Good S video to HDMI converter for non vga games (or better alternative)?

Technical help for Dreamcast console, accessories and games only. Ask questions and find answers here. For Online help see the Online Forum

Moderator: pcwzrd13

Mechasonik
fire
Posts: 74

Good S video to HDMI converter for non vga games (or better alternative)?

Post#1 » Sun Jun 06, 2021 7:32 pm

I was trying to use s video and an upscaler (that’s not too expensive) to play those non vga games. Unless there’s a better alternative, which are goo s video to hdmi converters?

User avatar
Roareye
Rank 9
Posts: 929
Contact:

Re: Good S video to HDMI converter for non vga games (or better alternative)?

Post#2 » Wed Jul 14, 2021 1:59 am

No point using S Video on DC at all if you want to use an HDMI converter. Far cheaper to get an RGB Scart cable for the DC and get an RGB Scart to HDMI converter. Not only are they cheaper and there are more of them, but you'll get a far superior picture too.

Mechasonik
fire
Posts: 74

Re: Good S video to HDMI converter for non vga games (or better alternative)?

Post#3 » Wed Jul 14, 2021 7:07 am

Thanks!

User avatar
mr.kaeru
lithium
Posts: 46

Re: Good S video to HDMI converter for non vga games (or better alternative)?

Post#4 » Thu Jul 15, 2021 9:54 am

Roareye wrote:No point using S Video on DC at all if you want to use an HDMI converter. Far cheaper to get an RGB Scart cable for the DC and get an RGB Scart to HDMI converter. Not only are they cheaper and there are more of them, but you'll get a far superior picture too.


I am currently using an Akura from Beharbros. Do you think a retrotink 2x scart + a packapunch scart cable (retrogamingcables) would give me a better image?

Thanks :)

User avatar
Roareye
Rank 9
Posts: 929
Contact:

Re: Good S video to HDMI converter for non vga games (or better alternative)?

Post#5 » Thu Jul 15, 2021 12:01 pm

mr.kaeru wrote:
Roareye wrote:No point using S Video on DC at all if you want to use an HDMI converter. Far cheaper to get an RGB Scart cable for the DC and get an RGB Scart to HDMI converter. Not only are they cheaper and there are more of them, but you'll get a far superior picture too.


I am currently using an Akura from Beharbros. Do you think a retrotink 2x scart + a packapunch scart cable (retrogamingcables) would give me a better image?

Thanks :)

No. I also use an Akura from BeharBros. It will give a slightly sharper image than RGB Scart. However the Akura won't work with games that aren't VGA compatible.

VGA (and by extension, the Akura) will let the Dreamcast output a clean 480p image.
RGB Scart will output the cleanest possible 480i image. S-Video is a middling okay output, with composite being muddy. It's to do with the colour levels.

It's to do with the number of separate cables to carry colour and brightness information. Composite (Red, Yellow and White cables) only carries one video cable (yellow), in which the Red, Green, Blue, Luma and Sync have to travel together. They get muddled in the process. S-Video does it a little better but RGB Scart does it best from that set of analog connections.

To be fair, the non-VGA compatible games are very few and mostly shit. The only decent non-VGA games are often VGA compatible from other regions, so this needn't be an issue.

Resident Evil: Code Veronica is not compatible with VGA in PAL regions, however it is VGA compatible in the US. Import the game (or burn a US copy to a CD-R) and viola - you have fixed the issue. Same with Railroad Tycoon II, and variations of Mortal Kombat Gold etc.

Nobody is going to miss the few titles that can't be fixed;
Airforce Delta/Deadly Skies
Bangai-O
Caesar's Palace 2000
ECW Anarchy Rulz
ECW Hardcore Revolution (Though a VGA compatible patch has since been released)
Iron Aces
Plasma Sword/Star Gladiator 2: Nightmare of Bilstein
Soul Fighter
WWF Attitude

Not really missing much

User avatar
mistamontiel
Shark Patrol
Posts: 1946
Contact:

Re: Good S video to HDMI converter for non vga games (or better alternative)?

Post#6 » Thu Jul 15, 2021 4:16 pm

CRT

Dreamcast's the last to really glow really shine on s-vid, jus be careful which cord

I can tell you stay far away from Naki's, just because it's the one cord one s-vid plug doesn't mean it's wired right! Yucky

User avatar
mr.kaeru
lithium
Posts: 46

Re: Good S video to HDMI converter for non vga games (or better alternative)?

Post#7 » Fri Jul 16, 2021 1:26 am

thanks a lot for the detailed explanation :)

User avatar
Ragfish
St.Jimmy
Posts: 393

Re: Good S video to HDMI converter for non vga games (or better alternative)?

Post#8 » Sat Jul 17, 2021 2:07 pm

Roareye wrote:Nobody is going to miss the few titles that can't be fixed;

Bangai-O

Not really missing much


Have you gone mad? :lol:

User avatar
Roareye
Rank 9
Posts: 929
Contact:

Re: Good S video to HDMI converter for non vga games (or better alternative)?

Post#9 » Sat Jul 17, 2021 2:28 pm

Ragfish wrote:
Roareye wrote:Nobody is going to miss the few titles that can't be fixed;

Bangai-O

Not really missing much


Have you gone mad? :lol:

I mean, you found one game out of an already short list of mainly garbage. Even then Bangai-O is better in Japan due to it having online multiplayer, but sadly that version isn't VGA compatible either.

User avatar
Ragfish
St.Jimmy
Posts: 393

Re: Good S video to HDMI converter for non vga games (or better alternative)?

Post#10 » Sat Jul 17, 2021 2:34 pm

Roareye wrote: Far cheaper to get an RGB Scart cable for the DC and get an RGB Scart to HDMI converter.


What cable and converters are you looking at? Scart cables I've seen for the Dreamcast are around $20-40. In fact, the packapunch cable mr kaeru mentioned is almost $70 from what I can tell. And a scart to hdmi converter that doesn't suck is like $100 (those $20 ones on amazon are crap for gaming and are proven to introduce tons of lag).

Meanwhile a good S Video cable from performance will cost about $8 and a retrotink mini will cost about $80, which would be a decent setup for most people even if not as good as VGA or RGB. Is there a cheaper scart option that I'm missing?

  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “Support”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users