Analogue Nt

[nusilver]

But don't you realise those fancy tumblr pics cost money?? . Yeah his prices are stupid but sadly some people will buy them, so it'll still work.  He has enough demand to satisfy the limited supply.  Hipster as a fixie, though, and not in a good way.

I wish people weren't as stupid as they're going to be about this thing. Especially given the fact that nobody seems to be able to source an NESRGB right now because of this. I'm perfectly happy with my AV Famicom and my Twin Fami Turbo, though I think the video and audio leads on the second machine need to be re-seated on the board... it's a little bit loose and the picture isn't as nice as the AV Fami.

[L___E___T]

I'm one of the crazy ones that believe these should be played in Composite on a smaller CRT, not in RGB on a 40" OLED 

There was a brilliant Rockman 2 graphics comparison that summed it up beautifully for me.

I can see the allure of RGB, but to me it just looks like emulation, and I can get that already, in HD, with zero sprite flicker in exactly that fashion without playing a bean extra.

[nerdynebraskan]

Makes no sense to me, either. If I had an extra $500 to burn on my Nintendo collection, I'd rather buy a US Little Samson or loose Gimmick and Recca carts. Cost analysis I've seen elsewhere suggests you're paying about $200 of that cost on just the aluminum casing... meh.

[Zycrow]

I'm one of the crazy ones that believe these should be played in Composite on a smaller CRT, not in RGB on a 40" OLED 

There was a brilliant Rockman 2 graphics comparison that summed it up beautifully for me.

I can see the allure of RGB, but to me it just looks like emulation, and I can get that already, in HD, with zero sprite flicker in exactly that fashion without playing a bean extra.

I'd like to see that comparison. I'm in the Composite/CRT party myself.

I guess this thing would be nice if you had a lot of extra cash and just wanted a very clean entertainment area. But I'd rather have a Famicom, NES, and Disk System and a nice old CRT, all of which I have and paid less for in total, and with plenty left over for games, than this "luxury item."

[L___E___T]

Here's one comparison.

Go to the Famicom section and you'll see Solstice, Megaman, and Batman all look truer in composite.  
Yes the RGB is clearer, but if you want clarity then emulation looks better still.  

The thing to consider here is that these games were DESIGNED on and for CRT TVs.  The comparison I really want to find is the opening of Rockman 2 - it's so much more descriptive in composite because the colours blend and paint a better picture.  Yes it's not as Crystal sharp as RGB, but did you ever talk to a DJ about why vinyl is better than CD?  It's a similar scenario with these.

If you look at MegaDrive / Genesis games, many used dithering that is dependent on composite, to make it look like there are more shades and grades of colour.  This is evident if you look at the title screen of Solstice, here:
http://www.chrismcovell.com/gotRGB/screenshots.html

I'm not denying that RGB is crisp and clean, but I am refuting that the games all look better played that way.

[P]

I agree with LET. I think many developers "cheated" when they drew the graphics because they knew it would still look good on a TV (or sometimes maybe they just ended up lucky). Especially that Solstice picture of the wizard looks better with composite (even though there are diagonal lines).

RGB is so clear that you can easily count the pixels the characters are made up of, but the blurriness of composite adds to the liveliness IMHO. It's like the impressionism of video games.

[NintendoKing]

http://m.ebay.com/itm/371034640608?nav=SEARCH
Lol... $26.98, I can use my AV systems upscaled to HDMI.

[L___E___T]

Do you think it keeps the aspect ratio?  I'd still prefer the CRT over the flatscreen, but I think I will build a MAME cab at some point, which won't have sprite limits and supports custom palette editing and more - it is on paper superior to Analogue NT, but emulation has a built up zeitgeist aura of negativity.  RGB is not a 'videophile'  pursuit, it's a bastardisation of the original.  It is not the visual equivalent of a hi-fi enthusiast trying to squeeze out every inch of clarity from a recording.  Games' visuals are designed for the platform they are played on, with common tech from the around the time.  Sony PVMs are the pursuit, not RGB kits.

The reason I draw attention to that, is that modern, RGB obsession is a zeitgeist equivalent except with a positive air.  Both are false because both the demonisation of emulation and the worship of RGB are equally misplaced.

Emulation is not perfect but is not a great evil.  RGB is taken as perfection but is not a great force of good either.

Bottom line is, pixel art was designed for monitors, not modern televisions.  Pursuing crystal clear colours and sharp lines are not what retro pixel art is about.  It can look good at first, but it isn't superior.  This image illustrates somewhat:

Spoiler

Irony that this is not even on a CRT, but it shows what I'm talking about.  If you focus on the stats that look good on paper, you miss what's sitting there waiting to be appreciated.

[close]

[NintendoKing]

"This converter works great with either 720p or 1080p TVs, and the output mode is easily selectable with a switch on the device. This converter''s advanced processing IC allows you to get the clearest picture quality possible with optimal color and detail reproduction. Both video and audio are integrated into the HDMI output, providing an all-digital, one-cable solution to your HDTV or monitor."

I'll buy one and then give you a update when I see what it can do, if it turns out nicely then I'll buy like 4 of them for various AV based things I won.

[L___E___T]

It would be great to see how they run and do a little mini-review of sorts.

I went on a bit of a rant, it's just my opinion but I do feel like the RGB glorification is somewhat of a fad - what'll it be next, 4K layered 3D??