How do I hook up my 3DO to an HDTV??...

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dave4shmups
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How do I hook up my 3DO to an HDTV??...

Post by dave4shmups » Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:09 pm

I've tried S-Video, but my HDTV just stretches the image out too much-to the point where it fills the entire screen! I don't know what to do!

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Post by dave4shmups » Thu Sep 22, 2011 8:43 pm

Problem solved! I just went to my HDTV's settings and changed the aspect ratio of the screen. Currently, I am using AV cables-how much better do 3DO games look with S-video??

Mobius

Post by Mobius » Fri Sep 23, 2011 1:25 am

S-video is a huge improvement over A/V.

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Post by dave4shmups » Fri Sep 23, 2011 1:28 am

Mobius wrote:S-video is a huge improvement over A/V.
OK, I'll go to Radio Shack and try it. I do love my 3DO! :D

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Post by 3DO Experience » Fri Sep 23, 2011 3:40 am

Taken from my two earlier posts in thread New TVs and Old Consoles (like the 3DO)

Ok I am a real nerd when it comes to video tech. Anyone recall the old PC TV cards from the 90's? Looked like shit right? Well it's the same thing. Your HD TV is showing you the image but because it (the source) is of lower resolution it shows up blurry. Think of it as blowing up a wallet size photo to an 8x10 there just isn't enough picture information.

Now there is a way to display it and have it not look all that bad natively, make the screen zoom out. In other words shrink the image. It's like when you are playing an old PC game you either have to change the screen resolution OR play the game in a window to make it look good. Unfortunately most sets don't have this feature and even if they did you would hate the little picture.

Now that is a simplified explanation and I won't get technical because it wouldn't make sense. And that is not the only reason it looks like crap, the video signal was made for a completely different kind of technology. Yet they are both TVs that you watch moving pictures on but the way they get to the ends is totally different, they aren't even based in the same color temp.

Now to do it not natively, that is to use additional hardware to change the picture, you will need to upscale the picture. I was going to make a whole post about my method with pics but I'll give you the lowdown of what I do...

For HD TV:
1. First either mod your console to output RGB* or use my trick mentioned in the second method.
2. Hook up the cables to an upscaler (line doubler) and set it to what you want, preferably (for me) try to keep the image in a 4:3 ratio. Or if you have a receiver that has this, my Onkyo does, you can use that.
3. Hook that up to your HD TV.


For CRT with awesome picture:
1. First either mod your console to output RGB* or find a SCART* cable that will hook up to it (preferred).
2. Now you will need a way to get the audio out, they make SCART switch boxes that have AV outs so you can tap out the stereo.
3. Hook up the single SCART out on the switch box to an RGB to YPbPr* converter.
4. Run that to your CRT television.

RGB: This is the color information and nothing else! There is no way for NTSC TV's to understand how to display the info. It's like giving a child the correct amounts of colored paint and then expecting her to paint a picture without ever saying what it is of.

YPbPr: You will see this on equipment even though the plugs are RedBlueGreen. It is NOT the same, many people (almost all) on the net say RGB when they mean YPbPr. YPbPr has the instructions as to what the image should look like.
Y is the Luminance and the info with the instructions.
Pb is the difference of the Blue value and the luminance.
Pr is the difference of the Red value and the luminance.
There is no Green as the value can be figured out by what is left out.
if Y=10, Pb=5, Pr=3 than Green=2

SCART: This is a European thing, not used in NTCS countries. Using these cables on your unmodded console will not change the signal to PAL, it will remain in the pure RGB format. Water coming out of the faucet is the same as water coming out of the shower head.

I've tried to make this as beginner friendly as I can. I was going to talk more about HD TVs and CRTs but it would probably spin out of control. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
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Post by Austin » Fri Sep 23, 2011 4:19 am

OK, I am definitely taking that post and saving it on my computer for future reference. :lol:

To derail this, sort of, I have a Sony WEGA, 25" flat-glassed CRT (not HD). I don't notice much of a difference--if any at all--when going from Composite to S-Video. What should I be noticing, if anything? My tube does have sharpness settings and I have that maxed out (sharpest picture), perhaps that's why I don't notice a big difference (even a composite image looks pretty good on it, IMO)?

Mobius

Post by Mobius » Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:35 am

No, no, no... Turn the sharpness setting all the way down. Sharpness introduces artifacts to the picture. A very low setting can look good, but having it all the way up generally adds lots of unnecessary white highlights to edges. It creates a very unnatural picture.

As far as differences with S-video go, you'll get much richer colors, sharper edges (ACTUAL sharp edges, not highlighted edges), no dot-crawl, no rainbow effects, more legible text, and less blur in general. It should be a very obvious difference.

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Post by dave4shmups » Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:42 pm

I appreciate all the advice, I have already selected 4:3 for the 3DO, which I can do on my HDTV, thankfully. I do still have my CRT, which is only 5 or 6 years old.

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Post by Austin » Sat Sep 24, 2011 8:56 am

Mobius wrote:No, no, no... Turn the sharpness setting all the way down. Sharpness introduces artifacts to the picture. A very low setting can look good, but having it all the way up generally adds lots of unnecessary white highlights to edges. It creates a very unnatural picture.

As far as differences with S-video go, you'll get much richer colors, sharper edges (ACTUAL sharp edges, not highlighted edges), no dot-crawl, no rainbow effects, more legible text, and less blur in general. It should be a very obvious difference.
Yeah, it's definitely not obvious on my end... And the sharpness (all the way up) looks pretty good, IMO... I guess it could be due to having a later-gen CRT (2002, I think)? Even when I lower the sharpness settings, I can't tell a difference between composite and S-Video on my TV. Come to think of it, I never could tell a difference. :( Maybe the S-Video is screwed up, or the composite on it is really awesome? :lol:

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Post by 3DO Experience » Sat Sep 24, 2011 1:39 pm

It's generally (now days) a personal matter of attention and what you are used to. Some people just don't see a difference because they aren't that anal retentive. LOL I happen to be one of those anal retentive people. My friends pick on me because I keep fidgeting with the settings when they just want to sit down and watch a movie. Keep using the S-video and then after half a year pop it back to composite, you'll probably see the difference. Like trying to go back to VHS after being exposed to DVD. It's taken a while but I'm finally noticing compression artifacts in Blu-ray.
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