Do we need to tune in if we know who it is? It's an open secret.
v4.3 notes:
- Userer loaded fonts are now saved on power cycle
- Ultracore bug with SMS mode fixed
- Added separate H interpolation checkboxes for genesis
- Added fixed LED colour option via RGB sliders
- Defaults for PSG/CD audio levels adjusted
- If you use a 3 button controller in non-passthru mode, it will look like 3 to the game
- Ladder effect now affects both channels equally
- Skin change for EU cart
- Ladder effect now works in low/high quality modes
- If a CD unit is plugged in, SMS works properly now
- If pass-thru is checked, it will enable when exiting menu in all ways
- Slightly adjusted filter response
Forgive my dumbassery if this is a stupid question, but could Sega not provide ... wrong word for it probably .... the schematics of the original hardware so people could basically remake the original hardware 1:1 then add whatever extra after to make them look good on HDTV's ? Would legal stuff make this problematic, or just remaking the original hardware be far too expensive? I'm completely dumb on the logistics of these things, but I see Sega promoting these emulator boxes (well this Analogue one is different for sure), I wonder why they dont recreate the old machines?
If the Super NT thread is anything to go by, good luckIf anyone is interested I just made an OT. We could leave the Shipping and Ordering stuff to this thread? Maybe? lol
Many of the processors on the Sega Genesis are off the shelf components that Sega did not make, that have been out of print for decades now. For example, the best way to source a YM2612 to build an FM Synth machine is to literally desolder it from the genesis, because Yamaha hasn't produced that chip in decades.
There are already new motherboard gerber files online. if you wanted, you could build an entirely new sega genesis from scratch, you just have to source the out of print micro processors. Fabricating new processors from scratch is super expensive, you can't really just produce a few, because they take an entire custom-configured plant to produce. So you have to produce large quantities to order. Doing this for lots and lots of chips becomes prohibitively expensive. When these off-the-shelf chips were being produced, they were used in all sorts of electronic components, not just Sega Genesis systems, and that made producing them economically viable. That entire market doesn't exist anymore, nobody is looking for a 4 channel OPL synth chip today. That's why clones are usually System On A Chip clones. They all source from the same chinese manufacturer who has a plant that has been producing sega genesis clones that take all the other chips and condenses them into one compatible, but aesthetically different chip that is "good enough." The use of these chips makes using Sega's old schematic unnecessary.
FPGA is basically reprogrammable hardware. It's hardware that can be physically configured, to become other hardware. What the Mega SG uses is a highly accurate, highly compatible cloned image of the original chips, that get more accurate as updates are produced. FPGA is the cheapest, best option to doing essentially what you're asking.
As for why Sega uses emulation boxes rather than FPGA -- FPGA is more expensive. Rather than going with reprogrammable hardware, Sega (and Nintendo and Sony) feel it's cheaper to get a comparatively much more powerful mobile processor these days, and just run accurate software instead. This takes much more hardware oomph to do, but we're talking scales of comparison here, being several millions of times faster than a Sega Genesis is still completely pathetic hardware for today's modern processors. Cycle accurate emulation is much more demanding, but the laymen can't see that level of fidelity anyway, even if they can notice a step up from SOACs. The Mega SG is a premium product, kinda like the megadrive equivalent of an audiophile pair of headphones.
I wish I still had all my mega drive games as I would buy this in a heartbeat, although id be playing with filthy PAL versions.
Thanks for the great explanation. FPGA does seem like the way forward for perfect/near-perfection accuracy then, more expensive sure but like you say, premium product but the results are great.
I wish I still had all my mega drive games as I would buy this in a heartbeat, although id be playing with filthy PAL versions.
damn that's awesome.New Mega SG Firmware is live.
https://support.analogue.co/hc/en-us/articles/360024836892-Mega-Sg-Firmware-Update-v4-3
I recall one of the videos I watched mentioning that Analogue was intending to make it so settings would automatically migrate from firmware version to firmware version. Any word as to whether this version includes that feature?New Mega SG Firmware is live.
https://support.analogue.co/hc/en-us/articles/360024836892-Mega-Sg-Firmware-Update-v4-3
Exactly. A lot of early carts released in PAL regions even use the same chip across all regions! Revenge of Shinobi and Shadow Dancer, for instance, are world-wide.If a megadrive game is PAL optimized, then there is nothing filthy about the version at all. PAL optimized games run at the correct speed when played on a 50hz television, to be PAL optimized meant the programmer took into consideration the difference in timing and ensured the game ran at the correct speed no matter where played.
If the game weren't PAL optimized, that would mean it would run slower on a PAL television because it would be driven at 50 hz, but the modern HDTV standard is 60 hz world wide. Which would mean, even if you had un-optimized PAL games, you could just check the option in the menu for the Mega SG to force it to run at 60 hz, and your PAL cart would play at the correct speed on a modern television.
Couldn't smaller, lower cost FPGAs be designed to replace individual components? For example, an FPGA that sockets into the YM2612 location on the PCB?
Couldn't smaller, lower cost FPGAs be designed to replace individual components? For example, an FPGA that sockets into the YM2612 location on the PCB?
I recall one of the videos I watched mentioning that Analogue was intending to make it so settings would automatically migrate from firmware version to firmware version. Any word as to whether this version includes that feature?
Did they say they were going to refund you? You had to pay for shipping back to them right? They covered the shipping for your replacement back to you right? Man... what a mess. Hope I get the model I ordered so I don't have to deal with that crap.If anyone still cares, I have not received a shipping refund for sending back their wrong euro system or a tracking number for the correct jpn console I ordered. It's been a week and...yeah...I really wish they would have handled this quicker.
Did they say they were going to refund you? You had to pay for shipping back to them right? They covered the shipping for your replacement back to you right? Man... what a mess. Hope I get the model I ordered so I don't have to deal with that crap.
Because I'm international, I have to pay up front, which is unfortunate.
There's an earlier post from me where I had them clarify that the shipping expense would be covered before I did anything.
I'm just going to keep the thread updated on my status for posterity.
I'll stop once everything is settled, but there are still three things I await:
1. The tracking number and the item itself
2. The shipping refund to be processed.
3. The package to arrive free of customs charges.
I know this stuff is a downer to read about and it feels like I'm asking a lot of a small company, but people should be made aware, I feel.
I remain optimistic it will work out.
There was an earlier post in this thread that stated I was and I don't want to perceived that way. I don't want to appear indignant. People stop listening.I don't think you're asking a lot. I think it's fair for even small companies to have a plan in place for resolving issues like this. They should be prepared and even expect this to happen to some degree.
There was an earlier post in this thread that stated I was and I don't want to perceived that way. I don't want to appear indignant. People stop listening.
It seems like the Mega SG actually loads a different core when booting up a SMS game. Which has its own set of options and scaling choices. My guess is when you boot the Mega Everdrive it thinks you're loading a Genesis game, and then when you go to load a SMS game off that it realizes it and now has to boot the SMS core. Where as if you use the adapter and a Master Everdrive it just boots right into that SMS core.
Least that's my total guess. Based on the behavior and that you have different options that also need to be saved when in SMS mode.
Unrelated but I've never been able to run SMS games off my everdrive on my JVC X'Eye, anyone has had the issue? It's the US version of the Wondermega 2
This would mean that an sms adapter wouldn't work on the x'eye right?Actually these issues are related. The (stock) Genesis does a sort of weird not-quite-hard reset into Master System mode that boots it into Master System mode that the Everdrive triggers when it's set to load a Master System game. This aspect of the hardware isn't replicated on the X'Eye (it's either full hard-reset, which just puts you back at the Everdrive main menu in Genesis mode; or soft-reset, which isn't a reset that goes far enough to check if the system should change from one mode to the other, doing little more than changing the currently running program's state).
Unsurprisingly, the Mega Sg does attempt Everdrive compatibility but it doesn't do it in a way that replicates the original hardware, since it has its own firmware that would get in the way of doing so the way the stock Genesis would -- hence why the reset works.
If anyone still cares, I have not received a shipping refund for sending back their wrong euro system or a tracking number for the correct jpn console I ordered. It's been a week and...yeah...I really wish they would have handled this quicker.
They included an 8bitdo controller in the box as an apology, which is a nice gesture, although I had already purchased one.
As for why Sega uses emulation boxes rather than FPGA -- FPGA is more expensive. Rather than going with reprogrammable hardware, Sega (and Nintendo and Sony) feel it's cheaper to get a comparatively much more powerful mobile processor these days, and just run accurate software instead. This takes much more hardware oomph to do, but we're talking scales of comparison here, being several millions of times faster than a Sega Genesis is still completely pathetic hardware for today's modern processors. Cycle accurate emulation is much more demanding, but the laymen can't see that level of fidelity anyway, even if they can notice a step up from SOACs. The Mega SG is a premium product, kinda like the megadrive equivalent of an audiophile pair of headphones.
This would mean that an sms adapter wouldn't work on the x'eye right?
SmokeMonster said:I forgot to commit my README changes, thanks for the reminder!
Wow. Didn't expect this today.First jailbreak is out. Load Genny/Megadrive roms direct from SD, no GG/SMS/1000 yet.
https://github.com/SmokeMonsterPacks/Mega-Sg-Jailbreak
Well I knew I had FW to update tonight, now this is even better.
Hope MS at least makes it in at some point.
Cool! Will still be using my x7 for savestate support, but eff yes!First jailbreak is out. Load Genny/Megadrive roms direct from SD, no GG/SMS/1000 yet.
https://github.com/SmokeMonsterPacks/Mega-Sg-Jailbreak
First jailbreak is out. Load Genny/Megadrive roms direct from SD, no GG/SMS/1000 yet.
https://github.com/SmokeMonsterPacks/Mega-Sg-Jailbreak
Cores Supported
Genesis/Megadrive ColecoVision Game Gear Master System
First jailbreak is out. Load Genny/Megadrive roms direct from SD, no GG/SMS/1000 yet.
https://github.com/SmokeMonsterPacks/Mega-Sg-Jailbreak
First jailbreak is out. Load Genny/Megadrive roms direct from SD, no GG/SMS/1000 yet.
https://github.com/SmokeMonsterPacks/Mega-Sg-Jailbreak
Interesting. Is there any pros/cons to using the jailbroken FW compared to say an everdrive?