Help With Genesis 1 S-video/RGB cable

[1MATTY1]

I am looking to get S Video or preferably RGB from the Genesis 1. I have done some research into the technical stuff about this but still need some answers.

1. Sega Genesis 1 Puts out RGB. So is it possible to get or make a cable that would bring that signal into component on my TV

2. Can a composite to S video/Component converter work with the Genesis and will it look good?? (I am willing to buy one for the price)

3. Also, How can a converter take Composite and turn it into S video or Component. (Just wanted to know)

So basically Im just trying to get the best S video or RGB connection to see the true colours and resolution from My Sega Genesis 1. Any help with this would be greatly Appreciated. Thank you for your time and input!

P.S: I am displaying this on a Samsung HD DLP TV and My Genesis is "High Definition Graphics" model.

[Ed Oscuro]

For fun...

First off, I don't think that some DLP set is the best choice for retrogaming, but somebody else can chime in there.

Composite video (carried on the wire using RCA jacks, two plugs for mono or three for stereo - yellow, white, red, with video on yellow, hence "composite" aka "everything smushed into one low-bandwidth signal") has relatively little information in the signal, and it's compressed as well. To get RGB or S-Video you'll need to start with a better signal that you cannot get out of an RCA wire. Some consoles support S-Video right off the wire, i.e. the original SNES, and the newer ones such as PSX, N64 etc.

S-Video is really the best choice if your system supports it already for the amount of quality you get (very good) versus the pain you have to go through (none besides buying the appropriate cables). On the other hand, going to S-Video when you can go from a clean RGB signal -> something else is silly.

Arasoi says there's an RGB port on the original Genesis (look for the High Definition Graphics logo) that you can work with. You'll need to encode that into something that works with your set; otherwise you could have a cable made to plug into an RGB monitor (XM29 Multisync, or Sony PGM / PVM series monitors should work; some folks like the Commie series monitors, 1084s for example). Other systems you may have to have modified, but usually (except the NES) the signals are generated as RGB, so all you have to do is find where on the mainboard the RGB signal lines are, and bypass the video encoding circuits for a 100% clean signal.

"Component" refers to a newer standard (although RGB is a type of component video, and so is S-Video - the video information is separated onto different wires to prevent signals bleeding into each other, and to prevent other signal-compression methods from being needed) and I think the only way to get there on the older consoles is to buy an RGB -> Component adapter.

[1MATTY1]

I see...Very Interesting! Im still learning lots about this. But that info is very helpful. Thank you!

[Arasoi]

Here's your best bet.

Get one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=160376463872

Plug the round connector into the 8 POL round din socket on the back of your Genesis model 1. You now have an RGB/Composite Sync cable that goes to European SCART standard.

From here you need to convert that RGBS signal to component video, as US televisions do not support RGBS (I assume you live here, I am not sure). You need something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-SCART-RGB-to...item3357807e13

This might not be the best example as you need a step up converter for the power apparently, but something in this vein. Some encoders are a little slow on the upscaling as well so beware.

There are other options such as upscaling to VGA resolutions which will deliver superior quality, but those will cost you a lot more money generally.

Concerning the other questions you had, s video is decent but really crap compared to RGB. And the only thing worse than composite is RF quality wise. You wont get very good results converting those to anything, you need a clean source. So thats why I suggest tapping the RGB and encoding to component. I used to do this on my supergun through a JROK encoder and the result was pretty good. The colors were not perfect, but much crisper overall than composite or Svideo.

Hope that helps.

[Ed Oscuro]

Some thoughts though:

The MD RGB -> SCART cable is useless for systems like the XRGB2 that use a SCART-like plug (same connector, but the pins are all different)

I also hope that encoder / scaler isn't laggy. I've heard the XRGB series are the only fast scalers (due to just being line doublers). For people using TVs with added slowness due to internal scalers that lag could become unbearable / make games unplayable.

[1MATTY1]

This is exactly what I was looking for. So your saying I would just need these 2 items and then I would get my component connection in the end? And I live in Canada. Thanks very much for those links!! Thats a big help!! Much appreciated!

[1MATTY1]

So will I need the scaler as well for all of this to work with the 2 cables??

[Arasoi]

The two things I mentioned should do the trick, those are all you need. I would just suggest doing a little research into a good SCART RGBS-component encoder. I linked that one as an example. The ones I have used are higher grade/proprietary for arcade signals and don't really apply too well here.

[1MATTY1]

Awesome!! Thanks alot guys!! You have been a big help! Cheers from Canada!

[WCP]

I had a Genesis with a S-video mod a long time ago. Actually looked pretty amazing. Reason being, the composite signal on Genesis is crap so a true S-Video signal looks dramatically better. Of course real RGB trumps S-Video.

I've heard that you can convert RGB into component, but I've also heard that sometimes if you do this, your video signal might end up somewhat to the left, or to the right, so if your TV doesn't give you adjustments to deal with the horizontal shift, then you might be kinda screwed by trying to convert RGB to component.

[1MATTY1]

So even the S video was a huge leap in Picture quality?!! I can hardly wait to get either S-Video or RGB/Component over the crappy RF haha!

[Arasoi]

There is one more thing, that scaler does not give you audio outputs. So you'd just need one of these inline:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-Two-.../dp/B000NP9S6O

Plug the end of the RGB cable into the female end, and the male end into the component encoder. then run standard RCA cables from the two RCA jacks.

That would actually give you mono audio, but if you want stereo audio you just need one of these from the headphone port:

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-5mm-Headphone-...item5d268a2033

I go with the latter myself. (I own a Genesis model 1 too)

Sorry for the confusion, I've been a bit distracted tonight and forgot that detail.

[1MATTY1]

Oh no problem man! You have been more than helpful!! Thanx a bunch! I will look into these Links! Cheers!

[Ed Oscuro]

So even the S video was a huge leap in Picture quality?!! I can hardly wait to get either S-Video or RGB/Component over the crappy RF haha!

Actually, RCA three-plug composite is a step up over RF, which also puts the audio signal on a single cable and is the bottom of the barrel for video quality.

[ApolloBoy]

Arasoi says there's an RGB port on the original Genesis (look for the High Definition Graphics logo) that you can work with.

Actually most Genesis consoles have RGB available on their AV ports, not just the early model 1s.

[Mason P.]

couldn't you use this cable to get you componet video from?? The port on the back a genesis 2 is a 9 pin mini din. i have heard it refered to as a 9 pin s-video. Yo still have to get your audio from somewhere else though

http://images.partsdom.com/pm_021310-02050_elg.html

[Darkman2K5]

They also have SCART to HDMI converters, wouldnt that be a better option?

http://www.hdtvsupply.com/scart-hdmi-converter.html

That particular one is expensive, but I have seen them for cheaper prices elsewhere.

[ApolloBoy]

couldn't you use this cable to get you componet video from??

No, because the Genesis outputs RGB, which is different from component.

[1MATTY1]

Thats a good Question Darkman2K5....anyone know anything about this SCART to HDMI for the Genesis. Would that work too??

[Ed Oscuro]

Actually most Genesis consoles have RGB available on their AV ports, not just the early model 1s.

I didn't know about this (Arasoi says it's super obvious) but apparently the Genesis 3 is the only one you have to mod; with the others RGB is available on the multi out port - now I know what all those other pins are for. Very handy.

No, because the Genesis outputs RGB, which is different from component.

Just a reminder that RGB is strictly speaking component, but it's not what's usually meant by component (YPBPr is what's meant normally). It's like all sandals are worn on feet, but not everything that's worn on feet are sandals.