RGB Mod for a PcEngine Duo-r

[drenco]

Any one got a decent link or instructions for me so i can Mod my Duo-r from composite to a lovely RGB signal,alternativey if anyone can do it for a reasonable price and lives near Luton in the United Kingdom let me no as i really dont like looking at this composite picture, thanks

[Joe Redifer]

http://www.gamesx.com/rgbadd/duorgb.php

You'll have to build an amp.

[FM-77]

You won't have to build an amp.

Transistors (unsure about the values, I will not find out, ask around or test yourself) on the r, g and b lines are more than enough.

[Joe Redifer]

That's what I do.  Interesting effect when the system is powered up.  The transistor values are the same ones listed in the amp specs on the page I linked to.

[FM-77]

Interesting effect? What do you mean by that?

[kid_rondeau]

Well, according to that guy's RGB mod page, this works on all US/Japanese PCE systems. I plan on doing this to my TG-CD, but there's a few questions I had, if anyone can help:

-Can RGB out be connected to component in? My logic says no, but I don't know what the difference is.
-Does anyone know how to turn RGB into Chroma/Luma signals so I can use S-video?

[FM-77]

1. Nope. But Joe Redifer knows what additional equipment you need in order to make it possible.
2. Yes, but it requires an encoder. Grahf knows about this. Read this thread.

[kid_rondeau]

Oh, hey! I just found this:

http://www.jrok.com/hardware/RGBv4/index.html

My apologies if anyone else found it first, and rest assured I'm not advertising for this guy...but would this work for the Turbo/PCE systems? I can't see any reason why not, unless they put out something other than the "standard resolution" 15kHz horizontal line frequency...

I wonder what the Component/S-Video model goes for!

[GUTS]

Jroks are awesome, buy one man.

[SNKNostalgia]

Yep, it should work with Component easily. As for S-video/Composite out the J-Rock or a NeoBitz which is similiar, that is very iffy. You probably have to do a slight mod like Grahf is doing with the CXA chip on his S-video mod. I am not 100% sure, but I think you have to give a little amping up to the RGB comming from the video in the system. The boards use an AD chip much like a CXA for video. If you have component video on your TV then it is a good way to go. Personally I think S-video is good enough with a Duo.

Now a Neo Geo, that is a little different since it is a system that is more of a 32 bit style system almost 4,000 colors onscreen and around 40,000 color palette. Also, SNK tends to put in maximum details into the graphics.

[Joe Redifer]

The Neo Geo has 65,536 colors total and 4096 onscreen at the same time.  Though I doubt any game has come close to even putting a 1,000 on at once.

I have an RGB to Component converter which I use.  SCART cables in, RCA component out. Much easier to deal with than the JROK which you must make your own connection.  The JROK does have pots that may negate the need for an amp for the Turbo RGB, though.

[SNKNostalgia]

The Neo Geo has 65,536 colors total and 4096 onscreen at the same time.  Though I doubt any game has come close to even putting a 1,000 on at once.

I have an RGB to Component converter which I use.  SCART cables in, RCA component out. Much easier to deal with than the JROK which you must make your own connection.  The JROK does have pots that may negate the need for an amp for the Turbo RGB, though.

Heh, I was too lazy to look it up before I posted and it has been awhile since I quized myself with specs of the system. Still though, it is the most powerful 2D console out there. I call it overkill in the 16 bit world due to it's power. I think games like KOF97 should be over 1000 colors on screen. It is true that a lot of older titles (some newer like Samurai Shodown 4) were pretty much around 256 to 500 colors or so. I doubt that any Neo Geo games did 4,096 colors though.

BTW, I found out from grahf that you really shouldn't get a J-rock or Neo Bitz for composite/S-video use since the AD724/725 chips in them won't work with the Turbo RGB at all. As for component you will be ok since it is running through a completely different circuit. Also, you need do it with slight modifications like a LM1881 sync seperator. RGB to YUV convertor sounds like a better option though and it is external and can be used for all other systems which is nice. I may just get one of those but SCART cables are pain in the ass to find for older systems these days. I guess I could just have some custom built.

[grahf]

The neobitz has been confirmed not-working by others on the gamesx forum due to the ad724/725. The (3.1) Jrok should work, but for some reason it doesnt. I dont have one in my possesion to test with, but it seems like it just may be a sync or subcarrier issue. Its a nice product, so hopefully somebody can figure it out.

[SNKNostalgia]

Yeah, my Neo Geo AES is running on a NeoBitz with component/composite/S-video board. It is pretty much perfect for this. I think that component shouldn't be a problem with a Neo Bitz but it won't work with the NeoBitz-S model or the S-video/composite won't work with the component video model either.

One guy at the NeoGeo forums got his Turbo Duo and Sega Genesis working with a NeoBitz with the component video only. He made an external switch with different lines that are tweaked. If youre gonna go through that much trouble, you might as well buy and external YUV convertor like Joe Redifer has. You can also find ones that convert RGB into S-video even.

[Joe Redifer]

Still though, [the Neo Geo] is the most powerful 2D console out there.

Perhaps it would be best to say "16-bit" instead of "2D".  I consider the Saturn more of a 2D console than a 3D console, and it stomps all over anything the Neo can do.  Too bad the Neo Geo couldn't do rotation, I don't even think they even tried it in software.  And despite having more colors than the SNES, it never did any transparencies, only mesh.  They could have done transparencies if the programmers had tried harder.  I don't think anyone ever bothered to push the Neo like programmers pushed the TG-16, Genesis and the SNES.  It would have been awesome to see what it could have done.