want to get back into the Neo

Average Joe · Mar 28, 2012

been neglecting it for too long

i'd love a cab but don't have the room

only TV i have is a fairly modern LCD (two LCDs if you count my PC) with all the expected modern connection options

mostly interested in the classics (Samurai Showdown series in particular) so i was thinking an MVS converter was the ideal but i'm so out-of-the-loop on pricing i don't really know

so what's my best option/sources for my situation?

not looking to spend a crazy amount of money... a very modest and basic setup is ideal

just want to game really

LoneSage · Mar 28, 2012

Unless you have friends to play with I imagine you'll ultimately find it empty.

cdamm · Mar 28, 2012

cmvs is your best option. making your own will be the cheapest, but some could be had for a couple hundred bucks. SS games are pretty cheap on the whole as are most of the classics on mvs (buy in the marketplace to save money over ebay). I know there are a few threads dedicated to people who gave a cmvs on an lcd. If you dont want to use an lcd go to goodwill (my good will sells crt's for $5 and up depending on size- the most expensive one i saw was $25 for a giant crt).

thats pretty much it. good luck, man!

(also- there is always playing the roms on your computer too- but for me its not the same)

Yodd · Mar 28, 2012

LCD's are brutal on these older systems. Unless you have a highend RGB scaler, I second cdamm's recommendation on a used CRT tv or a Sony PVM rgb monitor.

I think these biggest problem I have with most LCD tv's on classic game consoles isn't how it looks, its how choppy the scrolling is. Their built in scaler just does a piss poor job of upconverting the low res interlaced picture up to 720 or 1080p and it results in herky jerky scrolling. Ugh.

chany60126 · Mar 28, 2012

Like cdamm said, get yourself a CRT TV with composite jacks from your local thrift. LCDs don't do the older systems justice since they tend to oversaturate the colors making them look grainy. If you're into Samurai Shodown, the Japanese versions of the first and second one can still be had for dirt cheap on AES: $20 or less each.

Average Joe · Mar 28, 2012

broken said:
LCD's are brutal on these older systems. Unless you have a highend RGB scaler, I second cdamm's recommendation on a used CRT tv or a Sony PVM rgb monitor.

i'm a minimalist

i don't want or need extra tv sets or monitors in my personal space

that may seem contradictory to this thread but nostalgia has been hitting me hard so i'm giving in a bit on that

so i guess my secondary question(s) is: would this less than desirable visual presentation affect my overall enjoyment of these games? would they look so bad that i couldn't enjoy them or is this something only a perfectionist would harp on?

(not judging; as i respect the passion people here present, but i'm not one of those people and can settle with less than optimal presentation)

evil wasabi · Mar 28, 2012

Average Joe said:
i'm a minimalist

i don't want or need extra tv sets or monitors in my personal space

that may seem contradictory to this thread but nostalgia has been hitting me hard so i'm giving in a bit on that

so i guess my secondary question(s) is: would this less than desirable visual presentation affect my overall enjoyment of these games? would they look so bad that i couldn't enjoy them or is this something only a perfectionist would harp on?

(not judging; as i respect the passion people here present, but i'm not one of those people and can settle with less than optimal presentation)

My advice - just run a HDMI from your computer to the tv and play the roms. Or get a rombox. The presentation will be better, you won't be frustrated by sellers, or hunting shit down. Owning things is so useless.

Average Joe · Mar 28, 2012

Xander Crews said:
My advice - just run a HDMI from your computer to the tv and play the roms. Or get a rombox. The presentation will be better, you won't be frustrated by sellers, or hunting shit down. Owning things is so useless.

it's a nostalgic phase

all my other media enjoyment is purely digital and i fully-embrace the digital gaming age but i've had a nostalgia kick in the form of gaming and am willing to run with it

but again, i'm not willing to go so far as to have multiple television sets in my living area for an ideal setup

Heath · Mar 28, 2012

Save your money, summers just around the corner. think about it near the end of the year.

cdamm · Mar 28, 2012

there is also a couple of threads where some members got their retro consoles to play nice with lcd's. specific models listed- try looking those up.

Neo Alec · Mar 28, 2012

Average Joe said:
it's a nostalgic phase

all my other media enjoyment is purely digital and i fully-embrace the digital gaming age but i've had a nostalgia kick in the form of gaming and am willing to run with it

but again, i'm not willing to go so far as to have multiple television sets in my living area for an ideal setup

Your nostalgia and minimalism are going to have a very hard time coexisting. You are indeed contradicting yourself. Owning a console just for playing old games has nothing to do with simplifying your life.

Sixth · Mar 28, 2012

Are you opposed to using a supergun for any reason? You can always run other PCBs on a ‘gun, for when you eventually want to branch away from Neo for a while. Just sayin’.

chadt · Mar 28, 2012

Here are a couple options:

Used AES with Unibios ~$300
XRGB Mini so it looks awesome on an LCD ~$500
DavidG's MVS converter ~$400 (optional)

Or

Consolized MVS $350-$650
XRGB Mini so it looks awesome on an LCD ~$500

Yodd · Mar 28, 2012

third option.

RGB only consolized MVS $250 ish
Sony PVM - $100

terry.330 · Mar 28, 2012

Bare homecart system with component mod, that way you wont have to fuck with another TV and the picture shouldn't deter your enjoyment of the games too much. If you're only looking for a handful of common games tracking down gamers condition japanese releases would be comparable to MVS carts and a converted.

There's really no easy way to play the real deal without getting a different TV of some sort or a modded system be it AES or MVS. Aside from that is to just get a dedicated rom box and a nice joystick.

jsiucho · Mar 28, 2012

In what sized did these PVM Sonys come in?

JS

city41 · Mar 28, 2012

cdamm said:
there is also a couple of threads where some members got their retro consoles to play nice with lcd's. specific models listed- try looking those up.

This forum is so anti HDTVs. Yet my Neo looks far better on both of my LCDs than it does on my CRT. I went out and bought a nice CRT specifically for the Neo and was disappointed it was actually a step down.

Here is a video of my Neo running on my big LCD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8nupm6-7hk, my small LCD looks even better. The picture looks washed out in the video but that's just my phone. It's crisp and very nice in real life. The only problem with the large LCD is it doesn't do the Neo's faux transparencies correctly. It actually makes some games like Aero Fighters 2 and Blue's Journey unplayable: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx2GjYXRYVk. My small LCD doesn't have that problem.

I'm sure classic systems do often look like crap on most modern TVs. But it's not a definite, as my TVs both show.

Yodd · Mar 28, 2012

jsiucho said:
In what sized did these PVM Sonys come in?

JS

I *think* the largest is like a 36 inch model though those are fairly rare. More common large PVM models is the 2530 and 2950. 25 and 29 inch models, respectively.

city41 said:
This forum is so anti HDTVs. Yet my Neo looks far better on both of my LCDs than it does on my CRT. I went out and bought a nice CRT specifically for the Neo and was disappointed it was actually a step down.

What CRT? Cause that is the exact opposite experience that most of us have. Granted some LCD's might do a fine job, however they are definitely the exception and not the rule.

evil wasabi · Mar 28, 2012

Neo Alec said:
Your nostalgia and minimalism are going to have a very hard time coexisting. You are indeed contradicting yourself. Owning a console just for playing old games has nothing to do with simplifying your life.

simplification will always beat nostalgia in the end. I have gone back and forth owning games, but I always sell.

SSS · Mar 28, 2012

Sixth said:
Are you opposed to using a supergun for any reason? You can always run other PCBs on a ‘gun, for when you eventually want to branch away from Neo for a while. Just sayin’.

minimalism and a supergun are not exactly compatible.

This nostalgia phase would probably pass after a few days or weeks with the mvs/consolse whatever. I'd go with the roms. Maybe just order a Neo Geo PS2 stick, and plug it up to the pc with an adapter.

city41 · Mar 28, 2012

broken said:
What CRT? Cause that is the exact opposite experience that most of us have. Granted some LCD's might do a fine job, however they are definitely the exception and not the rule.

It is a Magnavox 27MS4504, 27". Manufactured in 2005. It has component, s-video, and all in all struck me as being a pretty decent TV. In both component and s-video, its picture is blurry and disappointing.

Yodd · Mar 28, 2012

Well, Magnavox didn't exactly make the finest quality sets. A Sony, Panasonic or Toshiba would be a far better unit.

But long as you are happy with your LCD thats all that matters.

arcwyvern · Mar 28, 2012

city41 said:
This forum is so anti HDTVs. Yet my Neo looks far better on both of my LCDs than it does on my CRT. I went out and bought a nice CRT specifically for the Neo and was disappointed it was actually a step down.

Here is a video of my Neo running on my big LCD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8nupm6-7hk, my small LCD looks even better. The picture looks washed out in the video but that's just my phone. It's crisp and very nice in real life. The only problem with the large LCD is it doesn't do the Neo's faux transparencies correctly. It actually makes some games like Aero Fighters 2 and Blue's Journey unplayable: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx2GjYXRYVk. My small LCD doesn't have that problem.

I'm sure classic systems do often look like crap on most modern TVs. But it's not a definite, as my TVs both show.

I agree. I run an AES and a OMEGA CMVS on an older westinghouse (bought in 2007) through S-Vid and i think it looks great. Ill go ahead and eat crow when i say that neither system's component works on the tv but im completely happy with the S-Vid picture.

In terms of getting back into the Neo, I recommend the OMEGA CMVS (arcadeworks.net) if you can source a 1C board you can buy a super easy kit for 300 or a complete system with Unibios 3.0 for 500. Cheaper games and it is a beautiful machine made by a user here.

Heinz · Mar 29, 2012

Hell just go for the PS2 ports, they aren't that bad.

Average Joe · Mar 29, 2012

SamuraiShodownSensei said:
This nostalgia phase would probably pass after a few days or weeks with the mvs/consolse whatever.

this is the advice i'm going to run with

thanks for the other replies though

want to get back into the Neo

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