I don't currently have the funds to get a Framemister but I would like to get the best possible picture from my Saturn. I don't have an s- video input on my TV or monitor either. I was thinking of doing one of 2 things. 1. Install an Composite jack on my Saturn and use a high quality shielded Composite cable. 2. Mod a Saturn cable with a high quality shielded Composite cable, or just build a custom cable if I can find the jacks that the Saturn uses. Has anyone done this? What were your results? The cables I have for my Saturns are really thin and probably allow interference, that's why I think this mod would be worthwhile.
I do have a optical audio mod, sounds great. So you don't think it's worth the time installing a composite jack, and using a better cable? The Framemeister is a little out of my budget now. Is there any other upscalers that would work?
Go with RGBS, it isn't expensive to use. retro_console_accessories on eBay sells some really good SCART cables and she even has one for the Saturn that uses C-Sync (pure sync aka raw sync). That cable is about $22. This is the converter I use. It's $60 but if you go with it, make sure to order directly from amazon.com. Your best bet is to wait for OzOnE's everything to HDMI converter to come out in December or January. He said his will be about the same price as all of the other SCART to HDMI converters and it will be better. I've read online that the Saturn has H-Sync and V-Sync on the motherboard so you could get 15KHz VGA (RGBHV) out of it. Only problem is very few monitors support 15KHz VGA without modification and if they even do, it usually is only for 480i and not 240p. OzOnE's scaler will support that so you can get the best picture possible out of the Saturn using 15KHz VGA.
I don't think that OzOnE's HDMI scaler will work with the Saturn, I think I read that somewhere. Maybe he will chime in on this post and let us know. I have checked on retro_console_accessories and they haven't sold and Saturn cables for awhile.
His universal HDMI mod board won't work since the VDP uses analog and not digital video signals but his separate upscaler board he is working on will. That board is just an everything (Composite, S-Video, RGB, etc) to HDMI converter so you can use an external RGB SCART cable and his board's RGBS input. No modding would be required for that. When you buy a cable, make sure it is wired for C-Sync unless you are using a PAL (Europe) console. If you are using a PAL console, use sync on luma or a sync stripper on composite video. The PAL consoles output +9V on the pin used for C-Sync on NTSC (USA and Japan) consoles.
