|
Post by jfmateos on Apr 28, 2014 5:21:52 GMT -5
Today I was reading a thread in other forum about someone complaining about someone else who was developing a similar device... this conversation was a bit strained. I really hate vaporware and that is why I usually keep my developments as secret until they are fully working. Nevertheless I neither want to make other hardware developers angry, so i have decided that transparency is the best policy, and so this is my developing roadmap: - Vectrex2TV: A device to connect your Vectrex to a TV set (PAL/NTSC/SECAM). This device would also allow color games (without overlays). This project is half-done (breadboard prototypes)... but there are still important issues to be solved. I am afraid that many VECTREX users will feel that rasterizing a VECTREX is a sin ... please forgive me
- Portable Vectrex: A portable Color VECTREX (it is not an emulator... it uses the same hardware than the original VECTREX (except the screen and some logic) plus other items that make it more powerful). I am still defining the requirements of this system.
I will use this thread to update the roadmap.
I am not promising that this projects will be available soon (there are some unfinished projects in my drawers... not many, but at least one )...
|
|
|
Post by Der Luchs on Apr 28, 2014 5:32:20 GMT -5
Awesome Bro! This stuff will bring it to the next level! Just great.
|
|
|
Post by VectorX on Apr 28, 2014 9:15:40 GMT -5
So a portable Vectrex may finally be realized and released, after all these years. Really astounding.
|
|
|
Post by vectrexmad on Apr 28, 2014 10:56:48 GMT -5
- Vectrex2TV: A device to connect your Vectrex to a TV set (PAL/NTSC/SECAM). This device would also allow color games (without overlays). This project is half-done (breadboard prototypes)... but there are still important issues to be solved. I am afraid that many VECTREX users will feel that rasterizing a VECTREX is a sin ... please forgive me
That really makes me angry. You obviously have seen my VODE system for the Vectrex back in 2010, and decided to use the concept Seriously, that is very interesting. There was a guy who built a Vectrex from scratch and he made a scan converter to display on a projector: vectex.itherm.cz/ . I think that is more like your idea. Will your system be able drive a really high resolution screen?
|
|
|
Post by mikiex on Apr 28, 2014 14:53:31 GMT -5
Any new hardware is interesting and good news, it would be great to have a vectrex2..... now who's going to make a cheap small colour vector monitor?
|
|
|
Post by jfmateos on Apr 28, 2014 15:13:16 GMT -5
Pavel´s project is very nice... although my focus is quite different.
I don´t still know whether my symtem will be able to output full hd. First SD, then we will see.
|
|
|
Post by christophertumber on Apr 28, 2014 23:00:37 GMT -5
There was a guy at a Seattle classic gaming convention about 10 years ago who was using a large B&W console tv as output for as Vectrex.
|
|
|
Post by gliptitude on Apr 29, 2014 11:41:39 GMT -5
Pavel´s project is very nice... although my focus is quite different. I don´t still know whether my symtem will be able to output full hd. First SD, then we will see. Will your system be able to output to an xy vector monitor also? .. I recently learned that the man who fixed my Asteroids cabinet is in the process of "building a vector monitor". .. I haven't talked to him about it yet though and I'm not sure what his intentions are, if it will be a repeatable process or not. As far as the color display goes though, I don't think any one is even dreaming about a real xy color vectrex bc no one expects it to ever happen. So in that respect, this Vectrex tv output project is not such a sacrilege. Thanks for sharing your future plans with us jfmateos.
|
|
|
Post by jfmateos on Apr 29, 2014 12:16:50 GMT -5
Dear gliptitude, my system won't output vector monitors (sorry!).... just raster ones.
My focus is that the high resolution of today's screens vanishes the difference between raster and vector... our eyes cannot tell the difference.
I think the maximum theorical discrete resolution (horizontal and vertical) of a Vectrex screen is about 255*127=32385px... much higher than any raster screen available, but in practise, the resolution is lower.
|
|
|
Post by jfmateos on May 29, 2014 4:43:01 GMT -5
Today I have finally sent to manufacture the first of the two PCBs that will make up Vectrex2TV.
It has been quite a difficult work to arrange this complex PCB. The second one is simpler.
To keep cost low, Vectrex2TV will be standard definition (not HD) and 8-bit color (256 fixed palette).
Unfortunatelly, this project will now go to sleep until july (I have not spare time now).
|
|
|
Post by centaura on May 29, 2014 7:09:39 GMT -5
Good job! this opens doors for make a great vectrex cabinet, by example I will stay tuned
|
|
|
Post by VectorX on May 29, 2014 8:13:30 GMT -5
Really stunning news! (As Yahoo would undoubtedly say.)
|
|
|
Post by sokurah on May 29, 2014 19:00:19 GMT -5
A bit off topic, but I've been meaning to say this for a little while now;... I like your avatar, VectorX.
|
|
|
Post by VectorX on May 29, 2014 19:32:16 GMT -5
I figured you would
|
|
|
Post by xefned on Jun 5, 2014 6:30:05 GMT -5
Interesting projects! I'm looking forward to seeing them.
I'm trying to understand how the "color" aspect will work. Will you be able to define color areas of the screen, in effect creating a built-in overlay? Or will programmers have a new development platform to change the vector color? I guess that seems unlikely now that I think about it.
I guess my real question is: will this be monochromatic color? (all blue or all red) or multi-color?
|
|