UltraHDMI N64 is out in the wild

With 10+ the price comes down to 123 USD. Not sure what the price is under 10.

 

Still pricey, once it hit's below $100 it might be more appealing especially since there are other all in one solutions on the horizon for about that price.

 

To get HDMI out of an N64? Such as?

 

There is a really cool device coming out called OSSC, its over in the hardware forums on http://shmups.system11.org/ This however is an analog to hdmi device. @OzOnE here on the forums is working on purely digital to hdmi device if I'm not mistaken. I think he has a working prototype for the n64, and is working on a dreamcast variation as well.

 

That is the device I was referring to on that forum.

 

Yeah I got in on the pre order. I have a prototype dvi unit on the way. I'm going to try to integrate in to a new switch box I've been working on.

 

I assume you guys are talking about this: https://blz.la/rgb/marqs_diy_scaler.html

It does look pretty cool. I hope more units are available soon. I'd love to compare latency with my Framemeister first hand. Also, mode switching on the Framemeister sucks, but it was only really a problem for me with the N64. Now that I have an UltraHDMI kit installed, I don't know if that really matters to me.

That being said, I don't even put such a device in the same class as the UltraHDMI. The UltraHDMI is a Digital > Digital solution that is custom fitted for the N64. You really can't beat that. In the case of the N64, taking the Digital > Analog RGB > Digital HDMI route is complicated by the fact that the N64 still has to be modded to get RGB out of it. Also, the UltraHDMI has the ability to process/upscale the video, but it does not force you to. The Digitizer/Linedoubler does not offer you that ability like the Framemeister or UltraHDMI does.

The UltraHDMI is not even all that much more expensive in the end. Especially if you're paying someone to mod it for you. First off, you have to get RGB out of the console...which is another ~$40-50 for Tim's kit...unless you have a NUS-03 or NUS-04 in which case RetroRGB charges ~$30 for the neat preassembled amp. Let's just say you get your modded RGB N64 for $90. Then you have to add another $170 for the Digitizer/Linedoubler and say $30 for a SCART cable (with a sync separator). So, we're just shy of $300 to get just a N64 hooked up this way. I've been selling premodded UltraHDMI consoles for ~$250, so if you're only considering the N64, this route is actually more expensive.

Now I realize that most people are not going to solely use the Digitizer/Linedoubler for their N64. If you're sharing it with several RGB consoles, the savings and utility adds up. However, in that case, you're probably going to want to consider the cost of a SCART switch -- which are more expensive and harder to come by than HDMI switches.

TL;DR - UltraHDMI is awesome, but really expensive. RGB solutions are awesome too and cheaper in certain situations...but are also fairly expensive.

 

Marshallh has already said he won't be selling them directly to end users and my understanding for selling them in batches is two fold:

1) Only serious installers will purchase
2) Only installers will be able to purchase

He is not interested in selling them directly to end users because, well, end users are mostly idiots and over estimate their skill ala the Dunning-Kruger effect. How many crappy RGB mods do we see and how easy is it to pull off for a N64 or SNES Jr? Plenty. I'm on the list of authorized installers (I don't know how many are but I know a few that are) and I'd never do anything but an install job. My PayPal account was locked due in part to me selling an end user a modchip they couldn't install (nothing was wrong with the cheap, user had no idea what he was doing).

I don't know any of the authorized installers that want to sell one by one.

Now as for the quality, I've had one of these before the 1.0 firmware was compiled. I'm very happy with the convenience offered by HDMI (projector on a 100' wall? Hell yes!) and the picture quality is fantastic so long as you realize the N64 looks like shit to start with. I'm waiting for Ozone to finish his DC board next and megaloman to get GCVideo finalized as well.

 

@TriState294
Those prices are high. installation for an rgb amp isn't hard for the n64, if someone is charging 30 bucks they are ripping you off.
6 to 7 wires, unless your building it yourself. The only time 30 dollars might be reasonable is if the modder doesn't have a lot of spare time and still its high.

 

Ultra HDMI is worth every penny. I have done the RGB mod before and dealt with all the extra work that comes with it. It is SOO nice to have everything consolidated inside the N64. Just plug in the HDMI cord and you're good to go. Goldeneye is just... mind boggling now. It is so much better. I'm a poor college student and I had to have it. Sometimes it's just worth going with top of the line.

 

The $30 I was figuring was for the RGB amp itself, not installing it. I agree that $30 for an assembled THS7314 is high, but that's what a lot of people ended up paying for one...including myself initially. RetroRGB has the website that most people first stumble upon and he sells them for $23 shipped. If you start your search on eBay, you're looking at RetroFix's listing for $27 shipped. Can I build this on perfboard for ~$5, yes probably (didn't run the numbers)...but that's not what most novices will do.

As for labor costs, I don't find a $30 installation of such a kit unreasonable at all. Can you tear down an N64, clean it, solder in the RGB board, put it back together, and take it to the post office in less than an hour? Can you get semi-skilled labor to do this kind of work for > $30/hr? Not in the USA at least.

Same here. And I'm prepared to pay the (I'm guessing here, I have no info to share) ~$100-160 it's going to cost to buy such a kit. These digital kits have a high parts cost (in comparison to RGB mod boards...even Tim's) and much higher design times. Hell, it took MarshalH years to design the UtraHDMI. I sincerely hope these guys make a few bucks off of these projects and I'm more than happy to help pay for the work that they did.

 

^yes I can, and I used to do the rgb Mod for a few of my friends and it normally took less than 30 minutes.

 

If they were sold to end-users it would only be a matter of time before you saw a hideous abuse of hot glue ;*)

Should also mention that ultraHDMI is also software upgradable. If you have a 1.0 it can upgrade to a 1.2.

 

As an end user I was mainly looking to get one for myself and I can solder it in no problem but can't say that for everyone else.

 

I completely agree with Helder.
There is an extensive installation guide written and freely available such that every end user should be able to decide for his own whether he can do the job or not.
For me I can say that the solder work for this mod is not a big deal.

 

On one hand there are people like Helder and borti4938 who could probably solder this in blindfolded.

On the other hand, there are people who would try to hot glue the cable to the chip and short out the mod board against the multi-out pins.

Maybe the answer is a group buy for Assembler members who trust each other not to screw up the install and blame the distributer.

 

PS2 modchips were widely available, and were harder to solder than this mod.
I'd also like to order only one myself, but I understand marshallh when he fears the feedback of customers who weren't able to solder the kit.
He should add a disclaimer and refuses returns when there was a problem with soldering.
There is the same problem with Kevtris and his HDMI kit : it won't be available to end users, ant only through resellers.
I really annoys people who would like to buy only one, and do the mod themselves.

 

Well we could get a few people to do a small group buy if that's the case, something I was hoping to avoid but if a few people want to chip in hit me up in a pm.

 

You could count me in if you are organizing a group buy.

 

Just do what I did. Buy 3 and sell one or two. There are plenty of people in this thread saying they wish they could just get one... *hint hint*