Woke up this morning strangely motivated and needing to do stuff.
Did a couple of muff schematics and BOMs for a document. Did a couple of decals for the some pedals. All ready to rock...
Still had a surplus of creative energy so felt the need (for god knows what reason) to write an article type thing on connecting retro consoles up to modern TVs. I suspect because I've just gone through all this and it's been a lot of reading/research that's taken a lot of time. Therefore I need to dump it into text so I can 'remember' it when I forget it... Makes sense to me anyhow.
http://juansolo.co.uk/geekery/videowafflage1.html
I've had a beer in an attempt to chill. I'm about to have a bacon butty also.
Hey John,
Every morning is a weird morning to me...
What is a Bacon Butty?
Quote from: blearyeyes on March 21, 2016, 07:00:52 PM
Hey John,
Every morning is a weird morning to me...
What is a Bacon Butty?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacon_sandwich
Perfect timing John, I was just listening to Retronauts latest podcast on High Fidelity Classic Gaming.
In my collection, I usually have 2 of the same console. One to mod and one to keep in the box. I have added a few SCART and RGB outs to a few consoles over the years. A good upscale box with low lag seems to still cost a small fortune these days. I even have a small tube TV in the garage to test older consoles with when cleaning them up.
Great info John. Thanks for the efforts.
Cody
Quote from: blearyeyes on March 21, 2016, 07:00:52 PM
What is a Bacon Butty?
It's like a Nora Butty but more pleasant.
Oh man. I just found the one way I couldn't eat bacon :o
Normally enough beers will zap any unwarranted motivation Juan ;D
Quote from: TNblueshawk on March 21, 2016, 08:17:48 PM
Oh man. I just found the one way I couldn't eat bacon :o
Normally enough beers will zap any unwarranted motivation Juan ;D
Guessing you're celiac? I actually am strangely fond of rice bread (have a friend that is) and have had many a bacon butty in it.
Cool article John. When you said "retro" I was thinking like...colecovision / Atari era but then I must be getting old. That little RF adaptor on the Colecovision / Atari was quirky. Cant seem to find a picture of the Aussie one, but looks something like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Coleco-TV-RF-Adapter-Atari-Vintage-Video-Game-Commodore-Intellivision-/231652674090
Haven't tried connecting my colecovision to my new sony (UHD lol) tv yet. It worked on my FHD tv a while ago though so assume it should be a problem. I guess CRT's are vintage now :)
I think the console thing is an interesting topic. Though I found myself nitpicking. My original 2600 had screw on connectors instead of, out maybe in addition to, the rf connector.
Have you heard of the Retron 5? It looks like a fantastic idea on paper, but I haven't gotten my hands on one top try it out.
Quote from: chromesphere on March 22, 2016, 12:44:45 AM
Cool article John. When you said "retro" I was thinking like...colecovision / Atari era but then I must be getting old. That little RF adaptor on the Colecovision / Atari was quirky. Cant seem to find a picture of the Aussie one, but looks something like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Coleco-TV-RF-Adapter-Atari-Vintage-Video-Game-Commodore-Intellivision-/231652674090
Haven't tried connecting my colecovision to my new sony (UHD lol) tv yet. It worked on my FHD tv a while ago though so assume it should be a problem. I guess CRT's are vintage now :)
My first console was a Binatone Pong clone ;) I've been around a while :P
I decided not to go back that far in all honesty. I've got everything I've owned (and some I didn't) as emulators running on the Mac and a dedicated Raspberry Pi. The Atari I put on rarely (I still know my way around the maze in adventure), but it's a pure nostalgia machine. Without my bro around to play Combat with, it's not quite the same.
The first timeless consoles I think are the Sega Megadrive (Genesis in the States I think) and Super Nintendo. The games on those stand up today still. The NES and Master System bridged that gap between the Atari and the SNES/Megadrive. But the games are still to primitive for me. Plus I never owned them as during that phase I had a Commodore Amiga and Atari ST which were astounding games computers (yep, I emulate them too).
Quote from: Matmosphere on March 22, 2016, 01:58:23 AM
I think the console thing is an interesting topic. Though I found myself nitpicking. My original 2600 had screw on connectors instead of, out maybe in addition to, the rf connector. There will certainly be regional differences. I think I mention about component being quite prolific in the US but we never really got it.
Also I'm not claiming to be an authority on these things. This is just all stuff as I understand it... I could well be wrong.
Have you heard of the Retron 5? It looks like a fantastic idea on paper, but I haven't gotten my hands on one top try it out.
The UK six knob 2600 I had literally had 4 sockets on the back. Power, RF, and two joystick. The RF was a hard wired lead with a plug on the end of it. In the US I believe you have a screw on style RF connector that has a bare wire in the middle.
The Retron 5 I considered. But it's essentially an emulator and I wanted to do things with the real hardware. Certainly when it came to the N64 which nothing else seems to get quite right.
What I would say is that if you fancy it, it's better to start sooner than later. Games prices are already rocketing (which is why I've been on a bit of a mission of late). Certain consoles are currently bargains because of people off-loading them. Last gen stuff like the PS3, XBox360 and Wii particularly. But the older you get now the pricier things are getting.
Thankfully I'm not really a collector so I have no issue with bare carts. Which is good because boxed and complete stuff for the SNES is getting insane of late. Want a boxed Earthbound? $500 please! Then you have knock off carts starting to turn up... You can already get repro boxes. So people are bagging a cart that has the same hardware, pulling the ROM, putting a new sticker on it and selling them as the real thing with a massive mark up. It's all getting a bit hairy on that front.
Thankfully I'm nearly there with the SNES, probably about 5 left that I want on that. PS3 is done. Wii I'm missing 2 games. Dreamcast I'm done. N64 I'm still waiting for stuff to land. NGC is done. Getting there, getting there...
Quotethe few of us that had Laserdisc players
You knew ANYONE that had a laserdisc player?!
I think I saw one at a tradeshow... ONCE... big LP size compact disc looking thing?
S-Video was fairly common at one point as the TV Out on video cards. Definite step up over the traditional composite video out, but it did mean having to scavenge around for a telly WITH a S-Video in.
After S-Video jacks, some manufacturers transitioned to unobtanium 13pin mini DIN jacks and the like, with custom breakout cables (RGB, composite, S-Video, a partridge in a pear tree...), and God help you if you lost the dongle, or pins got bent.
Quote from: juansolo on March 22, 2016, 08:57:51 AM
Quote from: Matmosphere on March 22, 2016, 01:58:23 AM
I think the console thing is an interesting topic. Though I found myself nitpicking. My original 2600 had screw on connectors instead of, out maybe in addition to, the rf connector. There will certainly be regional differences. I think I mention about component being quite prolific in the US but we never really got it.
Also I'm not claiming to be an authority on these things. This is just all stuff as I understand it... I could well be wrong.
Have you heard of the Retron 5? It looks like a fantastic idea on paper, but I haven't gotten my hands on one top try it out.
The UK six knob 2600 I had literally had 4 sockets on the back. Power, RF, and two joystick. The RF was a hard wired lead with a plug on the end of it. In the US I believe you have a screw on style RF connector that has a bare wire in the middle.
The Retron 5 I considered. But it's essentially an emulator and I wanted to do things with the real hardware. Certainly when it came to the N64 which nothing else seems to get quite right.
What I would say is that if you fancy it, it's better to start sooner than later. Games prices are already rocketing (which is why I've been on a bit of a mission of late). Certain consoles are currently bargains because of people off-loading them. Last gen stuff like the PS3, XBox360 and Wii particularly. But the older you get now the pricier things are getting.
Thankfully I'm not really a collector so I have no issue with bare carts. Which is good because boxed and complete stuff for the SNES is getting insane of late. Want a boxed Earthbound? $500 please! Then you have knock off carts starting to turn up... You can already get repro boxes. So people are bagging a cart that has the same hardware, pulling the ROM, putting a new sticker on it and selling them as the real thing with a massive mark up. It's all getting a bit hairy on that front.
Thankfully I'm nearly there with the SNES, probably about 5 left that I want on that. PS3 is done. Wii I'm missing 2 games. Dreamcast I'm done. N64 I'm still waiting for stuff to land. NGC is done. Getting there, getting there...
Sorry John, i meant more, cant believe super nintendo, PS, PS1, 2 etc are classified as vintage, felt like i was playing those consoles not so long ago. Thats a pretty cool collection you have there!
Quote from: juansolo on March 22, 2016, 08:57:51 AM
Quote from: Matmosphere on March 22, 2016, 01:58:23 AM
I think the console thing is an interesting topic. Though I found myself nitpicking. My original 2600 had screw on connectors instead of, out maybe in addition to, the rf connector. There will certainly be regional differences. I think I mention about component being quite prolific in the US but we never really got it.
Also I'm not claiming to be an authority on these things. This is just all stuff as I understand it... I could well be wrong.
Have you heard of the Retron 5? It looks like a fantastic idea on paper, but I haven't gotten my hands on one top try it out.
The UK six knob 2600 I had literally had 4 sockets on the back. Power, RF, and two joystick. The RF was a hard wired lead with a plug on the end of it. In the US I believe you have a screw on style RF connector that has a bare wire in the middle.
The Retron 5 I considered. But it's essentially an emulator and I wanted to do things with the real hardware. Certainly when it came to the N64 which nothing else seems to get quite right.
What I would say is that if you fancy it, it's better to start sooner than later. Games prices are already rocketing (which is why I've been on a bit of a mission of late). Certain consoles are currently bargains because of people off-loading them. Last gen stuff like the PS3, XBox360 and Wii particularly. But the older you get now the pricier things are getting.
Thankfully I'm not really a collector so I have no issue with bare carts. Which is good because boxed and complete stuff for the SNES is getting insane of late. Want a boxed Earthbound? $500 please! Then you have knock off carts starting to turn up... You can already get repro boxes. So people are bagging a cart that has the same hardware, pulling the ROM, putting a new sticker on it and selling them as the real thing with a massive mark up. It's all getting a bit hairy on that front.
Thankfully I'm nearly there with the SNES, probably about 5 left that I want on that. PS3 is done. Wii I'm missing 2 games. Dreamcast I'm done. N64 I'm still waiting for stuff to land. NGC is done. Getting there, getting there...
My 2600 had a connector like the one chromoshpere link to, but maybe that was a limitation of the tv not the system.
I actually still have a ton of old nes games. I never got rid of them, and bought a lot cheap when the used places would stop selling them. I've got an nes in the original box for that matter. I've been thinking about unloading it actually, if it's worth anything.
Quote from: alanp on March 22, 2016, 09:24:38 AM
Quotethe few of us that had Laserdisc players
You knew ANYONE that had a laserdisc player?!
I think I saw one at a tradeshow... ONCE... big LP size compact disc looking thing?
S-Video was fairly common at one point as the TV Out on video cards. Definite step up over the traditional composite video out, but it did mean having to scavenge around for a telly WITH a S-Video in.
After S-Video jacks, some manufacturers transitioned to unobtanium 13pin mini DIN jacks and the like, with custom breakout cables (RGB, composite, S-Video, a partridge in a pear tree...), and God help you if you lost the dongle, or pins got bent.
Not only had one, it was modded too!
It was one of these: http://www.laserdiscarchive.co.uk/laserdisc_archive/pioneer/pioneer_cld-d703/pioneer_cld-d703.htm
Modded with the missing AC3-RF out.
I had lots and lots of films on it too... Part of me really wishes I hadn't sold it. The Keep in anamorphic, the Definitive Star Wars Collection (the last and best version of the original trilogy before Lucas went mental). Loads of others.
Quote from: chromesphere on March 22, 2016, 10:21:31 AMSorry John, i meant more, cant believe super nintendo, PS, PS1, 2 etc are classified as vintage, felt like i was playing those consoles not so long ago. Thats a pretty cool collection you have there!
This all comes down to your frame of reference. I class them as retro rather than vintage personally. I have the same problem with cars. If it was built before the 70's it's a classic, pre-war and it's vintage in my books.
But yeah man, PS1 is old now (still got 4 outstanding on that. But I just use my PS3 to play those), it was release 21 years ago...
Quote from: juansolo on March 22, 2016, 12:43:32 PM
Quote from: alanp on March 22, 2016, 09:24:38 AM
Quotethe few of us that had Laserdisc players
You knew ANYONE that had a laserdisc player?!
I think I saw one at a tradeshow... ONCE... big LP size compact disc looking thing?
S-Video was fairly common at one point as the TV Out on video cards. Definite step up over the traditional composite video out, but it did mean having to scavenge around for a telly WITH a S-Video in.
After S-Video jacks, some manufacturers transitioned to unobtanium 13pin mini DIN jacks and the like, with custom breakout cables (RGB, composite, S-Video, a partridge in a pear tree...), and God help you if you lost the dongle, or pins got bent.
Not only had one, it was modded too!
It was one of these: http://www.laserdiscarchive.co.uk/laserdisc_archive/pioneer/pioneer_cld-d703/pioneer_cld-d703.htm
Modded with the missing AC3-RF out.
I had lots and lots of films on it too... Part of me really wishes I hadn't sold it. The Keep in anamorphic, the Definitive Star Wars Collection (the last and best version of the original trilogy before Lucas went mental). Loads of others.
My brother in law still has a laserdisc player for that very reason. Have you by chance heard of the Despecialized editions of the Star Wars films? I saw one at a friends house once and it was spectacular. They look great and are pretty much how I remember the films from my childhood.
I have the DVDs that have the unedited films as bonus disc. I think it was taken from the laserdisc transfer, but one an HD tv the transfer leaves a lot to be desired.
Quote from: juansolo on March 21, 2016, 09:58:21 PM
Quote from: TNblueshawk on March 21, 2016, 08:17:48 PM
Oh man. I just found the one way I couldn't eat bacon :o
Normally enough beers will zap any unwarranted motivation Juan ;D
Guessing you're celiac? I actually am strangely fond of rice bread (have a friend that is) and have had many a bacon butty in it.
Oh no, I love gluten ;D
It is me all the way. Bacon, butter and ketchup is something I have never heard of or seen anyone do on this side of the pond. Not saying it isn't out there here but I sure haven't heard of it.
Now bacon, egg and cheese grilled on some sourdough...now that gets a rise in my Levi's.
Ok, sorry for the derail boys :)
Quote from: Matmosphere on March 22, 2016, 02:09:34 PM
Quote from: juansolo on March 22, 2016, 12:43:32 PM
Quote from: alanp on March 22, 2016, 09:24:38 AM
Quotethe few of us that had Laserdisc players
You knew ANYONE that had a laserdisc player?!
I think I saw one at a tradeshow... ONCE... big LP size compact disc looking thing?
S-Video was fairly common at one point as the TV Out on video cards. Definite step up over the traditional composite video out, but it did mean having to scavenge around for a telly WITH a S-Video in.
After S-Video jacks, some manufacturers transitioned to unobtanium 13pin mini DIN jacks and the like, with custom breakout cables (RGB, composite, S-Video, a partridge in a pear tree...), and God help you if you lost the dongle, or pins got bent.
Not only had one, it was modded too!
It was one of these: http://www.laserdiscarchive.co.uk/laserdisc_archive/pioneer/pioneer_cld-d703/pioneer_cld-d703.htm
Modded with the missing AC3-RF out.
I had lots and lots of films on it too... Part of me really wishes I hadn't sold it. The Keep in anamorphic, the Definitive Star Wars Collection (the last and best version of the original trilogy before Lucas went mental). Loads of others.
My brother in law still has a laserdisc player for that very reason. Have you by chance heard of the Despecialized editions of the Star Wars films? I saw one at a friends house once and it was spectacular. They look great and are pretty much how I remember the films from my childhood.
I have the DVDs that have the unedited films as bonus disc. I think it was taken from the laserdisc transfer, but one an HD tv the transfer leaves a lot to be desired.
Yep, Harmy's despecialized editions are the bollocks. I've got them all. Reminds me that I need to grab his updated ROTJ that he's done. They were a godsend after Lucas lost his marbles and I sold the LD player.
I've got those DVDs too. I was hoping they'd put some effort into them rather than leaving them as non-anamorphic, piss poor, low res transfers. He literally couldn't have made less effort on those.
It's a bit telling when a bloke in his bedroom, without any training and without access to the masters, can turn up something as brilliant as the Despecialized editions. Still I'm hoping Disney do it. But knowing Lucas, he probably had it written into the sale that they couldn't.
Quote from: TNblueshawk on March 22, 2016, 02:42:06 PM
Quote from: juansolo on March 21, 2016, 09:58:21 PM
Quote from: TNblueshawk on March 21, 2016, 08:17:48 PM
Oh man. I just found the one way I couldn't eat bacon :o
Normally enough beers will zap any unwarranted motivation Juan ;D
Guessing you're celiac? I actually am strangely fond of rice bread (have a friend that is) and have had many a bacon butty in it.
Oh no, I love gluten ;D
It is me all the way. Bacon, butter and ketchup is something I have never heard of or seen anyone do on this side of the pond. Not saying it isn't out there here but I sure haven't heard of it.
Now bacon, egg and cheese grilled on some sourdough...now that gets a rise in my Levi's.
Ok, sorry for the derail boys :)
To do it properly it really just wants to be buttered bread, bacon and brown sauce. FOOD OF THE GODS.
That said, I have much the same reaction as you when Rej discusses with me the delights of Poutine... Which looks like someone vomited on a plate as far as I'm concerned.
Quote from: juansolo on March 22, 2016, 03:14:46 PM
Quote from: TNblueshawk on March 22, 2016, 02:42:06 PM
Quote from: juansolo on March 21, 2016, 09:58:21 PM
Quote from: TNblueshawk on March 21, 2016, 08:17:48 PM
Oh man. I just found the one way I couldn't eat bacon :o
Normally enough beers will zap any unwarranted motivation Juan ;D
Guessing you're celiac? I actually am strangely fond of rice bread (have a friend that is) and have had many a bacon butty in it.
Oh no, I love gluten ;D
It is me all the way. Bacon, butter and ketchup is something I have never heard of or seen anyone do on this side of the pond. Not saying it isn't out there here but I sure haven't heard of it.
Now bacon, egg and cheese grilled on some sourdough...now that gets a rise in my Levi's.
Ok, sorry for the derail boys :)
To do it properly it really just wants to be buttered bread, bacon and brown sauce. FOOD OF THE GODS.
That said, I have much the same reaction as you when Rej discusses with me the delights of Poutine... Which looks like someone vomited on a plate as far as I'm concerned.
I had to Google Poutine. Yikes. Rej, get on here and defend youself :P
Of course, and mind you I don't eat them, but around these parts in the South one doesn't have to go too far to find chitlins.
I've wanted to taste poutine since I saw it for first time in some Anthony Bourdain show. Weird, but definitely interesting.
By the way, the Raspberry Pi gaming console idea sounds really good. Now with RasPi3 out it would be super easy to upload more games and emulators over Wi-Fi when you get bored with the ones you got there. Juan, what type of gaming controller you have used with the Raspberry you got set up?
Its been about five months since I last played my Sega Megadrive (Genesis).. :-\
I've got it set up with this which controls the lot.
(http://juansolo.co.uk/geekery/images/picade-stick-out.jpg)
Ye Olde Hammond 1550G in black with an arcade stick and buttons fitted, switch for auto fire on a bit of vero and it's all made into USB by a teeny tiny board designed to go into old joysticks (if anyone has a mint Suncom Tac 2 stick going begging, please, please please... It was my ultimate stick.).
Details of it in mk1 form are here, including a video of it in operation: http://juansolo.co.uk/geekery/picade.html
I've since gone to a Pi 2, and the speakers are now out of a iMac and fitted to the monitor.
will be checking back in on that article ... my n64 demands to be played
Quote from: juansolo on March 22, 2016, 07:24:18 PM
I've got it set up with this which controls the lot.
(http://juansolo.co.uk/geekery/images/picade-stick-out.jpg)
Ye Olde Hammond 1550G in black with an arcade stick and buttons fitted, switch for auto fire on a bit of vero and it's all made into USB by a teeny tiny board designed to go into old joysticks (if anyone has a mint Suncom Tac 2 stick going begging, please, please please... It was my ultimate stick.).
Details of it in mk1 form are here, including a video of it in operation: http://juansolo.co.uk/geekery/picade.html
I've since gone to a Pi 2, and the speakers are now out of a iMac and fitted to the monitor.
That's sweet man! Looks far simpler then the wooden arcade controller I made a few years back. I really have to bust that thing out and play some mame. I've mentioned it on this forum before but will post the videos here if you want to look, gotta say its a pretty sweet controller. Might have to build a colecovision controller like yours in a Hammond enclosure though, looks much simpler and quicker!
That's substantial! Looks cool as hell though.
The 1550G was as small as the controller could be to get all the bits in (which are all a bit oversized), to remain practical, but also to be substantial enough to not move around on the desk and behave like an arcade controller.
It was pretty much perfect. Wiring isn't quite so pretty however...
(http://juansolo.co.uk/geekery/images/picade-stick-in.jpg)
This seems appropriate to put here. Sorry, not the best quality pic.
This is a picture of my Arcadiator build (which I happened to have on me) on my old arcade machine. I owned it for ~15 years. Not fun to move with. Gave it to my friend to put in his bar. If you're ever in Dayton Ohio you can go play a game of Double Dragon.
Double Dragon is a great game but after a week or two I could beat the whole game without getting hit.
Nice. Technically I owned a Defender machine.
Technically in that a friend of mine who repaired arcade machines back in the day fixed one up and gave it to me. But it ended up living in his workshop as I had no space for it. Lost touch with said friend and I suspect the Defender machine has long gone.
I like the idea of bar-top clones. Which is essentially what the PiCade I did could be made into. It give the feel of an arcade machine, without being massive and without being tied to just one game. I definitely much prefer to play arcade games on that with the proper stick than I do on the emulator on my mac with a game pad. It just doesn't feel right.