PC Engine TV troubles

[Jinzouki]

I recently got a Samsung HD LCD TV around Christmas time, wanting to make my games look better than ever. The PS2 I got looks fine in HD though my PC Engine Duo RX and Genesis have a bit of trouble. I dunno how to explain it but it goes from light to dark alot like if were to flash. It's a bit less noticable when I set my tv to "game mode" but still mildly annoying. Has anyone had this trouble? Is there a solution to this? I am wondering wether or not to return the tv and get another style of LCD TV (I got my heart set out on having a LCD TV since I want the best picture possible out of my systems like I see in the Rooms of Doom over at Digital press)

[malducci]

Sounds like it's the algorithm in the LCD TV conversion board/chip. If you're talking about when something flashes at 60fps rate -bullets in some shooters, fake transparency shadows, etc. Also, you get the nice filtering that a CRT provides. There are special converters that can add this and make the picture from an older type signal or game system look much better, but these boxes are in the $200-400 price range.

[Jinzouki]

I noticed this when I was playing Flash Hiders that I got a few days ago. Its more like I see gameplay or a video and it's more that the colours flicker from light (default) to a darker shade and back every 30ish seconds or so. Everything else (transparencies, shadows, ect) seem to be fine. Also I do seem to get "noise" around the edges in some images (like edges in the opening cinema for Flash Hiders). I just bought this tv like a few days before christmas, I was wondering maybe I could just return the tv and get a different model, I'm not sure about that Will all LCD TV's do this or is it just because its HD?

[Black Tiger]

You're lucky. My LCD makes PCE games(by that I mean the one I tried  ) look like they've got one of those weird filters(stained glass?) that some emus use and the framerate was choppy.

But my 5/6 year old Sony with S-Video and my 480p projector make all my classic consoles look great and the LCD is primarily for my Xbox 360 right now.

Wii Virtual Console games run fine on it though.

[Tatsujin]

i always thought that oldskool systems anyway looking really awful on new LCD HD-TVs.

[Keranu]

I hate LCD TVs in general, especially older video games  :oops: .

[Jinzouki]

So this would happen with most any LCD TV's? Or just the HD Variety? I have another normal flat screen tv out in the living room but it has another annoying problem, the colours are washed out in the top left-hand of the screen every now and then I guess my LCD is fine for now Thanks for the input guys

[SignOfZeta]

LCDs are not "the best" for starters. Picture quality-wise they are very inferior to both CRT and plasma. They are insaenly bright as eye-burning hell, and oh so flat, but they don't produce a more accurate picture. Your problem though probably has nothing to do with that sort of thing. I imagine its one of those inscrutable hang-ups like PS1s on Zenith TVs. It just...happens. It probably has something to do with the PCE's so-so composite output.

I suggest getting a component video mod for the PCE and using an XRGB2. This is mad expensive, but it might help and it certainly can't hurt. It will upconvert the signal to something more native to what your LCD understands.

[Keranu]

LCDs are not "the best" for starters. Picture quality-wise they are very inferior to both CRT and plasma. They are insaenly bright as eye-burning hell, and oh so flat, but they don't produce a more accurate picture.

I never thought LCDs were too bright, I always thought they were too dim, at least for computer monitors.

[TR0N]

I suggest getting a component video mod for the PCE and using an XRGB2. This is mad expensive, but it might help and it certainly can't hurt. It will upconvert the signal to something more native to what your LCD understands.

You mean the XRBG3 the old XRBG2 is not made any more.

Unless he can find one used that nobody wants.

Play-asia sells the XRBG3 but it's on back order http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-86-49-en-15-UP%2BScan%2BConverter-70-1ic5.html

The other thing that he could do is have his pce modded for rbg, and get a monitor that suports it.

[SignOfZeta]

LCDs are not "the best" for starters. Picture quality-wise they are very inferior to both CRT and plasma. They are insaenly bright as eye-burning hell, and oh so flat, but they don't produce a more accurate picture.

I never thought LCDs were too bright, I always thought they were too dim, at least for computer monitors.

Heh, have you taken a good look at the stuff made in the last 1-2 years? Its like staring at the sun. My friend bought a Viewsonic 19" LCD recently for his computer and soon after getting it the brightness setting broke so that it was full bright all the time. It was...basically unusable since the display was to be used a room that is dimly lit most of the time. Lucky they replaced it.

[Jinzouki]

LCDs are not "the best" for starters. Picture quality-wise they are very inferior to both CRT and plasma. They are insaenly bright as eye-burning hell, and oh so flat, but they don't produce a more accurate picture. Your problem though probably has nothing to do with that sort of thing. I imagine its one of those inscrutable hang-ups like PS1s on Zenith TVs. It just...happens. It probably has something to do with the PCE's so-so composite output.

I suggest getting a component video mod for the PCE and using an XRGB2. This is mad expensive, but it might help and it certainly can't hurt. It will upconvert the signal to something more native to what your LCD understands.

I always DID think the PCE's and Genesis's composite output was a bit flimsy, I could get a mod for that but has anyone seen somebody that does an S-Video or component upgrade? I kinda doubt component could be made for the PC Engine though I'd settle for S-Video. Oldschoolgamer.ca seems only to make individual composite video for the PCE but that would help get rid of the noise around the edges, still might have the light/dark flickering, still a step up from outputting composite video signal out of that rather flimsy plug. As for the XRBG3 or XRBG2....they seem a bit expensive in play-asia, I see other VGA boxes like http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-86-49-en-70-2cs.html and http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-86-49-en-70-1od8.html are these comparable to the XRGB2 or 3? I got a PC input on my TV so I can just plug this and my Sega CDX in, that'd be taking care of 2 birds with 1 stone.

[esteban]

I have a question for the techie folks: Should the original poster try running his PCE / Genny through a VCR first? I know that this would degrade the picture somewhat, but perhaps the VCR (or equivalent device) would output composite / S-Video that was more conducive to the television he has?

I know it would't be true S-Video, I'm simply talking about correcting the flickering and noise that the original poster experiences.

Educate me .

[Jinzouki]

I would though I don't have a VCR right now, it broke a long time ago. I got a DVD player but its one of those Wal-Mart compact ones, only seems to have output. Has Component/AV but no inputs to do the old trick (I used to do that before for my PS1 since I had a very old TV at the time and had no RF input on my old tv)