Hooking Older Systems Up To An LCD TV

[Tempest]

I'm rearranging my game room a bit so now I am using a 32" widescreen LCD TV for my gaming (I was using an old CRT before). I'm hooking up a wide variety of systems to the TV and I'm wondering if I'm going to have problems with any of them. I know people in the past have reported that some systems don't look right on an LCD TV or have ghosting/lag problems. Hopefully the later won't be a problem as the refresh rate on this model is very good (10ms I think). It's a fairly high rated JVC model (LT32X576) and has a 'game mode'.

The systems I'm going to hook up to it are:

Xbox 360 (DVI)
Wii (component)
PS2 (component)
PSP (component)
SNES (S-Video)
Saturn (S-Video)
Neo Geo MVS (S-Video)
DC (S-Video)
7800 (S-Video) - This is Longhorn Engineers S-Video mod
Turbo Duo (composite)
Genesis (composite)

The two systems I'm most worried about are the Genesis and Turbo Duo since I'm not sure how good the composite is on this model. The 7800 may also have issues, I'll have to test it but I thought I read somewhere that people have tried LE's mod on an LCD and it worked.

Any suggestions or advice?

Tempest

[Logicdustbin]

I'm rearranging my game room a bit so now I am using a 32" widescreen LCD TV for my gaming (I was using an old CRT before). I'm hooking up a wide variety of systems to the TV and I'm wondering if I'm going to have problems with any of them. I know people in the past have reported that some systems don't look right on an LCD TV or have ghosting/lag problems. Hopefully the later won't be a problem as the refresh rate on this model is very good (10ms I think). It's a fairly high rated JVC model (LT32X576) and has a 'game mode'.

The systems I'm going to hook up to it are:

Xbox 360 (DVI)
Wii (component)
PS2 (component)
PSP (component)
SNES (S-Video)
Saturn (S-Video)
Neo Geo MVS (S-Video)
DC (S-Video)
7800 (S-Video) - This is Longhorn Engineers S-Video mod
Turbo Duo (composite)
Genesis (composite)

The two systems I'm most worried about are the Genesis and Turbo Duo since I'm not sure how good the composite is on this model. The 7800 may also have issues, I'll have to test it but I thought I read somewhere that people have tried LE's mod on an LCD and it worked.

Any suggestions or advice?

Tempest


I've never had an issue using older systems on an 42" LCD or 50" plasma.

the Genesis is notorious for having a very shitty composite, even worse then it should be. Good thing you can s-video mod them:

Genesis 50" plasma (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/Logicdustbin/mod%20work/004-4.jpg)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/Logicdustbin/DSC00286.jpg

Saturn - 42" LCD (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/Logicdustbin/saturn003.jpg)

[wingzrow]

My advice? NEVER play any videogame that only runs interlaced on an LCD TV, ever. Basically everything all the way up to the gamecube/xbox/dreamcast/ps2 erra should only be played on a CRT. There are exceptions though. Some games from that gen play in progressive and would look better on an hdtv.

[Tempest]

My advice? NEVER play any videogame that only runs interlaced on an LCD TV, ever. Basically everything all the way up to the gamecube/xbox/dreamcast/ps2 erra should only be played on a CRT. There are exceptions though. Some games from that gen play in progressive and would look better on an hdtv.
Well thankfully this is only temporary. When I finish my basement off I'll have my 42" HD CRT to play things on and a 34" non-HD CRT on standby.

Tempest

[Tempest]

I just got around to testing everything. All the systems work and look good (the SNES has dithering issues but that's because of the S-Video and not the TV) except for the Genesis. I get a picture for a second or two, but then it goes away. If I switch inputs back and forth I can get the picture back, but then again only for a few seconds. If the game switches screens like going from the standard Genesis startup screen to say the Konami logo to the main title screen the picture stays up, but then it goes away once it sits on the title screen for a few seconds.

Is there a way to fix this issue? I assume the problem is that the Genesis isn't outputting a strong enough signal. I'm using a Genesis 2/CD 2/32X combo, would using a Genesis 1, CD 1, or removing the 32X help at all?

Tempest

[Oldskool]

Run component video on the Genesis. You don't even have to mod it.

[alec006]

I'm rearranging my game room a bit so now I am using a 32" widescreen LCD TV for my gaming (I was using an old CRT before). I'm hooking up a wide variety of systems to the TV and I'm wondering if I'm going to have problems with any of them. I know people in the past have reported that some systems don't look right on an LCD TV or have ghosting/lag problems. Hopefully the later won't be a problem as the refresh rate on this model is very good (10ms I think). It's a fairly high rated JVC model (LT32X576) and has a 'game mode'.

The systems I'm going to hook up to it are:

Xbox 360 (DVI)
Wii (component)
PS2 (component)
PSP (component)
SNES (S-Video)
Saturn (S-Video)
Neo Geo MVS (S-Video)
DC (S-Video)
7800 (S-Video) - This is Longhorn Engineers S-Video mod
Turbo Duo (composite)
Genesis (composite)

The two systems I'm most worried about are the Genesis and Turbo Duo since I'm not sure how good the composite is on this model. The 7800 may also have issues, I'll have to test it but I thought I read somewhere that people have tried LE's mod on an LCD and it worked.

Any suggestions or advice?

Tempest

The Genesis composite signal may look abit dark sometimes on a LCD. Usually some people opt for the SCART cable so they can convert it to component or RGB and get the best possible signal on a LCD.

[Tempest]

Run component video on the Genesis. You don't even have to mod it.
How?

Tempest

[alec006]

How?

Tempest

For Component Video you need these things:

A Sega Genesis/Megadrive SCART cable: (Choose the one that fits your Genesis Model 1 or 2)

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?LH_PrefLoc=2&_nkw=megadrive+scart+cable&_ipg=

A SCART Selector Box with RCA Line Out: (If you have a Genesis 2 or 32X)

http://cgi.ebay.com/SCART-Selector-SLX-AV-Auto-Selector-3-way-Philex-1-2-4-/280537927477?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL

And a SCART to Component adapter:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-SCART-RGB-YPbPr-Component-Video-Converter-Scaler-/220645326003?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0

If you have a model 1 with the headphone out jack you can use a stereo Y adapter in place of the SCART selector which would only output mono sound from the Genesis model 1 multi out jack.

http://www.amazon.com/3-5mm-Mini-Plug-Computer-Stereo/dp/B000FEHO0U

If you have a Sega CD attached to the Genesis just use the Line Out on the back of the Sega CD.

[Tempest]

A little pricey, but interesting. Can you do this with any other systems? I might be inclined to go for this setup if I knew other systems could benefit from it. For right now I just moved it downstairs to my old CRT TV.

Tempest

[alec006]

A little pricey, but interesting. Can you do this with any other systems? I might be inclined to go for this setup if I knew other systems could benefit from it. For right now I just moved it downstairs to my old CRT TV.

Tempest

SNES can be in RGB
Saturn can be in RGB
Neo Geo can be in RGB
DC can be in VGA which is RGB
Turbo Duo can be modded for RGB

All those systems look amazing in RGB converted to Component on a flat screen. Ask for older systems in RGB Component on a CRT they look amazing and people argue better. It's a nice step up from S-Video which looks good to begin with, but the larger the screen, the better you want the signal.

[Tempest]

So all I need to get RGB from those other systems is the switch box and the SCART cable?

Tempest

[SithWarrior]

I'm not 100% sure but watch out for the the Scart to Component converters that upscales the image.

[alec006]

So all I need to get RGB from those other systems is the switch box and the SCART cable?

Yep,SCART cables for each system, the selector box for convenience and the converter box and your all set.

For the converter box,you may want to ask the seller for a 110V US power adapter other wise you will have to buy your own.

This selector box however would be a better bet being as it has a SCART output cable built in http://cgi.ebay.com/4-Way-Scart-Selector-SLX-Adaptor-Block-4way-switch-Gold-/280548298145?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL

Or you could get the other selector box and buy a SCART cable to go from the selector box to the converter.


I'm not 100% sure but watch out for the the Scart to Component converters that upscales the image.

I believe it upscales it to 480i,but it still looks sharp.

[SithWarrior]

I believe it upscales it to 480p,but it still looks sharp.

but there are some that try to make the image 720p, 1080i or is that just with the HDMI one's?

[CYRiX]

Would buying a Scart cable, then hooking it to a Scart to RGB adapter (like this http://www.svideo.com/scartrgb.html) then plugging component into your TV not work?

If I understand correctly, it would work but not upscale. Which is probably the best solution cost-wise. Or I am just completely off.

I'd guess you'd need to get audio as well. Could you get audio from the RF output at the same time? An RF modulator would get you simulated stereo.

[alec006]

but there are some that try to make the image 720p, 1080i or is that just with the HDMI one's?

Yea those are the HDMI that upscale them to 720p or 1080 and it looks like crap. And correction I made, I believe its 480i not 480p.


Would buying a Scart cable, then hooking it to a Scart to RGB adapter (like this http://www.svideo.com/scartrgb.html) then plugging component into your TV not work?

If I understand correctly, it would work but not upscale. Which is probably the best solution cost-wise. Or I am just completely off.

I'd guess you'd need to get audio as well. Could you get audio from the RF output at the same time? An RF modulator would get you simulated stereo.

That adapter wouldn't work because RGB and Component are 2 different things. That adapter is just a pass thru from SCART to RCA RGB. The converter box converts the raw RGB signal to Component 480i. Ask for audio, sure you could get the audio from RF, but it would be in mono only. Also a RF modulator only converts signals like S-Video and Composite to RF. If you were to plug the RF cable into say a HiFi VCR that would work,but it would only be dual mono and you would have to have your VCR on all the time for audio.

[Oldskool]

I have a SCART/RGB ----> Component set up for my Genesis X'Eye, and it looks damn good. But only on my 50" Projection TV. On my LCD it doesn't like the low res component, so make sure your LCD can handle low res component before purchasing all the stuff. (Unless you just want a better picture on a standard def TV like a Wega or something)

If you hook your PS2 up to your LCD with component cables, and run a few PS1 games, you'll find out if it will work or not. It will have a problem displaying some PS1 games.

I have heard that the Sony LCD's are fine. I have a cheap Polaroid and it did not like it.

There is a "vs." thread somewhere around here that I posted pictures and there is a ton of information about various ways to set things up.