Recommendations on RGB SCART-capable displays

[NamelessPlayer]

The thought of getting RGB instead of sticking with crappy, blurry, interlaced composite for my N64 sounded great(Perfect Dark looks crappy on my HDTV with the blur). The only problem? The only suitable cable I could find requires a SCART-in, and since I live in the US, chances of finding said input are slim to none.

I'm looking at this display: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Should I snag this one(provided the overseas shipping won't rack the price up too much), or are there better displays out there?

I do have other options(SCART-to-Y/Pb/Pr, or SCART-to-VGA), but those tend to be ridiculously expensive(usually the price of several GCN Component Cables, which I plan to get someday at a decent price).

So, what do you say in terms of getting the best possible visuals out of my N64(or any other legacy console I might come across?)? Hack it & snag a suitable display, emulate it(bringing the advantages of enhanced texture mods, but now I have to D/L ROMs instead of using actual carts & suffer visual artifacts on some games), or wait for Revolution?

[viletim!]

Just so you realise, the Nintendo 64 doesn't output RGB (apparently the NTSC models do but it requires a console modification to get it out) and RGB is interlaced too.

As for a SCART input, don't go to the trouble of importing a monitor (it'll cost you a shitload). You'll find the same kind of monitors localy, eg. the commodore 1084. They don't have SCART inputs but will have a similar, and almost electrically compatible input. The reason I say almost is that a SCART TV/monitor gets it's sync signals from the composite video signal where most non-SCART monitors want TTL compatible sync. Converting between the two signals is trivial using the LM1881 IC. Other than that, a SCART -> whatever-connector-you-monitor-uses adaptor is straight forward.

[Endymion]

Don't bother with a SCART TV. It will set you back way too much for even a decent size after you figure out everything you will pay just sending it. A Commodore 1084 is a fine monitor but only 13 inches, I used to use it when it was the only thing available to me but I can't picture myself ever playing with it again unless I were stranded on a desert island.

Just scan ebay and look for Amiga-compatible monitors, you can google for a list of them. A few good ones are the Sony PVM series (almost any of these, they're as small as 13 inches and as large as 29), Sony GVM (a 20 inch that is also VGA compatible), the NEC Multisync (various models though, make sure you learn the one you are looking at does 15KHz sync), NEC CM-2950 or NEC XM-2950 (the XM is VGA compatible) are two good 27 and 29 inch monitors as well. Ebay has loads of these, if you can get one for around a hundred or so, double that amount and you should be able to get it shipped to you via freight shipping prices. You will wind up spending A LOT less than importing a SCART TV from Europe.

You will then need to buy a SCART patch cable (or a SCART multi-box), these are dirt cheap on ebay, a couple pounds at the most, hack one to fit your monitor and then you can just plug and play any SCART RGB cable that you can find for your consoles.

Edit: Just to get you started, here's a nice looking 20 inch Sony PVM monitor for a decent price, if you live near Atlanta shipping might not be much, or they may not mind if you want to pick it up in person. That's the way we do it here, and yes, it earns your hardcore merit badge.

[phreak97]

scart -> any 15kHz rgb is not so hard. i can send you an lm1881 if you want to pay shipping. or you can get one completely free from www.national.com

[NamelessPlayer]

Hmm, nice find on a suitable display. I even live in Dallas, GA, which shouldn't be that far from Atlanta(maybe a few hours' drive at the most).

The problem? I don't have $150 to spend, unless you count the $3000 in my account that my parents won't let me touch-and on top of that, I need a new PC!

Hopefully, multiple monitors of the same type are held by the seller, and if I'm lucky, I'll have enough to grab one before they disappear.

That still doesn't solve the problem of the other things I want, though(a Spaceball for use in 3ds max 7 simply because I can't use my SpaceOrb, an OEM Glide copy of MechWarrior 2 to make use of my legacy PC's 12 MB V2-1000, another one of those V2-1000's for SLI, a cheap legacy PC replacement with a PIII & enough room for that SLI configuration, low-priced solid gold coins, GCN Component Cables at a reasonable price...simply put, A LOT OF STUFF.)...

And about that LM1881, what model would be suitable? The results I pulled up on that site lists several variants-are there any I should steer clear of?

EDIT: Searched for the SCART patch cable/multi-box things on eBay. No results. Where do I go now?

[dj898]

i just use RGB->YUV transcoder.
it's not cheap at A$120+ but still cheapr than new TV...

[Endymion]

If you can't manage 150, I shudder to think of what importing a TV will set you back. Just save the pennies and be patient. These things are on ebay all the time.

Here's a SCART multibox, all you need to do is modify the plug at the end of the cable for the monitor you end up with and you are set. The LM1881 is tiny and should fit inside it, stripping sync from anything you plug into the box.

[NamelessPlayer]

I wonder how I'm supposed to modify that SCART-in...Do I just hack off the end & somehow trace the wires(problably the wrong way to do it), or carefully pry off the plastic casing & seperate the individual pins?

Either way, I'd still need the male end for the monitor of choice. Are there any places that sell the proper plugs(let's start with the Sony PVM mentioned above)for modification?

I'm new to this, so forgive me. However, I try to read all that I can. My stepdad should have all the necessary tools(he should have a soldering iron somewhere, as well as solder-I'd problably need to get the wires & the GameBits for opening that N64)-I just need his permission(he won't let me use my savings account-what chance is there that he's going to let me mod that sucker to pump out the best image possible & also let me get a display just for doing that job? 640*480 interlaced sucks when you've been staring at an XGA LCD all day-oh, wait, RGB mods on an N64 won't increase the res or go progressive like on newer consoles. Ugh.).

[Endymion]

The way you modify it is to pry the cap of the plug apart. It has tiny plastic tabs that fit in place so you can do precisely that. This way you can easily match up the pins as you pull them out--and label them with tape when you do! You do not want to get confused and lose your place. If all you do is cut the damn thing off then you have a lot more work on your hands, just take the cover off the plug and use the SCART diagram to match up the pins you need--Red, Green, Blue, and Composite Sync or Video. The ground will be easily found, a big-ass black wire soldered to the plug housing.

One other reason I recommended the PVM series is that it has a standard (for Sony) connector--all of the PVM monitors use it. It is a long DB-15. This is the same size as the older Mac VGA video socket, doesn't use the same pin config though. You can find these at any Radio Shack for around a dollar, you might find them cheaper online but you will probably have to buy more than one to get the price so you can look around, could be hard to beat a local buy for the shipping cost though. Get a plug cover to go with it and you are set, you will quickly find that this plug has lots of room, more than most other monitor sockets that you will run into. And if you ever get another Sony RGB monitor, PVM or GVM, the cable you make with it will be compatible. Plus, the PVM-2530 was the first monitor I ever made my own cable for, and it turned out to be the easiest, so I am a bit biased for it. Come to think of it, one of the reasons it was so "easy" was because it stripped the sync on its own--if you get a PVM then you should not have to bother with making an LM1881 circuit.

An N64 mod is probably not the first I'd recommend if it were a first-timer's just-starting job.  Some N64s don't seem to be moddable and nobody knows why or how to tell which ones won't work, the only rule of thumb is that it tends to be the fruity ones that don't work. And if you do get one that is moddable, some people find the video is very dark without an amp. This is something you can fix but it is more work, it's good to get something you can do simple-like for a first try. Once you get your monitor, be it that one or any other, try your cable/patch mod with a Super Nintendo first. That'll give you more immediate results that you can be proud of your success with before you step up to the amplifiers and other big fun. (The N64, once you mod it for RGB, will even take the same cable that you use for a Super Nintendo.)

Edit--I was bored and awake and I noticed how high the international shipping was on that SCART box so I poked around and found this one, same box different seller, much more reasonable shipping for a lower price overall, hope someone can make some use of it. The prices on these are higher at the moment than I think they need to be, all they really do is make the connections, I think I bought 3 of them a few years ago for what came to about 4 dollars each after shipping. If you look some more there are some 3-SCART boxes that might be a little cheaper.

[viletim~]

NamelessPlayer,

I suggest building an adaptor from a project box (jiffy box). Mount a female SCART socket on it and put the electronics inside - you could fit a power supply in there too if you're keen. A short cable pokes out and goes to the monitor.

Get a monitor/tv before worrying about that though. Careful about buying one without being able to look at it first (like on ebay). A Sony PVM is a good monitor but if it's been run 8 hours a day since it was first bought (as many pro monitors are) then the tube may be on the way out.

[phreak97]

viletim, namelessplayer is in the us, so he does have an ntsc n64, so he can get rgb out of it.

[NFG]

Not all NTSC N64 units are mod-capable.

[RARusk]

The only clue I have been able to find concerning RGB modifiable N64s is the label on the bottom.

Look where it says "Control Deck". Then look just below it.

If it says "Patents Issued And Pending. See Booklet.", then it is definitely a RGB modifiable unit. All units with this sticker are modifiable.

If it lists a bunch of patents, then your chances of it being a RGB modifiable unit are about maybe 15%. I believe Nintendo made a motherboard change where they replaced the video chip with another that did not output RGB shortly after they started using that sticker.

It may be possible to get RGB out of those units but it requires a DAC chip to translate the raw digital RGB into RGB Analog. There was a thread, complete with pictures, somewhere where somebody opened his N64 and found a daughterboard that was connected to the video chip. Sadly, I don't remember where that was.

[Aidan]

The pictures disappeared a while ago, and I've been tied up with work and not been able to do much in the way of reverse engineering...

[Dr.Wily]

For low price SCART RGB search in ebay europe (ebay.fr UK...). SCART is  standard in Europe. all the TV have a SCART plus in standard.

[Endymion]

Yes, lots of SCART TVs there, but when you want to import it to the USA it gets real expensive, real fast . . .

[giantgonzolez]

The thought of getting RGB instead of sticking with crappy, blurry, interlaced composite for my N64 sounded great(Perfect Dark looks crappy on my HDTV with the blur). The only problem? The only suitable cable I could find requires a SCART-in, and since I live in the US, chances of finding said input are slim to none.

I'm looking at this display: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Should I snag this one(provided the overseas shipping won't rack the price up too much), or are there better displays out there?

I do have other options(SCART-to-Y/Pb/Pr, or SCART-to-VGA), but those tend to be ridiculously expensive(usually the price of several GCN Component Cables, which I plan to get someday at a decent price).

So, what do you say in terms of getting the best possible visuals out of my N64(or any other legacy console I might come across?)? Hack it & snag a suitable display, emulate it(bringing the advantages of enhanced texture mods, but now I have to D/L ROMs instead of using actual carts & suffer visual artifacts on some games), or wait for Revolution?

You guys are making a MOUNTAIN out of a mole hill. It's true that for some systems like the N64, NES, etc there may be a lot of modification required to get RGB. On the other hand for most systems it's a piece of cake(EVEN in the US) and no real modification is required as long as you know what kinds of adaptor cables to get. The ONLY things that you may have to import from Europe are the scart RGB cable for your console, and maybe the scart to bnc adaptor cable.
There's no need to import a monitor as there are MANY good RGB monitors on ebay and other places in the US.
http://photography.listings.ebay.com/Profe...ListingItemList

In my opinion this is the simplest way to get RGB if you don't have a scart tv like they have in Europe.
The pics will really speak for themselves.
Connect multiple consoles to a Scart Switchbox using scart RGB cables.


Use a Scart to BNC adaptor cable to connect the switchbox's output to an RGB monitor's inputs.


You should also use a stereo audio cable to connect the stereo audio outputs from the switchbox to your stereo or home theater system, that way the rumble from the giant bowling balls in Mario 64 will shake your house and rattle your windows
That's all there is to it to get RGB from most videogame consoles.

[Endymion]

You guys are making a MOUNTAIN out of a mole hill.

There's no need to import a monitor as there are MANY good RGB monitors on ebay and other places in the US.

We are? You seem to be presuming that every good RGB monitor comes with BNC input. If the monitor you can get does, then great. If not, then you get to roll your own. It's been my experience that there are more monitors with custom connectors than than with BNC, but what do I know? I only have six RGB monitors, current count of those with RGB over BNC = 2. There are still RGB monitors that require  composite sync instead of video sync and would need an LM1881, even if used with BNC, so it's great if you can live with the monitor that you linked to. If you want one bigger than yours (looks pretty small to me) you may need to roll your own.

Is that a mountain? Nope. It isn't even a molehill. This stuff is dead simple.

[NamelessPlayer]

The only clue I have been able to find concerning RGB modifiable N64s is the label on the bottom.

Look where it says "Control Deck". Then look just below it.

If it says "Patents Issued And Pending. See Booklet.", then it is definitely a RGB modifiable unit. All units with this sticker are modifiable.

If it lists a bunch of patents, then your chances of it being a RGB modifiable unit are about maybe 15%. I believe Nintendo made a motherboard change where they replaced the video chip with another that did not output RGB shortly after they started using that sticker.

It may be possible to get RGB out of those units but it requires a DAC chip to translate the raw digital RGB into RGB Analog. There was a thread, complete with pictures, somewhere where somebody opened his N64 and found a daughterboard that was connected to the video chip. Sadly, I don't remember where that was.

Lucky me-I see the "Patents Issued and Pending, See Booklet" line on my N64, just at the end of a paragraph mostly occupied with patent numbers. Will this work?

Also, when you say a DAC, would something like whatever they use in those GCN Component Cables work(even though I don't have one, but they problably get those things somewhere)? I think this LM1881 you guys keep mentioning is merely a sync seperator. It would be so much easier if I could just stream the digital RGB signal through DVI(so we wouldn't need a DAC-doesn't it go digital-from-the-source->analog-through-the-cable->digital-inside-your-monitor?), but that problably wouldn't work due to the nature of the signal itself.

We wouldn't have to put up with this if we all used one port instead of all these proprietary ports & formats. Unfortunately, companies will do anything to make more money & make it harder for us to enhance their products.(It's hard enough finding reasonably-priced GCN Component Cables.)

Here's another question: Whenever I hear the word "monitor", I'm usually thinking of a VGA or DVI display. These seem to be of a different sort-like SDTVs without the NTSC tuners. What kind of resolutions can these things pull off-awful 480i, decent 480p, or something I haven't even heard of?

Either way, it's going to be a LONG time before I grab that monitor. Glide MW2 is off my list, but I just saw a Spaceball 5000 USB starting at around $50(which is good when they normally cost $500!). While there's still plenty of time for that price to go up out of my allowance's reach, I would have all these things by now if I had access to my savings account(though I might have eschewed an RGB monitor in favor of a WUXGA monitor that also serves as a 1080p-capable HDTV. Besides, with the amount of money I have in there, getting TONS of XRGB2s wouldn't be a problem at all!). Now to quit mentioning the money-I can't get it out of my head as far as what I can do with it, but can't until a year or 2 later. Have a working time machine to spare? Or maybe a brain reprogramming machine to refine my patience & delete the annoyance?...Hey, wait, I'm NOT going to be your puppet, so get that out of your head right now!

P.S.: Although not related to the subject matter much, would hacking a GCN Digital A/V Out cable to utilize some form of RGB & 480p with a compatible monitor bring a reasonably superior image(as in one that makes it worth the effort)than just a component cable?

[Endymion]

Lucky me-I see the "Patents Issued and Pending, See Booklet" line on my N64, just at the end of a paragraph mostly occupied with patent numbers. Will this work?

I trust Robert's assessment for a lot of the spot-on and useful info he's provided for us here so far, so yes, it should.

Also, when you say a DAC, would something like whatever they use in those GCN Component Cables work(even though I don't have one, but they problably get those things somewhere)?

A DAC is a digital-to-analogue converter--DAC for short. The Gamecube has a DAC for certain video modes built into the unit. The DAC for component is put in the cable, however. Pretty much any console that works on a television (and that is, well, all of them? ) has a DAC of some kind.

I think this LM1881 you guys keep mentioning is merely a sync seperator. It would be so much easier if I could just stream the digital RGB signal through DVI(so we wouldn't need a DAC-doesn't it go digital-from-the-source->analog-through-the-cable->digital-inside-your-monitor?), but that problably wouldn't work due to the nature of the signal itself.

I see what you are thinking of here but the LM1881 is not a DAC. It just strips the composite sync from a (composite) video signal. It would not be impossible to start with the pure digital stuff on certain boards and go from there, but where do you go with it? The Gamecube's component DAC is custom made for it, while the N64 is also Nintendo's design I would not care to speculate as to how easily done an adaptation would be. You would be blazing a trail here and risking your system's health in the face of failure. Consider that the results we know will work just take a little more expenditure or effort and reap benefits across multiple consoles and it probably isn't worth it to risk killing your console.

It's hard enough finding reasonably-priced GCN Component Cables.

They're 40 dollars from Nintendo, on back order now (I think), but don't pay any more for them, just order with the N and be patient--if you need them, mind. You won't have to wait that long.

Here's another question: Whenever I hear the word "monitor", I'm usually thinking of a VGA or DVI display. These seem to be of a different sort-like SDTVs without the NTSC tuners. What kind of resolutions can these things pull off-awful 480i, decent 480p, or something I haven't even heard of?

480i (or 480p) is really a video standard term used for component inputs. The monitors we've discussed here are not those but rather RGB monitors. They take those three signals plus the sync signal (or sometimes a separated sync on two lines) to come up with the picture. The "resolution" is actually going to be the same as it would for any standard television broadcast. The resolution can be upwards of 500 to 700 lines but will simply be limited to whatever resolution the console is programmed/made to output at 15KHz--this will be a resolution that any TV can handle. The difference is that the colour is pure. It suffers no breakdown in its broadcast. So "480i" on a non-component (HD)TV might make you want to believe it is a crappy picture, but in actuality the image appears much sharper than a broadcast shown on a normal TV. It will even appear better than composite or s-video shown on an HDTV, due to the lower quality of those two signal types used. This is why it's worth your time.

Put it another way, if you want to know how nice an RGB monitor is, go to an arcade and have a look at a newish game with a screen that shows no flaws (no curved corners, no discoloured/purpled areas on the screen, etc.). That's what a quality RGB monitor should look like with its games, because arcade games use RGB.

P.S.: Although not related to the subject matter much, would hacking a GCN Digital A/V Out cable to utilize some form of RGB & 480p with a compatible monitor bring a reasonably superior image(as in one that makes it worth the effort)than just a component cable?

fyi, what you are describing would in fact be VGA, and as I alluded to before, there is really only one system that anybody has dealt with in that instance--the Gamecube. Does the Gamecube with its cable modded for VGA look "better" than it does on an HDTV? Well that depends. If the game is not progressive (and some of them aren't, maybe some of your favourites) then no, because such a game will always work on an HDTV via component, but never work on VGA via the modded cable. Otherwise, a good quality screen for either should yield approximately the same general quality. It will then fall to matters of preference--do you like gaming on the couch or at your computer desk? Is another person playing with you so a large (possibly wide) screen is nice to have, or are you gaming alone? Either should be about the same assuming there isn't an inherent flaw in either the HDTV or the VGA monitor, so the circumstances come into play.

Probably not the answer you were looking for, but there are better questions to ask.

[Guest]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...ssPageName=WDVW

This one doesn't look too bad as far as price is concerned-the only issue would be the $45 shipping. There are 5 BNC inputs on the back, which I have seen on other suggested monitors. The question is whether it'll work with an N64 RGB signal. Most RGB-modded consoles are used with monitors with either SCART/JRGB, BNC or a long, 2-row DB-15, right?

I took a peek in that eBay monitors link, but I only have something over $110 USD, which renders most of those entries out of my reach. While I do have a chance to receive a bit more on a personal event that coincides with yet another superhero-comic-based-movie, I'd rather have my ice cream cake & maybe not having to spend money on a GCN Component Cable, which I've wanted for a LONG time now(either a blurred, dull mess on the HDTV or flickery interlacing on an SDTV-I don't have any VGA boxes).

http://www.lik-sang.com/list.php?nav=over&category=221&

If I DON'T want to buy a monitor but somehow come across some more money, there's always the choice of getting a Micomsoft VGA box & relegating either my XGA LCD or my UXGA CRT temporarily for my N64.

Now, the final problem to solve-enhancing my N64 so Perfect Dark doesn't chug like a 4004 trying to run UnrealEngine3.

[Endymion]

In order to find out if it will work with console RGB, you need to know if the monitor takes 15KHz RGB. If it can do this then it will work. I don't have specs on this monitor, but it is a compaq, ergo VGA, so I can hypothesize that it very likely does not support 15KHz. This is just a rule of thumb of course, but most monitors that support VGA do not support the lower syncs that you will need; on the other hand when you actually do find one they're great to own and use, that's one more reason I went nuts when I found two in the past six months recently. Anyway, BNC inputs are nice because they are easy to use and/or make cables for, but that alone doesn't determine the hardware support. Need to find that info out first. If you don't get that confirmation, don't spend the money, you'll very likely find out it can't do what you want.

If you are only wanting to use your Gamecube and nothing else, then you should do two things:

1. Google around and find a list of progressive Gamecube games, then
2. Find any games that you must play or really like which are not in that list.

If every game you want to play is progressive-compatible, or if you can live without the ones that aren't, then you should not touch the crappy VGA boxes and just make a Gamecube VGA cable. You'll have to order a Component cable to do this, and the alteration is permanent, but it's worth it. If you don't want to get your hands dirty you can buy them from other sources like these guys or others, but as they get their component cables from Nintendo, sometimes you have to wait a bit.

[NamelessPlayer]

If you are only wanting to use your Gamecube and nothing else, then you should do two things:

1. Google around and find a list of progressive Gamecube games, then
2. Find any games that you must play or really like which are not in that list.

If every game you want to play is progressive-compatible, or if you can live without the ones that aren't, then you should not touch the crappy VGA boxes and just make a Gamecube VGA cable. You'll have to order a Component cable to do this, and the alteration is permanent, but it's worth it. If you don't want to get your hands dirty you can buy them from other sources like these guys or others, but as they get their component cables from Nintendo, sometimes you have to wait a bit.

As far as the GCN is concerned, the HDTV with its Y/Pr/Pb input should work fine with the Component Cable. Besides, wouldn't a D-Sub cable be better for modding into VGA, as you shouldn't have to mess with the Digital Out port?

Anyway, I should stop typing as I STILL don't have a suitable monitor(when you only get $15 a week & your family is in financial trouble, getting a monitor is hard enough when I could also buy a Spaceball 5000 USB(if I'm lucky), some more games, etc...and shipping charges don't help either, especially as far as monitors are concerned.

Of course, this really wouldn't be a problem if I knew how to manufacture monitors. Think about it-you could make your own 2048x1536 display, complete with just about every input interface that has graced the world(DVI-I, DB-15 VGA, long DB-15, BNC, RGB SCART/JRGB, Y/Pr/Pb, etc.)! Now if I just had MONEY...and EQUIPMENT...

All right, it should've ended earlier. Now if I had that ice cream cake...at least I'll get most of it since my birthday isn't that important & few people will come.

[Endymion]

Yes, an HDTV + Gamecube will work fine with Component cables. But YES, a DSUB would be needed for modifying the Component cable into a VGA cable--and YES, you still have to mess with the Digital port. See, the VGA that you get from a Gamecube is going to come from the Digital port, and the Component that you get is going to come from there too; if you get a Component cable that is what you use to modify for VGA. You can't get VGA from the standard port, even though it is analogue it does not use the proper sync rate which means you would need an upscan device like the XRGB2+ there.

Sounds like there are too many variables with your situation right now. If you've got the games you love, keep them. Play them. Cherish them. You'll have the time to get the gaming rig of your dreams when the time is right. Use s-video everywhere you've got a port for it and you will enjoy 90% of the best image you can possibly have. All of this RGB, VGA, and modifying stuff will make sense to you when it comes time to wrap it all together, don't stress over it before you need to.

[NamelessPlayer]

Yes, an HDTV + Gamecube will work fine with Component cables. But YES, a DSUB would be needed for modifying the Component cable into a VGA cable--and YES, you still have to mess with the Digital port. See, the VGA that you get from a Gamecube is going to come from the Digital port, and the Component that you get is going to come from there too; if you get a Component cable that is what you use to modify for VGA. You can't get VGA from the standard port, even though it is analogue it does not use the proper sync rate which means you would need an upscan device like the XRGB2+ there.

Sounds like there are too many variables with your situation right now. If you've got the games you love, keep them. Play them. Cherish them. You'll have the time to get the gaming rig of your dreams when the time is right. Use s-video everywhere you've got a port for it and you will enjoy 90% of the best image you can possibly have. All of this RGB, VGA, and modifying stuff will make sense to you when it comes time to wrap it all together, don't stress over it before you need to.

What I meant in the Digital Video Cable-to-VGA cable was using one of these cables:

http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=...roducts_id=777&

If I'm right, you don't need to modify the DAC end to put it into RGB mode because this cable should do it already. Not that I know much about it, since they're even harder to come by than the Component Cables...anyway, I won't be dicking around with GCN games in 480p until August 3, when the cable is scheduled to arrive. (The HDTV-ready rear-projection CRT should do good enough with the Component Cable.)

Of course, I was thinking of ordering an S-Video cable as well to plug into the home theater receiver or whatever it's called with the sound decoder. It's old enough that it doesn't have Component pass-throughs or Dolby Pro-Logic II support, and that's not even touching the dead subwoofer, but better to have 5-channel Pro Logic than traditional stereo, right? When we have more money, there's always a nice set of Z-5500s, complete with decoding for just about any standard imaginable, including PLII. No more bulky receiver!

Since it's near the end of the month, I'll just hand the 135 USD in my wallet over to my mom so that she can help pay off her credit card & give me more elbow room to order random things on eBay. That should be more than enough for a suitable monitor-the problem now is finding it. I've seen several monitors meant to be used with a Commodore-branded system(not sure if they're meant for the C64 or Amiga), but they have what appears to be a covered-up slot for a SCART-in. If I can find one for a reasonable price, that'll take care of my graphics woes-of course, I might as well OC the thing while I'm at it so I can kiss Perfect Dark framerate woes goodbye!

Now, some links on eBay to get started-act fast, because some of these auctions will end in a matter of hours! Not only that, but my mom doesn't want me to spend any more than 75 USD total, so I'll just cross my fingers & hope for the best...oh, wait, I forgot the cost of ordering the proper bits to open the N64, not to mention getting my stepdad to let me borrow a soldering iron & some solder. There's also the good opportunity to grab some Arctic Silver 5 to help with cooling an old K6-2 I have in a legacy PC as well as cooling that N64 CPU once I speed it up a bit.

http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-PVM-1390-13-TRINI...1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-PVM-1220-Trinitro...1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-Trinitron-PVM-127...1QQcmdZViewItem

I could list more, but I don't want to burden you too much...

[Endymion]

Starting to sound like a broken record here--you have asked a lot of questions multiple times in this thread and they have been answered in more than one way, which can only mean one thing, you don't understand.

First up:

What I meant in the Digital Video Cable-to-VGA cable was using one of these cables:

http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=...roducts_id=777&

If I'm right, you don't need to modify the DAC end to put it into RGB mode because this cable should do it already.

The cable you linked to is a "D-Terminal" cable. The "D" stands for digital. This cable sends component video and nothing more. It is identical to the component video cable that Nintendo sells in the USA for the signal it sends; the only thing which is different about it is its connector, the Japanese like simple things and it puts everything into one plug instead of five. (Or three.)

Second, RGB is not digital. Repeat this to yourself in a mirror until you remember it. RGB, the kind that we want and we use, is never digital. And because that cable is a "digital" video cable, the DAC must be altered in order to do VGA. A more complicated mod must be done in tandem with a SNES SCART RGB cable and this one order to make the cable RGB, not that it's too difficult though. But for that matter, VGA is not digital either. Think "digital = HDTV," and "analogue = RGB and VGA," and that's all you need to remember.

Any Commodore monitor will have RGB, although if its SCART socket is covered in plastic then that monitor doesn't have the internals for SCART at all, it probably isn't worth your risk to try to add it when you can just use the RGB jack that it does have.

And finally, the first and the third monitors you linked to have RGB, the second one does not.

[NamelessPlayer]

Huh? Broken record? Oh crap, this is only going to get worse from here. Why can't I delete my own topics?

Okay, so here's the checklist for getting RGB out of an N64:

-15 KHz RGB-compatible display
-3 wires
-A soldering iron
-Some solder
-The proper cable
-Lots of money

Can't believe I even make some of these posts. Can anyone spare a time machine or a memory eraser?