I've been waiting for Dreamcast Component cables for so long now! I already had pretty much everything else running through a component switch with HD Retrovision cables and I can finally keep the Dreamcast plugged in
Same here. I was hoping hd retrovision would make their one because I’ve loved all their prior cables and it’s cheaper to ship their cables but at this point I don’t want to take my chance waiting
Same here. Got tired of waiting and picked up the Retro Access Scart with the switch. My only temptation now is to have all component to use with the gcomp switch.
I’ve been waiting for these cables for years. Can’t really justify a CRT computer monitor in my small room for just the DC. Thanks for the heads up on the cables!
I got mine in a few days ago and they are everything I hoped for. Where every other cable solution I've tried has given my 20L5 issues, this one just worked. You'll love them!
Looks like someone beat HDRetrovision to the punch. I know the team at HDRetrovision had some demos of a WIP cable but then the conversation just stopped. Got me a preorder of these cables. Thanks Bob for bringing awareness to this release!
Glad these are finally becoming available. I’ve had to settle for using a SCART cable with my RetroTink, even though it’s not the most convenient thing for my setup.
The cheap vga cable + DB15 converter is my current solution and frankly it's always worked perfectly for me. I also have a switcher between to send that vga signal to a CRT computer monitor instead and that always looks phenomenal. I just use the vga patch option on GDEmu for those games that aren't compatible.
God I have been waiting forever to use these. Very excited to finally have my hands on these. The retrotink 5x was my all in one retro machine so I wanted a simple cable for most consoles. This was by far my most anticipated one.
I've been waiting for these!! I have a pretty specific setup that requires every input to be YPbPr so I'm glad I can finally get these without having to deal with a SCART to YPbPr box exclusively for Dreamcast. For those curious: GCompSW 8x2 > One output goes into my RT5X for capture and the other goes into an OSSC DExx which then goes out into a Portta HDMI to YPbPr then into my PVM-14M2U. The OSSC DExx will take anything ranging from 240p to 480p. 240p and 480i are simply passed through, and 480p gets line dropped to 480i in adaptive line multiplication mode, which has less than 1ms of lag so virtually lagless. It's basically my dream setup without having to find a 480p BVM.
Very cool! I just ordered some after watching this vid. I already had scart and vga related solutions for my modern TV, but have been only using s-video on my consumer crt. These component cables will let me upgrade the crt setup and also provide another option for use with the 5x. Thanks for the vid!
I got mine in a couple days ago, they are great! I was wondering if you were going to make a video on these, I'm so happy! I can't wait to see HD Retrovision's Dreamcast cables, I'll buy those too. I struggled with so many solutions on my 20L5, the BeharBros Toro struggled, VGA to Component struggled, and even straight VGA had some weird issues.
This is awesome thanks Bob, managed to get one during the previous run so hopefully it arrives soon. Also picked up a retro-access scart cable as I currently only have 1 comp2rgb device and I am mainly using that for my docked pspgo for ps1 games.
No way! I just got mine in the mail yesterday. I was waiting forever for the preorder to come back in stock. So stoked when it did. They came back in stock again this morning too! Get em if they're still available! And don't resell them!! Lol
I'm using the AKURA + MClassic on an LG 4k monitor and it's jaw dropping amazing. But I did order these cables for my Sony CRT as the Dreamcast was my final console that needed component cables.
Bravo! Thanks for this Bob! I have been debating about the component cable vs DCDigital hw2. Composite via 5X leaves a lot on the table. I think I am leaning towards DCDigital hw2 as I am assuming you will not need to manually switch between resolutions (ie the DCDigital takes care of that prior to scaling). While a minor thing, I target anything that does not require manual switches (an expensive preference I would call it). I love the clarity you provide around the reason for the switching and how it interacts with different TV's. Thanks again!
If you have the budget, a true digital HDMI mod will always be a bit better. No light gun support...but if you're using a flat-panel, that's not possible anyway.
The company produces always high quality&massive cables as well,even,yeah sometimes you need to be very patient until its ready to get shipped for the customers;-)I keep an eye on this since im not planning to mod any of my dreamies to get an hdmi output!Thanks to Bob too,great review as well again!
I have ben waiting for years for HD Retrovision cables, but surprised to see these cables come from out of nowhere. Very nice. From the video I thought it was HD Retrovision cables at first and weird they were not for sale but now I figured it out
Respectfully, thee's no such thing as "RetroRGB cables". RetroRGB is my site and UA-cam channel. I've never sold a cable and only sell merch. Cables are RGB SCART or Component Video.
@@RetroRGB Holy crap I am a moron! Total brain flub! I meant to say HD Retrovision! I have 7 of them so far. Whoopsie! I will edit first post so no one else will read my blunder.
ok first off, YAY i've been waiting for this cable for decades. second point, that monitor you p;lugged in to is my absolute dream of a crt. I loled at the sight of it holy shit.
I bought a retrotink-2x pro multi-format years ago thinking it would pair nicely with HD Retrovision Dreamcast component cables. Glad I’ll finally be putting my retrotink to use.
The TINK 2x Pro is only compatible with 15Khz (240p & 480i). Most of the Dreamcast's library supports 480p, so you'd probably want a different scaler. Or just a cheap component to HDMI converter: retrorgb.link/cheapdac
@@RetroRGB - it works, the multi format version of the 2x-pro has a 480p pass-thru setting. These cables are amazing… now I just need to get my hands on a retrotink 5x.
Their adapter is fine, however Kaico is a clone company who works with Bitfunx to steal people's work. While I certainly wouldn't throw out that adapter, I'd think twice before buying anything else with the Kaico name on it: ua-cam.com/video/YG40lbrXWmA/v-deo.html
I love HD Retrovision products. I already have and HDMI mod on my Dreamcast, but I'll still be buying these. Especially with mt new Sony PVM I just got a few weeks ago.
Make sure the cable is snugly plugged into the Dreamcast. I know that sounds dumb, but triple check. Also, with it powered off, toggle the resolution mode, just to make sure the switch isn’t halfway between modes.
On RGC's website it has the following disclaimer regarding that DC Component cable: "Compatibility with...Consumer Grade Televisions which accept component video, but only in 15KHz/576i TV mode only, and will not work in 480p mode. To use 480p Mode you need one of the following devices below: Sony BVM which accepts 480p, XRGB-mini, Framemeister, OSSC (Open Source Scan Converter), RetroTink 2X Pro, RetroTink 5X Pro." My question is, why can you not get a 480p signal from this cable connecting it directly to your modern flat panel TV? Is this a calculated limitation to force you to purchase these additional devices?
That disclaimer is just there to remind people that this cable won't magically allow standard CRT's to accept 480p. These cables will work with ANY device that accepts 480p over component. Connecting directly to a flat panel's analog inputs without a scaler might result in lag though: ua-cam.com/video/jJzN_YHZezY/v-deo.html
All depends on the quality of the VGA cable. A fully-shielded / properly grounded VGA cable will look identical to this. But I've bought cheap VGA cables over the years that had visible interference. That's part of the reason why this cable costs what it does - Good quality, properly shielded cabling is used.
No. Frickin. Way. 😂 for a minute there I had to rewind, I was sure these were the HD retrovision! Well, at least someone just as competent put them out there, retro gamers rejoice!
5:57 why did the aspect ratio on the right change from the transition to scart to hdmi mod? Is it because scart is analog? Makes me concerned that the component cables do not fix the VGA 480p Aspect Ratio / Sampling Line Issues.
I too thought this was news from HD Retrovision, haha… nice to see another option available. Unfortunately, they are quite expensive. I think I’m gonna have to hold off for quite a while still.
So before knowing this info I purchased the Bitfunx RGBS VGA component cable that switches between those 2 signals. Problem is I don't know how to properly use it with my Tink5x. Seems to only somewhat work in RGBS mode and VGA mode is unclear and tearing at the top/bottom of image.
Is that Dreamcast Scart cable from RGCUK a new unannounced product? Their old version currently listed as OOS on the website didn't have that Retrotink branding nor was it compatible with A and D series BVM's. That was an exclusive feature of the Retro Access Scart cables for quite a long time.
It's a new product that isn't out yet. I misunderstood and showed it in the video, when I probably should have waited. Retro Access has one that works with all though...links here: www.retrorgb.com/dreamcast.html
@@RetroRGB neat, thank you for clarifying. Glad to see RGC adding this feature to future batches. I'd say in your video you gotta give some more love to Retro Access for being first to market and having this compatability for years, but Retro Access sure make that cable tough to buy. I think it has spent more time unavailable than actually available at this point.
So I’m struggling to get these cables to display a clear signal on my CRTs (all consumer-grade NTSC TVs) regardless of whether I toggle the switch to 15KHz or 31KHz (I'm aware the latter is not supported on 480i displays, but again, neither mode works). I just get a garbled, vertically scrolling image no matter what. I previously returned a set of cables that did the same thing a few months ago. The sound works just fine, so something is up with the visuals specifically. I hate to sound so tech-illiterate, but I have no clue whether there's an error on my end, or if I've simply had bad luck with two different sets of cables. My Dreamcast does have a DCHDMI installed, but I’m not sure if that would conflict with anything, because my S-Video cables still seemed to work fine with it.
Sorry to hear that. The DC I showed in this video has the DCHDMI installed, so that won't be an issue. The fact that you're using multiple CRT's points to the cable or Dreamcast. Do you have any other DC you can try or borrow? Also, make sure the cable is plugged snugly into the DC - It's easy to think it's all the way in and have issues. I've made this same mistake quite a few times.
@@RetroRGBI have another Dreamcast, but it doesn’t power on, so I wouldn’t be able test the cables on it. Luckily I live around a few retro game stores, so I could probably bring the cables to one of them to try out. In the meantime, I’ll double check to see if they’re securely plugged into my console.
@@RetroRGB Good news and bad news. The cables do indeed work on another Dreamcast! But unfortunately, something is causing them to act up on my modded console (for clarification: GDEMU, a new set of controller ports + power light, PicoPSU and a Noctua fan). I doubt any of those modifications would be the issue (since you've already mentioned that DCHDMI shouldn't interfere), so I'll have to take another look at it in the future.
@@RetroRGB I finally got the cables to work with my DCHDMI-modded Dreamcast. Turns I had “Force VGA” enabled in my settings. Once I set it to “Cable Detect”, the component cables worked perfectly!
Very intriguing and tempting. I have been trying to standardize my game rack with hd retrovision cables but I am out of the loop on if they have a set coming soon. May bite on these
You could always swap it later if they ever release it, someone will by this off you at a relatively small price cut since they have to be imported to the US.
@@b-r-a-i-n-s-t-o-r-m that is a good point. It may be worth it. I have only just recently acquired a Dreamcast. Looking forward to actually playing one for the first time. I was a PS2 kid and never knew anyone that had one growing up.
That was an amazing breakdown of Dreamcast options. Very thankful you went over other alternatives than the new component option! If you can answer hopefully a quick question: Do you see any reason to get the retro gaming cables versions that are powered by RetroTink if I already have the Retro Access Scart cable with switch? I got tired of waiting for the HD Retrovision option so I picked up the Retro Access Scart and love the image with the RetroTink5x. I do not have a CRT that supports component so I’m leaning towards don’t bother with the new cables.
I might consider this. I already have a Toro VGA box that also outputs to SCART, but having something less bulky might be nice too. I wonder how the two (these cables and the Toro box) compare (I have a RetroTink 5x Pro, so it would accept both).
@@RetroRGB I have told Robert from RGC and sent pictures when I got my cables after I had the chance to test it with my EDTV CRT, which were released in Europe by Panasonic and Toshiba, that both 480p and even light guns work with the set, which is not a BVM and does not need a scaler. Works just like a VGA monitor, but with the advantage of size and widescreen, and although rare and relatively unknown (people confuse them with HD CRTs, which they are not), they come up on eBay for cheap frequently in his own country. I have three of them and all were compatible. Maybe I'll make a video on it myself in the future then. I learned recently that some HD CRTs in North America had dual variable frequency (31kHz/33.75kHz) and can do "true" 480p as well (not stretching to 540p) and it would be interesting if anyone who owned one of those could come forward to test, but from what I hear they are not very common.
Nice video. May I ask some questions? What is the warranty like on these cables? How long do they normally last, and what are the symptoms of a failing cable?
If you have an European EDTV CRT, such as the Panasonic TX-36PD30 or Toshiba 36ZP38B, or its smaller sets, such as the TX-32PD30 or TX-32PD50, the cables work perfectly on 480p, and the light gun also works very well. I tested with an NTSC-J Dreamcast and an NTSC-U Dream Blaster. The manual says that the set doesn't support light guns, and it's true for older consoles, but it doesn't apply to Dreamcast and Xbox light guns. I tested and played House of the Dead 2 and 3 to death with both consoles. I have informed Robert from RGC. I learned recently (third party information, I never owned or tested one myself) that there were a few models of HD CRTs in North America that have variable frequency and can do actual 31kHz (no processing or stretching to 540p), so I wonder if the light gun would work on them as well. Granted, not a lot of people own those sets, but the ones that do might be happy to know.
Thanks for the info. I plan to use these cables on an HDCRT as well. I have a question for you. Does the image appear centered with proper aspect ratio? I don't want to have to go into the service menu and adjust the horizontal size, etc because all my other consoles are set up to look good. I currently use a vga > component converter and it's too small and pushed to the right. I wasn't sure if this cable corrected any of that. Thanks.
@@cerebralaudio No problem! First, the proper aspect ratio depends on whether your CRT is 4:3 or 16:9. If using a widescreen CRT, then you need to patch the Dreamcast game or use a code in order to make it the proper aspect ratio, if it's a 4:3 HD CRT, then you don't need to do anything. Now as for the image pushed to the right, that's a VGA thing as far as I remember, as I had the exact same problem myself, but with the cheap Kaico converter, which I believe just does the same thing but converting VGA to HDMI. I haven't had this issue with this cable, however, positioning of the image could vary with CRTs. Please note that the TV I tested in question is an EDTV CRT and not an HD CRT. It tops at 480p component, it doesn't do 540p/1080i. As far as I know, by researching and discussing with others, no such model came out in North America, so many people are puzzled and even doubtful of their existence, but they do exist and I have three of them. While I have an HD CRT as well, it has terrible geometry, so I haven't tested light gun functionality on it, but if it works on the EDTV and VGA monitors, I see no reason why it wouldn't work on an HD set.
@@crt_rex I should have specified it's 4:3 540p. Sony KD-36XS955. That's most likely the problem. Putting 480p inside 540p and stretching it. The Dreamcast outputs 720x480 but only uses 640x480 part of the frame I believe which causes the unusual placement. I also tried the kaico hdmi adapter and the image was way too small inside the 540p frame. I've also tried an ossc and gbs control. GBS control offers the most control over the image position but it has other drawbacks. I might have to try this dedicated component cable.
@@cerebralaudio That's a great set, God I love Trinitrons, and I wish I had one instead of my crappy Samsung Slimline with terrible geometry. Anyway, yes, with most HD CRTs the 31kHz will always be stretched to fit the 33.75kHz raster, some do better than others, my aforementioned set being one of them. I forgot to mention, that while North America did not get the European ED CRTs, it did get a few HD CRT models with variable frequency that go to 31kHz for actual 480p without any stretching/resizing. Sadly, not by Sony, as far as I know. I have a couple of the models written here somewhere. I have GBS-C as well, and I agree, it's great but it has drawbacks as well. How about RetroTINK, I believe that had, in one of the firmwares, an actual 540p, would that solve all your problems, as it would handle it instead of the TV? Something to think about. I would indeed go on and buy the cable. You won't lose a thing, as it is sought after and if it doesn't work for you, you will be able to sell it easily, for the same or higher price.
My apologies. I watched the video, but the website where you purchase the cables has a drop down disclaimer selection where you have to acknowledge that 480p isn't compatible with consumer TVs. The requirement that you must acknowledge that 480p doesn't work on consumer TVs threw me off. I wasn't sure if there was a distinction between the set of cables you were reviewing and the ones that retrogamingcables have on their site. Thanks for clarifying.
Oh, my bad. Yeah, I agree that's poorly worded. I assume that's there to let people know you're not magically getting 480p on a 15KHz-only consumer set...but it's been widely misinterpreted
Randomly clicked on this video after thinking how I can send 480i to my scart switcher when I want to play on CRT and 480p to a Retrotink when I want it on the oled wothout cable swapping all the time. That retrogamingcables cable looks like what i need. Hopefully my Hydra switcher can output 480p to the scaler.
What’s the difference between this cable and normal third party vga? I want to get these component cables for my crt but it doesn’t have any vga only component.
I see alot of comments mentioning the HD Retrovision cables which I hope to see one day, but does anyone know what happend to Nick and Ste? The Retro Roundtable was a good way to hear from them, but they havent done one of those for years. It seems like Nick is the one who manages the Twitter handle, but rarely talks about what they are working on or HD Retrovision business and there hasn't been an official update since Jan 2020.
I wouldn’t be surprised if their planned future endeavors (Dreamcast cables and HDMI scaler) are on indefinite hold. COVID related parts shortages leading to delays, frustrations with suppliers and amazon storefront logistics, the appearance of quality alternative solutions, and changing priorities and interests. Hard to blame them.
@@mikegreiling The parts shortage was what I thought might be holding them up. I tried checking their Twitter earlier but that even looks like it's been deactivated. They have an onlyfans now... ? At work cant really check out what that's all about lol
It should be noted that not all games will work on a consumer CRT using these cable. Some DC games, (Skies of Arcadia, Street Fighter Alpha 3, etc) are VGA only meaning they will not work in 480i. Nothing wrong with the cables from RGC, just another quirk of the Dreamcast games library.
So if I use this cables with my retro think 2x pro M. I can set It 480i and then line double for those games like Dino Crisis and finally be able to play them on my HDTV without down grading to S-Video or AV cables?
Yes, exactly. However if you'd like, there are now patches available that allow those games to run in 480p: www.retrorgb.com/interview-with-tapamn-480p-dreamcast-patches-solved.html
From 2:50 - 3:10, there seems to be an arched bowing on the left side of the picture. I’ve personally been experiencing this myself and have wondered if it’s my CRT or it’s just a Dreamcast quirk. I’d like for it to be straightened but not sure what to do. Any insight or advice there?
@@RetroRGB I wish I could get a Component to VGA adapter but they're always out of stock so it's been a bit hard to find one. And sadly my gamecube is a DOL-101 so no digital out port
I'm kind of tempted to buy those for my SCART only CRT TV purely because I do have a component to RGB converter already, and there are no options on the market anymore to extract the audio from a scart connection while ensuring the rgb signal is left intact. Even if I'm basically converting the signal from RGB to YPbPr and then back to RGB I can at least circumvent the terrible speakers on my TV which would more than offset whatever imperceptible image degradation that would cause.
The official Dreamcast SCART cable only outputs 240p and 480i. If you already own one, just get a cheap Dreamcast VGA cable and use that for 480p. It's worth noting though that almost the entire library can output 480p, so if you're using an RT4K you'll get double the detail on-screen than using the SCART cable.
@@RetroRGB thank you so much 🤩 love what you guys do + your website. I was lucky to recently get a brand new unit (truly!). Having the best time of my life playing those games 🥳
I have an akura box this cable would be nice because I could run it through my ossc but if 4K upscalers ever get cheaper it probably be a better option to use akura and something like retrotink 4k because it has an hdmi in
Yes, 100%! I demo'd this in the DC Digital video - The only thing to note, is the DC Digital will default ot whatever cable you're using. So, if your component cable is set to 15KHz (240p / 480i), the DC Digital will get that signal as well. It'll still look fine, but not as good as native 480p. ...but if you're analog display takes 480p, you're all set for both.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
These cables work great in my setup, I've had them for months and the dreamcast looks insanely sharp now.
I've been waiting for Dreamcast Component cables for so long now! I already had pretty much everything else running through a component switch with HD Retrovision cables and I can finally keep the Dreamcast plugged in
Same here. I was hoping hd retrovision would make their one because I’ve loved all their prior cables and it’s cheaper to ship their cables but at this point I don’t want to take my chance waiting
Same here. Got tired of waiting and picked up the Retro Access Scart with the switch.
My only temptation now is to have all component to use with the gcomp switch.
I’ve been waiting for these cables for years. Can’t really justify a CRT computer monitor in my small room for just the DC. Thanks for the heads up on the cables!
Pre-ordered mine back in February, and just got my notification that they have shipped. Super excited.
I got mine in a few days ago and they are everything I hoped for. Where every other cable solution I've tried has given my 20L5 issues, this one just worked. You'll love them!
@Jason I do have the Scart one Bob mentioned in this video, but I wanted to switch to component because of my set up through my GComp Switch.
Oh man so many people have been waiting for these cables. I'm glad they can finally get a set of these cables!
Thanks. I just ordered that Component Video Cable from your link, and the Rretrotink x2-pro. I am in Canada. LOVE my Dreamcast!
I got very excited when I saw the title... thought HD Retrovision had finally come through... 😊
Me too. 😂 They been on that for years...
Ha!!! So did I. I didn't even complete reading the name of the video ... I just clicked.
At least we got something releasing. Been wanting conponent cables for this console to use with my upscaler and component switcher
Looks like someone beat HDRetrovision to the punch. I know the team at HDRetrovision had some demos of a WIP cable but then the conversation just stopped.
Got me a preorder of these cables. Thanks Bob for bringing awareness to this release!
I’ve been loving my cables since they came out.
Glad these are finally becoming available. I’ve had to settle for using a SCART cable with my RetroTink, even though it’s not the most convenient thing for my setup.
The cheap vga cable + DB15 converter is my current solution and frankly it's always worked perfectly for me. I also have a switcher between to send that vga signal to a CRT computer monitor instead and that always looks phenomenal. I just use the vga patch option on GDEmu for those games that aren't compatible.
search RetroRGB HD-15-2-SCART Adapter @@borgiatos
I have a set of these. They're great. And can confirm the quality is the same using Mike's COMP2RGB.
God I have been waiting forever to use these. Very excited to finally have my hands on these. The retrotink 5x was my all in one retro machine so I wanted a simple cable for most consoles.
This was by far my most anticipated one.
I just received my component cables and the visuals are gorgeous.
I've been waiting for these!! I have a pretty specific setup that requires every input to be YPbPr so I'm glad I can finally get these without having to deal with a SCART to YPbPr box exclusively for Dreamcast. For those curious: GCompSW 8x2 > One output goes into my RT5X for capture and the other goes into an OSSC DExx which then goes out into a Portta HDMI to YPbPr then into my PVM-14M2U. The OSSC DExx will take anything ranging from 240p to 480p. 240p and 480i are simply passed through, and 480p gets line dropped to 480i in adaptive line multiplication mode, which has less than 1ms of lag so virtually lagless. It's basically my dream setup without having to find a 480p BVM.
I just got these component Dreamcast cables from RGC, and they work flawlessly on my CRT TV. Picture looks simply spectacular!
Are they available?
@@luckyrockmore2796I had no trouble ordering one earlier this summer.
I am waaaaay excited to get a hold of these cables!
Thanks Bob, I really appreciate these produced and edited reviews and the like
A great review of a great product! 👍 Thanks Bob for checking out these cables!
Thanks Dave!
I have been waiting ages for a set of these to become available. Thank you so much for this video, @RetroRGB! I ordered a set.
I finally got mine last week. Been waiting for years!
that custom Dreamcast looks really nice. Thanks for the vga cable suggestion, I see they also sell their own version of the OSSC.
Very cool! I just ordered some after watching this vid. I already had scart and vga related solutions for my modern TV, but have been only using s-video on my consumer crt. These component cables will let me upgrade the crt setup and also provide another option for use with the 5x. Thanks for the vid!
I got mine in a couple days ago, they are great! I was wondering if you were going to make a video on these, I'm so happy! I can't wait to see HD Retrovision's Dreamcast cables, I'll buy those too. I struggled with so many solutions on my 20L5, the BeharBros Toro struggled, VGA to Component struggled, and even straight VGA had some weird issues.
I hope this cable becomes available again soon
This is awesome thanks Bob, managed to get one during the previous run so hopefully it arrives soon. Also picked up a retro-access scart cable as I currently only have 1 comp2rgb device and I am mainly using that for my docked pspgo for ps1 games.
No way! I just got mine in the mail yesterday. I was waiting forever for the preorder to come back in stock. So stoked when it did. They came back in stock again this morning too! Get em if they're still available! And don't resell them!! Lol
I'm using the AKURA + MClassic on an LG 4k monitor and it's jaw dropping amazing.
But I did order these cables for my Sony CRT as the Dreamcast was my final console that needed component cables.
An end of an era for the people waiting on the hd retrovision cables.
Bravo! Thanks for this Bob! I have been debating about the component cable vs DCDigital hw2. Composite via 5X leaves a lot on the table. I think I am leaning towards DCDigital hw2 as I am assuming you will not need to manually switch between resolutions (ie the DCDigital takes care of that prior to scaling). While a minor thing, I target anything that does not require manual switches (an expensive preference I would call it). I love the clarity you provide around the reason for the switching and how it interacts with different TV's. Thanks again!
If you have the budget, a true digital HDMI mod will always be a bit better. No light gun support...but if you're using a flat-panel, that's not possible anyway.
as soon as I got the email that these were available for preorder i bought them right away
It arrived this week and I'm really enjoying the cable
Just placed a pre-order. Thanks, Bob.
Been waiting on the HDretrovision cable and this comes out. I wonder how they compare. Either way I'm excited.
Quality will be equal
They will never come out
@@MAGACOPP 🤣
That shell is godlike af! Godlike stuff bob
DC Digital is totally worth the money! I just had it done, looks amazing and extremely convenient.
The company produces always high quality&massive cables as well,even,yeah sometimes you need to be very patient until its ready to get shipped for the customers;-)I keep an eye on this since im not planning to mod any of my dreamies to get an hdmi output!Thanks to Bob too,great review as well again!
I've been waiting on these (from HD Retrovision) for YEARS, and eventually just bought a Pound HDMI cable. It's been good enough for me, for now.
I was so hyped when I got the email saying this way ready for pre order. Put my pre order in 20 seconds after getting that email. 🎮
I have ben waiting for years for HD Retrovision cables, but surprised to see these cables come from out of nowhere. Very nice. From the video I thought it was HD Retrovision cables at first and weird they were not for sale but now I figured it out
Respectfully, thee's no such thing as "RetroRGB cables". RetroRGB is my site and UA-cam channel. I've never sold a cable and only sell merch. Cables are RGB SCART or Component Video.
@@RetroRGB Holy crap I am a moron! Total brain flub! I meant to say HD Retrovision! I have 7 of them so far. Whoopsie! I will edit first post so no one else will read my blunder.
LOL, all good!!! :)
Mine just arrived as I was watching this video!
Dreamcast in S-video is also a good option. Retro gaming cables also make a quality DC S-Video cable.
Looks fantastic on a crt. I can assure that.
ok first off, YAY i've been waiting for this cable for decades. second point, that monitor you p;lugged in to is my absolute dream of a crt. I loled at the sight of it holy shit.
That mix n match case actually looks pretty cool. Very resident evilish
Thanks!
Thanks so much Tony!
I bought a retrotink-2x pro multi-format years ago thinking it would pair nicely with HD Retrovision Dreamcast component cables. Glad I’ll finally be putting my retrotink to use.
The TINK 2x Pro is only compatible with 15Khz (240p & 480i). Most of the Dreamcast's library supports 480p, so you'd probably want a different scaler. Or just a cheap component to HDMI converter: retrorgb.link/cheapdac
@@RetroRGB - it works, the multi format version of the 2x-pro has a 480p pass-thru setting. These cables are amazing… now I just need to get my hands on a retrotink 5x.
I got a kaico hdmi adapter and I’m very impressed by the quality. For a plug and play solution it is a really good solution imo.
Their adapter is fine, however Kaico is a clone company who works with Bitfunx to steal people's work. While I certainly wouldn't throw out that adapter, I'd think twice before buying anything else with the Kaico name on it: ua-cam.com/video/YG40lbrXWmA/v-deo.html
Just ordered one, thanks!
But how does it fare against a vga box with a good vga cable? In 480p of course..
Equal to, or better than
I love HD Retrovision products. I already have and HDMI mod on my Dreamcast, but I'll still be buying these. Especially with mt new Sony PVM I just got a few weeks ago.
Thankfully, I pre-ordered this cable for my dreamcast. It's not easy to find these in stock.
Just heads up; the cable's 15KHz mode being labelled as 576 is the PAL resolution sibling to 480i60/480p60 - 576i50/576p50.
Right, but it’s essentially just “15KHz / 31Khz”. I should have mentioned that :/
Wow!!!! A component cable for the Dreamcast?! NO WAY!!! 😀
Oh man, glad I snagged my set a couple months ago BEFORE this video dropped.
I expect them to sell out again now😂
I'm using RGC component cable with my Retrotink 5x Pro but only get a blue screen like it's not receiving a signal. Any suggestions?
Make sure the cable is snugly plugged into the Dreamcast. I know that sounds dumb, but triple check. Also, with it powered off, toggle the resolution mode, just to make sure the switch isn’t halfway between modes.
@RetroRGB You were absolutely right 🤣
On RGC's website it has the following disclaimer regarding that DC Component cable: "Compatibility with...Consumer Grade Televisions which accept component video, but only in 15KHz/576i TV mode only, and will not work in 480p mode. To use 480p Mode you need one of the following devices below: Sony BVM which accepts 480p, XRGB-mini, Framemeister, OSSC (Open Source Scan Converter), RetroTink 2X Pro, RetroTink 5X Pro." My question is, why can you not get a 480p signal from this cable connecting it directly to your modern flat panel TV? Is this a calculated limitation to force you to purchase these additional devices?
That disclaimer is just there to remind people that this cable won't magically allow standard CRT's to accept 480p. These cables will work with ANY device that accepts 480p over component. Connecting directly to a flat panel's analog inputs without a scaler might result in lag though: ua-cam.com/video/jJzN_YHZezY/v-deo.html
I’d be pretty curious to see a side by side with the original VGA cable
All depends on the quality of the VGA cable. A fully-shielded / properly grounded VGA cable will look identical to this. But I've bought cheap VGA cables over the years that had visible interference. That's part of the reason why this cable costs what it does - Good quality, properly shielded cabling is used.
No. Frickin. Way. 😂 for a minute there I had to rewind, I was sure these were the HD retrovision! Well, at least someone just as competent put them out there, retro gamers rejoice!
5:57
why did the aspect ratio on the right change from the transition to scart to hdmi mod? Is it because scart is analog?
Makes me concerned that the component cables do not fix the VGA 480p Aspect Ratio / Sampling Line Issues.
Yay they are finally here. Cant wait to get one and play some crazy taxi
I too thought this was news from HD Retrovision, haha… nice to see another option available. Unfortunately, they are quite expensive. I think I’m gonna have to hold off for quite a while still.
They will be in line with the HD Retrovision cables as far as price goes.
@@bnr32jason that's right, Jason! 😊
Almost a year since they released a batch. 😭😭
Ordered.
So before knowing this info I purchased the Bitfunx RGBS VGA component cable that switches between those 2 signals. Problem is I don't know how to properly use it with my Tink5x. Seems to only somewhat work in RGBS mode and VGA mode is unclear and tearing at the top/bottom of image.
I was excited for these cables, but the shipping and taxes made them prohibitively expensive for me in the US. Back to waiting for HDRetrovision.
Is that Dreamcast Scart cable from RGCUK a new unannounced product? Their old version currently listed as OOS on the website didn't have that Retrotink branding nor was it compatible with A and D series BVM's. That was an exclusive feature of the Retro Access Scart cables for quite a long time.
It's a new product that isn't out yet. I misunderstood and showed it in the video, when I probably should have waited. Retro Access has one that works with all though...links here: www.retrorgb.com/dreamcast.html
@@RetroRGB neat, thank you for clarifying. Glad to see RGC adding this feature to future batches. I'd say in your video you gotta give some more love to Retro Access for being first to market and having this compatability for years, but Retro Access sure make that cable tough to buy. I think it has spent more time unavailable than actually available at this point.
Exactly my thought since I had issues with my D24 with that.
So I’m struggling to get these cables to display a clear signal on my CRTs (all consumer-grade NTSC TVs) regardless of whether I toggle the switch to 15KHz or 31KHz (I'm aware the latter is not supported on 480i displays, but again, neither mode works). I just get a garbled, vertically scrolling image no matter what. I previously returned a set of cables that did the same thing a few months ago. The sound works just fine, so something is up with the visuals specifically.
I hate to sound so tech-illiterate, but I have no clue whether there's an error on my end, or if I've simply had bad luck with two different sets of cables. My Dreamcast does have a DCHDMI installed, but I’m not sure if that would conflict with anything, because my S-Video cables still seemed to work fine with it.
Sorry to hear that. The DC I showed in this video has the DCHDMI installed, so that won't be an issue. The fact that you're using multiple CRT's points to the cable or Dreamcast. Do you have any other DC you can try or borrow? Also, make sure the cable is plugged snugly into the DC - It's easy to think it's all the way in and have issues. I've made this same mistake quite a few times.
@@RetroRGBI have another Dreamcast, but it doesn’t power on, so I wouldn’t be able test the cables on it. Luckily I live around a few retro game stores, so I could probably bring the cables to one of them to try out. In the meantime, I’ll double check to see if they’re securely plugged into my console.
@@RetroRGB Good news and bad news. The cables do indeed work on another Dreamcast! But unfortunately, something is causing them to act up on my modded console (for clarification: GDEMU, a new set of controller ports + power light, PicoPSU and a Noctua fan). I doubt any of those modifications would be the issue (since you've already mentioned that DCHDMI shouldn't interfere), so I'll have to take another look at it in the future.
@@RetroRGB I finally got the cables to work with my DCHDMI-modded Dreamcast. Turns I had “Force VGA” enabled in my settings. Once I set it to “Cable Detect”, the component cables worked perfectly!
Very intriguing and tempting. I have been trying to standardize my game rack with hd retrovision cables but I am out of the loop on if they have a set coming soon. May bite on these
You could always swap it later if they ever release it, someone will by this off you at a relatively small price cut since they have to be imported to the US.
@@b-r-a-i-n-s-t-o-r-m that is a good point. It may be worth it. I have only just recently acquired a Dreamcast. Looking forward to actually playing one for the first time. I was a PS2 kid and never knew anyone that had one growing up.
That was an amazing breakdown of Dreamcast options. Very thankful you went over other alternatives than the new component option!
If you can answer hopefully a quick question:
Do you see any reason to get the retro gaming cables versions that are powered by RetroTink if I already have the Retro Access Scart cable with switch?
I got tired of waiting for the HD Retrovision option so I picked up the Retro Access Scart and love the image with the RetroTink5x. I do not have a CRT that supports component so I’m leaning towards don’t bother with the new cables.
Thanks for the kind words! And nope, no reason to change - It'll be identical.
What about non VGA compatible games like Hydro Thunder? Do they work with this cable?
Yup, just flip the switch to 15KHz mode.
So who are these mainly for if you can't get 480p out of them on a regular TV??? 🤔
Anyone with a scaler: ua-cam.com/video/TdfFnR-hOK8/v-deo.html
I can't wait till the Dreamcast component cables are back in stock, I need one. 😢
I might consider this. I already have a Toro VGA box that also outputs to SCART, but having something less bulky might be nice too. I wonder how the two (these cables and the Toro box) compare (I have a RetroTink 5x Pro, so it would accept both).
Why does the website say 480p mode is only supported using upscalers and bvm?
Not sure. My demo is accurate though - it’ll work on anything that supports component video in the respective resolutions.
@@RetroRGB I have told Robert from RGC and sent pictures when I got my cables after I had the chance to test it with my EDTV CRT, which were released in Europe by Panasonic and Toshiba, that both 480p and even light guns work with the set, which is not a BVM and does not need a scaler. Works just like a VGA monitor, but with the advantage of size and widescreen, and although rare and relatively unknown (people confuse them with HD CRTs, which they are not), they come up on eBay for cheap frequently in his own country. I have three of them and all were compatible. Maybe I'll make a video on it myself in the future then.
I learned recently that some HD CRTs in North America had dual variable frequency (31kHz/33.75kHz) and can do "true" 480p as well (not stretching to 540p) and it would be interesting if anyone who owned one of those could come forward to test, but from what I hear they are not very common.
Nice video. May I ask some questions? What is the warranty like on these cables?
How long do they normally last, and what are the symptoms of a failing cable?
I clicked just because that dreamcast looks awesome
Finally, my time has come. At midnight tonight I shall be a happier man!
fucking hell finally, i honestly thought rgc had quietly abandoned this idea, they’d had placeholders on their website for like 3 years!
If you have an European EDTV CRT, such as the Panasonic TX-36PD30 or Toshiba 36ZP38B, or its smaller sets, such as the TX-32PD30 or TX-32PD50, the cables work perfectly on 480p, and the light gun also works very well. I tested with an NTSC-J Dreamcast and an NTSC-U Dream Blaster. The manual says that the set doesn't support light guns, and it's true for older consoles, but it doesn't apply to Dreamcast and Xbox light guns. I tested and played House of the Dead 2 and 3 to death with both consoles. I have informed Robert from RGC.
I learned recently (third party information, I never owned or tested one myself) that there were a few models of HD CRTs in North America that have variable frequency and can do actual 31kHz (no processing or stretching to 540p), so I wonder if the light gun would work on them as well. Granted, not a lot of people own those sets, but the ones that do might be happy to know.
Thanks for the info. I plan to use these cables on an HDCRT as well. I have a question for you. Does the image appear centered with proper aspect ratio? I don't want to have to go into the service menu and adjust the horizontal size, etc because all my other consoles are set up to look good. I currently use a vga > component converter and it's too small and pushed to the right. I wasn't sure if this cable corrected any of that. Thanks.
@@cerebralaudio No problem! First, the proper aspect ratio depends on whether your CRT is 4:3 or 16:9. If using a widescreen CRT, then you need to patch the Dreamcast game or use a code in order to make it the proper aspect ratio, if it's a 4:3 HD CRT, then you don't need to do anything.
Now as for the image pushed to the right, that's a VGA thing as far as I remember, as I had the exact same problem myself, but with the cheap Kaico converter, which I believe just does the same thing but converting VGA to HDMI. I haven't had this issue with this cable, however, positioning of the image could vary with CRTs.
Please note that the TV I tested in question is an EDTV CRT and not an HD CRT. It tops at 480p component, it doesn't do 540p/1080i. As far as I know, by researching and discussing with others, no such model came out in North America, so many people are puzzled and even doubtful of their existence, but they do exist and I have three of them. While I have an HD CRT as well, it has terrible geometry, so I haven't tested light gun functionality on it, but if it works on the EDTV and VGA monitors, I see no reason why it wouldn't work on an HD set.
@@crt_rex I should have specified it's 4:3 540p. Sony KD-36XS955. That's most likely the problem. Putting 480p inside 540p and stretching it. The Dreamcast outputs 720x480 but only uses 640x480 part of the frame I believe which causes the unusual placement.
I also tried the kaico hdmi adapter and the image was way too small inside the 540p frame. I've also tried an ossc and gbs control. GBS control offers the most control over the image position but it has other drawbacks.
I might have to try this dedicated component cable.
@@cerebralaudio That's a great set, God I love Trinitrons, and I wish I had one instead of my crappy Samsung Slimline with terrible geometry. Anyway, yes, with most HD CRTs the 31kHz will always be stretched to fit the 33.75kHz raster, some do better than others, my aforementioned set being one of them.
I forgot to mention, that while North America did not get the European ED CRTs, it did get a few HD CRT models with variable frequency that go to 31kHz for actual 480p without any stretching/resizing. Sadly, not by Sony, as far as I know. I have a couple of the models written here somewhere.
I have GBS-C as well, and I agree, it's great but it has drawbacks as well. How about RetroTINK, I believe that had, in one of the firmwares, an actual 540p, would that solve all your problems, as it would handle it instead of the TV? Something to think about.
I would indeed go on and buy the cable. You won't lose a thing, as it is sought after and if it doesn't work for you, you will be able to sell it easily, for the same or higher price.
The website states that these only output 480p, is that accurate?
Not at all. I demo this in the video. Please give it a watch.
My apologies. I watched the video, but the website where you purchase the cables has a drop down disclaimer selection where you have to acknowledge that 480p isn't compatible with consumer TVs.
The requirement that you must acknowledge that 480p doesn't work on consumer TVs threw me off. I wasn't sure if there was a distinction between the set of cables you were reviewing and the ones that retrogamingcables have on their site.
Thanks for clarifying.
Oh, my bad. Yeah, I agree that's poorly worded. I assume that's there to let people know you're not magically getting 480p on a 15KHz-only consumer set...but it's been widely misinterpreted
Randomly clicked on this video after thinking how I can send 480i to my scart switcher when I want to play on CRT and 480p to a Retrotink when I want it on the oled wothout cable swapping all the time. That retrogamingcables cable looks like what i need. Hopefully my Hydra switcher can output 480p to the scaler.
What’s the difference between this cable and normal third party vga? I want to get these component cables for my crt but it doesn’t have any vga only component.
The output quality will be the same, so if your display only supports component video, get these.
I see alot of comments mentioning the HD Retrovision cables which I hope to see one day, but does anyone know what happend to Nick and Ste? The Retro Roundtable was a good way to hear from them, but they havent done one of those for years. It seems like Nick is the one who manages the Twitter handle, but rarely talks about what they are working on or HD Retrovision business and there hasn't been an official update since Jan 2020.
I wouldn’t be surprised if their planned future endeavors (Dreamcast cables and HDMI scaler) are on indefinite hold. COVID related parts shortages leading to delays, frustrations with suppliers and amazon storefront logistics, the appearance of quality alternative solutions, and changing priorities and interests. Hard to blame them.
@@mikegreiling The parts shortage was what I thought might be holding them up. I tried checking their Twitter earlier but that even looks like it's been deactivated. They have an onlyfans now... ? At work cant really check out what that's all about lol
It should be noted that not all games will work on a consumer CRT using these cable. Some DC games, (Skies of Arcadia, Street Fighter Alpha 3, etc) are VGA only meaning they will not work in 480i. Nothing wrong with the cables from RGC, just another quirk of the Dreamcast games library.
I cover this in both the other Dreamcast videos I referenced.
So if I use this cables with my retro think 2x pro M. I can set It 480i and then line double for those games like Dino Crisis and finally be able to play them on my HDTV without down grading to S-Video or AV cables?
Yes, exactly. However if you'd like, there are now patches available that allow those games to run in 480p: www.retrorgb.com/interview-with-tapamn-480p-dreamcast-patches-solved.html
@@RetroRGB awesome! Thank you for confirming that for me, I think will be ordering the cables since they are back in stock. Keep up the great work!!
So if i have the Retro Gaming Cables SCART cable through a RetroTink 4K, there's no real reason to get these component cables?
Correct, what you have is already awesome :)
From 2:50 - 3:10, there seems to be an arched bowing on the left side of the picture. I’ve personally been experiencing this myself and have wondered if it’s my CRT or it’s just a Dreamcast quirk. I’d like for it to be straightened but not sure what to do. Any insight or advice there?
I seen I'm ebay there's a rgb/rgbs composite cable what is the porpoise of that cable?
RGBs is not the same as YPbPr. Maybe watch the video?
Now what would be perfect would be to get a VGA cable for the Wii and Gamecube so I could connect to a VGA CRT
You can just use a Component to VGA adapter for the Wii and get a Carby and an HDMI VGA adapter for the GameCube.
@@RetroRGB I wish I could get a Component to VGA adapter but they're always out of stock so it's been a bit hard to find one. And sadly my gamecube is a DOL-101 so no digital out port
Damn ;/ Internal HDMI mods, then a cheap HDMI to VGA converter?
I'm kind of tempted to buy those for my SCART only CRT TV purely because I do have a component to RGB converter already, and there are no options on the market anymore to extract the audio from a scart connection while ensuring the rgb signal is left intact.
Even if I'm basically converting the signal from RGB to YPbPr and then back to RGB I can at least circumvent the terrible speakers on my TV which would more than offset whatever imperceptible image degradation that would cause.
03:36 Bob has an itchy trigger finger
Component is King!
The real star is that BVM awooooo!
What about an official SEGA DREAMCAST Scart cable compared to the Retrotink cable? I am interested in using 240p with scanlines on my retrotink4k
The official Dreamcast SCART cable only outputs 240p and 480i. If you already own one, just get a cheap Dreamcast VGA cable and use that for 480p. It's worth noting though that almost the entire library can output 480p, so if you're using an RT4K you'll get double the detail on-screen than using the SCART cable.
@@RetroRGB thank you so much 🤩 love what you guys do + your website. I was lucky to recently get a brand new unit (truly!). Having the best time of my life playing those games 🥳
Dude!!! Where was this last year? lol, this cable could’ve easily saved me hundreds of dollars, but at least DCHDMI is also awesome.
The HD Retrovision guy spent too much time whining about taxes on Twitter and was beaten to market
I have an akura box this cable would be nice because I could run it through my ossc but if 4K upscalers ever get cheaper it probably be a better option to use akura and something like retrotink 4k because it has an hdmi in
Can you connect these to a DC Digital'd Dreamcast & have both an HDMI & component out solution, like with the N64 Digital?
Yes, 100%! I demo'd this in the DC Digital video - The only thing to note, is the DC Digital will default ot whatever cable you're using. So, if your component cable is set to 15KHz (240p / 480i), the DC Digital will get that signal as well. It'll still look fine, but not as good as native 480p.
...but if you're analog display takes 480p, you're all set for both.
I bought these cables, and I can’t get them to work at all on my Sony Trinitron consumer set
Did you flip the switch to interlaced mode? The average Trinitron definitely won't support 480p.
@@RetroRGB yeah, I flipped the switch to interlaced mode. It’s just a black screen with no audio no matter what game I try
I got it to work. It wasn’t completely tight in the AV out port, really had to jam it in.
The cables of myth and fable exist!!