INTV - HDMI Console

[ZillaRUSH]

After I received my Phoenix for CV...playing old games with HDMI was amazing.   They even have a 2600 option to play many ROMS.  Total enjoyment using an HDMI with a big screen.  Takes your OG gaming to a new level.  Crisp/clean games are the way to go.  Then comes the Atari 2600+.  I must say, this thing is amazing.  First software version was solid...many 2600/7800 games.  Homebrews were not possible.  An udpate added many homebews (not all)...but still awesome!   Was playing with the HDMI hook up on my big screen and exchanging cartridges.  What an awesome experience.  We need a new INTV HDMI console!!   Using carts would be the way to go.   CV and Atari now HDMI ready.  INTV is lacking.  Call it HDMINTV.  Once can dream.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

5 minutes ago, ZillaRUSH said:

After I received my Phoenix for CV...playing old games with HDMI was amazing.   They even have a 2600 option to play many ROMS.  Total enjoyment using an HDMI with a big screen.  Takes your OG gaming to a new level.  Crisp/clean games are the way to go.  Then comes the Atari 2600+.  I must say, this thing is amazing.  First software version was solid...many 2600/7800 games.  Homebrews were not possible.  An udpate added many homebews (not all)...but still awesome!   Was playing with the HDMI hook up on my big screen and exchanging cartridges.  What an awesome experience.  We need a new INTV HDMI console!!   Using carts would be the way to go.   CV and Atari now HDMI ready.  INTV is lacking.  Call it HDMINTV.  Once can dream.

Or you can add one of @the_crayon_king's RGB setups into a model 1 or model 2, pair it up with a Rad2x and have an original console with HDMI? That is how I use mine now.

 

[mr_me]

There is the Mister FPGA, which has an Intellivision core and supports Intellivision controllers through USB.  No cartridge interface but both the Mister and Intellivision core projects are covered by GPL open source licenses.

[1980gamer]

I have been hoping my Phoenix would get and Intellivision and TI99/4A core for a long time!!!

 

[IntyFanMatt]

20 hours ago, ZillaRUSH said:

After I received my Phoenix for CV...playing old games with HDMI was amazing.   They even have a 2600 option to play many ROMS.  Total enjoyment using an HDMI with a big screen.  Takes your OG gaming to a new level.  Crisp/clean games are the way to go.  Then comes the Atari 2600+.  I must say, this thing is amazing.  First software version was solid...many 2600/7800 games.  Homebrews were not possible.  An udpate added many homebews (not all)...but still awesome!   Was playing with the HDMI hook up on my big screen and exchanging cartridges.  What an awesome experience.  We need a new INTV HDMI console!!   Using carts would be the way to go.   CV and Atari now HDMI ready.  INTV is lacking.  Call it HDMINTV.  Once can dream.

I have an RGB modded Inty so I can play games in HD, and it’s amazing. 

[Crash7]

2 hours ago, IntyFanMatt said:

I have an RGB modded Inty so I can play games in HD, and it’s amazing. 

 

Full screen?  How do the older games look? 

 

[+Psycho Stormtrooper- Rog]

On 1/9/2024 at 8:23 AM, ZillaRUSH said:

After I received my Phoenix for CV...playing old games with HDMI was amazing.   They even have a 2600 option to play many ROMS.  Total enjoyment using an HDMI with a big screen.  Takes your OG gaming to a new level.  Crisp/clean games are the way to go.  Then comes the Atari 2600+.  I must say, this thing is amazing.  First software version was solid...many 2600/7800 games.  Homebrews were not possible.  An udpate added many homebews (not all)...but still awesome!   Was playing with the HDMI hook up on my big screen and exchanging cartridges.  What an awesome experience.  We need a new INTV HDMI console!!   Using carts would be the way to go.   CV and Atari now HDMI ready.  INTV is lacking.  Call it HDMINTV.  Once can dream.

I have an HDMI console in my shop.

[nick3092]

1 hour ago, Crash7 said:

 

Full screen?  How do the older games look? 

 

Bright and crispy pixels like this. This is the crayon king RGB board mentioned earlier into an OSSC to my 65" Samsung. 

 

 

[IntyFanMatt]

14 hours ago, Crash7 said:

 

Full screen?  How do the older games look? 

 

Yup, full screen, and all games look amazing. Here is a video of me playing Tron Deadly Discs with it. I show my console and everything…

 

 

Edited January 11 by IntyFanMatt

[ZillaRUSH]

You guys are killing me...how do we get an HDMI INTV?  That looks amazing!!!  Show us the back side with the hook ups.

[nick3092]

The Intv itself is not HDMI. It has an analog RGB mod board installed. Typical connector for RGB mods are the "Genesis style" 9 pin mini din or an 8 pin mini din.

 

Then unless you have a PVM or some other monitor that can take analog RGB, you are going to need a scaler. Like the OSSC, retrotink, rad2x, etc. The rad2x is all in one cable and scaler.

 

The other options will require a cable (often SCART, but you could use a HD Retrovision component cable as well if you use a 9 pin genesis mini din) to go between the Intv and scaler. The scaler will then convert it to HDMI.

 

The crayon king mod mentioned here also optionally gives you composite and s-video out as well. 

Edited January 11 by nick3092

[+-^CrossBow^-]

1 hour ago, nick3092 said:

The crayon king mod mentioned here also optionally gives you composite and s-video out as well. 

And it is among some of the best composite and s-video outputs I've seen! Because of that, I only use Crayon's boards now in all of my INTV AV upgrades. Even is all the client wants is composite, I'm using his board for that. The small extra cost in price for his board vs the older dedicated composite only solutions is worth the cost and extra labor for the improved composite output is provides.

 

 

 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

3 hours ago, ZillaRUSH said:

You guys are killing me...how do we get an HDMI INTV?  That looks amazing!!!  Show us the back side with the hook ups.

Like @nick3092 stated it is just an internal RGB amplifier board that has been installed. Most of the ones I've done for folks is using the Sega 9-pin solution as it allows for composite to be wired to that same port. So you can use standard composite+audio genesis model 2 AV cables and get composite. Or, upgrade to one of the other cables Nick mentioned to take advantage of the RGB signals and eventually get an HDMI output from it.

 

Here is the back of a model one where I remove the RF modulator and install the 9pin connector in its place. I then reuse the channel select switch on the bottom to act as the palette switch between the two programmed color palettes in @the_crayon_king's RGB board. This way there is no cutting required of the case and it can be reversed back if wanted.

 

 

Looks similar on the model 2 where I do the exact same thing. Including the channel select switch converted to palette switching of the colors.

 

Here is a shot I took with my phone from an INTV 2 I just completed this past weekend. This is a 9-pin setup using a Insurrection Industries Genesis RGB SCART cable into a Retrotink2x SCART scaler. The Tink2x SCART takes the RGB from the SCART and line doubles it to an 480P HDMI output plus audio. The monitor below is an old Dell LCD from the later 2000s that has HDMI, Composite, VGA, and S-video inputs dedicated on the back of it. But this gives you a good idea of the results you get from such a setup. Looks equally as good in my actual game room on my larger flat panel display through my AV setup there.

 

[nick3092]

Btw, since composite was also brought up here, if anyone is looking for quality 9 pin Genesis style cables for use with the crayon king mod or any other console that may be modded using a 9 pin, these cables are top notch:

 

https://stoneagegamer.com/75-ohm-mini-coax-gold-plated-av-cable-for-sega-genesis-model-2-retro-frog.html

 

Here is the crayon king mod over composite using the RetroFrog cables on my 1902 monitor. Never mind the dark part of the bottom of the screen, side effect of photographing the CRT.

 

[ZillaRUSH]

I have no skills to mod myself...anyone selling or offering to mod a supplied INTV?

[+-^CrossBow^-]

2 hours ago, ZillaRUSH said:

I have no skills to mod myself...anyone selling or offering to mod a supplied INTV?

There are several of us in these forums that can do this yes. The RGB kits are sold on Crayon's ebay store only to the best of my knowledge as that is where I order them from.

 

The kits aren't that expensive compared to similar RGB setups especially for the results and multiple outputs it can handle. Does take a fair bit of soldering but still not that big a deal. I see your avatar states you are in Alabama, so might see if someone near you chimes in to help offer. I'm located in the central part of the US in Oklahoma.

[nick3092]

Only thing is, it looks like @the_crayon_king is currently out of stock on eBay. Maybe he can chime in and give an update on a restock.

 

On a side note, the same board he sells flashed with different firmware works in an Odyssey2. It works just as amazingly well in there as it does the Intv (if anyone else is curious and like me is crazy enough to RGB mod an O2).

[+-^CrossBow^-]

51 minutes ago, nick3092 said:

Only thing is, it looks like @the_crayon_king is currently out of stock on eBay. Maybe he can chime in and give an update on a restock.

 

On a side note, the same board he sells flashed with different firmware works in an Odyssey2. It works just as amazingly well in there as it does the Intv (if anyone else is curious and like me is crazy enough to RGB mod an O2).

I actually have done an O2 with one of his boards for another collector and yes it was quite impressive! Little more involved to do as the O2 I was sent had a ton of RF shielding with shielding within shielding so that was fun.

 

And yes, usually if you reach out to him, he can get some done and put back into his store for sale. I purchased a few on my last order so I would have a few on hand because of this.

 

[the_crayon_king]

Uh, yeah I am currently in the middle of packing up to move. I had put up all my soldering stuff up.

Since I am fixing up the house I am going to that is where the majority of my time has been.

I just ordered parts to do another 100 of these. Idk how long that will take to come in.

If I had more encoders laying around (BH7236AF) I could do this now.

Honestly never thought these would sell for this long.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

39 minutes ago, the_crayon_king said:

Uh, yeah I am currently in the middle of packing up to move. I had put up all my soldering stuff up.

Since I am fixing up the house I am going to that is where the majority of my time has been.

I just ordered parts to do another 100 of these. Idk how long that will take to come in.

If I had more encoders laying around (BH7236AF) I could do this now.

Honestly never thought these would sell for this long.

You would be surprised. Reality is that there are always new enthusiasts coming onboard and just discovering the hobby. As such, I believe most of them such as myself, started off with everything stock, and then quickly realized we wanted it to look better and start searching. It is always disheartening when you find out there was a solution that did what you were looking for but is now sadly no longer available. 

 

Hi-DEF NES I'm looking at you...

 

 

[Crash7]

They have those knock off NES HD consoles online using HDMI and I have to admit they're pretty good.

 

And they use original NES controllers and software

 

But it would look pretty sweet if Nintendo came out with their own

Edited January 14 by Crash7

[ZillaRUSH]

Wonderful...anyone up for taking in my INTV to mod it for HDMI...send me a PM.  Im on board!  Thanks!

Edited January 14 by ZillaRUSH

[nick3092]

51 minutes ago, ZillaRUSH said:

Wonderful...anyone up for taking in my INTV to mod it for HDMI...send me a PM.  Im on board!  Thanks!

Just to clarify as pointed out earlier in the thread. This is NOT an HDMI mod. It is an analog RGB mod. But with a scaling device (or all in one cable scaler like rad2x), you can convert RGB to HDMI.

 

I'm not trying to be pedantic. Rather I just want to make sure you set your expectations accordingly. 

Edited January 14 by nick3092

[+-^CrossBow^-]

20 hours ago, ZillaRUSH said:

Wonderful...anyone up for taking in my INTV to mod it for HDMI...send me a PM.  Im on board!  Thanks!

There are several of us that can do this, but as @nick3092 stated, the RGB upgrade in the console is only about 1/2 of the way there. I can provide some advise and links to other stuff to get, but I personally don't provide the scalers or cables needed with the commissions I do. The main reason, is that some of these scalers and cables are usually pre-order types of things. So I find it best to provide links to various cables and devices that will work with setups like this, and let my clients decide and purchase what cables etc. they think they will need. I can then add in the RGB with 8 or 9 pin mini din and wired to match.

 

 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

21 hours ago, Crash7 said:

They have those knock off NES HD consoles online using HDMI and I have to admit they're pretty good.

 

And they use original NES controllers and software

 

But it would look pretty sweet if Nintendo came out with their own

Yes, but I'm talking about the actual Hi-DEF NES kit that @kevtris developed several years back. It wasn't that bad to install and provided full digital HDMI and audio output as a result. It even looks better than my NES classic mini that Nintendo put out. But I know that Kevtris had other things going on at the same time and the parts needed for the kits started to become more scarce and more expensive to secure. There is a point where you have to think if it is better/cheaper to continue to provide such an upgrade on actual consoles, or better to just get a replacement clone or FPGA type console that plays the same games in the same way with about the same results. The 2600+ is a good example of this as it would easily cost someone around $150 and up to get the RGB upgraded added to an actual 2600 console. For less, you can get the 2600+ and likely be just as good to go for most folks needs.

 

I've had a few folks reach out to me recently to ask about Intellivisions and I need to reply back to them post haste since my office closed for the day.