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A freelance hardware and software designer has created an adapter to let fans of the Nintendo 64 plug their systems into their sets via an HDMI cable.
Anyone who has plugged their trusty N64 into an HDTV knows all too well the heartbreak that ensues. The games, already painfully dated as far as polygonal graphics are concerned, don't handle well the transition to the 16:9, high definition output of modern sets. The old-school graphical charm is distorted in ways that make them look worse than they did on an old CRT standard television.
The creator of the adapter, a 23 year-old by the name of Marshall H, has a background in electrical engineering and design work. He told VentureBeat's GameBeat he was initially sparked to create the adapter by the lamentations of many people, himself included, who noticed how poorly N64 graphics showed on flatscreen televisions.
With HDMI, or DisplayPort, Marshall said you will always get a better picture, even with the "low-res pixel soup from the N64."
The adapter is still in development, with Marshall looking to improve on his original design -- like making the mod easier to install. In its current incarnation, the adapter requires a bit of soldering. He also wants to make sure it works with the various television formats used around the world. "A lot of N64 fans are Down Under," he said.
Marshall has a website, Retroactive, where you can read more about his N64 adapter, along with entries about his other projects
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