Framemeister vs CRT shootout! Pic from other scalers added

[HiVe]

I hope you have a stereo connected!

Depends which display i'm playing on. The 20" screens are hooked up to stereo speakers but the little 14" is straight up mono! Does the job for a quick blast.

Heres a dreamcast shot

[nakamura]

To my eyes, this video does the Framemeister no justice at all. It just looks like a camera pointed at an LCD screen.

I tried taking photos of the image I get with the Framemeister, but my camera couldn't capture how good it looks.





I don't think you can really capture what a CRT or Framemeister image truly looks like using a video camera. That video footage in no way represents what the Framemeister delivers.




The footage you've shot actually looks very similar to what I get with the Framemeister, except for the flicker and glow. I've been using the Framemeister a lot recently with my SNES and the image really does look close to a CRT, but without certain things that an LCD can't replicate.

So how come you can't really video what a Framemeister looks like but amazingly that CRT video which looks amazing also looks a lot like what your Framemeister outputs?

[Leon Retro]

Heres a dreamcast shot

That's a beautiful CRT image. It's possible to get close to that with a Frameister, but you must set it up right, and the quality of the LCD screen is also important. My LCD isn't the best(2010 Sony, but quite good) so I reckon that a really great LCD would really make a Framemeister image look stunning. I'd say it really is a case of your PVM image being 10/10 and a Framemeister image being 8/10. Making consoles like the SNES look good on big/huge LCD screens, really is impressive.

[Leon Retro]

So how come you can't really video what a Framemeister looks like but amazingly that CRT video which looks amazing also looks a lot like what your Framemeister outputs?

I have no idea what camera acidbearboy used to make that video, but it didn't capture what a Framemeister image looks like. You can go around the net and find good examples of what the Framemeister can deliver. I'm in no way exaggerating what the device can achieve when a good LCD screen is used with an RGB console and a quality cable. It really does look close to CRT quality in every department - including motion. If the image looked like what acidbearboy has shown, I would have sent the Framemeister back in disgust.

[nakamura]

I don't doubt that but your posts just seem to contradict themselves on this image quality issue.

[importaku]

The one huge one up the framemeister has over CRT is that you can make any signal look good from composite upwards (i'm not going to stake my reputation on RF lol) with CRT you have to rely on everything been RGB modded. With a framemeister you don't as even non RGB signals can be processed to look good. Obviously if you shove RGB through it then it looks even better, but you don't have to go all out modding everything you have just to get it to look good.

Try putting composite through a CRT and come back with image that doesn't look like total crap

[Leon Retro]

I don't doubt that but your posts just seem to contradict themselves on this image quality issue.

I'm not perfect. But in what way am I contradicting myself?

I can only say that the Framemeister delivers an image similar to what HiVe showed in that Streets of Rage video. However he captured that footage, he did a good job. Maybe his camera is really good tech and he knows how to capture footage from screens? I just think he knows what he's doing, as was also shown with his still images.

I just wish I could capture images and video to show what the Framemeister can do, as I was using it with my SNES this week and really wishing I could show off how great SNES games look on my LCD. I was playing Turtles in Time today and it looked like it was running on a CRT monitor. It's that good. But I will always say that LCD can't replicate the CRT glow.

[acidbearboy]

Hive, your images & videos are definitely the best. What do you use to capture them?

My castlevania video is actually from a Pioneer PDP V402 with third party RGB scart from my old ps1. As everybody is saying though, it looks so much better in the flesh. I'm sure it could be improved by using a better quality cable or maybe adding a scan line generator. Or maybe it would look better on my 20" trinitron. But I don't have that set up at the moment (and it certainly won't handle dreamcast vga as well as the Pioneer!). So yeah, I guess my point is that regardless of what gear you have, all that matters is that YOU are happy with it.

[Leon Retro]

Try putting composite through a CRT and come back with image that doesn't look like total crap

Yeah, it can filter a really bad quality signal, but you lose some detail. When you feed it the best quality signal, the results are stunning. It is very much like having a gigantic CRT screen, but a 50" CRT would probably not be nice to look at.

[Leon Retro]

My castlevania video is actually from a Pioneer PDP V402 with third party RGB scart from my old ps1.

So you're not using a Framemeister?

[HiVe]

Hive, your images & videos are definitely the best. What do you use to capture them?

My castlevania video is actually from a Pioneer PDP V402 with third party RGB scart from my old ps1. As everybody is saying though, it looks so much better in the flesh. I'm sure it could be improved by using a better quality cable or maybe adding a scan line generator. Or maybe it would look better on my 20" trinitron. But I don't have that set up at the moment (and it certainly won't handle dreamcast vga as well as the Pioneer!). So yeah, I guess my point is that regardless of what gear you have, all that matters is that YOU are happy with it.

Thanks for the compliment regarding my images. I'm a big nerd when it comes to picture quality and you could say that actually buying monitors and setting them up is a hobby in itself! I modded all my consoles for RGB where needed as that is also one of my hobbies! :-)

I captured the pictures using a Canon 1000d DSLR and the video was shot with a Canon 500d with a 50mm prime lens.

I would love to experience a Framemeister and compare it against my CRT's but i'm an absolute tight arse and won't spend the money! My 3 Monitors cost me a total sum of ?41!

Also i actually enjoy playing on CRT's. I like sitting close in front of them. I've tried to play emulated stuff on my 50" Sony TV but i just couldn't get on with them. Japanese pads also have crazy short cables.!

[Leon Retro]

Also i actually enjoy playing on CRT's. I like sitting close in front of them. I've tried to play emulated stuff on my 50" Sony TV but i just couldn't get on with them. Japanese pads also have crazy short cables.!

I used to sit quite close to my CRTs, so that's a nice thing about the tech. I wouldn't want to sit really close to my 50" LCD, even when using the Framemeister with scanlines enabled. I can sit about four feet away, but prefer to sit on my sofa 10 feet away.

I bought a Framemeister because I haven't got a games room, so I just have one LCD for everything. I'd like to get some CRTs or a PVM at some point when I have the chance to create a games room.

[nakamura]

Hive, your images & videos are definitely the best. What do you use to capture them?

My castlevania video is actually from a Pioneer PDP V402 with third party RGB scart from my old ps1. As everybody is saying though, it looks so much better in the flesh. I'm sure it could be improved by using a better quality cable or maybe adding a scan line generator. Or maybe it would look better on my 20" trinitron. But I don't have that set up at the moment (and it certainly won't handle dreamcast vga as well as the Pioneer!). So yeah, I guess my point is that regardless of what gear you have, all that matters is that YOU are happy with it.

I find most stuff looks reasonable on HD displays up to 1080 resolution when the input is progressive. 16/32 bit stuff is mostly 240p so it's rendering full frame. The issue for me is interlaced stuff because if the TV can't de - interlace well, they image is awful.

[HiVe]

I bought a Framemeister because I haven't got a games room, so I just have one LCD for everything. I'd like to get some CRTs or a PVM at some point when I have the chance to create a games room.

I just roll this bad boy out when i fancy a bit of retro gaming lol! Roll it back in the storage cupboard when finished. Its great when the football in on also hahahaha!

[Leon Retro]

I just roll this bad boy out when i fancy a bit of retro gaming lol! Roll it back in the storage cupboard when finished. Its great when the football in on also hahahaha!

The perfect SNES set-up on wheels! It's my favourite console, so I am envious. My first Super Famicom was used with a Sony Trinitron, so that sort of combo stirs my nostalgia.

I'm now in the market for a Super Famicom Jr with mods, so I'm searching around for that. I might try and find a bargain PVM as well.