- Thu 17 November 2022
- Personal
It's taken me several years and about a thousand dollars but I've perfected how I play retro games on original hardware using a PVM. I thought I could make do without SCART because I don't like how big those ports are and how expensive switchers are, but I came to a compromise by converting it to VGA/DVI, which is much easier to work with in my opinion.
Consoles
- Sega Saturn, USA model 2
- Insurrection Industries SCART cable (CSYNC)
- Sega Dreamcast, USA revision 1
- Beharbros Kuro VGA box
- This product is no longer available as of November 2022. The closest equivalent is the Hanzo.
- I would not recommend this product due to quality control issues with the unit I received. There is no strain relief on the cord leading from the Dreamcast plug side and I felt the need to reflow the solder joints myself.
- PlayStation, SCPH-5501
- Insurrection Industries SCART cable (sync on luma). This cord is compatible with the PlayStation 2 as it contains capacitors necessary for video output that are not contained in the console.
- PlayStation 2, V4
- Retro Gaming Cables SCART cable (sync on luma), with a composite pigtail mod by me for GunCon 2 input. Attach a RCA lead to SCART pins 17 (composite ground) and 19 (composite video out).
- MiSTer
- Analog I/O board for VGA output to CRT and HDMI output to capture device.
Converters and Processors
- Voultar "Double Penetration SD" SCART to DVI converter
- This adapts a SCART input into DVI and 3.5mm audio and a SCART passthrough. An optional low pass filter is built in.
- This device was designed for DVI input to the Datapath VisionRGB series of capture cards, but the DVI output seems to be compatible with any device that accepts DVI-I, including VGA devices such as the Extron RGB 192 interface.
- The SCART passthrough is sent to RetroTINK-4K for output on one of my main monitors and my capture card.
- The audio output is connected to a 1x4 RCA audio splitter. These outputs are connected to computer speakers and HD15-2-SCART when used with Dreamcast.
- tvONE 1T-C2-750
- Two DVI inputs and one DVI output. Scaler for non-240p sources, such as Dreamcast 480p VGA passively converted to DVI-I.
- Purchased from eBay.
- Extron RGB 192 Interface
- VGA to BNC converter. The DVI output of the above devices is passively adapted to VGA and fed as an input to this processor, which creates the proper composite sync for the PVM-20N6U. Also contains VGA passthrough.
- Purchased from eBay.
- RetroTINK-4K
- The ConsoleMods Wiki is used for guidance on console-specific configurations.
Monitor
- Sony PVM-20N6U
- 20", 500 TV lines.
- BNC, composite, and S-Video input.
- Supports NTSC and PAL video.
Video Capture
- AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K GC573
- Recommended by the ConsoleMods Wiki page for RetroTINK-4K.
Block Diagram
-------------
| |
| Console |
| | --------------
------------- | |
| | Speakers |
SCART ------------Audio---------------->| |
| | --------------
v |
------------------ | -------------------- ---------------
| |----- | | | |
| Voultar D.P. | | Extron RGB 192 |---BNC-->| PVM-20N6U |
| |---DVI-->| | | |
------------------ -------------------- ---------------
|
SCART
|
v
------------------ --------------------- ----------------
| | | | | |
| RetroTINK-4K |---HDMI-->| AVerMedia GC573 |---HDMI-->| PC Monitor |
| | | | | |
------------------ --------------------- ----------------
Block Diagram (Dreamcast)
--------------- -------------------- ---------------
| | | | | |
| Dreamcast |---->| Beharbros Kuro |---VGA (480p)-->| 1T-C2-750 |
| | | | | |
--------------- -------------------- ---------------
| | |
| VGA VGA
Audio (240p/ (240p/
| 480i) 480i)
------------------ | |
| | ------------------------
| v v
| -------------------- ---------------
| | | | |
| ----------------| Extron RGB 192 |---BNC-->| PVM-20N6U |
| | | | | |
| | -------------------- ---------------
| VGA
| |
| |
v v
------------------ --------------------- ----------------
| | | | | |
| RetroTINK-4K |---HDMI-->| AVerMedia GC573 |---HDMI-->| PC Monitor |
| | | | | |
------------------ --------------------- ----------------
Retired Devices
- GBS-Control
- I constructed one out of curiosity but my current setup has made it redundant. I had difficulty using its Wi-Fi-only interface.
- SyncSlayer II
- Formerly used to adapt SCART input to VGA and 3.5mm audio. My unit started to show curling on the top-left corner and other problems when connected to either my USB3HDCAP or RetroTINK-5X that I was unable to correct, though the output looked correct on CRT. I contacted the seller for guidance on this problem and did not get a response. The Voultar Double Penetration has since replaced this, which also allows for SCART to be fed unchanged to RetroTINK-5X.
- Elgato Game Capture HD
- Currently in cold storage as a backup capture device. Supports analog input with adapter cables.
- Elgato Game Capture HD60 S
- Currently in cold storage as a backup capture device.
- RetroTINK-5X Pro
- Sold.
- Tendak HDMI to VGA adapter
- Used to convert HDMI output of RetroTINK-5X to VGA (passively adapted to DVI) and 3.5mm audio.
- 3.5mm audio is routed to PC's line input. 90ms delay is added in OBS.
- No longer in use, as AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K GC573 has no issues with audio synchronization.
- Startech USB3HDCAP
- DVI input. Supports 15kHz video input.
- This hacked driver is used to work around bugs in the last official driver. Mirror.
- Sold, due to frustrations with the driver modifying Windows power plans to disable idle states, and no support for 4K input.
- HD15-2-SCART
- VGA and 3.5mm audio input. Adapts VGA output of Dreamcast to SCART.
- Availability is notoriously limited.
- Sold with RetroTINK-5K Pro, as RetroTINK-4K has VGA and 3.5mm audio input.