Sega Saturn High Vision cable?

[CorruptionDee]

As we all know, High Vision (HDTV in the states) has existed in analog form in Japan for about 20 years for some people. In any case, while I was bored, I did some research on the Sega Saturn and when I came across the Wikipedia page it stated the following:

Input/output

• Two 7-bit bidirectional parallel I/O ports (controller ports)
• High-speed serial communications port (Both SH2 SCI channels and SCSP MIDI, also used for the Serial port)
• Cartridge connector
• Internal expansion port for MPEG adapter card
• Composite video/audio (standard)
• NTSC/PAL RF (optional RF adapter required)
• S-Video compatible (separate cable required)
• RGB compatible (separate cable required)
• EDTV compatible (separate cable required)
• Hi-Vision (separate cable required)

While the Saturn is capable of VGA (progressive/non-interlaced) video, no software ever used this mode and the system cannot force software to run in this mode. Some development systems had VGA ports, but no consumer units ever offered this or other high-res functionality.


I'm not interested in tracking down a "High Vision" cable that will most likely be outdated (assuming it even exist in the first place), but now I'm interested in knowing if such a cable actually existed. I have been keeping track of the Saturn since 1994, and have never heard of such a thing. Wikipedia has been wrong on occasion, but there have also been times when they have provided interesting information as well.

[Calpis]

In all probability, a "Hi-Vision" cable would be any RGB cable; the cable would just carry Hi-Vision instead of 480i. The same goes for 480p.

[8bitplus]

I think they might have been keeping their options open by listing that as a feture.

[Dr.Wily]

no consumer units ever offered this or other high-res functionality.

Retail unit is able to display progressive signal. Unfortunately no game offers this. But this demo with a scart cable modified to fit into VGA D-SUb give you a nice 480p picture.

[retro]

Some development systems had VGA ports

Err, no they didn't! The Sophia uses a standard Saturn video output connector, and both the CartDev and Psy-Q have no video out - they connect to a retail Saturn.

I'm not interested in tracking down a "High Vision" cable that will most likely be outdated (assuming it even exist in the first place), but now I'm interested in knowing if such a cable actually existed.

No.

Wikipedia has been wrong on occasion...

Wikipedia is a wiki, i.e. a collection of publically written articles. Of course they can be wrong! On top of that, there have been people purposely 'vandalising' articles.

Don't always believe what you read on the Internet!

[Yakumo]

Retail unit is able to display progressive signal. Unfortunately no game offers this. But this demo with a scart cable modified to fit into VGA D-SUb give you a nice 480p picture.

I'm very interested in this converting a Saturn scart cable to a VGA. Do you have any diagrams on how it's done? Also will it work on a TFT display via the VGA input? I ask because my XRGB2+ hates my TFT and at times will not display the game picture, only the onscreen controls for the box it's self.

Yakumo

[Dr.Wily]

Do you have any diagrams on how it's done?

No diagram at this time. I make this VGA cable on the scratch with a RGB scart cable. No electronic needed, just rewired signal to a DSUB VGA 15. You must have a SOG or composite sync compatible monitor. Most LCD screens does not support SOG (some Samsung LCD 24'' have it). I used an old fixed frequency monitor (MITSUBISHI HC3925) to test progressive display on Saturn, it can support all synchro signals.

I will post some pics here.

[Yakumo]

Looking forward to the pictures! So you could play any game on the monitor, not only the progressive scan demo, right?

Yakumo

[saturn_worship]

Dr.Willy...what's on that demo??

Seems pretty interesting..then...any retail Saturn can display that on a CRT 60Hz tv??

thanks!!!

[TmEE]

Using a sync splitter, you can use any VGA monitor, only thing is that if your monitor supports 240/288p / 480/576i

My Samsung Sync Master LCD something supports low res modes, except 288p... I will get funny random colors then.

[Martin]

I would love, and pay for, a Saturn cable with VGA...

[saturn_worship]

well, then, it's possible to use it for 60hz CRT tv's????????

what's on that demo?

[Dr.Wily]

This is only a proof of concept demo of saturn's progressive scan mode, nothing more.
When I tried to find out how progressive scan mode works on Saturn, many "experts" argue that Sony CXD DAC it not able to display progressive signal, despite of this mode listed in the official Sega documentation.

In fact, according to cxd dac datasheet, RGB lines from VDP are not converted, DAC is only work for composites signals (NTSC, PAL), not component (RGB).

Therefore, you can use a standard VGA monitor for displaying a Saturn progressive scan mode. However, somes experiments are needed. Like PS2, this VGA signal does not use separate syncro like native VGA but composite syncro.

Seems pretty interesting..then...any retail Saturn can display that on a CRT 60Hz tv??

No, if your TV monitor does not support "P" mode you can't use progressive scan devices on it.

Yakumo --->

So you could play any game on the monitor, not only the progressive scan demo, right?

Yes, this monitor support interlaced and progressive mode, but on standard VGA 14'' monitor, tis demo works too, but not games.