The Video Game Critic

the neo geo aes also outputs in rgb


taking this one step further...

without modification or buying an rgb monitor you can tap into the rgb output of these consoles. 

youll need a standard def television with component inputs (results will vary on a high def set with component inputs)

purchase european scart cables for each of your systems http://www.consolegoods.co.uk/ <-- good site for these

purchase a scart to component adapter from ebay.  the last time i checked, there were a couple sellers offering these for around 40 dollars BIN.

(optional) purchase a scart switchbox with an additional a/v out port (the scart adapters do not output sound) to hook up multiple systems without wearing out the contacts on your adapter.

for less than 100 dollars, the results are out of this world.  this is especially true for the sega genesis, as its native a/v is pretty poor quality. 

Well said, chrisbid. This is exactly how I set up my consoles. Another option for Americans is to find an RCA Dimensia TV from the mid 80's. Believe it or not, those sets have an SCART input on the back (which is called EIA multiport or something like that). Yet another option is to buy a European CRT TV (which may or may not require an extra cable in addition to the standard console SCART leads).

I have had spectacular results with the SCART to YUV route. Even better quality, however, would result from hooking up the console to an old Sony Trinitron RGB monitor. This set up is demonstrated in the following video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzXvyid9FVg.

Just wanted to resurrect this topic again for a little while. Has anyone tried any of the above setups? I thought composite was "good enough" until I actually saw the quality old consoles are capable of. In short, RGB ruined me for life. 

I've also noticed that the console reviews still don't reflect this information. 

I don't do RGB (yet anyway), but I do have everything from NES - PS2 running through the Framemeister.  Looks great and zero lag!

One of these days I'll go the RGB route.

I use the following for my systems:

NES - Composite
SMS - Composite
Genesis - Composite
SNES - S Video
PS1 - S Video
PS2 - Component
Gamecube - Conponent via Wii

Guess we are lucky here in Europe as we can just purchase RGB scart cables for most of the classic systems. The only one I haven't got running through RGB is my Master System 2 which doesn't support it.

Sut, you're from the UK, aren't you? Maybe Master System 2 were designed differently there, but French Master System2 definitely support RGB. Most of my classic systems have RGB and/or composite, and I run them through a Sony PVM monitor. It's a thing of beauty!

Thanks Oltobaz I shall look into it, I was under the impression the Master System 2 didn't support RGB whilst the Master System one did.

Glad to see there are others out there interested in RGB!

@Bluenote Framemeister is definitely the best way to play retro systems on a modern TV. Does the device accept a low-res component signal? If so, you might be able to convert the native RGB of the SNES, Genesis, etc to YUV color space and then run it through the Framemeister if you wanted to take advantage of both the vibrancy of RGB and the deinterlacing power of the Framemeister hardware you've invested in. I bet those SNES games do look beautiful through S-Video, though! 

@Sut I've always envied U.K. gamers because of this. You do have the 50Hz and screen cropping issues to deal with, but on the other hand, you can always use a U.S. or Japanese Genny and get the full 60Hz refresh rate.

@Oltobaz Mine is a slightly newer (2004) Olympus Trinitron (same hardware though). I love the settings on these things! Trinitron is truly one of the greatest display technologies ever invented.

This is interesting to know but I'm not really in the mood to disrupt the precarious next of wires I have behind my TVs at this time.

Actually I am planning to do a feature on it soon (how I have my stuff hooked up).