Anyone heard about any HDMI mods for the genesis, something like hidef nes? Can't find anything anywhere. I've been learning about FPGA design but I'm still a noon. Also thinking about stripping down an OSSC and outing it inside the Genny case. Thoughts?
Everyone just does rgb scart to hdmi as the genesis can natively output rgb. The converter boxes are only 50$. So until it become economically possible to sell fpga hdmi boards for genesis, everyone will stick with the converter box.
Is there a reason you want it inside? You could output to a OSSC with no internal modifications with a Genesis. Do you want scan lines or line doubling? If so why not just do a RGB switch to a OSSC. Then you can reap the rewards on multiple consoles not just the Genesis. Is your desire just a better picture on a HDTV? If that's the case maybe look into HDRetrovision cables. 55 bucks gets you component cables that feeds the near native signal to a HDTV. If you want to do a digital to digital conversion like the hidef nes you got a lot of work ahead of you. Kevtris works with FPGA for a living and knows them pretty much back to front. Still took him like 3 years to produce the hidef nes. But I'd welcome it on the market. I got a stock of like 15 Genesis that could definitely have a value increase with a mod like that.
I have a scart to hdmi converter but would prefer a lag free option. I want to integrate the OSSC into the genesis for two reasons: 1) I am building a custom genny kinda like a neptune but with the model 2 sega cd integrated 2) the only other console I have is an NES which, I'm sure you are aware, doesn't output rgb natively. I will probably go the hidef nes route with it.
If you've got the bones to to buy an ossc for one console. Then I say do it. It is currently the best option.
I think Ozone's HDMI board will eventually be Genesis/Mega Drive compatible, but don't bother waiting for it if you're in any hurry to get an HDMI signal from your console, as it'll be some time before that happens.
If you have the skill set too I remind you that OSSC is as it says in the title open source. I'm currently learning what the maker of the OSSC designed so that I can created my own variation on it for a project I'm working on. From what I've seen so far going through his source is you could definitely cut some features out or make some features fixed (instead of being able to be turned on and off), and design a simpler/smaller board that could be easier/cheaper to put inside a Genesis. This might be the easiest route.
Nice! I completely over looked the "open source" moniker. I wonder if they will publish the details to github? That would be great. I will e-mail them to see. Do you have any info about it?
Here is the Github: https://github.com/marqs85/ossc Its all Verilog and I believe they used Altera software. Here is their assembly instructions these definitely help with figuring out what's going on. https://www.niksula.hut.fi/~mhiienka/ossc/diy-v1.5/ Not sure your skill level with these kind of things are. I'm a Software engineer that works with some very talented Computer/Electrical engineers so you learn a few things over time. The way FPGA are "programmed" is definitely something else, but if you have some basic experience with similar subjects you should be able to eventually make heads or tails of what's going on.
Nice, Im gonna take a look at it in the a.m. Thanks for all of the replies, I will keep everyone posted
I discovered something else while doing research that would definitely be needed for your plans. https://github.com/borti4938/ossc/tree/diy-audio/diy-audio It is a mod to the OSSC that coverts analog audio to digital so that it can be sent over the HDMI.
Any progress on this and/or did anyone else try to achieve the same? In preparation to Paprium's release I'm looking for a built-in HDMI solution (with upscaler) to get the best A/V quality out of Mega Drive as well.
Correct me if I'm wrong but the Genesis can't be HDMI modded since it doesn't have access to its digital AV signals. The VDP outputs analog RGB instead. You would need partial emulation of the hardware. You could do an internal RGBS to HDMI conversion but like others said, you're better off with the OSSC and using good quality RGB SCART cables.
Thanks for pointing that out @MonkeyBoyJoey, in that case let me rephrase my question. Did someone overhere successfully incorporated an OSSC inside the MegaDrive's shell?
Here we are a year later and I think the OSSC is still too expensive and hard to obtain/build for people to devote one to a single console.
Or until a small RGB to HDMI PCB comes out that'd be great as a universal mod HDMI is easier to switch than Scart
