nicmel84
Saturn Player
Joined: June 2017
Posts: 59
Location:
|
Post by nicmel84 on Aug 31, 2018 9:02:03 GMT
So I just bought another Saturn, god knows how many I've owned over the years! This is my first model 1 saturn. I currently use my white NTSC saturn in my games room connected to my CRT. It's entirely unmodded and will stay that way.
My plan is to get the model 1 fixed up with a 50/60hz and region switchless mod, connect it to my main TV via an OSSC. To start with I'll need an RGB scart cable.
There are a bunch on Amazon for £7, but then I see the madness that is £30 scart cables.
I'm sure I'm using a cheap one on my current saturn, but I'm wondering if the extra cost really represents value for money or not?
|
|
bring
Novice
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 37
Location:
|
Post by bring on Aug 31, 2018 11:37:56 GMT
Are you not using RGB Scart with your white NTSC Saturn? is the Saturn Screen in colour?
EDIT: Sorry missed the bottem line
P.S. does it work with the OSSC especially at 50hz?
|
|
nicmel84
Saturn Player
Joined: June 2017
Posts: 59
Location:
|
Post by nicmel84 on Aug 31, 2018 13:02:02 GMT
I'm using what was probably a "Gam3gear" cable from Amazon, or a "Hellfire" one from ebay. Picture looks great on my CRT.
I don't currently have an OSSC so am unable to test.
|
|
bring
Novice
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 37
Location:
|
Post by bring on Aug 31, 2018 13:32:43 GMT
does the RGB scart work with the (presumably pal) model 1 on your crt and do you have to switch video modes to RGB manually on crt with either console?
|
|
|
Post by zyrobs on Aug 31, 2018 13:36:22 GMT
All the Saturns work fine with the OSSC, and you can use any SCART cable with any unit, even cables that only work on PAL units, since the OSSC doesn't care about the RGB switch pin. The highest quality cables I know of are the model 2 OEM original cables that come with the console, but those don't work with NTSC units since the RGB select pin is wired differently (they work on an OSSC).
PAL 50/60 modded units work on the OSSC fine, but your TV might get the occasional hiccups in motion because a 60hz modded PAL unit doesn't output NTSC standard 59.97Hz but something lower. Of course, on a CRT, this is not an issue.
|
|
bring
Novice
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 37
Location:
|
Post by bring on Aug 31, 2018 15:54:34 GMT
I heard some people were keen to use composite sync from pin 1 on ntsc units and I'm sure I have heard that the Saturns composite sync is not a regular sync signal and a OSSC or framemiester might have a problem with it. So i was trying to discover (without the use of a multimeter) the pin-out Kriptonic's Scart cable.
Good to learn about OSSC not using the scart switching signal and not being able to translate a PAL60 signal correctly.
|
|
|
Post by zyrobs on Aug 31, 2018 16:47:10 GMT
OSSC has no problem with composite signal as sync input. However PAL units have a +9V or +12V output where the c-sync pin is on the a/v output, so I recommend against using raw sync cables for the Saturn, just so you don't accidentally use the wrong cable and fry something.
I have a cable that has a sync separator so it could provide raw sync for every Saturn safely, but it produces off-centre image and no difference in quality, so it's not really useful.
I don't know about the Framemeister, but that thing isn't as useful for Saturn games because many Saturn games change resolutions frequently, and the Framemeister takes a few seconds to resync when that happens. So by the time the image comes back in Virtua Fighter 2 from the character select, you already lost a round.
Generally people use raw sync for two reasons: either because the device specifically requires it (I have a projector like that), or because it has less interference (no video/audio signal on the cable, only sync) and therefore provides better quality. However I've had no cases where a raw sync cable gave better quality on a Saturn. Proper shielding on the audio and RGB pins is far more important IMO.
|
|
|
Post by zyrobs on Aug 31, 2018 16:50:37 GMT
and not being able to translate a PAL60 signal correctly. It can translate the signal correctly, and it will work fine. However there is no HDMI signal standard for a signal that has 59.37 Hz output instead of 60Hz (VGA) or 59.97Hz (NTSC). So it is entirely up to your TV/Monitor how it handles that. Some handle it perfectly fine, some do it with hiccups since they expect 59.97Hz standard signal that gets incorrectly converted. I wish the OSSC had VGA output, then you could hook it up to a CRT Monitor and this wouldn't be the problem in the slightest. Right now you need to use an extra dongle for HDMI->VGA, and that might introduce more bugs in this conversion.
|
|
bring
Novice
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 37
Location:
|
Post by bring on Aug 31, 2018 17:05:13 GMT
When I Used a C-Sync scart cable on a PAL Saturn, it just shut the crt down until I turned the Saturn off.
|
|
|
Post by buckoa51 on Aug 31, 2018 17:52:33 GMT
You're very lucky you didn't fry it, feeding +12 volts in where only a couple are expected.
csync cables always worked better for me, especially on XRGB3, however luma sync appears to work just as well on OSSC and XRGB Mini.
We will have an affordable 240p compatible HDMI to VGA dongle in our store soon.
|
|
oliwek
Lurker
Joined: October 2018
Posts: 1
Location:
|
Post by oliwek on Oct 18, 2018 11:23:18 GMT
Hello. 1st post here, as I have just registered. buckoa51 : I was reading your reply about "an affordable 240p compatible HDMI to VGA dongle in our store soon" Could you give more details about this dongle ? Thank you.
|
|
|
Post by buckoa51 on Oct 18, 2018 14:25:12 GMT
It's for sale now, anything specific you want to know?
|
|
saturnino
Novice
Joined: May 2022
Posts: 38
Location:
|
Post by saturnino on Jun 11, 2022 20:22:52 GMT
All the Saturns work fine with the OSSC, and you can use any SCART cable with any unit, even cables that only work on PAL units, since the OSSC doesn't care about the RGB switch pin. The highest quality cables I know of are the model 2 OEM original cables that come with the console, but those don't work with NTSC units since the RGB select pin is wired differently (they work on an OSSC). PAL 50/60 modded units work on the OSSC fine, but your TV might get the occasional hiccups in motion because a 60hz modded PAL unit doesn't output NTSC standard 59.97Hz but something lower. Of course, on a CRT, this is not an issue. I could use my pal model 2 scart cable with Japanese Saturn without any issues 🤔
|
|
|
Post by zyrobs on Jun 12, 2022 0:48:17 GMT
All the Saturns work fine with the OSSC, and you can use any SCART cable with any unit, even cables that only work on PAL units, since the OSSC doesn't care about the RGB switch pin. The highest quality cables I know of are the model 2 OEM original cables that come with the console, but those don't work with NTSC units since the RGB select pin is wired differently (they work on an OSSC). PAL 50/60 modded units work on the OSSC fine, but your TV might get the occasional hiccups in motion because a 60hz modded PAL unit doesn't output NTSC standard 59.97Hz but something lower. Of course, on a CRT, this is not an issue. I could use my pal model 2 scart cable with Japanese Saturn without any issues 🤔 That depends on how your TV handles the RGB select pin. NTSC Saturns output c-sync on that pin which may or may not have enough voltage to trigger RGB select. On some TVs it works, on the OSSC it works because it ignores the pin entirely, while some other TVs will just randomly switch back and forth between composite and RGB, or not switch to RGB at all.
|
|
saturnino
Novice
Joined: May 2022
Posts: 38
Location:
|
Post by saturnino on Jun 12, 2022 8:31:19 GMT
I could use my pal model 2 scart cable with Japanese Saturn without any issues 🤔 That depends on how your TV handles the RGB select pin. NTSC Saturns output c-sync on that pin which may or may not have enough voltage to trigger RGB select. On some TVs it works, on the OSSC it works because it ignores the pin entirely, while some other TVs will just randomly switch back and forth between composite and RGB, or not switch to RGB at all. You are totally right. The scart cable was connected to an input without support for RGB. I have two scart inputs, and the one with RGB has MegaDrive connected to it. I’ll keep in mind what you said. Thanks mate!
|
|