2600 Gamedrive?

[hizzy]

Is there any chance that we can see a 2600 Gamedrive? The 7800 Gamedrive is amazing. I'm going to order one but I do love my heavy sixer and would like a Gamedrive for my 2600, too.

[+groundtrooper]

I am assuming that you know about the Harmony and Harmony Encore. You just want a version of those with RGB out like the 7800 GD. Because the Harmony Products are solid other than not offering the RGB out component. 

[hizzy]

53 minutes ago, groundtrooper said:

I am assuming that you know about the Harmony and Harmony Encore. You just want a version of those with RGB out like the 7800 GD. Because the Harmony Products are solid other than not offering the RGB out component. 

Yes! I would like the RGB out. Wow. It's fantastic!

[+batari]

There’s an RGB video mod for the 2600. So then you have RGB out from any cart, not just the flashcart. 
 

https://etim.net.au/shop/shop.php?crn=210&rn=552&action=show_detail

 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

5 hours ago, batari said:

There’s an RGB video mod for the 2600. So then you have RGB out from any cart, not just the flashcart. 
 

https://etim.net.au/shop/shop.php?crn=210&rn=552&action=show_detail

 

It isn't currently being made anymore. I was advised that the components to make it either weren't available for good pricing or couldn't be sourced and it needs to be redesigned with new components. This is somewhat mentioned at the top of that page in a blue banner.

 

 

[hizzy]

If I understand it correctly, the great thing about the Gamedrive is that it requires no modification to the console.

[GcMcM]

19 hours ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

It isn't currently being made anymore. I was advised that the components to make it either weren't available for good pricing or couldn't be sourced and it needs to be redesigned with new components. This is somewhat mentioned at the top of that page in a blue banner.

 

 

I have the CleanComp mod coupled with a RetroTink 2x-Pro on my 2600 Jr.  Using S-Video produces a very nice picture.  Highly recommend.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

4 minutes ago, GcMcM said:

I have the CleanComp mod coupled with a RetroTink 2x-Pro on my 2600 Jr.  Using S-Video produces a very nice picture.  Highly recommend.

I have a Jr with the same setup but the s-video wasn't very good and I stuck with the composite output on it. I'm staying with using UAVs in my setups since the pricing is the same when you factor in the shipping from over sears for the Cleancomp vs the UAVs I can get here in the States and in order to get the clean comp to provide a comparable picture on NTSC consoles, requires some additional components to be removed from the system. The UAV doesn't require any components to be removed. I do like that the Cleancomp has a simple install just soldering to the bottom of the TIA pins, but that also makes it more difficult to replace the TIA in the future if your TIA isn't in a socket since you would have to remove the CleanComp as a result and I've had many boards like that end up getting damaged when trying to remove them afterwards. So there is pros and cons to all here.

 

[hizzy]

It looks like people are staring to dump their modded consoles, even the UAV ones. This cart is really revolutionary for how it brings you such a good picture with no work involved. I can't see the drawbacks. Want RF? Just unplug the cartridge.

[+x=usr(1536)]

2 hours ago, hizzy said:

It looks like people are staring to dump their modded consoles, even the UAV ones.

Dunno that I'd go so far as to say that they're starting to dump them - modded consoles come up for sale fairly regularly.

 

Having said that, while I do own a 7800GD and appreciate that its RGB output is there, it's also something I would really rather see incorporated into a direct video mod along the lines of the UAV.  Don't get me wrong: I'm fine with it being a zero-disassembly-required mod in relation to the cartridge-based version, but would prefer if it was available at a system level for anything to use.

[+batari]

On 3/30/2024 at 1:17 PM, x=usr(1536) said:

Dunno that I'd go so far as to say that they're starting to dump them - modded consoles come up for sale fairly regularly.

 

Having said that, while I do own a 7800GD and appreciate that its RGB output is there, it's also something I would really rather see incorporated into a direct video mod along the lines of the UAV.  Don't get me wrong: I'm fine with it being a zero-disassembly-required mod in relation to the cartridge-based version, but would prefer if it was available at a system level for anything to use.

Yes, I would rather see the technology (which basically replicates the Maria and TIA chips in their entirety within the cart itself) being used for this instead, because otherwise you only get the RGB video out from a single cart.

[GcMcM]

On 3/30/2024 at 11:07 AM, -^CrossBow^- said:

I have a Jr with the same setup but the s-video wasn't very good and I stuck with the composite output on it.

 

Curious what issue you were having with the s-video?  I had the opposite result.  The composite is good, but s-video was better.  There is a warning on the CleanComp site about using it with a RetroTink yields lesser quality than a display that directly supports s-video, but I found the results still quite good.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Just now, GcMcM said:

Curious what issue you were having with the s-video?  I had the opposite result.  The composite is good, but s-video was better.  There is a warning on the CleanComp site about using it with a RetroTink yields lesser quality than a display that directly supports s-video, but I found the results still quite good.

The issue was horrid vertical jail bars. Retrosix has posted changes needed on the NTSC consoles to eliminate that issue, but I've not gone back and tried it with the Jr I installed the board into. But the fact that is requires components to be removed in combination with the costs coming from the UK for me, doesn't make it any more appealing than the UAV installs I already do now. That said, I can see a reason for those not in the US to need a solution like this since I imagine that getting UAV shipped to them overseas is likely equally expensive and perhaps more so.

 

And I wasn't using it with a scaler. The s-video was plugged directly into the s-video input on both my little lab PVM and also on the s-video direct input on my 4:3 LCD in the lab as well.

 

[GcMcM]

23 hours ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

The issue was horrid vertical jail bars. Retrosix has posted changes needed on the NTSC consoles to eliminate that issue, but I've not gone back and tried it with the Jr I installed the board into. But the fact that is requires components to be removed in combination with the costs coming from the UK for me, doesn't make it any more appealing than the UAV installs I already do now. That said, I can see a reason for those not in the US to need a solution like this since I imagine that getting UAV shipped to them overseas is likely equally expensive and perhaps more so.

 

And I wasn't using it with a scaler. The s-video was plugged directly into the s-video input on both my little lab PVM and also on the s-video direct input on my 4:3 LCD in the lab as well.

 

Interesting.  I've seen the RetroSix page regarding the vertical jail bars, but I guess I just got lucky.  I wonder what the difference was/is that didn't affect my setup.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

15 minutes ago, GcMcM said:

Interesting.  I've seen the RetroSix page regarding the vertical jail bars, but I guess I just got lucky.  I wonder what the difference was/is that didn't affect my setup.

Again, I didn't get good results from my setup with it. This is an example of what I'm talking about as this is how Pitfall! appeared through s-video on my setup in the lab. It wasn't as pronounced on my PVM, but I could still see them all the same. So again, my case it didn't provide the same results I get from a similar setup using a UAV on an NTSC console.

 

[hizzy]

is there any advantage to modding the console? My understanding is you get the whole 7800 library, most of the 2600 library and beautiful output with zero soldering, drilling or anything with the gamedrive.

Edited April 2 by hizzy

[+-^CrossBow^-]

14 hours ago, hizzy said:

is there any advantage to modding the console? My understanding is you get the whole 7800 library, most of the 2600 library and beautiful output with zero soldering, drilling or anything with the gamedrive.

Well, there are some home brews where the ROMs aren't available publicly and the only way to play those games is using the actual carts. In cases like that, you would might want an improved output option still for when not using the gamedrive? Plus as you mentioned, there are more than a few 2600 games it can't do. Most of the Champ games for instance as they use additional hardware in those carts that the gamedrive doesn't emulate for instance.