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Kuro
  DCHardwarePAL  
  opened by paleface at 15:46:04 06/06/23  
  last modified by paleface at 12:23:17 03/05/24  
  paleface [sys=DC; cat=Hardware; reg=EUR]
           
VGA box from Turkish maker Behar Bros. Gives nice signal quality--if the "IDC" cable in this original version feels like making a firm connection to the box from the DC; it's a stiff ~4" cable and loose in the socket, so you've got to keep it straight behind the DC or you'll get slowly shifting colors or, more usual for me now, some audio buzzing.
 
Sigh. They more or less acknowledged this design flaw by releasing a new Kuro version that changes the cable to a more standard small round socket type. That new version is "out of stock" though so I guess I'm upgrading to the Hanzo, which is the same except adds optional scanlining switches for $10 more. : P I could have gone with their "Kuro Plus" for the same price--it doesn't have the scanlining capability (which I am not going to use), but does have Euro SCART out in addition to the VGA out...I didn't want that huge SCART socket staring at me, though, 'cause I sure am not going to hook up the massive cables and box for it. : P
 
Aside from the cable-notwithstanding nice output quality on these Kuro and Hanzo and other Behar Bros funky-named VGA boxes, a very cool feature is that you can switch them from 31khz 480p VGA mode to a 15khz 480i mode that actually works with games like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (see entry 1490) that aren't normally VGA-compatible; so you don't have to switch cables, just flip a switch on the box and it works--the output isn't as sharp as 480p VGA of course but its better than not being able to play the games or having to switch to a component cable or something.
 
  paleface 15:51:53 06/06/23
           
The old-style cable is braided. The new-style cable is described as a "Mini DIN."
 
  paleface 16:00:14 06/06/23
           
And the mini-DINs are on rubber rather than braided cables, probably slightly more flexible. It was the IDC plug and socket being plastic rather than metal that was probably the real problem in allowing them too much wiggle and not a firm connection, but the stiffness of the cable sure didn't help either.
    
downloads:
· 00_kuro_hanzo.jpg
 
references:
· Framemeister XRGB-mini (NEO)
· Hanzo (DC)

 
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