With stuff like the ossc is alot cheaper to get into rgb stuff.
Yea but you have more consoles than just 1 nes right?
@@BELDAM808 yeah but it has some compatibility issues and is less intuitive than the framemeister..... its a mixed bag. I bought mine (framemeister) with my savings, it works great
Crystalis!! So few people have playted that game. I was thinking " I wonder how this mod handles compatibility issues, like scrolling" - Crystalis was one of the game that cause grief to emulators early on. I figured it would be 100% compatible, but was thinking maybe there are some edge cases where it would get wierd.
[Try4ce] Crystalis plays just fine. I guess that game does have somewhat complex scrolling for an NES game. It can display junk at the edges, but that's normal behavior.
Recently purchased an AV Famicom with the Hi Def mod. It was definitely worth the investment. Thanks MLiG!
Thank you for documenting and revitalizing the NES and other retro consoles! Subscribed!
guys, great work. I really like the show and the attention to detain. You've gained a subscriber.
I'm personally content with RetroArch, but I won't deny that this looks like a brilliant way to modernize the original hardware.
You've neglected to mention that the hi-def NES has some video and audio issues:
th-cam.com/video/RGS4AlozLVY/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/V4jhv5xjuFQ/w-d-xo.html
You can even detect the video problem I am alluding to in your own video here at 7:38 Specifically, the NES PPU outputs a random corrupted scanline every few seconds on half of the CPU-PPU alignments in a few very popular games, and on the other alignments you get "pixel speckling" (corrupted pixels that give a speckle effect). The speckling is due to the special mode the ppu needs to run in in order to get the digital information out from what I can tell. Worse still, the kit drops a frame randomly on every reboot or hard cycle which means your monitor needs to refresh taking 3 seconds or more. The RGB kit is pretty authentic in that it's much more minimal, but also suffers from a similar pixel speckling issue on some games from what I can tell, due to it using the same ppu mode. Its a problem with the ext pin on the ppu chip. normally this pin is grounded on a org nes but with the kits its used to output pixel data, its a fundamental problem and can't be fixed. The RGB doesn't do away with the problem either.
this is just fantastic. I love when people go extreme to get what they want
I am really struggling between RGB and HDMI right now for my mod. My biggest problem with the HDMI mod is that I absolutely do not like the idea of cutting my NES. While the HDMI definitely looks better; the RGB mod can be done on my AV famicom while using the existing multiout port without having to cut the case.
merlingt1 Do you have an RGB display?
If you still have or can get a decent SD CRT with component video you can get the Shinybow RGB SCART to Y/Pb/Pr transcoder. Costs $75 and you won't need to sell a kidney for a decent RGB monitor.
Interpolation is usually used to pull frames of vertical pixel animation together with horizontal pixel animation. It's only useful when your tv/monitor lacks game mode and runs the refresh rate at 120+Hz or 30Hz rather than 60Hz.
I have semi-moderate soldering skills, which made the Hidef NES a bit tricky to install. But, with patience, I was able to get both chips removed from the nes and soldered I to the risers provided. A quick install of the ribbon cables to the HiDef NES board, and all was good. It was trickier than I wanted it to be, but it was well worth the efforts.
Oh okay now I get why phonedork was wanting a 5X option. The 240 horizontal lines is actually more than we saw on most CRTs, the safe zone was 256x224 and title screens had to fit within 224x212. Although 240 scales better for HDMI.
The Hi-Def NES is really not a product for me (I prefer Tim's NESRGB, so I can either plug my NES in a CRT and get the best picture, or route the NES through an XRGB-3 or other linedoubler and send it to an HDTV). So for playing on an HDTV, I'd rather send all of my consoles RGB signals to an upscaler.
The HDMI mod approach made sense for the N64, though, since the guy
behind it created a great algorithm that can eliminate the blurriness
introduced by the N64's anti-aliasing filter.
But for the NES? not so much
But hey to each their own
I would be interested in a mod for the N64 that keeps it RGB, but includes his algorithm for getting rid of the hideous anti-aliasing. Some of us (me included) only use CRTs for their 240p gaming, and would like to take advantage of his breakthrough too.
Can you PLEASE do an episode for getting the best picture out of the Commodore 64!
+1!
silfortytypex Don’t you just use the RGB output through a compatible TV? If I remember right it uses 240p, so you easily plug one into a Frameister or OSSC. I’m not sure if it has an analogue RGB output, a lot of old computers from that era only have composite or digital RGB output, which often has a limited colour gamut and requires a fancy RGB Monitor designed for computers. I think the RGB should just be as simple as using a SCART cable though, as I think it has analogue output.
Do you have any plans to review an early version of the analogue mini nt??? I like to buy it, but I need your blessing :)
+Pablo Romero [Try4ce] We would if we get the opportunity! We would like to if we can!
Another awesome video guys. Hope you have a great day!
These videos are great. Keep it up!
I still remember hard wiring a Game Genie into my NES, so i would not have to put it on and take it off games. Plus it was just cool to have a stock looking NES and turn it on and there is the Game genie screen. lol
I realy love this show, learning so much every time.
Been enjoying going down the video quality rabbit hole with these videos, but I'm sorry. I zoned out when you started playing Shadowgate music. It's pretty great.
I did the HD-Def NES mod myself :) - it wasn't too hard honestly.
Came for the video, stayed for the Shadowgate music
Thumbs up for an awesome video but even more for using my favorite NES soundtrack. Shadowgate!
Can you do a video on the Atari 2600?
+dekutony [Try4ce] Eventually, we would very much like to!
Hey guys! How about the new FPGA NES models? The AVS HDMI NES from RetroUSB and the new Nt Mini from Analogue. How do you think these will perform?
The AVS HDMI NES will output only 720p. Is this promissing?
+Rodrigo Horta [Try4ce] We will be doing a video on the AVS in the coming weeks!
Wow, that's fast! This was unexpected. :)
Awesome video.
Can you compare nes mini vs nes hdmi mod?
I have my Hi-Def NES set to 1080p with 6X horizontal width and it looks absolutely gorgeous. No scanlines, no scaling, and the color palette is set to Beware's. I haven't had any complaints with those settings ever since I made them the default. This video is fairly old now and I have the latest 2.25 firmware and also the latest Hi-Def kit with the fixed HDMI port, so those could be contributing factors. It's absolutely amazing, I most certainly prefer it over the NESRGB mod. I don't own or ever plan on owning a PVM anyway.
+Danny C. [Try4ce] I should have my own Hi-Def NES pretty soon, so I'm looking forward to trying the newest version.
This is so awesome. I Can record nes gameplay now if I get this! :) you guys are awesome.
Great visuals and a master presentation. I'm excited to see what the NES mini will bring to the table in terms of pixel-perfectness.
Same shitty dark ports that are currently on the wii virtual console
really? hopefully that's not the case...if so, be preparted to max the color on your tv, contrast, raise the back light AND brightness just a smidge. also, screw the frame meister.....$500 for a device that introduces 16ms/1 frame of input lag not including the present lag on an HDTV? count me out, the lagless Hi-def and NES AVS are much better options plus they're $300 cheaper.
efwefwef I heard it was a newly developed emulator, meaning that it'll hopefully be better.
Check out game xplain's side by side comparison of the new console and WiiU. It's not half bad.
VERY impressed they clean it up. BUT one has to think this was their plan all along. Shit wii ports / better nes mini ports :)
They should totally release one that supports the dotmatrix filter.
I used it in Fusion (emulator) on my monitor using my laptop and dotmatrix was well, perfect. It felt like I was looking at the arcade machine. And didn't have those annoying lines or the blur.
A very interesting topic to be honest.
I prefer straight digital as it reduces chance of failure if I'm not mistaken.
I am truly enjoying your content ! 👍👍👍
Loved this episode. Any chance of making episodes on HDMI mods for SNES, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive and/or PC-Engine/TurboGrafx? And of course, I would like to hear your thoughts regarding the latest Cyber Gadget's Retro Freak machine (it's like Retron5 + PC-Engine/TurboGrafx compatible & soon, a special adapter to play Game Gear & Master System).
+Firis Rozley [Try4ce] I'm sure there are things in the works that I'm unaware of, but the only HDMI mods available or in the works that I know of are NES, N64, and Gamecube. I would love to see what people come up with for all those others, though! I'm sure someone is already thinking about them. We'd love to try out the Retro Freak machine. Last I recall, it was a bit more expensive than I expected. Not sure if availability has improved.
Wow this seems great! But since I already have a Framemeister I may as well use it. One day I'll get that RGB mod...
that mod is fucking sexy. I need one for my NES. 200$ is cheap to immortalize the NES with HD times.
NES HDMI!
Can't be bought as a kit, only pre-installed for a hefty price, ships only to US & Canada.
+Ohem1 [Try4ce] I believe kits are supposed to become available later, but unfortunately I'm pretty out of the loop on what's up with the distribution situation.
+Ohem1 Game tech US has a channel that gives updates on it. I think he said kits would become available mid summer or early autumn. Initial kits were limited and there were some bugs to be worked out so only modders were selected to recieve them.
Incredible work, you guys. I really love the production quality and the content of your videos. How do you do the visual distortion effects in the intro?
Jesus. That comparison at the end really puts the Wii U Virtual Console to shame. I've only purchased one NES game on the Wii U (Street Fighter 2010 of course) and the blurring was pretty annoying, especially after playing Super Metroid and Advance Wars on the console and having great quality sharp image from them.
This NES HDMI mod is quite outside my price range, and as I have a Retron 5 it's kinda less warranted, but I am keeping an eye on that hdmi mod for the N64.
+Mellow Gaming I don't see it blurry but just dark. But my TV has a gaming settings and it makes it brighter so I'm ok right now :P
Hey I have that same shirt. Did you ever notice that the A & B buttons are backwards on it? GG Target.
[Try4ce] Ha, I knew that, but I completely forgot. It sort of annoys me how the buttons have no depth, too.
Excellent video as always!
Exciting times for retrogaming.
Great! I'll save this one for later. Have you considered doing a Playstation version? Maybe original psx hardware over rgb vs. running them on ps2 or ps3. I would love see the comparison.
+aronlFB [Try4ce] We're planning to release the exact video you describe next month. :)
+My Life in Gaming Great! Happy to hear it. Keep up the good work.
+My Life in Gaming Fantastic! As someone with the first three Playstations all available, I'm curious as to which solution works the best there :D
+My Life in Gaming I'd be happy to provide input on that video as well. I've got PS1 RGB-sync-on-Luma (thanks to Ste), as well as RGB and Yipper cables for the PS2. You could even cover the rare emulation issues of certain PS1 games on the PS2, like Castlevania SotN.
+My Life in Gaming Looking forward to it!
Smoothing Scale 3X Mega Man looks both happier and like he had a stroke
Wow estos chicos son unos genios de los videojuegos retro el mejor canal en cuanto a como sacarle el mejor provecho a tu consola retro y mejorarlas aun más 💪😎🍻
I was looking for a video like this, Thanks
I can't wait for you guys to cover the PS1 best picture quality. I do have an original PS1 console, but I also have a PS3. With the PS3, you have the option to have sharp pixels and smoothness on the PS1 games. I tend to find myself using the smoothing option since it's looks kind of better, but not to what I expect and at least they don't stretch the image. Also, can't wait for the Gamecube conversation.
[Try4ce] If everything goes well, we will be releasing our PS1 video in December!
Sounds wonderful. BTW, how do you capture your game footage? I'm using my Elgato capture for my retro console and I'm curious if it will work through the Framemeister.
Is it the Elgato60? I've never used an Elgato, but they're well regarded. Anything that accepts 1080p/60 should be fine. We use AVerMedia ExtremeCap U3, it's a few years old.
Awesome job as always guys :-)
I would really like to get an RGB mod for my AV Fami for S-Video on my CRT, but want HDMI on my toaster for my HDTV... Thanks for this review. I learned so much. Once/if Kevtris adds 5x Vertical Scale for 1080p, the HiDef NES looks like it will be the ultimate solution. I really want to avoid buying the Framemeister because of the cost of RGB cables, no reliable/affordable RGB swichers, and added input lag.
+Amir Jubran [Try4ce] I actually saw just last night a video of Kevtris's where he said he wanted to add 5X, but couldn't. I'm curious if there's a hardware limitation there. Of course, I hadn't seen that video yet when I had written and recorded the script.
+My Life in Gaming Oh that sucks! You convinced me through your captures that 5x is so the way to go. I'm just going to wait things out then for new developments. For now I'll just RGB mod the AV Fami and enjoy that. Thanks for your reply!
+My Life in Gaming The hidef NES kit doesn't actually have any RAM chips onboard, so all he has to work with is the extraordinarily limited amount of memory built-in to the FPGA. He didn't have quite enough memory available to do the 5x scaling, and specifically mentioned needing to buffer 15-20 extra scanlines, which he didn't have room for.
+Adam Zey is right. In the #nesdev channel on the EFnet IRC network, kev explained that 5x would need a much taller scanline buffer. A taller buffer can mean an extra frame of lag, and it would have meant a more expensive FPGA, making it even more than the $200 quoted in the video.
Man. I dont know if I have the patience to install the HDMI kit lol
Thank you for making this video! I have the RF-only top loader and am torn between the HDMI NES or doing the RGB mod (already have a top-loader). I'm still torn! But at least I feel more informed.
+NESJohnny [Try4ce] I also really want a toploader, and I'm very torn which mod I will get if/when I do so! I currently have an RGB-modded AV Famicom and an unmodded frontloader.
+My Life in Gaming You should definitely do the HDMI NES! You'll have an analog Fami and a digital NES. That would be perfect!
Man, my brain is melting with all these options I have to make the NES look better. Now to just find an NES first.
www.lukiegames.com
I'd be interested to see something similar for the Master System.
I use the Framemeister to zoom the 1080p 4x5 mode, no shimmer. I could also use my TV picture zoom settings, but the Framemeister is much easier to turn on/off.
that retron 5 looked sweet...im so glad i got a retron 5...though anlogue nt is suppose to benice...
your intro is awesome
I suspect the HDMI mod kit is more powerful the the NES itself
Of course it is.
To me it looked that the NES HDMI was a bit brighter than the RGB, but after spending all that money on the RGB, I think I'll stick to that since I don't think the digital input is that integral. The moment I heard of that mod I sort of felt regret for investing into RGB.
+BladeBlurX [Try4ce] I wouldn't regret it at all. It's easy to think something brighter is also better at a glance. And... well, it IS, for the most part, aside from the lack of flexibility with scaling. It's that flexibility, plus the ability to use it on a CRT, that I'm primarily going to continue to invest in RGB. If I get a Toploader NES, which I'm considering, I'll have to choose HDMI or RGB, which is a tough choice, but I think I'll still go RGB (cost certainly being a factor as well). In practice, it's hard to say that you'd really see any perceptible downsides to RGB versus HDMI, unless looking at them side-by-side, and even then, I think it's not earth-shattering like the N64 difference. N64 is an exception for me, and I'll get the HDMI as soon as possible.
The thing is I invest quite a lot of money in that mod and the Framemeister, which is also usable for all the consoles, so might as well stick with that. But yeah I do agree with the N64, that looks amazing.
+BladeBlurX The brightness/vividness factor can be adjusted in the framemeister. It can be made to look identical to the HDMI image if you take the time to adjust and compare until you get it to match, but the point of the video was to show the difference in sharpness. On that end, the HDMI mod does look a hair sharper, but the drawback is it has to be integer-scaled on horizontal as well as vertical to keep 'shimmering' scroll from happening.
So basically get a Retron5 or RetroFreak then?
Kevtris isn't making these any more. Does anyone else know of a comparable solution? I just found my old NES front loader console and I'm not doing that RBG/Framemeister crap. I need HDMI to my A/V system.
[Try4ce] Is it really discontinued? Sadly that's the only true HDMI mod for NES. If you need to stick with original hardware, an RGB mod to an OSSC (much cheaper and more available than Framemeister) is the best way to get the system in HDMI and looking its best. If you don't mind composite video, but just want to use it in HDMI, a RetroTINK-2X or RetroTINK-2X Pro is the best way to minimize the worst characteristics of composite video, while converting to HDMI and keeping lag to a minimum. If you absolutely need native HDMI, and still want to use your original cartridges, the AVS by RetroUSB is the best solution that you can get your hands on, but it's an FPGA, not original hardware (a very good FPGA solution though).
I suddenly want to make some NES homebrew specifically optimized for 1920x1080 stretching
Woah can't believe that their was a hdmi mod for the Nes
+earthboundfan15 [Try4ce] Crazy, right? Who knows, maybe all of our old consoles will support HDMI in due time...
It's something that was only released a few months ago. Like three or four months.
I feel that the HDMI mod has an upper hand, both in terms of quality on modern TVs as well as in convenience as you could just hook it into an input on any audio setup receiver along with anything else running HDMI. Keeps the clutter and number of remotes down. The downside being that there currently is no SNES HDMI mod to go along with the NES and N64. Now if one wanted to be overkill though, couldn't you pipe the HDMI output of a HDMI mod and/or an entire HDMI receiver/splitter through a Framemeister and get the benefits of both?
[Try4ce] You could, although earlier this year I discovered that the Framemeister's HDMI passthrough does not work all that well. Even when set to not process at all, there is some sort of colorspace conversion or mismatch going on, so I try to avoid HDMI input on the Framemeister now.
It's because true NTSC CRT's are a 512x512 resolution that can handle a 640x480 feed. Original NTSC screens were square, then stretched to the 4:3 size, because being anolog it never had a pixel, but a signal pass. Due to this, if anyone did video editing pre-hdef, you had a safe space within the 640x480 to put text or imagery that was mandatory in case the tv processing it cut it off. Now I feel old.
NTSC actually had a theorical limit of 512x384...
Big problem with going hdmi over RGB for many retro consoles, is the lack of support for light gun games on hdtvs. By going hdmi you have to give up all hope on ever playing light gun games. At least with RGB you can connect via a framemeister to an hdtv or play light gun games on a crt. Someone really needs to find a way to play light gun games on hdtvs with our old gear.
Uuumm the Framemeister has 2 HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI output. Why not just connect the HiDef NES to the Framemeister through HDMI and then out from Framemeister to a crt tv. Doesn't seem too dificult.
well your probably right, CRTs is still the only way to play light gun games. Luckily for me, the Hi Def NES I modded still has the regular Composite outputs working so I can just use a regular CRT for light gun games using RCA cables and just stick to HDMI on my regular LED Smart tv.
Yes, but can you play Duck Hunt on an HDTV now with this mod?
+Kirkklan [Try4ce] Nope, sadly the only feasible way to fix that is to play on a CRT. It has to do with the way CRTs draw the image, the brightness of the screen, and most importantly, the timing and speed of the refresh. If you want to play high quality Duck Hunt, you need an RGB mod, which will give you the option to use S-video or RGB on a compatible consumer CRT or PVM.
I like using both my NES Top and Toaster to record gameplay from my HDTV. I get kinda stingy with the slight noise that comes off of analog signal from my old RGB NES to the framemeister. The HDMI mod really shows how sharp and crisp the image coming off the NES looks.
There are currently some game compatibility issues and oddities with the HDMI mod however. Blaster Master for example has some glitches that actually make it unplayable in some boss fights, and in the Super Mario games the fire sounds are a bit different (Probably due to the audio also being output as digital as well so it sounds less "muffled")
Did you know that the HDMI mod also gives you the ability to overclock? Pressing select + up or down sets a clock speed for it. It's a great feature can reduce (and even eliminate) the slowdown on NES games due to the sprites on screen. Just make sure to set it to overclock the PPU that way the music stays on the same pitch level. Doing that to my NES certainly made my Contra Force co-op experience playable now haha.
If you have an RGB NES connected to a CRT then I think that's a great enough setup as is. If you're more interested in playing on HDTV screens and getting more out of the NES, then the pure digital picture and audio clarity plus all of the bells and whistles it has are more than worth the upgrade. Especially if you're a NES junkie like me. :D
+AndresGP [Try4ce] I actually tried to get Blaster Master footage for this episode, but my cart wouldn't even load properly. I had lots of corruption on the title screen. I chalked it up to just NES games being NES games, but I wonder if it had something to do with the system.
+My Life in Gaming
Both my HDMI top loader and toaster did show corruption near the top of the screen when I used a flash cart as well as the original to test them (Cleaning them beforehand as well). Then I gave them a try on my RGB NES and they did work flawlessly. It could be that it's just a small bug with kevtris' firmware. Master Blastin' will have to wait until another day I suppose.
All in all though, I'm just glad I didn't have to blow on them..... as much. Lol.
I never saw it blurry but just dark. But my TV has a gaming settings and makes it brighter so i'm not furious about it.
This is such a brilliant vid.
The problem with focusing solely on the definition of the pixel is that it leaves aside the fact that the scan lines of the old tube screens were not only a limitation but were eventually used ingeniously as a tool, the visual aspect of the arts. they never had the intention of defining the pixels, on the contrary it was the design standard to achieve a smoother representation and that is where the Dithering effect is relevant but with the search for the "perfect pixel" it disappears and with it the very essence of the finish visual arts and its final aesthetics.
someone think about dithering! 🤣
Its unbelievable that they use 1000 times of computing power of original nes to get the image displayed from old hardware. Its like using nuclear reactor to get the steam for old locomotive to operate.
Sweet wish you could have talked more about the audio
2160 / 240 = 9
So does this mean if you use 9x on a device like this on a 4K/UHD TV it will be perfect?
+Starscreamious [Try4ce] Most likely it won't use a sharp scaling method. I've read about Panasonic 4K TVs that will do a sharp scale from 1080p to 4K though. But from 240p? Unlikely.
My Life in Gaming With the apparent ending of the framemeister production, I'm hoping we'll see and XRGB 4K iteration soon. The XRGB Mini was Micomsoft's most successful device, so I see no reason why they wouldn't want to develop a successor now that they are not able to source one of the chips in the framemeister to continue its production.
4k will be the next big thing in retrogaming scaling. I've seen some mockups of CRT effect that are really spot-on. The pixel are so tiny you could really replicate the aperture grill (or shadow mask) of a CRT.
also a suggestion, could you do some rgb , or maybe just best possible videos on systems that you didn't get to like turbografx/cd, neo geo cd , jaguar , 3do, neo geo, neo geo cd , sega saturn , and dreamcast . I love this serious ans would love to see some videos on these even if some of them are only s-video . I saw a turbografx add on that was capable of rgb
I'd like to see this for the Genesis. I tried buying a SCART cable and cheap SCART-to-HDMI upscaler and I couldn't get any picture on either of my TVs. I could get audio from the headphone jack (it's a Model 1) but other than that, there was just a black screen. I don't have the funds for a Framemeister, and HDRetrovision's Genesis and SNES component cables are taking too long to come out.
You guys should do a video on the gamecube hdmi mod if you ever get one
+doomisforu [Try4ce] We have had a chance to use one. :) We hope to release the video in the next few weeks!
One day this is all going to become irrelevant: When you can basically run all these games in virtual reality (and that could be via simple emulation or by actually running the original carts through a console box that outputs directly to the VR headset's display). The reason for this is because in VR it can create a multiplication of the original NES resolution at whatever size you want and then simply generate a virtual TV box around the size and resolution you've chosen; it doesn't have to sacrifice proportions to fit on whatever screen size/ratio or stick you with huge borders on the top and bottom or sides of the screen.
See, VR really is the future.
Note: I'm talking about when VR is at such a resolution that you could basically have something like an 80 inch virtual screen on your virtual wall in your virtual retro-bedroom that displays your NES game at some huge size (multiplication) without any degradation or distortion in the individual pixels. I presume current VR headsets are, however, too low-res to really do this amazing well for now-but one day they won't be.
what games are thise at 8:46 and 9:17? dont remember ever seeing those before
Whomp Em and Journey to Silius
Thanks!