ResidentDante
Member
I dunno. I'm sceptical. I think it looks worse!
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The Nintendo 64 Appreciation/Collecting/Emulation Thread.
- Thread starter Seik
- Start date
I dunno. I'm sceptical. I think it looks worse!
Still not sure why some want to decrease the image quality of the system. AA is one of the key reasons (alongside texture filtering and Z-buffering) that allows N64 3D to look a lot more modern than the really primitive looking stuff on the SNES Super FX and PS1.
elmalloc
Member
I'd like to give an addendum review to my Ultra HDMI N64 opinion.
One thing (from reading above), disabling VI Blur is likely an opinionated thing. At larger HDTV screen sizes and resolutions, the blurriness is very evident. I believe playing on a smaller CRT monitor, the blurriness is not as easily seen.
Last night, I hooked up all of my retro consoles to my 720p TV upstairs. The Ultra HDMI, with no scanlines, no sharp pixels, but just VI DeBlur on - looks better and more playable than it did on my 1080p. For whatever reason that may be, I wasn't concentrating on the pixels as much and was able to have fun with Mario 64 again. The colors are rich, the pixels are actually kind of nice to look at.
One thing (from reading above), disabling VI Blur is likely an opinionated thing. At larger HDTV screen sizes and resolutions, the blurriness is very evident. I believe playing on a smaller CRT monitor, the blurriness is not as easily seen.
Last night, I hooked up all of my retro consoles to my 720p TV upstairs. The Ultra HDMI, with no scanlines, no sharp pixels, but just VI DeBlur on - looks better and more playable than it did on my 1080p. For whatever reason that may be, I wasn't concentrating on the pixels as much and was able to have fun with Mario 64 again. The colors are rich, the pixels are actually kind of nice to look at.
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
I played Superman 64 last night for the first time.
It really is as bad as everyone says it is. And not like ironically bad - legit garbage. I would be so sad it I bought that new growing up.
It really is as bad as everyone says it is. And not like ironically bad - legit garbage. I would be so sad it I bought that new growing up.
blast processed
Member
I saw it in a dump bin for $5 yesterday. Had my hand on it to buy it, but quickly put it back. I'll wait till someone just gives it to me.
That and the fact the N64 polygons were solid, no jittering nor distorted textures.
So damn distracting.
sixteen-bit
Member
I'm curious to try this out. Thanks for the heads up.
Because many people find the the AA on N64 to be a bit heavy handed, leaving everything blurry.
This is especially true when trying to upscale when using the XRGB mini.
IrishNinja
Member
i like my RGB modded N64 upscaled on HDTV, but ive meant to try it on the PVM for a while now...i've no doubt the smaller screen size will help
damn, yeah...id kinda wanted even a dead one on the cheap just cause i like the idea of the system stacking like a sega-CD, haha
hmm...tempted to download & try these out, but at a glance i'm not sure i'd prefer it
yeah, i was hyped in the day - Nintendo Power had one of their mini-posters with art from the animated (just like the cover)! only got to finally play it a little while back, and...damn, yeah, it's just so boring and there's nothing to do. what a waste of the license!
damn, yeah...id kinda wanted even a dead one on the cheap just cause i like the idea of the system stacking like a sega-CD, haha
hmm...tempted to download & try these out, but at a glance i'm not sure i'd prefer it
yeah, i was hyped in the day - Nintendo Power had one of their mini-posters with art from the animated (just like the cover)! only got to finally play it a little while back, and...damn, yeah, it's just so boring and there's nothing to do. what a waste of the license!
It's more noticeable on bigger screens I think.
I'm still waiting for my RGB N64 to come, looks like it'll be next week at this rate.
Awwww shit, she's playing the Defection at Corellia level. You had to use the Airspeeder/Snowspeeder to bring down AT-ATs and for the life of me my 8 year old self had so much trouble completing this mission.
soxinthebox
Member
Got an email saying my UltraHDMI was completed so it must've only taken the guy a day or less to instal. Hopefully that means I'll have it back late next week 👌
Lynd7
Member
Yeah, same, seemed like he knocked it over within a day. Should be back to me on Monday. Can't wait.
For those who have the mod already, hows the audio? Heard there may be some slight clipping sometimes? Also, is there a place where firmware updates are posted?
IrishNinja
Member
wait, isn't the board like $150 or am i remembering it wrong? bapho here quoted me at $200+, i forget exactly how much but it was in "for the N64 tho? nahhhh" territory for me, haha
He''s right actually...no matter what, you're gonna spend near or above 200 bucks!!!
elmalloc
Member
I spent $240 and I'm happy with it. But yeah, it's not a cheap mod, considering the N64 I used was under $50. You have to be versed with cleaning consoles if you're getting into retro (and I'm not there yet). I opened up an N64 from japan and it was just disgusting. Spider webs/etc. Who knows what's going on inside our consoles at night....
catpurrcat
Member
Gross! Lol you are scaring me because I just got one from Japan !
The exterior shell is so clean I could eat maple walnut ice cream off of it (Please nobody eat ice cream off of your n64
lol)Seriously though that's an amazing value. Is the newly modded system finicky at all? For example, any static, or video glitches occasionally?
elmalloc
Member
Gross! Lol you are scaring me because I just got one from Japan !
The exterior shell is so clean I could eat maple walnut ice cream off of it (Please nobody eat ice cream off of your n64
Seriously though that's an amazing value. Is the newly modded system finicky at all? For example, any static, or video glitches occasionally?
The only thing I noticed was your receiver should be on the n64 HDMI input (or perhaps TV, too) before turning the N64 on - or the handshake won't work. Otherwise, I have had no static/video glitches. You can create them with the sharp pixels mode (integer+/etc) due to odd scaling, but that's not due to the mod itself really, and I didn't notice any in that mode anyway.
I currently play with scanlines OFF, sharp pixels OFF, and vi de-blur ON. For better or worse, the N64 looks better on my 720p set than my 1080p.
I've noticed, even with "new" consoles, there are still things to consider. For example, it better have come from a smoke-free environment. It's been difficult for me to acquire any Atari 2600 items that don't reek of cigarettes. Even my "new" Genesis controller has cigarette smoke. This is why it's good to be versed at cleaning.
My RGB N64 should be coming in tomorrow. They say you need a sync on luma cable but I don't have one, though I do have both composite video as sync and c-sync cables and I heard composite video as sync works(going by what retrofixes and My Life In Gaming said) so I'll try that.
I'll be doing direct feed captures using the scan double feature, not upscaling because I don't like upscaling games to way higher res(like 720p, 1080p, etc.), in fact 480p is the max I would go with Gen 6 and lower consoles.
I'll be doing direct feed captures using the scan double feature, not upscaling because I don't like upscaling games to way higher res(like 720p, 1080p, etc.), in fact 480p is the max I would go with Gen 6 and lower consoles.
IrishNinja
Member
yeah, struck me as a complicated mod to do, and i'm not even good with the easy ones - most i've done so far is the SNES region free one, haha
but damn, yeah now i'm curious about opening my systems...
...okayyyy nevermind
nicoga3000
Saint Nic
I should boot this up again. I've been playing Aerogauge for my old school racer, but this one brings me back. I also should boot up extreme G again since that game was the tits.
elmalloc
Member
Hah! I have heard about the cockroaches, too. Usually when I buy a used console I explicitly asked the seller if it's smoke free and has been cleaned internally. It's surprising how many people avoid the first question or won't do a simple sniff test...
Love me some 1080!
Me and my bro still have this competition thing going with the halfpipe scores, lol. Even after all these years...
Still load up this track to listen to often as well!
D.Lo
Member
Yeah compare 1080 to Coolborders 2 or whatever. It felt like a generation ahead back then. Wave Race too over similar games elsewhere.
soxinthebox
Member
How solid does the mini hdmi port feel? Tossing up whether to get an adapter or just plug a cable straight in.
Got the shipping notification today so it should arrive in the next couple of days 👌
Lynd7
Member
Seems fairly sturdy, I've only plugged it in and out twice so far though.
I am also being gentle, but, I don't think plugging in a cable directly will cause a big problem if you aren't being rough. I am using just the one cable.
elmalloc
Member
Plug a straight cable in, I got mine from amazon and it works fine with my ultra HDMI n64.
elmalloc
Member
What settings are you using? That was not my initial feel of the system lol, but it has since grown on me when using my 720p set. My 1080p plasma, it looked poor, even after playing with scanlines/sharp pixels/VI Deblur. Not the mod's fault.
Currently I play with no scanlines, no sharp pixels, VI Deblur ON - and I can concentrate more on playing than "what happened to these graphics" - lol. Sharp pixels/integer mode reacts differently on 1080p vs 720p, in 720p integer mode takes up only 50% or less of the screen (i.e. there are huge black bars on the top and bottom, as well as the sides).
Pancakes R Us
Member
I'm not so sure about this HDMI mod anymore after reading some of these impressions, but I'm still keen to get one of those coloured N64s, like the green one pictured recently in this thread.
Is it possible to do a RGB mod on the coloured systems too?
Is it possible to do a RGB mod on the coloured systems too?
elmalloc
Member
Yes, you can RGB mod any version of N64, though different models would have different methods.
By the way, I think I've been the only neutral opinion on the Ultra HDMI. I came out negative but have upgraded it to neutral since after connecting it to another HDTV (of only 720p res) and modifying more settings.
I think as they say, if you're a fan of N64, it's probably a no brainer. I'm definitely a fan of N64, but I didn't remember it looking like this. It's better on smaller sets, regardless of CRT or HDTV, IMO.
The HDMI mod for any retro console is going to eliminate analog noise that RGB/other connections have. The bonus for Ultra HDMI is the dynamic de-blur effect, that is easily seen. I believe it is an opinion if you prefer it though (as is anything). For instance, Try4ce from My Life In Gaming loves the n64 and de-blur, it's his favorite retro console mod. Coury does not care either way for it. I would say the major benefit of this over RGB is simply the de-blur capability, but since you can't try it out for yourself first, it's difficult to say if it's worth it. It's one of the more (or most?) expensive retro mod I've seen.
My current favorite HD mod is the HiDef NES. Just like anyone else's first I guess, but there is simply very little wrong with it and it produces a great/clean pixelated 2D picture to my eyes.
Pancakes R Us
Member
Thanks for the response. I was sure that not all N64s could be RGB modded...? I guess I was wrong, or the source i came across it on is wrong.
What size TV did you initially play it on? I guess if I play it on a HDTV, I'd play it on my small, 23" 720p Samsung. Planning on investing in a BVM or PVM at some point though.
shanafan
Member
I'm fairly sure that only certain early pal versions can be rgb modded. Later pal consoles can't. All ntsc consoles can be modded though.
I'll get some pics in, but man, some of my games like Star Wars Rogue Squadron aren't working properly, I'm gonna see what I can do about that.
Lynd7
Member
I think it doesn't look that great without scanlines on. I am still going back and forth with some settings, I think I prefer it without the deblur on too, while some elements are sharper, I think overall it can make it a little worse.
My aim is to make it look as close as it can be to how it should look on a CRT. I think that's the best way to go with the N64.
My settings:
Fill Mode - Normal
Overscan - 20 (Sorta changing this still)
Gamma Boost - Yes
Scanlines - Hybrid
Scan Serration - None
Scan Interlaced - No
CRT HV Bloom - None
Sharp Pixels - Off
Deblur - Off
Fast Interlaced - Yes
1080p/60hz
Here's some pics of my screen also a PVM comparison.
PVM
HDTV 55Inch
Question as well. I've never noticed this before, so I am wondering if theres a fault with my system? On the title screen for Mario 64 (His head) theres some weird diagonal looking lines that seem to flicker lightly. At first it looked like just a couple of pixels, but it does seem to extend as a faint line. Hard to explain, but I can probably get a video up later.
I can only see it on that screen, was that always part of the game?
Hmm, I wonder about that as well. Some nice pics though.
Lynd7
Member
When the HDMI menu is up, whats the 525 in the left corner refer to?
525 - 60hz (p)
Also, I'll add my question to this page as well. Does the Mario head screen on Mario 64 usually have some faint flickering diagonal lines? Thats the best I can describe it, most noticeable across the background.
Here's an off screen video, kinda hard to see in this clip though.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-T8klYBwbcTUGhoT1NRMWNZMlU/view?usp=sharing
525 - 60hz (p)
Also, I'll add my question to this page as well. Does the Mario head screen on Mario 64 usually have some faint flickering diagonal lines? Thats the best I can describe it, most noticeable across the background.
Here's an off screen video, kinda hard to see in this clip though.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-T8klYBwbcTUGhoT1NRMWNZMlU/view?usp=sharing
I don't think that's suppose to happen, never seen that before.