Its funny, I have a Dreamcast, PS2, and Saturn running through my RetroTink 5x, im honestly considering running my mister through it too via SCART and just let the tink handle the upscaling?
I found a trash CRT and brought it home quite a few years ago, and I broke it with custom mode lines and SCART :( I subsequently started to look at prices for HDMI mods for consoles, and this is what lead me to buy a MiSTer instead
I am using LaserBears adapter with that Ranke DAC. Looks gorgeous with component on my CRT! Wonder how much better it can get with another DAC? One question I have is does this introduce any lag? I am guessing not but want to be sure.
you didn't state one important thing with diodes, they have polarity you want the line marked on the diode to the same end as the line with the arrow in the circuit diagram. If your sync circuit mod fails it was likely the diode is in backwards.
I got the rankie DAC and the Laser Bear adapter, and am getting a rolling repeating still image. I got a fresh ini file and modified it to your specs. Not sure what to do now :(
Hello, how did you make your cable work in direct video mode? I bought a VGA to Scart RGB cable, especially for MiSTer, and also an HDMI to VGA converter, and it doesn't output colors, only a black screen and silhouettes.
Hello, I have a Sony PVM 14L5 with a BKM-129x card, which have a VGA port. Do you know if it is safe to connect my Mister with Direct video, HDMI to VGA adapter + a common VGA cable, to the card VGA port, and if it would support all formats and resolutions? Thanks
Great guide. Thank you. Have you tried using the Mega Drive 2 RGB port on your ITX mister board for component? It looks like that port is designed for this purpose as well.
Thanks. I haven't yet tried the Mega Drive RGB port on it yet. It is supposed to have a cleaner signal. Hopefully I have the time to tru it in the future.
I've got a dark tone crushing problem when I use YPbPr from the analog IO board. Do you know if there's some config that changes black level for the VGA output? I considered direct video to avoid this problem but losing dual output is not an option. BTW I saw the tests results for direct video devices and the IO board's low video levels defect by design, but funny thing, I used the same VGA to component cable, the same board and send RGB to the PVM (with internal sync) and guess what... no dark tones crushing on the 240p test suite PLUGE pattern and overall the image looks brighter as it's supposed to look
I just tried a DAC that looks the same (externally) as yours but without the Rankie branding. There was even a review on Amazon UK that claimed it worked on MiSTer, but all I get is a black screen with some light shimmering. The PCB looks slightly different to yours.
Figured it out. TV wasn't switching to RGB mode. The HDMI to VGA converter (DAC) wasn't outputting 5V on VGA pin 9, needed to drive the RGB blanking signal on SCART pin 16. I've since bought a Startech HDMI2VGA which also doesn't output the 5V but I modified it so 5V from the power input also goes to Pin 9 (via a toggle switch).
I noticed a difference between the old analog 6.1 i/o board and the moread (2024) DAC on my LCD-that-accepts-vga monitor, but the same difference is not present in my CRT. The DAC has MUCH better reds (white looks white, not reddish like on the analog board), however my CRT using my analog IO board does NOT have reddish whites AT ALL (I tried to see it lol). I didn't go through the DAC mod to get this working with my component TV however, if I can't see the issue with the analog IO board it seems wrong to go through this effort. The moread (2024) DAC is MUCH harder to solder than the one in this video and I dare not short something and ruin my TV/mister for a difference I won't be able to see, almost certainly. The bias of knowing that the whites are reddish was not enough to get me to see them. Based on my (very unscientific) results, I'd say that the only reason to switch from old analog IO to a DAC is if you have a vga monitor that needs vga (like an old crt monitor). I can imagine it making a difference. FWIW, I tested a real n64 (svideo) against my analog IO board (component) to on my CRT to see if the new analog i/o board would be worth the money to me and I was not able to see any of the extra bits of color space I was supposed to be able to see. My CRT is not a pvm but it's rather nice I'd say, a 14in toshiba with component inputs. Maybe my findings can help someone avoid a solder job for absolutely no gain (if they already have an analog io board).
Are there any solutions yet for crts that have a magenta tint to the screen when using component video with that adapter? I bought one of the laserbear component video kits and while it worked with some of my crts, i got the magenta screen on my main crt that i was hoping to use. I switched to using a different device (hd fury iii) and ended up having even more problems with that unfortunately
I've had magenta happen with switcher boxes, in my case it happened when there was a load on the cable that I had to ground to clear and let it achieve a normal signal.
@@Spokavriel For me i tried plugging it in directly without using my switcher with the same result, one thing that did work was running it to a comp2rgb and then back out again through an rgb2comp, however due to the way my setup is the total cable run doing it that way degrades the signal pretty noticeably so it's not an ideal solution
Are you using or planning on using direct video? Let me know!
Its funny, I have a Dreamcast, PS2, and Saturn running through my RetroTink 5x, im honestly considering running my mister through it too via SCART and just let the tink handle the upscaling?
I found a trash CRT and brought it home quite a few years ago, and I broke it with custom mode lines and SCART :(
I subsequently started to look at prices for HDMI mods for consoles, and this is what lead me to buy a MiSTer instead
@@miloian Ha ha, if you can do it, I always say "Why not?"
@@Ziggurat1 Sorry to hear that. At least the MISTer has you covered for plenty of consoles
I am using LaserBears adapter with that Ranke DAC. Looks gorgeous with component on my CRT! Wonder how much better it can get with another DAC?
One question I have is does this introduce any lag? I am guessing not but want to be sure.
you didn't state one important thing with diodes, they have polarity you want the line marked on the diode to the same end as the line with the arrow in the circuit diagram. If your sync circuit mod fails it was likely the diode is in backwards.
Lu is smaaaaaaaaasshing it out of the park!
Thanks!
this video is exactly what I was looking for.
Awesome! Happy to help out.
With 'normal' HDMI output, MiSTer can rotation the cores video image. How is rotation handled with Direct Video?
Switched from analog board to HDMI to VGA DAC for direct video and I noticed the difference in the PS1 core, for fmv\cgi cut scenes in particular
Thanks for the in depth info in this video Lu. Very useful indeed!
I wish the RT4K was more compatible with Direct Video because once it is, scaling it would be a dream!
How does this compare to analogue I/O on the Ironclad ITX? Is the quality the same? Some side by side comparisons would be great.
Thanks for this !
You're welcome!
I got the rankie DAC and the Laser Bear adapter, and am getting a rolling repeating still image. I got a fresh ini file and modified it to your specs. Not sure what to do now :(
Very helpful specially with the upcoming saturn core. BTW Lu what case is that for the mister you are using looks neat.
I'm using the Ironclad Plus Mini ITX case by d3fmod. I posted the info for it and a video I made about it in the description.
Hello, how did you make your cable work in direct video mode? I bought a VGA to Scart RGB cable, especially for MiSTer, and also an HDMI to VGA converter, and it doesn't output colors, only a black screen and silhouettes.
Great video Lu and thanks! What about composite and s-video? do any of the YC active adapters work via direct video?
I will talk about composite and s-video in an upcoming video about to do the testing this weekend. It is supposed to work though.
I want to go direct to my old DELL 19" SVGA multisync where should I look for the analog board settings?
Hello, I have a Sony PVM 14L5 with a BKM-129x card, which have a VGA port. Do you know if it is safe to connect my Mister with Direct video, HDMI to VGA adapter + a common VGA cable, to the card VGA port, and if it would support all formats and resolutions?
Thanks
Great guide. Thank you. Have you tried using the Mega Drive 2 RGB port on your ITX mister board for component? It looks like that port is designed for this purpose as well.
Thanks. I haven't yet tried the Mega Drive RGB port on it yet. It is supposed to have a cleaner signal. Hopefully I have the time to tru it in the future.
I've got a dark tone crushing problem when I use YPbPr from the analog IO board. Do you know if there's some config that changes black level for the VGA output? I considered direct video to avoid this problem but losing dual output is not an option.
BTW I saw the tests results for direct video devices and the IO board's low video levels defect by design, but funny thing, I used the same VGA to component cable, the same board and send RGB to the PVM (with internal sync) and guess what... no dark tones crushing on the 240p test suite PLUGE pattern and overall the image looks brighter as it's supposed to look
I just tried a DAC that looks the same (externally) as yours but without the Rankie branding. There was even a review on Amazon UK that claimed it worked on MiSTer, but all I get is a black screen with some light shimmering. The PCB looks slightly different to yours.
Figured it out. TV wasn't switching to RGB mode. The HDMI to VGA converter (DAC) wasn't outputting 5V on VGA pin 9, needed to drive the RGB blanking signal on SCART pin 16. I've since bought a Startech HDMI2VGA which also doesn't output the 5V but I modified it so 5V from the power input also goes to Pin 9 (via a toggle switch).
Does anybody know the name of the shmup at 1.12?
Blazing Lazers
I noticed a difference between the old analog 6.1 i/o board and the moread (2024) DAC on my LCD-that-accepts-vga monitor, but the same difference is not present in my CRT. The DAC has MUCH better reds (white looks white, not reddish like on the analog board), however my CRT using my analog IO board does NOT have reddish whites AT ALL (I tried to see it lol). I didn't go through the DAC mod to get this working with my component TV however, if I can't see the issue with the analog IO board it seems wrong to go through this effort. The moread (2024) DAC is MUCH harder to solder than the one in this video and I dare not short something and ruin my TV/mister for a difference I won't be able to see, almost certainly. The bias of knowing that the whites are reddish was not enough to get me to see them.
Based on my (very unscientific) results, I'd say that the only reason to switch from old analog IO to a DAC is if you have a vga monitor that needs vga (like an old crt monitor). I can imagine it making a difference.
FWIW, I tested a real n64 (svideo) against my analog IO board (component) to on my CRT to see if the new analog i/o board would be worth the money to me and I was not able to see any of the extra bits of color space I was supposed to be able to see. My CRT is not a pvm but it's rather nice I'd say, a 14in toshiba with component inputs.
Maybe my findings can help someone avoid a solder job for absolutely no gain (if they already have an analog io board).
Are there any solutions yet for crts that have a magenta tint to the screen when using component video with that adapter? I bought one of the laserbear component video kits and while it worked with some of my crts, i got the magenta screen on my main crt that i was hoping to use. I switched to using a different device (hd fury iii) and ended up having even more problems with that unfortunately
I've had magenta happen with switcher boxes, in my case it happened when there was a load on the cable that I had to ground to clear and let it achieve a normal signal.
@@Spokavriel For me i tried plugging it in directly without using my switcher with the same result, one thing that did work was running it to a comp2rgb and then back out again through an rgb2comp, however due to the way my setup is the total cable run doing it that way degrades the signal pretty noticeably so it's not an ideal solution
What case is that?
It's the MiniITX Ironclad Plus by d3fmod (www.d3fmod.com/mister-fpga-menu/).
I created a video on it, I linked it in the description.