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Who has worked with hooking their old systems up to tv's that only offer HDMI?

 

What solutions did you use?

 

In my prior tv set up I had Composite/S Video/Component Video/HDMI options and via my receivers capabilities I was able to take my NES, SNES, and N64 into the receiver and come out on component cables to my tv.  My new TV offers HDMI only.  I am not replacing my receiver anytime soon as its too nice and functions properly.  I got a component to HDMI conversion adapter and it works ok...   Just wondering if anyone had better solutions.

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I bought one of these things to hook my PS2 up to my HDMI TV. You plug the red, yellow, and white cables into the matching sockets that connect via other cable to the main “box”, which then connects via HDMI cable to your TV. The socket cables are long enough that if I wanted to, I could unplug my PS2 and hook up my Gamecube instead. However, I haven’t played enough action-heavy games to tell if there’s any noticeable input lag.

 

I also got one of these things so I can switch between my Switch, PS2, and Blu-Ray player without having to go behind the TV.

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12 hours ago, Tyranogre said:

I bought one of these things to hook my PS2 up to my HDMI TV. You plug the red, yellow, and white cables into the matching sockets that connect via other cable to the main “box”, which then connects via HDMI cable to your TV. The socket cables are long enough that if I wanted to, I could unplug my PS2 and hook up my Gamecube instead. However, I haven’t played enough action-heavy games to tell if there’s any noticeable input lag.

 

I also got one of these things so I can switch between my Switch, PS2, and Blu-Ray player without having to go behind the TV.

 

 

I got the HDMI switcher already....  its doing WiiU, DVD Recorder, and my receiver's component monitor out converted into HDMI with open slot #4 for anything else I want to hook up like NES, SNES, Genesis, and TG16 minis.... Switch...ect...

 

I have bought this though:

Amazon.com: PORTTA Component to HDMI Converter with Scaler 1080p 720p, YPbPr + R/L Audio to HDMI Adapter, 5 RCA RGB to HDMI Video Converter for PS2 PS3 PSP DVD Wii Xbox 360 : Electronics

 

Its the adapter to take the above to my tv.  I checked my Wii feed as its 480p mode, the best signal of the inputs going that way, and the 480p going through all of that to the tv looked kind of off....  granted I get the 480p moved to a 4K tv aspect of it exposing the flaws in 480p resolution.  On prior tv, and without that converter, and input on component video it looked better ...but 32" vs 43"  1080p vs 4K angle can't be ignored....

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 11/25/2021 at 9:37 PM, purple_beard said:

Who has worked with hooking their old systems up to tv's that only offer HDMI?

 

What solutions did you use?

 

In my prior tv set up I had Composite/S Video/Component Video/HDMI options and via my receivers capabilities I was able to take my NES, SNES, and N64 into the receiver and come out on component cables to my tv.  My new TV offers HDMI only.  I am not replacing my receiver anytime soon as its too nice and functions properly.  I got a component to HDMI conversion adapter and it works ok...   Just wondering if anyone had better solutions.


there are a lot of solutions but they are all pretty expensive. The one most people use who are serious about getting the best quality out of their systems through HDMI is the Framemeister which has virtually no lag (nothing noticeable anyways). However, that will set you back $300-$400 easy. What I did was just go straight up old school with my setup when it comes to my old systems.  Now I get it that not everyone has that ability because of room and space, but I have a Game Room and I have the room. So what I did was I got a 32 inch JVC iArt (similar to the Sony Trinitrons).
 

It is an amazing set that was manaufactured at the tail end of the CRT era (November 2005 is what the sticker on the back says). Now there is one minor issue you might run into if you go my route. Most CRTs, especially the nicer flat screens like what I have have noticeable Geometry problems. Mine doesn’t show up much in 3D games but anything that is 2D is pretty noticeable and very annoying. I am taking mine down to Jacksonville next month after the holidays to get recalibrated. I have found a guy who still does work on older CRTs (which is a dying art right now). He is only charging me $40 to do it since I am having to drive 2 hours out to go to him. 

 

other options which are just as costly for HDMI involve getting Analogue Systems and their systems cost about $200 a piece. Right now they have the Super NT (Hi Def SNES), Mega SG (Hi Def Sega Genesis), a TurboDuo Hi def system. The Analogue Pocket which is a dockable GBA HDMI handheld and the NT and Mini NT which are hi def NES systems that are encased in aircraft aluminum (those cost about $500). I have a Mega SG and Super NT with all the Sega adapters for master system and game gear and it is easily the best way to play them on modern sets. That being said, they are kind of premium niche products and they are not easy to get your hands on if you don’t manage to get in on one of their limited preorders. 
 

Your best bet outside of just going straight up old school is to get a Framemeister. There are other products out there that do similar stuff but the Framemeister is the go to upscaler for serious YouTubers and Twitch people. Now if you are wanting to do speed runs, nothing beats a CRT because there is no lag with one and oftentimes people are just giving them away. There is also one major reason you might want to hunt down a good old CRT if you have the room for a decent sized set and that is Light Gun Games. They still haven’t figured out how to replicate that experience on modern TVs. There are some really expensive solutions for that going on in the Arcade world, but for home consoles you have to have a true 480i standard def CRT.

Edited by Irondog666
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jeez i haven't heard someone talk about the framemeister in ages. that really brings me back
it's still got delay unfortunately but ppl used to use it for the broadcast side of speedrun streams while still playing on a CRT starting round 2013 or so

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On 12/18/2021 at 10:40 PM, April said:

jeez i haven't heard someone talk about the framemeister in ages. that really brings me back
it's still got delay unfortunately but ppl used to use it for the broadcast side of speedrun streams while still playing on a CRT starting round 2013 or so


It is still very popular within streaming circles but it is not the best thing for speed running due to latency. There isn’t a lot of latency, nothing that would be noticeable but when speedrunning you want zero and CRTs are the best way of going about that. That is why I went and got one a few years back is because there was no real good way of playing my N64 games without them being laggy or having graphical issues. It just the Geometry issues that are a problem but those are getting fixed next month once I can get down to Jacksonville to get this dude to calibrate my set. The longer we can keep our CRTs working the better. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

@Irondog666

 

Yes, the JVC IArt series was the only series even close to Sony Trinitrons or their later FV/FS totally flat panel CRTs.  I had a very nice 27" till it got magnetized so bad.  I hated to see that tv go.

 

I've thought about your route in terms of going for those onboard upgraded HDMI out systems but...  its like I am barely playing what I got and what not, so buying all new systems versus an upscaler... IDK....

 

I'm more pissed that in a new tv there isn't at least one input for component video, especially if they think they are throwing you a bone on a composite via one of those headphone jack plugs to use.

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On 12/28/2021 at 10:16 PM, purple_beard said:

@Irondog666

 

Yes, the JVC IArt series was the only series even close to Sony Trinitrons or their later FV/FS totally flat panel CRTs.  I had a very nice 27" till it got magnetized so bad.  I hated to see that tv go.

 

I've thought about your route in terms of going for those onboard upgraded HDMI out systems but...  its like I am barely playing what I got and what not, so buying all new systems versus an upscaler... IDK....

 

I'm more pissed that in a new tv there isn't at least one input for component video, especially if they think they are throwing you a bone on a composite via one of those headphone jack plugs to use.

 

I totally get why you are pissed.  I feel the same way about TVs now.  My Vizio has a Composite but it has no Component and just HDMI so there is at least that.  Problem is, I am not hooking up an NES or N64 to the TV because I know it is going to look and play like total shit.  That is the whole reason why I got the iArt was because I couldn't deal with the graphical issues on top of the severe lag I was experiencing with my retro systems.  So I finally caved and went and got a CRT a few years back after we moved into the new house and got everything setup.  It took sometime to find this set and it does depend on where you live as well. I had to travel to Augusta Georgia to pick this one up which is about two hours from me.  I paid $50 for it and it is in pretty good condition outside of the Geometry problems that plague larger flat screen CRTs. 

There were some Trinitrons available but most of them were up in South Carolina somewhere or up in Atlanta and they also wanted 3x the amount of money for it too.  So I did my research and found out that the differences between the Trinitrons and iArts are subtle for the most part.  The main difference is I guess the iArts are some of the nicest Shadow Mask Sets that they produced during the CRT era.  With the Trinitrons it was more about that Aperture Grill Technology that made them so desirable.  It really just comes down to pure preference since I have seen both in action (my grandfather actually had a 32 inch Trinitron all through the 2000s).  It is a really good alternative to the Trinitrons.  The JVC D-Series is supposedly very good as well but I have never had any experience with those.  Basically, if it is cost you are worried about, your best bet is to look around on second hand marketplaces like Facebook and Craigslist and what is in your area. 

Now if you go this route, just understand there is a good chance  you might need the TV calibrated like I am going to have to do next month.  If that is the case, you might want to look in your area and see if there are any TV Repair places that still do work on old CRTs.  Unfortunately, the closest place near me is Jacksonville Florida which isn't the worst trip in the world.  I live a little over two hours away from Jacksonville and so it is a good day trip.  The guy also said he can do it right there and it wouldn't take very long because if all it is is Geometry issues then it is just about fixing that.  I don't believe mine has to be recapped or anything crazy.  I am going to have the dude take a look at all that and if that has to be done, we can figure that part out at a later date but the main thing is getting the geometry fixed.  Otherwise you are kind of screwed right now.  You either shell out a good 3-$400 for a Framemeister or you go find something like what I have and pay about a quarter of what you would for a Framemeister.  The CRT route is definitely the more cost effective route but I do understand it is not for everyone. 

 

P.S. One final thing I may have forgotten to mention is that with a CRT you can play Light Gun Games.  There is currently no good cost effective way of replicating that on modern TVs.  Now I do know that my friend who lives in Michigan has a MAME Arcade Cabinet he had built for him and has these light guns that he paid $300 per gun for (it is like $400 if you want recoil on them) but that is apparently something going on in the Arcade industry.  Let me tell ya, I love being able to throw on some Virtua Cop or some House of the Dead on the JVC and be able to play them.

Edited by Irondog666
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@Irondog666

 

D series were bubble tubes, good set but curved.  Regular Sony trinitrons were flat vertically but had slight curve horizontally.  When the started the Wega/Vega line they were totally flat with fs, fv, and the primo xbr.

 

Not sure what  you mean on a crt's geometry though as most of that could be tube separating from the cabinet on the inside. My 20" Sony had that but you couldn't tell unless you were watching something with a text crawl or letterboxed.

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  • 4 months later...
  • 1 year later...

Revisiting this thread because of something that happened.....

 

My component to HDMI converter apparently isn't working right or syncing with my tv right...

 

My Sony 43x85j has 4 HDMIs and one composite via an adapter.

 

My Denon can intake anything and output at 1080p component.  Something is up with my current converter taking the component video and sending it out HDMI to the tv.     I thought about bypassing some stuff and going straight out of my AV switcher to the the composite input.....  But DAMN, I hate losing that 480p I can get...                                                                          

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