XRGB Mini 8 pin Adapter cable - Passive or Sync Stripper??

[vexcollects]

I couldn't find this info through searchi :Dng the forum, so I'm giving it a try here. Does anyone have an XRGB mini that is using a euro RGB (true RGB not composite signal) Scart cable from a NTSC console (IE: Saturn)? I am looking at buying the XRGB mini and I'm just trying to figure out whether I require the Passive 8 pin/Scart adapter cable or the Sync Stripper 8 pin/Scart adapter cable going into the XRGB mini. I would be using a NTSC console and I have heard that there are issues with picture dropping out, which is why a sync stripper cable is recommended, but I want to make sure.

If anyone knows, please reply. Also, I'm not looking for someone to just tell me to use a CRT since I can't use RGB on a Canadian tube TV, and I'm not looking for someone to help me decide in getting the XRGB mini....just the question above. I know there are a lot of opinions out there on this subject, but I just need help on the specifics.

Thanks   

[glazball]

You do not want a cable with a sync stripper.  Early firmware versions of the Mini didn't allow you to adjust the sync, but it's no longer an issue.

So basically, get this adaptor (to replace the JP21 adaptor that comes with the Mini):
http://www.retrogamingcables.com/european-scart-to-framemeister-xrgb-mini-converter-for-sale.html

Of course make sure to use EU SCART cables, and you'll be set!

[vexcollects]

You do not want a cable with a sync stripper.  Early firmware versions of the Mini didn't allow you to adjust the sync, but it's no longer an issue.

So basically, get this adaptor (to replace the JP21 adaptor that comes with the Mini):
http://www.retrogamingcables.com/european-scart-to-framemeister-xrgb-mini-converter-for-sale.html

Of course make sure to use EU SCART cables, and you'll be set!

thanks glazball!

[glazball]

np Vex, I'm no expert but love to try to help where I can   Feel free to pm me if you have other questions.  The guy at retrogamingcables.com (based out of UK) is very friendly too, and I highly recommend him.  There's a US seller (who I shall not name) based out of Florida , but she is horrible with responding to emails, etc so I would avoid buying from her.  It's worth the slight shipping delay from England to buy from retrogamingcables.com.

[ccovell]

You're in NTSC-land; Japanese retro consoles use NTSC and/or have their own 21-pin RGB cables; so why fiddle with Euro-wired cables?

[vexcollects]

You're in NTSC-land; Japanese retro consoles use NTSC and/or have their own 21-pin RGB cables; so why fiddle with Euro-wired cables?

That's a great question. Probably because I read so much on the subject in such a little time that I got super confused. I read that I should avoid the Japanese RGB21 cable all together and just buy a Euro/NTSC hybrid scart RGB cable (coming from the Sega Saturn), and hook it up to an 8-pin Euro style scart adapter to the XRGB mini. As I'm typing and the more I think about it, I'm not sure why I thought that I needed a Euro style scart. Live and learn I guess.

This is what I had read (some forum posting) that maybe threw me off:
" Basically yes, that's exactly it. You can't use the 8 pin adapter that comes with the mini because it's wired for Japanese RGB21, and you've seen how hard it is to find those cables. So you replace that with an adapter wired for SCART. You then buy a Saturn SCART cable, and here's the important part, you want any Saturn SCART cable marked as compatible with NTSC consoles AND fully wired for RGB.. and you will be good to go."

[SuperDeadite]

Japanese cables work the best.  People just avoid them as they are harder to find.  I don't have a Mini, but I have around 10 or so Micomsoft devices, and never had an issue with my Japanese cables....

[Opethian]

I think people prefer EURO cables because SCART switchers are easier and cheaper to find than their Japanese counterparts. I don't mind swapping cables out tho.

[vexcollects]

np Vex, I'm no expert but love to try to help where I can   Feel free to pm me if you have other questions.  The guy at retrogamingcables.com (based out of UK) is very friendly too, and I highly recommend him.  There's a US seller (who I shall not name) based out of Florida , but she is horrible with responding to emails, etc so I would avoid buying from her.  It's worth the slight shipping delay from England to buy from retrogamingcables.com.

... And I'm having a hard time pressing the "submit order" button on the mini. It's so mucho monnies.

[glazball]

You can use either JP21 or Euro SCART.  It's VERY important that you don't mix them up though, so I would highly, HIGHLY suggest buying that Euro SCART adaptor and only using Euro cables.  Just leave the JP21 adaptor in the box.  The reason for this is Euro SCART cables are much easier to find than JP21.

As far as pulling the trigger on the Mini - yea, it is a lot of money.  I hesitated too, but after you get your consoles set up via RGB, you understand why I (and most everyone else that owns one) have no buyer's remorse!  It's stunning to see in person.  But as for your first post, I won't get into why/if you should get one.  If you do, you won't ever want to go back either.

Make sure when you do buy it that you get the D-terminal to component adaptor if you want to hook up component-capable consoles (PS2, Gamecube, Wii).  Those adaptors are apparently hard to find outside of Japan.

[vexcollects]

You can use either JP21 or Euro SCART.  It's VERY important that you don't mix them up though, so I would highly, HIGHLY suggest buying that Euro SCART adaptor and only using Euro cables.  Just leave the JP21 adaptor in the box.  The reason for this is Euro SCART cables are much easier to find than JP21.

As far as pulling the trigger on the Mini - yea, it is a lot of money.  I hesitated too, but after you get your consoles set up via RGB, you understand why I (and most everyone else that owns one) have no buyer's remorse!  It's stunning to see in person.  But as for your first post, I won't get into why/if you should get one.  If you do, you won't ever want to go back either.

Make sure when you do buy it that you get the D-terminal to component adaptor if you want to hook up component-capable consoles (PS2, Gamecube, Wii).  Those adaptors are apparently hard to find outside of Japan.

Cool, I will more than likely buy it soon. The D-terminal was a consideration, but I'm assuming you don't have the official Gamecube component cables what with the high price (sickly high). Do they make third party ones that won't cost half of what the XRGB mini does?

I would also love to get the Dreamcast hooked up to it too, but I'm assuming I will need some kind of transcoder to go from VGA to Component? Have you done this. I realize that I could use VGA, but my extremely large new Samsung Plasma (64F8500) has no VGA inputs and wouldn't present anything at a Dreamcast resolution through VGA anyway.

I just use my Wii U as my Wii. 

[glazball]

Your new Samsung plasma is BEGGING for an XRGB Mini!  I have a Samsung as well, a 50" plasma though it's now about 4 years old.  Still an impeccable picture.  (Very fine and wise choice on going plasma over LCD/LED also!)

So my TV does have a VGA input, and I use the (official) Dreamcast VGA box directly to the TV.  It's one of the very few consoles I don't run thru the Mini, so sadly I can't help you very much there - other than to say yes, you will need some kind of VGA -> Component converter.

Gamecube via component is only available via the expensive official cable.  I'm actively looking for one, and yea I'm not looking forward to paying for it.  There are no 3rd party or aftermarket Gamecube component cables, unfortunately.  For now I'm using S-video from the Gamecube.

D-terminal adaptor may not even be necessary since your tv probably has component inputs.  However, it's a good way to future-proof your Mini.  (Perhaps your next tv may not?).  If you buy the D-terminal adaptor from Solaris Japan along with the Framemeister, you'll be ready to run any console via composite, S-video, component and RGB for the rest of your life so long as you have a TV with an HDMI in (which will likely be a standard for a long time).

[vexcollects]

Your new Samsung plasma is BEGGING for an XRGB Mini!  I have a Samsung as well, a 50" plasma though it's now about 4 years old.  Still an impeccable picture.  (Very fine and wise choice on going plasma over LCD/LED also!)

So my TV does have a VGA input, and I use the (official) Dreamcast VGA box directly to the TV.  It's one of the very few consoles I don't run thru the Mini, so sadly I can't help you very much there - other than to say yes, you will need some kind of VGA -> Component converter.

Gamecube via component is only available via the expensive official cable.  I'm actively looking for one, and yea I'm not looking forward to paying for it.  There are no 3rd party or aftermarket Gamecube component cables, unfortunately.  For now I'm using S-video from the Gamecube.

D-terminal adaptor may not even be necessary since your tv probably has component inputs.  However, it's a good way to future-proof your Mini.  (Perhaps your next tv may not?).  If you buy the D-terminal adaptor from Solaris Japan along with the Framemeister, you'll be ready to run any console via composite, S-video, component and RGB for the rest of your life so long as you have a TV with an HDMI in (which will likely be a standard for a long time).

I shouldn't really call the plasma "new". It's a little over a year now since I purchased it after much research and ridiculous purchase cost, but it is one of the best purchases I have ever made. I have only minor complaints about the remote and maybe some of the SMART features. What does make me sick is that my cat likes to scratch the screen. I can't see the scratches unless the TV is off and I have a bright light up to the screen, but even typing this I feel a little sick about it. It is such a masterpiece being destroyed by that little ball of fuzz. Well..... The things you own end up owning you. I'm getting gel cap nails for the cat so he can't destroy things. So, I'll upscale my video from my old console and upgrade my cat with state of the art gel caps for his claws.

[GohanX]

You may still consider the sync stripper. I have the mini with the latest firmware and I still had issues with my Saturn and Genesis cables, which both used composite video for sync. I got around this by buying composite sync cables, but with a sync stripper I could have probably used the old ones.

[GohanX]

Oh, and for Dreamcast use, it's expensive but the Hanzo vga box combined with the Kenzei sync combiner is AWESOME with the mini.

[vexcollects]

Oh, and for Dreamcast use, it's expensive but the Hanzo vga box combined with the Kenzei sync combiner is AWESOME with the mini.

Yes, I was looking at the Hanzo. I may do that. Still coming up with the cash for the Mini. Soon. Soon.

[glazball]

And worst case scenario - you can always get S-video out from the Dreamcast if VGA doesn't work out for you.  There are a few games that will not work at all thru VGA, so you may want an S-video cable as a backup.

[esteban]

Your new Samsung plasma is BEGGING for an XRGB Mini!  I have a Samsung as well, a 50" plasma though it's now about 4 years old.  Still an impeccable picture.  (Very fine and wise choice on going plasma over LCD/LED also!)

So my TV does have a VGA input, and I use the (official) Dreamcast VGA box directly to the TV.  It's one of the very few consoles I don't run thru the Mini, so sadly I can't help you very much there - other than to say yes, you will need some kind of VGA -> Component converter.

Gamecube via component is only available via the expensive official cable.  I'm actively looking for one, and yea I'm not looking forward to paying for it.  There are no 3rd party or aftermarket Gamecube component cables, unfortunately.  For now I'm using S-video from the Gamecube.

D-terminal adaptor may not even be necessary since your tv probably has component inputs.  However, it's a good way to future-proof your Mini.  (Perhaps your next tv may not?).  If you buy the D-terminal adaptor from Solaris Japan along with the Framemeister, you'll be ready to run any console via composite, S-video, component and RGB for the rest of your life so long as you have a TV with an HDMI in (which will likely be a standard for a long time).

I shouldn't really call the plasma "new". It's a little over a year now since I purchased it after much research and ridiculous purchase cost, but it is one of the best purchases I have ever made. I have only minor complaints about the remote and maybe some of the SMART features. What does make me sick is that my cat likes to scratch the screen. I can't see the scratches unless the TV is off and I have a bright light up to the screen, but even typing this I feel a little sick about it. It is such a masterpiece being destroyed by that little ball of fuzz. Well..... The things you own end up owning you. I'm getting gel cap nails for the cat so he can't destroy things. So, I'll upscale my video from my old console and upgrade my cat with state of the art gel caps for his claws.

Be careful with the cat...my cat TommyBears (R.I.P.) scratched deep enough for 2-3 vertical lines to be visible when viewing from extreme angle (not the usual place a person would watch, but still...). I have a Panasonic 42" Plasma (2006) and the picture is fantastic. I recently acquired my brother's 2010 50" Samsung plasma and though it is nice, the speakers suck and the picture isn't as nice as the Panasonic.

[vexcollects]

Your new Samsung plasma is BEGGING for an XRGB Mini!  I have a Samsung as well, a 50" plasma though it's now about 4 years old.  Still an impeccable picture.  (Very fine and wise choice on going plasma over LCD/LED also!)

So my TV does have a VGA input, and I use the (official) Dreamcast VGA box directly to the TV.  It's one of the very few consoles I don't run thru the Mini, so sadly I can't help you very much there - other than to say yes, you will need some kind of VGA -> Component converter.

Gamecube via component is only available via the expensive official cable.  I'm actively looking for one, and yea I'm not looking forward to paying for it.  There are no 3rd party or aftermarket Gamecube component cables, unfortunately.  For now I'm using S-video from the Gamecube.

D-terminal adaptor may not even be necessary since your tv probably has component inputs.  However, it's a good way to future-proof your Mini.  (Perhaps your next tv may not?).  If you buy the D-terminal adaptor from Solaris Japan along with the Framemeister, you'll be ready to run any console via composite, S-video, component and RGB for the rest of your life so long as you have a TV with an HDMI in (which will likely be a standard for a long time).

I shouldn't really call the plasma "new". It's a little over a year now since I purchased it after much research and ridiculous purchase cost, but it is one of the best purchases I have ever made. I have only minor complaints about the remote and maybe some of the SMART features. What does make me sick is that my cat likes to scratch the screen. I can't see the scratches unless the TV is off and I have a bright light up to the screen, but even typing this I feel a little sick about it. It is such a masterpiece being destroyed by that little ball of fuzz. Well..... The things you own end up owning you. I'm getting gel cap nails for the cat so he can't destroy things. So, I'll upscale my video from my old console and upgrade my cat with state of the art gel caps for his claws.

Be careful with the cat...my cat TommyBears (R.I.P.) scratched deep enough for 2-3 vertical lines to be visible when viewing from extreme angle (not the usual place a person would watch, but still...). I have a Panasonic 42" Plasma (2006) and the picture is fantastic. I recently acquired my brother's 2010 50" Samsung plasma and though it is nice, the speakers suck and the picture isn't as nice as the Panasonic.

Panasonic was a definite contender when I was looking at which new plasma set was best. I am definitely happy with the decision I made. It is a amazing looking TV (especially when it didn't have cat scratches on it). My last plasma was a Panasonic. Really disliked that TV, but it was more of a budget model due to my budget at the time, so not really a fair comparison.

[glazball]

Though this is getting off-topic, I love the discussion.  When doing my own research, Panasonic Kuro plasmas were THE tv to have, as far as best picture quality.  Sounds like that's what you likely have, esteban (2006 model).  My Samsung is the 2009 model, purchased in early 2010 and the reviews on Cnet put it basically equal to the Panasonics at that time.  I was also happy to see later that Consumer Reports picked it as their best tv of 09.  Like I mentioned, the PQ is still perfect and I love it just as much as the day it arrived.

I haven't done as much research lately though.  I've heard that Samsung is getting out of plasmas, which is a damn shame if true.  Also, I've heard their new curved tv's are more of a gimmick - curved is good for a giant movie theater screen, but not so useful in a small living room.

Maybe soon they'll come out with an afforable 4K 3D 70" OLED.  Drool....

One other thing - I brought my Framemeister and Neo Geo (which has superb RGB output) over to my friend's who owns a 3D LED tv.  His tv, and probably any 3D tv, has a feature to "fake" a 3D picture from any 2D source.  Since the tv gets such a sharp, crisp picture from the Mini, it easily made it 3D and looked FUCKING AMAZING.  Nam-75 was incredible!  I don't own a 3D tv myself and haven't seen much about people running the Mini to one, but if you have one, check it out!

[NecroPhile]

Kuros were Pioneer.  They did sell their patents to Panasonic when they stopped making plasmas, though, so some of their tech. has shown up in new(ish) Panasonic sets.

[glazball]

Thanks NecroPhile, you're right.

And after doing some googling, it's true: Samsung will not be making any more plasmas after this year.  Panasonic earlier this year said they are doing the same, apparently due to difficulties making an affordable 4K model.  Damn.

http://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-reportedly-ending-plasma-tv-production/

[vexcollects]

Thanks NecroPhile, you're right.

And after doing some googling, it's true: Samsung will not be making any more plasmas after this year.  Panasonic earlier this year said they are doing the same, apparently due to difficulties making an affordable 4K model.  Damn.

http://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-reportedly-ending-plasma-tv-production/

For some reason it satisfies me to know that I have one of the last flagship Samsung plasma models to be produced. Also, I have not tried the 3d feature with any old game systems yet. Now I'm curious. I'll have to try that once I get the mini.

[Azzurri]

Have any of you had burn in using the Mini?  I connected my Duo to it and used it on my PC but it left petty bad burn in,

I'm not too sure why since I've never had anything burn in.

[glazball]

All plasmas, by their nature, will get some degree of image retention if a still image is left on the screen for an extended period.  Burn-in is permanent, but newer plasmas are less prone to it than older plasmas.  Owning a plasma does require some bit of maintenance just to make sure burn-in doesn't occur (especially if you are using it as a PC monitor).

Since computers typically have much more static images, with icons/windows/borders etc usually staying in one place, plasma tv's are not ideal for computer use.  Plasmas, after all, were designed for dynamic motion (television, sports, games) as opposed to LCD/LED which started as computer monitors.

Most plasma tv's will have a burn-in utility, which you'll want to leave running if you do have some burn-in.  Using the Mini, you do get black curtains which on a plasma will cause image retention (or if abused, burn-in).  It has nothing to do with the Mini itself, simply the static image on the screen.  It's important to take breaks, whether using the computer, Mini, or whatever.  Watch something else every few hours or turn on the burn-in utility.

[vexcollects]

MINI is purchased! I'm totally excited. How sad is that? Minor increments in display technology for $400. yay...

It's like I'm one of those people in line for the highly innovative (IE: minor increments to meet current industry standards) iPhone 6.

[glazball]

It sounds like a minor increment, but wait til you see it in person.  Big grats on the purchase!

[glazball]

Off topic again, but coming back to TV discussion.... A good friend of mine just sent me this review of a 55" LG OLED.
http://www.cnet.com/products/lg-55ec9300/

Described as having a better picture than any plasma (or LCD) to date!  Hopefully in the next few years, when I'm ready to get a new tv, the OLEDs will have come down in price.  Though I am sad to see the death of plasma, OLED has got me excited!

[vexcollects]

It sounds like a minor increment, but wait til you see it in person.  Big grats on the purchase!

I certainly hope so. I am getting r*&ed in the @ss by the shipper and Canada customs. Probably going to cost almost $100 for the brokerage, duty, and shipping costs. I'll find out tomorrow when it arrives and a large sweaty man hands me a POS machine and says, "money for box, now!"

I love living in Canada. For some reason every company on the face of the planet has decided that everything should cost more here and that they all deserve a slice. So $100, means $125 after fees fees fees. Probably the same everywhere.....I'm just angry at myself for this addiction to gaming that I cannot control which causes me to believe that express shipping is a good thing. dumb.

I will check out the OLED when my gamer brain convinces my body that it needs to click "Add to Cart" in the very immediate future. Until then, I'm not going to help it along to that conclusion.

[vexcollects]

It sounds like a minor increment, but wait til you see it in person.  Big grats on the purchase!

HOLY S%*&! I just started playing Bomberman 94 (PC Engine) with the Mini hooked up. Stunning! The colors and resolution are just spot on. It looks so good. Well worth the money.