Is Your Retro Gaming Setup Actually Good? - Retro Bird
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
- Hooking up your old consoles and the best way to do it has been a subject of much debate. Opinions are all over the place and the different setups people use are just as endless. In this video, I'm going to offer my perspective on what makes for a setup that you can call good.
-Here is the link to my video covering how to hook up your consoles (I actually flip the bird in this one. I was a bit of a dirty bird back in those days): • How to Hook up Your Re...
-Here is the link to my video that covers hooking up multiple consoles at once: • How to Hook up Multipl...
Is Your Retro Gaming Setup Actually Good? - Retro Bird / Game Room Setup for Playing Games
If you'd like to gain access to my retro blog or just support the channel - you can find my Patreon here: / retrobird
New videos uploaded every Friday! Be sure to ring the bell if you subscribe!
Follow me on Twitter here: / retrobirdgaming
or on Instagram here: / retrobirdmatt
#retrobird
Games played: Contra (0:01), Alien Soldier (0:15), Super Mario Sunshine (0:24), Sonic & Knuckles (0:51), Time Crisis 2 (1:25)
alien soldier looks fun
Yes, but which ones were using RF, Composite, S-Video, RGB Scart, Component, VGA, HDMI or directly ported into your brain/heart/soul???
I kinda saw the garbage can joke coming but I really didn't expect you to go all in on it the way you did (no pun intended). Too funny
this man's humor is awsome! I just picked up a 27" magnavox crt I was thinking i made a mistake but nope retrobird convinced me otherwise thanks!!
Thank you !
I just moved, and had a guy helping who was mocking the fact I had an old CRT for my non-HD systems. He kept saying everything looked better on a 4k TV. I tried to educate him on upscaling and lag, but he wouldn't budge. He needs our prayers, guys.
A lost soul. Probably some younger guy that can't appreciate.
🙏😂🤣😅😆 I'm so sorry 😂😭💀⚰️🪦🥀
*prayers for him!*
Sounds like he needs a kick in the ass. Xoxo peeps
Those people alway have a bit o’ lag… with gaming and reality.
For me, the #1 priority is day-to-day convenience. Meaning that it doesn’t matter how much of a hassle it is to set everything up in the first place, but once it’s set up, I don’t want to ever think about the set-up again. From that point on, it should work like in the good old days: pick up the controller and play.
That includes things like proper cable management. It’s certainly a bit of an initial effort to wrap your cables and place them nicely, but once it’s done, there won’t be the ugly sight of dozens of loose cables distracting you while you’re playing.
Yeah, cable management can be a pain but is so satisfying once you get it all in order.
This guy gets it! Simple clean and ready to rock.
any suggestions for having multiple consoles hooked up? specifically interference issues when multiple cables are together.
The reason we enjoy retro games is because it harks back to a simpler time where it was just about having fun. Just have a good time and if your setup is not 'optimal' so what!
Harkens.
It's terrible because back then you played on a crt and if you don't know the nostalgia flies out of the window and you are confronted with input lag. Something you never had back in the day
I love that this guy made that comment. As gamers of the 80s-90s, we never thought to lust after a CRT. Did we know that better connections provided a better picture? Eventually we did but not for a long time. I honestly can’t even remember when I transitioned over from RF. I think it all dawned on me when the 5th gen. system HAD to used the yellow, red, white.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The day I got rid of my CRT was one of the best days of my life. I don’t give a flying f*** if it has less lag and looks more “pure”. Pure can go suck an egg. Those monitors are horrible in so many ways. Do you know that CRTs cause 3 times more strain on your eyes? Ugh, no thanks.
I do believe in bette connections.
Love that MyLifeInGaming shout-out. They're the real MVPs.
Bird, you're so awesome, i really hope that we'll never lose you in youtube.
Oh no, you can lose people in the UA-cam? Like, through the cracks? I also now hope we don’t. Be careful Bird. Please. You’re too awesome to be lost in the Tube.
My biggest priority I've found out is how close my setup is to my bedroom! We have a spare room perfect for gaming, and I have a HUGE trinitron in there with all the space I'd need for gaming... yet I find myself moving everything I can into my bedroom. Something about a cozy setup at my desk has made it much more accessible and enjoyable for me.
For me personally, i strive to use original hardware as much as possible and CRTs for the preHD consoles
Honestly, that's not a bad way to go other than the increasingly smaller supply of options to use. And, it's the only way of getting the light gun to work, that is unless you go with a newer option that detects a border for locating the shots like the sinden light gun does.
@@SmallSpoonBrigade i concur 🤝
Most important to me is having every console plugged in and ready to go. That means both to the CRTV and also to an audio receiver for awesome sound. Then it's just a matter of pressing the appropriate input selectors and turning on the console to play. This isn't as easy as it sounds when you have 16 retro consoles, but when it's set up, it's a beautiful thing!
Using a CRT television is the single most important factor. However, having a hifi audio system is a great investment and really enhances the experience. Realistically, the buy in for an entry level hifi stereo set up new would be at least $500 but even decent vintage equipment can be great. It also instantly gives your gaming space the ability to also be a music space, throw in a record player and you'll really be rolling. I think most retro gamers with sophisticated setups might not even consider audio but they would be blown away by the upgrade and just how much it adds to the experience.
That’s not instant at all. You can’t just bung some speakers and an amp in any old cluttered room and expect a good audio experience. Unless you’re willing to compromise your game room in the name of acoustics or vice versa this isn’t going to work. Mind you, I’m totally with you that audio is just as if not more important than image quality.
I don't even collect retro games but I watch every Retro Bird video.
Thank you for watching :).
Hey thanks! I nearly spat my coffee all over myself when you stuck your head in the bin!
🤣
I hate to admit it but, even though we have many consoles hooked up in our house. I still have our NES, SNES and Genesis hooked up on a big ol 28' Zenith via RF cables. I just enjoy having them hooked up the way we all did back when I was a little gamer. Great vid bird!
All my retro stuff is played on a Sony Trinitron, using either s-video or component. I love the setup and the picture quality is awesome.
The most important part for me personally is comfort. I want a nice place to sit or lay down and an easy pick up and play kind of expercience! Thats why most of my consoles are always connected.
I connect all my mini systems (NES, Genesis, TG-16, SNES, Neo-Geo, PS1) to a 13in CRT with component via HDMI converter. Very happy with the results!
This. I was surprised at how well my convert worked for my NES. And it wasn't even one of the expensive ones either.
@@SmallSpoonBrigade The $15 one I originally bought did not work but then ponied up about $40 for one that has a button to toggle between various resolutions with some very slight black border (I play in the dark so irrelevant). Vibrance of color, clarity, and brightness is much better than Composite although honestly that still looks decent on a 13/14 in set. I have PS2, GC, Xbox, and Wii connected via component switch box to my 27in.
Composite video on a CRT is good enough. I think most can agree that hooking composite up to a modern LCD is not a great experience, though. The problem with most hobbyist communities is the "gatekeeping", and there is no shortage of it in gaming. That said, there are some amazing engineers out there breathing new life in to vintage consoles and it's fun nerding out on this stuff. Shout out to the Retro RGB website. Also, HD Retrovision for bringing component cables to most retro consoles...well, not the Dreamcast 🤣
more than good enough- its what the developers intended - look at the dracula sprite in symphony of the night; literally looks horrible upscaled
I'm not sure about that, when I came of age and decided to experiment with those strange green blue and red inputs on the back of my TV for my PS2, the difference was night and day. I could not go back to composite at all.
I’ve been playing through SotN via a PlayStation with composite cables, and a crappy 3rd party controller I grabbed from my “test parts” box. Just needed a quick setup to test out a new to me CRT projection TV. I have all the fancy SCART stuff, but this last week playing via composite hasn’t hurt the experience one bit.
Well, OK, one tiny bit. Those OEM Sony composite cables leak sync noise into the audio lines like mad. But that’s not really a video issue as much as cheap cables with bad shielding.
RGB < SCART
@@toof7081 Uhh...SCART is a connector that is used to route RGB signals. How is one better than the other?
The most important aspect of my gaming set up is comfortness, as in I need to be cozy and comfy while I'm playing my games with a comfy lounge chair, bean bag, or reclining gaming chair, maybe something to help me hang my feet in the air, that kind of thing.
I am also strangely moved by the My Life In Gaming intro music. You are not alone.
I know a lot of gamers aren't fans but I love my Analogue consoles. They're so simple and they work great.
The most important part of my video game setup having all the consoles wired up to be played at a moment notice.
I love the little interstitials that you put in the video. The facial expressions are awesome!
I'm happy with Composite so far. Got 2 8-way switch Boxes to hook All my Systems up and it works for me. For the Sound i connected an old Stereo System to my TV for games like Einhänder, the Final Fantasy Games and everything with amazing Soundtracks ^^
Thanks for this. I moved recently and didn't bother setting up my old games bc I "didn't have the perfect display"
This is solid advice. Went down the rabbit hole myself and quickly got to the point where I spent more time fidgeting with cable upgrades than actually playing games.
Retro Bird = most likeable dude on the entire world wide web
The days of plug in and play are done..
Took me forever to set up a new Xbox for my kid. No I'm not new tech savvy
I remember using a converter on the two forks with screws to run RF on my tiny black and white tv. Didn’t matter, still played double dribble for hours with no complaints.
I have that adapter for my Vic-20
I was fortunate enough to find an entertainment center on wheels so I can easily access the cords. Very helpful.
My set up was originally just a 13" that had RF and AV crt. Now I have a 28" older flat-screen with RF, AV, S-video, VGA, Component, and HDMI and a 20" CRT with RF, AV out and an audio in so I could hook up a stereo to my set up which would be a really nice addition. I do find it odd that not many people talk about audio as much as they talk about video
In most retro setups, you don't go past stereo sound. But that's another area of expertise many of us don't get involved because most of the times.... a couple of CRT speakers are "good enough" for most people.
Shinmoh is correct in regards not having an external sound system with a retro setup. Being Videophile and Audiophile can often be conflicting interests in regards to how the setup put together. I do consider myself a audiophile, I use a traditional 2 channel system. I use a Marantz SR5013 as my Video Processor and preamp which is connected to my integrated amp a Marantz PM 8006. The integrated amp powers my Klipsch RP 600Ms. I also use a Topping D70s as my external DAC which takes PCM Audio from my TV's Optical port to the CD line input on my SR 5013.
I’m glad a larger UA-camr finally said it. I’ve got the OSSC, mClassic and Retrotink. I almost always prefer the simplistic options that look pretty good. I do favor the mClassic but it has an added benefit of forcing the aspect ratio into 4:3.
As a kid, I played NES on an old POS console TV via RF. It was a blast.
Recently found your channel and been having so much fun watching through your backlog.
Glad to hear and welcome to the channel!
As a video game sound designer, it may seem obvious what my #1 priority is when gaming…sound!
Most important to me in
order of importance:
1) Low input lag
2) High frame rate
3) Sharp picture quality
4) Easy access
Thank you for the great video.
Best regards.
the best purchase I ever made for my retro set-up was a component input switcher. Was cheap and made my life so much easier !
What's a good one to buy?
After discovering that my TV's video chip supports S-Video, I plan on adding that in. But Composite looks perfectly nice to me, and anything pre-Dreamcast I plan on keeping connected through that. Who cares if it isn't optimal: most people with consoles in the 90s and early 00's didn't have high end equipment!
I used to have all of my consoles hooked up at once but quickly outgrew that with the advent of things like component and HDMI that didn't mix well with a more retro environment. It got to a point where I had multiple switch boxes and converters with sound routed through a receiver and half the time I couldn't even figure out how to turn a console on. Even though I set it up! Not to mention the cable mess and having multiple surge protectors to plug everything into. That messiness just made the whole thing unsatisfying for me. Nowadays I just have the three current systems hooked up (which already looks messy enough!) and everything else is boxed. That does mean I play the retro systems less but every once in a while I'll hook one up for a few days. Someday I'd love to have them all hooked up and finally organized on a big set of shelves, but I just haven't found good solutions for that yet. And it seems like it would take multiple solutions; the right furniture, dealing with the different output types, the cable management, power management, etc.
My setup is like that. Switch box 1 needs to be on #2 Switch box 2 should be on #4 etc.. etc.. to play : n64. I had to write down all the combinations for each console because after a few weeks of not playing a certain console, I HAD forgotten how to turn it on. lol
Convenience is very important to me specifically. My games are always one step away from my recliner and tv.
Nothing else usually matters as long as everything works.
Most important thing for me is having all my consoles ready to play. I have my retro consoles hooked up to a Trinitron (nes with composite, n64 with s-video, and soon snes in the remaining av port). Then I have a 50” plasma with my ps2 thru component (which i know is not ideal but my trinitron doesn’t have component) my PS3 thru hdmi (I use either the ps2 or ps3 to play ps1 games, again not ideal but convenient) my Wii with hd converter thru hdmi (use this to play GameCube as well) and all my mini consoles which unfortunately have to share an hdmi cord. Then my ps4 is on my 60” 4K tv in the living room.
So not exactly ideal in all aspects, but everything is hooked up (apart from all the minis) and ready to play which is convenient and ultimately works well for me.
So now all I need is a genesis, a Saturn, a Dreamcast, a tg16, neogeo, a switch and a series x and I should be good to go! 😅
As someone who knows absolutely nothing about technology I could not even tell you what the red white and yellow cables were called until this video. I plug all my consoles new and old into the only TV I have which is a flat screen and I’ve had people tell me how bad it is since all the old consoles get stretched to wide screen, but I feel like if you have fun playing your games then it doesn’t matter what TV or cables you have, that makes your set up good if you have fun with it.
Your dedication is remarkable and certainly doesn't go unnoticed. 🍌
You touched on my setup philosophy. It's mostly whatever works. To each their own, but I do find it funny how some people talk about how they like certain games for the nostalgia from playing them when they were younger, but have them running through all these special cables and filters when if they were really nostalgic, they'd be playing them on their old hand-me-down 12" CRT tv through coax cables while sipping on some Ecto Cooler flavored Hi-C and entering some cheat codes your buddy gave you on the bus ride home written down on a piece of paper ripped from their composition notebook.
Such an underrated channel. Thanks for the great content my friend!
Thank you for watching Dave :)
Love to see your view count growing, you deserve it! I literally watch and rewatch your videos all day lol. Your volume is incredible and every time the video is super entertaining. Thanks so much for sharing your passion with all of us. Excited to see your channel continue to grow!
Thank you for that! Much appreciated :)
@RetroBirdGaming love your videos. I really enjoy your kid at heart approach. 🎉i built a small arcade in my garage i have a mame cabinet...a virtual pinball machine and i recently built an original xbox based racing arcade gig with vibrating seat and all 😂 i just subd and will go look for any old arcade stuff if you have any. If you ever in ottawa id love to invite you to play some games 😊
I always like this subject because my gaming set up has evolved quite a lot over the years and overtime as I get older, know more about stuff, new devolpments in the retro gaming sphere emerge, and I have access to more resources it gets better. Plus it's really cool to see other peoples rad setups and take ideas from them.
I feel like sound preservation is often overlooked and it's really good that you brought it up! Most pro monitors (and some consumer sets) have abysmal speakers; as audio is not the focus of video production! But as many are repurposing these monitors for use in their home gaming setups, it is important to pair these monitors with speakers that are safe to use around the tube (no electromagnetic interference), loud enough, and do the source material justice. I specifically use powered speakers (Audioengine a2) alongside my PVM and they are a great option.
Unrelated, huge emphasis on making time a factopr in creating your gaming setup. Wait for things to fall in your lap. Maybe one day you find a Sony branded TV stand at the thrift for $3. Maybe years later you find a used Bandridge SCART switcher for $50... my point is that my setup took about 4 years to optimize and I'm happy that I didn't rush to do it all at once.
The TVs being used when these games were new, weren't exactly good either. At least for composite systems, you can run the audio cable(s) to speakers without them going to the TV.
completely agree with that statement. Ive been collecting games since 3rd grade (im 23 now haha) but since then ive been steadly growing building my collection and setup. whether it be new games, new monitors or displays, new game systems, new peripherals, systems from different countries, modding or hardmodding consoles. All of it should take time and dedication and build it the way YOU want it.
My setup priorities
1. Having everything always hooked up
2. TV Image quality
3. Surround sound quality
4. all wireless controllers
5. Room lighting
Retro gaming madness only proves how powerful nostalgia can feel. Great vid!
I feel satisfied and happy with my set up: gamecube kiosk, 2k 1ms TN gaming monitor, PC CRT 85hz for 480p and retro pc games and finally a 25 inch trinitron with composite/component or DVD inputs for ps3/blu ray disk with 3.1 surround sound! It took me 7 years but I need no more!
The most important aspects of my setup is A: Picture quality, and B: Felling accomplished with it.
Honestly, I just plug my games into a regular ol CRT TV via composite switchbox and I couldn't be happier.
Great video! Great points made! Love how you always emphasize inclusion no gatekeeping and overall enjoyment.
Totally. Love to see everyone so passionate about the hobby being able to enjoy it :)
These days, the most important aspects to my gaming setup are convenience and physical minimalism. I used to have a huge collection of 100s of games across genesis, 32x, sega cd, dreamcast, n64, gamecube, wii, xbox. But that was easier when living alone as a bachelor. Now I'm two years into my marriage and have a 9-month-old baby. We don't own a house (yet), so there isn't a ton of space for that sort of setup in our living room and I wouldn't want to leave all of that out with the baby around.
So what's my setup? A Retroid Pocket 2+ with all libraries for all the old consoles I want, along with a long HDMI cable so I can plug it into the TV when it's time to play. It's minimal, convenient, and out of the way.
The only inconvenient thing so far is that I'm not sure what's the best way to configure extra controllers for when I want to game with a friend. This setup works well for now. One day however, I'd like to get back into physical collecting... as soon as we're more established and have the space for it again.
Friday Night Retrobird Enjoyment! My Gaming setup has evolved over time. I am almost finished with how I want my setup to be. In terms of Controllers, I always use the first party ones but have some other controllers as nice secondary options. My cable setup is well, expensive. I hate to think how much I spent on it over time. I have all my systems hooked up to 5 different screens. 1 TV in the living room and 4 in the game room.
I have one console that I use Composite with. The Nes. I have that hooked into my very large Panasonic Crt.
I have two consoles that I use S Video with. I have the Philips Cdi and Panasonic 3DO hooked up to the large Panasonic Crt.
I have 8 consoles hooked up through Hdmi. I have the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii U, and Switch hooked up to the 1080P 3D 46 inch Samsung in the Gameroom. Downstairs in the living room, I have the 4 other Hdmi consoles hooked up to the 85inch Qled. Those consist of the PS4 Pro, The Super NT, the Mega SG hooked to a Model 2 Sega Cd, and Finally the Analogue NT Mini Noir. All those systems on the living room tv are hooked audio wise to a soundbar/sub combo.
I have 1 console hooked up through VGA. I have my Dreamcast hooked up through the first party Sega VGA box on a nice Monitor with audio going to the 5.1 surround setup I have in the game room.
Finally, the connection type, I have the most of. I have 12 systems hooked up with Component cables. I have the OG Xbox using the Advanced Video pack with male to male HD Retrovision component cables and a Nice Optical cable for sound in the receiver. I have the PS2 hooked up through with first party Sony Component cables as well as the Optical out for sound with the stereo. My Gamecube setup is pretty ridiculous. I have a Gamecube with the Gameboy Player, the Broadband adapter, 4 Wavebirds, and it is hooked up with the Nintendo Component cable. Finally all the rest of my systems use the HD Retrovision component cables. I am using them with my PS1, Super Nes, RGB Modded N64, Sega Master System, Hi Def Genesis/Model 1 Sega Cd/32X tower, Sega Saturn, Neo Geo Aes U.S model with clean Rgb, my Rgb/region free modded Turbo duo with recap, and using the snes to Jag adapter, I have component out on the Jag/Jag cd combo. I have two G Comp Switchers that all these component cables are plugged into. They each have two outputs. I have any consoles that have games that run in Widescreen, Tate mode, or any HD Resolution’s hooked up to the Flatscreen and my large Crt. That consists of The OG Xbox, PS1, PS2, N64, Gamecube, Genesis/Sega Cd/32X tower, and the Sega Saturn. The other G Comp goes to the Big Crt and the small Crt and consists of the Snes, Sega Master system, Neo Geo Aes, and the Jaguar/Jag Cd unit.
The only change I still want to make is I want to RGB mod my 3do so that I can add HD retrovision component cables to that system and make it to where I only have one system that uses S Video. My biggest challenge is cable management. I need to get better about that. I will say, that my Surge Protector setups are a sight to behold as well. Lol.
Those surge protectors are the first thing to show people when giving them a tour of your collection :)
@@RetroBirdGaming Lol. Right?! They are asking about the Electric bill. My favorite one has to be the Sega Power Strip. That one has the Master System, Genny/Cd/32x tower of wall warts, and the Neo Geo Aes plugged into it. Really helps with eliminating so many of those large wall plugs.
Great topic. I just got a PVM hooked up with an RGBS cable. I thought I was set... then I learned about geometry issues.
Geometry issues can be an absolute field day for any OCD-er. Once you get it close enough to perfect, pat yourself on the back and try not to fret any further my friend :)
@@RetroBirdGaming I found the service manual and reset the values to default. Definitely not perfect, but it gives me some peace XD
Inherited a 32in flat screen CRT recently, plugged my gamecube & N64 into it and the games look sooooo much better than the 48in HD TV they were hooked up to.
I run a 20” PVM with SCART for all consoles and a switcher that allows me to easily change between them.
However, this wasn’t how I used to play games so I guess it’s more important to me to have a certain picture quality these days. I love true scanlines, for example. And the artistry of graphics and pixels and sprite designs. I like to give them the space to breathe and admire what they look like. That’s a huge part of the gaming experience for me.
But rightfully said in the video; that’s personal to me. There is no right or wrong way to play games. Only a fun way or not.
I have a very similar setup. The image quality, no lag, and original hardware are very important to me. Sure when I was younger too I didn't play these systems through RGB but instead RF or Composite. But kids don't appreciate the fine details anyway. I really don't think a kid would pay much attention to or notice the difference between RF, Composite, S-Video, and RGB. Usually their imagination fills in the gaps in detail.
But as an adult when you understand the technology, it's nice to get as sharp and accurate of an image as possible. It does fall behind input lag as a priority for me, but it's up there. I'd take a CRT with Composite over playing on a modern LCD with input lag.
@@mottzilla4858 Really well explained. I too share the lag avoidance. I’m not a speed runner or anything like that, but even the slightest hint and it will spoil my enjoyment.
the most important part is comfort and familiarity, i do things a certain way and that's just how it is.
some preferences are weird, but its just how i like it.
It's funny to think about how much time and energy I've spent perfecting my retro gaming setup when, back in the day, I just used whatever we had in the house. I played my Xbox 360 on a Hitachi CRT from the 80's for a long time.
Just upgraded to rgb for every console except wii and wiiu, and it's been a blast.
For my setup, it's comfortableness that's important and also audio.
I have my audio going thru a low lag Bluetooth 5.0 with battery and its great for playing games in bed, I can hear my audio and if it's too loud thru my headphones, then I can use the included ir Remote for my bt transmitter.
I've got everything else done and my audio was the last thing I needed to improve
You make a great point about sound! I have my retro consoles connected to a pair of Edifier R1280DBs with a Polk Audio PSW10 10" Powered Subwoofer. Retro games never sounded so good!
I have those same Edifiers and they are indeed awesome!
I have my setup in my garage on my workbench. I’m a mechanic but my video game passion has taken over for the past 2 years now. I have the nes snes n64 tg16 mini Genesis GameCube neo geo mini Dreamcast and the 2600 all under the table and my 15 inch tv next to them under the table. I have a small 9 inch on the actual workbench but I have 4 other crts that I can use. All compostite going through a 3 switch and a bunch of Y cables so some systems share the connection. For me it’s versatility. I can swap cables and tvs with no problem at the drop of a hat. Last night I used a 20 inch flat screen crt. As long as I’m having fun I don’t mind at all.
Having everything set up is most important to me. I have my retro consoles (SG-1000 through Dreamcast) hooked up to a CRT in my game room. Then I have a second Dreamcast, Wii, Wii U, Switch, PS4, and all Xbox/Mini consoles hooked up to an HD TV in my family room.
My life in gaming is TV documentary quality, a lot of work for sure
Great video - once again! Most important quality for me is picture quality, followed by functionality, and then orderliness in that order 😊
i love my setup !
I can’t believe you put reaching enlightenment ABOVE finding the official Rocket Knight T-shirt. You need to get your priorities in order.
Hahah. It's because reaching enlightenment requires the t-shirt :)
I have spent hundreds on my set up with the goal of the cleanest pixels possible through HDMI so that I can have all my consoles hooked up and able to be switched between with the single (or sometimes 2 or 3) push(es) of a button. And you know what? It was worth it. Not only is it super super convenient being a content creator, but it's something I enjoyed planning out and working towards little by little and now that the set up is at long last complete, I can say I am extremely proud of the display.
My setup includes FPGA NES (AVS), SNES (Super NT), and Genesis (Mega SG) + CD (with a big expensive work around to use the not natively supported 32X, and even more work around to be able to pull out the 32X and use the cartridge adapters for Master System and Game Gear without changing cables out), the EON HDMI converters for N64 and GameCube, some consoles that just natively support HDMI out, some consoles that natively do component run into an HDMI converter, other consoles that have had HDMI cables made with built in upscalers (like those pound cables, but the only ones of those I'm truly happy with are for the Saturn and OG Xbox), and all of this runs into a big HDMI switch box (which has an aux audio out so I can mute the TV to keep my recordings clean from noise pollution.) which in turn is split into two TVs and an extra line that runs through an HDMI splitter (for that pesky PS3 and newer HDCP protection) and I to the capture card on my PC. Consoles included: Atari 5200 (modded for native component out and a seperate power supply), Saturn, Genesis32XCD (Mega SG), NES (AVS), SNES (Super NT), N64, Wii, Wii U, Switch, OG Xbox, 360, XboneX, PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, PSTV, PS5, a Steam Machine, and soon to be a consolized Virtual Boy and an Analogue Pocket dock.
Like you said in the video, you don't hear many people talking about the sound in their set-up! Definitely an overlooked aspect, especially since lots of old games supported 5.1 surround.
My life in gaming are just awesome folks
To clarify, it "makes me cry" in a good way. That song makes me feel incredibly nostalgic.
@@RetroBirdGaming same (even tho I have no idea what that nostalgia is for.. It just exists lol)
I love these helpful videos. I have a CRT but I really need to upgrade from composite to S-video and see the difference. Maybe it'll send me down a rabbit hole.
S-Video will definitely help out with the image sharpness/clarity and improve the rendering of color especially in areas of high contrasting colors. I think the jump from Composite to S-Video is more important than the jump from S-Video to Component or RGB. Sure they are better than S-Video but it's not as important of an upgrade. By which I mean if you only have Composite and want an upgrade I'd recommend it, but if you have S-Video and think you need an upgrade I'd only recommend it if you are very concerned about the best image clarity possible. Or if you need it for those systems that have RGB but not S-Video like the Sega Genesis. Although there are converters that will take RGB and output S-Video.
Back home in Brazil I used to have a Retropie, a PS2 and an N64 all hooked up to a 14" CRT through composite. To me that's the most nostalgic way of playing it. Now I'm living in Australia and relying only on the Retroid Pocket 2+
I use to obsess over wanting to convert my PVM to RGB input but ever since I got all s-video cables for my consoles, I’ve been pretty content with it. Especially after finding out the inconvenience of obtaining decent RGB/SCART cables.
The biggest piece of mind I can have is to at least get OEM s-video cables. I dodged a financial bullet and been pretty happy ever since. Now I can just focus on gaming it up because in the end that’s the goal.
IMO the upgrade from composite to S video was like SDTV to HD, S video to RGB like HDTV to 4k. Definitely an upgrade but with diminishing returns.
I’ve got about half my stuff S-Video and the other half Component. Quality cables are a must. I got my official s-video Dreamcast cables NOS before the went upwards of $50.
HD Retrovision component cables are a bit salty in price but well worth it on some consoles (Genesis/Master System). Don’t feel like they really made the SNES picture much better than S-Video though. But I also don’t have a 1-Chip SNES console.
@@fossil-bit8439 would love to use component since it's pretty much the equivalent of SCART/RGB in NA but unfortunately my PVM can only go up to S-Video since it's one of those Sony N-Series monitors. Paying a couple bills to have someone modify the board to accept RGB and being on a waitlist to get a unicorn cable from one of those pricy websites isnt on the to-do list for me. Maybe a couple years from now when I get my hands on a different monitor or TV but I'm more than happy with s-video atm.
@@officegossip well S-Video is a fantastic signal and is probably the biggest jump in video quality from RF or composite. I don’t have a PVM and I know that in its self is an expensive rabbit hole to go down; so I definitely get why you would hold off for now. I’ve just got a consumer grade CRT with S-Video and component inputs. One day I hope to get a decent PVM.
I've found the best thing for my setup is getting creative on connecting and adapting so you can save money to afford more stuff.
Here's a couple examples from me: I bought a weird ass old capture device from a thrift store assuming it would allow me to convert component video from my PS2 to my S-Video tube while still allowing HQ goodness to my flat screen.
Turns out this junky idea worked!
I also bought a composite Amp that would me to split the composite output from my receiver between my mini composite crt (rare thrift store find) and my RF woodgrain crt with remote sensor and push buttons (another unusual thrift find).
Now I have three crts and a flat screen in my setup because I'm weird like that.
Just look around and you'll find the kind of setup that is unique to you. I don't just thrift.
Always check places like eBay, Craigslist, etc. because you never know what you'll find.
Thanks for the vid! I have a medium sized CRT I use for my main three consoles…NES, SNES, and Genesis. I also have a PC running Recalbox (with custom CRT filter) for all the other consoles. I’ve invested quite a bit of time and money into getting all the controllers right. I have first party controllers and adapters for most of the consoles I play on Recalbox. Input lag is a priority, too. I love the CRT for zero lag, but I also like sitting back on the couch with a big modern screen. You’ll want to make sure your modern TV has a fast response time.
Thank you for this video, it’s given me a lot too think about. I also need to go back and review the videos mentioned.
Happy to hear it!
My brother was helping me to replace a laser lens on my sega saturn so I could improve it and play reproduction games, such as the english translations of Scenario 2 and 3 for Shining Force 3. But instead we ended up breaking it entirely, but thankfully he's coming back next weekend so hopefully we'll get it figured out. Anyways, it's an extreme hassle, but I'm sure it'll be totally worth it once we get it fully fixed. I just have to keep buying pizza and beer to bribe my brother for his services is all.
You deserve way more subscribers. I love your videos.
Thank you and glad to hear you're enjoying the videos :)
1:54 Man this hits home. I am on the lookup for a PVM, and ebay is out because shipping to South Africa is like 5x the price of the monitor.
Right now is a great time to get a Retro TV for free or cheap as everyone seems to be getting those Smart TVs. They are not so smart when it comes to hooking retro games! Anyway, the only thing I use is a cheap fold up table to hold my consoles on. That way I can get to all my cables easy & not struggle like when you couldn't get to your GGB to Component Video Converter. Don't want your cables to show, just buy a video game blanket & throw it on there to hang in the back hiding your cables. As blankets are easy enough to still get to your cables.
2:47/2:53 made my heart break for a minute there, Retro bird will never be a loser in my book. I know it was suppost to be a funny skit but still made me sad lol. 😞😞😞
Love mine and I hope everyone does the same for their setup I got it all my man from the 1980s to Now happy and blessed that I kept all
Biggest thing for me is that the things I bring into my retro room are able to be standalone items (TVs with multiple input types that have good visual quality for all devices, speakers that can hook up to everything & quality, etc.). I don't have much more space and find that if I wanted to add more I'd need to take something away, so whatever I bring in needs to be the complete package. I find it's also helped me be more discerning with what I choose to buy
Great content! Thanks for the inspo.
He's the Retro Bird.
Thanks for your help; made me get multiple, different controllers so games play as they should (Saturn, GameCube, being prime examples)
So the most important part of my setup is the quick access to play what I want on a whim, Keeping the consoles safe, and the ability to record for UA-cam Videos.
I love my visuals, so I've been investing in nice SVideo and Component cables recently and they've made all the difference! I even got one of the fancy HD Retrovision cables for my Genesis and it was mind blowing.
Great video, both audio and visual performance were equally important to me. I went through a few different setups including 4k tvs, SD crts, lcds and even a plasma tv through various av cables and speaker setups until I found something that changed my gaming experience. Here's what worked for me
Sony kv-36hs500 HD CRT
Yamaha rxv383 5.1 channel reciever
Yamaha 5.1 home theater speakers
Retrotink 2x (480p)
Component cables(snes, genesis, ps2)
S Video cable (n64, gamecube)
Component switch board
I've never seen these consoles look better. What really blew my mind was playing PS1 titles through the PS2 at 480p. Absolutely gorgeous. As for sound, this goes untalked about a bit but there are a handful of older games that support licensed dolby digital audio formats like pro logic or generic "surround sound" on games like DK64 or Super Castlevania IV.
Having a CRT is the #1 factor for me. With it, the graphics aren't "pixel art"- they're just art!
Everything from NES to Wii is hooked up with composite, but I'm fine with that.
Audio is an underrated aspect, and I admit that I haven't given it the attention it probably deserves. Unfortunately, my setup (a hodgepodge of multiple devices and screens) is too scattered for everything to run through just one set of speakers. Maybe if I ever get a place with a bigger living room, I'll invest in a half-decent sound system.
I just have a CRT and I play my retro games via AV. They look great.
I have a 28" CRT (RGB SCART) for PS2 and older, 42" Plasma for PS3, PS4 and Switch, and a 21" LCD monitor with s-video and component inputs which can be rotated for games which benefit from that. Very happy with my setup.
I recently dug up my Genesis model 2 and cleaned it up, looking for a CRT for it is almost impossible with the "video game collectors" aka scalpers around here. I use the evil E word a lot because money and other conveniences (PC ports, DAC, etc) but I really think the most "authentic" way to play without physically dealing the media, is a physical controller. To me the controllers make the retro nostalgic feel be most authentic. I'm looking into USB controllers and links for my beautiful and perfectly fitting 3 button Genesis pad. Thanks for these videos man!
I fell down the RGB rabbit hole and ended up with a massive CRT that I sold after realizing that I wasn't enjoying my games while chasing better video quality. My RetroTINK 2X, collecting dust, now converts RGB and S-Video to a little HP CRT monitor that is paired with a Logitech 2.1 speaker system that sounds amazing. The most important part is having fun; if you want to upgrade, do it! If you have a blast using RF, more power to you!
My retro gaming experiencie has always been about recreating little Eddy's 90's gaming vibe so it's composite on a CRT all the way for me.
Any '"better" display quality is different therefore not really better.
I don't have the craziest TV, but I am pretty happy with all the stuff I have.
I did go down that major, major technical rabbit hole and that was a trip.
Dithering too. I played through Silent Hill 1 recently, with composite and man it is a different experience entirely than if I had a more clearer cable such as component.
Funny you should mention sound because one of the man reasons for redoing my gaming setup recently was so that i could try out surround sound on N64 games such as Majora's Mask and Perfect dark. I also wanted all my consoles to output audio through both my TV and my Hi-Fi system if I wanted. That's bee a real challenge and required a big investment in new cables and switch boxes with separate audio outputs. Really loving it though, amazing how good surround sound is on Majora's mask and it's always better to listen to anything on my Hi-Fi system compared to my TV.
Picture quality 1000% is most important for me. I've been on a quest for perfect retro video quality and have spent nearly $500 this year on cords and a Retrotink 5X.
As soon as I got my CRT I stopped caring about cables and console mods for image quality and Framemeisters, Retrotink, whatever, and I stopped lusting after PVM/BVM. I realised it already looked great, and what’s more, it looked RIGHT, I had alighted on the correct and authentic way to play, I need nothing more. Well, more games and consoles and a few more CRT’s and some B&O speakers to plug into my B&O MX8000, maybe a few more … uh never mind.