Total newbie trying to get CRT TV to work

[dizny71]

I got the Mister with the VGA output and a composite cable to be able to hook up to my CRT TV. So far I have either gotten no picture at all or a very messed up image. I have the YMBR setting enabled and the doubler disabled.

What settings should I use in order to get the TV to work?

Thanks

[jrronimo]

Hey there! And welcome!

There are some settings that we can try, but please be aware that it may not be possible to get your MiSTer to work with your CRT. I have 3 CRTs and only 1 works flawlessly; one of the others doesn't even display the menu core for more than a second; the third kind of works sometimes, depending on how bright things get. It's a mess, unfortunately, but Sorgelig has said that MiSTer is really meant for use with digital displays and that the MiSTer's way of outputting analog video is hacky and may not work.

We're going to need to know a few things:
1. Are you using an IO board or an HDMI to VGA adapter?
2. What model CRT are you using?
3. Are you using Composite cables (yellow white red), or Component cables (red blue green white red)?

If you have an IO board, then try flipping the Sync on Green switch next to the VGA port.

If you're using an HDMI to VGA adapter, then you need to set

Code: Select all

direct_video=1

In either situation I typically expect

Code: Select all

video_mode=6

to be compatible for most CRTs, but you can also try custom video_modes. Here's one I've tried with my semi-working CRT:

Code: Select all

video_mode=320,16,31,59,224,12,3,23,15700

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[retrorepair]

Hey there! And welcome!

There are some settings that we can try, but please be aware that it may not be possible to get your MiSTer to work with your CRT. I have 3 CRTs and only 1 works flawlessly; one of the others doesn't even display the menu core for more than a second; the third kind of works sometimes, depending on how bright things get. It's a mess, unfortunately, but Sorgelig has said that MiSTer is really meant for use with digital displays and that the MiSTer's way of outputting analog video is hacky and may not work.

We're going to need to know a few things:
1. Are you using an IO board or an HDMI to VGA adapter?
2. What model CRT are you using?
3. Are you using Composite cables (yellow white red), or Component cables (red blue green white red)?

If you have an IO board, then try flipping the Sync on Green switch next to the VGA port.

If you're using an HDMI to VGA adapter, then you need to set

Code: Select all

direct_video=1

In either situation I typically expect

Code: Select all

video_mode=6

to be compatible for most CRTs, but you can also try custom video_modes. Here's one I've tried with my semi-working CRT:

Code: Select all

video_mode=320,16,31,59,224,12,3,23,15700

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

I'm not sure why your using a set video mode on a CRT TV. Your ini settings should look like this:

composite_sync=1
vga_scaler=0
video_mode=0
vsync_adjust=2

I think you have your wires crossed. Analog video is far from "hacky" on MiSTer.

I've tried MiSTer on dozens of CRTs and not had a problem with any of them via the HD15 RGB on the I/O. Are you using a VGA CRT though? I have a feeling you are if your using video_mode=6 as that won't work on a consumer TV.

Are you using component video? That's the only mode I've not tested as I don't have a CRT that supports it.

[pbsk8]

is there a vga -> composite cable that I can use on mister?

I have a tv with svideo here but since there is no native support fot it, I would like at least to use composite cable, in order not to use those crappy rca converters and create input lag

[retrorepair]

is there a vga -> composite cable that I can use on mister?

I have a tv with svideo here but since there is no native support fot it, I would like at least to use composite cable, in order not to use those crappy rca converters and create input lag

This might be what your looking for

https://misterbits.fwscart.com/product_ ... 14892.aspx

[jrronimo]

Hey there! And welcome!

There are some settings that we can try, but please be aware that it may not be possible to get your MiSTer to work with your CRT. I have 3 CRTs and only 1 works flawlessly; one of the others doesn't even display the menu core for more than a second; the third kind of works sometimes, depending on how bright things get. It's a mess, unfortunately, but Sorgelig has said that MiSTer is really meant for use with digital displays and that the MiSTer's way of outputting analog video is hacky and may not work.

We're going to need to know a few things:
1. Are you using an IO board or an HDMI to VGA adapter?
2. What model CRT are you using?
3. Are you using Composite cables (yellow white red), or Component cables (red blue green white red)?

If you have an IO board, then try flipping the Sync on Green switch next to the VGA port.

If you're using an HDMI to VGA adapter, then you need to set

Code: Select all

direct_video=1

In either situation I typically expect

Code: Select all

video_mode=6

to be compatible for most CRTs, but you can also try custom video_modes. Here's one I've tried with my semi-working CRT:

Code: Select all

video_mode=320,16,31,59,224,12,3,23,15700

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

I'm not sure why your using a set video mode on a CRT TV. Your ini settings should look like this:

composite_sync=1
vga_scaler=0
video_mode=0
vsync_adjust=2

I think you have your wires crossed. Analog video is far from "hacky" on MiSTer.

I've tried MiSTer on dozens of CRTs and not had a problem with any of them via the HD15 RGB on the I/O. Are you using a VGA CRT though? I have a feeling you are if your using video_mode=6 as that won't work on a consumer TV.

Are you using component video? That's the only mode I've not tested as I don't have a CRT that supports it.

I am using Component video, yes. I described it as hacky because Sorgelig described it that way. But I should probably have specified "Component video" rather than "analog video"; my mistake.

I've been trying pretty much anything I can to get video into my consumer CRT, which is why I started diving in to video modes. There isn't really clear documentation about when and where one should use video_mode, so I started experimenting with it. I was hopeful that, if I could find the right one, it would work. Guess I'm looking in the wrong place, haha.

A video of the problem I run into is here -- but basically, most MiSTer cores fail to sync over Component video until there's a really bright screen. (e.g., the Konami splash screen for Genesis/SNES games, like Zombies Ate My Neighbors.) I asked Sorgelig about this in the bug report above and he said it wasn't likely to work and wasn't the target hardware for the MiSTer project. I can either invest in more equipment or or find a different CRT TV, unfortunately. Regular consoles do work just fine on this TV, though I don't have any component output modded ones; just other consoles that support Component.

I do have a VGA to S-Video adapter from Antonia Villena's store and that works fine. It's not as nice of a video as Component, but it gets the job done. Looking at MiSTer from a financial perspective, it's frustrating to need to cough up another 25 GBP or 35 Euro (plus shipping) to use functionality that's close to working. I was fortunate in that a local gave me that adapter when he sold me his IO board.

It seems like the sync signal isn't strong enough, but I really just don't know enough to investigate the problem or fix it. I've imagined learning how to make the OSD button show a white screen for a second just to sync the video... or learning enough about video signals to see if I can make the MiSTer's Component output less hacky... but it will take a lot more knowledge and time than I have to tackle, unfortunately.

[FoxbatStargazer]

vsync_adjust only affects scaler output. does nothing to vga port unless vga_scaler is on.

direct_video effectively disables the scaler. Cores will pick their own resolution for HDMI output, usually something 240p suitable for HDMI->analog conversion to use on CRT. Video modes don't work with it. This might be another route to get component out working, as you would rely on an external zero-lag hdmi->component converter instead of Mister, retroRGB should have some on their amazon list.

[dmckean]

Hey there! And welcome!

There are some settings that we can try, but please be aware that it may not be possible to get your MiSTer to work with your CRT. I have 3 CRTs and only 1 works flawlessly; one of the others doesn't even display the menu core for more than a second; the third kind of works sometimes, depending on how bright things get. It's a mess, unfortunately, but Sorgelig has said that MiSTer is really meant for use with digital displays and that the MiSTer's way of outputting analog video is hacky and may not work.

We're going to need to know a few things:
1. Are you using an IO board or an HDMI to VGA adapter?
2. What model CRT are you using?
3. Are you using Composite cables (yellow white red), or Component cables (red blue green white red)?

If you have an IO board, then try flipping the Sync on Green switch next to the VGA port.

If you're using an HDMI to VGA adapter, then you need to set

Code: Select all

direct_video=1

In either situation I typically expect

Code: Select all

video_mode=6

to be compatible for most CRTs, but you can also try custom video_modes. Here's one I've tried with my semi-working CRT:

Code: Select all

video_mode=320,16,31,59,224,12,3,23,15700

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

I'm not sure why your using a set video mode on a CRT TV. Your ini settings should look like this:

composite_sync=1
vga_scaler=0
video_mode=0
vsync_adjust=2

I think you have your wires crossed. Analog video is far from "hacky" on MiSTer.

I've tried MiSTer on dozens of CRTs and not had a problem with any of them via the HD15 RGB on the I/O. Are you using a VGA CRT though? I have a feeling you are if your using video_mode=6 as that won't work on a consumer TV.

Are you using component video? That's the only mode I've not tested as I don't have a CRT that supports it.

I am using Component video, yes. I described it as hacky because Sorgelig described it that way. But I should probably have specified "Component video" rather than "analog video"; my mistake.

I've been trying pretty much anything I can to get video into my consumer CRT, which is why I started diving in to video modes. There isn't really clear documentation about when and where one should use video_mode, so I started experimenting with it. I was hopeful that, if I could find the right one, it would work. Guess I'm looking in the wrong place, haha.

A video of the problem I run into is here -- but basically, most MiSTer cores fail to sync over Component video until there's a really bright screen. (e.g., the Konami splash screen for Genesis/SNES games, like Zombies Ate My Neighbors.) I asked Sorgelig about this in the bug report above and he said it wasn't likely to work and wasn't the target hardware for the MiSTer project. I can either invest in more equipment or or find a different CRT TV, unfortunately. Regular consoles do work just fine on this TV, though I don't have any component output modded ones; just other consoles that support Component.

I do have a [url=https://www.antoniovillena.es/store/pro ... o-adapter/]VGA to S-Video adapter[url] from Antonia Villena's store and that works fine. It's not as nice of a video as Component, but it gets the job done. Looking at MiSTer from a financial perspective, it's frustrating to need to cough up another 25 GBP or 35 Euro (plus shipping) to use functionality that's close to working. I was fortunate in that a local gave me that adapter when he sold me his IO board.

It seems like the sync signal isn't strong enough, but I really just don't know enough to investigate the problem or fix it. I've imagined learning how to make the OSD button show a white screen for a second just to sync the video... or learning enough about video signals to see if I can make the MiSTer's Component output less hacky... but it will take a lot more knowledge and time than I have to tackle, unfortunately.

I don't know what you're trying to do here but it's weird. For component video you need the analog I/O board which has a sync on green switch. Then in your mister.ini you need to enable composite sync, ypbpr and direct video. It's simple.

[jrronimo]

I don't know what you're trying to do here but it's weird. For component video you need the analog I/O board which has a sync on green switch. Then in your mister.ini you need to enable composite sync, ypbpr and direct video. It's simple.

I wish it were that simple, but I promise you that it doesn't work on my TV. I have an I/O board with a SOG switch. I have enabled composite sync and ypbpr. Direct_video is only used for HDMI to VGA adapters, but I've tried with and without anyway. Rolling video on Component, just like the video. I'm not alone in this either, unfortunately... and I promise I wouldn't be making this big of a deal if I hadn't tried every setting combination I could find.

Really the fact that it works fine once there's a "bright enough" image is what gets to me... I feel like there could be a couple ways to work around that through design even if the underlying hardware can't be changed. (Which of course I say as a non-developer, haha.) But I also understand why Sorg isn't interested in this niche, and I have an S-Video adapter that works fine, so it's good enough. I just wish it were a little better.

[pbsk8]

when I tested a component cable on a lcd screen here I have to set ypbpr to 1 and vga scaler to 1 and sog on in order to have image on tv.