Weekly Roundup #393 - January 24th 2024

00:00 Welcome

[MrMegaManFan]

YouTube is probably the wrong place to say thank you Bob... but I bought a RetroTink-5X Pro based on your articles and videos about it, and I'm really happy with it. Thanks for being an invaluable resource for the retro gaming community! (And hey thanks to Mike Chi for making it too.)

[Izquierda]

It's probably good to clarify that the plastic post on the Supergrafx should only be trimmed a hair, rather than snipping off the whole thing, which some people have done and doing so actually puts the board at greater risk since there's no support when pressing down on the shell when inserting hucards. There's also an argument for not even needing to mess with the post since there should be no risk if you never put something heavy or pressure on top of the console.

[thorwld]

I definitely prefer the elgato camera. it looks cleaner and more smooth. the other one looks a bit more pixelated, the way a video looks when the bitrate is low

[miasuke]

Seeing the Armored Core dual analog patch part, and it reminds me it's possible to the PSP version (and any PSP game) to be compatible with the 2 analogs nativaly.

The PSPgo can sync with a DualShock 3 and play with it. Even the games don't use the right analog stick and the L2/R2 buttons, the system can recognize its inputs (information based on PSP plug-ins who uses the DualShock 3). So, it's a matter of hacking the games to include proper DualShock 3 support. But only PSPgo users can make use of such hacks.

I saw a hack of a GTA for PSP running on Vita who can use the Vita's right analog stick to control the camera. So, using the PS Vita to enable PSP games to use two analogs is also a possibility.

[LoomSun]

I think the webcam swap is a good idea in general for this. I didn't even think or notice it until you mentioned it. The quality isn't as good as your other camera, but I do more listening than watching to these most of the time and the video is windowed off to the side. Thanks for the MiSTer case video the other day, as well as the Atlantis stream. I use the Atlantis and have done some fun things to build it out. I love how flexible it is.

[acem]

Thanks for the heads up got the Jaguar flash cart and also the Bluetooth adapter for the neo Geo.

[CompletelyAverageGameplay]

The 240p test suite for Sega Saturn is awesome and I don't want to diminish that, but it does come with a disclaimer saying that it's very much WIP and the calibration results using it may be unreliable. I tried using it to test new Sega Saturn profiles for the RT4K and it definitely needs another version or two before it's at the same level as the 240p test suite for other platforms.

303 Aerospace Protectant is a phenomenal product, highly recommended for this and many other use cases where plastic is involved. I use it and alternate with one of Meguiar's plastic protectants depending on the kind of finish I want on the console. Even with 303 you need to be wary of the amount used - the excess doesn't evaporate. Excess needs to be gently wiped away and what's left allowed to dry before handling.

[krisc]

I prefer the El Gato camera, but its mainly because the other one looks bad from a motion perspective. I dont think that it's solely because its 30fps. It may be using an odd shutter speed, when really it should be using 1/60.

[npen]

Distance to camera will be the first thing to consider in creating the shallowest depth of field. If you are using a crop-frame camera, you will want to be very close to your camera. If you have a full frame it may be worth considering switching to that model for better shallow depth of field. You may need to sacrifice punching in on the image by a factor of 2x, but you still might be able to punch in some in post once you’ve adjusted your setup. Keep your aperture open all the way. ISO will not affect bokeh but it will destroy your contrast if it’s too high or too low. Once you have your camera set to a recommended ISO for that model, if your image is too bright, install an ND filter. If it’s too dark, you may want to integrate more lights into your setup. Not sure what of this you already know but I hope this helps you. All that said, your roundups are great and the production value never bothers me. Have a good one, Bob!

[_BELMONT_]

It may sound prosocial or cheesy but it really does bring a smile to my face in the morning when i see a video from you Bob!
couple months left of off season so dont hesitate to reach out if you need help with anything! I'm a quick learner!

[SolderSoldier]

Drinking game, take a shot every time Bob says "My tate setup"

[Kido]

I liked the early-video webcam better but ONLY when I jumped back and forth to compare. I didn't notice until you asked.

[ProgVirus]

The ending of the video looks super bitcrushed or something, I deffo preferred the old camera from last week (or the week before?) tbh I thought it looked great, but totally understand the usability

[TheKsax]

Timestamp in description at 23:29 is wrong, it should be at 27:25 Great video as usual.

[sukidable]

I run a Smash Remix and P+ monthly in CFL. It's kinda small so far but my hopes are high.

[justinmohns]

Because of the content, everything looks great. I'm just so glad that your audio is always perfect.

[cactoidpinata]

That Armored Core patch sounds neat. I'll never forget, Armored Core 2 was one of the first games I rented when I got my PS2. The game started and I thought there was something wrong with my controller, because the analog sticks didn't do anything! I tried unplugging and plugging it back in, pressing the analog button repeatedly, and rebooting and holding the analog button. I finally got into the manual and realized you control the mech with the d-pad. I honestly thought I somehow grabbed a bargain bin game that wasn't polished, and never played it again.

I'd still like to go back and give it an honest effort. I'll probably play them in reverse, starting with Armored Core VI, lol.

[JoeyJoJoJr]

The Elgato does look better, but if you want a higher quality look, consider looking amongst your electronics stuff for a camcorder/handicam, or perhaps in a Goodwill. Ideally one with a rotating screen that flips forward, so you can see a live preview screen of what's being recorded. Camcorders typically have clean hdmi video out, and you can capture the video with that. Webcams, for whatever reason, just aren't good in general. The sensor is small, often stuff that's mass produced for phones, but lacking the inherent firmware/software that Samsung/Apple/Google bake into their camera software to make it look good. Camcorders use larger sensors and have actual optical zoom, so you should be able to get that slight bokeh effect for your background while still keeping you in focus in the foreground. Even though many camcorders may be stuck at 1080p60, it honestly may still have a higher quality video stream than webcams do. This should also free up your digital camera to be used elsewhere. You can also perhaps ask EposVox on the camcorder suggestion and maybe bounce some ideas off him on what's most ideal.

[treypop]

I think the razer could be a good option if you could figure out how to turn off that face filter stuff

[radfoo]

think i preferred the first camera/lens. Either was fine though, info was great! Thanks.