CollectorVision Phoenix Kickstarter is now live!

[TPR]

But such people actually exist in real life, Robb.

 

 

Seriously though... as sad and scary as I find what you posted, it was a breath of fresh air and a reality check that gives me hope for humanity... or at least this community. Thank you for that.

[Mika73]

Have you try connect Commodore 64, Amiga etc to LCD screen and try how crap it looks. Then connect CRT and everything is just fine.... If you can’t see difference you must be blind.

 

 

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[Swami]

Have you try connect Commodore 64, Amiga etc to LCD screen and try how crap it looks. Then connect CRT and everything is just fine.... If you can’t see difference you must be blind.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

He's not even talking about this. Just buy an HDMI to composite adapter, the technology already exists.

[Pixelboy]

And yes, I find it sad too, because the only way these people can enjoy video games is if they use a time machine to travel back to 1984, sit on the floor of their parents' 70s-decorated living room and play on their crappy CRT TV (which they remember today with pink-tinted glasses).

Have you try connect Commodore 64, Amiga etc to LCD screen and try how crap it looks. Then connect CRT and everything is just fine.... If you can’t see difference you must be blind.

Case in point.

[TPR]

If you can’t see difference you must be blind.

 

Then I must be blind because this looks absolutely amazing to me and I couldn't imagine playing my favorite C-64 games any other way...

 

[Keatah]

LCD picture just doesn’t look right. It doesn’t look same as original CRT. Reminds a lot playing games with emulators with PC or Mac. HDMI is a nice option these days but just like original Colecovision experience. It’s nice that there is coming expansion for analog outputs. But expansion is always expansion. It’s not as compact if it already had those connectors itself.

It reminds me a little bit of Ultimate 64 that’s also FPGA based Commodore 64 system. It also has analog output not only HDMI and I am sure people wouldn’t be too happy if it was only HDMI.

LCD pic just look wrong.

I still don't get this 720p. 256 x 192 original resolution on a crt. Doubled is 512 x 384 which fits nicely inside 640x480 vga or 480p.

 

The system is almost 40 years old it doesn't do a higher resolution than that. All it would do is quadruple the same lines and still make more or less the same sized picture.

 

I'm not mad about it I just don't get why it would matter to anyone. I have f18a modded colecovision. I use it through vga on a lcd tv. looks great to me.

 

To be honest … I prefer the crt though with the original output but I have an adam hooked up for that option anyways.

 

The CRT look is indeed a flavor of its own - with certain textures and nuances not observed in LCD unless simulated in software ahead of time. Ever watch a youtube video of a real CRT playing Asteroids? You see the bloom and glare in the shots all the same. And it looks like a CRT. Proof positive all you need to do is feed it the right information.

 

As far as scaling goes - 1080/720/480 and all that - scaling works best with powers of 2 divisibility. If you can't get a power of 2 division, then you either have to shrink the image, or crop off the edges. Or you have to do dithering and smoothing. If you don't you will see un-even or inconsistent fonts or missing lines in sprites as the system drops information.

 

Take the character "U" for instance, with non power of 2 scaling, one side might be thicker than the other.

 

It's an age old consideration when scaling-up smaller resolutions to larger fixed-larger resolution displays.

[Ramses]

 

He's not even talking about this. Just buy an HDMI to composite adapter, the technology already exists.

 

The only issue with those is that they only convert to 480i which will give you noticeable interlacing artifacts which is most glaring with games that have simple graphics. It's something I noticed when I hooked my Wii U (which outputs 480i if you use composite) to my crt to play Mega Man 9 and 10.

 

I'm still considering backing this, I'm just teetering on the border right now. My funds are pretty low this year so I'm a bit choosy right now.

Edited October 20, 2018 by Ramses

[Swami]

 

The only issue with those is that they only convert to 480i which will give you noticeable interlacing artifacts which is most glaring with games that have simple graphics. It's something I noticed when I hooked my Wii U (which outputs 480i) to my crt to play Mega Man 9 and 10.

 

I'm still considering backing this, I'm just teetering on the border right now. My funds are pretty low this year so I'm a bit choosy right now.

 

I've used it to play emulation from BlueMSX and Stella from my Windows 10 laptop on a CRT and it looked fine.

[TPR]

Maybe for my next video I'll use a HDMI > A/V converter and show some footage on a CRT. But again, I just don't get it. Everything I mentioned in THIS post right here: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/283794-collectorvision-phoenix-kickstarter-is-now-live/?p=4138065

If you read through that post, look at the images and the videos I've previously posted. Read through the features and you still are questioning if this is the right console for you, then, and i'm just going to say it... maybe it's not.

 

But if you are looking for a "ColecoVision" which is exactly what this system is, then I'm not exactly sure why you would need anything else or question what it is.

 

It's a ColecoVision. Period!

 

If that is what you want... fund it. If that is not what you want... don't fund it.

It really is as simple as that.

[Reaperman]

First off. I'm probably not fully in the target market. I'm a bit odd, and if I'm paying $200 for a colecovision, I'm doing it for the advantages it has over my NT Mini's 1080p Colecovision core.

 

Those advantages, as I see them:

• So many controller port options. It's a thing of beauty how compatible phoenix is with controllers.
• I can finally use my carts! My colecovision was busted when I got it, and at minimum needs a new power switch(?), which is a huge PITA, because once I replace it then I get to see what else is wrong.
• hardware enhancements, especially SGM game compatibility. Those SGM games are no joke, and I've been in 'jelly school' for some time not getting to play them.
• The value. There is just a lot of stuff that comes with this thing! The pack-in, the "over 10+" built-in games, the enhancements, the full package. It would cost me a *LOT* to get a coleco setup together that has this kind of capability. (what is 'over 10+', anyway? Extra utilities?)

Disadvantages, as I see them:

• 640x480. This is huge for me. I don't know if I can record it with my capture device, and I do know that the lag involved in direct-connect upscaling it to 1080p will be non-trivial. I also don't know if the sync is really 60 (which I can record) or 59.9x (which I surely can't record, but is probably more accurate). Now, I do think that the HDMI-in ports on my framemeister might let me mitigate a lot of that lag, assuming they're not just passthrough ports, that they support the resolution, and in a best case where it's supported, the framemeister still costs me 1-2 frames of lag on top of the 2 my HDTV takes from me.
• It sounds like there is an NES sydney hunter port in line before the colecovision one, and June release for this system isn't far away. Though the game footage I've seen is certainly well into the 'sgm holy jeez' category.

That 640x480 is the thing that might be a deal-breaker given my current setup. If I'm modifying resolution, potentially converting sync, and still dealing with the extra 1-2 frames of lag, maybe the 'juice isn't worth the squeeze.' I know the HDMI plug is for ease of use, but I've got some real mental gymnastics going wondering how best to deal with it. And I'm not trying to bag on the system, I'm really not. The system looks great in the pictures, and I do want to get in on SGM homebrew, but I'm not really sure it's a better fit for me than my current colecovision solution. It certainly is in some ways, but not as much in others.

 

But I think it's a good fit for a lot of people--certainly a lot more than are currently backing it. I'm hoping for a PRGE turnaround on the setup. It comes with a bunch of games, loads roms off of SD, plugs into a modern TV, and takes whatever controllers are around. That should be a kickstarter win in my mind.

Edited October 20, 2018 by Reaperman

[AtariLeaf]

I'm frankly shocked at all the complaints over what is a labor of love and a perfect solution to playing older hardware today. The creators of this system should be applauded and praised for what they've done, not nitpicked to death for what they didn't or couldn't.

[SegaSnatcher]

WTF... am I missing something here with all this 720p bull crap! I didn't hear any kid complain back in the early 80s about the video quality thru RF output and having to deal with crappy TVs and overscan, snow, ghosting, crackiling audio, screen rolling, fighting your siblings for the TV, father coming home from work early and feeling how hot the TV was to see if you were playing games or doing your homework, etc., etc.

 

Want, want, want, want, want! How about strap on a set and deal with it or take your ball and go home alreaady.

Ummm, we don't live in the 80's anymore. The standards have changed. Would you rather watch Laserdisc over a high quality Blu-ray?

[TPR]

Ummm, we don't live in the 80's anymore. The standards have changed. Would you rather watch Laserdisc over a high quality Blu-ray?

 

Please just go away. It's painfully obvious you are only here for the drama and not for the console. We don't need people like you in this discussion.

 

[TPR]

I'm frankly shocked at all the complaints over what is a labor of love and a perfect solution to playing older hardware today. The creators of this system should be applauded and praised for what they've done, not nitpicked to death for what they didn't or couldn't.

 

If more people thought this way the project would be even closer to funding. When I read that 1 tenth of a frame may be a "deal breaker" for some people and ongoing drivel about screen resolutions I don't even know how to respond to that. I'm sitting here at my desk, putting in a cartridge into the system, and it looks great, it plays great, it sounds great, and it's pretty much the same thing as when I put a cartridge into my F18a modded ColecoVision, but it does more and it costs less.

 

The fact that some people are unable to grasp how wonderful that is and are still nitpicking it makes my head spin and my brain hurt.

 

Really Luc said it best...

 

But such people actually exist in real life, Robb.

[NIAD]

 

Then I must be blind because this looks absolutely amazing to me and I couldn't imagine playing my favorite C-64 games any other way...

 

C64 1.jpg

c64 2.jpg

That was a "DROP THE MIC" response! :thumbsup:

 

Seems like there are people posting on here that just want this CollectorVision Phoenix Kickstarter to fail just as so many wanted the ADAM Computer to fail once it was unveiled at the Summer '83 CES. Who you may ask, well.... Atari and IBM.

[Reaperman]

 

When I read that 1 tenth of a frame may be a "deal breaker" for some people and ongoing drivel about screen resolutions I don't even know how to respond to that.

 

I had thought I was trying hard to be fair in my post.

Edited October 20, 2018 by Reaperman

[NIAD]

Ummm, we don't live in the 80's anymore. The standards have changed. Would you rather watch Laserdisc over a high quality Blu-ray?

 

Read this post from AtariLeaf

 

I'm frankly shocked at all the complaints over what is a labor of love and a perfect solution to playing older hardware today. The creators of this system should be applauded and praised for what they've done, not nitpicked to death for what they didn't or couldn't.

 

Nuff said.

[TPR]

Seems like there are people posting on here that just want this CollectorVision Phoenix Kickstarter to fail

 

You're 100% right. They want the drama. They NEED the drama. It's like an orgasmic session of hot masturbatory porn to them. And I don't understand it.

 

You can tell with some of the responses I've received on the videos I've posted and in this thread that people WANT that system to be a SNES Mini board inside. They are looking, HOPING that I'll post something that they'll be able to go...

 

AHA!!!! SEE!!!! IT'S A FAKE!!!!! MIKE KENNEDY!!!! CHAMELEON!!!!! FAKE FAKE FAKE!!!!!!

 

Then the forum will explode in pages and pages and pages of drama.

 

This is exactly what some people are looking for. They don't care about the system. They want a huge drama-party thread and that is what they get off on. But the reality is, no one is hiding anything. The system is real and it does exactly what it is supposed to do: Be a ColecoVision.

 

FFS, this community has had enough drama. I for one am sick of it. I looked at the Phoenix as being one of the best things to happen to this community since the SGM and it would be a project that would actually bring people together. And people are crapping all over it. WHY!?!?!?

 

When I originally responded back to SegaSnatcher the following:

It is exactly posts like this that are going to help be responsible for the project not funding.

 

I was 100% correct with that statement. This is exactly what I am talking about. All this pointless drama that people are seeking out and posting is adding to why the project isn't doing better. Comments like his aren't going to help get the project funded and it most certainly won't help get his beloved 720p added to the console either.

 

It's just stupid and pointless and hurting the campaign. No one can stop those people, and of course they are "entitled to their opinions" and all I can do is just be a little bit more disappointed with humanity with each post I read.

 

/sigh

[Jinks]

So is everyone doing what they can to get this thing sold or just busy posting gifs and talking about resolution?

Who cares? No one should!

What a person is getting is a reliable colecovision system that plays real carts and has a sgm built in.

Anyone with more than 3 brain cells and knows anything about the colecovision and the sgm etc. Knows its a deal.

If you want a ps5 or a wii micraswatch or xboxuno then maybe look elsewhere.

It takes carts. It plays colecovision games.

[digress]

I'm not sure but I think a real selling point is you can use the original controllers, roller conrtoller, super action controllers and driving controller.

[TPR]

So is everyone doing what they can to get this thing sold?

 

We have been making a considerable effort through the ColecoVision Fan Facebook page and the ColecoVision Lunatics Group. Oddly enough, the response has been far more positive and less critical than what we are seeing on AtariAge. I'm not sure if the culture here is just more "nitpicky" or if the members on the Facebook pages are more die-hard (assuming yes considering the groups in question) but sadly the biggest hurdle seems to be the more "casual" retro gamer who keeps throwing out Chameleon and Mike Kennedy comments without even watching the videos or bothering to do a shred of research to see that this has nothing to do with that disaster at all. I was personally also unaware that so many people seem to have negative feelings towards Kickstarter. That actually took me by surprise. If this doesn't fund, I do wonder if CollectorVision will have better luck just doing a traditional pre-order?

 

At the moment we have reached well over 250,000 people on our ColecoVision Fan page with some of the updates we've put out there. So we are most certainly doing what we can.

 

[Swami]

 

We have been making a considerable effort through the ColecoVision Fan Facebook page and the ColecoVision Lunatics Group. Oddly enough, the response has been far more positive and less critical than what we are seeing on AtariAge. I'm not sure if the culture here is just more "nitpicky" or if the members on the Facebook pages are more die-hard (assuming yes considering the groups in question) but sadly the biggest hurdle seems to be the more "casual" retro gamer who keeps throwing out Chameleon and Mike Kennedy comments without even watching the videos or bothering to do a shred of research to see that this has nothing to do with that disaster at all. I was personally also unaware that so many people seem to have negative feelings towards Kickstarter. That actually took me by surprise. If this doesn't fund, I do wonder if CollectorVision will have better luck just doing a traditional pre-order?

 

At the moment we have reached well over 250,000 people on our ColecoVision Fan page with some of the updates we've put out there. So we are most certainly doing what we can.

 

Screen Shot 2018-10-20 at 2.46.18 PM.png

 

I think they are nit-picky conflict seekers from the Nintendo boards drawn in by the promotion. Most of them are new. They don't just say their piece, they have to say it over and over and over.

 

Nothing against Nintendo consoles, I have a Famicom AV, SNES one-chip, N64 and three Wii RVL-001s.

[DuggerVideoGames]

It is blatantly obvious that some of these posts here are just intended solely for idiotic drama and to plant the seed of doubt in potential backers. Having a wish list is one thing, but demanding things and assuming things of which you have no knowledge is another. Also assuming those who are NOT on the project are mind-readers is insane. Questions that were already answered by TPR's videos needn't be asked; other questions - why this or that - should be directed to those on the project itself; trying to pick fights with TRP and others who are not on the project is absurd.

[AtariLeaf]

Has anyone reported the kind of interest and reception the Phoenix is getting so far at PRGE? I would imagine this weekend has the potential to really up the pledges a bunch.

[TPR]

I had thought I was trying hard to be fair in my post.

 

Overall, your entire post was actually very fair and I thank you for that. I actually debated putting that part in my response, but the mention of the difference of one tenth of a frame just plays right into what Luc had said earlier, and sorry, but I just don't understand it. Especially when Brian has said quite a few times they are still looking into what resolutions they can support and even if a certain resolution isn't supported at launch, the system is open source and it could be added later if there is a real demand for it.

 

If the difference of one tenth of a frame is honestly a "dealbreaker" after everything else you listed in your post, after all the other photos and videos that have been shared, after all the other positive features the system has, then maybe the console isn't for you. I would seriously hope that isn't the case, but you have to see why I would question such a statement.