Mega SG or Original Model1/Retrotink/HD Retrovision cables

[genesisguy]

The titles basically says it all. But how do you think these two would compare if you were to play Sega Genesis games on your modern HD TV?

[derFunkenstein]

Costs are going to be similar for a base Genesis model 1 + the other hardware, but there are tradeoffs.

 

In favor of original hardware:

• The RetroTink will work with other consoles, particularly useful if you have S-Video or composite-only systems that you want on your HDTV.
• The Genesis HD Retrovision cables are incredibly useful thanks to the plethora of adapters - Saturn, PS1, model 1 and 2 Genesis, Neo Geo, and so on
• There will be no compatibility issues with a model 1 Genesis. Early Mega Sg videos have pointed out issues with certain Sega CD games. I'm sure it'll be fixed in firmware, but early adopters should be aware.
• 32X compatibility

Just be sure to get a VA3 through VA6.5 (preferably a VA3 through VA5). The VA2 gets distorted in many games and I find it unpleasant. You'll need the model 1 adapter for the Retrovision cables and that's another $10 or so.

 

In favor of the FPGA system:

• RetroTink only does 480p at best. On my TVs that resulted in a very soft image. I didn't care for it, and that's a shame because I had to spend the money to find out the hard way.
• Both the HD Retrovision cables and the RetroTink are now in a pre-order status that could be months away.
• Razor-sharp pixels thanks to native 1080p upscaling.
• If you want the very best output from a Genesis and can't mod it yourself, you can wind up with interference.
• Old hardware is more likely to have failure points. Costs will go up for a recapped system, for example, if you can't do it yourself

In the end, I sold my triple bypass Genesis model 2, RetroTink, and HD Retrovision cables (along with my RGB modded SNES Jr and those HD Retrovision cables, and also my original NES) in order to buy a Mega Sg, Super Nt, and RetroUSB AVS. I'm glad I did in the case of the last two. They're phenomenal pieces of hardware that just work like I expect them to, and I have no doubt the Mega Sg will be, too. I also feel better about the cleaner setup in my living room and got better image quality on top of it. To really match the Super Nt and AVS you need an OSSC and RGB-bypassed consoles. That means a very expensive Genesis with a triple bypass board if you can't do that work yourself.

 

Also don't forget that if you're a tinkerer, a MiSTer setup might be fun to play with. I thought about that, but in the end I wanted a plug-and-play solution, and the Analog and RetroUSB devices are just that. I feel like in the hands of a good engineer, an FPGA setup is going to be awfully hard to beat.

[genesisguy]

derFunkenstein,

Thanks for the response!

 

I guess I should have added that I have a Genesis model 1(infact 2 really nice early models) already and HD Retrovision cables. I also have 3 really nice NES consoles and two nice SNES consoles. I have the HD Retrovision cables for the SNES.

I have the RetroUSB AVS and use that more than my old NES consoles now that I only have a HD TV and the RC cables don't look as nice as the AVS. So I was thinking with the retrotink I could atleast use the old NES consoles.

 

I did pickup a Mega SG so I can now play a majority of my games on the HDTV.

 

Why am I asking all this? I don't know I was a collector in the 2000s and have some nice original hardware that now gets no use. We do have a Sony Trintron in the garage but haven't made a space for it in the new house.

I spent a lot of time tracking down nice hardware and I hate seeing it not get used. But I will say now that I'm not into collecting like I was 10 years ago the AVS gets the most use out of sheer ease and I'm going to bet the Mega SG will too.

[derFunkenstein]

If you have the cables and console already, have you considered an Open Source Scan Converter? Original hardware on a 1080p display is pretty beautiful. And you can link the OSSC to the RetroTink via an HDMI -> VGA adapter and upscale direct passthrough 240p by 4x or 5x.

 

For me, the Mega Sg is going to be my primary device connected to my Sega CD in my living room. The VA6.5 I have in my office on my OSSC will stay, but it's for when the TV is otherwise occupied by other members of my household, mostly.

[Austin]

OSSC is the only way you'll get a picture comparable to the Mega SG. However, it probably isn't worth it unless you plan on using other systems with it too.

[blainelocklair]

I have a "New Cables For Classic Consoles" thread going here:

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/288807-the-new-cables-for-classic-consoles-thread/

 

There's some additional discussion on this exact topic in there. Check it out for some good info.

[genesisguy]

OSSC is the only way you'll get a picture comparable to the Mega SG. However, it probably isn't worth it unless you plan on using other systems with it too.

 

Austin its been awhile since I've been active but I remember you from Implant Games podcast. Is that happening again?

 

I looked at the OSSC but I read I couldn't hook up my NES without an RGB Mod so I went with the retrotink. My classic gaming is basically NES and Genesis with the random SNES game.

I have a Mega SG on order so I guess I will be able to answer my own questions soon.

[derFunkenstein]

My classic gaming is basically NES and Genesis with the random SNES game.

 

Same here. Maybe the cheapest method if you aren't interested in real carts is a MiSTer setup, since all three of those cores are pretty mature. I ended up popping the $600 required to get an AVS, Mega Sg, and Super Nt. That's a lot of cash for access to real carts, though. The RetroTink does the best it can with composite video from the NES, but it's still got that trademark dot crawl and a case of the fuzzies. So the way I see it is it's a $200 RGB mod + an OSSC + the cables you need = what, $300? 350? Or sell the original hardware for what you can and get the FPGA equivalents for $400-450, depending on what specific models you have. Or keep what you have and get the FPGAs. The possibilities are endless.

[genesisguy]

 

Same here. Maybe the cheapest method if you aren't interested in real carts is a MiSTer setup, since all three of those cores are pretty mature. I ended up popping the $600 required to get an AVS, Mega Sg, and Super Nt. That's a lot of cash for access to real carts, though. The RetroTink does the best it can with composite video from the NES, but it's still got that trademark dot crawl and a case of the fuzzies. So the way I see it is it's a $200 RGB mod + an OSSC + the cables you need = what, $300? 350? Or sell the original hardware for what you can and get the FPGA equivalents for $400-450, depending on what specific models you have. Or keep what you have and get the FPGAs. The possibilities are endless.

 

 

Did you keep your original hardware? We bought a small house two years ago and I really don't see a spot for a CRT tv in our daily life. I have a small one still tucked away at my mom's house and this one I picked up at a garage sale in my garage still(I should really try it out).

This sounds silly but I would find it difficult to part with my original consoles. My first Genesis is dead (but I still have it).

[+chicgamer]

I'll always stick with the original consoles when I can. Part of that, though, is because I do most of my classic gaming on CRTs and want analog output.

 

If I didn't already have multiple classic consoles outputting RGB, I might consider an FPGA console since it would make capturing footage easier. For my purposes, though, an OSSC is the best way to go.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

I was really tempted with the MegaSG as I missed out on the AnalogNT and SuperNT. But I now have my stuff modded with RGB on some of them or even through s-video using other hardware in the mix to get good results. I like the idea of these multcore FPGA units for scaling down the space needed, but I do like being able to grab a cart from the shelf and shove it into the console and go too. And I really like the look of the original consoles and having them all setup at once at the ready for any gaming.

 

But honestly, I've got so much money tied up into my game room and the way everything is connected/modified that I just don't have a need for these newer FPGAs. But for someone that just wants to play the games and maybe only collect the carts, that systems like the MegaSG etc are an excellent way to go about doing just that.

[derFunkenstein]

Did you keep your original hardware? We bought a small house two years ago and I really don't see a spot for a CRT tv in our daily life. I have a small one still tucked away at my mom's house and this one I picked up at a garage sale in my garage still(I should really try it out).

This sounds silly but I would find it difficult to part with my original consoles. My first Genesis is dead (but I still have it).

 

I still have the Genesis (and the OSSC, for that matter; my PS2, Dreamcast, Saturn, and OG Xbox are all connected to it) but space is a primary concern. I'm working to eliminate duplication, and the NES and SNES have been sold. Since the Mega Sg just came yesterday, the Genesis is only here because I haven't had time to list it yet. I had two CRTs in the house but sold them in the last couple months. To me it's no big deal; to you or to someone else, it might be. Start by putting stuff in storage. If you miss it, get it back out. If not, sell it. That's the best advice I can give.

 

My console collection is kind of small in the first place. I don't do anything that wasn't mainstream, and while I've had PCE and N64 in the past, they're just not my thing. So it's just Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast; AVS, Super Nt; PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4; OG Xbox, Xbox 360 E. And that's split between two rooms in my house - anything that can only do analog video is on the OSSC in my office, and anything that can do HDMI is in the living room.

[genesisguy]

 

I still have the Genesis (and the OSSC, for that matter; my PS2, Dreamcast, Saturn, and OG Xbox are all connected to it) but space is a primary concern. I'm working to eliminate duplication, and the NES and SNES have been sold. Since the Mega Sg just came yesterday, the Genesis is only here because I haven't had time to list it yet. I had two CRTs in the house but sold them in the last couple months. To me it's no big deal; to you or to someone else, it might be. Start by putting stuff in storage. If you miss it, get it back out. If not, sell it. That's the best advice I can give.

 

My console collection is kind of small in the first place. I don't do anything that wasn't mainstream, and while I've had PCE and N64 in the past, they're just not my thing. So it's just Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast; AVS, Super Nt; PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4; OG Xbox, Xbox 360 E. And that's split between two rooms in my house - anything that can only do analog video is on the OSSC in my office, and anything that can do HDMI is in the living room.

 

That's good advice. Maybe I should start by selling off my backup consoles...