Author Topic: Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?  (Read 3146 times)

incrediblehark

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Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?
« on: January 10, 2016, 04:09:56 PM »
Curious of whether or not this can be done in a similar way as the nes rgb board? I know this system isnt nearly as popular but i would love to get rgb from it. I haven't been around in a while so I may have missed out on a recent discovery.

elmer

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Re: Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?
« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2016, 03:27:05 AM »
Since the console palette is stored in YUV format internally (unlike every other console that I can think of), and all of the internal processing is in YUV instead of RGB (unlike every other console that I can think of) ... then I suspect that this would be an uphill battle.

If anyone had the interest (and skill) in doing it ... perhaps it would be possible to get component video out of the system, but I suspect that it wouldn't end up looking much/any better than the s-video output that's already on the console.

Opethian

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Re: Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2016, 04:20:31 AM »
wb hark

[Mon 16:27] <BlueBMW> i wouldnt sell an unmolested duo hehe.  I molest the crap outta of em before they leave me

NightWolve

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Re: Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2016, 04:58:38 AM »
If anyone had the interest (and skill) in doing it ... perhaps it would be possible to get component video out of the system, but I suspect that it wouldn't end up looking much/any better than the s-video output that's already on the console.


Ah, so only a YPbPr/Component is possible. Very much worth it if you like the system IMO. Might be as easy as tapping and amplifying the output for Red-Y/Blue-Y (UV) sounds like, except for Luma/Y which you can just tap from the S-Video line and is ready-to-go.

When it came to the YPbPr mod for a 1st generation SNES, it made a big difference on my Panasonic 32" CRT which has both S-Video and Component. Better, vibrant colors, less shimmering, etc.

The circuitry can vary on the same TV set and a % will do a better job with a YPbPr signal versus S-Video. The other consideration is S-Video is phased out on new TV sets while a good % of them still support YPbPr. If the resolution is really 480i, then it should work with most sets. Problem is when it's a 240p signal, some sets will only accept that as Composite and reject it when you try to switch to YPbPr/Component mode. It's something you have to test.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2016, 07:02:16 AM by NightWolve »

Black Tiger

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Re: Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2016, 05:25:09 AM »
Then I guess that image quality is another knock against the PC-FX compared to PSX/Saturn. :/

Even if a vibrant and crystal clear image isn't possible, I'd still love any kind of improvement over the stock s-video.
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incrediblehark

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Re: Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2016, 02:02:19 PM »
wb hark

Thanks! its good to be back finally, real life got in the way of Obey...

Interesting discussion about the YUV, when I was wondering if something similar could be done like the NES rgb board, it was because the original NES doesn't natively output rgb. a member on nesdev used an FPGA to grab the composite video from the PPU and converti it to rgb, his discovery eventually lead to an RGB board being developed. I know they are different hardware but would be nice if a similar approach could be taken with the PC-FX (and other non rgb systems). Of course the FX is a lot less popular than the NES so theres a lot less people out there developing anything for it I'm sure.

thesteve

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Re: Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?
« Reply #6 on: January 15, 2016, 02:32:48 PM »
that isnt actually what happened on the NES
the NES has a color pallet hardwired in the PPU and the nesrgb intercepts the data and mirrors the PPU pallet in an RGB capable device

incrediblehark

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Re: Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2016, 07:52:52 AM »
Thank you for the clarification. So I take it a similar approach couldn't be done because the pc-fx doesn't have a defined palette hardwired?

SignOfZeta

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Re: Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2016, 08:18:13 AM »
You'd be surprised what you can do to clean up composite or Y/C. It just requires that you buy hardware totally unrelated to all that RGB stuff you've been stockpiling.

incrediblehark

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Re: Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2016, 02:28:40 PM »
Since the console palette is stored in YUV format internally (unlike every other console that I can think of), and all of the internal processing is in YUV instead of RGB (unlike every other console that I can think of) ... then I suspect that this would be an uphill battle.

If anyone had the interest (and skill) in doing it ... perhaps it would be possible to get component video out of the system, but I suspect that it wouldn't end up looking much/any better than the s-video output that's already on the console.



So I was doing some research on this (and in no way am I any kind of expert on the matter) and elmer you sound like you are spot on. From what I have been reading in regards to YUV, RGB and Y/C, it sounds like a component connection from YUV in theory would give a better picture, but only slightly better than S video due to how the chrominance is handled in component compared to S-Video. and going from YUV to RGB through a transcoder or other conversion might yield the same results as the s-video anyway...

I'm wondering if the 3do handles its video processing with rgb even though it doesn't normally output rgb, and that is why a mod is possible using d/a converter where it is not possible on the pc-fx? I understand this is probably like comparing apples to oranges though.

elmer

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Re: Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2016, 03:25:02 PM »
I'm wondering if the 3do handles its video processing with rgb even though it doesn't normally output rgb, and that is why a mod is possible using d/a converter where it is not possible on the pc-fx? I understand this is probably like comparing apples to oranges though.

IIRC, the 3DO is RGB internally (unless it changed since the last time that I programmed on it).

Arkhan

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Re: Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2016, 06:32:23 PM »
It's not worth the idiotic amount of trouble it'd take.

I use PC-FX + SVIDEO through an upscaler and it looks f*ckin' good.

There's literally no reason to bother unless you just want to be one of those gimps with a PVM with bad geometry that posts pics on Facebook going OMFG

R
G
B

huhuuuuuuu

and then proceeds to not even play the stuff because it's all digital comics.  lol




PC-FX outputs S-Video, and it looks good.   

I don't see any reason to bother with anything else.  Just buy a 10$ SVideo/Stereo Audio combo cable from gaydio shack, and never look back.
[Fri 19:34]<nectarsis> been wanting to try that one for awhile now Ope
[Fri 19:33]<Opethian> l;ol huge dong

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16bitgium

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Re: Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?
« Reply #12 on: February 24, 2016, 07:25:20 AM »
Well I have a PVM and S-video looks pretty rad on that monitor. Here in europe having S-video connections is more rare then RGB scart. So the PVM works out great for me!

Arkhan

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Re: Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?
« Reply #13 on: February 25, 2016, 08:07:12 AM »
Well I have a PVM and S-video looks pretty rad on that monitor. Here in europe having S-video connections is more rare then RGB scart. So the PVM works out great for me!

Well, there you go.   You don't need RGB if S Video looks rad on supposedly the best RGB monitor any human can ever own.

woooo.
[Fri 19:34]<nectarsis> been wanting to try that one for awhile now Ope
[Fri 19:33]<Opethian> l;ol huge dong

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Koop

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Re: Any progress made (or even started) on a PC-FX RGB mod?
« Reply #14 on: March 08, 2016, 12:15:09 PM »
There's literally no reason to bother unless you just want to be one of those gimps with a PVM with bad geometry that posts pics on Facebook going OMFG

I gotta admit, that hit me a little harder than I wanted.  :cry: