Genuine hardware generally gives better results than software emulation – even emulation done with the aid of very fast processors.
That seems to hold true for videogame systems until about 2-3 generations of home computers down the line when computers, video graphics chips, etc. are more powerful and people understand how retro-hardware actually works.
Look, MAME’s great freeware but it tries to emulate the actions of so many different machines that it’s never going to be perfect. It’s much better in general than it was 15 years ago but there are still many, many games that don’t run perfectly and nobody has a timeframe of when those “defective” ROM’s will ever work. The problem gets compounded by the fact that many old games ran on customized hardware specific to those games or hardware that’s not well-documented.
I think what Toodles is charging for the T-SLG is very reasonable. It’s still a heck of a lot cheaper to buy a T-SLG and a decent HDTV or certainly a tourney-level monitor with decent speakers than it is to invest in a game-tuned PC. I’ve never been crazy about PC gaming seeing as developers constantly do things with newer games that make graphics chips obsolete every 6 months and can’t even support one line of processors without having problems – not taking into account the AMD issues that pop up time-to-time. Too much of a headache and too expensive for my tastes…
Yes I’ve tried it, and if you’re looking to use this with a MAME setup, I wouldn’t really bother. If you use the HLSL effects in MAME, you’re emulating an actual CRT in your GPU which will go above and beyond what any SLG will give you.
GeorgeC kinda went off on a rant there, and I do agree that real hardware is the way to go, but in your case, if you’re looking to add scanlines to MAME, just use the superior HLSL effects already in the software.
I hate to sound negative but Toodles seriously needs to update us all on the restock situation with some product that’s been unavailable for months.
I’m glad that the Cthulus are still available (I might be getting up to a half-dozen more myself) but there’s other product that people would like updates on or confirmation about discontinuation. This is not limited to but includes the TE Kitty’s, the T-SLG which is something I’m also interested in, and the Remora RGB LED controller.
Most of us would guess the TE Kitty line is long out-of-production but official confirmation is needed. Right now, we’re in the area of speculation which can be dangerous.
The Remora – I just don’t know… Frankly, all the LED controllers sound a bit complicated and more work than just about anything else you have to hook up in a joystick. It also seems like there are around a half-dozen on market and I don’t honestly know which is best.
As for the T-SLG – for retro-system owners and arcade machine enthusiasts this is a no-brainer. Regardless of what goes on with the next-gen game systems, seems like there will be a market for an economical device like this that would make HDTV’s more amenable to pre-HD devices (which is about 90% of the home console and arcade videogames ever produced). Again, an update on what’s going on with restock or discontinuation would be appreciated.
I hate to sound pushy but a number of people have begun to wonder what’s been going on for the past few months.
ixus,
I’d wait a few days unless you need that video adapter right away.
There are other options to the T-SLG on market but they are all either a) way more expensive and/or b) much harder to use.
Some of the older adapter units/scalers like the Micom line sound nice until you get around to seeing the price {OUCH!}. They are one of the few electronic devices that don’t ever get “cheap” when they go out of production, too. They start not-cheap and end up very expensive. The results of the different brand units available are also inconsistent and some of what I hear is discouraging. I’ve looked at a few reviews and still scratch my head at what’s being talked about. Stills and video do a better job getting the point across but even then the mileage can vary depending on the game system, too. Some just do not work well with adapters.
(Fortunately, everything I still have and care to keep seems to take to adapters fairly well or, in the case of the PS2, has built-in HD support with component video output.)
I’m dead broke so it makes no difference to me! I also still have a 27" SD tube set which probably has at least another 10-15 years of life left in it; those are still way better than the vast majority of HD sets on the market for gaming.
Not sure what his communication has been like w/ the FGC as of late, but just so everyone knows, he has be very busy outside the FGC this year. School probably being the biggest time eater.
-ud
The T-SLG v1.6 is back in stock. I ordered mine a few days ago and it’s already here
My setup:
(NES, SNES, N64, Genesis/32X/CD, Saturn) s-video switch > Hall TVB-200 Plus VGA Scaler > T-SLG > TV
The picture quality is perfect and beautiful, and on first glace looks sharper than the Hanzo. I need to test it with more games/systems though. The T-SLG is an incredible device and the $20 price tag blows my mind. Great work!
Will the T-SLG shield ever go back into production?
Late to the party as usual. I picked up a couple of these this week. Toodles shipped the same day and I had them in three days. The quality is awesome for the minimal cost. Thanks Marcus!
Well I am looking to port off the switches to the T-SLG.
I planing to install the SLG inside of a VGA switch box, and hoping to move all the switches to the front of the box.
It should be a simple operation to desolder and relocate the switches on the T-SLG.
What I am wondering is what switch should I use for the even/off/odd switch.
The other 2 switches are single pole double throw switches, and I picked up some (relatveily) cheap DPDT toggle switched from Radio Shack to replace these.
I am using toggle switches as they are easy to panel mount, drill a single whole feed the toggle switch though and secure with a hex nut.
I was thinking of using a DPDT flip switch with Center off for the even/off/odd, the original switch on the board is a 3 position slider switch.
I am not sure but it appears that the middle terminals for the slider switch isn’t connected to anything, but at closer investigation it appears the switch does complete a circuit in the middle position.
Maybe a 3 Position Switch (Double Pole Three Throw) switch?
I have the scanline generator and i like it but i noticed that when using my scart cables SyncStrike the SLG makes there weird round lines (I can post a picture later) anyone else notice this?
