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CollectorVision Phoenix Release Thread


Bmack36

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Off topic but, to avoid license fees a manufacturer could use DVI which uses the same signal as hdmi and only needs a simple adapter for hdmi.  I think displayport requires licensing as well.  A VGA port can do something between 1080p and 4k but even if a television can do that resolution it won't support it through its vga input.  Television manufacturers no longer include this analog input anyway.

 

Edit: My mistake, displayport is royalty free.

Don't the patents on hdmi expire soon?

 

Edited by mr_me
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I'm just thinking if I released a gaming console that unless I paid the HDMI fee that I would be limited to VGA or Component output which is ridiculous in this day and age.
It seems that everyone wants a cut like USB, HDMI and I even read that Opcode gets a cut for the Super Game Module...Why the hell would anyone give them money for off the shelf parts from 30 years ago.
 

If I want to play MSX games on an FPGA based system then I will load an MSX core and play the entire collection instead of a few ported games.

At one point I was contacted by Coleco Holdings asking me about my project.
I would avoid the Coleco label altogether because there would be no way I would give them a dime for my work while they just sit around and think of ways to fleece someone.  I'll just name it after one of my kids.

Edited by Mike Harris
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4 minutes ago, mr_me said:

Off topic but, to avoid license fees a manufacturer could use DVI which uses the same signal as hdmi and only needs a simple adapter for hdmi.  I think displayport requires licensing as well.  A VGA port can do something between 1080p and 4k but even if the display can do that resolution it won't support it through its vga input.  Television manufacturers no longer include this analog input anyway.

Just now after research...
Release VGA at 1080 with an off the shelf VGA to HDMI adapter.  The Adapter company pays the fee and good luck getting that from some AliBaba company out of China.

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When I ordered my ADAM themed Phoenix I always had the hope that I would be able to use a real ADAM keyboard with it, with an ADAM core, and have a modern hardware alternative to a real ADAM (or about as close as one could get).  I've never owned an ADAM but always wanted one.  In fact, back in August 1983, it was the lure of the then future ADAM that convinced me to buy a ColecoVision.  I never did buy an ADAM, due to the cost and it then being yanked prematurely from the market well before its time. In more recent years my interest in the ADAM has never waned but the size and reliability of the hardware was more than I wanted to deal with.

 

So fast forward to the Phoenix and my interest was greatly piqued when the ADAM themed Phoenix was announced.  So far no timeline on the ADAM core but after some time I have managed to get an ADAM keyboard working with it and I am so stoked that it works.  All of the current PS/2 keyboard keys that have been mapped with the Phoenix work perfectly.  Here's hoping that this inspires others to add their vote for an ADAM core.

 

For those interested in doing this yourself, be warned that it is expensive.  The connection is achieved in two stages.  The first is an ADAM keyboard to USB interface ($80) and then a USB to PS/2 interface ($73).  Note that the latter USB to PS/2 interface MUST be an active converter to work.  Those small cheap purple passive/pass-through USB to PS/2 adaptors will not work.  Fortunately the Phoenix seems to provide enough power via the PS/2 port to power everything attached.

 

DSC03453.thumb.JPG.8e9f709937b1b775f6d22c6a24c8a86e.JPG 

DSC03454.thumb.JPG.ddf14755f1723a5036419abb4c09dcc5.JPG

 

 

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So I may be having an issue with my Phoenix but it’s not that bad so no urgency but worth a discussion

 

recently a friend gifted me a colecovision, expansion module #1 and 2 and 3 (a fully boxed Adam computer exp model version), plus a bunch of games. Really happy.  Now these guys hadn’t been used in 20 years and the box everything but the Adam was thrown in also a nest for mice.  Ugh

 

so after cleaning all the carts I decided to test a few out On the Phoenix.  Most i have tried so far have worked ok a few didn’t work.  Hey it’s 35+ year old stuff who am I to complain?

 

so on a whim I tried a few on a real colecovision (not the gifted one I still have to clean that sucker) and the game booted up just fine. 

 

Odd.  ok back to the Phoenix I tried one such game, wargames and I got some garbled text.  Shut it off, rebooted and still same.  Shut it off, rebooted and hey, I got the title screen!  Ok so glitchy cart

 

or so I thought.  The same thing happened with the CollectorVision mystery club game I received yesterday!  At first just a black screen, then a weird boot screen then it finally booted.  Every subsequent boot has been ok.  Same thing with wargames it now boots just fine

 

what could explain this?

 

fyi I will be updating the cores just in case this is part of the issue. I’m early access and don’t recall 100% if I updated the cores yet and if I did it might have just been the atari core

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10 minutes ago, Loafer said:

So I may be having an issue with my Phoenix but it’s not that bad so no urgency but worth a discussion

 

recently a friend gifted me a colecovision, expansion module #1 and 2 and 3 (a fully boxed Adam computer exp model version), plus a bunch of games. Really happy.  Now these guys hadn’t been used in 20 years and the box everything but the Adam was thrown in also a nest for mice.  Ugh

 

so after cleaning all the carts I decided to test a few out On the Phoenix.  Most i have tried so far have worked ok a few didn’t work.  Hey it’s 35+ year old stuff who am I to complain?

 

so on a whim I tried a few on a real colecovision (not the gifted one I still have to clean that sucker) and the game booted up just fine. 

 

Odd.  ok back to the Phoenix I tried one such game, wargames and I got some garbled text.  Shut it off, rebooted and still same.  Shut it off, rebooted and hey, I got the title screen!  Ok so glitchy cart

 

or so I thought.  The same thing happened with the CollectorVision mystery club game I received yesterday!  At first just a black screen, then a weird boot screen then it finally booted.  Every subsequent boot has been ok.  Same thing with wargames it now boots just fine

 

what could explain this?

 

fyi I will be updating the cores just in case this is part of the issue. I’m early access and don’t recall 100% if I updated the cores yet and if I did it might have just been the atari core

You might be experiencing the HDMI issue that some of us are having.  Some TVs send power back through the cable.  Way to tell is use the system, turn it off and look into the cartridge slot.  If you see an LED lit up that may be your problem.  Three ways to deal with it:

1. Put an hdmi switch in between the phoenix and the tv

2. unplug the hdmi cable and plug it back in (unplug from the phoenix)

3. with power off plug in an original coleco cart (not a third party game) and remove it.  For some reason old school CV cart can drain the charge.

or you could try a different TV.

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4 minutes ago, evg2000 said:

You might be experiencing the HDMI issue that some of us are having.  Some TVs send power back through the cable.  Way to tell is use the system, turn it off and look into the cartridge slot.  If you see an LED lit up that may be your problem.  Three ways to deal with it:

1. Put an hdmi switch in between the phoenix and the tv

2. unplug the hdmi cable and plug it back in (unplug from the phoenix)

3. with power off plug in an original coleco cart (not a third party game) and remove it.  For some reason old school CV cart can drain the charge.

or you could try a different TV.

Another alternative is to wait for the monitor to go into standby (in my case 5 to 7 seconds after turning off my Phoenix) and then turn the Phoenix back on.  For me waiting to see the monitor's power light change to standby (indicating no signal) before turning on, then my Phoenix starts perfectly every time.

Edited by Ikrananka
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44 minutes ago, Ikrananka said:

When I ordered my ADAM themed Phoenix I always had the hope that I would be able to use a real ADAM keyboard with it, with an ADAM core, and have a modern hardware alternative to a real ADAM (or about as close as one could get).  I've never owned an ADAM but always wanted one.  In fact, back in August 1983, it was the lure of the then future ADAM that convinced me to buy a ColecoVision.  I never did buy an ADAM, due to the cost and it then being yanked prematurely from the market well before its time. In more recent years my interest in the ADAM has never waned but the size and reliability of the hardware was more than I wanted to deal with.

 

So fast forward to the Phoenix and my interest was greatly piqued when the ADAM themed Phoenix was announced.  So far no timeline on the ADAM core but after some time I have managed to get an ADAM keyboard working with it and I am so stoked that it works.  All of the current PS/2 keyboard keys that have been mapped with the Phoenix work perfectly.  Here's hoping that this inspires others to add their vote for an ADAM core.

 

For those interested in doing this yourself, be warned that it is expensive.  The connection is achieved in two stages.  The first is an ADAM keyboard to USB interface ($80) and then a USB to PS/2 interface ($73).  Note that the latter USB to PS/2 interface MUST be an active converter to work.  Those small cheap purple passive/pass-through USB to PS/2 adaptors will not work.  Fortunately the Phoenix seems to provide enough power via the PS/2 port to power everything attached.

 

DSC03453.thumb.JPG.8e9f709937b1b775f6d22c6a24c8a86e.JPG 

DSC03454.thumb.JPG.ddf14755f1723a5036419abb4c09dcc5.JPG

 

 

I've often joke that you will never see an ADAM version of Phoenix until someone over at MisTER makes one.
 

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1 minute ago, Mike Harris said:

You are 100% correct, I don't.
And neither the Coleco or Atari 2600 cores came from the MisTER project and is just speculation.

I don't follow much MisTER, nor that I care

Phoenix owners are sure about one thing, we're going to support it as much as we can
And I think we have a good track record
We're making new games for the Phoenix, cores, accessories etc.. 
You're not going to see that happen with MisTER

The Phoenix was made by fans, for the fans

 
 

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And there is no argument there.
Phoenix owners bought, paid for and backed the project.

 

The usual formula....

Pay yourself a hefty paycheck with backers money and use off the shelf parts with Open Source MisTER cores aside from the F18A.  Then sell it for a small fortune despite 50 other products that do a better job.

 

The only thing unique about the Phoenix is the case and that it can use original Colecovision controllers which aren't included.

BTW, I say the same exact thing about Opcode...The SGM was nothing but a ploy to use MSX games games on the Colecovision and sell their ports.

 

I'm not mad, jealous or anything of the sort...everyone knows this, it's all across the internet if you look for it.

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1 minute ago, retroillucid said:

We didn't made a single dime out of the Phoenix, just sayin.... 

Not even mention how much time was spent into this project!

Being as I wasn't there I can't prove you wrong.

All I know is I paid for all my dev kits, parts, cases, chips...out of my pocket and I owe nothing to nobody.
All source code in Verilog is mine, the operating system is mine....IMPROVEMENTS over products, mine...the new, experimental and prototype CPU and graphics chip 100% mine.  The 16 bit bus is mine...

Maybe I am just comparing Apples and Oranges and should just congratulate you on your successful nice try.

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1 minute ago, Mike Harris said:

Does it matter, defend the bullet points.

Here is a great article, which IS NOT mine.
http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-collectorvision-phoenix-fpga.html

I saw it, along with some youtubers making videos about it saying it doesn't worth $200
I could not care less, the Phoenix was not made for them, it was made for ColecoVision fans who doesn't care much about those articles, youtubers 

The ColecoVision fans wanted a reliable CV console and now they have it

Look, we never wanted the Phoenix to sell like Analogue products (they sell very well and are good products!)
We only made it for the ColecoVision community

Now, stop compating it to the others, it is not the others
You don't like the Phoenix?  Fine!
Just don't buy it, simple as that!

 

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8 minutes ago, Mike Harris said:

Does it matter, defend the bullet points.

Here is a great article, which IS NOT mine.
http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-collectorvision-phoenix-fpga.html

Hah! I knew all your crap was coming from that blog verbatim. We all read that conspiratorial click-bait blog back in October before 500 ordered it.

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