I like how this adds up

[Jopapa]

Dell Inspiron 8200 laptop with S/PDIF digital audio output dongle: $1500

8' of decent quality VGA cable: $30

15' of Monster Cable RCA coax audio cable: $50

Basic Thrustmaster gamepad: $20

NES and SNES emulators and ROMs: Free

Living within a 5 hour drive of your folks, who have an Infocus projector, 110" screen and a 7.1 surround sound system; and not having to figure out how to successfully get an RGB signal from a NES or SNES: PRICELESS





B)  

[phreak97]

that's very nice.. except for a couple of things..
we do not condone piracy here, and unless you own the originals of the roms you are playing, that is piracy. also, you are in a game tech forum, why didnt you mod a regular nes or snes controller for pc, theyre cheaper,  more comfortable to play with, and give that authentic touch to the whole experience.

also, getting the rgb out of the console is half the fun, why would you want to miss out on that?

[atom]

Chill man, its only nes and snes roms. He didnt even specify what roms, It could be PDRoms for all you know. Although this post is pointless, I give him a thumbs up for not destroying a rare arcade board which would be lost forever.

I must say however you blew a ton of money on your cables! No shielded cable is any better then any other shielded cable. Next their going to use some sort of super conducter metal that will need to have built in water cooling in their cables.

[Jopapa]

that's very nice.. except for a couple of things..
we do not condone piracy here, and unless you own the originals of the roms you are playing, that is piracy. also, you are in a game tech forum, why didnt you mod a regular nes or snes controller for pc, theyre cheaper,  more comfortable to play with, and give that authentic touch to the whole experience.

also, getting the rgb out of the console is half the fun, why would you want to miss out on that?

That's the only thing I'm missing out on is the oldskool controllers. But I'm working on that. As far as the roms, I may not have the originals anymore, but I used to back in the day so it's legit enough for me.

I'm all about the absolute best video and audio quality possible (as you can see, it's an inherited trait). If I don't see a console sitting there, but I'm still playing the game the way it was meant to be seen and heard and using the right controller, I'm happy.

To Atom: Even though with VGA cables it's difficult to discern a difference average and high quality unless you're going a long distance with the cable, high quality cables do make a huge difference in alot of applications. Ex: before getting a good audio cable, I had three shorter, cheap ones spliced together and everytime my hard drive would be accessed, I'd hear faint feedback coming from the subwoofer. With a single, high quality cable I don't. There are alot of companies that far exceed Monster for cable quality (Audioquest is one, but they're ungodly expensive. My dad uses 'em), but trust me, the difference is there.

[Endymion]

Audio cables are a different matter. You definitely want a good gage of twisted cable for audio equipment. But I have yet to see visual artifacts at all similar to that from a cheaper cable to complement a cheap audio cable. I'm not going to argue about audio cables, I get good ones and use them. But I'd have to see some photographic evidence, or better yet in person, to believe that a decent cable that doesn't cost as much as a console will give a noisy or improper image.

And I'd take a real RGB setup over yours any day.

[Jopapa]

And I'd take a real RGB setup over yours any day.

Well y'know, since the signal IS coming through via a VGA cable, it technically is RGB, just not via a SCART connector  B)  

[Lesmot]

Audio cables are a different matter. You definitely want a good gage of twisted cable for audio equipment.

I am a pretty 'enthusiastic' person when it comes to home theater; I'm totally obsessive actually, and I think almost the exact opposite from you. Almost, kind of. I was stretching that a little.

Anyways: in my expeirence, audio cables make little difference. If the shielding is enough to keep out interference, and it carries a signal, that's all I need. I am a bit more stringent with my video cable standards, but unless you're laying down some serious lenghts of cable, or doing some sort of in-wall installations, I don't think the cable is going to have enough of an effect to justify the cost.


Jopapa: there are many other forums where you can try and impress people online with your parents money, which is what I think this was about. You're not trying to play the game in it's purest form, you're just showing off, and it doesn't become you.

Also, I am very impressed with your parent's projector. What brand, and model of speakers, and other equipment do they use?

[Jopapa]

Jopapa: there are many other forums where you can try and impress people online with your parents money, which is what I think this was about. You're not trying to play the game in it's purest form, you're just showing off, and it doesn't become you.

Also, I am very impressed with your parent's projector. What brand, and model of speakers, and other equipment do they use?

Impress? Not particularly. I figured some of the folks here would get a kick out of seeing a couple NES and SNES games rendered perfectly on a screen way too big for me to ever afford  :rolleyes:   Either way, it still looks awesome on my 22" CRT that I keep in my dorm room. Wonderfully crisp and clean.

The more pure experience is coming soon. I just need to do the NES controller USB mod and get the USB interface for SNES controllers. I don't really need to see the console sitting there, though it would be neat to have a small PC running just basic OS software and drivers with the emulator, encased in the appropriate console housing.

As far as the components, I don't know the exact model of projector, just that it's an Infocus. The speakers are Martin Logan (again, not sure exactly which model. I think they're the first step down from the Prodigy series), powered by a Krell amp connected to a B&K 7.1 receiver. They're both about two years old. He used to have a Monster Power line conditioner to power everything, but he replaced that with another brand, which I can't remember. If you want more specifics I can PM you next time I go home and see what exact models everything is. It's definately a fun setup to use.