Friday, September 9, 2016

Hardware Review: Shinybow SB-2840 RGB to Component Transcoder

Share it Please
The Shinybow SB-2840 SCART-RGB to Component-Audio Converter

INTRODUCTION


For retro gamers outside of Europe, getting a great RGB setup takes quite a bit more effort. Our CRT TVs unfortunately lack the sought-after SCART RGB inputs that enable the highest possible quality output from a bevy of retro systems from the Super Nintendo to the Playstation 1 (if you're unfamiliar with RGB or SCART, please check out the Retro Gaming Intro Guide). The most talked about avenue is finding a Professional Video Monitor (PVM) with an RGB input, but there's another great option that's more affordable, and might actually be preferable to some on both price and aesthetic levels.

Consumer CRT TV tubes have unfortunately gotten a bad rap over the years, which mostly stems from their lack of high quality video inputs. Many arcade monitors in the 80s and 90s used the same tubes as consumer sets, but you will probably remember them looking much better than your home TV. I still remember the Street Fighter II Championship Edition cab at my local arcade looking particularly stunning. Those tubes had the RGB signal of the game board directly wired to them, resulting in a brilliant picture with no degradation or distortion.

We may have never gotten RGB inputs, but high-quality Component inputs did start showing up on CRT TVs toward the end of their lifespan in the late 90s and early 2000s. And while these TVs can be had for cheap (and even free) on Craigslist, they still leave your RGB-capable console using inferior signals. That is, without a little help!

Two different RGB-Component Converters: Shinybow SB-2840 (left), modded SPECIALTY-AV (right)

Luckily for us, it's possible to convert an RGB signal to Component with a handy device called an RGB to Component transcoder (or sometimes SCART to Component converter, or RGB to YUV converter, or any variation thereof). The transcoders are entirely analog devices, and can convert an RGB signal in real-time to Component with zero latency and minimal quality loss (it's still up for debate how much quality is lost, but to the naked eye it should be nearly indistinguishable).

There are several brands of transcoders out there, the most famous of which being the CYP CSY-2100. To my knowledge it's no longer manufactured, but a few "CSY-2100 clones" have popped up on Amazon and eBay to fill the gap. I had initially grabbed the SPECIALTY-AV one off Amazon last year, and while it had it's downsides, I thought it did a pretty good job overall.

A few weeks ago, however, I ran into the Shinybow SB-2840 by chance while browsing the US reseller Ani-AV. Shinybow produce professional-level video products, which means that unlike the cheap Chinese knockoffs, they have higher grade components and more consistent QC. Being somewhat unsatisfied with various aspects of the SPECIALTY-AV, I decided to go ahead and give it a try. So, let's get to the unboxing already!

UNBOXING


Back of the box

Full contents

The inside of the manual

And of course, the device itself:

SCART RGB input side

Component & stereo output / power input side

Mounting brackets on the bottom side, and no need to open it and void warranty!

MY THOUGHTS


First off, price wise, you're going to pay at least $30 more for the Shinybow over the knockoffs like the SPECIALTY-AV. I feel this difference is more than justified though, especially for something so integral to your setup that you want to last and perform flawlessly. One thing to keep in mind is that these transcoders are completely analog devices, so the quality of the components in them directly effects the picture quality.

Build wise, the Shinybow puts the knockoffs to shame. The SPECIALTY-AV feels flimsy, and the metal cover is thin and will give if you push on it. Even the SCART port gives when you push a cable into it (not to mention the cable fell out on me several times). In comparison, the Shinybow is solidly built, and feels heavy and strong. All the ports feel tight and sturdy with no give. You also get a nice built-in mounting bracket on the frame to help easily manage your setup.

By far the most convenient factor is that no color calibration is required for the unit. With the CSY clones you will have to open the device, and twist some knobs with a screwdriver in attempt to balance the picture. I spent some time watching howto videos and used the 240p Test Suite to calibrate the clone, but even after getting it as good as I could it still felt a little off. When I hooked the Shinybow up, I immediately noticed how much brighter and vivid the picture was, with bold colors and pure whites.

One other distinction that sets it apart from the clones is that it has built-in stereo output. While it's possible to mod in stereo-out from the clones or use a pop-out extender, it's nice having high quality plugs and no worries of distortion.

Compatibility-wise, the SB-2840 should work with any sync and resolution you throw at it. I've used a mix of Composite Sync (CSYNC) and Composite Video Sync consoles and all work fine. The Shinybow supports 240p, 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080p resolutions, and while I haven't tried them all I have seen confirmation on the internet that it does indeed work with all. One thing to keep in mind is that the analog transcoding is only converting the colorspace, not changing the input resolution. If you feed in 240p, that is exactly what will come out.

IN ACTION


So the big question is, how does it look? Well, it looks great in person, and while CRTs are hard to capture the vibrancy of, I've made a humble attempt with a phone camera. Here are some pictures of the transcoder on a 27" consumer Toshiba set:


Super Mario Bros 3 on RGB-Modded NES

Super Mario Bros 3 on RGB-Modded NES

Rondo of Blood on RGB-Modded PC Engine Duo

Rondo of Blood on RGB-Modded PC Engine Duo

Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts on SNES

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on Genesis

Metal Slug 2 on GroovyMAME (see my GroovyCube project for more details!)

Street Fighter II CE on GroovyMAME (see my GroovyCube project for more details!)

Mortal Kombat on GroovyMAME (see my GroovyCube project for more details!)

Mortal Kombat on GroovyMAME (see my GroovyCube project for more details!)

CONCLUSION


So, all in all, the SB-2840 comes highly recommended. It's a quality piece of gear that performs flawlessly and will easily last as long as your consoles. If you're using a Component-only CRT and need to get RGB on it, then it's easily your best bet at this time.

38 comments:

  1. How does the Shinybow's picture quality compare to to the HD Retrovision cables? Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry, I've never used the Retrovision cables so I can't compare. The one nice thing the Shinybow has over them though is that any RGB console will work with it. For instance, I have my SCART switch outputting to it with 5 different consoles connected.

      Delete
  2. This is a great product got it myself. The only thing is it may not work on all hd tvs. If it does you get alot of input lag. It does work great on HD Crt though. I like its add no lag too

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wavebeam,

    Your setup looks awesome! Is the groovymame box also connected via that Shinybow switch? If it's not, I guess it should pass the 15kHz signal just fine right?

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Yep, all my consoles including the Groovycube connect to the Shinybow switch, then just one output from it to TV via the Component converter.

      Delete
  4. Hi, excuse me for muy English.
    You can put a vídeo of mortal Kombat 1? The presentation screen where the faces appear?
    Thania you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yea sure, I can post a picture of it. Just give me a day or so.

      Delete
  5. So are you positive that this works with all syncs? Sync on Green/Luma/Composite/HV?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have tested with Composite Sync, Composite Video Sync, and Sync on Luma. Have not tested with Sync on Green however.

      Delete
  6. Is there any real difference in the image, between the specialty-av vs shinybow?
    I intend to use it only with groovymame. thanks friend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't have any photographic evidence unfortunately, but I would say yes. Even after getting the Specialty-AV calibrated as well as I could, my whites were still off and the whole picture felt a bit dimmer. Thankfully the Shinybow does not require any calibrating.

      Delete
  7. a question. If you put groovymame in the mortal kombat 1, what resolution and output hz takes this device?

    That you can see it on the presentation screen where the faces go down. If the movement is smooth and steady, it is correct. Greetings

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just added the pictures from Mortal Kombat you requested. It's a very odd resolution and refresh rate: 400x254 @ 53.2hz

      Delete
  8. I just got mine at it appears there is some kind of sync issue. On bright while transition screens it appears to briefly lose sync and the picture starts to scroll before correcting itself. When I boot my Sega Saturn, the Saturn logo screen will slowly scroll up and off the screen. Very odd. Any ideas? All of my stuff is using CSYNC.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Strange indeed! What kind of TV is it outputting to? I don't have a Saturn so I wasn't able to test it in particular, but I don't see why there would be an issue. I've tried just about every sort of sync on it so I don't think that could be it either. I've heard of someone having issues with the power supply, but not sure if that would cause that either...

      Delete
    2. So upon further investigation it appears to be my TV. Which is kind of weird as its the 14" version of the Toshiba you used! Maybe just an age thing.

      Delete
    3. Man that's so weird. Are you using a switch or running straight into the Shinybow?

      Delete
  9. Same issue via switch or directly into the shinybow. Effects all consoles. Going to try another consumer CRT when I can (it works great when connected to a PVM). Any chance the component cable could play a role?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Component cable is unlikely to be a problem, but it wouldn't hurt to try another to rule it out. It's recommended to use 75ohm video cables, but I don't think it would cause anything this major. If you rule out the cable then its really down to the Shinybow or the CRT. Please let me know if you have a chance to try another CRT. I would almost suspect it being the Shinybow. It's possible its faulty and outputting off spec signal only PVM is compatible with.

      Delete
    2. Okay! So I picked up a new consumer TV and.....it works great! Thanks for helping me narrow it down.

      Delete
  10. I used this shinybow to hook up my freshly RGB modded N64 using CSYNC but unfortunately TV says resolution not compatible. 4k Samsung UHD TV but I had tested it before hand using composite video over component at 240p (got black and white video which is supposed to mean my TV is 240p compatible right?) and that worked, I wonder why it doesn't do full RGB over component? 240p works fine over composite too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unfortunately, not all inputs on a TV are created equal. I've heard of this same problem before where a TV will take 240p over Composite but not Component. Even if it did take 240p though chances are it would misinterpret it as a 480i signal and try to de-interlace it. If you're going to play on a HD set you really need something like the OSSC or Framemeister unfortunately.

      Delete
    2. Actually I had not wired the sync on my mod properly so now it works! Now I only have this small interference problem where flickering streaks show up on right half of display. Subtle but noticeable. When I unplug and replug the shinybow, they go away, but slowly reappear over 30-60 seconds. Could this be a ground issue?

      Delete
    3. Certainly sounds possible. I actually heard of someone having trouble with the stock power supply and replacing it, then it worked fine. I'm not sure exactly what symptoms they were seeing though. Please let me know if you figure it out.

      Delete
  11. Hello, did you have any issues with the included power supply? I read someone said their's was underpowered and causing picture noise on the TV so they had to replace it with one that had a higher rated output.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't had any issues with mine, but I've heard from two people that had the noise problem. Both said it was fixed after changing the power supply. It seems to be a pretty uncommon problem though, so if you're getting one I'd just try the stock first and see how it works.

      Delete
  12. Any idea what other power supply works for this? Just curious in case mine doesn't work well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry, I'm not sure. I've heard those who've had problems that ordered from ani-av were able to get free replacements though.

      Delete
  13. I picked up one of these and love it, but I have to place it in a certain spot on top of my Trinitron CRT or else the picture is brighter on one side of the screen than the rest. I assume this is a magnet issue, has anyone else seen something similar?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's strange, haven't heard that one. Maybe there is a short in one of your cables? I have heard of various power supply issues with them, it might be worth trying a different one.

      Delete
    2. It's specific to the position of the Shinybow converter itself; by moving it around the brightness distortion on the screen moves with it. Very strange.

      Delete
  14. Thanks for the in-depth review. I have an old sharp aquos EDTV. I bought the Shinybow SB-2840 based on your recommendation and teamed it with an old DVDO i-scan pro line doubler. The results are fantastic. My Sega Genesis has never looked better.

    ReplyDelete
  15. If you were to connect the 3 video component cables into a VGA adapter, would it display on a PC CRT monitor?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No this is meant for 15kHz video, not 31kHz that's more common for PC CRTs.

      Delete
  16. I see that these comments are coming up on almost 6 months old at this point.....but....this is the only site I have been able to find where the same problem I am experiencing is being discussed.

    I got the Shinybow, and it works beautifully on my SNES, Genesis, and Master System. On the Saturn and the PS1, I have the same flickering, rolling screen that was mentioned by another commenter above. It seems strange that it would only effect two of the consoles.

    My first step is going to be direct hookup from the consoles to the Shinybow, without running through the switcher first.

    Any other ideas? Maybe it's my TV? In that case why would some of the consoles work fine?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rolling screens indicate a problem with sync. In general CSYNC aka Composite Sync cables are the best option with widest capability, so you might want to try another SCART cable.

      Delete
  17. Hi, do you can really notice the diference in quality colors and sharpness between RGB SCART directly to a TV set SCART enabled and the shinybow via component? btw really nice article!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've never compared the two on the same set, so I can't really say for sure. Theoretically RGB is the best quality since it's uncompressed, but I would say anyone would be hard pressed to tell them apart in blind tests.

      Delete