N64 Ultra HDMI & RGB Mods Pros & Cons - Which Is Worth Your Money?

[@Madlittlepixel]

Ultra HDMI: www.game-tech.us/product/ultrahdmi/ RGB Mod Info: www.snailtoothgaming.com/articles/n64-rgb-mod-comparison/ Become a Patron: www.patreon.com/madlittlepixel Support My Channel: www.paypal.me/madlittlepixel Amazon Influencer's: www.amazon.com/shop/madlittlepixel Amazon Wish List: a.co/gpQd12i Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/madlittlepixelgaming

[@sander230e]

I've got 2 n64 models with 2 different rgb mods over here. 1 model is a FRA model (from France) with already rgb on the board, but it's not "finished" from the factory to use the rgb signal. U only need to do some little soldering to activate rgb to the av-out port. And the 2nd n64 is a regular pal n64 with the regular rgb mod, a little circuiboard with a red green and blue cable soldered on to the mainboard/av-out. Only this 1 has a de-blurr switch on the back. Both look crystal clear, i hardly can see any difference between the HDMI mod and these rgb mods. But I'm also using the original Nintendo rgb scart cables instead of 3rd party ones. (u can use the GameCube or snes rgb cables!) in my opinion, the HDMI mod is way too overrated and expensive. If u want the best graphics for n64 games, hook up your pc to a tv, download a emulator for n64 and play the roms...

[@chrisesposito5530]

An important detail that wasn't mentioned is the Ultra HDMI adds a frame of lag, while an RGB mod w/OSSC doesn't.

[@ozzyp97]

The Ultra HDMI can operate without lag if you disable the effects and enable direct mode, and I seriously doubt the OSSC is much faster anyway. RGB to a CRT would be a different story, but on a modern TV the extra frame of lag isn't very noticeable.

[@ShamanNoodles]

@@ozzyp97 you doubt the OSSC is faster? Lol the OSSC is documented at under 1ms.

[@ozzyp97]

@@ShamanNoodles I admit to being sligtly misinformed about the OSSC when I originally wrote that. However, the zero lag mode of the UltraHDMI was updated to work with all resolutions and features, which means I'm retroactively sort of right anyway.

[@ShamanNoodles]

@@ozzyp97 Sounds like a win-win XD *fist bump*

[@dirediredude]

Funny you should say that but I felt like I saw a noticeable frame drop in the wave race comparison when it switched to ultra HDMI. Maybe I'm just crazy but RGB definitely seemed a bit smoother

[@ItsAllFunAndGames]

Both options are great, but like you said some games will just not look good either way. I went the Ultra HDMI route and was pleased with the results. Awesome comparison video, I found your channel from your retro brawlers 64 controller review and it saved me some heartache! Great stuff!

[@digitalblasphemy1100]

I don't know if you have ever heard of using a gamecube controller with the N64, I HIGHLY highly recommend it. I replaced joysticks with 4 different "replacement joystick" modules for the original N64 and HATED every single one of them. The worst offenders are the 3rd party controllers. They all suck so bad. The gamecube controller thumbstick is amazing for precise platforming like super mario 64 and banjo kazooie. You can still purchase new official gamecube controllers too. I racked up on them. Also, if you want to go crazy, get a Wavebird controller and you have wireless N64 controller. The adapter has ZERO lag and cost 30 dollars. I bought the 1st and 2nd revision. It's a guy in canada that makes them. You can buy them from his website called raphnet. Anyway, this isn't a commercial or anything, I just spent so several hundred dollars trying to get the right setup and I'm super pleased with it.

[@ItsAllFunAndGames]

Oh dang! That sounds pretty awesome! I've currently got 2 wave birds and 4 standard GC controllers, so I'll definitely be checking that out. Thanks so much for the tip!

[@TheIronRafael]

Yet another thing you have to consider is if you have other retro video games. If you do, I suggest going for the RGB one since it the OSSC works with multiple systems making it cheaper in the long run, whereas the UltraHDMI mod works only for the Nintendo 64. Because the OSSC is a thing you only buy one time, it’s worth considering if you wanna have other consoles hooked up to it, in which case you won’t need to buy another one. Strictly speaking about quality, UltraHDMI is the way to go, but if you wanna hook up other retro systems and wanna go for the mid to high quality tier OSSC + RGB is in my humble opinion the best option.

[@pittypatt3]

liked this video a lot. i was already well informed on the topic but something about the way you convey yourself and talk really made me enjoy this. you've got a new sub in me

[@Yakobu90]

I use a CRT and I'm going to get an OSSC for capturing all my other consoles anyway, I could barely tell the difference between RGB and HDMI so for what I need it's not worth doing. Thanks for the information very helpful.

[@christianna3561]

Great video. Appreciate the comparisons. I went with am S-video to hdmi upscaler adapter for my N64 and the picture quality is great and I am very happy with it. I got my upscaler adapter for about $40.00. I'm just glad the N64 is seeing all this love.

[@JMFC77]

Do you have a link for the upscalre, Al Robins?

[@RetroTechSelect]

Glad someone broke down the difference between N64 options. I already have cables and an upscaler for RGB, but the added features/deblur will probably get me on the mod eventually.

[@overwatch761]

As a retro console gamer in terms of quality Ultra HDMI, de blur on with no AA patches provides the best picture quality of any system. It is as sharp as all other early 3D systems with the bonus of more solid and vastly superior 3D visuals. It's surprising how much detail is hidden by the N64s post processing in combination with poor video output.

[@Inv8erZlM]

The OSSC also has de blur when using optimal timings. The image from an OSSC with good cables and optimal timings is indistinguishable from the Ultra HDMI image.

[@garagegamer6484]

Very Interesting video. I am broke right now otherwise I would have bought the HDMI mod kit from Game tech. I have seen a few N64s with both the HDMI and RGB mod kits installed. But with RGB being less accessible in America and the HDMI being a little better the HDMI mod is the better option.

[@BarnyardCasanova]

My current setup is Voultar's RGB board, and HD Retrovision SNES component cables. I love it, few games don't look great on it. All told it cost just shy of $120 for both. That's minus the mod fee because I did it myself .

[@jacobholgate4399]

"My current setup is Voultar's RGB board, and HD Retrovision SNES component cables." I think that's the direction I've decided to go. Do you use an upscaler and if so, which one? I don't think I can justify paying $450 for a Framemeister, but I probably could justify paying $200 for an OSSC. I really wish the UltraHDMI mod was more available...

[@Neon_Plasma]

@@jacobholgate4399 I recommend the OSSC or the Retrotink 2x Pro. Both do a really good job and the Retrotink Pro gets regular firmware updates that you can install yourself by hooking it up to your PC or laptop. Dunno if OSSC gets those as well off the top of my head since I don't own one.

[@Carboxylated]

This is really only worth a damn seeing in person...ive watched all these youtube videos using elgatos and framiesters and what not to capture the footage....it all looked the same as it is with VGA upscaled via my TV. It wassnt until I saw it in person on a 70inch TV og LoT OOT and Goldeneye WITH MY EYES in person at a homies, homies house....then I was sold. Take my advice from a die hard adult N64 fanboy and collector....it is worth the solder/mod job to get the ultra HDMI....IT LOOKS SO DAMN GOOD! The Deblur effect makes the games look like you are playing them from a PC like the textures bitmaps looks AMAZING! then combine it with the anti anti aliasing and boom...the shit looks almost close to beta gamecube days (Luigis haunted mansion as an example) the game look fucking amazing...you gotta go UltraHDMI...KZbin does not do it justice...its something to be seen in person then your like "Damn im sold"

[@nickcolagiovanni6572]

Did your homie have an rgb modded n64 with bortis deblur running with 5x lines on OSSC too to compare? Because its better than hdmi

[@infinity2z3r07]

I've stalked eBay for a long time watching prices of ultra HDMI N64s, and a crazy number of them are jungle green lol

[@HollowRick]

It's a popular color :D as it came with donkey Kong 64 and the expansion pack at least one I had as kid

[@user-rd5wj2mm8n]

I'm lucky enough to still have a working CRT so obviously went down the cheaper RGB mod route, I live in the U.K. Still I see the HDMI mod is going to be better in the long haul as the majority don't own CRTs any longer and for those of us (like me) who do the extra space required is a consideration. I'll definitely want an HDMI modded N64 when/if prices fall in future.

[@HollowRick]

Wait for China to reverse engineer the board and ribbon cable then you'll have your cheaper price

[@forestmanzpedia]

@@HollowRick I wouldn't rely on cheap Chinese products... They are notorious for having poor product quality, purposely done that way so they can cheap out production costs and exploit customers, who dont know the difference. Someone on r/n64 bought a cheap HDMI mod and the results were very bad.

[@iCach0]

There's something weird about the comparison footage. If you look at the RGB+OSSC parts you can tell it's pretty smooth, but the UltraHDMI on the other hands looks really choppy. Like it's constantly dropping frames. I'm almost sure this is something to do with how the footage was captured, but I'm no expert. In any case I would make a note that it's not representative of UltraHDMI video quality.

[@electronash]

I'm wondering if the VI Deblur was enabled on the UltraHDMI as well? It didn't look like it?

[@shawndempsey2280]

I believe my main counter to the rgb mod price argument, and I apologize if this has been stated by anyone else already, is that IF you are going this far to get the best image from a legacy system without emulation than you are most likely interested in doing the same for other legacy systems either from the same generation or prior and if that is the case an ossc/framemeister/retrotink/etc. is less a cost for this and more a general investment to get the best picture for your retro collection. Therefore, I don’t believe that should be weighted too heavily in the cost side if things as the assumption should be that you will be getting one of these devices. That changes the price to 30-50+30-40 with the cable for a total of 60-90 vs 150(but only if you are lucky especially with price of parts skyrocketing now due to scarcity). As much as I’d like the hdmi mod it’s scarcity and price make me think I will go RGB with my retrotink 5x and hope for the best.

[@dezm101]

I think any serious retrogamer needs to have a SCART setup, it just sucks that the good upscalers are so damn expensive

[@dezm101]

@Ramsey Hernandez I use OSSC and I really love it, the only thing is that is cannot fix interlaced content for capture.

[@dezm101]

@Ramsey Hernandez If you have a PVM, you can use high quality component cables like HD Retrovision and it will look great. OSSC is more for playing old systems on newer displays or for capturing footage of old games at higher resolutions.

[@dezm101]

@Ramsey Hernandez I guess in that situation I would use component, but you can also use SCART if you want to as there are options for converting if you need to.

[@EmperorOfTigers]

I think RGB is the better option. The colors looked better and otherwise the quality was similar. RGB can be used with CRT televisions as well and here in Europe you can simply plug a SCART into any CRT and many HDTVs as well. UltraHDMI is less flexible and costs more. It isn't worth it imo.

[@CAPCOM784]

EmperorOfTigers I'm not paying someone $400-$600 to mod my N64.Clearly these modders are like "scalpers" taking advantage of retro gamers that want the best possible way to play their systems.I say go scart to component for a CRT or use a OSSC like I do going scart to hdmi.

[@EmperorOfTigers]

Emmett Turner Those are good points. It's all subjective at the end of the day. Obviously if you have a Framemeister or OSSC already then RGB would be cheaper though.

[@BMXrecords]

RGB does look a little better color wise, but from what I can tell the hdmi has a clearer picture, less aliased, more clear contrasts and whatnot.

[@trexslapfight]

@MLP do you recommend the OSSC over the FM these days? I have a FM but the picture quality and no lag is a big upgrade compared.

[@jacobholgate4399]

My understanding is that the Framemeister has been discontinued. From the extensive research I've done, it is the best option by far, but as of this writing, there is one left on Amazon and it's going for about $450, which is probably more than it's worth, especially since the OSSC is less than half that...

[@jasonh7128]

So if I'm just starting, I'd have to not only buy an RGB-modded N64 (which I'm finding for about $250), but also an OSSC for $200? Would it be cheaper to buy a refurbished CRT TV? I see some of those in that price range, but they tend to be 20" to 27" unless you pay a lot more.

[@PabstOban]

I saw Phonedork's video on getting the best picture from the N64, and he went through a lot of work and used some pretty uncommon and expensive equipment andprobably the best it can look... but man, what an uphill climb. Check it out, start at around 17:20

[@321mydestiny]

I paid $400 for mine Ultra HDMI N64 in green too!!!

[@funkyflights]

321mydestiny .... It shouldn’t cost that much, that’s crazy ... N64 is old tech, you could buy a Xbox one X for that price, powerhouse console ... I’d consider 100 bucks but 400 ? Hell no!

[@hectoramador6397]

I'm so tempted!

[@funkyflights]

ClassicGamer .... I hear that, 250-275 maybe ... 400 is just crazy expensive for an HDMI mod...

[@funkyflights]

ClassicGamer .... Man, I hope one day Retron makes a N64 with HDMI compatibility...

[@funkyflights]

ClassicGamer .... Yes Hyperkin ... They’re not Nintendo quality that’s for sure, but it will give gamers and option... I have the handheld Supaboy S by Hyperkin and it’s worked great for a long time now...

[@liljon49er77]

I was buying the ever drive plus either with rgb or ultra hd premodded system . Witch should I get?

[@vkhelldog]

You make me nervous waving them things around lol

[@davidboettcher4554]

If you nodded a early n64 you can use HD retrovision snes component cables. Although those go for $60

[@joewhitlow5799]

An RGB modded 64 with component cables on a CRT would be the gold standard.

[@cfreddykrueger9164]

Joe Whitlow I agree.

[@alucard971]

Question about your comparison: 720 and 1080 looked slow as hell. Were they recorded at 30fps? Also, thank you for making this theme permanently engraved into my skull.

[@tristamson]

I like colours of the RGB mod, and overall it's gamma is better.

[@ians_parks]

I wish i had an ultra hdmi mod but dropping $400 is really hard to justify, and then you have to take into consideration how sparce availability is.

[@CAPCOM784]

IAN 63 1/3 Not worth it.

[@patjohnny57]

I have the hdmi mod. It’s great but not worth it. I think s video is the way to go if you have a tv that is compatible. Don’t waste your money on it like I did.

[@drewtalks]

nice leds brah

[@funkyflights]

EON is coming out with an HDMI adapter for 150 bucks sometime late in July, that sounds like the easiest solution to the problem...

[@boromir0062]

Its very meh :(

[@funkyflights]

Ridge Ralston .... Yeah that’s what I hear...

[@michaelthebarbarian3380]

I am seeing these sell on Ebay for a grand these days... Glad I got mine when I did.

[@johnmorris7899]

There's reports of the pound snes hdmi working on an RGB n64

[@albertnortononymous9020]

John Morris It makes sense: they had the same analog connector and pinout-the output processors must be similar.

[@darkbionic1044]

Is it good to mod on a N64 or Xbox ?

[@dinbabwa452]

These are still hard to find and they go for $900

[@haloharry97]

I been thinking about getting into the n64 but it has few problems that pulling me away. 1) Controller 2) FPS 3) 240p/480i games this is the biggist all the games i want to play, I can find on new systems, rare games i can find on xbox one all the zelda have been ported on newer systems there only 1 or 2 that are still only on N64 but is that worth £200

[@haloharry97]

@@JD69Han I find all of this, but hdmi kits are impossible to find ATM. So am going with Boris advanced RGB mod. To ossc for 1080p

[@Bonswally]

Now we have the rad2x cable for like $60. Or the eon super 64, which is the same thing for triple the price.

[@Alex-wq1hp]

I,would rather use the hd retro vision cables instead of scart

[@KillaEVO1]

I agree

[@chrispuhara8934]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the HD Retrovision YPbPr cables don't support the Nintendo 64.

[@Alex-wq1hp]

@@chrispuhara8934 They work if your N64 is RGB modded

[@chrispuhara8934]

@@Alex-wq1hp I know that already, I thought you meant using them with a stock Nintendo 64. And your grammar got better since your post from 2 years ago...

[@ShamanNoodles]

The RGB colors are richer vs HDMI

[@vincentp98]

hi, thanks for the vid, i have a pal FRA that had been moded with cms for RGB and a multi region mod, unfortunatly for me, on my tv (lcd) i have the picture in triple with an ugly quality with us games (so far no problem with pal games). i don't see any other solution than the uhdmi upgrade kit (the n64 had been tested on crt monitors, no problem)

[@ladycherokee5382]

Now that was cool I was just curious do you know of anybody that knows how to fix a hyperkin unit retro unit as in the the front that's for the regular Nintendo it does not work but the back one works fine with the N64 do you know of anybody that can fix it I'm just curious have a good day blessings

[@DontPaniku]

All that money just to hook it up to a HDTV. And that's why I stick to a CRT TV with regular AV cables.

[@Madlittlepixel]

DontPaniku No disputing its a lot of money. Crt is the purest way for sure, then ya cant complain about the visuals as thats the way most of us originally experienced the N64.

[@CAPCOM784]

S -video and you'll be set to go my friend 😊

[@doujindance]

great.

[@gdilla4452]

How many dang 64s do you need??😂😂

[@Madlittlepixel]

g dilla i have 5 rite now lol. Gonna be selling em except for the green ultra hdmi.

[@uncletacosupreme7023]

12:00

[@funboy4809]

Lol they all look the same.

[@funkyflights]

600 dollars to get HDMI on a 64 ? Lol, hell no, bunch of greedy people out there hurting the gaming community ... Even 150 for an HDMI mod is stupid... Greed man, pure greed ....

[@retrorampage9015]

People need to except that the n64 is the most over rated system of all time.. the games are going to look like garbage no matter what.. the developers had no idea what they were doing with 3D gaming... all this to feel nostalgic.