Anyone playing around with MiSTer?

[tthurman]

 

 

[tthurman]

 

[Tom Speirs]

Looks interesting. Are they actually available? Looking for time to waste these days!

[RIP-Felix]

The Mister is a neat package that offers very high accuracy and compatibility, with a healthy and ever growing dev base. I was thinking of making a "Mister NES" or "Mister Genesis" thread where I build one in a Mini console. I'm just kinda burned out on mini consoles, RPis, and emulation in general. I follow the progress, but have been chasing the OG hardware trail instead of FPGA.

I recommend the Bliss-box for your controller needs.

[tthurman]

On 4/15/2020 at 2:27 AM, Tom Speirs said:

Looks interesting. Are they actually available? Looking for time to waste these days!

Yes, I've been keeping an eye on them for the past several months now and they advanced a good bit from these videos show.   Those videos make a good introduction as to what they can do, which is why I picked them for this post.

[tthurman]

It was Felix that enlightened me about RetroRGB and Bob is the man!  If you're interested @Tom Speirs then this is a better overview

 

[RIP-Felix]

Yeah, I do kinda want to overhaul my arcade cabinet. Originally I put a TV in vertically, which is an awesome way to play vertical scrolling SHUMPS, but the input lag associated with the LCD and software emulation in MAME makes me interested in getting a MISTER and the Analog add-on board to run an arcade monitor. This would offer a more genuine experience without the headache. No need for Jamma converters like the HAS, line level audio/video voltage discrepancy adjustments between arcade boards and TV, sync stripping, none of that nonsense. I already have the X-Arcade Tankstick with trackball, so that would hook up strait to the MISTER via USB. Honestly it sounds easier than trying to get the right video card capable of outputting to an arcade monitor.

Unfortunately, in means no more GameEX and the beautiful custom theme I made for the arcade. I'm on the fence about it.

[Draco1962]

10 hours ago, RIP-Felix said:

Unfortunately, in means no more GameEX and the beautiful custom theme I made for the arcade. I'm on the fence about it.

Why not do both? Perhaps you could incorporate it into a 1Up Arcade, similar to some of the RPi conversions.

[tthurman]

 

[RIP-Felix]

On 4/18/2020 at 5:36 AM, Draco1962 said:

Why not do both? Perhaps you could incorporate it into a 1Up Arcade, similar to some of the RPi conversions.

I mean if you go the Mister route, you cannot currently use GameEX to FE the Mister cores (AFAIK). They're focused on more important aspects of development than an awesome FE. So It's pretty basic ATM. It might be possible to install a modified Linux distro and then GameEX on the DE10 nano, but I'm not sure the Mister cores can be loaded and run from that environment using command lines (or whatever). I imagine the FPGA side of things and Linux side are mutually exclusive. I could be talking out my ass, but I'm pretty sure you can't have both.

Honestly, I think the future of emulation will incorporate both strategies. Hardware and Software co-emulation combining the strengths of FPGA to overcome hardware limitations with software approaches that offer flexibility and features. Using the FPGA to emulate the hardware up to a point where software can take over MIGHT help mitigate the bottlenecks that eat up CPU cycles and RAM.  Basically I purpose a FUSION:

Of course, it could go like this instead:

[tthurman]

I agree with your assessment.  The mister project is advancing quickly, it's nearly amazing how fast progress is being made actually.  It seems as though FPGA is able to more easily by-pass road blocks present in traditional software emulation, not to suggest that it doesn't have it's own quirks.  I don't have the disposable income for anything like this (or anything for that matter) right now, but I'll be watching how it matures.  For now I've got my PSC to keep me busy, that and stacks of stuff laying around in boxes that I just don't have the motivation to deal with anymore.

[RIP-Felix]

19 hours ago, tthurman said:

 ...stacks of stuff laying around in boxes that I just don't have the motivation to deal with anymore.

Lol

[tthurman]

 

 

[RIP-Felix]

Yeah, the more I watch this project grow the more impressed I am with It. I will definitely be messing around with it in the future...though I'm not sure when I'll have time.

[tthurman]

Adaptive Composite Blending Added to MiSTer Core

I'm really starting to get the feeling this is the future for re-experiencing authentic classic console game-play (minus the controller), well, assuming Intel doesn't just suddenly stops making the hardware available.

Edited May 8, 2020 by tthurman
Unless you have a Bliss-Box and the controllers

[RIP-Felix]

Intel probably will stop subsidizing it at some point. Until then, it costs way less than it should. May be a good idea to get one before then? I just don't like to be pushed into buying something I'm on the fence about just because I may not be able to get it in the near future. Kinda like limited run games. However, in this case, Intel is doing it to help FPGA adoption, development and to promote education. So I'm fine with it.

Interestingly, I'm really starting to see the advantages of Composite...yes the noisy, blurry mess we grew up with. I'm on the record saying I prefer the sharper look of RGB/HDMi solutions, however there are some situations in which composite hides or better sells the look IMO - transparencies and gradients using Dither. When viewed on a CRT, composite looks fine or at least as good as I remember it. Component is sharper, but at a distance and while playing it's not that big of one all things considered (again, on a CRT, not a HDTV). However, a transparency, cloud, or sunset that was supposed to be blended smooth with dither is noticeable if it has jail-bars, banding, or grain. The art was designed with composite in mind, and using sharper video actually subverts the creators intended look. This is why I'm excited by advances like adaptive composite blending, because it has the to potential to unite both camps.

I just restored a Jungle Green "Fantastic" N64, the cheapest one on e-bay. It had deep rust and water damage, board rot, caked on dirt/mud, bug carapaces, and the case was cracked in several places. It looked like it was salvaged from a ditch after being through a tornado or perhaps a flood! It required a thorough cleaning, rust removal, solder reflowing, a recap, and some super glue to sure up the cracks, but it works! Now to the point...the fantastic consoles are supposed to have sharper composite than do the charcoal grey models before it. It may just be the brand new electrolytic capacitors, but it looked as good via composite + RetroTINK2x Pro as did my RGB modded charcoal grey through the RAD2x. Now, the RGB modded console hasn't had it's caps replaced yet, so it's possibile that could soften the image, but I was impressed composite could look that good on an HDTV! So I'm coming to appreciate composite for what it is and has to offer. It's not as bad as it's reputation.

[tthurman]

Coming from the RF days I can recall thinking composite was da shit.  The VCR playback in particular was a huge improvement and well, I never had a TV with S-Video.

[RIP-Felix]

Rf is notorious for interference from...well, RF. So if you live in a big city with lots of other people using RF, you can expect a wide range of bad. Composite was much better at providing a consistently adequate signal. S-Video represents the last big step up until the HDMI ere. Y/Pb/Pr and RGB are a marginal improvement comparatively.

I have a later model Sony Trinitron (manufactured in 2004) that has component (input 3) and an S-video port above the composite jacks (Input 1). Those are on the back next to the RF coax jack. Then it has the composite port under the flip up flap on the front. I imagine if you look around on craigslist you could find someone in your area giving them away (if you haul it). Actually I just checked and theres a Sony KV32FS100 in my small town for $20...damn that's tempting, now if I had the space and it wasn't 200lbs...lol.

[tthurman]

Yeah, I've watched more than one of these amazing SONY deals come up on CL and probably finally head for the landfill due to lack of interest.  I just didn't have the room, but ultimately this is how these games are meant to be played and no amount of tinkering will yield the proper results as easily, and certainly not as affordably.  Who knows, if the time comes that I have a new place again, things might be different!

[RIP-Felix]

That is a real tragedy. In 10-20 years CRTs will be dead, dying, expensive to replace, collectors items. And because they required the economics of scale to produce profitably, they'll never be put back into production. When the current batch of CRTs are gone, they'll be gone for good.  Now's the time to get one, if you ever plan to.

[tthurman]

True, but nowhere to put it!  My last CRT beast was a color accurate photographer grade 30" a retired photographer friend game me when he closed his studio.  It weighed 220 lbs, and I couldn't feel my fingers for days after me and a helper about killed ourselves getting it upstairs.  Put some nice grooves in the hardwood along the way!  The horizontal deflection convertor blew within weeks of getting it in place, and that's when I decided against ever having CRT on the second floor (or third).

[Draco1962]

Just a cringe-worthy FYI, the LARGE Sony Trinitron set we finally rehomed to my sister did not make it into her home intact.

Her brother-in-law got impatient with her husband as they tried to gently remove it from the back of his truck. He decided he'd try to He-Man it all by himself, his back rebelled and seized at his stupidity and he dropped it tube facing onto the concrete driveway.

At least the distance to the curb for bulk pickup was much closer than the living room. 

[RIP-Felix]

$40 at harbor freight. Great investment. As long as you're careful, they make it up stairs too!

[tthurman]

NSFHW though

I went with this and it made moving even the washer and dryer down the steps a breeze.

 

[RIP-Felix]

Oh, no! That would require me to find another person to help! You know...COVID factories!

I still prefer the hand cart and a ratchet strap.