Unable to purchase the new GBA Consolizer

Discussion of programming and development for the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color.
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alfredocalza
Posts: 111
Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 1:06 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

Unable to purchase the new GBA Consolizer

Post by alfredocalza »

For the past 5 months I've been trying to purchase the new GBA consolizer from Game-Tech's website, but it has always been out of stock. Does anybody knows when these will be back in stock? Is there any other website where I can purchase it?

Alternatively, how difficult would it be to just get RGB out of a GBA console and connect it to my hi-def TV through my OSSC? What kind of video format does the GBA produces natively? Isn't it RGB?

Thank you!

Alfredo
tepples
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Re: Unable to purchase the new GBA Consolizer

Post by tepples »

alfredocalza wrote: Thu Nov 21, 2019 8:54 amhow difficult would it be to just get RGB out of a GBA console and connect it to my hi-def TV through my OSSC? What kind of video format does the GBA produces natively? Isn't it RGB?
The signal going to the Game Boy Advance system's LCD is digital RGB, but it's 308x228 pixels at 13.6 kHz by 59.7 Hz scan rate. This requires a frame buffer to display on devices expecting a 262- or 312-line signal at 15.7 kHz by 60 or 50 Hz. (The DS's video is a lot closer to a standard System M scan rate.) Whether OSSC can scale a GBA video signal depends on whether it can accept 13.6 kHz horizontal scan.
lidnariq
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Re: Unable to purchase the new GBA Consolizer

Post by lidnariq »

The GBA natively emits parallel digital video - but in a timing format that's inconvenient for a TV.
Nocash documented the bus here: GBATek§Pinouts, LCD cables
and the timings here: GBATek§LCD, Dimensions and Timings

Back when the non-backlit GBA first came out, there was a "TV de Advance" kit that would convert the output from the GBA to a TV (NTSC, S-video, composite). If I remember, there were bunch of people from the time modifying it to pick up RGB for some quality improvement.

... and now that I think about this, I'm pretty certain that there's something like interlacing going on, because the TV de Advance showed "weave" patterns any time there was some flicker. It's easily seen in the pillar of light near the end of Castlevania: Circle of the Moon.
alfredocalza
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Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 1:06 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

Re: Unable to purchase the new GBA Consolizer

Post by alfredocalza »

tepples wrote: Thu Nov 21, 2019 11:10 am
alfredocalza wrote: Thu Nov 21, 2019 8:54 amhow difficult would it be to just get RGB out of a GBA console and connect it to my hi-def TV through my OSSC? What kind of video format does the GBA produces natively? Isn't it RGB?
The signal going to the Game Boy Advance system's LCD is digital RGB, but it's 308x228 pixels at 13.6 kHz by 59.7 Hz scan rate. This requires a frame buffer to display on devices expecting a 262- or 312-line signal at 15.7 kHz by 60 or 50 Hz. (The DS's video is a lot closer to a standard System M scan rate.) Whether OSSC can scale a GBA video signal depends on whether it can accept 13.6 kHz horizontal scan.
Is it possible to make/get a frame buffer and use it to modify the gba so that I can use its rgb output?
alfredocalza
Posts: 111
Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2019 1:06 pm
Location: Madrid, Spain

Re: Unable to purchase the new GBA Consolizer

Post by alfredocalza »

I really would like to find out if it is possible to connect the GBA to the OSSC, so I will start a new topic regarding GBA rgb compatibility with the OSSC since it is getting off topic.
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