Composite to hdmi converter

[Prizrak]

I've got a Sears 2600 light 6 switch that has a composite mod on it. On a CRT it looks perfect, crisp etc, on my flat screen there's ghosting and bleeding a little of colors. If I wanted to improve the image would a composite to hdmi box filter or clean it up some? I've been playing with straight composite but just doesn't feel right. I could go with something like a retron77 but I like to use original hardware. What you guys think?

[+Gemintronic]

Probably not. If your flat screen is LCD or plasma it's all about how the electronics inside (the TV) convert the analogue signal to digital.

[Prizrak]

Its LCD, older flat TV that still has composite in. My OG Xbox looks good but the Atari just suffers in translation.

[+Nathan Strum]

Upgrading to an S-Video or RGB mod would net you better results. Composite is always going to have some bleed.

[+LS650]

I don't think the converter would help; in fact, it would just add another layer and probably be a little bit worse.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Using a composite to HDMI converter will only make the bleeding of the colors and general fuzziness of the image that more obvious. You would also be introducing additional lag on the input controls that would take some getting used to. Having said that, if you were to go with an s-video upgrade and run that through a converter out to HDMI, then you would see quite a difference there. Still have the lag issue, but it would look pretty darn good. I actually was using a composite/s-video to HDMI converter for nearly 7 years before I switched everything over to more powerful gear over this past summer.

 

But yeah...composite won't look any better through a converter to HDMI. You have to improve the original video signal you send to the converter first.

[Prizrak]

Ok thanks for the input guys, maybe I'll have my 2600 nodded to give me better hookup down the road. Appreciate your input.

[envytomdead2]

I have had some luck with the cool digital av2hdmi converter(black one not the white one)

 

I use it mainly for my genesis and master system which has decent video out but I have also used it running my 7800 rf into a vcr into the cool digital converter. Is it perfect? No, but I found it be really, really playable with minimal lag. You can also switch the aspect ratio to 4:3. I had to run my flashback 2 through a vcr to make that work so I'm not sure if even with you av mod you might still need a vcr

Edited February 26, 2019 by envytomdead2

[+LS650]

I use one of those cheapie white AV2HDMI converters. I bought it off Amazon from a seller in China for a measly $10 - but it did take about a month to arrive.

I use it with my Jaguar and my NES. It works okay, with a little bit of red bleeding along edges. I sometimes think I will buy a better solution, but for $10 I can't complain.

As -^Cro§Bow^- mentions, these cheap ones do not have the ability to choose between 16:9 and 4:3. My display has this built into the menus, so not a problem for me.

Edited February 26, 2019 by ls650

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Yeah the one I was using (Still have it and might need to sell it actually) was the one from Monoprice. I believe is the Sabrent converter just with MP's branding on it. They still sell it here:

 

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=9994

 

It is now about $12 more in price than it was back in like 2012 when I first bought mine. It handles PAL/NTSC switching. 720p/1080p output. But it does NOT have an aspect ratio switch so everything is stretched 16:9. That is why I always made sure my modern HD displays I've used in the game room allowed me to force 4:3 on digital inputs like HDMI. Otherwise I was quite happy with it for the many years it served me.