X-Neo and AES

Athlon64 · Dec 14, 2004

Just ordered an X-Neo for my unmodded AES with a 16XXXX serial number. It's some sort of back-up just in case my heavily used Super Neo (9XXXX serial) conks out. What kind of graphical difference would I notice? I saw the other threads regarding the X-neo but need updated answers. Thanks.
(Both Systems are Japanese)

Loefye · Dec 15, 2004

The X-Neo is great. I used to own and X-Neo and it made the picture on my AES much better than it was before using it; the difference in quality was like night and day. I regret that I ever sold it to Ryan(rims rs) long ago.

galfordo · Dec 15, 2004

IMO, the X-Neo is somewhere between a regular composite connection and an S-video mod. Whereas the S-video mod will remove color bleeding and increase resolution (i.e. make pixels more noticeable), the X-Neo mostly just gets rid of color bleeding.

Some people don't like the pixelation that comes with the S-video mod, but almost everyone hates color bleeding. Thus some will prefer the X-Neo to the S-video mod. At any rate, if you're kind of hesitant to get your machine modded and want to keep it original, the X-Neo is definitely a good investment.

MyulChi · Dec 15, 2004

can you post a pic of x-neo? whats the difference btw x-neo and moded neo?

Neo Bomber Man · Dec 15, 2004

The XNEO-1 is different from a modded system first of all in that it is a separate device that plugs into the DINN port in the back of the system. You can connect from there for stereo sound with RCA jacks, S-video, 15-pin analog RGB, 21-pin analog RGB, connect to various monitors. And it also has another 8-pin DINN for who knows what reason.

Somewhere I have a picture of an opened one.

Athlon64 · Dec 15, 2004

galfordo said:
IMO, the X-Neo is somewhere between a regular composite connection and an S-video mod. Whereas the S-video mod will remove color bleeding and increase resolution (i.e. make pixels more noticeable), the X-Neo mostly just gets rid of color bleeding.

Some people don't like the pixelation that comes with the S-video mod, but almost everyone hates color bleeding. Thus some will prefer the X-Neo to the S-video mod. At any rate, if you're kind of hesitant to get your machine modded and want to keep it original, the X-Neo is definitely a good investment.

Excuse me for the dumb question but WHAT THE HECK IS COLOR BLEEDING? :help:

Neo Bomber Man · Dec 16, 2004

It is when a colour "expands" outside the area where it is supposed to show, as if the colour "bleeds."

Athlon64 · Dec 16, 2004

Neo Bomber Man said:
It is when a colour "expands" outside the area where it is supposed to show, as if the colour "bleeds."

Thanks, so far I have not seen any of that in my systems.

Athlon64 · Dec 16, 2004

Neo Bomber Man said:
The XNEO-1 is different from a modded system first of all in that it is a separate device that plugs into the DINN port in the back of the system. You can connect from there for stereo sound with RCA jacks, S-video, 15-pin analog RGB, 21-pin analog RGB, connect to various monitors. And it also has another 8-pin DINN for who knows what reason.

Somewhere I have a picture of an opened one.

Does that mean it could connect your system to a VGA monitor?

Neo Bomber Man · Dec 16, 2004

That's the idea, never tried it personally. They have a list of then-compatible monitors on the back of the box though who's to say that list is totally comprehensive?

Athlon64 · Dec 16, 2004

OT:

Which would you guys prefer?

a) Dark(less contrast), rich "tinted" color effect (Like how an arcade cab displays them...at least that's how my Aerocity cab does)

or

b) Bright and sharp next-gen S-video look

brentsg · Dec 16, 2004

Johnathan, I thought the X-Neo lacked the ability to upscan...

That would leave its monitor compatibility (VGA wise) seriously lacking.

B

galfordo · Dec 16, 2004

Athlon64 said:
Thanks, so far I have not seen any of that in my systems.

If you've played SS II (maybe it's on SS I as well), then you've seen color bleeding. Just look at the net pattern on Hanzo's arms, and you can see the effects of color bleeding. It looks sort of like a rainbow pattern on Hanzo's arm.

Athlon64 said:
Does that mean it could connect your system to a VGA monitor?

This is probably a question better suited for the tech forum, but I don't think that the X-Neo does any signal processing - it's a purely passive device from what I understand. Therefore, if you want to be able to plug the monitor into the X-Neo device and see the Neo Geo, you have to make sure that the monitor's horizontal refresh rate matches that of the Neo (~15 KHz). Modern monitors typically will not.

JMKurtz · Dec 17, 2004

galfordo is correct on the pass through. The XNeo does not do any scan conversions so you would need a monitor that scans that low (Amiga monitors...)

The XNeo is nice for someone that doesn't want to get their system modified, however, there is a very big cost difference. The XNeo normally runs around $150 or so where the general SVideo/Stereo mod (that I do) is $40.

The XNeo's picture is not better than the internal mod. Why? Because it uses the VERY SAME encoder chip that is already in the Neo, the CXA1145. So, what you have is the video in the Neo going through one video circuit, then passed into a second circuit (the XNeo). This results in a slightly softer picture (do to loss). The internal mod is on the first video circuit so the picture is usually a little sharper.

However, you will not regret going either way simply because either way vastly improves the picture.

Of course, for the best of the best, look into my Component Video board

I would have to say that my component board, once installed, surpasses the original RGB output on a Neo -- simply because it bypasses the Neo's CXA video circuit.

Jeff

ericb · Dec 17, 2004

That's crazy, I had no idea the X-Neo was able to pull sterero sound from the DINN port. Why is it then that all mods just pull the stereo feed off the headphone jack, if it's readily available at the DINN port? Is it just easier to do that way?

Athlon64 · Dec 17, 2004

JMKurtz said:
galfordo is correct on the pass through. The XNeo does not do any scan conversions so you would need a monitor that scans that low (Amiga monitors...)

The XNeo is nice for someone that doesn't want to get their system modified, however, there is a very big cost difference. The XNeo normally runs around $150 or so where the general SVideo/Stereo mod (that I do) is $40.

The XNeo's picture is not better than the internal mod. Why? Because it uses the VERY SAME encoder chip that is already in the Neo, the CXA1145. So, what you have is the video in the Neo going through one video circuit, then passed into a second circuit (the XNeo). This results in a slightly softer picture (do to loss). The internal mod is on the first video circuit so the picture is usually a little sharper.

However, you will not regret going either way simply because either way vastly improves the picture.

Of course, for the best of the best, look into my Component Video board I would have to say that my component board, once installed, surpasses the original RGB output on a Neo -- simply because it bypasses the Neo's CXA video circuit.

Jeff

I have a Super/Mega neo that had a mod done by your expert hands :buttrock:

I saw your component mod and would that give me better than scart capabilities ?

MKL · Dec 17, 2004

ericb said:
That's crazy, I had no idea the X-Neo was able to pull sterero sound from the DINN port. Why is it then that all mods just pull the stereo feed off the headphone jack, if it's readily available at the DINN port? Is it just easier to do that way?

In fact the Neo just outputs mono through the DIN port (unless you mod it), so I don't see how the X-Neo (which I've never seen btw) can do stereo. It'll be a dual mono...

pretas · Dec 17, 2004

MKL said:
In fact the Neo just outputs mono through the DIN port (unless you mod it), so I don't see how the X-Neo (which I've never seen btw) can do stereo. It'll be a dual mono...

you hook a stereo cable from the headphone jack into the xneo and stereo cables form the xneo to your television.

MKL · Dec 17, 2004

Athlon64 said:
I have a Super/Mega neo that had a mod done by your expert hands I saw your component mod and would that give me better than scart capabilities ?

The point is that on the majority of systems the RGB out is fucked up as a result of passing through the CXA encoder chip and various components (caps, resistors). So even if you have a scart TV the RGB bypass mod is mandatory if you want to have an MVS-like RGB picture.

MKL · Dec 17, 2004

pretas said:
you hook a stereo cable from the headphone jack into the xneo and stereo cables form the xneo to your television.

Well, if that's the case, then it's ridiculous: why not hook it up from the headphone jack on the console directly to the TV? The less interconnects in between, the better the signal... The same applies to theX-Neo RGB pass through of course.

JMKurtz · Dec 17, 2004

It would if your system hasn't been modified with RGB bypass -- simply because the RGB is buffered through the suck-ass CXA where the Neobitz board would tap RGB before the CXA circuit.

The RGB bypass is pretty pointless for most people in the US since TVs over here generally don't have SCART connections :/

Jeff

Athlon64 said:
I have a Super/Mega neo that had a mod done by your expert hands I saw your component mod and would that give me better than scart capabilities ?

daybona · Dec 17, 2004

I have my Neo hooked up to an XRGB2+ with a 21-pin RGB cable and last time I checked, it WAS in stereo.

You can tell when you listen to the Neo's boot-up tune.

Can anyone confirm or deny that my ears are deceiving me?

Neo Bomber Man · Dec 17, 2004

brentsg said:
Johnathan, I thought the X-Neo lacked the ability to upscan...

That would leave its monitor compatibility (VGA wise) seriously lacking.

B

I was only being pointlessly optimistic :emb:

Anyway it seems like its chief purpose is just for people who don't want to mod yet who care for S-video, the Neo had its own dedicated RGB cables for cart & CD consoles and the monitors on the list of compatible ones are older than the record books that would nominally list them.

I don't really know how the XNEO-1 gets stereo from the system or if it is dual-mono output, I mailed home my replacement XNEO, by the time it arrived I'd unexpectedly sold my back-up system and my regular one's power supply got fried, so I'm in no position to test things out, sorry.

I still like it since I don't care for modding but as Jeff said, no matter which path you choose anything is better than the standard composite-out.

And if I may ask unrelatedly, what connector do US arcade monitors use for RGB?

JMKurtz · Dec 17, 2004

It's pretty simple to figure out. The DIN jack on the Neo is mono -- so you're feeding a mono signal to the XNeo. The XNeo just outputs the mono audio on both channels.

I'll have to look at my XNeo to see if it has a different audio input other than on the DIN jack. I don't recall seeing one, but I rarely use it, so there may be one -- but that would require hookup other than the DIN plug.

Jeff

Dean · Dec 17, 2004

daybona said:
I have my Neo hooked up to an XRGB2+ with a 21-pin RGB cable and last time I checked, it WAS in stereo.

You can tell when you listen to the Neo's boot-up tune.

Can anyone confirm or deny that my ears are deceiving me?

It is definitely not in stereo. No Neo has stereo out of the 8-pin DIN. Maybe your amp is processing the sample a bit.

And technically, regarding the expression "pass-through", the S-Video output is encoded inside the XNeo whereas the RGB is pass-through as there is no encoding.

X-Neo and AES

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