N64 RGB Advanced – OSSC – Best picture in Passthrough

[Yelkk]

Hello everyone,

I am part of the guys who read a lot on your forum because I find all the info I need and never comment 🙂 You are amazing !

But today I am totally lost, and it could be great if you can give me expertise on that issue. Maybe it’s only me and I should be happy about what I have. Anyway you will tell me.

Here is my spec :

– N64 PAL – NUS-CPU P-02 – Board N64 RGB Advanced https://i.ibb.co/wCYqnBM/image0.jpg
– Mario 64 PAL
– Universal Nintendo PACKAPUNCH RGB SCART cable https://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/SUPER-NINTENDO-SUPER-FAMICOM-GAMECUBE-WII-N64-SNES-NES-RGB-SCART-CSYNC-COMPONENT-YPBPR-HDTV-HDMI-VIDEO-CABLES-CORDS-RAD2X/n64/universal-snes-cable-ntsc-pal-super-nintendo-super-famicom-gamecube-pal
– OSSC – Profile from FirebrandX
– TV OLED LG C9

Here’s a test with the PAL Snes, I can get an excellent picture. Strange that the PAL Snes provide a picture in 240p. But ok ! (Forgot to put the scanlines when I took the picture, SHAME ON ME !)
https://i.ibb.co/CK812Q7/image1.jpg

Here’s a test from a PAL Wii, I can get also an excellent picture. Again something strange, it provide a picture 576p when I put as setting 480p. But ok AGAIN ! I don’t want emulation :/
https://i.ibb.co/x5v5km4/image2.jpg

This was only to show you that I can get the resolution we want with this TV for the N64.

Now let’s go on the N64 PAL so 288p. I can get a picture with the profile of FirebrandX until Line x4 with the OSSC. The issue is, the picture is disgusting. I know that the picture from a N64 will never be excellent, but I am sure we can get better than what I have right now. All the line double from the OSSC makes the picture disgusting of the menu of the N64 Advanced and IG. The best picture overall I get is from the passthrough which I am sure there is something wrong.

Here’s a test with x2 (OSSC 288p x2):
https://i.ibb.co/1Z48wpW/image5.jpg

Here’s a test with x3 (OSSC 288p x3):
https://i.ibb.co/x5MkvKK/image4.jpg

Here’s a test with x4 (OSSC 288p x4):
https://i.ibb.co/cJhcwjf/image7.jpg

Here’s a test with Passthroug (OSSC 288p):
https://i.ibb.co/vwJhZjK/image8.jpg

Now, I want you to see when I try to put the double lining from N64 directly. I thought it would be a good solution for my issue but it’s unplayable. And it doesn’t even change the resolution of my TV. The console says that in Output it’s 576p, but in reality, I am still in 288p resolution on the OSSC. (No black screen of changing resolution when I do the manipulation)

Here’s a test with Passthroug (Double lining from N64) :
https://i.ibb.co/MCmTt3g/image9.jpg

Here’s a test with x4 (Double lining from N64) :
https://i.ibb.co/NNMRG16/image6.jpg

All the others are the same (x2,x3). It’s disgusting.

In conclusion, here’s my questions, why can’t I use the double lining from the console ? The cable that I use is not good enough ?
Do you think I can get a better picture ? If yes, How ? Maybe the profile of FirebrandX is not good for PAL ?

I am lost :'( Please help me, it’s my favorite console and it’s this one that i can’t get a playable picture.

Thank you,

Yelko

[Yelkk]

After a lot test and investigation. The pin 9 is not linked to the N64A. That’s why I have some issue with the quality of the picture and the sync.

Moreover, the firmware of my baord si not updated so it can give something more.

I will keep you in touch when everything is fixed 🙂

[paulb_nl]

You are using 320×240 optimized and that is not enough pixels for the menu of the N64 Advanced.

Either use Generic 4:3 which is easiest or use 512×240 optimized mode with the settings that FirebrandX used in the 480i mode of his N64 profile. (773 samplerate, 640 H.active).

Optimized modes are set to 240 lines by default so you may lose some part on the top and bottom if PAL games used more lines. Adjust V.active to show more lines.

[Deleted User]

@Yelkk which pin 9 are you refering to ? I’m asking because I have similar issues. I’m just not seeing any references to any pin 9 in the installation guide. Thanks!

[Yelkk]

Hello guys,

Everything is repaired !!

Actually we had to update the firmware and cut the traces on pin 3 and 7. The pin 9 is also linked now to the board and everything worked.

Thank you everyone 🙂

@Jon The pin 9 is the one used on my RGB cable for the sync. The same pin 9 has to be connected on the board to make it connect with my cable.

[Deleted User]

Oh I see. Thanks!

I don’t believe I have any problems with those connections, or the ones under the heatsink, thankfully. With all the work getting everything fitted, I’m reluctant to open it up and rewire things beyond what’s accessible from the conveniently placed N64 Advanced board. I’m amazed it “worked” in the first attempt!

That being said… I’m now having similar experiences with video quality that you described in the initial post. First line of problems (sync-related) were mostly solved by a lose ground connection being fixed. This straightened out the worst sync related issues.

So I was wondering – what’s your latest experience with using the offered 2x or 3x modes from the N64 Advanced RGB menu? Currently I have very good 240p output using deblur and then linedoubled via OSSC. But I bought the advanced kit for a reason, the allure of 480p coming from the N64 “directly” 🙂

[Yelkk]

Well actually now, I am using the line multiplier to get 576p in output of the console. After that, I get thanks to the OSSC, 1440p, and the quality is really good.
I don’t think I can get better, and the menu is amazingly clean now !
I am using PAL and the firmware resolved a lot of issue because it takes in account the PAL resolution 🙂

[Deleted User]

Hey. Thanks for the reply. I think I am aiming for line doubling also, I think. Yesterday I realized that I did in fact make an omission in the installation by not cutting the csync line. Having achieved good 240p output I found that with line doubling only YpBpr allowed great quality, RGsB allowed steady sync, and RGBS allowed .. for the same picture to show up squished and doubled side by side. So today it’s time to go back in and fix luma sync or cutting csync line 🙂

[Vlad Vidac]

Hi, I have a similar issue: same behavior, N64A on PAL N64 with RGC cable (also taking sync from pin 9 as far as I can tell).

What do you guys mean when saying “pin 9 is also linked now to the board” regarding the fix to the issue?

I cut the trace to pin 3 and only that pin has sync from the N64A board. Since I don’t have a sync on luma cable I didn’t want to cut the trace to pin 7 as well for no reason.
What exactly do I need to do with pin 9? I tried connecting it to pin 3 (and as such to the sync line from the N64A) and I got intermittent sync as per my OSSC so I’m guessing that’s not what (or all) I needed to do.

[Deleted User]

Hi Vlad,

If I can assume it’s the RGC universal cable, then you’re right. It has a sync stripper and takes composite sync from pin 9.

If you connected csync to pin 9 without cutting the trace, that could be your problem. There would then be composite video and sync coming from the N64 encoder as well as N64A csync and you’d be lucky to get any picture. If your cable takes sync from there, and you don’t care about composite video, I suggest cutting the trace.

Probably I wouldn’t sacrifice S-video by cutting pin 7 either – so unless you have a PAL console without S-video, I’d leave that alone.

There’s another option if you don’t want to cut anything at all: Remove the bridge to pin 9, having N64A csync going to pin 3 – leaving the option of using a csync cable later. And with your current cable you could switch to RGsB or YPbPr in both N64A settings and on the OSSC, bypassing the need for a dedicated sync line. I don’t know if any circuitry in the RGC universal cable would prevent this from working, but I’ve used this trick when temporarily switching cables.

Hope it works.

As a side note – I’ve just updated the N64A firmware from the latest published on git by borti, and finally linex3 is stable with any cable and sync type 🙂

[Vlad Vidac]

Ah, thanks for confirming my fears, another cut trace. I don’t like doing those (because I suck at them) so I will actually try to mod the cable instead, switching the the CSYNC (3) and composite video (9) lines around.

[Deleted User]

Just as an FYI, you might find it significantly more difficult to mod the console end of a RGC cable due to the way they’re built.

[Deleted User]

Oh, and another option, which I personally prefer when possible. Simply remove the components further down the line from the trace. Ie. use a multimeter to figure out which resistor and/or cap. It has the same effect, and if you desolder them cleanly without destroying them, they can be saved and put back in no problem.

[Stephen.Davey]

I removed the fuse going to pin 9, that resolves the line x2/x3 issues. But the universal scart cable from RGC takes sync from pin 9 which is RGsB. If you want to use RGBs you’ll need the NTSC snes cable from RGC as that takes sync from pin 3. Even with the cut trace to pin 3 and 9 your N64A board is basically doing all the sync work so using the NTSC cable is just a bit easier.

Hope that helps.

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