The Official Turbografx 16 Thread!

[Steven Pendleton]

28 minutes ago, CZroe said:

Yeah, if there's a lap available, Rooster will make sure he's in it!

 

I haven't noticed any but that's probably because the previous owners stored it in the original box, away from fluorescent lights. I'll have to take a closer look next time. 

On a similar note, that blue Pikachu N64 that arrived today was definitely a little yellowed since the Memory Expansion door was a much brighter blue. Of seen blue Pikachu controllers that were so yellowed they looked navy (near-black)! Somehow I don't expect that to respond well to sunlight and the yellowing is really only noticable in contrast to the memory door so I think I'll just live with it.

 

I don't think dyed plastics like that are compatible with Retr0brite at all. I've seen the stuff discolor the red Nintendo Entertainment System text on a NES-001 cartridge door and really screw up the purple SNES Power & Reset buttons. Maybe I'll experiment with sunlight for dyed plastics when I get around to it.

 

 

 

 

My SuperGrafx is only yellowed on the top, and if you didn't look at it in the proper lighting or at a certain angle, you wouldn't notice it. I didn't notice it until after I brought it home. Surugaya is comparatively dark inside, so it can be hard to inspect stuff sometimes. I guess it's better than the orange-ish lighting inside Super Potato, though.

 

You want to know what gets really nasty looking? I mentioned that I'm considering buying a Sakura Taisen Dreamcast, and I found a ton of nasty ones on ebay yesterday like this one:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dreamcast-SAKURA-WARS-Console-System-Limited-Sega-Tested-UGO-2000-050010335656/302912888908?hash=item468703e04c:g:PGcAAOSwatddOUNT

 

Obviously it's supposed to be cherry blossom pink, not this hideous color.

 

I'm currently debating about if I want to get a Skeleton Saturn next or this model of the Dreamcast. After seeing this, I'm thinking Skeleton Saturn since those are easy to find without huge discoloration.

Edited May 8, 2020 by Steven Pendleton

[Steven Pendleton]

So, I've been wondering about homebrew. Are there any SuperGrafx homebrew games that have been released aside from Chris Covell's stuff? R-Type is incomplete and everything else is basically just tech demos and Fractal Engine. I did actually run Fractal Engine 2 on my SuperGrafx and it's pretty cool. Takes a while, though.

 

Kind of random, but @CZroe did you find your UperGrafx yet?

 

Edit: had some fun with Fractal Engine 2 just now on the SuperGrafx since it's SuperGrafx enhanced. It gave me this beautiful fractal using the 256x240 setting.

Edited May 12, 2020 by Steven Pendleton

[CZroe]

So, I've been wondering about homebrew. Are there any SuperGrafx homebrew games that have been released aside from Chris Covell's stuff? R-Type is incomplete and everything else is basically just tech demos and Fractal Engine. I did actually run Fractal Engine 2 on my SuperGrafx and it's pretty cool. Takes a while, though.
 
Kind of random, but [mention=4949]CZroe[/mention] did you find your UperGrafx yet?
 
Edit: had some fun with Fractal Engine 2 just now on the SuperGrafx since it's SuperGrafx enhanced. It gave me this beautiful fractal using the 256x240 setting.

Yessir! Thanks for the concern.

The shop where I last knew I had it was closed so I spent the next whole day tearing the house apart... literally spent around 10 hours and didn't find it. I went back to the shop when they finally reopened but there was no sign of it. A couple days later I found it inside a box marked "TurboGrafx stuff" which I had deliberately avoided during the search since I had recently looked in there for something else and knew exactly what was in there. I would never even absent-mindedly put the UperGrafx in there with the original box being out and prominently placed nearby. It had to have fallen in there when I was digging out the Turbo Tap days earlier and I had my hands full with all the stuff I was working with... then it got closed up and put away.

Regarding SuperGrafx hacks and homebrew, I don't think very many are interested, which is unfortunate. Chris Covell has been a long-time technical wizard and PCE/TG16 fan documenting the technical ins and outs... a little like the Kevtris of the PCE/TG16 scene. If more ROM hacking wizzes had his enthusiasm I'm sure we would see some SuperGrafx projects complete but on his own, his attention is divided. He seems mostly interested in showing what the platform can do (tech demos) and creating tools.

It seems like it would be relatively easy to add minor SGX enhancements to remove flicker from a few games with too many sprites per line but the standard PCE was already pretty good at this, hence, the prevalence of shmups. Having more sprites to abuse for things like faking another scrolling background layer would be a better/more impressive use of the extra graphics chip but we aren't likely to see anything that involved in a hack (more likely in a ground-up homebrew).

What I'd really love to see is a SGX Arcade CD-ROM² game, since that could REALLY impress! The extra RAM already lets you do with brute force what the base hardware doesn't normally allow, like animating pre-rendered sprites to look like objects are being rendered in real-time 3D. SGX could take that to another level!

I wish AM2R or some similar passion project would have picked the SGX so we could see what this thing is capable of when you throw out the old limitations (typically, ROM capacity). Maybe some day!

[Steven Pendleton]

7 minutes ago, CZroe said:

 

 

Yessir! Thanks for the concern.

The shop where I last knew I had it was closed so I spent the next whole day tearing the house apart... literally spent around 10 hours and didn't find it. I went back to the shop when they finally reopened but there was no sign of it. A couple days later I found it inside a box marked "TurboGrafx stuff" which I had deliberately avoided during the search since I had recently looked in there for something else and knew exactly what was in there. I would never even absent-mindedly put the UperGrafx in there with the original box being out and prominently placed nearby. It had to have fallen in there when I was digging out the Turbo Tap days earlier and I had my hands full with all the stuff I was working with... then it got closed up and put away.

Regarding SuperGrafx hacks and homebrew, I don't think very many are interested, which is unfortunate. Chris Covell has been a long-time technical wizard and PCE/TG16 fan documenting the technical ins and outs... a little like the Kevtris of the PCE/TG16 scene. If more ROM hacking wizzes had his enthusiasm I'm sure we would see some SuperGrafx projects complete but on his own, his attention is divided. He seems mostly interested in showing what the platform can do (tech demos) and creating tools.

It seems like it would be relatively easy to add minor SGX enhancements to remove flicker from a few games with too many sprites per line but the standard PCE was already pretty good at this, hence, the prevalence of shmups. Having more sprites to abuse for things like faking another scrolling background layer would be a better/more impressive use of the extra graphics chip but we aren't likely to see anything that involved in a hack (more likely in a ground-up homebrew).

What I'd really love to see is a SGX Arcade CD-ROM² game, since that could REALLY impress! The extra RAM already lets you do with brute force what the base hardware doesn't normally allow, like animating pre-rendered sprites to look like objects are being rendered in real-time 3D. SGX could take that to another level!

I wish AM2R or some similar passion project would have picked the SGX so we could see what this thing is capable of when you throw out the old limitations (typically, ROM capacity). Maybe some day!

Good that you found it!

 

I'd love to see AM2R on the SuperGrafx, but I don't think it has enough buttons! I guess you could use a 6 button controller, though.

 

I'd also like to see Arcade Card SuperGrafx games. The system has a lot of potential, and it's kind of sad that nobody cares about it. To be fair, it sold poorly and deservedly so given its pitiful library, but with the already powerful (for 1987~89) SuperGrafx hardware, the Arcade Card, and the UNLIMITED STORAGE of a CD, it could be quite impressive. A SuperGrafx Arcade Card game would be awesome, and if you didn't tell anyone or let them listen to the audio, you might be able to pass it off as a SFC/SNES game instead... until they notice it has more colors on screen than are possible on that system! Chris Covell's Axelay SuperGrafx demo is proof enough that you can do it.

[CZroe]

I got my order from Console5 last night! Strangely, the USPS left it in the dirt/gravel driveway instead of taking it to the porch. Weird.

Went ahead and installed the shielded DIN8 into the previously PAL-modded CoreGrafx so it looks close to stock except that it's now RGB ready with three extra pins and the DIN8 I used has extra shielding.
https://console5.com/store/din-8-pin-socket-pcb-through-hole-mount-emi-shielded-and-a-v-rated-c-style-270.html
http://imgur.com/a/fvByupN

Of course, those extra pins needed to be cut down since there are no holes for them in the board/footprint but they are easy to solder to directly when I add an RGB amp. Doujindance has some really cool mod boards that mount straight to the DIN8 including one with header pins coming from the board mounted above and almost touching the right pins on the DIN8. You just tack them in!

The DIN8 housing has holes for two possible found pin positions and they were in the wrong one. Since I had to disassemble it to cut the extra pins anyway (otherwise protruding remnants would scratch/short to the board), I took it apart and moved it. It took a little rework to get it into the other position due to a bit of extra metal that normally folds over the edge in the original position. I used flush cutters to separate the metal from the legs and fold it back out/flat. I somehow managed without bending/breaking them. Normally you'd just grab the old ground pins from the original DIN5 ala Voultar but that's been MIA for 30 years (since the PAL mod).

I also had to replace the missing capacitor at C162 which was removed along with the original DIN5 to make room for the PAL RF box. 470uF 16v. Without it, composite would be completely disconnected on the new DIN. I got that from a PCE/CoreGrafx cap kit
https://console5.com/store/nec-pc-engine-coregrafx-coregrafx-ii-cap-kit.html

The rest of the capacitors were fine for now so the only other caps I used were the jailbar fix capacitors at C121 and C135. The reference designator silk screen marking for C135 was easy to find but the refdes for C121 was under the shielding even though the capacitor itself was accessible through a nice little rectangle exposed through the shielding. Would've been nice to know before removing the shielding again but I couldn't find any good pictures to confirm without removing it. I suspect that it's an error in the guide since it's the same two as specified for the original white PCE. If all three are the same, shouldn't the guide just tell us to replace "C121 & C125 for all three instead of distinguishing the original white PCE?
https://console5.com/wiki/Hu6260#Jailbar_.2F_Vertical_Bar_Fix

I also reassembled the white PCE turbo controller with a replacement cord from Console5 since it previously had the cord from an Avenue Pad 3 for some reason (round plug; moulded strain relief at the controller end). In the pictures the replacement from Console5 looked to be a replica of the original with the flat side marked with an arrow. Turns out it's actually significantly smaller. I don't like how the original rigidly protrudes as far as it does so this is better but the replacement cord wasn't cheap and I essentially spent money to change the wrong cord to another wrong one. At least it doesn't look like I pulled the cord out like it did with the unused strain relief on the old cable.
https://console5.com/store/turboduo-pc-engine-joypad-joystick-repair-cable.html
http://imgur.com/a/fMa5yRv

Got $400 of other parts I needed in that package so there's a lot more work to do today. I think I'll start with the Sega CD Model 2 fuse so I can get my TG16 fuse back out of it. It's been in there more than a year and once I get it back in the junk TG16 console it came from I can see try to see what is actually wrong with that.

Good that you found it!
 
I'd love to see AM2R on the SuperGrafx, but I don't think it has enough buttons! I guess you could use a 6 button controller, though.
 
I'd also like to see Arcade Card SuperGrafx games. The system has a lot of potential, and it's kind of sad that nobody cares about it. To be fair, it sold poorly and deservedly so given its pitiful library, but with the already powerful (for 1987~89) SuperGrafx hardware, the Arcade Card, and the UNLIMITED STORAGE of a CD, it could be quite impressive. A SuperGrafx Arcade Card game would be awesome, and if you didn't tell anyone or let them listen to the audio, you might be able to pass it off as a SFC/SNES game instead... until they notice it has more colors on screen than are possible on that system! Chris Covell's Axelay SuperGrafx demo is proof enough that you can do it.

Yeah, a game like that would need some control tweaks but I could see it working if the Run/Select buttons are used as action buttons. That was so popular with button-starved PCE devs that the Avenue 3 pad is even built to accommodate it with a third button that can have its functions assigned to either Run or Select. Forgotten Worlds was even designed for that controller (bundled at one point).

Since it's much easier to get, cheaper than a 6 button pad, and games designed around it will still work on a standard pad (albeit, a little more awkwardly), it would probably be ideal for a modern homebrew title. Heck, a large chunk of the Arcade Card titles used Run and Select along with I and II for the Neo Geo's 4-button arcade layout. I just wish they were rearranged as shoulder buttons for a control scheme like Metroid Fusion/Zero Mission if someone were going to do something like AM2R, since that worked pretty well.

[Steven Pendleton]

7 hours ago, CZroe said:

Doujindance

Voultar and others used to really hate that dude and some still do, but I heard he's gotten better recently. I also heard he hasn't. He doesn't ship to Japan despite being Japanese and living in Japan, so it's not like I'm able to buy his crap anyway to find out. Honestly with his insane prices I could buy 2 PC Engine DUOs and get them modded by someone else. Looks like he doesn't have anything on eBay right now, but I remember seeing his DUO prices at $500+, which is a complete ripoff unless he lined the inside of the case with gold or something.

 

7 hours ago, CZroe said:

Yeah, a game like that would need some control tweaks but I could see it working if the Run/Select buttons are used as action buttons. That was so popular with button-starved PCE devs that the Avenue 3 pad is even built to accommodate it with a third button that can have its functions assigned to either Run or Select. Forgotten Worlds was even designed for that controller (bundled at one point).

Since it's much easier to get, cheaper than a 6 button pad, and games designed around it will still work on a standard pad (albeit, a little more awkwardly), it would probably be ideal for a modern homebrew title. Heck, a large chunk of the Arcade Card titles used Run and Select along with I and II for the Neo Geo's 4-button arcade layout. I just wish they were rearranged as shoulder buttons for a control scheme like Metroid Fusion/Zero Mission if someone were going to do something like AM2R, since that worked pretty well.

I've not played many of the Arcade Card games. Just Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire and maybe Popful Mail, although that might have been the SFC version and I forgot about it.

 

I do see way more of the Avenue Pad 6 than the Avenue Pad 3 here in stores, though. Price is generally about the same, I think. I never buy them since I don't play fighting games, but the Avenue Pad 3 is the best PC Engine controller. It's a bit awkward because of its width, though.

[CZroe]

I've not played many of the Arcade Card games. Just Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire and maybe Popful Mail, although that might have been the SFC version and I forgot about it.
 
I do see way more of the Avenue Pad 6 than the Avenue Pad 3 here in stores, though. Price is generally about the same, I think. I never buy them since I don't play fighting games, but the Avenue Pad 3 is the best PC Engine controller. It's a bit awkward because of its width, though.

Yeah. Voultar's criticism started a dogpile a few years ago and everyone is still piling on. The problem is that everyone continuing to dogpile him don't seem to realize that even the work they were criticizing a few years ago was already many years old. Voultar quickly realized that Doujindance had improved greatly and was making some really elaborate stuff but the damage was done and everyone continues to dump on this guy to this day.

Other than using epoxy and bubble wrap to secure his connections for international shipment, the biggest issue was that professional modders supposedly use their own PCB designs these days. Few in the dogpile seemed to realize that they were criticizing work done BEFORE this became the norm. Even Voultar wasn't using custom PCBs back when that work from Doujindance was performed, so it seemed a strange criticism. Honestly, Doujindance's PCB designs seem a step above anything I've seen from other modders (Voultar included) though I can't speak to their electrical engineering... I've never had access to one and he doesn't seem to sell them for DIY installs. I really, really, REALLY, want this kit for my white PCE before I throw it into the clear shell:

[+Black_Tiger]

The problem with doujindance was that he posted misleading descriptions and media of his work and never accepted any responsibility. He spent years blaming all of his burned customers.

 

During that time there were lots of people doing quality mods and not telling unsatisfied customers that they were just too stupid to understand or that because they operated their console outside of Japan it's their fault.

 

Drakon can show up tomorrow pumping out quality work but his reputation will also still be permanently ruined.

[CZroe]

The problem with doujindance was that he posted misleading descriptions and media of his work and never accepted any responsibility. He spent years blaming all of his burned customers.
 
During that time there were lots of people doing quality mods and not telling unsatisfied customers that they were just too stupid to understand or that because they operated their console outside of Japan it's their fault.
 
Drakon can show up tomorrow pumping out quality work but his reputation will also still be permanently ruined.

Still, I have to wonder how much of that perception is due to the obvious language barrier. He certainly wasn't changing to other security screws and epoxying things for nothing, so it seems he was genuinely convinced that it would help avoid unnecessary international returns. I would not doubt that he had a few incidents with unscrupulous eBay buyers who really did damage the mod work and expect him to cover it (his reaction fits).

If he also treated genuine customers poorly, that's unfortunate but that isn't the criticism I typically hear. Thanks for making me aware. If he sold the kits for other modders to install or DIY then his own reputation as a modder would be less relevant. No idea why he hasn't shifted gears or changed his online identity to escape this stigma. He doesn't seem to realize how bad it is, which lends further credence to things being lost in translation with him.

[cybercylon]

My understanding is that doujindance made efforts to improve his work over the past few years. His offerings came up in an ebay search (and it may have been this thread when I asked).

 

I am not interested in what he offers. I use a Super SD System 3, so something with a internal  RGB mod is a no go. I'd like to have something that is region free (just in case I ever want to play a Japanese HuCard game) and have the jail bars fixed. (Am I correct in that a CoreGrafx is preferred over a CoreGrafx 2). I know these mods are easy for some of you to install, and if I had the working space and time, I'd so it myself after some practice. The former is more of a hindrance.

 

Ultimately... SuperGrafx... but that is not happening anytime soon. My N8 pro everdrive is likely my last major purchase until my secondary job is back. That is not likely to happen until there is a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2.

Edited May 14, 2020 by cybercylon

[NE146]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QD9GQ9J

 

Release date moved back up to May 22.

[Steven Pendleton]

8 hours ago, cybercylon said:

My understanding is that doujindance made efforts to improve his work over the past few years. His offerings came up in an ebay search (and it may have been this thread when I asked).

 

I am not interested in what he offers. I use a Super SD System 3, so something with a internal  RGB mod is a no go. I'd like to have something that is region free (just in case I ever want to play a Japanese HuCard game) and have the jail bars fixed. (Am I correct in that a CoreGrafx is preferred over a CoreGrafx 2). I know these mods are easy for some of you to install, and if I had the working space and time, I'd so it myself after some practice. The former is more of a hindrance.

 

Ultimately... SuperGrafx... but that is not happening anytime soon. My N8 pro everdrive is likely my last major purchase until my secondary job is back. That is not likely to happen until there is a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2.

Here are the things that I have read in various places on the internet about PC Engine vs CoreGrafx vs CoreGrafx II vs SuperGrafx. I am not able to confirm any of this, since I only have the CoreGrafx and SuperGrafx.

 

I have heard that the CoreGrafx and the SuperGrafx are the only variants of the basic PC Engine that have a fix for an audio popping issue that happens when you adjust your volume and that this fix may have been unfixed on the CoreGrafx II. Both the CoreGrafx and CoreGrafx II are identical in performance aside from this, provided this is true. Not sure if this is present on the TurboGrafx. I think I read somewhere about the LT also having this issue but I can't remember, so maybe I shouldn't say anything at all.

 

I have also heard that the CoreGrafx II has the best build quality of the 3 basic PC Engine variants and is the heaviest of the 3. Supposedly the original white PC Engine is fragile, the CoreGrafx is less fragile, and the CoreGrafx II is the least fragile. I'm not sure in what way, though.

 

Anyway, this is just what I have heard and I can't verify any of this, so maybe I'm wrong, but if true, this would make the CoreGrafx better than the CoreGrafx II and probably the best option overall unless you really want those 5 SuperGrafx games. I personally like the CoreGrafx design and colors the most (mainly because most white PC Engines are no longer white), and that's great since its color variant is shared with the SuperGrafx and Shuttle. All of the best controller variants are also in this colorway, so the Avenue Pad 3, CoreGrafx/SuperGrafx controller, Shuttle controller, and to some extent the Avenue Pad 6 and Blaster all match the CoreGrafx or SuperGrafx. So does the new SSDS3 with the blue PCB, now that I think about it.

Edited May 15, 2020 by Steven Pendleton

[cybercylon]

The CoreGrafx information is well taken, and is a better option for most. Most of the SuperGrafx listings on ebay are even more stupidly expensive than before the outbreak.

[Steven Pendleton]

18 hours ago, cybercylon said:

The CoreGrafx information is well taken, and is a better option for most. Most of the SuperGrafx listings on ebay are even more stupidly expensive than before the outbreak.

I'm not sure what the hell is up with the SuperGrafx and GT prices on the internet. They are less than half of those prices in town... if you can find one. GT is considerably easier to find, though. Meanwhile, regular PC Engines are cheaper online than they are in stores, where they usually sit at about 10000~12000 yen each for console + controller + cables but with no box or manual, regardless of the model. All DUO variants are slightly more expensive than the SuperGrafx but way easier to find.

 

Well, I do actually know what's up with the online pricing of the SuperGrafx. It's people trying to rip off those who don't live in Japan because the SuperGrafx was only released in Japan and also France through SODIPENG. They know they can inflate the prices because people who don't understand Japanese or know what they really go for don't know any better. Here in Japan, the Sega Master System (!) is more rare and expensive than the SuperGrafx. Yes, the Master System! Mark III is a bit easier to find, though, and I've seen a few SG-1000s as well.

 

Anyway, if you are looking to get any of the 3 basic PC Engine variants, they are all essentially the same, so it's okay to just choose the one with the colors that you like the most. I doubt that the audio popping issue is that major, but I don't have a model that has that issue so I can't say. Maybe you want to get the Super CD-ROM2, which has the CoreGrafx II colors and looks mismatched on anything else, so in that case the CoreGrafx II might be best aesthetically. I personally think it's the second ugliest variant, with only the Shuttle being worse. Too bad that they decided to make the colors of the Super CD-ROM2 and the CoreGrafx II that grey and orange instead of keeping the awesome Shuttle colors. I like the Shuttle colors the most and I'm glad they reused those colors on the CoreGrafx and SuperGrafx.

 

I might get a Shuttle someday just for fun. They are HUGE and don't have the pins in the back, so you can't use the IFU, Super CD-ROM2, SSDS3, UperGrafx, or anything else for that matter. Totally pointless and if not for the excellent controller that was never sold separately as far as I know, it's a complete downgrade from every other PC Engine model, including the GT. That Shuttle controller is excellent for a PC Engine controller, though.

Edited May 16, 2020 by Steven Pendleton

[Steven Pendleton]

Is anyone planning on getting this thing?

 

https://www.amazon.co.jp/コロンバスサークル-【PCE用】ポータブルモニターLCD-PCエンジン/dp/B082SRBHVH/ref=pd_cart_bmx_2_4/356-1899110-4803860?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B082SRBHVH&pd_rd_r=e77c6bd7-1984-4266-a7b3-940ca79ad022&pd_rd_w=mj7bO&pd_rd_wg=tP2Bc&pf_rd_p=05a0a296-961f-4109-baa9-f26270891988&pf_rd_r=BEV7QMG2GYHYJH9XEF6J&psc=1&refRID=BEV7QMG2GYHYJH9XEF6J

[CZroe]

Is anyone planning on getting this thing?

 

https://www.amazon.co.jp/コロンバスサークル-【PCE用】ポータブルモニターLCD-PCエンジン/dp/B082SRBHVH/ref=pd_cart_bmx_2_4/356-1899110-4803860?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B082SRBHVH&pd_rd_r=e77c6bd7-1984-4266-a7b3-940ca79ad022&pd_rd_w=mj7bO&pd_rd_wg=tP2Bc&pf_rd_p=05a0a296-961f-4109-baa9-f26270891988&pf_rd_r=BEV7QMG2GYHYJH9XEF6J&psc=1&refRID=BEV7QMG2GYHYJH9XEF6J

I have less than zero interest. If I could push a button and make it no longer exist, I would.

 

It has a 16:9 digital display with an analog interface like virtually any other HDTV with an analog input but at least they could have tried to get one with the proper aspect ratio. SNK got a 4:3 display for the Neo Geo Mini. Valve got two of them for the Valve Index. Heck, even Analogue sourced one for the Analogue Pocket. There is just no excuse for these guys.

 

There's also near-zero chance that this properly handles 240p. It will attempt to deinterlace non-interlaced 240p adding latency, blurring detail, and adding severe artifacts. It will destroy any 60hz effect (flashing transparencies and such), same as one of those RGB2HDMI boxes or most any digital TV with an analog input.

 

By not addressing these two concerns it brings absolutely nothing to the table.

 

Sorry. I'm just very opinionated about commercial accessories made specifically for 240p consoles which fail to handle 240p correctly. This is why I hate the Hyperkin/LevelHike/Pound/Extreme/etc "HDMI cables" for 240p retro consoles. With the lie that it was specifically engineered for the consoles that we love, they are just selling us something that is no better than what we could cobble together ourselves for less money. In other words, they are using our love and passion for these systems to take advantage of us.

 

[Steven Pendleton]

A question for anyone who might be able to assist...

 

I was talking to one of my friends a few minutes ago and he says his uncle's TurboGrafx-16 is not powering on. He already knew to try a new PSU, of course, but it could be something else. What are some of the common failure points on the TurboGrafx that might cause this?

 

The TG-16 in question is in the USA and we are both in Japan (although he's on Okinawa), so it's not like we can actually fix the thing ourselves right now, but any advice would be great.

[Steven Pendleton]

3 minutes ago, CZroe said:

I have less than zero interest. If I could push a button and make it no longer exist, I would.

It has a 16:9 digital display with an analog interface like virtually any other HDTV with an analog input but at least they could have tried to get one with the proper aspect ratio. SNK got a 4:3 display for the Neo Geo Mini. Valve got two of them for the Valve Index. Heck, even Analogue sourced one for the Analogue Pocket. There is nust no excuse for these guys.

There's also near-zero chance that this properly handles 240p. It will attempt to deinterlace non-interlaced 240p adding latency, blurring detail, and adding severe artifacts. It will destroy any 60hz effect (flashing transparencies and such), same as one of those RGB2HDMI boxes or most any digital TV with an analog input.

By not addressing these two concerns it brings absolutely nothing to the table.

Sorry. I'm just very opinionated about commercial accessories made specifically for 240p consoles which fail to handle 240p correctly. This is why I hate the Hyperkin/LevelHike/Pound/Extreme/etc "HDMI cables" for 240p retro consoles. With the lie that it was specifically engineered for the consoles that we love, they are just selling us something that is no better than what we could cobble together ourselves for less money. In other words, they are using our love and passion for these systems to take advantage of us.

Lol I thought you would probably say something like this.

 

I basically had the same thoughts. I fully expect it to be terrible, which is kind of why I asked. It's also made by Columbus Circle, and we know how their stuff is. It even looks super cheap.

 

Still, maybe someone here will be brave enough to try it and tell us how it is when it releases. I might try it myself if the price goes down, but not for 10000 yen.

[+save2600]

Like most modern products today... cool concept, but poorly executed which makes it "defective" right out of the box. Besides all the legitimate concerns stated above, only comes in one color? So not for original PCE owners either. Yet another oversight and wasted opportunity if so. 
 

Cute, novelty factor aside - that's okay. Didn't need an excuse to play my PCE on a tiny lag-ridden and stretched LCD screen anyway.  

[Steven Pendleton]

4 minutes ago, save2600 said:

Like most modern products today... cool concept, but poorly executed which makes it ultimately defective, right out of the box. Besides all the legitimate concerns stated above, only comes in one color? So not for original PCE owners either. Yet another oversight and wasted opportunity. 

Well, I think the intention was to have it use the PC Engine LT colors to be "cool" or something. Speaking of the LT, I would LOVE to see if it works on the LT. Everyone should have a PC Engine LT with 2 screens. I mean, who doesn't want that? Even better is that you can connect this thing to your HDTV, so you could have a PC Engine LT with 3 screens! How useless and fun! Not sure if this thing's screen stays on when it uses its HDMI output, though it would be funny as hell if it did.

Edited May 19, 2020 by Steven Pendleton

[CZroe]

 

 

 

A question for anyone who might be able to assist...

 

I was talking to one of my friends a few minutes ago and he says his uncle's TurboGrafx-16 is not powering on. He already knew to try a new PSU, of course, but it could be something else. What are some of the common failure points on the TurboGrafx that might cause this?

 

The TG-16 in question is in the USA and we are both in Japan (although he's on Okinawa), so it's not like we can actually fix the thing ourselves right now, but any advice would be great.

Without a power LED it can be difficult to tell when the system is powered or not. There have been times when I could only tell because of the Turbo Everdrive SD card access light!

 

I've seen an awful lot of them with broken RF modulators and broken RF switches. A Nintendo or Master System/Genesis 1 RF switch will work as a suitable replacement for the TG16 RF switch.

 

There is a fuse inside but I've never seen one blow. In fact, my house took a direct lightning strike while I had one transplanted into my SEGA CD2 and it didn't blow, though it was HALF the rating a Sega CD is supposed to have and the Sega CD is already notorious for blowing fuses (hence the need for a transplant). I lost thousands of dollars of other stuff though... including a PS4 Pro, a bunch of network equipment, a large TV, the HVAC, and the car parked outside (EMP fried the computer). Yes, the Sega CD was running when the lightning struck.

 

The TG16 I salvaged the fuse from had an issue where the screen would show black with most games though they were actually still running. The RF modulator was damaged so I could only test it with a CD dock. Even then I thought it was just a black screen until I turned the volume up and heard Blazing Lazers title screen. If I waited through the demo loop long enough for it to show a particular level I actually could see some monochrome sprites. If the TV is on the wrong channel or the switch/modulator are bad then it could just look like darker static and the console may appear to not be powering on.

 

I thought the color encoder was bad but the UGX bypasses that and, well, it doesn't work any better with the UGX. I only had a few TurboChip games when I got this console years ago and none would show anything at boot. I couldn't see the Turbo Everdrive menu to easily try a bunch of other games but I later found that Victory Run would show monochrome graphics on boot. I recommend trying all the American cards he has on-hand.

 

Also, many modern TVs have RF jacks but no longer tune analog RF. They have them for HDTV and/or ClearQAM. You wouldn't get anything with a TG16 and the system would appear to not be powering on.

 

If he tried a different PSU I hope the polarity was correct. Old Japanese consoles generally used center/tip negative when the rest of the world was using center/tip positive. The TG16 is one of those consoles even though it was made for the American market. In the USA center negative adapters are almost exclusively used with old Japanese consoles. I don't know what happens to a TG16 with reverse polarity but I imagine that couldn't be good. Hope that doesn't explain the no-power condition.

 

[Steven Pendleton]

22 minutes ago, CZroe said:

 

 

 

 

Without a power LED it can be difficult to tell when the system is powered or not. There have been times when I could only tell because of the Turbo Everdrive SD card access light!

 

I've seen an awful lot of them with broken RF modulators and broken RF switches. A Nintendo or Master System/Genesis 1 RF switch will work as a suitable replacement for the TG16 RF switch.

 

There is a fuse inside but I've never seen one blow. In fact, my house took a direct lightning strike while I had one transplanted into my SEGA CD2 and it didn't blow, though it was HALF the rating a Sega CD is supposed to have and the Sega CD is already notorious for blowing fuses (hence the need for a transplant). I lost thousands of dollars of other stuff though... including a PS4 Pro, a bunch of network equipment, a large TV, the HVAC, and the car parked outside (EMP fried the computer). Yes, the Sega CD was running when the lightning struck.

 

The TG16 I salvaged the fuse from had an issue where the screen would show black with most games though they were actually still running. The RF modulator was damaged so I could only test it with a CD dock. Even then I thought it was just a black screen until I turned the volume up and heard Blazing Lazers title screen. If I waited through the demo loop long enough for it to show a particular level I actually could see some monochrome sprites. If the TV is on the wrong channel or the switch/modulator are bad then it could just look like darker static and the console may appear to not be powering on.

 

I thought the color encoder was bad but the UGX bypasses that and, well, it doesn't work any better with the UGX. I only had a few TurboChip games when I got this console years ago and none would show anything at boot. I couldn't see the Turbo Everdrive menu to easily try a bunch of other games but I later found that Victory Run would show monochrome graphics on boot. I recommend trying all the American cards he has on-hand.

 

Also, many modern TVs have RF jacks but no longer tune analog RF. They have them for HDTV and/or ClearQAM. You wouldn't get anything with a TG16 and the system would appear to not be powering on.

 

If he tried a different PSU I hope the polarity was correct. Old Japanese consoles generally used center/tip negative when the rest of the world was using center/tip positive. The TG16 is one of those consoles even though it was made for the American market. In the USA center negative adapters are almost exclusively used with old Japanese consoles. I don't know what happens to a TG16 with reverse polarity but I imagine that couldn't be good. Hope that doesn't explain the no-power condition.

 

The lack of a light on the system is actually one of the biggest problems that I have with the whole PC Engine family. At least the SSDS3 has a light on it, so I use that. I can get over the lack of a reset button since Run + Select exists (and is actually a really cool idea), but no light is a strange decision.

 

That sucks that you lost all of that stuff, though, and I'm guessing that it was loud as hell. Not good for the ears...

 

He hasn't tried anything to fix it yet, but I made sure to tell him to get something with the proper specs so he doesn't kill the system. I did forget to ask if he has the CD-ROM2 or whatever it was called in the US, but I think it's just the base console and no CD. Obviously if he's using composite from the AV booster or the IFU or whatever those things are called in the USA, it's not going to be a problem with the RF, but I'm really not sure what the setup is. Anyway, thanks, as always. I'll ask him a few more questions about the system, but since the system is on the other side of the planet from us, maybe he doesn't know the exact setup without asking his uncle.

 

Now that I think about it, is it weird that I don't know the names of the US versions of those things and only the Japanese names?

[CZroe]

The lack of a light on the system is actually one of the biggest problems that I have with the whole PC Engine family. At least the SSDS3 has a light on it, so I use that. I can get over the lack of a reset button since Run + Select exists (and is actually a really cool idea), but no light is a strange decision.
 
That sucks that you lost all of that stuff, though, and I'm guessing that it was loud as hell. Not good for the ears...
 
He hasn't tried anything to fix it yet, but I made sure to tell him to get something with the proper specs so he doesn't kill the system. I did forget to ask if he has the CD-ROM2 or whatever it was called in the US, but I think it's just the base console and no CD. Obviously if he's using composite from the AV booster or the IFU or whatever those things are called in the USA, it's not going to be a problem with the RF, but I'm really not sure what the setup is. Anyway, thanks, as always. I'll ask him a few more questions about the system, but since the system is on the other side of the planet from us, maybe he doesn't know the exact setup without asking his uncle.
 
Now that I think about it, is it weird that I don't know the names of the US versions of those things and only the Japanese names?

LOL!

I don't really know what you're supposed to call it either. I've seen the whole set called TurboGrafx-CD but I just call the IFU-equivalent "Turbo-CD Dock." Even in America they started officially calling TurboChips "HuCards" so why shouldn't we do the same with the dock/IFU?

[cybercylon]

3 hours ago, CZroe said:

 

Sorry. I'm just very opinionated about commercial accessories made specifically for 240p consoles which fail to handle 240p correctly. This is why I hate the Hyperkin/LevelHike/Pound/Extreme/etc "HDMI cables" for 240p retro consoles. With the lie that it was specifically engineered for the consoles that we love, they are just selling us something that is no better than what we could cobble together ourselves for less money. In other words, they are using our love and passion for these systems to take advantage of us.

 

I have to agree that these rubbish products tick me off (and some of them look the same even though they have a different name on them). I know one of those Hyperkin products (I think it was that green composite one) doesn't even have any circuitry in them to prevent any current from feeding back into the console. So in that case, there is a risk of a fried console along with the joys of a crap picture.

 

I guess it wouldn't bother me as much if these products were marketed for exactly what they are and people know what the are getting into. I am sure there are some people that want a simple solution just to plug something in for a quick fix and don't give a crap about the video out. That's fine. But some of these products seem to be marketed as an ideal solution. Eh.. not so much.

[CZroe]

I have to agree that these rubbish products tick me off (and some of them look the same even though they have a different name on them). I know one of those Hyperkin products (I think it was that green composite one) doesn't even have any circuitry in them to prevent any current from feeding back into the console. So in that case, there is a risk of a fried console along with the joys of a crap picture.

 

I guess it wouldn't bother me as much if these products were marketed for exactly what they are and people know what the are getting into. I am sure there are some people that want a simple solution just to plug something in for a quick fix and don't give a crap about the video out. That's fine. But some of these products seem to be marketed as an ideal solution. Eh.. not so much.

Hyperkin dared to compare theirs to the XRGB Mini Framemeister in cost and quality while connecting the console to the XRGB Mini using COMPOSITE and their SNES cable used RGB. Very misleading. The only valid comparison is to a SCART2HDMI device with a cheap SCART cable, but they won't show that because it costs even less than their products that just shove them together and mark it up another $5-$10. Heck, half of these cables don't even power off the console for that little bit of convenience.

 

If they did the same comparison with their N64 cable then the XRGBm would have looked visibly worse than the XRGBm! If marketing it as exactly what it is then they would be marketing it as a standard AV cable with a $15 AV2HDMI box.