XRGB-3

From Classic Console Upscaler wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Xrgb-3 logo.gif

XRGB-3 front
XRGB-3 back

Contents

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

picture 1
Remote
picture 2
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

Smaller Decrease the size of the frame
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. When used with the XRGB3, many TV's, monitors and video processors cannot handle this instability and it will result in seemingly random loss of picture/screen blanking.

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. To minimise noise, feed in the component signal into the GAME IN connector rather than the D-terminal connectors. This produces an image with significantly less noise.

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

On some displays, when using a 320x224 source like a Sega Saturn or MegaDrive in B1 mode the picture can be squeezed and some vertical lines are much thinner that others. This occurs because the output resolution of the XRGB3 is SMTPE 480p (720x480) and NOT 640x480 which is more common for VGA devices to output. Picture 2 shows what the image should look like and Picture 3 shows an example of a display incorrectly resolving the resolution.

picture 1
Picture 1
picture 2
Picture 2
picture 3
Picture 3

Picture 1 : 640x480 output

Picture 2 : MegaDrive 320x224 scaled properly to 640x448.

Picture 3 : Output of the XRGB3 incorrectly processed as 640x480. Notice the borders on the sides and the thickness of the spikes.

If you encounter this problem, using a VGA to component transcoder will normally correct it. Typically displays expect 640x480 resolution through VGA connectors but are much more likely to correctly process a 720x480 resolution through their component video inputs. Transcoding VGA to Component and then to HDMI will usually solve the problem too, assuming your displays HDMI input is compatible with the XRGB3s signal.

XRGB's losing sync in B1 mode

XRGB's losing 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). If your console does not have a pure sync output (e.g Playstation), try using the S-Video Luma for sync instead. 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.


Another example : PC or Dreamcast + VGA Box connected to PC IN

Sometimes, VGA/DVI input will only sync correctly in mode B1 if there's another AV source connected to the XRGB-3 at the same time. To avoid this problem follow these steps:

1) Connect a non-VGA source to the XRGB-3 and power it on

2) Connect the VGA source (PC or Dreamcast) to PC IN and power it on

3) Press the PC/AV button


A Dreamcast with a Video/VGA-Box can be used for the initial sync without the need for other source, using the following method:

1) Power the Dreamcast using Composite or S-Video output and let the XRGB-3 sync

2) Power-cycle the Dreamcast quickly, switching it to VGA output

3) Press the PC/AV button

For some unknown reason, H and V sync polarity may need to be reversed in some displays. The PC Match feature can also help to achieve a stable picture.


Note : These problems don't seem to happen 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, consider a DVDO Edge or of course an XRGB-mini_FRAMEMEISTER.

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 :

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. If you have a suitable adaptor, feeding in a component (YPbPr) signal to the GAME IN port can give an even better picture than D IN 1.

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 and hold the "MENU" and "OK" buttons, while keeping them held down, press the "Power" button

3) You must keep holding the three buttons for a few seconds, until the activity lights flicker

4) release 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)

 - The progress bar will fill, and the message will change to "check sum start"
 - The progress bar will fill again, and the messages will change once more to reflect check sums
 - The progress bar will fill 5 more times.

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.2.31 (japanese firmware)

B0 firmware v.2.31e (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 need 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 (21.4ms).

If your are using B1 mode then no (just 2ms).

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 : 21.4ms

B1 mode : 2ms

B0 mode : 21.4ms

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 WVGA Wide (16:10)
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 ?

Does your screen look like this ?

scren distortion

Then to fix it, you need to go to : 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)
Amiga CD32 + SX32 RGB B1 ON 0 255 Note : Probably correct for all other Amiga's too
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 adjusts A/D level automatically 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 rated 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

Can I use PAL/50hz material on the XRGB3 ?

If you connect PAL consoles via composite or S-video you will get a black and white image. You can connect PAL consoles via the GAME IN connector with a proper adapter from PAL SCART to Japanese RGB-21, otherwise you can blow the port.

Keep in mind that if you connect a 50hz console to the XRGB3 then in B1 mode it will output 50hz VGA. Support for 50hz VGA is much rarer than 60hz VGA, most TV's won't accept it at all. One solution is to chain the XRGB3 through another processor. The DVDO Edge and the Gefen VGA to DVI Scaler Plus are both known to work well.

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").
  • Update (by Gradius): I'm able to get DVI > HDMI output by using FPGA mode B1 on my LG W2363D, however the frequency output is something odd (not 60Hz nor 59.94Hz), so not every monitor/TV will be able to display video signal.
  • Compatibility with modern displays is generally very poor. Do not assume the XRGB3 will work with your TV. If you have a newer TV, consider the XRGB-mini FRAMEMEISTER instead.
  • To improve compatibility, it is possible to chain the XRGB3 with another video processor.

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

Secondary video processor compatibility

General

  • To improve compatibility (especially when using PAL/50hz material) the XRGB3's output can be chained through another video processor.
  • In this setup, usually you set the XRGB3 to B1 mode, thus replacing the existing processors handling of 240p material with the XRGB3's superb 240p handling.
  • B0 mode can still be used to some degree, but is usually pretty useless (since most processors can handle 480p and upwards perfectly well on their own).
  • Many video processors are intolerant of the XRGB3's vertical sync instability when using manual AFC settings. Any systems which require manual AFC will therefore be incompatible with these processors.

Tests

Scaler 50hz/PAL Manual AFC
DVDO Edge Yes No
Gefen VGA to DVI Scaler Plus Yes No
Optoma Themescene No No

Quick notes about display lag

Display lag or input lag is the amount of time it takes for a display to update the picture. Modern displays may buffer one or more frames for picture processing before displaying them. Since the introduction of the Leo Bodnar input lag tester it is now possible to get accurate readings on input lag times across a wide variety of devices. the XRGB3 has been tested and yielded the following results:-

  • B0 Mode - 21.4ms (around 2 frames)
  • B1 Mode - 2ms (virtually lag free)

Input lag can be sometimes be reduced by using the VGA input of the TV (makes a difference on some sets but not all) and/or enabling game mode if available.

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

Discussion of Leo's hand-held lag tester

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