HDMI Upscalers and the VIC
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2017 3:17 pm
Whenever anyone in classic gaming and computing asks about analog-to-HDMI converters, the answer is almost always the Framemeister. No doubt it is as awesome as everyone says, but it costs $350. I don't knock anyone else for buying one, but no matter how much I love classic hardware I cannot justify spending that much on a converter box.
So I've been experimenting with much cheaper analog-to-HDMI converters. My testing is with a VIC-20, Atari 800XL, and Sega Genesis using composite video. So far, these 2 work:
Has anyone else had success with one of these type of products? Is there another analog-to-HDMI converter I should be looking at for even better results?
So I've been experimenting with much cheaper analog-to-HDMI converters. My testing is with a VIC-20, Atari 800XL, and Sega Genesis using composite video. So far, these 2 work:
- Tmvel mini RCACVS 3 RCA Composite Video AV to HDMI Converter for TV/PC/PS3/Blue-Ray DVD
It works, but it isn't any better that the built-in converters in most HDTVs. I didn't notice any lag, but there are a lot of video artifacts and dithering. Gradients are severely dithered and there are contrast issues, for example gray text on a black background is very hard to read. It is usable but not really enjoyable. It's cheap, so in a pinch it will get the job done, but I can't recommend it. - Tendak 3RCA AV CVBS Composite & S-Video R/L Audio to HDMI Converter Adapter Upscaler Support 720P/1080P with 3RCA S-Video Cable for DVD VCR PS2 PS3 Xbox HDTV
This one is far superior to the previous. Still no noticeable lag and the image quality is much better. The contrast issues are much improved and text looks much better. There is far less dithering overall, although single pixel wide objects on a black background sometimes show it.
Has anyone else had success with one of these type of products? Is there another analog-to-HDMI converter I should be looking at for even better results?