Scart to hdmi converters?

[pubzombie]

Hi all,
I'm currently running my A1200 through a scart cable I got from amigakit.
Just wondering if anybody has used a scart to hdmi converter box and if so any recommendations on brands?
Cheers
PZ

[Jope]

X-RGB Mini (Framemeister)

[Paul_s]

I tried the Startech SCART to HDMI converter... wasn't that great! (It's around £50)

http://uk.startech.com/AV/Converters...o~SCART2HDMITV

You'd be better buying the Framemeister (Jope's comment above). It's expensive but it's awesome (thinking of buying one myself). Solaris Japan get some good reviews but import fees might jack the price upto around £300.

[pubzombie]

300!!!!
That's a lot.

[Jope]

You asked for a recommendation. :-) Other devices will do the job too but might not show every frame, might have a forced 50->60Hz framerate conversion, might have forced deinterlacing of the Amiga's progressive signal..

[Paul_s]

Originally Posted by pubzombie

300!!!!
That's a lot.

The old phrase 'you pay for what you get' / 'buy cheap buy twice' comes to mind


I did an import duty calculation to the UK from Solaris Japan (with the correct RGB/SCART cable added) and it comes to £252 (x-RGB/RGB cable/priority shipping/import duty).

[Jope]

Just wait until the guys on the other thread nail the parameters for the scaler chip in the GBS 82x0 boards.. Then you can buy those for 300 euro as well after the scalpers figure it out. :-D

[dakidski]

The guy who runs Assembler Forum sell Framemeisters directly from Japan.

[rare_j]

The framemeister is the only device I know of that can do it properly.
It's crazy expensive though.

[pubzombie]

Just been reading up on the framemeister - it is a real sweet piece of kit. I'm kinda suprised though that nothing like this has been mass produced. There must be a good market for them?

[emuola]

The Framemeister is worth every penny, I can assure you. It "eats" anything and produces a perfect picture One of the great things (it has tons of tweak options), is the ability to change the sync signal level. This alone helps with many retro computers hooked up with rgb scart. I've tested it with the following: A1200, C64, MSX2 (sync level has to bee a little lower that the others), TurboDuo/TG-16/Coregrafx, Amstrad 6128Plus, Spectrum +2

On the other hand, I've unfotunately also tested the cheapo alternatives and spent at least the amount of cash the Framemeister eventually was for... :/ Lesson: Buy quality stuff!

[bdb]

Back to the original poster's question, there is a 5 page long discussion on Amiga.org --http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?p=780744#post780744

[pubzombie]

Originally Posted by bdb

Back to the original poster's question, there is a 5 page long discussion on Amiga.org --http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?p=780744#post780744

Thank you bdb

[john1979]

Originally Posted by emuola

I've tested it with the following: A1200, C64

Will it take the C64s weird Chroma-Luma signal and give a decent 50hz HDMI output then? If it can do that I'd be tempted to save up for one. My old trinitron won't last forever...

[Jope]

Originally Posted by john1979

Will it take the C64s weird Chroma-Luma signal and give a decent 50hz HDMI output then? If it can do that I'd be tempted to save up for one. My old trinitron won't last forever...

Yes. It is not that weird, it's 288p s-video. The c-64 just doesn't have a 4-pin mini din at the back panel, but hook the signals up to an s-video connector and there you go.

[john1979]

Well I say weird because it was made before S-Video standard came out. I read somewhere it is different to usual S-Video because it is progressive. My Trinitron CRT is fine with it but my DVD recorder hates it.

Also many cheap S-Video to HDMI adapters and modern LCD's (those that have S-Video) don't fair so well with the C64s chroma-luma signal.

[bdb]

The elements of S-video existed long before there was a mini din connector named "S-video," and before progressive displays; the issue was that there was no broadcast signal that used them and they were for "studio" use. The mini din was used in the late 1980's for home use between VCRs and TV sets, computers such as the C64 had them as component (RCA) connectors, or BNC for studio equipment.

[Jope]

Chroma is chroma and luma is luma and pal is pal. Only the timings are not what broadcast equipment expects with the C-64. :-)

But yeah this is splitting hairs. Nevertheless, the s-video part (chroma/luma/pal) of the signal is as standard as can get.

[bdb]

PAL is not PAL when it is NTSC

[Jope]

Chroma is chroma, luma is luma, ntsc is ntsc, in the ntsc case the signal would be 240p instead of 288p.