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Why are HD Retrovision cables for SNES and Genesis / MegaDrive so expensive?

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Howard_Casto:
Ken do you even BYOAC bro?  We don't buy solutions here we build them.  ;) Like Mike I pay on average about 10 bucks a cable.  Sometimes you might need to swap out the resistors(or caps) (only PAL cables available) or add in the ridiculously simple sync stripper circuit but that's it.  Most of the time you don't even have to do that, it's fine as-is.  The problem is misinformation.  People will say you need super high quality cables..... those are certainly nice to have but a poorly shielded rgb scart cable still looks way better better than a s-video cable and lightyears better than composite.   I'm not sure where you are getting your info but scart is super popular for retro enthusiasts, even here in the states.  It's really a matter of necessity..... 240p doesn't play nice with modern tvs so some sort of upscaler is required.  If an upscaler is going to be used it makes more sense to feed it raw rgb rather than compressed garbage that then has to be decoded and upscaled. 

You could have took that same 70 bucks for the single cable.... built yourself a gbscontrol with scart input and had some leftover for some of the optional add-ons.  Then your investment per console would be about $10.  If you are one of those cable quality snobs or want someone to give you a turn key cable with some of the problem systems then your investment would be $20-$30 a cable.... roughly the same amount it is now. 

Switching gears on this stuff is intimidating...I know I was hesitant to go down the rgb rabbit-hole but once I got started I realized it was the only way to go.  The component adapters are really for guys you can't byo and we know you are perfectly capable of it. 

chopperthedog:
Ken you do you. If I remember correctly about a year ago you were about using LCD screens, good to see you have a crt with component and s-video currently.

Not everyone needs to be an RGB snob to enjoy a good lookin picture. Quite pleased with my JVC 27" 2008 crt with component/s-vid ins. I have no desire to head down the RGB hole in my console life.


good day.

Mike A:
I was just pointing out that SCART cables don't have to be expensive, and either do mods. I don't know where you are getting the snobbery from. I was pointing out the opposite. You can do what you want without expensive equipment. It doesn't matter if it is RGB or any other format.

KenToad:
Not trying to be snobby, Mike. I think what you did with your Saturn sounds awesome. My point was that you have a lot of skills and interests that the average person doesn't (even if it's easy to do, the average person probably doesn't want to understand it, much less build their own circuit).

My argument is that, outside of our specialized hardcore niche, I believe SCART is a non-starter. I think $10 a cable isn't bad, but it sucks when you realize that you need a cable for every console and then a switcher that will run 60 bucks for 3 connections and some form of upscaler. You're essentially starting from zero with a format that has never been officially supported in this country. I guess My Life In Gaming YouTube channel has done wonders for the market for all these things.

I don't even think most Europeans use SCART anymore. My wife is German. I'll have to get her to ask around, just to see if I can find anyone who uses it.

Anyway, thanks Chopper. Yeah, you remembered correctly. I had all my consoles hooked up to a very average quality 40 inch LCD (that I still use for more modern consoles). Finally, I upgraded to a Retrotink 2x for the older stuff, then I eventually picked up a local giveaway consumer 32 inch Trinitron with Component and S-Video. The screen isn't perfect. It's a flat tube that has a subtle horizontal bowing that, from my research, seems to need some internal adjustment. Generally, it's great to play on a legit old school setup and I'm happy to be able to enjoy tons of light gun games, especially since I missed the golden age of that era back in the early 2000's. If you haven't already, the SNES and N64 look great through S-video and the cables were super cheap.

KenToad:
Since we're talking about making our own circuits, has anyone attempted anything like this: http://www.benryves.com/journal/3763160

It's supposed to be a way to make an adapter to use Sega's Light phaser as a Justifier. I keep looking at Justifiers and they go for $75 or more. I just want to play Snatcher. But that project looks daunting as hell.

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