$400 N64 with UltraHDMI?! Is it worth it?

[AtariBrian]

.

I think it would have to be in the $60 - $80 an hour range to be at all interesting and then that would probably just feel like breaking even for my time.

 

and some more

[Tanooki]

I agree, when you see someone paying upwards of $400, and a base N64 unit is what, $40? Gametech is charging right now $150 for the HDMI update and it's in stock. So there ya go basically about $200 into it. $200 to solder a decent amount of wires to the big chip there in that demo video, then a tiny bit of dremel work and securing the mini-HDMI port to the back end of the N64. That's somehow worth as high as $200? Bullshit. That's straight up pure scamming.

 

I imagine if someone was skilled enough to do this, regardless if they had to setup a table and put their kit on it, could get this done in maybe an hour or less from the looks of things. I don't see how it's worth $200/hr worth of work. I could see paying someone $50 for their time if I supplied all the parts (kit, and system) along with covering the shipping charges.

 

Years ago I paid for the Starfox 2 cart to get put onto an old copy of Stunt Race. Have you ever seen the hellish amount of work involved there? That's a confined space with dramatically more wires, tiny ones too at that, off each pin on the processor to bypass the original game. I ended up paying $70 on that job which included the cost of the Stunt Race cart.

[godslabrat]

It occurs to me that if the install cost were too high, there would be substantial profit in buying kits, doing the install, and reselling them at a price low enough to undercut the original source. And if that isn't a viable plan, then $300+ is probably not that bad after all.

 

Just because it's more money than I happen to have today, doesn't mean it isn't worth it.

[keepdreamin]

I agree, when you see someone paying upwards of $400, and a base N64 unit is what, $40? Gametech is charging right now $150 for the HDMI update and it's in stock. So there ya go basically about $200 into it. $200 to solder a decent amount of wires to the big chip there in that demo video, then a tiny bit of dremel work and securing the mini-HDMI port to the back end of the N64. That's somehow worth as high as $200? Bullshit. That's straight up pure scamming.

 

I imagine if someone was skilled enough to do this, regardless if they had to setup a table and put their kit on it, could get this done in maybe an hour or less from the looks of things. I don't see how it's worth $200/hr worth of work. I could see paying someone $50 for their time if I supplied all the parts (kit, and system) along with covering the shipping charges.

 

Years ago I paid for the Starfox 2 cart to get put onto an old copy of Stunt Race. Have you ever seen the hellish amount of work involved there? That's a confined space with dramatically more wires, tiny ones too at that, off each pin on the processor to bypass the original game. I ended up paying $70 on that job which included the cost of the Stunt Race cart.

 

Dremel? The UltraHDMI port can be notched out with a simple hand file. If your potential modder even mentions taking a dremel near your N64, run for the hills.

Edited December 31, 2017 by keepdreamin

[Metal Jesus]

Just because it's more money than I happen to have today, doesn't mean it isn't worth it.

 

 

A quick look at Sold ebay listings for the entire package shows many, many system sold for well over $400... so for many people, the price is right:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=n64+ultra+hdmi&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=0&LH_Sold=1&_udlo=&_udhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sadis=15&_stpos=98116&_sargn=-1%26saslc%3D1&_salic=1&_sop=12&_dmd=1&_ipg=50&LH_Complete=1

[+GoldenWheels]

Sweet (non metal) jesus, someone paid over $700 for an HDMI N64.

 

Jungle green is the color of money, after all.

[Metal Jesus]

Sweet (non metal) jesus, someone paid over $700 for an HDMI N64.

 

Jungle green is the color of money, after all.

 

 

What's even more shocking are the bids...and people who lost out. So yeah, the demand is there!

[Tanooki]

Stupid people and their money will be separated. That's nothing new. Look at the asinine bidding highs that the NES CE got last year when it was canned. Or look at the sustained cost of what people charge to do a recap on a PCE/Turbo Duo over the price of the unit itself. In neither case of those systems or the UltraHDMI for N64 are they worth like $200/hr+ worth of work. Dumb people will pay whatever they think is right, not what actually is right.

[keepdreamin]

 

 

Yeah, I kinda wish I would have went for a better base N64...since the mod is so special and awesome! I should have used a Funtastic color

 

Couldn't you just get a busted one on eBay and do a case swap with your modded board?

[godslabrat]

 

Couldn't you just get a busted one on eBay and do a case swap with your modded board?

How often do N64s break? Granted, my personal one is on the fritz, but from what I've seen, it's One of the all-time greats in the reliability department.

[keepdreamin]

How often do N64s break? Granted, my personal one is on the fritz, but from what I've seen, it's One of the all-time greats in the reliability department.

 

or just grab a working one with the minimal hookups

[Neo 64]

Way too much money for something that I do not use enough. I can see why some people would want to do that, but I would never spend my money on that.