RGB to S-Video Adaptor

[Bryce]

This is where the S-video PCB is now installed. I've been meaning to make this for ages, I just never had the time. It gets rid of the clutter on my desk and has everything I need in one small neat box My CPCs and other 8-Bits are always powered from a single PC PSU anyway, so it made sense to put it all in one box. Bryce = Happy.

Bryce.

[redbox]

everything I need in one small neat box

That's mega. 

You forgot the Max Headroom transfer on the top of the box though.

[Bryce]

Hmmm, true, I'll have to add that later.

Bryce.

[Charlie]

Hi Bryce.
Your's looks so much prettier than mine - d*mn you! 
Neat box too...


I'm glad you're pleased with the quality of the output from this chip. Having never seen the output from a MC1377 I wasn't sure if it would be a worthwhile improvement.
I'd be happy to do a Wiki page - I've not as yet looked in to this side of the site yet, can they have multiple author's / editors? I'm thinking of the two versions we've done.

[Bryce]

The Wiki pages are freely editable by everyone, there's no specified Author for a page, so anyone can log on and add to a page. If you like I can create the initial page and format and you can add your information to it. It's all pretty much plain text, you don't need any programming knowledge (even I managed to do it )

Sorry for making mine "prettier" Probably just practice, the main thing is that it works! And believe me, it's so much better than the MC1377 version.

Bryce.

Edit: I've started a wiki page here: http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/RGB_SVideo which is listed in the DIY & Repair index and linked to from the MC1377 page too. Add all the pictures and info you have here, I'll add my layouts and schematic later too.

[MacDeath]

So here's my first CPC mod:

Classy as hell...
Good Job.

12V is a bit useless if your moded CPC includes a 5V built-in 3"1/2 Disk Drive to replace the 3"...
But you can also perhaps use a DiskDrive emulator card or a 6128 PLUS 5V disk Drive...


So I suppose when you use this on a moden LCD TV... is is better to get one in 4/3... but those are already obsolete.

when I went to RetroMadrid 2010 I was horrified to see all those old Machines conected to 16/9 monitors and get a natural Mode0 display...
And really old 8 bits were terribadly stretched even more...

I mean, Metal slug on a NeoGeo in stretched16/9 is a bit "ouch my eyes", but a C64 using natively Mode0 like display (160x200...) is even worst.

That's why when some of my friend actually have an old 4/3 flat monitor or even better, a 4/3 flat TV... I ask them to never sell them to anyone but me... (garbage is not even an option !)
Because my 2xAtariSTE, Amiga500, shittons of Amstrads need this !


The coolitude of CPC is that Monitors are "cheap" and easy to find... and still work perfectly.

But Flat Modern LCD screens are somewhat easier to carry into Parties or conventions... or are simply Desktop/eyes frriendly.

So have you tried your system on a 16/9 screen ?
Have you seen some difference between TV or Monitors ?

I suppose it is then better to use a TV as many of those have the possibility to resize to display a "square" 4/3 on the 16/9 by adding vertical borders... Monitors rarely...

Also what about the border ?
It may vary from CPC to CPC monitors (and even depending wheter your Monitor is hot or cold).


Also what about the "shadow" we can see on the letters ?
well, not that it is not kool actually...
Can you show us games screenshoots too ?



A kool thing could be to cannibalize an already Dead GX4000...

[Bryce]

Hi MacDeath,
        I use mine on a 4:3 LCD PC monitor using a V2V to convert the S-Video into VGA. The V2V (and most TVs) can set the screen to 4:3 on a 16:9 screen, leaving black space left and right, so the aspect never has to be wrong/stretched. Regarding the "variable border / position problem" that CPC monitors sometimes have: This doesn't happen on an LCD because the flyback is being automatically controlled (on the CPC monitor it was very much analogue and not being controlled at all), you can test this on Prehistorik II at the initial setup, where it asks you to centre the screen, but no matter where you adjust it to, the LCD screen Auto-centres itself, so you can't get it wrong.

Bryce.

[Charlie]

@Bryce:
Wow, that's quick off the mark with the Wiki page!
Thank's for making a start, I'll fill in my bits shortly...


@MacDeath:
Yes, my CPC's new S-Video port is a bit of a bodge - the result of impatience.
The RGB->S-Video board was one of many projects I have that come under the heading of 'some day I'll get round to finishing it...'.* It got rapid promotion as the result of my having bought a CPC but no viable connection to a monitor. (my only telly with a SCART input didn't like the 6128) Now I can actually use it...
...well, as soon as it's got a 3.5" drive - I have no 3" discs and the old '464 tapes I have seem to be suffering from bit-rot. I'll gladly show some proper screen shots as soon as I have some means of loading software.


Like Bryce says there's no set-up - plug in and go... A converter box to the VGA of a monitor does fine, and manually setting wide-screen tellys to 4:3 will sort the aspect ratio issue there.


Interestingly my wide-screen LCD telly needs no set up - it has a fancy stretch mode to fill the screen when faced with a 4:3 signal...
...think of a graph with a wide U plotted on it: x=the screen position y=the degree of stretching - the idea is to allow 4:3 TV to fill the whole thing while keeping the centre aspect ratio correct - for all my retro systems that display a border this pretty well results in stretching just the border and leaving the display alone.


Shadowing under the letters?
Ah, that means my memory is failing. I vaguely (mis)remembered my '464 doing that with a 'proper' Amstrad colour monitor so assumed it was 'normal'...
...funnily enough when tested on a BBC Master and the VGA out of a PC no such shadowing appeared.


*the x86 Oric Atmos awaits the soul-sappingly tedious need to rewire it's keyboard - been putting it off for 6 months.
*the x86 Mac SE awaits a new supply of brave pills - the plastic needs re-profiling to fit the wee colour LCD. One shot: Get it wrong and the project's junk.
*the list goes on and on...

[MacDeath]

I have no 3" discs and the old '464 tapes I have seem to be suffering from bit-rot.

you can still use the Tape-drive plug to put a MP3 or Ipod to load games/stuffs...