FPGA Based Videogame System

[fiddlepaddle]

 

Did you know...

 

Total:

$222.34 USD

 

That is still cheaper than trying to acquire a working SNES.

 

?really?

[Guspaz]

Getting top quality HDMI from a SNES today requires:

1) A 1chip SNES (typically a Jr if you don't want to play the serial number game)

2) An RGB bypass mod board with a THS7374

3) Somebody to mod it for you
4) A good RGB SCART cable

5) An OSSC or Framemeister

 

All of those things together add up to far more than $222. Some of it can be skipped: if you're handy with a soldering iron you don't need to pay for step 2, and if your HDTV can handle 240p over component you can save money using HDRV YPbPr cables instead of an OSSC or Framemeister, but even then you're going to end up at more than the cost of a Super Nt.

[kevtris]

Super Nt review units arrived in December. You're only hearing about it now due to NDAs.

 

This is not true. Units are just arriving (and still arriving).

 

 

I think the actual review NDA expires on Feb 7th, but having the pre-production units in advance means that reviewers can get a lot of their work done before launch, even if a lot of their time was with pre-production hardware and software rather than final.

 

These are not preproduction units with preproduction software.

[D3ltax55]

I hear there making a adapter that goes to the hdmi slot of the super nt for RGB. Is this correct. WIll this devise do any converting (maybe we can use it for other stuff) or will the super nt do all the work and the adapter just outputs it in RGB (makes more sense for 0 latency).

[RabidWookie]

Getting top quality HDMI from a SNES today requires:

 

1) A 1chip SNES (typically a Jr if you don't want to play the serial number game)

2) An RGB bypass mod board with a THS7374

3) Somebody to mod it for you

4) A good RGB SCART cable

5) An OSSC or Framemeister

 

All of those things together add up to far more than $222. Some of it can be skipped: if you're handy with a soldering iron you don't need to pay for step 2, and if your HDTV can handle 240p over component you can save money using HDRV YPbPr cables instead of an OSSC or Framemeister, but even then you're going to end up at more than the cost of a Super Nt.

You're moving the goalposts from "a working snes" to "a full blown scart framemeister rig". A working snes can easily be found for $50 and played on a free CRT. The issue here is clearly the shipping cost, which makes zero sense (unless Analogue is drastically overcharging on shipping).

[elevengames]

 

This is not true. Units are just arriving (and still arriving).

 

 

These are not preproduction units with preproduction software.

My Life In Gaming: So yes, a Super Nt episode is indeed in the works! This is final hardware, but we can now say that we've been testing out a prototype since December!

 

https://twitter.com/mylifeingaming/status/957000091398746113

 

Perhaps this is where the confusion stems from? Seems like some have had access to prototypes since December, but are just now receiving final units for review.

[Kismet]

 

?really?

 

The odds of gettting a GPM model that works is not that high, but I've already had that argument elsewhere in this thread and in another thread about SNES reliability, so I'm not going to rehash it. Suffice it to say the reliability of the 1991 (SHVC-CPU-01) models is in question and lucking out and getting the later models took me 5 tries to get a working model (SNS-GPM-02) at about 75$ each.

 

Getting top quality HDMI from a SNES today requires:

 

1) A 1chip SNES (typically a Jr if you don't want to play the serial number game)

2) An RGB bypass mod board with a THS7374

3) Somebody to mod it for you

4) A good RGB SCART cable

5) An OSSC or Framemeister

 

All of those things together add up to far more than $222. Some of it can be skipped: if you're handy with a soldering iron you don't need to pay for step 2, and if your HDTV can handle 240p over component you can save money using HDRV YPbPr cables instead of an OSSC or Framemeister, but even then you're going to end up at more than the cost of a Super Nt.

 

Yep, the OSSC/Framemeister alone is $200, and a framemeister (discontinued apparently $400.) Both are FPGA devices.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Kismet

[Guspaz]

 

This is not true. Units are just arriving (and still arriving).

 

 

These are not preproduction units with preproduction software.

 

OK, then I'll revise that to "some review units arrived in December". That's when MLiG got theirs. I assumed that they had a preproduction unit because there's a final unit on the way to replace the one they already have, but maybe that's a faulty assumption on my part. But they definitely had preproduction software, since you've been fixing bugs during that timespan...

 

You're moving the goalposts from "a working snes" to "a full blown scart framemeister rig". A working snes can easily be found for $50 and played on a free CRT. The issue here is clearly the shipping cost, which makes zero sense (unless Analogue is drastically overcharging on shipping).

 

I'm saying, for the closest previously available experience to the Super Nt, that's what you had to do. That was my goalpost, trying to reproduce what the Super Nt can do before the Super Nt was out.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Guspaz

[RabidWookie]

 

OK, then I'll revise that to "some review units arrived in December". That's when MLiG got theirs. I assumed that they had a preproduction unit because there's a final unit on the way to replace the one they already have, but maybe that's a faulty assumption on my part. But they definitely had preproduction software, since you've been fixing bugs during that timespan...

 

> You're moving the goalposts from "a working snes" to "a full blown scart framemeister rig". A working snes can easily be found for $50 and played on a free CRT. The issue here is clearly the shipping cost, which makes zero sense

 

I'm saying, for the closest previously available experience to the Super Nt, that's what you had to do. That was my goalpost, trying to reproduce what the Super Nt can do before the Super Nt was out.

The framemeister rig would also work on every other retro console and work on CRTs as well, so not a fair comparison.

[Kismet]

You're moving the goalposts from "a working snes" to "a full blown scart framemeister rig". A working snes can easily be found for $50 and played on a free CRT. The issue here is clearly the shipping cost, which makes zero sense (unless Analogue is drastically overcharging on shipping).

 

For a HDMI SNES? no it's not moving the goal posts at all unless you already posses the equipment. Quite literately for $190 you are getting what would cost you to a minimum of about $275 assuming you already had the cables and working 240p capable TV.

 

Yes the shipping looks a bit out of line, but if you're outside the US, that's actually reasonable, because even buying stupid 1lb books costs $20 to ship.

[RabidWookie]

 

For a HDMI SNES? no it's not moving the goal posts at all unless you already posses the equipment. Quite literately for $190 you are getting what would cost you to a minimum of about $275 assuming you already had the cables and working 240p capable TV.

 

Yes the shipping looks a bit out of line, but if you're outside the US, that's actually reasonable, because even buying stupid 1lb books costs $20 to ship.

Inside the US the shipping cost is insanity.

[Guspaz]

There's more than just the console. All that stuff goes in a box (the display box) with padding. Then the retail box then goes in the shipping box with padding. You've now increased your volumetric weight to many times what the console alone was.

[Wolf_]

The framemeister rig would also work on every other retro console and work on CRTs as well, so not a fair comparison.

Framemeister also adds ~1.5 frames of lag and this adds none. Ossc might not add lag but it can have compatibility issues, not to mention it seems like every few months we are finding out some new way scart cables are made improperly and is causing signal or power issues that can even damage equipment. I would much rather have everything taken care of in one affordable package. (Also with any luck there will be jb firmware and this thing will take care of several consoles as well)

Edited January 26, 2018 by Wolf_

[kevtris]

My Life In Gaming: So yes, a Super Nt episode is indeed in the works! This is final hardware, but we can now say that we've been testing out a prototype since December!

 

https://twitter.com/mylifeingaming/status/957000091398746113

 

Perhaps this is where the confusion stems from? Seems like some have had access to prototypes since December, but are just now receiving final units for review.

yeah they were the only ones with early hardware. The MILG guys visited me in late december too :-)

[Guspaz]

Definitely looking forward to seeing it, they do great interviews!

[Jagasian]

yeah they were the only ones with early hardware. The MILG guys visited me in late december too :-)

The My Life In Gaming channel on Youtube is great! I cant stand most retro gaming content on Youtube, but the MLIG guys have a great presentation that is entertaining. Hopefully they keep it up.

[AtariNerd]

It hadn't crossed my mind, that with the translucent case, one might alter the hue of the board LEDs (unless that is a lighting set-up, created by the photographer,which I half-expect, but..)... and get a nice effect. Personally already ordered the SFC version, though.

https://twitter.com/dark1x/status/956963979636731907

[cacophony]

Didn't expect to see this so soon with the Feb 7th embargo...

 

Super Nt unboxing: https://youtu.be/NoygP7_N3Zk?t=13m10s (starts at 13:10)

 

Also, this is the first footage of the Classic model, which I think looks great.

 

edit: video was just removed, possibly because it broke the embargo

Edited January 27, 2018 by cacophony

[Sneakyturtleegg]

Didn't expect to see this so soon with the Feb 7th embargo...Super Nt unboxing: https://youtu.be/NoygP7_N3Zk?t=13m10s (starts at 13:10)Also, this is the first footage of the Classic model, which I think looks great.edit: video was just removed, possibly because it broke the embargo

I was in the middle of watching the video at the moment it was taken down! I didn't see what the big deal was. He just took it out of the box and showed it to the camera. He also unboxed the matching 8bitdo controller. He didn't give any opinions. Not really any different than others showing pictures on social media.

[cacophony]

Yeah, not sure, maybe video footage wasn't allowed for some reason, or they didn't want unboxings done yet.

 

In other news, Analogue has confirmed that the Super Nt has through-hole mounting for the HDMI and USB power ports.

Edited January 27, 2018 by cacophony

[RabidWookie]

I don't understand why reviews are embargoed, when by the time they go live it will likely be impossible to order one.

[retro_fan]

 

If it runs on an SNES it should run on this. If it's just a pins-converter, it obviously won't work.

 

Someone has asked about the Super Retro Advance again, this time on reddit. It uses its own audio/video output (composite) but you control the game with the SNES controller attached to the console. Is this what you meant by "a pins-converter", Kevtris? Or you had in mind something like the Famicom to the NES converter? Wouldn't the separate video/audio outputs of the SRA cause issues (because the Super Nt would be looking for the HDMI video/audio or something)?

 

BTW, RetroRGB did an overview of this device, and it seems that it does not suck totally (but it's definitely not good).

 

EDIT: Well, the manual says that the SRA: "Works with original or third party 16-bit consoles"

Edited January 27, 2018 by retro_fan

[RabidWookie]

 

Someone has asked about the Super Retro Advance again, this time on reddit. It uses its own audio/video output (composite) but you control the game with the SNES controller attached to the console. Is this what you meant by "a pins-converter", Kevtris? Or you had in mind something like the Famicom to the NES converter? Wouldn't the separate video/audio outputs of the SRA cause issues (because the Super Nt would be looking for HDMI video/audio or something)?

 

BTW, RetroRGB did an overview of this device, and it seems that it does not suck totally (but it's definitely not good).

 

EDIT: Well, the manual says that the SRA: "Works with original or third party 16-bit consoles"

It's a cheap emulator on a chip with a gimmick. It sucks totally.

[keepdreamin]

 

Yep, the OSSC/Framemeister alone is $200, and a framemeister (discontinued apparently $400.) Both are FPGA devices.

 

huh? The Framemeister uses a dedicated Marvell Qdeo video processor that is no longer made, that's why it's discontinued. It isn't a FPGA device.

[Kismet]

 

huh? The Framemeister uses a dedicated Marvell Qdeo video processor that is no longer made, that's why it's discontinued. It isn't a FPGA device.

The XRGB-mini framemeister is a FPGA ( http://www.micomsoft.co.jp/xrgb-mini.htm), so is the OSSC. You can see the spartan chip http://www.micomsoft.co.jp/img/xrgb-mini_z03.jpg and here http://i.imgur.com/TXceISY.jpg , how much of the processing is done via the FPGA could be up for debate, but that's not something we should really get into , the Marvell Qdeo chip is the upscaler itself. the OSSC just uses a larger FPGA's to do the same thing. I don't own either device.

 

If it's anything like the SC512-N, the FPGA in the framemeister is really just an overengineered analog to digital step to allow running composite/s-video/componet with one chip.