I followed your advice and got a RGB SCART cable for my PS1 and the same HDMI converter you have in the video. What a difference! I could not believe the difference between it and standard composite. SCART is even a significant step-up over S-video. Once I saw how good a single game (Road Rash) looked, I got excited to start playing all my PS1 classics again. Thanks for the video man. I never thought I would enjoy my PS1 again. I feel like my comment is a customer success story. lol
@Fifo No. It quit working after a few weeks. I went ahead and upgraded to a Framemeister and never looked back. Although now, I'm probably going to sell that. I don't play my games very much anymore, unfortunately.
I think you should recognize that totally writing off old CRT screens as "crap" and saying that this will look amazing on an HDTV with these converters is a highly subjective statement. I understand that anything less than component is crap and I would never use anything less, but I actually prefer to view lower resolution content on older CRT televisions. CRT screens just do an amazing job at smoothing out the image because the low resolution of the screen more closely matches the resolution of the input.
Adam, your CRTs may be out of tune if you think the games look bad on them. Unfortunately, not many people have the specialty tools for working on them anymore. A tuned CRT with a good quality s-video or even just composite cable looks great.
***** Two problems. One, until this comment, you had replies disabled. Hence the way I responded to you initially. Second, UA-cam flagged your second comment as spam, so I'm only seeing it now. Third, I would see if your TV supports 480i through HDMI input. If it does, then I'd suggest the PS2 to HDMI. No matter what you do don't go with any "RCA to whatever" option. It'll take it from shitty to still shitty. RCA cables belong in one place, a trash can.
+AdamKoralik i have two question so im looking to by the sega 16bit mega drive two its modified with Audio video Rca outputs and led... my first question...is if i purchase the "modified" sega do i still have to get the scratch converter box in order to get 720p 1080p?? with better definition ?? or do i still need the scart converter for full quality??
+AdamKoralik +AdamKoralik My Scart to HDMI converter (the exact one you unboxed in this video) just stopped working. The power indicator led is coming on but no signal. , and apparently Google+ has been broken by google, or it's being phased out. Who knows?
+AdamKoralik I'd like to see you make a video about the XRGB-mini Framemeister. I've heard it's the best thing since sliced bread but is it really that good?
+zackery chapman Big surprise, it's why I don't bother with convertors in the first place lolI'm incredibly sensitive to it. Best way to play retro consoles? On a CRT plain and simple, fantastic PQ, heavy does of nostalgia and ZERO lag.I tossed my 27" Sony Trinitron(2004 model) which actually had S-Video and component, perfect for the Wii, Gamecube(ect) but I picked up a 1987 Panasonic vintage tube TV because aesthetically speaking it's an awesome fit for the NES and SNES & Genesis, but it's terrible for anything beyond that. which is why I was looking into getting a convertor for my other consoles, but if I have to deal with additional lag, depending on how much there is than forget it. I hear nothing but complaints in regards to delay for all of these convertors.
***** I guess they are ugly... I think they are cool looking. Either way though no lag for old games is a nice feature as well as the games look really good on them. Idk if you have ever seen a retro game on a nice CRT or PVM monitor using something like S-video or RGB Scart cables as posed to component? However it gives a Picture that you can't get on LCD TVs. Obviously you can't really show what a CRT tv looks like on lcd monitors. so it's hard to see the benefits on UA-cam.
DOUBLE WARNING!!!!! These things pump out a composite-video quality output when you're scrolling through your games, only static images look okay with one of those "HD video converter". Edit: Game-TechUS couldn't get one of these to work with c-sync. Sync on composite only gave him a video output. He, and many others, are certain this ONLY takes a CVBS (composite) video signal, and does absolutely nothing with the RGB inputs, which explains why the video quality is atrocious when moving.
@@Ballowax I used used something very similar originally though I think mine was DVD only. Worked fine for a while but I eventually upgraded to some better albeit more expensive options.
*To those who've upgraded to an OSSC 1.6, this scaler might still be of use to you.* In my setup I found the best way to use the OSSC was to plug it into the HDMI input on the SCART to HDMI. My Sony Bravia 32inch HDTV worked with every console I threw at the OSSC, except the PS1. And of the ones that did work, the TV wouldn't accept anything but the linedoubled 480p or 576p modes. Plugging it into the SCART to HDMI input, I was able to get everything but the 5x mode working. And I found that by setting the OSSC's output to 3x mode, the image is scaled at 4:3 aspect ratio.
Awesome videos! I'm definitely going with the SCART to HDMI. Glad I caught this video of yours. Looks great! Again, your videos are great to watch. Keep them up. I love how youtube is full of guys like us educating and sharing the love of classic games. They REALLY do not make them how they used to lol.
Although your method is a good cost effective way of upscaling your retro game systems to HD. It has some technical faults. As the Upscaler you have takes the RGB image from the system as an interpolated 480i image, instead of the standard 240p that most Sega Game systems use (dreamcast uses 480p). This will cause items that are supposed to use paralaxing. Like strobing items, or clouds and stuff, to look funny. The upscaler that takes 240p natively and transforms it flawlessly to 720p or 1080p, and is especially good for gaming is the "Xrgb-Mini Framemeister" by Miconsoft. Although you'll have to use JP-21 RGB cables (Japanese cables that look like scart, but are not scart), in order to make it work, or buy an RGB scart adapter for it. It is upwards of $300us but if you want perfection, that is as good as it gets.
Adam, thank you for the video! About Input Lag: I've read a lot of comments on this video about input lag and the most important thing with a SCART->HDMI-converter is low input lag (yes definitely more important than the picture quality). I've measured a couple of converters and this one gives not only noticable input lag, but almost unplayable input lag. Well infact it depends on which signal you feed it with. The NES and SNES was almost unplayable, while the Mega Drive actually works a bit better. I think it has something to do with how the converter scale the signal. Anyway, i have made some measurements on the NES and i've looked into the total chain. Without going that deep into things, i can stand up to 100ms of total input lag, but i prefer to land not higher than 70ms. With this converter i got a total input lag of 157ms. The difference between 70ms and 157ms is astronomical. Say that you perceive 70ms as "zero input lag" (for your brain), then you add 87ms. Yeah, do the math. Obviously i can't say how other feels about input lag, but the one who believes that this converter has no input lag, is not interested in playing retro games.
Well i have spent 50+ hours with tests on two TV's and three computer-monitors and several consoles/computer/adapters/converters etc.... so yeah......the settings has been as opimal as possible, including game mode or similar.
Displays: Monitor Samsung LS29E790CNS Monitor LG 24" unknown model TV Sony Bravia KDL-46EX700 All displays was set to "Game-mode". Sources: Wii - HDMI-adapter WiiU - HDMI-cable HTPC - HDMI-cable NES - Composite through HDMI-adapter Then i had a couple of other sources and devices, ended up in a total of 31 tests. Here is a couple of them: Wii - Wii-game and WiiMote: Samsung 103ms LG 78ms Wii - Fceux and WiiMote: LG 135ms Sony 140ms HTPC - Nestopia and NES30: Samsung 71ms Sony 121ms One thing worth noting is that any kind of connection between the source and controller have very small impact of lag. I have tried WiiMote (BT), NES30 (BT & USB), Logitech Rumblepad 2 (RF), Razor Imperator (USB-mouse) and it's no more than 10ms lag that separates them. I have also tried a couple of HDMI-switches, even stacked 3 pairs and i could not notice any added lag at all, maybe 1-2ms. The absolute best result i got (besides Razor mouse on HTPC) was a WiiU on the LG-monitor playing NSMB-U, that ended in a input-lag of 58ms. That was a dream to play with very distinct and instant control :) IMO the FrameMeister is way to expensive and i hope that some producer will develope a more priceworthy device soon.
I have a LG 4K TV and no matter what I did I could not get this thing to work, but it did work on my Samsung. Just be cautious depending on the TV you plan on using.
I just wanna say that this video is what got me into subscribing to your channel. I went ahead and bought this box, and can't wait for it to arrive to test out these consoles. You made it real easy to understanding all this scart stuff.
raregamecollector The reason there are not reproductions of this cable is due to the way it was designed. The port on the gamecube actually outputs a digital signal that the cable converts to analog. Manufacturing this cable would be expensive. It should theoretically be possible to get some other type of digital signal from that port.
+technology4617 I think my logic at the time was that this box is designed to convert an analog signal to a digital one. HDTVs do this, but as a bonus feature, because other wise it wouldn't display anything. Boxes tend to do this better, as it's their intended purpose. That's why when you try that with composite, the boxes tend to do it better. My assumption was SCART did the same, I still assume that. But in hindsight, without being able to test this, I shouldn't have been as confident in that position. Hope that clears it up.
Just an FYI about the lag issue with this cheap converter. It works best in 720p mode with TVs that can handle 720p natively. 720p is 3x 240p so there's very little processing that has to be done. 1080p is 4.5x the 240p resolution so it gets processed to hell and back.
Hey Adam, did you ever notice lag on that convertor? I have the same one, there is no lag but everyone says so. EDIT: Can't believe I actually found my comment again but I just want to point out that I been using this on my Genesis for months now and yes there is a bit of motion blur but input lag not much. I have no issues playing anything from Sonic to Mortal Kombat to Streets of Rage on my HDTV. It really makes the games look awesome. Better than CRT with composite in my opinion.
AndehX If you meant consoles like PS1, N64, Saturn, etc., well I can't say anything since I don't own any of those consoles and the only console I used this convertor was on the Genesis on a 720p TV.
Thanks AdamKoralik for this tip. I ended buying a scart cable for my Genesis model 1 and this converter box. Now my Genesis looks clear on an HDTV. People get this converter box and get yourself a scart cable.
What he fails to mention is that there is input lag in the conversation from analog to digital.. You need to pony up 300 bux for a framemeister to minimize the input lag
Nothing noticeable. I tested it with 240p Test Suit on a Sega CD and the lag was within 1 to 3 frames at the most. I've heard Samsung TVs have the least amount of input lag.
***** See My Life in Gaming anyways. I want to use the XRGB-Mini for my Dreamcast and Gamecube so I can adjust the aspect ratio to 720x480. I also want to get some PS1 RPGs in the future but in order for me to play them I need the XRGB-Mini :3
***** The Sixth Gen consoles don't output a 4:3 aspect ratio (640x480) they instead output 720x480 or also known as DVD resolution. The Framemeister can fix the screen size. And personally, I think scanlines look really ugly on anything.
***** They're big, bulky, antiquated, and offer nothing but an inferior image. The one and only practical plus, as far as I'm concerned, is the ability to use light guns.
AdamKoralik Hey dude I'm portuguese and, yes, I use SCART. But this comment is about the Wii. The Wii, at least the European 2nd version, comes with Composite and SCART. You connect the Composite cables onto a SCART adapter and then you plug onto your TV. I was playing Sonic Colors and noticed it looked kind of shitty in resolution and image clarity, but I'm using a 1080p TV. What do you think is causing the problem?
Nunoski Orange Yeah, you're doing it wrong. Think of video cables as a chain. Imagine a strong chain made out of pure titanium, super strong right? But there's one link made out of a rusty thin paper clip. That rusty paper clip would be composite cables. As they say, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Point is, throw the composite cables in the trash and get proper cables. In the case of the Wii, get a set of component cables.
No worries. Dreamcast VGA cables will work on a PAL or NTSC unit. No worries there. I did videos on the VGA adapter and also using a VGA to HDMI adapter. Check those out for more information.
Wrong. Used in 720p mode the scaler has very little processing to do. 720p is only 3x the resolution of 240p. 1080p is 4.5x the 240p resolution which causes it to be processed a ton. I happen to have a TV that handles 720p natively so there's almost no input lag. If you NEED to play in 1080p then you want the Framemeister which has the fast and powerful processor to get the job done. The XRGB-mini Framemeister is 10x the price though.
I have a CRT collection, including a 1959 Zenith. All working fine! And if I was going to go flatscreen, I'd want native HDMI. For instance, Hi-Def Nes. I have one of those too! Soon I will have a HDMI N64, too!
But honestly, I would resort to emulation in 1080p via a retropie, or even a PC before I'd run an upscaler. For me the upscalers are just adding too much to the signal.
Hey Adam, I have two SCART to HDMI upscalers like the ones you have, one for SNES and one for the Sega Mega Drive. Recently I brought my old PS1 out of retirement, and I'm considering upgrading it to RGB. But can you tell me how well does yours handle the resolution switches on games like Driver? I know games that switch from 240/288p to 480/576i can cause blackouts. For PS1 games played on the PS2, it kept blacking out through the HDMI input on the upscaler and couldn't handle the resolution switch seamlessly. However I've read somewhere that the SCART input treats all sources as interlaced and thus should theoretically be able to handle the resolution switch in PS1 games. Can you please confirm this for me?
I recently bought this same converter and the picture is sharp as hell and colors look amazing, but I have noticed the any movement (like scrolling) on 2d games creates a kind of blur (maybe deinterlacing?) Have you noticed this at all?
Hey, I just set mine up on my SNES and I noticed the same exact problem. I'm looking into ways to solve it. If I find anything I'll hit you up, and if you're able to solve it, do send a message my way. Thanks pal.
11:12 Is there any way to turn off the message box in the bottom left corner? I'm using this scaler for my PlayStation, Gamecube, SNES and Sega Mega Drive. The PlayStation is giving me issues though. Just before a cutscene starts, the video feed switches from PAL to NTSC and back to PAL again. At first I thought there was a problem with the cable, but when I repeated the test with composite cables plugged into a SCART adapter the same thing happened. When it changes from PAL to NTSC, that on screen message box popped on screen and remains there for several seconds. And it gets captured in my Elgato Game Capture HD recordings, making said recordings unusable. Can those on screen messages be turned off?
The number one reason I love SCART for all the pre-HDMI consoles, is that SCART is much the same as a "Multi out" connector on your beloved consoles. Buy yourself a SCART enabled TV, or something like the above adapter, and a multi-way SCART switch. You can use an RGB signal if possible, or you can load the switch up with adapters like Component video, S-video, and Composite video and cater for the odd ones out. SCART cables are not overly expensive. It's a clean tidy way to have all of your consoles running via a single channel on your TV, in my case, the only SCART input.
Shenmue III on the Amiga 32 rofl...oh man, before E3 2015, I would have been right there with you, man! And thank you for this video...I have one of these boxes on the way, and it made me feel SO much better about the buy. Subscribed!
I bought this adapter after I've seen your review and it works like a charm. Damn I love my old consoles even more now! :) Thank you so much for posting this. You should do a followup to this with more games
In terms of designers forward thinking of supporting future retail consumer TVs--that probably wasn't their intention. Most game developers will run their console games simultaneously on two monitors--one being their computer screen and the other being a contemporary TV. They can then compare colors and layouts of their design. Sega in the '80s and '90s probably ran RGB to their dev computer monitors and composite to a regular consumer-grade TV.
A further update, this device also works with the RetroTINK 2X. Like the OSSC, the RetroTINK simply doubles the horizontal lines that make up the image. In my setup, as was the case with the OSSC, my HDTV did not like the linedoubled PS1 resolutions. Plugging it into the HDMI input on the SCART to HDMI Adam used solved this issue. So if you started with the cheap box and get an OSSC or RetroTINK, I guess you could think of it as restoring S-video, component and VGA support to your scaler with the added bonus that you can now scale 240p and 288p content correctly.
@sandplasma Thanks. The resolution going in to the device is the same. The difference is the HDMI one upscales it to a more modern resolution which helps with compatibility issues and capturing game footage. The component box basically just...passes it through.
Yes, that's how I was doing it. Though I don't recommend the component adapter over the HDMI adapter. Cut composite out of the equation, it just down grades the image. The N64 doesn't support RGB SCART naturally. It needs to be modded for that. So, the best stock option is S-Video to HDMI or S-Video to Component.
Thanks for the video on this device. Can you explain your capture setup? I was hoping to use something like this for livestreaming aka SNES -> SCART/HDMI -> Elgato. Do you have any experience with this? Also curious about the input lag?
As I said in the video, the Dreamcast and onward have superior options. It'll look fine, but for the money, you're way better off getting a VGA adapter for the Dreamcast.
Amazing video. Since watching this I've ordered the SCART 2 HDMI convertor and bought SCART cables for Sega Saturn/SNES/SEGA 32XCD(retro_console_accessories from ebay is your friend folks). Adam thank you very much as I was thinking "CRT is the best for these old consoles". Boy was I wrong!!! This rivals any emulator IQ out there! People come over and simply can't believe how good these old consoles look on a 60" HDTV in 1080p. Thanks Adam, you've brought new life in these old games and brought happiness to my friends and family. My only recommendation is perhaps making a follow up to this video perhaps bringing up how much better the HDMI adapter is vs component adapter and maybe some more consoles displayed(not everyone reads comments sadly)
It's worth noting a few of the following things in the description: There are three scart types that should be addressed in the description so that some players aren't disappointed. 1. A scart adaptor - this is not scart - It is simply AV cables in an RCA to scart connection adaptor. 2. A regular scart lead. This is the same as above but with an actual (7 pin) scart connection. Quality wise, it's still just an AV cable. 3. RGB Scart - this is the true high quality scart. Usually 21 pin. ---- PAL Gamecube has the digital port but cannot do progressive 480P - Instead, we are given PAL60 on holding B. PAL cube does do Scart (while there's only 9 pins in the lead, it is full RGB.) however (in lieu of S-Video which the NA Cube does) and this is probably the best option for us as Scart is virtually equal to component at 480. The only difference is Scart wasn't moved beyond 480P - component was. As a result, there's no point in EU users getting the component cables as they are super expensive and offer no real benefit over Scart (on PAL consoles). ---- N64 does not do RGB Scart as you say (except early French and US models which can by modded to do so. The PAL console can't do S-Video properly either (goes mega bright and is unplayable) but there is a UK shop (Link below) that sells a specially modified cable. Outside of the RGB mod, this is the best option however, this is interesting and will apply to all N64's when/if made: imgur.com/a/DdEuq retroactive.be/tech_n64_hdmi.php If he needs a kickstarter, I'll whore him out big time. :) ---- Scart cables are really inexpensive here in Europe. You can get them for about $10 per console and can also get the modified PAL N64 s-video cable here too: www.robwebb1.plus.com/n64/n64.htm Hope this all proves helpful
Wow! Need to get myself one of these. Playing the likes of a Mega Drive/Genesis through a modern HD TV with SCART tends to look awful, while emulated games from my laptop connected to the TV via HDMI look great. Seems this will sort out such problems. Many thanks for the video. This looks essential for any retro enthusiast who doesn't have an old CRT TV handy.
Euro-SCART isn't something consoles "support" because it's not any one kind of video signal. Rather it is the name for the convention of how all the different video signals are arranged on its pin configuration. In Japan, they use a similar looking cable, but the pins inside it are assigned different signals, so it gets called "JP-21". What consoles may or may not support is RGB. That's the super clean signal, and it's independent of whether or not you use a SCART cable to access it. For example, you could be using a BNC cable to access it.
What capture device do you use? I have SCARTs to get the best output from my retro systems and bought the HDMI adapter you are using but my Elgato only supports 720p and 1080p and stretches the iamges from their 4:3 and the colour seems to change with some resolutions. I changed the aspect ratio back to 4:3 when playing back the file so I suppose I could find software that changes aspect ration and that would work but I think colour may still be effected and it would be nice to just capture it right.
Haha, at least yours came with a box! Mine was brand new and didn't. This converter does work great, and I'm glad you did a video on it to spread the word. The signal from mine gets pretty jittery on rare occasion, but that might be the quality of the SCART cable itself (using this on a JP Saturn).
Picked up this scaler recently. Absolutely fantastic piece of equipment. My old scaler claimed to support RGB but it would always remain in composite. After some researching it seemed to just be plain false advertising. It was also more expensive than my new one! That's why I was worried about picking this one up. I thought it might be the same case again. Thankfully it wasn't! The new scaler is brilliant and will output RGB and scale it to 1080p fantastically. I've tested N64 (RGB modded), Sega Mega Drive and Gamecube with it at the moment and they all work brilliantly. My Elgato Game Capture gets a little bit dark on the Gamecube and Game Boy Player for some reason but that's easily fixed with a change in Elgato settings. All in all, I highly recommend it! You will NOT be disappointed folks. Listen to this man, he knows what he is talking about.
Not a lot of people know this, but there was a television made by sharp that had a built in NES, it didn't sell well in the us and was never released in Europe, in Japan they were used for hotel rooms, the cool thing about these televisions is the fact the NES portion was connected directly to the television via RGB, so if you manage to get your hands on one of these televisions, you can run NES games in RGB
I've used SCART on all my analogue systems since the Amiga back in '91!! When I got a SNES in '93 and converted it to switchable 50/60Hz and region free, I HAD to get a SCART cable to avoid a B&W display from it. Move on to PlayStation in '96 and I made sure I got an RGB SCART cable for maximum definition. They do look great on our CRTs over here btw, just saying from experience! Onto the video, I noticed some softening of the text on the SNES footage. Is this due to compression or is it the converter itself? Also, have you noticed any apparent audio or video latency at all? My missus got me a SNES for my Christmas last year and within 2 weeks I had all the bits to convert it along with a SCART cable. Admittedly, the image is OK on my LED TV, but I know it could be better having experienced the CRT TV/Monitor I used to have for my Amiga. Anyway, crackin' find mate, peace.
Not sure off hand, I don't have one. What kind of connection options does it have on the back? My guess is composite is the best you'll get without modding it.
Very informative, thank you. Two questions. 1. What do you recommend for NES? 2. What do you think about using an HD Receiver that can upscale analog to digital? I'm assuming that would not be as good since the source is Composite/RCA. Thanks.
I got this same video converter, it works perfectly and now my older consoles look amazing! Thanks for showing that there is something better than crappy composite video!
Hey Adam, me again, I have one more question about the RGB Scart, I bought the box for my Genesis/Sega CD, and the cable, but I was wondering if you know if RGB works with the PSone. Not the original PlayStation model, but the smaller "slim" model. I ask this because I'm thinking of getting the smaller PSone to save space, but if RGB SCART won't work, I'm not going to bother. Do you happen to know if the small PSone outputs RGB SCART?
Yes, RGB SCART is supported by the PSOne, but it's oddly complicated. I have two different PS1 RGB SCART cables. And two different PSOnes. One works on one console, one works on another. But if you swap them, they display in composite mode. Same is true of the original PS1 fat model. I have no idea why that is.
Alright, so it's basically giving to be a coin toss whether I buy a PSone that works properly. That's really weird, the cables that you used, are they official cables or 3rd party?
AdamKoralik great video . Is there any latency involved in using this on say, a 60inch LED tv in "Game Mode" vs newer consoles? I ask because i am currently looking at the "Analogue NT", and that thing is 500 bucks……but…reads like it performs very well. do you think that machine would use this same tech on the innards?
Hi Adam, thanks for the thorough review. I just wanted confirmation about the aspect ratio of the output. Your captured footage and the bit about the Amiga looks like 4:3 non-stretched, which is great. I'm looking for something to build into a MVS conversion and this might fit the bill if you can tell me it keeps the 4:3 AR or if the letterboxing was done by your TV instead. Can you also comment on whether you feel there are any noticeable conversion delays? I will be playing action games so the video processing needs to be fast.
Happy to help. First, capturing is actually done in 16:9. It displays on my TV as 4:3 through a setting on the television itself. Once this 16:9 footage is capturing, I stick it in to my editing program and have it adjust the aspect ratio back to 4:3 (not cropping mind you). The result is what you see in the video. Second, I've never experienced any kind of lag or anything like that.
AdamKoralik Hey Adam. Is this budget device a better option for connecting a PlayStation 2 to an HD TV than using component? I have a PS2 slim which connects to my HD TV via RGB Scart, and am looking for the best solution to upgrade the image quality. I checked your video "PS2 Component/HDMI - Best Possible Video Quality" first, but after watching this one I became a little confused on which one is the best. Thanks a lot for the great videos. :)
Just wanted to say, once again, thanks for all the help Adam. For those looking to purchase this, make sure you purchase the correct SCART cable because NTSC models often require a specific SCART cable, and not just any old generic PAL SCART cable or you will have all sorts of audio/visual issues with the converter. Best place I've found for cables is consolegoods dot co dot uk.
Just used the box you suggested for the first time on my HDTV with my PS1. The image is a bit off-centre but none of it seems to be off-screen. The image is way better than it was when I was using composite. Thanks a lot for this suggestion! Now I'm trying to find a good switcher box to hook up a bunch of my consoles at the same time.
+Gauparte My image is off center too. It's pushed to the right a bit. Also if you have it in regular 720 it's stretched into a wide screen format, which distorts the image. There is another setting 1024-726 I believe that puts it back to 4:3 format, but there is some space at the top and bottom of the image. Oh well...
The deinterlacing and upscaling would benefit everyone with an HDMI equipped display. So many British people never had a clue about RGB SCART, and would just use RF aerial cables or Composite. Been using RGB SCART since 1993. Finding a TV that supported RGB SCART would be difficult back then though, but SCART supports composite and S-Video as well. Nice video.
Does it eliminate the Scanlines? I was looking into getting the XRGB Mini Framemeister ? I have been reading its an awesome video upscaler to use for older systems when hooking up to HDTVs. but its like $300-$350 :O. have you looked into this XRGB Mini Framemeister? looks really awesome.
Not if you want it to look good. Problem is you've told the console to degrade down to composite. The SCART cable isn't going to magically reverse that.
AdamKoralik Where did you pick up your scart cable for the genesis? I nabbed one off ebay (retro_console_accessories), and using the same HDMI scaler, I'm getting off colors - namely whites. Tested on two different screens, and on both genesis and 32x.
AdamKoralik where do you get your scart cables? Do you just get them from Ebay? I didn't watch the whole video this time (I have seen this video months ago) so idk if you mentioned it. I bought a composite to HDMI from amazon and it was crap. Basically just made the image wider, not clearer on an HDTV, so I would like to try this one out for my Genesis model one. Have you had any issues with the converter since you've bought it? Any recommendations for getting a clearer picture on a PS2 for an HDTV? Thanks.
Hi, i bought a Scart cable for SEGA Genesis model 1 in ebay, the seller is named "Retro Gaming Cables", go to ebay and search "rgb scart cable sega genesis", he sends the cable by Royal Mail Airsure with tracking number, i live in Mexico and i received my cable without any problem.
Adam - I have a Gamecube with a RGB SCART, bought on your recommendation (thank you very much!) - but I now want to hook it up to a modern tv through an hdmi port. Will I lose video quality using the technique above (your description says so) and to what extent? Also - will there be any lag using a medium of an upscaler as opposed to a direct hook to a tv? Thanks.
Hi Adam thanks for this! I just got this exact same setup for my model 1 sega genesis with stereo RGB Scart to HDMI using your suggested video converter. It works very well!
Wow I cannot believe the quality! Thank you so much Adam for enlightening my svideo peasant eyes to the ways of SCART! I do have some oddly specfic questions though that id really appreciate it if you (or any commenter with knowledge on the subject for that matter) could help me with! Okay so, would this converter theoretically work with say a japanese (NTSC-J) Neo Geo CD? I'm really thinking about upgrading to scart but I'm curious if (I found a universally region compatible SCART cable) I''m just curious if Japanese SCART signals would be simillar or function exactly the same with this HD converter? Thanks again for the video Adam, I'm glad i've discovered your channel! Subscribed! :)
Happy to help. If it (the console) supports RGB SCART, then it should be good to go. So, my assumption is yes. I don't actually have a Neo Geo CD to test. Welcome aboard sir.
Does this really convert PAL to NTSC ? On your videos I only saw NTSC input in the beginning of the screeners. The CD32 you show is probably a PAL unit. Did you have to switch anything on the adapter ? How much lag did you notice ?
Right now I have a original NES and Nintendo Gamecube as far as retro consoles go. I am looking to purchase some others such as SNES and N64 and probably ps1/2. What would be the best setup for having multiple retro consoles? Should I buy a AV RCA Audio Video Switcher Selector and then have that plugged into an AV to HDMI converter? Or should I be looking for something else. Sorry, I don't know too much about audio video stuff.
I'm worried about lag when playing games with these converters. Do these converters do any processing? It was my understanding the expensive XRGB Mini Framemeister from Micomsoft would be a better choice because there is no lag - but ouch, expensive. Also RetroRGB and Phonedork on youtube seem to recommend against the cheap converters.
Hey Adam, thanks for the review. Are you still using this upscaler? Is the lag noticeable at all? That seems to be the major drawback to these cheaper units compared to the FrameMeister. I hear the scart to component doesn't have those issues because it is not being upscaled, but that these scart to hdmi have major lag issues that makes games borderline unplayable. Thanks!
I still do. I like it, though the FrameMeister is no doubt the superior device. This is a budget device for those who want to improve over composite, but don't want to sell a kidney to do it. Personally, I've never experienced any lag with it. But it seems not all units are built the same. A lot of people think it's great, others end up hating it.
I purchased this scaler and I think the issue I'm having is with my SCART cable. I don't know much about the format but what I do know I've learned from your videos. The scaler seems to blink and switch from NTSC and PAL a lot. Does it sound like the issue is with the cable? If so, do you have any recommendations where I could purchase a reliable one for the US SNES?
Just got my rgb scart cable for my saturn and have it connected to this scart to hdmi adapter. I'm surprised how many resolution options I have when the button states 720 or 1080. I have 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024, 720p, and 1080p. I've decided that for the games I have tried and my 1080p tv that it looks best at 720p although it is stretched and the only ones that aren't are the 4:3 pc resolution options, but the colors don't look at bright as the 720p setting. Personal choice there. Adam, you wouldn't happen to have access to an xrgb mini for a comparison video would you? Although this looks good, I'm not sure it looks too much better than my previous solution which was saturn using svideo through a converter that switched to vga. I was using similar resolution options and on that 800x600 actually looks about as good as 720 with this. I'd be very curious to see if the framemeister is better and by how much. If it's noticeable I'd perhaps bite and get one when I could find it for a manageable price. Anyway thanks for the awesome videos, I'm happy with this setup regardless as even if I don't notice it as much, I'm probably getting better color representations. I'll probably see a huge difference on the genesis and sega cd once that cable comes in though.
Hi Adam. Please I hope you can help me to understand something here, I bought another upscaler box from another brand called SCART- MHL/HDMI. But the issue is each time it accept a new plugged signal the screen showed an NTSC or PAL message. SO I checked the manual and it doesnt says anyhthing about supporting RGB. So I suposse the poor results upscaling are probably cause is upscaling the old composite ntsc or pal signals to HDMI against the desired RGB signal... so I was wondering if I am right or not. DO you know if this upscaler brand of your video, support RGB signals? Thast the difference? Or is just doing the same as mine but whit better results? I can pay for a Framemeister or something like that.
PAL gamecubes can still use the component cables, none of the games support progressive scan though. I'm more concerned about Input delay. If the upscale box or the TV scale the image, the image gets delayed a few milliseconds. Which is more of a problem for me than it sounds. Which is why I play on an old CRT TV.
Hey Adam, I'm looking into getting this converter. Does it "squash" the image into a widescreen mode like most HDMI converter's do? I really don't like when they do that, and it can be a deal breaker. Thanks!
Great video. I got the converter on the way right now. I am however having some difficulty deciding which cable to purchase. From my reading csync looks the way to go but im unsure if I need the extra stereo cord attachment or not? I have a genesis 1 model with a stereo out cable mod. Sounds superb out of the stereo out I am just wondering if I need to buy the scart cable with the stereo cord or if I can just run it straight into either the converter or into my tv?
Adam, in the video at 9:49 the device you are holding. Will that device work for SCART in from a SNES NTSC? Or is it only designed for Sega products? Thanks
Hi Adam, I have a question. I just bought the same video converter that you have, for my Sega Genesis. It looks great!! My only problem is that it display as a 16:9 stretched image on my TV and my recording device. Do you know how to make back into a 4:3 image?
Adam, When using one of these Scart to HDMI converter boxes on your widescreen tv, I'm assuming the game is displayed at 4:3 with the black bars on each side of the screen, correct? If you forced it to full screen I'm sure the quality would suffer thus negating the reason you got the converter in the first place, right? I just want to make sure before dropping nearly 60 bucks on this thing.
AdamKoralik There's something I gotta know: If I purchase and play a digital download retro game on one of the HDMI Consoles (PS3, 360, PS4, XBOne, WiiU) through their Virtual Console are they gonna look "the best they can be"? If I play Mario64 on the Wii U virtual console, does it look like if I was using a N64 with SCART and HDMI upscaling? The same thing for SNES games? If I play a GBA or Gamecube game on the Wii U does it look like if I was using a Gamecube with a Component Cable? What about the PS2 and PSOne games that I can purchase on the PSN store on my non backwards compatible PS3?
Hey adam, I don't think you covered this in the video and it might be a dumb question but you need scart cables for each of your consoles right? I looked on ebay and saw some sellers sell specific scart cables for snes, genesis, and saturn (those are the systems I'm interested in). I also wanted to ask, instead of buying 3 of these scart to hdmi adapters could I buy a scart switcher (maybe 4x input 1x output) and connect the consoles to the input and the output to the hdmi upscaler? Would there be a loss of video quality with that method?
1: Thanks for watching. 2: Yes, you need specific cables for each console. 3: You can use a multi-tap switch, yes. It worked perfectly. However I had issues using one with the SNES, not sure why. It looked horrible and would turn the console on randomly. I never figured it out. But for the Genesis and Saturn it's definitely worth doing.
Adam how did you get you TV to center the image correctly! I just got the same device you have and I hooked in a Saturn scart cable and it was way to far to the right and only 4 By 3 ratio would correct it but in 16 by 9 it's way off and it sucks because i'm pretty sure my capture device only captures 16 by 9!
I followed your advice and got a RGB SCART cable for my PS1 and the same HDMI converter you have in the video. What a difference! I could not believe the difference between it and standard composite. SCART is even a significant step-up over S-video. Once I saw how good a single game (Road Rash) looked, I got excited to start playing all my PS1 classics again.
Thanks for the video man. I never thought I would enjoy my PS1 again. I feel like my comment is a customer success story. lol
@Fifo No. It quit working after a few weeks. I went ahead and upgraded to a Framemeister and never looked back. Although now, I'm probably going to sell that. I don't play my games very much anymore, unfortunately.
I think you should recognize that totally writing off old CRT screens as "crap" and saying that this will look amazing on an HDTV with these converters is a highly subjective statement. I understand that anything less than component is crap and I would never use anything less, but I actually prefer to view lower resolution content on older CRT televisions. CRT screens just do an amazing job at smoothing out the image because the low resolution of the screen more closely matches the resolution of the input.
@ludomir1000 fhgygh hhggj lplop jk jjbbhhvh vggyfdf G#^7h
@@xninja83x67 XD
Hell I play retro consoles on a CRT with s-video and they look terrific
Adam, your CRTs may be out of tune if you think the games look bad on them. Unfortunately, not many people have the specialty tools for working on them anymore. A tuned CRT with a good quality s-video or even just composite cable looks great.
+Jose Arcadio Morales Just made an entire video about that: ua-cam.com/video/H0J3ERZ3nTk/v-deo.html
***** Two problems. One, until this comment, you had replies disabled. Hence the way I responded to you initially.
Second, UA-cam flagged your second comment as spam, so I'm only seeing it now.
Third, I would see if your TV supports 480i through HDMI input. If it does, then I'd suggest the PS2 to HDMI. No matter what you do don't go with any "RCA to whatever" option. It'll take it from shitty to still shitty. RCA cables belong in one place, a trash can.
+AdamKoralik i have two question so im looking to by the sega 16bit mega drive two its modified with Audio video Rca outputs and led...
my first question...is if i purchase the "modified" sega do i still have to get the scratch converter box in order to get 720p 1080p?? with better definition ?? or do i still need the scart converter for full quality??
+AdamKoralik +AdamKoralik My Scart to HDMI converter (the exact one you unboxed in this video) just stopped working. The power indicator led is coming on but no signal. , and apparently Google+ has been broken by google, or it's being phased out. Who knows?
+AdamKoralik how do I get the converter to work again?
+AdamKoralik I'd like to see you make a video about the XRGB-mini Framemeister. I've heard it's the best thing since sliced bread but is it really that good?
It still works, I still use it regularly, and I love it.
Hey Adam. Since this video is 3 years old. Is your scart to HDMI box still working today?
Ojn in mkkklk km okjn l hi jlkn a
WARNING!!!!!!!! this device has lag! Depending on your sensitivity, this may be an issue!
Also "Best Quality" would probable be an XRG mini
+zackery chapman Big surprise, it's why I don't bother with convertors in the first place lolI'm incredibly sensitive to it. Best way to play retro consoles? On a CRT plain and simple, fantastic PQ, heavy does of nostalgia and ZERO lag.I tossed my 27" Sony Trinitron(2004 model) which actually had S-Video and component, perfect for the Wii, Gamecube(ect) but I picked up a 1987 Panasonic vintage tube TV because aesthetically speaking it's an awesome fit for the NES and SNES & Genesis, but it's terrible for anything beyond that. which is why I was looking into getting a convertor for my other consoles, but if I have to deal with additional lag, depending on how much there is than forget it. I hear nothing but complaints in regards to delay for all of these convertors.
***** I guess they are ugly... I think they are cool looking. Either way though no lag for old games is a nice feature as well as the games look really good on them. Idk if you have ever seen a retro game on a nice CRT or PVM monitor using something like S-video or RGB Scart cables as posed to component? However it gives a Picture that you can't get on LCD TVs. Obviously you can't really show what a CRT tv looks like on lcd monitors. so it's hard to see the benefits on UA-cam.
DOUBLE WARNING!!!!! These things pump out a composite-video quality output when you're scrolling through your games, only static images look okay with one of those "HD video converter".
Edit: Game-TechUS couldn't get one of these to work with c-sync. Sync on composite only gave him a video output. He, and many others, are certain this ONLY takes a CVBS (composite) video signal, and does absolutely nothing with the RGB inputs, which explains why the video quality is atrocious when moving.
to lower the lag it is recomended to hook it to a pc monitor.
Don't buy cheap converters people! You get what you pay for.
I bought a VCR DVD combo unit with s-video,y-pb-br component video output and a progressive scan feature for 1dollar and 50 cents.
@@Ballowax LUCKY BASTARD!
@@Ballowax I used used something very similar originally though I think mine was DVD only. Worked fine for a while but I eventually upgraded to some better albeit more expensive options.
*To those who've upgraded to an OSSC 1.6, this scaler might still be of use to you.* In my setup I found the best way to use the OSSC was to plug it into the HDMI input on the SCART to HDMI. My Sony Bravia 32inch HDTV worked with every console I threw at the OSSC, except the PS1. And of the ones that did work, the TV wouldn't accept anything but the linedoubled 480p or 576p modes. Plugging it into the SCART to HDMI input, I was able to get everything but the 5x mode working. And I found that by setting the OSSC's output to 3x mode, the image is scaled at 4:3 aspect ratio.
Awesome videos! I'm definitely going with the SCART to HDMI. Glad I caught this video of yours. Looks great! Again, your videos are great to watch. Keep them up. I love how youtube is full of guys like us educating and sharing the love of classic games. They REALLY do not make them how they used to lol.
Thanks for watching dude.
Although your method is a good cost effective way of upscaling your retro game systems to HD. It has some technical faults. As the Upscaler you have takes the RGB image from the system as an interpolated 480i image, instead of the standard 240p that most Sega Game systems use (dreamcast uses 480p). This will cause items that are supposed to use paralaxing. Like strobing items, or clouds and stuff, to look funny.
The upscaler that takes 240p natively and transforms it flawlessly to 720p or 1080p, and is especially good for gaming is the "Xrgb-Mini Framemeister" by Miconsoft. Although you'll have to use JP-21 RGB cables (Japanese cables that look like scart, but are not scart), in order to make it work, or buy an RGB scart adapter for it.
It is upwards of $300us but if you want perfection, that is as good as it gets.
Adam, thank you for the video!
About Input Lag:
I've read a lot of comments on this video about input lag and the most important thing with a SCART->HDMI-converter is low input lag (yes definitely more important than the picture quality).
I've measured a couple of converters and this one gives not only noticable input lag, but almost unplayable input lag. Well infact it depends on which signal you feed it with.
The NES and SNES was almost unplayable, while the Mega Drive actually works a bit better. I think it has something to do with how the converter scale the signal.
Anyway, i have made some measurements on the NES and i've looked into the total chain. Without going that deep into things, i can stand up to 100ms of total input lag, but i prefer to land not higher than 70ms. With this converter i got a total input lag of 157ms.
The difference between 70ms and 157ms is astronomical. Say that you perceive 70ms as "zero input lag" (for your brain), then you add 87ms. Yeah, do the math.
Obviously i can't say how other feels about input lag, but the one who believes that this converter has no input lag, is not interested in playing retro games.
Framemeister has very minimal input lag.
Did you make sure your TV is in game mode?
Well i have spent 50+ hours with tests on two TV's and three computer-monitors and several consoles/computer/adapters/converters etc.... so yeah......the settings has been as opimal as possible, including game mode or similar.
Tommy Owenius Did you check the response times of the monitor?
Displays:
Monitor Samsung LS29E790CNS
Monitor LG 24" unknown model
TV Sony Bravia KDL-46EX700
All displays was set to "Game-mode".
Sources:
Wii - HDMI-adapter
WiiU - HDMI-cable
HTPC - HDMI-cable
NES - Composite through HDMI-adapter
Then i had a couple of other sources and devices, ended up in a total of 31 tests.
Here is a couple of them:
Wii - Wii-game and WiiMote:
Samsung 103ms
LG 78ms
Wii - Fceux and WiiMote:
LG 135ms
Sony 140ms
HTPC - Nestopia and NES30:
Samsung 71ms
Sony 121ms
One thing worth noting is that any kind of connection between the source and controller have very small impact of lag.
I have tried WiiMote (BT), NES30 (BT & USB), Logitech Rumblepad 2 (RF), Razor Imperator (USB-mouse) and it's no more than 10ms lag that separates them.
I have also tried a couple of HDMI-switches, even stacked 3 pairs and i could not notice any added lag at all, maybe 1-2ms.
The absolute best result i got (besides Razor mouse on HTPC) was a WiiU on the LG-monitor playing NSMB-U, that ended in a input-lag of 58ms. That was a dream to play with very distinct and instant control :)
IMO the FrameMeister is way to expensive and i hope that some producer will develope a more priceworthy device soon.
I have a LG 4K TV and no matter what I did I could not get this thing to work, but it did work on my Samsung. Just be cautious depending on the TV you plan on using.
Anthony Iacone 4K TVs seem to have issues with the box.
I just wanna say that this video is what got me into subscribing to your channel. I went ahead and bought this box, and can't wait for it to arrive to test out these consoles. You made it real easy to understanding all this scart stuff.
Happy to help, thanks for watching.
On a standard SCART cable yes, but that's why you get specific ones for each console you intend to use it with.
@ot4net VGA on the Dreamcast is the only way to go.
RGB SCART is a good choice only for the games that don't support VGA.
***** Would be rather pointless to do that.
***** SCART to VGA is pointless because VGA is already less common. Might as well upscale to HDMI for the same reason you'd upscale from VGA to HDMI.
*****
Personally, I prefer the HDMI adapter.
***** SCART to HDMI should be the better match as Component has color compression while SCART(RGB) doesn't.
Rickard Jonsson
Component analog, yes. Component digital, no.
9:03 in a way they're not wrong since developers started taking color bleeding into account using dithering
How come there aren't any reproduction GC Component Cables, would it be hard for someone to produce it.
Nintendo apparently used some special chip in them so no one could make them other than Nintendo.
AdamKoralik That is the case. Strangely some people mod them to output RGB as opposed to Component.
I've wondered this myself, seeing that China will knockoff anything they can reproduce.
raregamecollector The reason there are not reproductions of this cable is due to the way it was designed. The port on the gamecube actually outputs a digital signal that the cable converts to analog. Manufacturing this cable would be expensive. It should theoretically be possible to get some other type of digital signal from that port.
I've heard that places was a little shady. They have a 3DO RGB kit and I cant find anything online about it.
Thanks for the shout out! Joking I'm not that Raymond but you never hear another dude called Raymond
My pleasure man, thanks for watching.
Direct-to-TV SCART hookup wouldn't look as good as this?
Indeed, it would look like way better.
As we don't have SCART in North America, I have no choice.
+AdamKoralik 15:22
+technology4617 I think my logic at the time was that this box is designed to convert an analog signal to a digital one. HDTVs do this, but as a bonus feature, because other wise it wouldn't display anything. Boxes tend to do this better, as it's their intended purpose.
That's why when you try that with composite, the boxes tend to do it better.
My assumption was SCART did the same, I still assume that. But in hindsight, without being able to test this, I shouldn't have been as confident in that position. Hope that clears it up.
Just an FYI about the lag issue with this cheap converter. It works best in 720p mode with TVs that can handle 720p natively. 720p is 3x 240p so there's very little processing that has to be done. 1080p is 4.5x the 240p resolution so it gets processed to hell and back.
JohnnyNismo thanks. Long as it doesn't lag in 720 I'm good
Hey Adam, did you ever notice lag on that convertor? I have the same one, there is no lag but everyone says so.
EDIT: Can't believe I actually found my comment again but I just want to point out that I been using this on my Genesis for months now and yes there is a bit of motion blur but input lag not much. I have no issues playing anything from Sonic to Mortal Kombat to Streets of Rage on my HDTV. It really makes the games look awesome. Better than CRT with composite in my opinion.
AndehX If you meant consoles like PS1, N64, Saturn, etc., well I can't say anything since I don't own any of those consoles and the only console I used this convertor was on the Genesis on a 720p TV.
Thanks AdamKoralik for this tip. I ended buying a scart cable for my Genesis model 1 and this converter box. Now my Genesis looks clear on an HDTV. People get this converter box and get yourself a scart cable.
What he fails to mention is that there is input lag in the conversation from analog to digital.. You need to pony up 300 bux for a framemeister to minimize the input lag
I have the same scaler and once I put my TV into game mode there was no lag. Some TVs are better than others in this regard though.
Highly doubtful there is no lag
Nothing noticeable. I tested it with 240p Test Suit on a Sega CD and the lag was within 1 to 3 frames at the most. I've heard Samsung TVs have the least amount of input lag.
Use the Xrgb Mini for a better quality product. See My Life in Gaming on youtube for more information :3
***** See My Life in Gaming anyways. I want to use the XRGB-Mini for my Dreamcast and Gamecube so I can adjust the aspect ratio to 720x480. I also want to get some PS1 RPGs in the future but in order for me to play them I need the XRGB-Mini :3
***** The Sixth Gen consoles don't output a 4:3 aspect ratio (640x480) they instead output 720x480 or also known as DVD resolution. The Framemeister can fix the screen size. And personally, I think scanlines look really ugly on anything.
That's for 240p
Ok :3 May Ulala be with you
No doubt the XRGB mini is amazing, just sadly not everyone can afford it.
+Paul Gregorakos Then you desperately need glasses.
***** They're big, bulky, antiquated, and offer nothing but an inferior image. The one and only practical plus, as far as I'm concerned, is the ability to use light guns.
Voultar Glad I could amuse you sir.
AdamKoralik I'll prefer CRTs to death, but how does the upscaled content on non-CRT HDTVs look when using SCART, component or VGA cables?
AdamKoralik Hey dude I'm portuguese and, yes, I use SCART. But this comment is about the Wii. The Wii, at least the European 2nd version, comes with Composite and SCART. You connect the Composite cables onto a SCART adapter and then you plug onto your TV. I was playing Sonic Colors and noticed it looked kind of shitty in resolution and image clarity, but I'm using a 1080p TV. What do you think is causing the problem?
Nunoski Orange Yeah, you're doing it wrong. Think of video cables as a chain.
Imagine a strong chain made out of pure titanium, super strong right? But there's one link made out of a rusty thin paper clip.
That rusty paper clip would be composite cables. As they say, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
Point is, throw the composite cables in the trash and get proper cables. In the case of the Wii, get a set of component cables.
No worries. Dreamcast VGA cables will work on a PAL or NTSC unit. No worries there. I did videos on the VGA adapter and also using a VGA to HDMI adapter. Check those out for more information.
This video is really great man; thanks so much for covering this! I honestly hadn't known about RGB SCART at all till now.
Happy to help, thanks for watching!
Those scart to hdmi converters are JUNK.
Wrong. Used in 720p mode the scaler has very little processing to do. 720p is only 3x the resolution of 240p. 1080p is 4.5x the 240p resolution which causes it to be processed a ton. I happen to have a TV that handles 720p natively so there's almost no input lag. If you NEED to play in 1080p then you want the Framemeister which has the fast and powerful processor to get the job done. The XRGB-mini Framemeister is 10x the price though.
It's junk on an LCD, but on an old CRT it's GOLD. Get an HDMI2AV converter and hook it up to an old CRT. Jackpot!
EX Heihachi he hates this now
Messier 11 hdmi to av??? Sega have only av output, whu you said hdmi to av?
@JhonnyNismo, You're the one who is wrong. From 240p to 720p is not a x 3 increase in pixels. It's 12!
Best way is with vintage CRT tv.. no HDMI adapter bs
Spicy Kielbasa That's nostalgia talking right there.
unless it's a European CRT, with scart inputs and all.
CRTS are dying. That's the reason for the switch to flatscreens.
I have a CRT collection, including a 1959 Zenith. All working fine! And if I was going to go flatscreen, I'd want native HDMI. For instance, Hi-Def Nes. I have one of those too! Soon I will have a HDMI N64, too!
But honestly, I would resort to emulation in 1080p via a retropie, or even a PC before I'd run an upscaler. For me the upscalers are just adding too much to the signal.
Framemeister.
+Jacobs Tech I Always keep annotations off.
Very expensive !
As I said in the video, this is not recommended for the Dreamcast and onward. With the Dreamcast, you'll want VGA.
Hey Adam,
I have two SCART to HDMI upscalers like the ones you have, one for SNES and one for the Sega Mega Drive. Recently I brought my old PS1 out of retirement, and I'm considering upgrading it to RGB. But can you tell me how well does yours handle the resolution switches on games like Driver? I know games that switch from 240/288p to 480/576i can cause blackouts. For PS1 games played on the PS2, it kept blacking out through the HDMI input on the upscaler and couldn't handle the resolution switch seamlessly.
However I've read somewhere that the SCART input treats all sources as interlaced and thus should theoretically be able to handle the resolution switch in PS1 games. Can you please confirm this for me?
As I said in the video, a CRT is not necessary. So, I don't look out for them. But thrift stores might be a decent place to get one.
I recently bought this same converter and the picture is sharp as hell and colors look amazing, but I have noticed the any movement (like scrolling) on 2d games creates a kind of blur (maybe deinterlacing?) Have you noticed this at all?
Personally no, I have not.
Damn, I'm gonna send it back, hoping to get one that doesn't do it. Thanks for the quick response man!
Avalanche Reviews Sure thing, good luck.
Hey, I just set mine up on my SNES and I noticed the same exact problem. I'm looking into ways to solve it. If I find anything I'll hit you up, and if you're able to solve it, do send a message my way. Thanks pal.
Sounds good, thanks!
11:12 Is there any way to turn off the message box in the bottom left corner?
I'm using this scaler for my PlayStation, Gamecube, SNES and Sega Mega Drive. The PlayStation is giving me issues though. Just before a cutscene starts, the video feed switches from PAL to NTSC and back to PAL again. At first I thought there was a problem with the cable, but when I repeated the test with composite cables plugged into a SCART adapter the same thing happened. When it changes from PAL to NTSC, that on screen message box popped on screen and remains there for several seconds. And it gets captured in my Elgato Game Capture HD recordings, making said recordings unusable. Can those on screen messages be turned off?
The number one reason I love SCART for all the pre-HDMI consoles, is that SCART is much the same as a "Multi out" connector on your beloved consoles. Buy yourself a SCART enabled TV, or something like the above adapter, and a multi-way SCART switch. You can use an RGB signal if possible, or you can load the switch up with adapters like Component video, S-video, and Composite video and cater for the odd ones out. SCART cables are not overly expensive. It's a clean tidy way to have all of your consoles running via a single channel on your TV, in my case, the only SCART input.
Shenmue III on the Amiga 32 rofl...oh man, before E3 2015, I would have been right there with you, man! And thank you for this video...I have one of these boxes on the way, and it made me feel SO much better about the buy. Subscribed!
I bought this adapter after I've seen your review and it works like a charm. Damn I love my old consoles even more now! :) Thank you so much for posting this. You should do a followup to this with more games
My pleasure!
In terms of designers forward thinking of supporting future retail consumer TVs--that probably wasn't their intention. Most game developers will run their console games simultaneously on two monitors--one being their computer screen and the other being a contemporary TV. They can then compare colors and layouts of their design.
Sega in the '80s and '90s probably ran RGB to their dev computer monitors and composite to a regular consumer-grade TV.
A further update, this device also works with the RetroTINK 2X. Like the OSSC, the RetroTINK simply doubles the horizontal lines that make up the image. In my setup, as was the case with the OSSC, my HDTV did not like the linedoubled PS1 resolutions. Plugging it into the HDMI input on the SCART to HDMI Adam used solved this issue. So if you started with the cheap box and get an OSSC or RetroTINK, I guess you could think of it as restoring S-video, component and VGA support to your scaler with the added bonus that you can now scale 240p and 288p content correctly.
@sandplasma
Thanks.
The resolution going in to the device is the same.
The difference is the HDMI one upscales it to a more modern resolution which helps with compatibility issues and capturing game footage.
The component box basically just...passes it through.
Yes, that's how I was doing it. Though I don't recommend the component adapter over the HDMI adapter.
Cut composite out of the equation, it just down grades the image.
The N64 doesn't support RGB SCART naturally. It needs to be modded for that.
So, the best stock option is S-Video to HDMI or S-Video to Component.
Thanks for watching. Maybe get a new cable?
Thanks for the video on this device. Can you explain your capture setup? I was hoping to use something like this for livestreaming aka SNES -> SCART/HDMI -> Elgato. Do you have any experience with this? Also curious about the input lag?
As I said in the video, the Dreamcast and onward have superior options. It'll look fine, but for the money, you're way better off getting a VGA adapter for the Dreamcast.
Is it possible you got the wrong kind of SCART cables? There are RGB SCART and composite passthrough SCART.
Amazing video. Since watching this I've ordered the SCART 2 HDMI convertor and bought SCART cables for Sega Saturn/SNES/SEGA 32XCD(retro_console_accessories from ebay is your friend folks). Adam thank you very much as I was thinking "CRT is the best for these old consoles". Boy was I wrong!!! This rivals any emulator IQ out there! People come over and simply can't believe how good these old consoles look on a 60" HDTV in 1080p. Thanks Adam, you've brought new life in these old games and brought happiness to my friends and family.
My only recommendation is perhaps making a follow up to this video perhaps bringing up how much better the HDMI adapter is vs component adapter and maybe some more consoles displayed(not everyone reads comments sadly)
My pleasure Steven.
Problem with the component adapter is that it doesn't adjust resolution, so I can't capture footage from most of the consoles.
Awesome video, great explanation of the whole scart stuff and what you need to make these old systems look great. Thank you!
It's worth noting a few of the following things in the description:
There are three scart types that should be addressed in the description so that some players aren't disappointed.
1. A scart adaptor - this is not scart - It is simply AV cables in an RCA to scart connection adaptor.
2. A regular scart lead. This is the same as above but with an actual (7 pin) scart connection. Quality wise, it's still just an AV cable.
3. RGB Scart - this is the true high quality scart. Usually 21 pin.
----
PAL Gamecube has the digital port but cannot do progressive 480P - Instead, we are given PAL60 on holding B. PAL cube does do Scart (while there's only 9 pins in the lead, it is full RGB.) however (in lieu of S-Video which the NA Cube does) and this is probably the best option for us as Scart is virtually equal to component at 480. The only difference is Scart wasn't moved beyond 480P - component was. As a result, there's no point in EU users getting the component cables as they are super expensive and offer no real benefit over Scart (on PAL consoles).
----
N64 does not do RGB Scart as you say (except early French and US models which can by modded to do so. The PAL console can't do S-Video properly either (goes mega bright and is unplayable) but there is a UK shop (Link below) that sells a specially modified cable. Outside of the RGB mod, this is the best option however, this is interesting and will apply to all N64's when/if made:
imgur.com/a/DdEuq
retroactive.be/tech_n64_hdmi.php
If he needs a kickstarter, I'll whore him out big time. :)
----
Scart cables are really inexpensive here in Europe. You can get them for about $10 per console and can also get the modified PAL N64 s-video cable here too:
www.robwebb1.plus.com/n64/n64.htm
Hope this all proves helpful
Thanks, updated.
Wow! Need to get myself one of these. Playing the likes of a Mega Drive/Genesis through a modern HD TV with SCART tends to look awful, while emulated games from my laptop connected to the TV via HDMI look great. Seems this will sort out such problems. Many thanks for the video. This looks essential for any retro enthusiast who doesn't have an old CRT TV handy.
My pleasure, thanks for watching.
Euro-SCART isn't something consoles "support" because it's not any one kind of video signal. Rather it is the name for the convention of how all the different video signals are arranged on its pin configuration. In Japan, they use a similar looking cable, but the pins inside it are assigned different signals, so it gets called "JP-21". What consoles may or may not support is RGB. That's the super clean signal, and it's independent of whether or not you use a SCART cable to access it. For example, you could be using a BNC cable to access it.
What capture device do you use? I have SCARTs to get the best output from my retro systems and bought the HDMI adapter you are using but my Elgato only supports 720p and 1080p and stretches the iamges from their 4:3 and the colour seems to change with some resolutions.
I changed the aspect ratio back to 4:3 when playing back the file so I suppose I could find software that changes aspect ration and that would work but I think colour may still be effected and it would be nice to just capture it right.
Does this support Japanese RGB scart or only PAL Scart?
Japanese SCART seems to work.
Seems to work or do really work because the pinout are very different!
i125.photobucket.com/albums/p55/restqp/scartjpnpinoutyt0.jpg
*****
Finally!
Thank You!!
Haha, at least yours came with a box! Mine was brand new and didn't. This converter does work great, and I'm glad you did a video on it to spread the word. The signal from mine gets pretty jittery on rare occasion, but that might be the quality of the SCART cable itself (using this on a JP Saturn).
Picked up this scaler recently. Absolutely fantastic piece of equipment. My old scaler claimed to support RGB but it would always remain in composite. After some researching it seemed to just be plain false advertising. It was also more expensive than my new one!
That's why I was worried about picking this one up. I thought it might be the same case again. Thankfully it wasn't! The new scaler is brilliant and will output RGB and scale it to 1080p fantastically.
I've tested N64 (RGB modded), Sega Mega Drive and Gamecube with it at the moment and they all work brilliantly.
My Elgato Game Capture gets a little bit dark on the Gamecube and Game Boy Player for some reason but that's easily fixed with a change in Elgato settings.
All in all, I highly recommend it! You will NOT be disappointed folks. Listen to this man, he knows what he is talking about.
Thank you sir, and I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Not a lot of people know this, but there was a television made by sharp that had a built in NES, it didn't sell well in the us and was never released in Europe, in Japan they were used for hotel rooms, the cool thing about these televisions is the fact the NES portion was connected directly to the television via RGB, so if you manage to get your hands on one of these televisions, you can run NES games in RGB
I've used SCART on all my analogue systems since the Amiga back in '91!! When I got a SNES in '93 and converted it to switchable 50/60Hz and region free, I HAD to get a SCART cable to avoid a B&W display from it. Move on to PlayStation in '96 and I made sure I got an RGB SCART cable for maximum definition. They do look great on our CRTs over here btw, just saying from experience!
Onto the video, I noticed some softening of the text on the SNES footage. Is this due to compression or is it the converter itself? Also, have you noticed any apparent audio or video latency at all?
My missus got me a SNES for my Christmas last year and within 2 weeks I had all the bits to convert it along with a SCART cable. Admittedly, the image is OK on my LED TV, but I know it could be better having experienced the CRT TV/Monitor I used to have for my Amiga.
Anyway, crackin' find mate, peace.
For those who aren't aware, the XRGB Framemeister is the mother if video upscalers. I personally rank this box about 4th best.
DJ_Bullets What are the 2nd and 3rd then?
Not sure off hand, I don't have one. What kind of connection options does it have on the back? My guess is composite is the best you'll get without modding it.
Having never used it I can't be totally sure, but I'm sure if it has native HDMI that's going to be far better than S-Video.
Very informative, thank you. Two questions. 1. What do you recommend for NES? 2. What do you think about using an HD Receiver that can upscale analog to digital? I'm assuming that would not be as good since the source is Composite/RCA. Thanks.
I got this same video converter, it works perfectly and now my older consoles look amazing! Thanks for showing that there is something better than crappy composite video!
Happy to.
Hey Adam, me again, I have one more question about the RGB Scart, I bought the box for my Genesis/Sega CD, and the cable, but I was wondering if you know if RGB works with the PSone. Not the original PlayStation model, but the smaller "slim" model. I ask this because I'm thinking of getting the smaller PSone to save space, but if RGB SCART won't work, I'm not going to bother. Do you happen to know if the small PSone outputs RGB SCART?
Yes, RGB SCART is supported by the PSOne, but it's oddly complicated.
I have two different PS1 RGB SCART cables. And two different PSOnes. One works on one console, one works on another. But if you swap them, they display in composite mode.
Same is true of the original PS1 fat model. I have no idea why that is.
Alright, so it's basically giving to be a coin toss whether I buy a PSone that works properly. That's really weird, the cables that you used, are they official cables or 3rd party?
TnVGaming That's been my experience, I don't presume to understand why.
One is official, one is third party.
AdamKoralik great video . Is there any latency involved in using this on say, a 60inch LED tv in "Game Mode" vs newer consoles? I ask because i am currently looking at the "Analogue NT", and that thing is 500 bucks……but…reads like it performs very well. do you think that machine would use this same tech on the innards?
Hi Adam, thanks for the thorough review. I just wanted confirmation about the aspect ratio of the output. Your captured footage and the bit about the Amiga looks like 4:3 non-stretched, which is great. I'm looking for something to build into a MVS conversion and this might fit the bill if you can tell me it keeps the 4:3 AR or if the letterboxing was done by your TV instead.
Can you also comment on whether you feel there are any noticeable conversion delays? I will be playing action games so the video processing needs to be fast.
Happy to help.
First, capturing is actually done in 16:9. It displays on my TV as 4:3 through a setting on the television itself.
Once this 16:9 footage is capturing, I stick it in to my editing program and have it adjust the aspect ratio back to 4:3 (not cropping mind you). The result is what you see in the video.
Second, I've never experienced any kind of lag or anything like that.
Depends on the console you're using. Generally 240p or 360p.
AdamKoralik Hey Adam. Is this budget device a better option for connecting a PlayStation 2 to an HD TV than using component? I have a PS2 slim which connects to my HD TV via RGB Scart, and am looking for the best solution to upgrade the image quality. I checked your video "PS2 Component/HDMI - Best Possible Video Quality" first, but after watching this one I became a little confused on which one is the best. Thanks a lot for the great videos. :)
this is the best explanation yet to upgrade your video for old systems on a modern led tv thanks a million, please give another video for any updates.
Thanks for watching.
I'll be doing one about the N64 specifically very soon.
Just wanted to say, once again, thanks for all the help Adam. For those looking to purchase this, make sure you purchase the correct SCART cable because NTSC models often require a specific SCART cable, and not just any old generic PAL SCART cable or you will have all sorts of audio/visual issues with the converter. Best place I've found for cables is consolegoods dot co dot uk.
Just used the box you suggested for the first time on my HDTV with my PS1. The image is a bit off-centre but none of it seems to be off-screen. The image is way better than it was when I was using composite. Thanks a lot for this suggestion! Now I'm trying to find a good switcher box to hook up a bunch of my consoles at the same time.
+Gauparte My image is off center too. It's pushed to the right a bit. Also if you have it in regular 720 it's stretched into a wide screen format, which distorts the image. There is another setting 1024-726 I believe that puts it back to 4:3 format, but there is some space at the top and bottom of the image. Oh well...
The deinterlacing and upscaling would benefit everyone with an HDMI equipped display.
So many British people never had a clue about RGB SCART, and would just use RF aerial cables or Composite.
Been using RGB SCART since 1993. Finding a TV that supported RGB SCART would be difficult back then though, but SCART supports composite and S-Video as well.
Nice video.
Does it eliminate the Scanlines? I was looking into getting the XRGB Mini Framemeister ? I have been reading its an awesome video upscaler to use for older systems when hooking up to HDTVs. but its like $300-$350 :O. have you looked into this XRGB Mini Framemeister? looks really awesome.
I haven't used that, but a buddy of mine told me about it. My guess is that thing would be better than this one. But...pricey pricey pricey.
Not if you want it to look good. Problem is you've told the console to degrade down to composite. The SCART cable isn't going to magically reverse that.
AdamKoralik Where did you pick up your scart cable for the genesis? I nabbed one off ebay (retro_console_accessories), and using the same HDMI scaler, I'm getting off colors - namely whites. Tested on two different screens, and on both genesis and 32x.
AdamKoralik where do you get your scart cables? Do you just get them from Ebay? I didn't watch the whole video this time (I have seen this video months ago) so idk if you mentioned it. I bought a composite to HDMI from amazon and it was crap. Basically just made the image wider, not clearer on an HDTV, so I would like to try this one out for my Genesis model one. Have you had any issues with the converter since you've bought it? Any recommendations for getting a clearer picture on a PS2 for an HDTV? Thanks.
Hi, i bought a Scart cable for SEGA Genesis model 1 in ebay, the seller is named "Retro Gaming Cables", go to ebay and search "rgb scart cable sega genesis", he sends the cable by Royal Mail Airsure with tracking number, i live in Mexico and i received my cable without any problem.
www.ebay.com/itm/120834198018?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
Luis Arturo Hernandez Zavala Thanks Luis. This is exactly what i did. It looks amazing once connected.
Adam - I have a Gamecube with a RGB SCART, bought on your recommendation (thank you very much!) - but I now want to hook it up to a modern tv through an hdmi port. Will I lose video quality using the technique above (your description says so) and to what extent? Also - will there be any lag using a medium of an upscaler as opposed to a direct hook to a tv? Thanks.
Hi Adam thanks for this! I just got this exact same setup for my model 1 sega genesis with stereo RGB Scart to HDMI using your suggested video converter.
It works very well!
I'm glad you like it.
Wow I cannot believe the quality! Thank you so much Adam for enlightening my svideo peasant eyes to the ways of SCART!
I do have some oddly specfic questions though that id really appreciate it if you (or any commenter with knowledge on the subject for that matter) could help me with!
Okay so, would this converter theoretically work with say a japanese (NTSC-J) Neo Geo CD? I'm really thinking about upgrading to scart but I'm curious if (I found a universally region compatible SCART cable) I''m just curious if Japanese SCART signals would be simillar or function exactly the same with this HD converter?
Thanks again for the video Adam, I'm glad i've discovered your channel! Subscribed! :)
Happy to help.
If it (the console) supports RGB SCART, then it should be good to go. So, my assumption is yes. I don't actually have a Neo Geo CD to test.
Welcome aboard sir.
dude to record from scart did you recommend an avermedia capture card? or elgato HD60? thanks, also which one did u use?
Does this really convert PAL to NTSC ? On your videos I only saw NTSC input in the beginning of the screeners. The CD32 you show is probably a PAL unit. Did you have to switch anything on the adapter ? How much lag did you notice ?
Right now I have a original NES and Nintendo Gamecube as far as retro consoles go. I am looking to purchase some others such as SNES and N64 and probably ps1/2. What would be the best setup for having multiple retro consoles? Should I buy a AV RCA Audio Video Switcher Selector and then have that plugged into an AV to HDMI converter? Or should I be looking for something else. Sorry, I don't know too much about audio video stuff.
I bought the Mcbazel HD Video SCART to HDMI converter, I'm very happy with it.
I'm worried about lag when playing games with these converters. Do these converters do any processing? It was my understanding the expensive XRGB Mini Framemeister from Micomsoft would be a better choice because there is no lag - but ouch, expensive. Also RetroRGB and Phonedork on youtube seem to recommend against the cheap converters.
Hey Adam, thanks for the review. Are you still using this upscaler? Is the lag noticeable at all? That seems to be the major drawback to these cheaper units compared to the FrameMeister. I hear the scart to component doesn't have those issues because it is not being upscaled, but that these scart to hdmi have major lag issues that makes games borderline unplayable. Thanks!
I still do. I like it, though the FrameMeister is no doubt the superior device. This is a budget device for those who want to improve over composite, but don't want to sell a kidney to do it.
Personally, I've never experienced any lag with it. But it seems not all units are built the same. A lot of people think it's great, others end up hating it.
I purchased this scaler and I think the issue I'm having is with my SCART cable. I don't know much about the format but what I do know I've learned from your videos. The scaler seems to blink and switch from NTSC and PAL a lot. Does it sound like the issue is with the cable? If so, do you have any recommendations where I could purchase a reliable one for the US SNES?
Just got my rgb scart cable for my saturn and have it connected to this scart to hdmi adapter. I'm surprised how many resolution options I have when the button states 720 or 1080. I have 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x1024, 720p, and 1080p. I've decided that for the games I have tried and my 1080p tv that it looks best at 720p although it is stretched and the only ones that aren't are the 4:3 pc resolution options, but the colors don't look at bright as the 720p setting. Personal choice there.
Adam, you wouldn't happen to have access to an xrgb mini for a comparison video would you? Although this looks good, I'm not sure it looks too much better than my previous solution which was saturn using svideo through a converter that switched to vga. I was using similar resolution options and on that 800x600 actually looks about as good as 720 with this. I'd be very curious to see if the framemeister is better and by how much. If it's noticeable I'd perhaps bite and get one when I could find it for a manageable price. Anyway thanks for the awesome videos, I'm happy with this setup regardless as even if I don't notice it as much, I'm probably getting better color representations.
I'll probably see a huge difference on the genesis and sega cd once that cable comes in though.
Hi Adam. Please I hope you can help me to understand something here, I bought another upscaler box from another brand called SCART- MHL/HDMI. But the issue is each time it accept a new plugged signal the screen showed an NTSC or PAL message. SO I checked the manual and it doesnt says anyhthing about supporting RGB. So I suposse the poor results upscaling are probably cause is upscaling the old composite ntsc or pal signals to HDMI against the desired RGB signal... so I was wondering if I am right or not. DO you know if this upscaler brand of your video, support RGB signals? Thast the difference? Or is just doing the same as mine but whit better results? I can pay for a Framemeister or something like that.
PAL gamecubes can still use the component cables, none of the games support progressive scan though.
I'm more concerned about Input delay. If the upscale box or the TV scale the image, the image gets delayed a few milliseconds. Which is more of a problem for me than it sounds. Which is why I play on an old CRT TV.
Correct, no modification required.
Hey Adam, I'm looking into getting this converter. Does it "squash" the image into a widescreen mode like most HDMI converter's do? I really don't like when they do that, and it can be a deal breaker. Thanks!
Great video. I got the converter on the way right now. I am however having some difficulty deciding which cable to purchase. From my reading csync looks the way to go but im unsure if I need the extra stereo cord attachment or not? I have a genesis 1 model with a stereo out cable mod. Sounds superb out of the stereo out I am just wondering if I need to buy the scart cable with the stereo cord or if I can just run it straight into either the converter or into my tv?
Adam, in the video at 9:49 the device you are holding. Will that device work for SCART in from a SNES NTSC? Or is it only designed for Sega products?
Thanks
It will support the Super Nintendo (regular, not Jr.)
Hi Adam, I have a question. I just bought the same video converter that you have, for my Sega Genesis. It looks great!!
My only problem is that it display as a 16:9 stretched image on my TV and my recording device. Do you know how to make back into a 4:3 image?
Adam,
When using one of these Scart to HDMI converter boxes on your widescreen tv, I'm assuming the game is displayed at 4:3 with the black bars on each side of the screen, correct? If you forced it to full screen I'm sure the quality would suffer thus negating the reason you got the converter in the first place, right? I just want to make sure before dropping nearly 60 bucks on this thing.
Pretty much. You're going to distort the image by putting it in 16:9 rather than 4:3. So, you will have bars if you wish to preserve the best image.
AdamKoralik There's something I gotta know:
If I purchase and play a digital download retro game on one of the HDMI Consoles (PS3, 360, PS4, XBOne, WiiU) through their Virtual Console are they gonna look "the best they can be"?
If I play Mario64 on the Wii U virtual console, does it look like if I was using a N64 with SCART and HDMI upscaling? The same thing for SNES games?
If I play a GBA or Gamecube game on the Wii U does it look like if I was using a Gamecube with a Component Cable?
What about the PS2 and PSOne games that I can purchase on the PSN store on my non backwards compatible PS3?
I just picked up a sega genesis...and I thought I'd never be able to play it on my HDMI projector in my basement. This is a great video!
Hey adam, I don't think you covered this in the video and it might be a dumb question but you need scart cables for each of your consoles right? I looked on ebay and saw some sellers sell specific scart cables for snes, genesis, and saturn (those are the systems I'm interested in). I also wanted to ask, instead of buying 3 of these scart to hdmi adapters could I buy a scart switcher (maybe 4x input 1x output) and connect the consoles to the input and the output to the hdmi upscaler? Would there be a loss of video quality with that method?
1: Thanks for watching.
2: Yes, you need specific cables for each console.
3: You can use a multi-tap switch, yes. It worked perfectly. However I had issues using one with the SNES, not sure why. It looked horrible and would turn the console on randomly. I never figured it out. But for the Genesis and Saturn it's definitely worth doing.
AdamKoralik Awesome information, thanks for the prompt reply!
Adam how did you get you TV to center the image correctly! I just got the same device you have and I hooked in a Saturn scart cable and it was way to far to the right and only 4 By 3 ratio would correct it but in 16 by 9 it's way off and it sucks because i'm pretty sure my capture device only captures 16 by 9!