This video gives a pretty good comparison https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e27bNOlh0gM
A video processor can only do so much, you have to give it a good source to begin with. The XRGB really shines when you can get RGB video from your console (be it SCART or JP21, "component video" isn't the same as RGB btw). It cost me $35 to mod my SNES mini to output RGB and it was very easy to do, certain Genesis models output RGB with no modification (you just need a SCART cable). I would say getting off of composite video should be high priority as the quality is very poor. A cheap scaler likely uses the cheapest signal processing hardware that the engineers could scrounge up, the result is you have a lower quality image that took longer to be processed (which is what causes input lag).
To address input lag concerns on the XRGB (which btw is excellent in that regard, I would like to think at least some of the ridiculous price went towards a fast signal processor),
Does XRGB Mini add input lag ?
Yes, somewhere around 20ms of input lag is added.
Is this in addition to the input lag already present on my display?
Yes, however you should note that without an upscaler like the XRGB Mini, all HDTVs will process 240p and 288p content as interlace. Since deinterlacing typically adds 2 or more frames of input lag, using the Mini will actually reduce input lag on many sets when dealing with 240p/288p sources (particularly newer sets with more sophisticated deinterlacing). Of course, it will also drastically improve the image quality.
http://junkerhq.net/xrgb/index.php/XRGB-mini_FRAMEMEISTER#Does_XRGB_Mini_add_input_lag_.3F
If I didn't explain it well enough or if you have other questions feel free to PM me/start a scaler thread to avoid clogging up this thread.
Log in to comment