Video/audio quality of unmodified Sega CDX / Multi-Mega?

[Rex Dart]

I've read a bit in the past about the difference in sound quality between all the different Genesis/Megadrive revisions, but I don't recall reading anything about the CDX. How does a stock CDX stack up in terms of sound & video output? And is it worth modding one? I'm all for optimal picture & sound, but I wouldn't want to needlessly hack up My Precious.

Edited February 23, 2011 by Rex Dart

[Koopa64]

I hear the CDX isn't too bad with audio and video. I wouldn't worry about it.

[fiddlepaddle]

The CDX was designed to act as a portable CD player, and the sound is pretty good. The cable I have has red-white-yellow RCA cables, which provide sufficient quality video, in my opinion.

[Koopa64]

For anyone who's confused, some Genesis models and revisions can have bad video or sound quality. This has nothing to do with the TV connections used. It's similar to the ever so commonly bad capacitors in the Game Gear and most TG16/PCE hardware.

 

In this case, the RGB encoder found in some Genesis systems (revision VA0 and VA1 for the Genesis 2 for example) can be extremely poor, exhibiting lots of artifacting, sharpness and just overall horribly processed video. As for sound, such systems as the VA7 Genesis 1 (it doesn't say High Defintion Graphics on top) and the VA0/VA1 Genesis 2 systems can have heavy hiss, distortion, poor sound volume balance among the different components of the sound and many other problems.

 

Sega-16 has an awesome write-up on this in the Blast Processing forum.

[MagitekAngel]

For anyone who's confused, some Genesis models and revisions can have bad video or sound quality. This has nothing to do with the TV connections used. It's similar to the ever so commonly bad capacitors in the Game Gear and most TG16/PCE hardware.

 

In this case, the RGB encoder found in some Genesis systems (revision VA0 and VA1 for the Genesis 2 for example) can be extremely poor, exhibiting lots of artifacting, sharpness and just overall horribly processed video. As for sound, such systems as the VA7 Genesis 1 (it doesn't say High Defintion Graphics on top) and the VA0/VA1 Genesis 2 systems can have heavy hiss, distortion, poor sound volume balance among the different components of the sound and many other problems.

 

Sega-16 has an awesome write-up on this in the Blast Processing forum.

 

Ugh, you summed it up nicely. My Model 2 was so terrible I bought an HD Model 1 from Ax before I would play any of my Genesis games! Don't know anything about the CDX though.

[Ace_1]

Allow the writer of the Genesis Model 1/Model 2 write-up on Sega-16 to chime in.

 

The CDX offers some of the clearest sound you can get off of a Genesis, but it does have some minor volume issues. It seems the PSG and 32X PWM are a slight bit too quiet on the CDX compared to FM Synthesis and Sega CD PCM/CDDA. It's also got overall quieter sound than other Genesis models, but like I've said before, it's got very clear sound. It doesn't have the bass-heavy audio of the pre-VA7 Genesis Model 1 or Nomad, but its clarity is damn good.

 

As for video, it's slightly darker than a Genesis Model 1 with a Sony CXA1145 video encoder, but slightly sharper and with heavier color saturation. You'd typically find a Fujitsu MB3514 video encoder in the CDX, which you can also find on some European MegaDrives and some VA0 to VA1.8 Genesis 2s in all regions.