I didn't see a thread for this.
http://www.hdretrovision.com/development/
Some of my thoughts:
This will purportedly convert RF to HDMI/VGA/Component "correctly," which is a pretty big deal for pre-NES era consoles. We don't really have a good solution for this yet.
One glaring omission - no SCART support. That makes it a big non-starter for many people, but bear in mind, these guys are selling their own Component cables for many previously SCART-based systems like Genesis, SNES, and even Dreamcast. So I could see someone buying this + one or two cables from them to connect their system of choice.
Alternatively, I could also see this box + a SCART to Component converter being a great setup for many people too. Depending on the price point, the two devices together may still be cheaper than an OSSC.
They say they're trying to make it affordable, and everyone knows that we haven't found a good sub-$200 solution for this that works well. Their track record looks pretty good and so hopefully they deliver. If they can make a sub-$100 box that is as good as the OSSC, they'd be the go-to resource for people who are looking to play old consoles on new displays.
I'm curious to see how it handles composite and S-Video. Stock NES and N64 systems are, at best, capable of composite and S-Video respectively. If the conversion is handled well enough, it could save people from needing to mod their systems. XRGB Mini's handling of Composite leaves a lot to be desired. I hope they can do better.
480p is the maximum resolution. Hopefully this means no frame buffer and minimal lag. But the ability to add smoothing and scanlines could mean that this will, indeed, have a framebuffer. Then again, Behar Bros. products and OSSC are able to add scanlines without introducing any lag, so the jury is still out on what type of method they're using.
It has HDMI, VGA and Component output. Very versatile at first glance. But all of it appears locked to 480p output which is disappointing. The ability to convert RF/composite/S-Video to Component while retaining 240p could have been a huge boon.
HDMIzer
Not all TVs are created equal. Some accept all signals and process them correctly. Others reject signals completely and mis-process the rest (see here for more info). We would like to eliminate this once and for all, and most importantly, do it in an affordable way. The HDMIzer will be a product that takes almost any standard definition analog video format, processes it correctly, and leaves you with a clean 480p/576p HDMI output, compatible with anything that has an HDMI port. Here are some initial, proposed specifications:
Inputs:
Component Video (YPbPr 240p/288p/480i/576i/480p/576p)
S-Video (Y/C)
Composite Video (CVBS)
USA Channel-3 & Japan Channel-1 RF (RCA)
Stereo Analog Audio (2x RCA)
External DC Power
Outputs:
240p/288p/480i/576i/480p/576p HDMI
15-pin D-sub - supporting 640x480 VGA & 480p/576p YPbPr
Stereo Analog Audio
Controls:
Scanline Switch - ON/OFF
Black Level Correct Switch - ON/OFF
Smoothing Filter (for dithered game graphics) - ON/OFF
Analog Output Select Switch - VGA/YPbPr
http://www.hdretrovision.com/development/
Some of my thoughts:
This will purportedly convert RF to HDMI/VGA/Component "correctly," which is a pretty big deal for pre-NES era consoles. We don't really have a good solution for this yet.
One glaring omission - no SCART support. That makes it a big non-starter for many people, but bear in mind, these guys are selling their own Component cables for many previously SCART-based systems like Genesis, SNES, and even Dreamcast. So I could see someone buying this + one or two cables from them to connect their system of choice.
Alternatively, I could also see this box + a SCART to Component converter being a great setup for many people too. Depending on the price point, the two devices together may still be cheaper than an OSSC.
They say they're trying to make it affordable, and everyone knows that we haven't found a good sub-$200 solution for this that works well. Their track record looks pretty good and so hopefully they deliver. If they can make a sub-$100 box that is as good as the OSSC, they'd be the go-to resource for people who are looking to play old consoles on new displays.
I'm curious to see how it handles composite and S-Video. Stock NES and N64 systems are, at best, capable of composite and S-Video respectively. If the conversion is handled well enough, it could save people from needing to mod their systems. XRGB Mini's handling of Composite leaves a lot to be desired. I hope they can do better.
480p is the maximum resolution. Hopefully this means no frame buffer and minimal lag. But the ability to add smoothing and scanlines could mean that this will, indeed, have a framebuffer. Then again, Behar Bros. products and OSSC are able to add scanlines without introducing any lag, so the jury is still out on what type of method they're using.
It has HDMI, VGA and Component output. Very versatile at first glance. But all of it appears locked to 480p output which is disappointing. The ability to convert RF/composite/S-Video to Component while retaining 240p could have been a huge boon.