The Neo Geo MVSX Arcade Machine - Let's MOD it! - Part 1

RetroRalph·video·4m 37s·analyzed·Nov 6, 2020

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.021

TL;DR

RetroRalph shows Neo Geo MVSX modding via VS DisplayBoard for HDMI connectivity.

Summary

RetroRalph demonstrates the Neo Geo MVSX arcade cabinet's modding capabilities, focusing on display board replacement and control panel customization. He shows how to access the LVDS connection and power inputs to enable HDMI connectivity for alternative systems like Pandora's Box or Raspberry Pi, while noting that soft modding opportunities may emerge through future software updates.

Key Claims

The Neo Geo MVSX monitor resolution is 1280 by 1024 pixels
high confidence · Jon states technical specifications while demonstrating the hardware
The MVSX processor is an ATM705 quad running at 1 GHz
high confidence · Jon provides hardware specifications during technical walkthrough
A VS DisplayBoard can enable HDMI/VGA/DVI connectivity on the MVSX
high confidence · Jon demonstrates the display board installation and capability
The MVSX control panel is accessible by removing three screw covers on both sides
high confidence · Jon demonstrates disassembly process
The MVSX is as simple or simpler to mod than first-generation Arcade1Up cabinets
medium confidence · Jon's opinion comparing modding difficulty to Arcade1Up systems

Notable Quotes

“They said, don't open it up, right? And of course, in there the video you can see, I tried to take it apart.”
Jon (RetroRalph)@ 0:09 — Reveals that manufacturer had embargo on disassembly during review period; Jon admits to breaking embargo
“I had it right there. I took it apart, and you guys didn't even notice, so clearly I totally broke the rules.”
Jon (RetroRalph)@ 0:40 — Jon acknowledges violating embargo restrictions by concealing equipment modification
“With this VS DisplayBoard, we can then plug this in and then plug anything HDMI up to the monitor and we're good to go.”
Jon (RetroRalph)@ 1:14 — Demonstrates core modding capability enabling alternative software/systems
“So you can use a Pandora's box, a Pi, or whatever it is that you want to mod this with.”
Jon (RetroRalph)@ 1:54 — Outlines flexibility of modding approach allowing multiple emulation platforms
“The beauty of this is that if you were on the fence, you can mod it. Now, in the future, there may be soft mod opportunities.”
Jon (RetroRalph)@ 2:37 — Suggests manufacturer may provide software-based modding options or updates

Entities

RetroRalphpersonNeo Geo MVSXproductVS DisplayBoardproductPandora's BoxproductRaspberry PiproductArcade1UpcompanyETA PrimepersonHilo Stick teamorganization

Signals

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community_signal: Soft-modding opportunities anticipated for MVSX through future software updates or third-party developer work
medium · Jon mentions potential future soft-mods from Hilo Stick team or MVSX team software updates
?
product_strategy: MVSX displayable as easily moddable platform with VS DisplayBoard enabling HDMI/VGA/DVI flexibility
high · Jon demonstrates LVDS to HDMI conversion capability and compares favorably to Arcade1Up modding difficulty
?
technology_signal: VS DisplayBoard represents standard aftermarket solution for arcade cabinet display upgrades enabling modern connectivity
high · Jon specifies exact board model, installation process, and compatibility with 1280x1024 resolution

Topics

Hardware modification/modding of arcade cabinetsprimaryNeo Geo MVSX technical specifications and disassemblyprimaryDisplay board upgrades and HDMI connectivityprimaryAlternative emulation platforms (Pandora's Box, Raspberry Pi)secondaryReview embargo compliance and industry restrictionssecondaryComparison to Arcade1Up modding difficultysecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.75)— RetroRalph is enthusiastic about MVSX modding potential and ease of modification. He frames the system positively as user-friendly for customization. The sentiment is tempered slightly by his inability to complete the full demonstration due to not having the production unit.

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.014

Hey guys, welcome back. Alright, today we're going to take another look at the Neo Geo MVSX. Now, there was a stipulation when everyone reviewed this. It was something we all had to abide by. They said, don't open it up, right? And of course, in the video you can see, I tried to take it apart. And then I was, aw, come on man, seriously, come on, aw. But I complied, I complied. But there's one small detail that you guys missed. When I went into the storage room, I opened up the storage locker, I went in there and I was looking for one thing. Do you remember what I was looking for? I was looking for the Neo Geo control panel, and I got it, and I brought it home. And you guys are better than this. You usually pick up on these little things in the video. It was right in front of your eyes, right there. I had it right there. I took it apart, and you guys didn't even notice, so clearly I totally broke the rules. And that's what we're going to talk about today. Can you mod this? While some people may want to preserve the original MVSX and the original PCB, some may want to do more of a complete mod. In order to do that, you're going to need to take off the PCB, and you're going to gain access to the LVDS connection and the power connection for the monitor. And while we in here the processor is an ATM705 quad running at 1 GHz but we don care about that right now because we going to mod it All right so here we go There the monitor We need to know what monitor it is so we know what VS DisplayBoard to get And the resolution of the monitor is 1280 by 1024. And with this VS DisplayBoard, we can then plug this in and then plug anything HDMI up to the monitor and we're good to go. All right, in the back of the system, you're going to grab the LVDS connection. Now be careful because it has a little dot right there. That dot is to indicate pin 1. And then pin 1 on the LVDS display board has got actually a little triangle. So make sure you line those up correctly and connect that to your VS Display Board. Now at this point you can connect the power, which is this connection right here. And you're going to connect that to the power connection. And now you can connect something VGA, DVI, or HDMI. So you can use a Pandora's box, a Pi, or whatever it is that you want to mod this with. To gain access to the control panel, you need to remove these three screw covers and then you unscrew it on both sides and the panel will actually come right out. Now I don't have the unit anymore so I'm not able to complete this mod video, but the reason for this was to show you that if you were interested in picking one of these up, you could mod it with a Pandora box or a Raspberry Pi or something like that So what I going to do is as soon as I get my unit I will finish this video and show you how to do buttons and joysticks and all that But if you wanted to know right now you could refer to like the Pandora Box Arcade 1 tutorial that ETA Prime did for the Arcade 1 It actually will be very similar process or even his Raspberry Pi video. So I'm looking forward to completing this series and showing you all the modding capabilities of the MVSX. Now keep in mind this is a full mod. There may be soft mod opportunities in the future. All right, guys. Well, in conclusion, for final thoughts, what we have here is a system that's very easy to mod. So the monitor can be modded very easy with a simple VS Display Board that will allow us to connect VGA, DVI, HDMI. Now, keep in mind, you want to stick with things that aren't going to output widescreen because it is a 5.4 monitor. But the beauty of this is that if you were on the fence, you can mod it. Now, in the future, there may be soft mod opportunities, right? The Hilo Stick team may get their hands on this and do something. The MVSX team themselves may have software updates, so if you decide you don't want to mod it, you can kind of wait for software updates, or if you like it as is, that's fine too. You can do joysticks and buttons and then kind of leave it stock or somewhat stock But I just want to put this out there so you that so you know you can actually mod it and it as simple as doing a gen one arcade one if anything it might be a little bit more simple because you have more buttons to play with so you wouldn't have to necessarily put holes in your control panel to add additional buttons so anyways when I get the production unit I will actually do more videos to give you guys a more complete picture of the process but I just want you guys to know and get this information out there that you can actually mod this thing so if you enjoyed this video give me a thumbs up consider subscribing to the channel put your comments below I know does this make you more excited for the system or you just don't care either way or you know you're just gonna keep it stock whatever let me know below I'm really curious about that I will have links in the description to the vs display board that works if you want to get it in advance of getting your prop your product and that's it thanks for watching guys and we'll see you all that's what Thank you.