@copySave I’d also say maybe wait for analogue io pro but PWM sure saved me some bacon. I just need srg to save me more ham by improving old ram compatibility for Saturn core heh heh
@sabertoothalex You save a fist full of dollars and way less hassle for outputting 24bit color for analogue connections, mainly for PSX/N64/Saturn/computer cores.
@sabertoothalex yeah - plus it reduces the amount of hardware/cables attached to the MiSTer. The new board is more future proof since it solves most of the issues people have had with connecting to CRT TVs with a single board. It might require some additional software dev time to make sure the cores play nice with it when it comes out though.
He’s also making a new cable for the new board, for all of your CRT needs:
The older Analog IO board with a YC Encoder box is still a good option if you want a MiSTer now. That PWM mode (it uses a color interpolation algorithm to fake 24-bit color in an 18-bit space) does look pretty good for the PSX and N64 cores without the need for true 24-bit color. Plus the YC breakout box is handy if you want to try to convert VGA to YC with other stuff. It’s my current setup and I’m happy with it.
Ruleset posted his PWM test builds on mister forum so check them out!
@copySave Really appreciate this! I have one more follow up question: seems like there’s another new board coming soon. Is this just that new Analog board but with an HDMI out also? Also any idea when these are supposed to be coming out?
@sabertoothalex No problem - happy to help! The Single RAM analog IO board is so you can do dual video output (one HDMI and one Analog). The Dual RAM one requires you to route the DE-10 Nano’s HDMI into the board, so single output only. This is on the store page for the dual ram:
So if you’re looking to stream while you play on a CRT or you want a permanent Tate screen on the side, etc. then the single RAM board is what you want. If you think you might want dual RAM one day and are fine with a single output, get the other board.
Unsure as to the release date but since he posted the store pages I’m hoping within the next three months.
(Sorry for being super annoying and not linking the actual tweets since I’m still on the Not Posting Twitter train…)
Ok… a couple of days ago on twitter Kuro Houou who’s measuring DAC for mister analogue video related things called out Misteraddons for taking his data without crediting for his new io board. Misteraddons credited him quickly but another person dpdevice replied that he helped Misteraddons but got ghosted. Voultar the console mod/repair dude (blue check dork) tweeted that Misteraddons’ things that he received for evaluation are generally not good but still sold as reference quality video. Ended by calling him full of shit.
So…. I don’t know the full story behind that but…. I always had feeling that these Mister sellers don’t fully test their stuff and releasing new things too hot. For example analogue DAC on reference analogue io board design used by evenyone including Misteraddons is bad beyond 18bit color issue. They puff up their products like high reference quality stuff but when people point out faults, they’d just say they’re made to spec (happened to my with Misteraddons active y/c adapter). They kind of rely on people not checking against real console it feels like. It’s getting better though thanks to people like Kuro Houou who’s actually measuring things.
Digital to Analog Video Convertors for Retro Gaming - Google Docs
I’ve linked a bunch of Misteraddons stuff but I’m not a huge fan to be honest. Sorry for the rant.
This seems to be the safest space for this but the about of drama between MARS/Retrotink & MiSTer (the project)/MisterAddons has been really bizarre to follow.
I really have no input other than every MisterAddons product I have functions seemingly as intended but I’m not putting them through rigorous tests. His lack of crediting Kuro Huouo was really disappointing to me but to immediately see Voultar’s goofy Twitter schtick pounce on it soured me as well.
I will echo some of this with my common refrain of MiSTer being a hobbyist product that gets way too much hype and smoke and mirrors.
I have ordered from Pork and the products have been fineeee and reasonably priced. I guess I might be more put off if the costs were higher? I even have some Ali Express MiSTer parts and am happy enough with those. But like, I have the mind to tinker around with things and have a pile of spare parts. I think the more money we see get wrapped into these projects, the more Capitalism is going to rear its ugly head.
Yeah, a lot of the mister/high end retro hobbyist guys vendors have gave me some bad vibes at one point or another and as more money gets between them it may get uglier.
Plus there's a giant layer of mystification and exaggerations about how perfect and accurate the MiSTer and other fpga things that needs to be dropped or just taken for what it really is: marketing.
I'm really wondering how things will go with the MARS fpga since it seems to be more of a commercial product and they have a weird social media presence and their overall existence seems to be dividing people.
@ginz2 I agree that Voultar is an annoying clown. I watch his modding stream sometimes but have to watch on mute.
MARS is such a puffed up vaporware. Giving me the scrunchy face at the moment. The logo is so ugly!! Case design is so boring.
MARS are really promising the world and blocking anyone who asks questions which is…not a great combo
so uuuUUuuuuh considering my physical location (mainland Europe) is Ulimate Mister the reference in full MiSTer setups with digital output? my portuguese lineage notwithstanding. MARS looks like the “perfect” commercial product but they do promise a lot without showing a lot which irks me.
@diogo I got an Ultimate Mister from there a few years ago. I think they all do digital output? I got the single ram stick variant because that can also do analogue. Not had an issues with it so far.
The Mister already does so much I’m not quite sure how the MARS is going to differentiate itself. Dreamcast would be nice but I doubt it’ll have that at launch.
Just scored a JVC TM-H150CG for freeeee. It has composite and s-video connections, no RGB/component. Can anyone point me in the right direction for a composite/s-video cable or adapter for my MiSTer. Are most of the cores working with passive s-video adapters now? Or is it still a bit hinky?
Well I worked it out. I thought my chances of getting an RGBHV BNC card for this CRT were slim to none. But here we are in the year of our lord 2024 and I can just order a clone from the UK for $100.
JVC IF-C01COMG card RGB/YPbPr for JVC Monitors - Retro Upgrades
I’ll be using RGB thankyou very much. Parts on the way, will update with pictures! :D
For now a photo with the only composite device I own haha.
Yo!
A bit of crossover posting from the Linda 3 discussion but thought I should share it here as well. I finally got the Mister running on my CRT!
I’m extremely inexperienced when it comes to signal types, cables, conversors and all that jazz, so figuring out how to make the whole thing work with the HDMI to VGA, then VGA to SCART was a bit of an odyssey. The first DAC I used gave me a distorted image and had to buy another (more expensive) one. Then I had no idea where to hook the audio jack from the VGA to SCART cable and figuring out that I had to connect it to the DAC again, but from the other side was something that took me an embarrasing amount of time and a couple of really dumb maneuvers like me trying to hook my headphones directly to the Mister and some stupid shit like that, it was quite a show and not a pretty one lmao I had absolutely no idea of what I was doing.
I also had some distortion on the signal at first, but thankfully I was able to fix that by changing the composite_sync to 0 on the ini file (all the tutorials said to set it to 1 but my TV didn’t like that for some reason?)
but
After figuring it out and getting everything working and I am so so happy with the results.
One of the first things I did was booting Symphony of the Night on the Saturn and I swear I was almost crying. I’ve finished that game so many times, but always on emulation (or the port included on the PSP version of Rondo). Finally seeing it running on a CRT and appreciating how gorgeous it looks there made me so incredibly glad I invested on this thing.
Anyway, the Mister is a great gizmo.
Yeah, that’s right, I have an Expansion Pak™
@JoJoestar cool case
What do you guys think of my two FAT PS2s (actually a PS4 if you think about it) stacked on top of each other on the background lol