Stone Age Gamer just opened pre-orders on a new batch of Jag2HD’s – An A/V out adapter designed by Humble Bazooka that contains the same high quality analog video output that was used in their previous adapters. For analog options, it has a Genesis 2-style MinDIN that’s compatible with all Genesis 2 output solutions, as well as a dedicated S-Video port. It also offers 720p HDMI output, however it’s using an RGB to HDMI circuit similar to (laggy) plug and play cables. That said, this might be the perfect solution for people who game on CRT’s, but also want to stream – No scaler needed, just connect this directly to any capture card, while safely using either of the analog outputs to game on a CRT (or through a different scaler) at the same time. I think most people would rather have the AIOA, or the Jag-tastic AIOAPlus that also includes the JagLink adapter built in, but this might still be a great option for lots of people. More info after the links:
Jag2HD: https://retrorgb.link/jag2hd
Cheap Capture: https://retrorgb.link/cheapusbcapture
JagAIOA: https://retrorgb.link/jagaioa
JagAIOA+: https://retrorgb.link/jagaioaplus
Genesis 2 Cables: https://www.retrorgb.com/genesisrgbcables.html
Adapters like this are always interesting. On one hand, it provides a really convenient way to stream. And while those cheap $20 capture cards aren’t something you’d ever use for analysis or a product review, they’re perfect for people who just want to casually stream games with their friends. Sure, you could just get an AIOA and cheap HDMI cable for streaming, but this is certainly a cleaner solution.
In fact, this might even be a good option for people who use higher-end scalers. While at first that might sound weird, what if you have a RetroTINK 5x outputting 1440p, or a RetroTINK 4K outputting 1080p120 with BFI to your display and a 1080p capture card? You’d either have to buy an HDMI splitter and capture card that can handle the higher resolution/refresh rates, or lower the resolution of your TINK. OR, just get this and plug the Jag2HD’s HDMI-out directly into a capture card, while using the RGB-out for scaling to your TV! That’s not a common use case, but I’m just trying to make the point that adapters like that can absolutely be a help in people’s setups.
And sure, you can just plug this directly into your TV, but it’s important to know what’s going to happen as a result. The video below demonstrates why this (or any cheap HDMI cable/box) shouldn’t be your main “Console to flat-panel” solution, however many people over the years have told me they use solutions like this temporarily, until they get the scaler (or CRT) they’re looking for. It’s my strong opinion that’s an awesome way to look at stuff like this: Perfect to hold you off, then you’ll still have excellent analog output from the same adapter, with the bonus of a “backup” HDMI out for streaming. Heck, I know lots of people who use stuff like this, so they don’t have to bring their whole setup to a friends house to casually check out some retro games!
