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[Polioliolio]

Interesting! Is there any way to resolve it? Perhaps by adjusting the AVS cart slot pins?

I went through my whole loose cart collection. 130 or so games, and 15 had the stripe.
Not all copies of these games have the stripe though. (You don't have to take apart your games to see the stripe. Just flip the cart around, in a well lit spot, and look at the pins.)

That irritated me because more than 10% of my library would be unplayable on NES.

It doesn't seem like something that will be fixed, given that the pin reading device is the same generic pin reader that lots of devices, apparently even the Analog NT uses (?)

The good news is, that someone found a way to get the carts to work, with a little fiddling, and I can verify I got my original problem games working with this method.

So someone at NintendoAge said by inserting and pressing the cart from the left side, his cart was able to work. That seemed difficult given the little wiggle room there is, but it does work if you can do it right..

I'm a little annoyed that my stripe games need either a game genie or cart fiddling to work right, but I'm also at ease knowing that I should be able to play all my games after all.

 

[Tempy]

FInally got a shipping confirmation!

 

[EnergizerFellow]

I went through my whole loose cart collection. 130 or so games, and 15 had the stripe.
Not all copies of these games have the stripe though. (You don't have to take apart your games to see the stripe. Just flip the cart around, in a well lit spot, and look at the pins.)

That irritated me because more than 10% of my library would be unplayable on NES.

It doesn't seem like something that will be fixed, given that the pin reading device is the same generic pin reader that lots of devices, apparently even the Analog NT uses (?)

The good news is, that someone found a way to get the carts to work, with a little fiddling, and I can verify I got my original problem games working with this method.

So someone at NintendoAge said by inserting and pressing the cart from the left side, his cart was able to work. That seemed difficult given the little wiggle room there is, but it does work if you can do it right..

I'm a little annoyed that my stripe games need either a game genie or cart fiddling to work right, but I'm also at ease knowing that I should be able to play all my games after all.

Older NES->FC adapter shoved into the FC slot for those problem carts?

 

[Polioliolio]

Older NES->FC adapter shoved into the FC slot for those problem carts?

That should work. Know of any right off hand?

 

[MooMilk2929]

In that case the guy should provide some port adaptors for cheap or free.

 

[EnergizerFellow]

That should work. Know of any right off hand?

I'd have to go looking around. An original Game Genie would work if you got one of those kicking around.

 

[Bog]

Anyone who already has an RGB-modded NES getting one of these still? I'm considering it for the FDS support.

 

[NoFaceNico]

Holy fuck. That's pretty shitty. I'm going to have to check my carts before I buy. This is exactly why I avoid the first batch of hardware if I can, no matter how careful the manufacturer is something always goes wrong.

Are you sure the pins are the same used on other clones like the NT? I don't think so because I've played about a dozen other clones and never encountered this issue.

Older NES->FC adapter shoved into the FC slot for those problem carts?

That would look pretty bad though because not only do you have an elongated cart sticking out of the FC slot, but since the FC pins are backwards to NES and no adapters correct that, your cartridge will be facing the other way, It's going to look something like this:

 

[cacophony555]

It doesn't seem like something that will be fixed, given that the pin reading device is the same generic pin reader that lots of devices, apparently even the Analog NT uses (?)

You're basing this off Tulpa's statement on NintendoAge:
" It's just a standard connector, same as the clones, NES toploader, presumbably the Analogue NT, etc,"

?

If so, it's just speculation that I'm guessing is not accurate based on what I've read about the comparability of the Nt mini.

edit: Sounds like it's absolutely not true based on Deadpool18's post here:
"I just tested all of my green strip games on my Analogue Nt, and they all work. Be careful with making assumptions that all systems use a cheap, mass produced connector."
http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=7&threadid=92557&StartRow=3823#bottom

 

[modsbox]

Okay kinda random but this may help someone. I have an Everdrive N8 Famicom version, and it works beautifully with both the AVS and my RGB modded AV Famicom.

But for the AVS I wanted to be able to shut the lid, so I bought this from ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/60-To-72-Pi...or-Nintendo-NES-Console-NTSC-PAL/222177975868

Long story short it doesn't work. Garbled graphics on AVS startup, and when you press start cart it just goes back to the AVS menu.

I'm curious if anyone has a NES to FC adapter that is working for Everdrive N8 FC edition-- my next thought was to try a Nintendo made one, aka the adapter from the early NES carts like Gyromite and so on. Has anyone tried one of those with the Everdrive FC?

Also, as people are working through the various compatibility issues, I'd be happy to try some of my NES carts on my NES to FC adapter, which I think is the best one out there. This one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Shielded-72...-Nintendo-Games-on-your-Famicom-/371655846756

 

[Polioliolio]

You're basing this off Tulpa's statement on NintendoAge:
" It's just a standard connector, same as the clones, NES toploader, presumbably the Analogue NT, etc,"

?

If so, it's just speculation that I'm guessing is not accurate based on what I've read about the comparability of the Nt mini.

Yeah I was referencing his post in saying that.
I don't think any reviewers mentioned comparability issues with AVS that weren't also inherent to other devices, though either, yet these green strips are common enough I'd have figured a reviewer would encounter it.

Anyone with current NT or other clones care to test green strip carts?

(Edit: well, there it is! Hope they get a better connector for next batch)

These carts are still playable without other devices. You just have to give it a special touch and maybe a couple tries. Not ideal, but I was very relieved with that "push on the left side of the cart" trick and was surprised that even worked. Kings of the Beach 4 player HD party will indeed happen yet!

Still very happy with the AVS, by the way.

Can't wait till you guys get yours and we can do scoreboard together. Who here is still waiting on theirs?

 

[mosaic]

I currently have 96 cartridges at my house, of which 3 have a green stripe near the edge of the pins. They all work just fine though. YMMV, I guess.

FYI, mine are Ninja Gaiden, Solomon's Key, and Mighty Bomb Jack.

 

[r3n4ud]

Can't wait till you guys get yours and we can do scoreboard together. Who here is still waiting on theirs?

I'm still waiting Polio

Not even a shipping confirmation yet. And then who knows how long customs will hold it. Any others Canadians waiting?

Ah well, I'm glad you found that little trick to get your stubborn games going Polio

Edit: my AVS just came in O.O. No shipping confirmation or anything, It was just... delivered lol. And by golly, it's beautiful :')

 

[Cheesemeister]

That would look pretty bad though because not only do you have an elongated cart sticking out of the FC slot, but since the FC pins are backwards to NES and no adapters correct that, your cartridge will be facing the other way, It's going to look something like this:

 

[Marty Chinn]

Does anyone know if the AVS requires HDCP in order to work? I just tried it using my monitor at work, which was pre-HDCP, and it can't understand the video signal from the AVS.

 

[Leonsito]

Looks like mine is held in customs in Spain, has been there for two days

 

[TSM]

Does anyone know if the AVS requires HDCP in order to work? I just tried it using my monitor at work, which was pre-HDCP, and it can't understand the video signal from the AVS.

There is no HDCP.

 

[Marty Chinn]

There is no HDCP.

Hmm, any idea why it might not work on my monitor? I've hooked up a PS3 and a PS4 to here just fine in the past.

 

[mosaic]

Hmm, any idea why it might not work on my monitor? I've hooked up a PS3 and a PS4 to here just fine in the past.

Does it dislike 720p for some reason?

 

[Marty Chinn]

Does it dislike 720p for some reason?

Nope, that's what I used all the time with the PS3.

 

[Polioliolio]

I'm still waiting Polio

Not even a shipping confirmation yet. And then who knows how long customs will hold it. Any others Canadians waiting?

Ah well, I'm glad you found that little trick to get your stubborn games going Polio

Edit: my AVS just came in O.O. No shipping confirmation or anything, It was just... delivered lol. And by golly, it's beautiful :')

Huzzah! Tackle my Paperboy and Toobin' world records if you dare! (1st place of like, 3 people, but still!)

 

[Mega]

Does anyone know if the AVS requires HDCP in order to work? I just tried it using my monitor at work, which was pre-HDCP, and it can't understand the video signal from the AVS.

Maybe your monitor doesn't have an internal scaler and only accepts native res signals. I have that problem with my 1440p Korean IPS monitor. Anything from my PC is fine since the video card will handle uprezzing and upscaling, but plugging in consoles (720p, 1080p) is a no go.

 

[angrywoodchuck]

I ordered it the first day and I have still not gotten a shipping notification yet. I wonder if it's because I also ordered a copy of More Glider with it? Does anyone have that game?

 

[cacophony555]

I ordered it the first day and I have still not gotten a shipping notification yet. I wonder if it's because I also ordered a copy of More Glider with it? Does anyone have that game?

Yes, the orders with games are delayed b/c of manuals and boxes. It sounds like they should go out in the next few days.

 

[Polioliolio]

Thought I'd add it in here, for those not following the thread on NintendoAge.

bunnyboy, the creator of AVS, said he's working on a replacement solution with longer pin connectors for the cart connectors having trouble with 'green strip' games. It will be cheap/free, and seems to be something that you can replace yourself. Coming in the next few months.

 

[angrywoodchuck]

Thought I'd add it in here, for those not following the thread on NintendoAge.

bunnyboy, the creator of AVS, said he's working on a replacement solution with longer pin connectors for the cart connectors having trouble with 'green strip' games. It will be cheap/free, and seems to be something that you can replace yourself. Coming in the next few months.

Sounds great!

 

[Marty Chinn]

Maybe your monitor doesn't have an internal scaler and only accepts native res signals. I have that problem with my 1440p Korean IPS monitor. Anything from my PC is fine since the video card will handle uprezzing and upscaling, but plugging in consoles (720p, 1080p) is a no go.

Nope, it's not that. I've hooked up a PS3, PS4, and Xbox 360 to it just fine.

 

[HAN]

Ugh, the audio is unusable when input into my Blackmagic Intensity Pro capture card. It just makes an annoying noise similar to when Mega Man refills his health, but higher pitched. I can start games and hear their audio, but the loud high pitched noise is ever present whenever the AVS is turned on. I switched HDMI cables and the problem persisted. I tested a couple other HDMI devices including the NT and they work fine. I brought the AVS back out to the HDTV and it works fine there. My main plan was play this at my PC through the Pro using Durante's PTBI for extremely low latency, but the audio is a no go. Apparently they haven't solved the audio problems some people had reported before this thing launched.

Next I'll try running this through an HDMI splitter I have for stripping HDCP for my PS3 and see if that helps at all, but I'm done messing with it for the night.

Have you tried loading the newest firmware? I was having a similar issue with mine, trying to capture with an AverMedia c127 Game Broadcaster HD until I updated the firmware.

 

[TSM]

Have you tried loading the newest firmware? I was having a similar issue with mine, trying to capture with an AverMedia c127 Game Broadcaster HD until I updated the firmware.

Yeah, I finally got around to doing that, and the latest beta corrected the issue.

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

Thought I'd add it in here, for those not following the thread on NintendoAge.

bunnyboy, the creator of AVS, said he's working on a replacement solution with longer pin connectors for the cart connectors having trouble with 'green strip' games. It will be cheap/free, and seems to be something that you can replace yourself. Coming in the next few months.

So...should I hold off on purchasing one then?

 

[superbeau]

People who have this hooked up to 1080p sets, do you have a "True Pixel" mode or anything that doesn't scale the picture? I was wondering how that looked and if you noticed less frame lag.

 

[galvatron]

People who have this hooked up to 1080p sets, do you have a "True Pixel" mode or anything that doesn't scale the picture? I was wondering how that looked and if you noticed less frame lag.

I always run in the closest mode I've got to true 1080p in game mode on a Panasonic plasma...I can't really say that I'm noticing lag that is anything other than the enormous travel distance on my NES Advantage. I've beaten lots of Punchout fights, finished Shatterhand, and completed the hover cycles stage on Battletoads just fine.

 

[AdamT]

I had my best MegaMan 2 run ever with this thing, so I can thrown in my opinion on latency. Every game I've played the response has felt precise.

 

[Polioliolio]

So...should I hold off on purchasing one then?

I get the impression that the guy behind all of this, is going to go the distance to make it right for everyone.

I'm loving my AVS. If you have the itch, get one now. If you can wait, it wouldn't hurt to wait for the next revision, but who knows when that will be.

 

[iyox]

Does anyone know if the AVS requires HDCP in order to work? I just tried it using my monitor at work, which was pre-HDCP, and it can't understand the video signal from the AVS.

AVS seems to screw up my HDMI hub for HDCP connections. Not sure what's going on, but as soon as I turn on the AVS I have to restart my TV, HDMI HUB, A/V receiver, and any persistently on device. The A/V receiver seems to be the culprit as I can sometimes get away with just hard rebooting that.

 

[superbeau]

I always run in the closest mode I've got to true 1080p in game mode on a Panasonic plasma...I can't really say that I'm noticing lag that is anything other than the enormous travel distance on my NES Advantage. I've beaten lots of Punchout fights, finished Shatterhand, and completed the hover cycles stage on Battletoads just fine.

thanks. so does the game just run in a 720p bit in the middle? Not scaled?

 

[OnPoint]

Anyone have any reports on the sound quality? Does anything sound off?

 

[galvatron]

thanks. so does the game just run in a 720p bit in the middle? Not scaled?

If you're thinking they'd just address pixels with 0 upscale, then you'd likely have the whole image in the upper left corner of the screen. Don't know of any general purpose TV that would do that...

I just meant that 1080p + game mode on the plasma is low enough lag to play everything I've got lying around for NES with no complaints. Didn't expect that, but this is a bit of an older plasma that might have a better upscaler than they tend to ship in TVs now.

 

[dcx4610]

Anyone have any reports on the sound quality? Does anything sound off?

I'm a bit of a sound snob and everything sounds perfect to me. Albeit cleaner and higher quality thanks to 48khz.

As long as the FPGA is programmed properly, the audio should be identical to the NES.

The only issues you may run is if you are using a PowerPak/Everdrive and play games that had special audio chips like the Japanese Castlevania III. The Flash Carts have to emulate those chips and they don't sound quite right. That's the fault of the carts though and not the AVS. An actual CV3 cart sounds proper.

 

[OnPoint]

I'm a bit of a sound snob and everything sounds perfect to me. Albeit cleaner and higher quality thanks to 48khz.

As long as the FPGA is programmed properly, the audio should be identical to the NES.

The only issues you may run is if you are using a PowerPak/Everdrive and play games that had special audio chips like the Japanese Castlevania III. The Flash Carts have to emulate those chips and they don't sound quite right. That's the fault of the carts though and not the AVS. An actual CV3 cart sounds proper.

Interesting. I use the PowerPak to play my Famitracker stuff and I heavily use the VRC6 chip... I wonder how that will sound in it. Only time will tell!

Thanks for the insight btw

 

[Mega]

Nope, it's not that. I've hooked up a PS3, PS4, and Xbox 360 to it just fine.

Wat kind of monitor is it?

 

[Marty Chinn]

Wat kind of monitor is it?

Dell 2405.

 

[mosaic]

Dell 2405.

After looking up the specs of that monitor, my only guesses would be:

1) The AVS is outputting a refresh rate that's not exactly 60hz. Maybe he designed it to output 59hz closer to the "standard"???

2) The HDMI-DVI adapter is stripping some aspect of the signal somehow. Not likely, I know...

3) The monitor doesn't like 720p. Unlikely given what you said.

I saw on Dell's website that the monitor has an Image Settings menu that lets you adjust various scaling options. Are those available with the AVS running? Have you tried 1:1, interpolation, and toggling "video" mode (whatever that is?)??

Just spitfiring here...

 

[Mega]

3) The monitor doesn't like 720p. Unlikely given what you said.

I still think this is a possibility. Both the PS4 and 360 natively output or internally upscale to 1080p. That only leaves the PS3 and in that case I think there's a software upscale depending on the game. It's possible that Marty hasn't actually tested any of his modern consoles at 720p output similar to the AVS. If there's a setting on your systems or games to strictly limit output to 720p, I would enable that.

 

[TSM]

After looking up the specs of that monitor, my only guesses would be:

1) The AVS is outputting a refresh rate that's not exactly 60hz. Maybe he designed it to output 59hz closer to the "standard"???

The AVS outputs exactly 60hz, and there is no HDCP.

 

[Polioliolio]

I had a comparison image up of an NES playing Super Mario on a CRT, and the AVS playing the same game, before.

This is it:

I was told that I had my CRT settings 'too pleasant' or something.. I figured he was probably right.


So I hooked up another CRT, with no settings changed, and that purple sky bullshit? That ain't how it was folks. If you hook up an NES to a CRT, and don't mess with anything, this is simply how it looks.. and no, FCEUX palette isn't even close.

On the AVS, the closest color palette to how an NES displays the game on a CRT, is the new Unsaturated Palette (although the colors are dull as shit in comparison).

So for now, I recommend using the Unsaturated palette, and turning up your 'Color' on your monitor, until it looks closer to what the CRT is doing, but even doing that, the colors aren't making it. Try it out for yourselves, guys.

While I had it out, I was curious about what someone said about AVS's accuracy.
He said the NES was something like 59.xxxx hz, while the AVS (because of the hdmi standard) is 60hz. Because of that, the AVS runs a teensy bit slower.

Well I tested it a couple times to be sure, but it's true. I had started both Super Mario games at precisely the same time, as far as I could tell. The clocks and the music were synched.. in the beginning. I let both games sit there, and slowly, you could hear the audio become unsynchronized, between the systems. Near the end of the timer countdown, there was 1 "mario second" difference between the games.

See the picture above, and below:

I tried it again after these pictures, to be sure, and in the second test, let the game continue, so it automatically started the next life, and brought the timers back up.. By the end of this next life, the clock was off by two Mario Seconds.

Now I'm not sure what a Mario second is, but in around 350-400 of them, between the NES and AVS, there will be 1 difference between them.

 

[thechristoph]

I'm not ready to bite yet and this is my concern too. They have to run out of the original power switches some day.

But a friend of mine has one and said he'll sell it to me if he gets bored with it. This guy sells off a lot of stuff.

That's a bummer, as I'd love to watch you do a review of one.

 

[TSM]

I had a comparison image up of an NES playing Super Mario on a CRT, and the AVS playing the same game, before.

This is it:



I was told that I had my CRT settings 'too pleasant' or something.. I figured he was probably right.


So I hooked up another CRT, with no settings changed, and that purple sky bullshit? That ain't how it was folks. If you hook up an NES to a CRT, and don't mess with anything, this is simply how it looks.. and no, FCEUX palette isn't even close.

Did you at least do a basic calibration on both displays? The most important part of the basic calibration would be setting the color and tint controls as correctly as possible which would require a test pattern and a blue filter. You also have to make sure to put the calibration pattern through the same input the NES is using on the display. It's important to note that every display has different colored primaries which has a significant influence on the resulting image.

Also 60hz is very slightly slower than than the NES output. This is why the actual hardware will eventually pull ahead.

 

[Polioliolio]

Did you at least do a basic calibration on both displays? The most important part of the basic calibration would be setting the color and tint controls as correctly as possible which would require a test pattern and a blue filter. It's important to note that every display has different colored primaries which has a significant influence on the resulting image.

Also 60hz is very slightly slower than than the NES output. This is why the actual hardware will eventually pull ahead.

Nah. I'd be curious to see what others come up with, but as far as the idea of our memories of Mario as a kid, being incorrect... I don't believe that.

Most families just turned the tvs on and hooked up the NES. That's how I remember Mario looking, and that's how it appears on my two CRTs. I'd like at least one palette to recreate something closer to that.

Maybe the play choice 10 palette? I'm not very familiar with it, but I've heard about it a bit.

 

[TSM]

Nah. I'd be curious to see what others come up with, but as far as the idea of our memories of Mario as a kid, being incorrect... I don't believe that.

Most families just turned the tvs on and hooked up the NES. That's how I remember Mario looking, and that's how it appears on my two CRTs. I'd like at least one palette to recreate something closer to that.

Maybe the play choice 10 palette? I'm not very familiar with it, but I've heard about it a bit.

Unless you had a calibrated display growing up, your memories are almost guaranteed to be incorrect. Back then every channel on cable TV looked different. The only consistency was that there was no consistency.