XRGB-3

XRGB-3 front

XRGB-3 back

Translations

Firmware translation

Firmware translation for japanese version 2.12.

We need to update this to link to the firmware translation and clean up this page.

メインメニュー (Main menu)

Japanese	English
アスペクト	Aspect ratio
画質調整	Image settings
画面調整	Screen settings
子画面調整-	PCinP settings
画面特殊設定	Special screen settings
サウンド調整	Sound settings
オプション	Options
スペシャル	Special

アスペクト (Aspect ratio)

Japanese	English	Setting	Default setting
アスペクト	Aspect ratio	自動 (Auto) / ノーマル (Normal) / ワイド (Wide)	Auto

画質調整 (Image settings)

Japanese	English	Setting	Default setting
明るさ	Brightness	0 - 63	32
ガンマ	Gamma	0 - 63	16
黒レベル	Black level	0 - 255	128
鮮明度	Sharpness	0 - 31	7
Rレベル	Red level	0 - 63	32
Gレベル	Green level	0 - 63	32
Bレベル	Blue level	0 - 63	32
Rガンマ	Red gamma	0 - 63	16
Gガンマ	Green gamma	0 - 63	16
Bガンマ	Blue gamma	0 - 63	16
色合い	Color tint	0 - 63	32
色の濃さ	Color depth	0 - 63	32

• Note : Color Tint and Color Depth are unavailable for RGB and YUV signals

画面調整 (Screen settings)

Japanese	English	Setting	Default setting
出力水平位置	Output horizontal position	0 - 63	32
出力垂直位置	Ouput vertical position	0 - 63	32
水平位置	Horizontal position	0 - 63	32
垂直位置	Vertical position	0 - 63	32
水平画面比率	Horizontal screen size	0 - 63	32
垂直画面比率	Vertical screen size	0 - 63	32

子画面調整 (PCinP settings)

Japanese	English	Setting	Default setting
子画面表示	Display	オフ (OFF) / オン (ON)	??
子画面サイズ	Size	0 - ??	??
子画面水平位置	Horizontal position	?? - 31	??
子画面垂直位置	Vertical position	?? - 31	??
子画面比率	Rate	0 - ??	??

画面特殊設定 (Special screen settings)

Japanese	English	Setting	Default setting
ガイドライン	Guidelines	オフ (OFF) / オン (ON)	OFF
PC 水平ドットマッチ	PC horizontal dot match	??	??
PC マッチ	PC match	??	??
PC 手動ドットクロック	PC dot clock manual	??	??
PC スキュー	PC skew	??	??
NTSCドットクロック	NTSC dot clock	標準 (STANDARD) / 手動 (MANUAL)	STANDARD
NTSC 手動ドットクロック	NTSC dot clock manual	0 - 4095	3639
NTSC AFC	NTSC AFC	自動 (AUTO) / 手動 (MANUAL)	AUTO
AFCレベル	AFC level	0 - 7	2
スクリーンサイズ	Screen size	標準 (STANDARD) / アンダー (UNDERSCAN) / D2ズーム (D2 ZOOM)	STANDARD
描画方式	Drawing method	疑似インター (INTERLACED) / ノンインター (NON-INTERLACED)	INTERLACED

サウンド調整 (Sound settings)

Japanese	English	Setting	Default setting
音声レベル	Audio level	0 - 63	25
キサ	Mixers	0 - 15	8
消音	Mute	オフ (OFF) / オン (ON)	OFF
高音調整	Treble	0 - 15	7
低音調整	Bass	0 - 15	7
ラウド	Loud	オフ (OFF) / オン (ON)	OFF
センター調整	Center	0 - 63	31

オプション (Options)

Japanese	English	Setting	Default setting
D 入力2 信号方式	D IN 2 INPUT signal	色差 (YUV) / セパレート (RGB-HV) / 複合 (RGB)	YUV
21ピン入力信号方式	RGB-21 INPUT signal	色差 (YUV) / 複合 (RGB)	RGB
21ピン入力終端	RGB-21 INPUT termination	75 オーム (75 OHM) / 220 オーム (220 OHM)	75 OHM
V 同期ロック	V-Sync lock	オフ (OFF) / オン (ON)	OFF
電源設定	Power management	スタンバイ (STANDBY) オン (ON)	STANDBY
静止	Freeze frame	オフ (OFF) / オン (ON)	ON
Y/C 分離設定	Y/C separation mode	自動 (AUTO) / ローパス (LOW PASS)	AUTO
水平同期極性	Horizontal sync polarity	スルー (PASSTHROUGH) / 反転 (INVERTED)	PASSTHROUGH
垂直同期極性	Vertical sync polarity	スルー (PASSTHROUGH) / 反転 (INVERTED)	PASSTHROUGH
低解像度設定	Low screen resolutions	オフ (OFF) / オン (ON)	OFF
ディスプレイ画面モード	Display screen resolutions	320x240 / 640x400 / 640x480 / 1024x768 / 1280x1024 / 1600x1200 / 1280x768 / 1360x768 / 1440x900 / 1680x1050 / 1920x1080 / 1920x1200	1024x768
FULL_HD解像度設定	FULL_HD resolution setting	LOW / HIGH	LOW
スルー入力設定	PC INPUT signal	自動 (AUTO) / アナログ (ANALOG) / デジタル (DIGITAL)	AUTO

スペシャル (Special)

Japanese	English	Setting	Default setting
A/Dレベル	A/D level	0 - 255	255
画面ステータス	Status screen	-	-
Firm Ver	Firmware version	CPU / FPGA 1 / FPGA 2 / FGPA 3 / FPGA 4 / CMD / OSD / PLL / PCB	-
FPGA SELECT	FPGA SELECT	B0 / B1 / B2 / B3	B0
VL_H	VL_H	0 - 255	255
VL_V	VL_V	0 - 255	255
LPF	LPF	オフ (OFF) / オン (ON)	ON
DOT_by_DOT	DOT_by_DOT	オフ (OFF) / オン (ON)	OFF

---

Remote translation

Remote

Remote translated

	Japanese	English	Detailed information
Group 1 insert information	電源	Power	Turns the XRGB-3 ON/OFF
	ステータス	Status	Displays input signal information
	PC/AV	PC/AV	insert information
Group 2 Inputs	ビデオ1	Video 1	Switch to Composite input 1
	ビデオ2	Video 2	Switch to Composite input 2
	S入力1	S IN 1	Switch to S-Video input 1
	S入力2	S IN 2	Switch to S-Video input 2
	D入力1	D IN 1	Switch to D-Terminal input 1
	D入力2	D IN 2	Switch to D-Terminal input 2
	D入力3	D IN 3	Switch to D-Terminal input 3
	ゲーム	GAME IN	Switch to RGB-21 input
Group 3 PCinP	PCinP	PCinP	Activate the PCinP feature
	Arrow keys		Moves the PCinP frame around
	Circular corner buttons		Quickly moves the frame to the corresponding corner
Group 4 PCinP size	小	Smaller	Decrease the size of the frame
	大	Larger	Increase the size of the frame
Group 5 insert information	ガイド	Guidelines	Show/Hide Guidelines
	静止	Freeze frame	Freezes the current frame (B0 mode)
	PC マッチ	PC Match	insert information
	アスペクト	Aspect	Switch between aspect ratios
Group 6 Menu	メニュー	Menu	Displays the On-screen menu
	UP/LEFT	UP/LEFT	Move cursor up or left
	DOWN/RIGHT	DOWN/RIGHT	Move cursor down or right
	OK	OK	Confirm selection
Group 7 Headphones	ラウド	Loud	Use loudness mode
	消音	Mute	Mute audio
	大 (音声)	Volume up	Turn headphone volume up
	小 (音声)	Volume down	Turn headphone volume down
Group 8 insert information	AV (ミキサ)	AV Mixer	insert information
	PC (ミキサ)	PC Mixer	insert information

---

WINinP translation

First menu

Japanese	English
表示	View
アスペクト	Aspect
ヘルプ	Help
??設定	Settings
終了	Close

View

Japanese	English
??	Resolution
プリセット1	Preset 1
プリセット2	Preset 2
プリセット3	Preset 3
??	??
??	Info?

Resolution

Japanese	English
??	Full Screen?
??(ノーマル)	Full Screen (Normal)?
??(ワイド)	Full Screen (Wide)?
320(ノーマル)	320 (Normal)
640(ノーマル)	640 (Normal)
800(ノーマル)	800 (Normal)
1024(ノーマル)	1024 (Normal)
1280(ノーマル)	1280 (Normal)
1440(ノーマル)	1440 (Normal)

Aspect

Japanese	English
ノーマル	Normal
ワイド	Wide

Help

Japanese	English
WINinP Viewer ヘルプ	WINinP Viewer Help
WINinP Viewer ??	WINinP Viewer About?

The settings menu lets you select startup resolutions, you can also save your presets here.

Released firmwares

XRGB-3 Firmware page

Known problems with current firmware version 2.12

DVI to HDMI 1080p output incompatibility

The XRGB3's 1080p output is incompatible with many displays. When trying to use the XRGB-3 via it's DVI output using a DVI to HDMI cable, it is not possible to see a picture at all on many displays when the XRGB3 is set to output 1080p.

Extreme sensibility to noise

When using the Playstation 2 with component cables there is extreme sensibility to noise in the signal.

High AFC Settings affect picture stability

Some systems need the AFC set to 4 or 5 which causes vertical sync instability. The same systems work fine on other processors.

Too much noise in transcoding (B1) mode

When feeding 480p in B1 mode, the picture is easily affected by noise in the signal. The very same signal gets transcoded fine on the XSELECT-D4 without any visible noise in the signal.

Extreme horizontal picture shift with some sources

For example component Input from Wii - VGA output to certain (!) LCD. Reason unknown. Picture upcoming !!

Bad scaling in B1 mode

When using a 320x224 source like a Sega Saturn or MegaDrive in B1 mode the picture is squeezed to much and some vertical lines are much thinner that others. Because the XRGB-3 outputs in 640x480 in B1 mode it should be possible to perfectly double scale the 320x224 to 640x448 where all lines both vertical and horizontal should be the exact same size. What we need is some kind of DOT_by_DOT option that works in B1 mode as well. Picture 2 is what it should look like and Picture 3 is what it currently looks like in B1 mode.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 1 : 640x480 output

Picture 2 : MegaDrive 320x224 scaled properly to 640x448. Like it should be

Picture 3 : This is how it currently looks in B1 mode. Very badly scaled notice the borders on the sides and the thickness of the spikes.

XRGB's loosing sync in B1 mode

XRGB's loosing sync on white screen flashes because the signal level is too high.

example : PlayStation 2 + RGB cable + King of Fighters games

Problem in action.

There are two possible fixes. Using pure composite sync rather than sync on composite video is known to cure the problem in some cases (Sega Saturn, Sega Megadrive/Genesis). Secondly, try setting the RGB-21 Term. to 220ohms. Several users have reported that this problem occurs when using S-Video inputs too, in this case there is no known fix.

Note : There is no problem in B0 mode.

FAQ

Why should I use an XRGB-3 ?

Full answer : Deinterlacing Classic Videogames (by Fudoh)

Short answer : XRGB-3 is perfect for old school gaming (Nes, Super Nes, PC Engine, ...) on a PC / HDTV monitor. Another cool addition is the ability to play PlayStation Portable games in TRUE fullscreen. The XRGB-3 can also be used as a transcoder for more recent video games consoles (Dreamcast, Gamecube, Wii, Xbox, …). The XRGB-3 can also be used as an upscaler but the end result is not always good and you will have to deal with other issues that more modern scalers do not always exhibit (input lag, tweaking settings, …). If you are looking for a good deinterlacer/upscaler for modern consoles, buy a DVDO Edge.

Where can I buy an XRGB-3 ?

Retailers in Japan that carry the XRGB-3 will NOT ship outside of Japan. The Solaris Japan offering on its webshop is an exception, but there is a slight markup compared to Amazon Japan. Here are few places to purchase the XRGB-3:

Solaris Japan Solaris-Japan Webshop XRGB

Amazon Japan - Amazon will periodically run out of stock and use a 3rd party vendor to fulfill orders.

eBay (Solaris-Japan has a eBay Store listing)

Yahoo Japan Auctions

EC-Shopping

What do I need to use an XRGB-3 ?

You need your game console, a TV/Monitor capable of receiving a VGA or DVI-D signal and appropriate cables to connect your console or SuperGUN to the XRGB-3. The best option available is using RGB-21 cables, though in some cases this is not possible and you will need to mod your console to output RGB and/or build your own custom cables. You can buy cables for most consoles from specialist retro-gaming stores around the world.

The XRGB-3 has inputs for the following :

• 1 x VGA (D IN 2)
• 3 x D-Terminal aka Component (D IN 1 / D IN 2 / D IN 3)
• 1 x RGB-21 (GAME IN)
• 2 x S-video (S IN 1 / S IN 2)
• 2 x Composite (VIDEO IN 1 / VIDEO IN 2)
• 1 x DVI-I (PC IN)

Warning : D-Terminal inputs do not have the same quality. (confirmed for 480p signals, is it the same with interlaced signal or other resolution?)

Input	Quality	Note
D IN 1	good	minimal video noise
D IN 2	bad	increased video noise
D IN 3	bad	increased video noise

You should always use D IN 1 input with D-Terminal/Component cables.

Note : the shared VGA input for D IN 2 is not affected by this problem.

How much does the XRGB-3 cost?

Suggested retail price for the XRGB-3 is ￥38,640 (~$422 USD). However, the street price is around ￥29,520 (~$322 USD).

How to reset XRGB-3 ?

1) Power off XRGB-3 (STANDBY)

2) Press "MENU" and "OK" buttons (keep pushing) then push "Power" button

3) You must keep pushing the three buttons for a few seconds, then the activity lights should flicker

4) Unpush all buttons

How to update firmware ?

1) Power on XRGB-3

2) Connect USB cable to PC (type A to type B)

3) Windows will automatically detect XRGB-3 and install driver

4) launch XRGB-3 Update Tool (if the left button "Update" is greyed then something is wrong, try to power off XRGB-3 and reconnect USB cable)

5) click on "Update" button

6) select firmware file to update (used format for firmware is *.x3b)

7) as soon as you selected firmware, update will start automatically (DONT REMOVE POWER CABLE AND USB CABLE UNTIL IT'S FINISHED)

8) Power off XRGB-3

9) Reset XRGB-3

IMPORTANT: Always install the Japanese Firmware updater, even if you are updating with the English firmware. The Japanese firmware updater installation is needed in order to flash Firmware in English.

Where can I download XRGB-3 firmwares from?

B0 firmware v.2.12 (japanese firmware)

B0 firmware v.2.12 (english) (Needs Japanese firwmare updater installed)

B1 firmware v.1.00 (japanese)

We worked in cooperation with Micomsoft on a full official english firmware translation.

Official english firmware is available since 02/12/2010.

Important : about GAME IN input (RGB-21)

Never directly use the European standard SCART cables with an XRGB-3 since the pinout is different to the Japanese standard RGB-21 ones, and damage might result due to voltage applied on signal lines.

How can I connect my consoles then ?

• 1) Use RGB cables
  • if you use RGB-21 cables then there is nothing special to do
  • if you use SCART cables then you will not to make them "compatible"
    • solution 1 : buy a SCART to RGB-21 adapter
      

      SCART to RGB-21 adapter
    • solution 2 : mod your SCART cable to comply with RGB-21 Japanese 21-pin RGB connector (by GameSX)
    • solution 3 : Use a SCART to VGA adapter and use the D IN 2 input instead. You will need to change the "D IN 2 INPUT signal" setting to "RGB"
    • solution 4 : mod your XRGB-3 RGB-21 input to accept SCART cable
      

      XRGB-3 JPN to EU SCART modification (by Konsolkongen)
• 2) Use S-Video cables.
• 3) Use Composite cables.

List of genuine RGB-21 consoles and official cables

• Super Nintendo (SHVC-010)
• PlayStation, PS one, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 (SCPH-1050)
• Saturn (HSS-0109)
• Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD (FCG-9)

How to make RGB cables

Game Console RGB SCART Cable Diagrams (by Tim Worthington)

Interesting link to translate / use for our FAQ ? (by Akira Makoto)

How to increase size of screen while using Playstation Portable ?

Hardware required : PSP-2000 or PSP-3000 and component cable (or D-Terminal cable)

1) connect cable

2) enable output in PSP menu : Settings → Connected Display Settings → Switch Video Output (Output must be set to Progressive)

3) FCPGA mode : B0 (if using B1 mode, you will not be able to use D2 zoom)

4) Screen size : D2 zoom

Does XRGB-3 support HDCP through DVI output ?

No, XRGB-3 does not support HDCP.

How to enable low screen resolution ?

Options → Low screen resolution → ON

XRGB-3 will be able to ouput at 320x240 (15 kHz) and 640x400 (24 kHz).

Note : this option should be used only with a classic japanese PC monitor (PC-988x and X68k).

Does XRGB-3 add input lag ?

If your are using B0 mode then yes (2 frames).

If your are using B1 mode then no.

VGA vs DVI output

	VGA	DVI
Can use B0 mode ?	yes	yes
Can use B1 mode ?	yes	no
Can use all resolutions ?	yes	yes
Input lag	B0 mode : 2 frames B1 mode : less than 1 frame	B0 mode : 2 frames

Note : the signal used for DVI output is DVI-D.

What are those famous scanlines, why do I need/want them ?

Scanlines Demystified (by Fudoh)

How to enable scanlines ?

1) flash B1 firmware (v1.0) : xrgb3_lined_b1_v1_00.x3b

2) enable B1 mode : Special → FPGA SELECT → B1

3) Power off XRGB-3

4) Power on XRGB-3

5) adjust scanline level : Special → VL_H (vertical) or VL_V (horizontal)

Note : for unknow reason, Micomsoft inverted VL_H and VL_V effect. It is fixed in english firmware.

Scanline chart

%	97	94	91	88	85	82	78	75	72	69	66	63	59	56	53	50	47	44	41	37	34	31	28	25	23	19	15	12	9	6	3	0
level	7	15	23	31	39	47	55	63	71	79	87	95	103	111	119	127	135	143	151	159	167	175	183	191	199	207	215	223	231	239	247	255

In general, you should use a value between 127 (50%) and 191 (25%). Increasing percent will produce a darker image.

XRGB-3 supported output resolutions

Resolution	Type	Aspect ratio
320x240	QVGA	Normal (4:3)
640x400	?	?
640x480	VGA	Normal (4:3)
1024x768	XGA	Normal (4:3)
1280x1024	SXGA	Normal (5:4)
1600x1200	UXGA	Normal (4:3)
1280x768	WXGA	Wide (15:9)
1360x768	WXGA	Wide (16:9)
1440x900	WXGA+	Wide (16:10)
1680x1050	WSXGA+	Wide (16:10)
1920x1080	HDTV	Wide (16:9)
1920x1200	WUXGA	Wide (16:10)

About D-Terminal

D type	World	Japan	XRGB-3 support
D1	480i	525i	yes
D2	480p	525p	yes
D3	1080i	1125i	yes
D4	720p	750p	yes
D5	1080p	1125p	no

Note: The difference in line count is only because those standards count the control lines as part of the resolution of the video signal, which is technically correct; but those are invisible lines that carry information.

Low pass filter (LPF) chart from Micomsoft

Source	LPF setting
VIDEO IN 1	ON
VIDEO IN 2	ON
S IN 1	ON
S IN 1	ON
	[525i] [525p] [1180i] [750p]
D IN 1	[OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [OFF]
D IN 2	[ON] [ON] [OFF] [OFF]
D IN 3	[OFF] [OFF] [OFF] [OFF]
GAME IN	[ON] [OFF] [OFF] [OFF]

How to fix screen distortion in B1 mode ?

Your screen looks like this ?

scren distortion

Then you need to fix : Special screen settings → NTSC dot clock (set to MANUAL) → NTSC dot clock manually (then try to adjust).

Q: What scenarios does adjusting the dot clock fix?

V-Sync and stuttering

If you are experiencing stuttering or "hiccups" on horizontal moving objects that should not be there, you can most likely get rid of that by enabling the V-Sync lock-option.

Some screens might have trouble displaying certain resolutions in B0 mode with the wrong V-Sync setting. Try switching this option if you get a black screen. It is recommended that you use V-Sync whenever possible to get a stutter-free picture.

(will make a gif animation explaining stuttering)

What is FULL_HD resolution setting for ?

Needed for some LCD models, it changes the timing for resolution 1920*1080.

Recommended settings

- - - -

System	Cable	FPGA mode	LPF	Sharpness	A/D	Extra settings (can help to fix problems/increase quality)
Capcom CPS-1	JAMMA to JP21 JAMMA to VGA (D2)	B1 B0	OFF OFF	0 7	255 176	RGB-21 INPUT termination : 220 OHM 160 ohms in series on R, G, B signals (in leu of input termination); D2 mode set to RGBHV to prevent wavy image
Capcom CPS-2	JAMMA to JP21 JAMMA to VGA (D2)	B1 B0	OFF OFF	0 7	255 176	RGB-21 INPUT termination : 220 OHM 160 ohms in series on R, G, B signals (in leu of input termination); D2 mode set to RGBHV to prevent wavy image
Capcom CPS-3	RGB via SuperGUN	B1	OFF	0	255	RGB-21 INPUT termination : 220 OHM NTSC AFC : MANUAL / AFC level : 3
Dreamcast	S-VIDEO RGB VGA	B1 B1 B0	ON ON OFF	0 0 0	255 255 255	- - D in 2 INPUT signal : RGB
Konami TMNT based hardware	RGB via SuperGUN	B1	OFF	0	255	NTSC AFC : MANUAL / AFC level : 3 RGB-21 INPUT termination : 220 OHM
Master System	RGB	B1	OFF	0	255
Mega-CD	COMPOSITE RGB	B1 B1	ON ON	0 0	255 255
Genesis/Megadrive	COMPOSITE RGB	B1 B1	ON ON	0 0	255 255	- -
Neo Geo AES	RGB	B1	OFF	0	255	NTSC AFC : MANUAL / AFC level : 5
Neo Geo MVS	RGB via SuperGUN	B1	OFF	0	255	NTSC AFC : MANUAL / AFC level : 5 RGB-21 INPUT termination : 220 OHM
Nes	COMPOSITE RGB	B1 B1	ON ON	0 0	255 255	Y/C separation set : LOW PASS -
Nintendo 64	COMPOSITE S-VIDEO RGB (NJM2267) RGB (NJM2267)	B1 B1 B0 B1	ON ON OFF OFF	0 0 7 0/7	255 255 150 150
PC Engine	COMPOSITE RGB	B1 B1	ON ON	0 0	255 255	NTSC AFC : MANUAL / AFC level : 4~7
PlayStation	COMPOSITE S-VIDEO RGB RGB	B1 B1 B0 B1	ON ON OFF OFF	0 0 7 0/7	255 255 150 150	- - AFC Level : 0 AFC Level : 0~1
PlayStation 2	COMPOSITE S-VIDEO RGB COMPONENT	B1 B1 B1 B1	ON ON ON ON	0 0 0 0	255 255 255 255	- - - -
PlayStation Portable	COMPONENT	B0	OFF	0	255	DOT_by_DOT : ON NTSC AFC : MANUAL / AFC level : 0 Aspect Ratio : Wide Note : XRGB-3 adjust automatically A/D level to 230 when using a PSP.
Saturn	COMPOSITE S-VIDEO RGB	B1 B1 B1	ON ON ON	0 0 0	255 255 255	- - -
Sega System 16	RGB via SuperGUN	B1	OFF	0	255	NTSC AFC : MANUAL / AFC level : 3 RGB-21 INPUT termination : 220 OHM
Sega System 18	RGB via SuperGUN	B0 B1	OFF OFF	0 0	255 255	RGB-21 INPUT termination : 220 OHM Board is a 57.4 Hz signal, check display for compatibility.
Sega System 32	RGB via SuperGUN	B1	OFF	0	255	NTSC AFC : MANUAL / AFC level : 3 RGB-21 INPUT termination : 220 OHM
Sega Naomi	RGB via SuperGUN	B1	OFF	0	255	NTSC AFC : MANUAL / AFC level : 3 RGB-21 INPUT termination : 220 OHM
Sony ZN-2	RGB via SuperGUN	B1	OFF	0	255	RGB-21 INPUT termination : 220 OHM
Super Nes	COMPOSITE S-VIDEO RGB	B1 B1 B1	ON ON ON	0 0 0	255 255 255	- - -
Various Bootleg PCBs	RGB via SuperGUN	B0	OFF	0	255	RGB-21 INPUT termination : 220 OHM Needs a 61.5 Hz compatible display.
Wii	Component	B1	OFF	0	255

Which cable should I choose for the best quality ?

In general terms the purest the signal from the device to the display, the better. In several standards, modulation is used in order to fit several signals on the same cable path. This adds extra processing in both sides since the signals need to be modulated on the device and demodulated on the display.

Without considering other factors, the quality in optimal conditions for cables can be rates as such :

1. HDMI/DVI
2. VGA
3. SCART/RGB-21/Component
4. S-video
5. Composite
6. RF

Note : Component is also know as D-Terminal in Japan.

What is PCinP mode ?

The PCinP feature can be activated using the center button on the remote appropriately called "PCinP" and is pretty much your average TV's Picture and Picture setting. The picture frame can be moved around and resized to your liking. The picture is shown on top of your PC's image so there is no way to capture screens or movies from your console. The good thing about this mode is that it can be used no matter what you are doing on your computer (as long as the computer is ON), be that games, DOS, videos etc.

Tip : It is possible to use any source into PC-IN input (passthrough), not only a computer.

exemple : Dreamcast -> VGA to DVI cable (or VGA cable + VGA to DVI adapter) -> PC IN.

Method 1

1) use correct cable / adapter

2) set PC IN MODE to AUTO or VGA

3) press PC/AV button

Method 2

1) Sometimes, you will need to use another method.

2) Turn on your console connected to the XRGB-3 (GAME IN/D2...) and switch to that input.

3) Turn on your Dreamcast connected to the PC-IN.

4) Press the PC/AV button and you should get a nice picture from the Dreamcast.

5) Now you can turn off the other console and still have the picture from the Dreamcast.

What is WINinP mode ?

The WINinP feature uses the software called WINinP Viewer and is basically a window with a pink background that the XRGB recognizes and places your consoles output on top. Unfortunately this is also happening in a different layer so capturing screens and videos can't be done in this mode either. The nice thing is that you can move this window around with your mouse cursor, but of course also requires you to be at your OS's desktop at all times. You can freely resize the picture of the window or use different preset resolutions and aspect ratios. The WINinP software is available for all platforms but keep in mind that Java is required.

Alternately you could paint a pink square (HTML: ff00ff) in any paint program but using this software is a lot easier and has some nice features.

WINinP Viewer V2.10 for Windows

WINinP Viewer V0.90 for Macintosh

WINinP Viewer V2.0 JAVA (all platforms)

How to use PCinP and WINinP mode ?

To use PCinP and WINinP connect your PC's to the XRGB-3 like this:

PC <DVI> XRGB-3 <DVI/DVI to HDMI> Screen (gonna make some kind of illustration for this)

Note : the signal used for DVI input is DVI-I.

How to use arcade boards with XRGB-3 ?

Since arcade games use RGB as a standard, the XRGB-3 supports them out of the box. The only thing needed is a cable to plug your SuperGUN to one of the RGB capable XRGB-3 inputs. However, the arcade video signals need some attenuation, this can be achieved with the use of potentiometers in your SuperGUN if available or via the "RGB-21 INPUT termination" setting on the XRGB-3 (set to 220 OHM).

Arcade games can also be connected to the D2 input via the VGA style connector. Since, the 220 ohm termination option is unavailable for this input, in case the SuperGUN doesn't have pots to regulate these lines series resistors can be wired inline with the connecting RGB cable to drop the >0.7Vpp signal levels to a value closer to 0.7Vpp. Connecting a 160 ohm resistors in series with the red, green, and blue video from the wiring harness (e.g. JAMMA) will provide good results with most all arcade boards. Some games, such as CPS1 based, need to have the D2 input mode set to RGBHV (separate) instead of RGBS to produce a stable picture.

What is A/D level ?

An analog-to-digital converter (abbreviated ADC, A/D or A to D) is a device which converts continuous signals to discrete digital numbers. Wikipedia

Input level/sensitivity. The default of 255 is the least sensitive/strongest input level. Lowering the A/D level makes the A/D conversion more sensitive (for weaker video signal levels).

The ADC contained in the XRGB-3 is a AD9883AKSTZ-110. Datasheet

Other

HDTV/MONITOR compatibility

General

• To connect XRGB-3 using DVI output a DVI-D to HDMI cable is needed.
• DVI output is disabled when FPGA Mode is set to B1.
• for some reason, the scaling signal when using XRGB-3 on a WXGA HDTV (32") is not good, it is recommended to use 640x480 resolution for a WXGA HDTV. Or just use a larger HDTV (46"/52").

Tests

Sony KDL-55XBR8 (US) / KDL-55XR1 (Japan) / KDL-55X4500 (Europe)

55" - 1080p - Triluminos LED Backlit LCD

XRGB-3 resolution	HDTV/MONITOR
	VGA OUTPUT	DVI OUTPUT
320x240	No	No
640x400	No	No
640x480	Yes	Yes
1024x768	Yes	Yes
1280x1024	Yes	Yes
1600x1200	Yes	No
1280x768	Yes	Yes
1360x768	Yes	Yes
1440x900	Yes	No
1680x1050	Yes	No
1920x1080	Yes	No
1920x1200	No	No

Sony KDL-32D3000 (EURO)

32" - 1360x768 (VGA) / 1080p (HDMI) - LCD

XRGB-3 resolution	HDTV/MONITOR
	VGA OUTPUT	DVI OUTPUT
320x240	no	no
640x400	no	no
640x480	yes	no
1024x768	yes	yes
1280x1024	no	no
1600x1200	no	no
1280x768	yes	no
1360x768	yes	no
1680x1050	no	no
1920x1080	no	no
1920x1200	no	no

Sony KDL-52X3500 (EURO) / KDL-52XBR5 (US)

52" - 1080p (HDMI) - LCD

XRGB-3 resolution	HDTV/MONITOR
	VGA OUTPUT	DVI OUTPUT
320x240	no	no
640x400	no	no
640x480	yes	yes
1024x768	yes	yes
1280x1024	yes	yes
1600x1200	no	no
1280x768	yes	yes
1360x768	yes	yes
1680x1050	yes	yes
1920x1080	no	no
1920x1200	no	no

NEC LCD2180UX

21" - 1600x1200 - LCD

XRGB-3 resolution	HDTV/MONITOR
	VGA OUTPUT	DVI OUTPUT
320x240	no	no
640x400	no	no
640x480	yes	yes
1024x768	yes	yes
1280x1024	yes	yes
1600x1200	yes	yes
1280x768	yes	yes
1360x768	yes	yes
1680x1050	yes	yes
1920x1080	yes	yes
1920x1200	yes	no

Sony KDL-40W4000

40" - 1080p - LCD

XRGB-3 resolution	HDTV/MONITOR
	VGA OUTPUT	VGA & V-Sync OUTPUT	DVI OUTPUT	DVI & V-Sync OUTPUT
320x240	no	no	??	??
640x400	no	no	??	??
640x480	no	yes	??	??
1024x768	yes	yes	??	??
1280x1024	yes	no	??	??
1600x1200	yes	yes	??	??
1280x768	yes	yes	??	??
1360x768	yes	yes	??	??
1440x900	no	no	??	??
1680x1050	yes	yes	??	??
1920x1080	no	no	??	??
1920x1200	no	no	??	??

Samsung LN-46A950 (US)

46" - 1080p - LCD/LED

XRGB-3 resolution	HDTV/MONITOR
	VGA OUTPUT	VGA & V-Sync OUTPUT	DVI OUTPUT	DVI & V-Sync OUTPUT
320x240	no	no	no	no
640x400	no	no	no	no
640x480	yes	yes	yes	yes
1024x768	yes	yes	yes	yes
1280x1024	yes	yes	yes	no
1600x1200	yes	yes	yes	yes
1280x768	yes	yes	no	no
1360x768	yes	yes	yes	yes slightly unstable when menu is present
1440x900	no	no	no	no
1680x1050	no	no	no	no
1920x1080	yes	yes	yes FULL HD -> LOW	very unstable FULL HD -> LOW
1920x1200	no	no	no	no

Notes

• The only HDMI/DVD-D input is HDMI 2
• Up-scaling works quite nicely from 640x480
• The difference between VGA and DVI-D signals in this set is negligible
• when enabling DOT_by_DOT image is cropped in some resolutions

Panasonic TC-P46G15 (US)

46" - 1080p (HDMI) / 1366x768 (VGA) - Plasma

XRGB-3 resolution	HDTV/MONITOR
	VGA OUTPUT	DVI OUTPUT
320x240	no	no
640x400	no	no
640x480	yes (1)	yes
1024x768	yes	no (2)
1280x1024	yes	no
1600x1200	no	no
1280x768	yes	no (2)
1360x768	yes	no (3)
1440x900	no	no
1680x1050	yes (4)	no
1920x1080	no	no (5)
1920x1200	no	no

Notes

• (1) On side scrolling game the the picture look unstable.
• (2) Picture come up but is not centered correctly and can't be corrected with XRGB and/or TV setting.
• (3) Picture all mess-up.
• (4) Officially unsupported by TV but show properly for some reason O_o.
• (5) Getting to show 1080p is a question of trial and error (switching between 480p & 1080p until it work). However when you got the picture on screen part of the top is repeated on the bottom and some part of the middle is repeated on the right side of the screen.

Sharp Aquos LC-40D68UT(R)

XRGB-3 resolution	HDTV/MONITOR
	VGA OUTPUT	DVI OUTPUT
320x240	NO	NO
640x400	NO	NO
640x480	YES	NO
1024x768	YES	YES
1280x1024	YES	YES
1600x1200	YES	YES
1280x768	YES	YES
1360x768	NO	NO
1440x900	NO	NO
1680x1050	NO	NO
1920x1080	NO	NO
1920x1200	NO	NO

Dell U2410

24" - 1920x1200 - hardware revision A-05

XRGB-3 resolution	HDTV/MONITOR
	VGA OUTPUT	DVI OUTPUT
320x240	YES	YES
640x400	YES	YES
640x480	YES	YES
1024x768	YES	YES
1280x1024	YES	YES
1600x1200	YES	YES
1280x768	YES	YES
1360x768	YES	YES
1440x900	YES	YES
1680x1050	YES	YES
1920x1080	YES	YES
1920x1200	NO	YES

Quick notes about HDTV lag

It is possible to test an HDTV's lag with games such as Guitar Hero or Rock Band. PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 versions are recommended in order to test all HD resolution (480i/480p/720p/1080i/1080p). The results will probably vary depending on the input since there are extra filters and processing steps depending on its nature. This lag can be reduced or even eliminated by using the VGA input of the TV (no video processing) and/or enabling game mode if available.

The XRGB-3 in B0 mode adds around 2 frames of input lag, and B1 mode adds less than 1 frame.

Frame conversion chart

A frame is a relative unit, since it depends on the frame rate of the source. When referring to a 30 hz signal, a single frame is 33.33 milliseconds long. This applies to older games based on the NTSC standard (In reality 29.97 fps) and most arcade games.

Newer games are rendered at 60 frames per second (60 hz), and thus are more susceptible to lag. A game usually reads the input after rendering each frame, and buffers it for use during the next game cycle.

The following table is just a reference, since it depends on the genre if this delay is significant to game play.

Frame (30 hz)	Frame (60 hz)	Milliseconds	Note
¼	½	~8.34	ideal (unnoticeable) delay for fighting or rhythm games
½	1	~16.67	acceptable delay (playable)
1	2	~33.34	acceptable delay (playable)
1 +	2 +	34 +	unacceptable (unplayable)

More information

The New Definitive HDTV Lag FAQ

fubarduck's HDTV / Video Game Lag FAQ

Calibration Tutorial and Troubleshooting guide for Rock Band 2

HDTV Lag - The Unofficial guide

Deinterlacing classic videogame systems

Scanlines demystified

How to calibrate you monitor ?

brightness / contrast / gamma ?

recommanded a game/test method to do it ?

XRGB-4 Wishlist

The *PERFECT* Videogame Upscaling Processor

The XRGB-3 usually achieves what many more expensive processor don't. It perfectly handles 240p signal. Compared to many - even older video processors - it lacks proper deinterlacing, processing and scaling. A pricetag of 60,000yen would seem reasonable to me for a niche system which outperforms the XRGB-3.

Better 480i Deinterlacing

480i Deinterlacing isn't rock science nowdays, there are many - even old and cheap processors have have fabulous 480i deinterlacing capabilities. A Faroudja FLI2310, AnchorBay ABT2010/2015, IDT HQV Vida or Sigma Designs VXP are all ASIC-based one-chip solutions which offer superiour deinterlacing for 480i sources (if programmed right).

Better Scaling

The use of the current dot_by_dot feature seems like a workaround for the currently (terrible) scaling engine in B0 mode. The current scaling engine keeps the original pixels intact and fills up the gaps with the nearest neighbour. This works "ok" for 240p sources, but is completely unacceptable for 480i/p/720p/1080i sources. ASIC-scaling solutions are available in the same processors as above. The VXP scaling engine is even suited for 240p material as well.

Bigger Form Factor

The XRGB-3 was a nice stepup from the 2plus, but the current size can't keep with the inputs needed. D-Terminal is ok, but the use of two dedicated RCA (Cinch) component inputs like on the XSELECT-D4 would be much better. A future XRGB-4 would have to feature a set of HDMI inputs as well. HDCP needs to be enabled to allow HDMI connection of the PS3.

Better 1080p OUTPUT Compatibility

The bad 1080p DVI compatibitly with current HDTV LCD and Plasma displays disqualifies the XRGB-3 already for any use with a HD system like the XBox360 or PS3.

Perfect picture quality / analogue Filtering

The current problems with noise on the analogue inputs (GameCube, PC Engine, Playstation 2) and the need of a LowPassFilter is annoying. Other processors (for example a 9 year-old linedoubler from Videon) has *perfect* analogue filtering and A/D conversion. There's absolutely no noise visible from any of the affected systems, while the processing is still sharp and retains every detail (unlike the LPF function which blurs the picture alot, especially on 480p inputs).

Scanline Overlay function in Scaling Mode

While not pixel-perfect like on B1 mode, a Scanline overlay mode would be appreciated. Best with a user-loadable GIF File (like in MAME).

External links

Micomsoft Official Website