Hello everyone!
Welcome to the new Pixel FX monthly newsletter! The goal of this newsletter is to improve the transparency of what the Pixel FX team has been working on, and to share project updates with the retro modding community.
Analog Bridge
First, we would like to begin this month’s newsletter talking about the team’s highest priority, the Analog Bridge. Development of the Analog Bridge is still in progress, and the team will not make the Q3 deadline as previously promised.
The hardware itself has been finalized, including all of the modular extension board variations that will be available at launch.
However, the team needs to spend more time to finalize the launch firmware, which is taking longer than initially planned. The new release date is now “before the holiday”, so expect to see the Analog Bridge release within the next few months.
We would like to take some time to provide pictures of the current Analog Bridge hardware:
From bottom to top, you can see the base Morph PCB, the Analog Bridge PCB, and one of the three modular extension boards that will be available at launch.
Here you can see how the Morph PCB, the Analog Bridge PCB, and the extension board will look when installed in a Morph case.
Here are the three modular extension PCB options that will be available at launch. From top to bottom:
Composite Video, S-Video, and dual VGA with 3.5mm audio jacks
Composite/Component Video, S-Video, 3.5mm audio, and SCART
Composite/Component Video, S-Video, 3.5mm audio, and VGA with 3.5mm audio
The Analog Bridge will include one of these extensions of your choosing, and additional extensions will be available to purchase when the Analog Bridge launches. A BNC extension board will be available in the future, but will not be available at launch.
The Analog Bridge’s VGA and SCART ports can accept any input format with some simple breakout cables (NOT INCLUDED). In the example above, you can see the VGA port can accept Composite Video, S-Video, Component, or SCART inputs.
Each extension will include an injection molded backplate with labels for every port. Here you can also see silver and black 3.5mm audio inputs. Both types support analog audio, but the black ones also accept TOSLINK/SPDIF digital audio.
The Analog Bridge will release for $100 USD, including your choice of extension board. Additional extension boards will be $25 USD each. *Early bird morph buyers will get a $75 voucher towards the analog bridge when released.
New RetroGEMs
Next, we would like to share news about upcoming RetroGEM HDMI mods.
The next RetroGEM to be released will likely be for the 3DO. Final testing is happening now. Below is a picture of the 3DO RetroGEM installed in a FZ-10 3DO.
After that, GameCube and Wii/ Wii Mini will be released. Flex cables for both models are in production. The flex cable for the Wii will support all revisions of the Wii, including the Wii Mini. Special shoutout to Shank for sending in a Wii Mini for development work.
We had previously shared news that a RetroGEM for the Original Xbox would be available. For now, we view a RetroGEM for the Xbox as low priority in comparison to the Analog Bridge and other GEM projects.
Infinity Switch
Next, let’s talk about the Infinity Switch. The current design uses some expensive components that could lead to the individual switch modules being more expensive than initially planned. Long story short, we will continue to work on the design to find the right price point.
It’s likely that the Infinity Switch will go through a redesign in order to lower the cost to compete with other high-end video switchers currently available. One idea we are discussing is to combine input modules in sets of 4 to reduce the overall cost for each input.
When used in conjunction with the Morph, the Infinity Switch will have advanced features beyond what is currently available with any other high end switching system. For example, you will be able to map a Morph profile to each input, which will be automatically applied when the console is turned on.
At this time, there is no release date. While this is disappointing news to share, we’re confident that we will deliver a high quality and affordable product.
Replacement Vented Morph Cases
Finally, we would like to talk about our new vented Morph case.
If you’ve purchased a Morph, you should have received an email with a link and a coupon code for a replacement vented top case (shipping costs still apply). The top case has been redesigned to provide additional cooling vents in order to alleviate potential thermal buildup.
The Morph’s new 12 bit HDR pipeline (currently only available in the unstable firmware) may cause the Morph’s FPGA to generate more heat than previous firmware versions. However, this feature has been thoroughly tested, and will not cause the FPGA to reach its 100 degree C maximum limit.
The vented case comes in black and a variety of new color options, available for just $5 more than the stock black case.
These new case colors are available as options for new Morph purchases as well, and all future Morph purchases will include the updated vented design.
Please let us know what you think of this newsletter! You can contact the team at https://www.pixelfx.co/support.
Until next month, take care everyone!