PS1/2 [Question] Native digital video from PS2?

[ChipBiscuit]

Having recently learned about the Gamecube's native digital video port, that got me thinking: would it be theoretically possible to hard-mod the PS2 (or really any analogue-only console) to have the same functionality?
I'm not talking about an analogue-to-digital converter, either. Those always introduce some amount of latency and quality loss, however small. I mean taking a raw digital signal straight from the Graphics Synthesizer, bypassing any internal converters that break out into composite and component analogue signals.
If this can be done, it would make for ultra-low-latency, lossless digital video ready for wiring up to an HDMI port, ideal for video capture and general gaming on modern displays.
Any ideas for how, or even if, this could be achieved?

 

[Snomannen_kalle]

I want this too. Although a mod like this doesn't exist, I think it is technically possible, but I read somewhere that deinterlacing the 480i signal that most(?) games run on poses a big problem

 

[ChipBiscuit]

True, it wouldn't solve the interlacing problem, but there are other ways around that. I actually have a spare PS2 slimline that has a broken DVD drive but otherwise works fine, that would be perfect for experimenting on. But I'm a babby who's never done a hardware mod in his life so I don't wanna go messing with it.

 

[Snomannen_kalle]

I don't have the necessary knowledge about hardware mods to do it either. There is one guy that made an HDMI hardmod (though he did it in such a way as to convert the analog signal to digital). At the end of the tutorial I linked to, he wrote this:

However, I have found schematics for some models of the PS1 and PS2, and they include information about how the digital video signals are connected within the console. Making a direct HDMI video output mod for the PS1 and PS2 is something I’m interested in doing in the future once I have the equipment, like an oscilloscope, and time, to look into it further.

The blogpost itself is from July 2017, so I guess we'll just have wait and see if he ever does it or not

 

[Sakitoshi]

I don't have the necessary knowledge about hardware mods to do it either. There is one guy that made an HDMI hardmod (though he did it in such a way as to convert the analog signal to digital). At the end of the tutorial I linked to, he wrote this: The blogpost itself is from July 2017, so I guess we'll just have wait and see if he ever does it or not

that guy just bundled a run of the mill component to hdmi inside his ps2, you can do the same with no effort at all by buying a ps2 to hdmi adapter.

the closest you can get to a pure signal is the ps2 blaze vga, vga is high quality but still analog and I have no idea how that one works or how compatible it is.

 

[Snomannen_kalle]

that guy just bundled a run of the mill component to hdmi inside his ps2, you can do the same with no effort at all by buying a ps2 to hdmi adapter.

the closest you can get to a pure signal is the ps2 blaze vga, vga is high quality but still analog and I have no idea how that one works or how compatible it is.

Yeah, I know, it's not ideal at all. The only reason I linked to it in the first place is because he intends to make a "true" (if I can call it that) HDMI mod in the future, just like the one for N64

 

[NightStorm1000]

http://retrorgb.com/playstation.html There you can find anything you need to get the best Possible Image out of the PS2

 

[Daggot]

that guy just bundled a run of the mill component to hdmi inside his ps2, you can do the same with no effort at all by buying a ps2 to hdmi adapter.

the closest you can get to a pure signal is the ps2 blaze vga, vga is high quality but still analog and I have no idea how that one works or how compatible it is.

What I link below is the absolute closest to it you can get but the mod only works on a few PS2 revisions IIRC. There isn't much info online about it though last I checked.

https://gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=av:playstation_2_rgb_sync
http://psx-scene.com/forums/f20/ps2-vga-hack-kiss-sync-green-goodbye-;-42592/

 

[ChipBiscuit]

What I link below is the absolute closest to it you can get but the mod only works on a few PS2 revisions IIRC. There isn't much info online about it though last I checked.

Interesting stuff. I checked out the first link you posted - initially disheartened by the fact that the original PS2 outputs a native analogue signal with no DAC, and therefore there is no digital signal to tap into.
However, the slimline PS2 does have a digital line going from the EE+GS into the slimline-exclusive CXM-4000 chip. The post you linked says there's no way to tap into that, but it seemed like they were focused on analogue playback and didn't look into the digital side much.
So there may be hope yet - if we can find a way to read that digital signal.

 

[Barawer]

seems that there is gonna be a PS2HDMI mod:

First #PS2HDMI firmware on prototype board and FFC is working! Needless to say: hardware designed by @citrus3000psi 😀 pic.twitter.com/DrHzF9xtDq

— chriz2600 (@chriz2600) December 23, 2018

 

[ChipBiscuit]

seems that there is gonna be a PS2HDMI mod:
(tweet)

Okay now THIS is epic!
Jokes aside, that's exactly what I'm looking for. Definitely keeping an eye on this one for updates!

 

[Arecaidian Fox]

seems that there is gonna be a PS2HDMI mod:
https://twitter.com/chriz2600/status/1076912445942386688

Just when I was looking into getting a PS2 again, sweet.

 

[Snomannen_kalle]

seems that there is gonna be a PS2HDMI mod:
https://twitter.com/chriz2600/status/1076912445942386688

This is awesome, thanks for sharing!

Edit: I'll just place this tweet here for those of you that are wondering which revisions this mod supports (tweet from the hardware designer)

Still confirming exact models, but should work on all models that are in between 3500x and 7900x

— citrus3000psi (@citrus3000psi) December 23, 2018