Need help understanding

[DrChek]

I've always had a nagging feeling that I was leaving something on the table by not using GroovyMAME or any of the other CRT related tools in my Echo Base build. First a rundown of what I'm working with:

I'm using a consumer TV tube (Sony Trinitron WEGA KV-24FV300) and feeding the component inputs with an ATI Radeon X800 Pro PowerColor video card, which does analog component signal output.



I'm just running a basic 640x480 resolution and things do look nice and clean on the CRT. I keep reading about the capabilities of stuff like GroovyMAME and custom modes, but I have to admit I don't understand it fully, or if there would be any benefit in me using any of it. So I guess my first question is, Would there be any benefit in my situation to using GroovyMAME, etc? If so, where do I start?

Thanks for taking time to help me out.

[abispac]

Firs ill say, if is not broken, dont fix it, but, your video card its way to old and underpower.
So if you want to adventure in the upgrade way, ill say  for me the best way would be to do an rgb mod on your tv. I did mine on a trinitron and believe me, it looks way better. So you can head to the shmups forums https://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=56155&p=1342960&hilit=documenting+Sony+mod#p1342960 and find some information on how to perfom that mod to your set, most times its easy. Now once you do that, get a better carrd. I use amd radeon hd7000 . Instal its drivers,  then emudrivers and follow the guide on how to set everything up. Only downsize on this particular tvs, are midway games, they look oversacned, but you can create an ini file in ame to run them at 640x480 and they will look good. All other if you run them at theyr natural resolutions they would look awsome. belive me. Its a bit confusing at first, but we can help you set everything up, as all wonderfull member that have helped me all the time.
Go for it. I wen that route, got me an all killer no filler mame list that use with hyperspin, and its awsome.

[buttersoft]

See section g) of this guide, but where it says s-video read component in this case - https://www.aussiearcade.com/topic/76809-a-guide-to-connecting-your-windows-pc-to-an-sd-crt-tv-pvm-or-arcade-monitor/

Then, if interested, start again at the start of it

[Zebidee]

As Buttersoft has explained in the post he linked, you'll only only get a squished 480i picture from the TV-out on those cards. You won't get any proper video modes.

About 15 years ago, I had a similar video card (either an ATI 9250 or 9550, can't recall) and spent a awful lot of effort to get proper component video out of it.

TL;DR: The only way is via the RGB pins on the DVI/VGA port, using a special dongle (that should have come with the video card). You won't get anything decent from the actual s-video/component port.

To manage that, I had to use the Powerstrip software by Entech. It isn't supported anymore (since 2012), by you can still download it from here: https://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/ps.shtm

There is a pinned writeup thread for Powerstrip on the monitor/Video branch of this forum. Only 13 years since the last post!

It wasn't easy to get Powerstrip working right. But when I did, the results were amazing, incomparable to component via TV-out.

With all this in mind, I decided there had to be an easier way. So I co-designed and built the GreenAntz RGB to component transcoder! You just install software (like CRT_emudriver), plug it into your computer, and your consumer component TV is like an RGB monitor. Just like that.

For more info about GreenAntz: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,164245.0.html

[DrChek]

As Buttersoft has explained in the post he linked, you'll only only get a squished 480i picture from the TV-out on those cards. You won't get any proper video modes.

About 15 years ago, I had a similar video card (either an ATI 9250 or 9550, can't recall) and spent a awful lot of effort to get proper component video out of it.

TL;DR: The only way is via the RGB pins on the DVI/VGA port, using a special dongle (that should have come with the video card). You won't get anything decent from the actual s-video/component port.

To manage that, I had to use the Powerstrip software by Entech. It isn't supported anymore (since 2012), by you can still download it from here: https://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/ps.shtm

There is a pinned writeup thread for Powerstrip on the monitor/Video branch of this forum. Only 13 years since the last post!

It wasn't easy to get Powerstrip working right. But when I did, the results were amazing, incomparable to component via TV-out.

With all this in mind, I decided there had to be an easier way. So I co-designed and built the GreenAntz RGB to component transcoder! You just install software (like CRT_emudriver), plug it into your computer, and your consumer component TV is like an RGB monitor. Just like that.

For more info about GreenAntz: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,164245.0.html

I'm going to PM you.