MiSTer FPGA Forum

My MiSTer works great connected to a digital display and I'm trying to get it working on a refurbished BVM which is my only CRT. I'm using these cables to go from HDMI to RGB:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075GZ8DX7
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000067SM6

I've changed to these in MiSTer.ini:

direct_video=1
composite_sync=1

The CRT only displays a horizontal line that bounces around the screen.

There are red, green, and blue sockets on 2 cards on the BVM. One is labeled ANALOG which also has a sync socket. The other is labeled DIGITAL ANALOG and also has a series of other sockets but none of them are labeled sync. My BNC cable has 5 output plugs so I may not be connecting it properly although I've tried several things.

misterrocks wrote: ↑Fri Aug 25, 2023 1:28 am

My MiSTer works great connected to a digital display and I'm trying to get it working on a refurbished BVM which is my only CRT. I'm using these cables to go from HDMI to RGB:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075GZ8DX7
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000067SM6

I've changed to these in MiSTer.ini:

direct_video=1
composite_sync=1

The CRT only displays a horizontal line that bounces around the screen.

There are red, green, and blue sockets on 2 cards on the BVM. One is labeled ANALOG which also has a sync socket. The other is labeled DIGITAL ANALOG and also has a series of other sockets but none of them are labeled sync. My BNC cable has 5 output plugs so I may not be connecting it properly although I've tried several things.

can you post a picture from back of your BVM?
I have 2 Sony PVMs and use a VGA to BNC cable similar to yours.
the cable has 5 heads but only red green and blue heads need to be connected.
are you connecting the cables correctly?
most BVMs / some PVM also need terminator heads connected to the 3 output sockets.

here's how they look:

If you only connect RGB cables you have to be using sync-on-green right? (RGsB) Mister I/O board will output that with a switch flipped. Its not easy to do the same with direct_video and standard hdmi->VGA converter, there's no SoG signal, so will need one of the other cables for composite (H/V) sync.

Here is a photo of the BVM cards.

It sounds like I need to get either sync-on-green or composite sync working. Are there MiSTer settings I need to change or more cables to use?

Since you only have a single Sync input on the BVM, you'll need to enable composite_sync=1 in mister.ini, but it seems you did that. What do you mean by a horizontal line bouncing around? That doesn't make sense to me.

composite_sync=1 pushes all the sync into the hsync. I think that's probably the grey, but you could try the black if not. Connect that to sync on the right side, along with R G B.

That said, its worth testing that your converter works in the first place if you can. Sometimes its troublesome getting direct_video to work with some converters at all. Also with another analog video if you can.

Here is a photo of the screen. The line changes between red, green, and blue and kind of rolls quickly up the screen over and over. Whether the black, gray, or no cable is plugged into sync, this behavior is the same.

Is there an HDMI-VGA converter that's known to work with this?

Also when I turn on the TV sometimes instead of coming on the overload light blinks. This seems to only happen when I'm starting it from cold. Does that indicate a problem?

Does your monitor otherwise work?
Can you test it with a different cable? some of these VGA cables can have issues..
all you need for connecting the Mister VGA to PVM/BVM is a VGA to BNC cable.I don't think HDMI to VGA is the solution.

I can't think of another way to test the monitor. Is there a cable online (Amazon?) that's known to work?

I'm not sure what you mean about not using HDMI to VGA. The only video out on my MiSTer is HDMI.

misterrocks wrote: ↑Fri Aug 25, 2023 7:57 pm

I can't think of another way to test the monitor. Is there a cable online (Amazon?) that's known to work?

I'm not sure what you mean about not using HDMI to VGA. The only video out on my MiSTer is HDMI.

They are implying/suggesting the use of an analog i/o board.

Do you have any other analog RGB sources you could use to confirm the monitor works?

Have you pressed the button (or menu option) of the BVM for using external sync?

Additionally, just to clarify, you should not try to use the 'digital' board on the BMV, the digital inputs are for SDI.

The monitor came from a reliable source so it should be working. I'm not sure how else I could test it.

I just tried the sync button with both black and gray connected to the sync socket but everything is the same except the screen is much lighter.

I'm using the sockets along the right side of my photo.

I'm guessing it's the HDMI converter or VGA cable. Is the converter more likely? I could try another one from Amazon.

Since this is my first time with a CRT there is also the possibility that I'm doing something wrong that's really basic. The inputs were set up for me and I'm trying all 9 of them.

misterrocks wrote: ↑Fri Aug 25, 2023 7:57 pm

I can't think of another way to test the monitor. Is there a cable online (Amazon?) that's known to work?

I'm not sure what you mean about not using HDMI to VGA. The only video out on my MiSTer is HDMI.

I assumed you have the analogue IO board on your Mister.
That's the ideal way to get VGA signal not converting HDMI to VGA imo.

since you don't know if the BVM is working or not,it makes troubleshooting a little harder.

I'd start by ordering a different cable,(just for test and then you can return it).
also try connecting a different source ,like a DVD player etc to the monitor (again if you don't have any around you can buy one and return it)
I say this because this is exactly what I had to do when I initially had problems with one of the CRTs I bought recently.there was no picture and I didn't know if it was the CRT,cable or some Mister settings.

For what its worth, I use these cables with the vga output from the Mister Multisystem and BVM:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Y1M81NX

That said I think the cables you bought should work too.

If I were you I would get an analog I/O board for your mister, or another RGB device to test your BVM.

Might be easier/cheaper to find something with component output, since it looks labeled to support that. Though you might have to flip a menu/switch somewhere to look at component instead of RGB.

I connected a DVD player with component video cables and I get a picture but it is squashed and duplicated across the left and right halves of the screen with a vertical black bar down the center. I'm surprised component from DVD isn't perfect out of the box because one of the inputs was set up for component (along with RGB and composite on other inputs).

Is it fair to say the monitor is working and I have an HDMI-VGA converter problem?

Could there be other MiSTer settings I need to change?

It doesn't sound like your display is working correctly?

Open up the VGA adapter and try to confirm the chip used. It should be either AG6200 or CS5210.

misterrocks wrote: ↑Sat Aug 26, 2023 1:09 am

I connected a DVD player with component video cables and I get a picture but it is squashed and duplicated across the left and right halves of the screen with a vertical black bar down the center. I'm surprised component from DVD isn't perfect out of the box because one of the inputs was set up for component (along with RGB and composite on other inputs).

Is it fair to say the monitor is working and I have an HDMI-VGA converter problem?

Could there be other MiSTer settings I need to change?

I’m no CRT expert but it doesn’t sound like your monitor is working correctly?

I really recommend getting an analogue IO board for your Mister if you want to use any CRT display.
that’s how you are supposed to connect it to a CRT.

converting HDMI to VGA using those cheap converters is not ideal.there could be various incompatibility issues, you’re adding potential extra problems.

the settings I had to change on midter.ini are:

forced scandoubler = 0
ypbpr = 0
composite_sync = 1
vga_scaller= 0

16Bittt wrote: ↑Sat Aug 26, 2023 10:54 am

misterrocks wrote: ↑Sat Aug 26, 2023 1:09 am

I connected a DVD player with component video cables and I get a picture but it is squashed and duplicated across the left and right halves of the screen with a vertical black bar down the center. I'm surprised component from DVD isn't perfect out of the box because one of the inputs was set up for component (along with RGB and composite on other inputs).

Is it fair to say the monitor is working and I have an HDMI-VGA converter problem?

Could there be other MiSTer settings I need to change?

I’m no CRT expert but it doesn’t sound like your monitor is working correctly?

I really recommend getting an analogue IO board for your Mister if you want to use any CRT display.
that’s how you are supposed to connect it to a CRT.and you’d get extra USB ports (very useful).

converting HDMI to VGA using those cheap converters is not ideal.there could be various incompatibility issues, you’re adding potential extra problems.

the settings I had to change on midter.ini are:

forced scandoubler = 0
ypbpr = 0
composite_sync = 1
vga_scaller= 0

You dont get extra USB ports with an IO Board. You get the Snac/ User IO port which looks like a USB port but ISNT a Usb port and should never have usb devices plugged into it

you should get a mister board with vga output

those converters hdmi-rgb add lag

FPGA64 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 26, 2023 11:08 am

You dont get extra USB ports with an IO Board. You get the Snac/ User IO port which looks like a USB port but ISNT a Usb port and should never have usb devices plugged into it

That's right.I mixed it up with USB Hub for some reason..

pbsk8 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 26, 2023 12:22 pm

you should get a mister board with vga output

those converters hdmi-rgb add lag

Only if it has a scaler in it. Pretty sure the OP's Benfei adapter is just a DAC, so it shouldn't have any lag.

The DVD issue I described should actually be because it's 480p and the monitor only does up to 480i. I think it's safe to say the monitor works fine.

I agree that I should buy an analog I/O board for my MiSTer but I'd like to try playing on it with what I have first. Not sure yet if CRT gaming is for me.

I will double-check those MiSTer settings but i think it's an issue with the HDMI-VGA converter.

pbsk8 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 26, 2023 12:22 pm

you should get a mister board with vga output

those converters hdmi-rgb add lag

They don’t, and the signal quality is quite preferable.

The signal is better from HDMI-VGA-RGB than from VGA-RGB?

misterrocks wrote: ↑Sat Aug 26, 2023 2:06 pm

The DVD issue I described should actually be because it's 480p and the monitor only does up to 480i. I think it's safe to say the monitor works fine.

I agree that I should buy an analog I/O board for my MiSTer but I'd like to try playing on it with what I have first. Not sure yet if CRT gaming is for me.

I will double-check those MiSTer settings but i think it's an issue with the HDMI-VGA converter.

dvds are 480i. most (all?) dvd players should be able to output native 480i.

I switched from the BENFEI HDMI-VGA converter to an HD Fury and it's working! I switched the BNC cable at the same time so I want to test and be sure it wasn't that cable but I'm guessing it was the converter.

Does the analog io board produce a better image?

No. The HDMI output is a higher colour depth

HD Fury in particular produces an excellent signal with close to reference levels. Analog IO board or the cheap adapters do not come close.

So the digital io board outputs a higher color depth but using the analog io board means the signal doesn't have to suffer ADC + DAC. Or is the signal natively digital from the MiSTer (in which case the analog io signal would suffer DAC)?

Has input lag been tested for analog from the analog io vs analog from the digital io?

I get fast scrolling horizontal lines on the screen which I think is from the HD Fury. They never appear on the MiSTer menu screen but frequently on game screens although not always. Difficult to pin down.