New CRT shader from Guest + CRT Guest Advanced updates

[GPDP1]

The only masks that don’t result in clean triads of some kind are masks 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 11. Masks 2 and 6 are identical in layout, and so are masks 0 and 5 for that matter.

What TVL count are you shooting for? For instance, Mask 6 size 1 at 1080p results in 360 TVL (preferably using the subpixel arrangement opposite that of the panel’s to have cleanly spaced subpixels i.e. using BGR on an RGB panel). This is more or less how it boils down:

1080p
Mask 0 = 540 TVL
Mask 6 = 360 TVL
Mask 10 = 270 TVL
Mask 12 = 154 TVL (waaaaay too low to be usable lol)

1440p
Mask 0 = 720 TVL
Mask 6 = 480 TVL
Mask 10 = 360 TVL
Mask 12 = 205 TVL (still too low)

4K
Mask 0 = 1080 TVL
Mask 6 = 720 TVL
Mask 10 = 540 TVL
Mask 12 = 308 TVL

Since you brought up Mask 6 being ideal at 1080p, and Mask 10 has an identical TVL count to that at 1440p, I’d say you want Mask 10, size 1.

[Cyber]

@GPDP1

What TVL count are you shooting for?

Thanks @GPDP1! I’m looking for around 300TVL to 360TVL. Your answer is exactly what I’m looking for. I can use this to start creating some 1440p Optimized versions of my recent presets without having to resort to using a 1440p screen.

@GPDP1

Mask 10 has an identical TVL count to that at 1440p, I’d say you want Mask 10, size 1

Thanks again @GPDP1. This is exactly which mask and size I’ve been using for my existing 1440p presets. I wasn’t able to see proper RGB triads when I was testing them a long time ago but then I was actually scaling the 1440p resolution to fill my 4K screen instead of using 1 to 1 with no scaling when making my initial 1440p Optimized presets.

You live and you learn so this is what I would use to convert my Trinitron presets.

Now for my Slot_Mask presets at 4K, I use 7 wide, 2, 3 or 4 tall with Mask 12 at size 1 or 3 wide, 1 or 2 tall with Mask 6 at size 2.

I get RGB/BGR triads with those at 4K. I wonder what combination I would have to use to get similar results at 1440p or at least something that gets me the RGB/BGR triads without being too chunky at 1440p.

[GPDP1]

For a slot mask preset, you’ll probably want 4 wide, 2 tall for Mask 10 at 1440p.

[razaigon]

Wow, I didn’t know that mask type and size were related to TVL simulation. I aim for 800TVL of the aperture grill like the Sony PVM series on my 4K/RGB array LCD monitor. Could you please let me know which one would be best in this case?

[GPDP1]

Closest to it would be Mask 6 using the BGR subpixel arrangement, or Mask 9.

[Fab]

I have a 1440p monitor and I use mask 10, slot mask width 4, height 2: best option. You could use 11, which is brighter, but less “deep” (10 is RGB, 11 is cyan, magenta and green if I remember correctly).

Edit: 10 is RGBX, 11 is red, yellow, cyan and blue.

[GPDP1]

Mask 11 ends up being the same TVL count as Mask 10, as it uses four pixels to make a complete phosphor triad (red and blue come together to form magenta). It’s a good mask to use if you don’t mind trading a bit of accuracy for twice the brightness output as Mask 10. I use it at 4K myself for N64 games and above.

[sonkun]

Hey @guest.r or anyone else that may be able to answer this question, for someone using a 1440p monitor that wants to use the Slot Mask with crt mask 6, which slot mask settings should it be? I know that using it on a 1080p monitor you would make the slot mask width 3, slot mask height 2 and slot mask size 1 but what numbers would those 3 settings need to be for a 1440p monitor?

Or do I also have to change the mask to 10 or something like that?

Edit: nvm I found the settings needed it’s mask 10, slot mask width 4, height 2. Can’t believe the answer to my question was just a few posts up lol

[nfp0]

@hunterk

What kind of news are you expecting?

I was hopeful about some documentation. Many parameters are quite complex.
This complexity and flexibility is the reason why this shader is so awsome, but it’s not easy to use it without skimming through spread out posts in this thread.

Info like this mask table, for example, is very useful but might be hard to find. It would be nice to have it on some documentation and on the OP for new visitors:

New CRT shader from Guest + CRT Guest Advanced updates

Hey, masks are currently like WYSWYG and imo it shouldn’t be too hard to pick your fauvorite one or change some options. Nevertheless, a short description: -1.0: no mask 0.0: a dense magenta-green mask 1.0: Lottes RGB mask with a some sort of slotmask 2.0: Lottes RGB mask 3.0: Lottes - a bit enlarged and shifted RGB mask 4.0: Lottes - 2x enlarged and shifted RGB mask, looks nicer with 4k+ 5.0: a dense magenta green mask (trinitron mask controls) 6.0: RGB mask (trinitron mask controls) 7.0: BW…

And it would also be nice to have this shader in the main libretro repository.

[hunterk]

@nfp0

And it would also be nice to have this shader in the main libretro repository.

this one? or is there one I’m missing? https://github.com/libretro/slang-shaders/tree/master/crt/shaders/guest/advanced

[nfp0]

Oh my! Silly me, I had completely forgot about it haha!
I’ll update my presets to point to that. Thanks!

[nfp0]

Glad to see someone else enjoying Tokkyuu Shirei Solbrain. It’s a great Famicom game.
And it got RetroAchievements recently too (mostly ported from Shatterhand).

[guest.r]

Here is a wip screenie of new halation implementation.

I find the current official implementation has to struggle quite hard to find it’s purpose.

Screenshot was made with full masks and halation only.

[sonkun]

This is gonna look so sexy on my presets, can’t wait When you post your new update please post the settings you used for that screenie.

[nfp0]

That looks gorgeous!

[Fab]

Is the whole image more glowy than before?

[guest.r]

The ‘halos’ around edges are more pronounced. IMO it could look very nice when viewed at a certain distance.

As i remember some arcade machines from way back, the experience was glowy and with good looking colors, also quite bright. Thick glass definitevelly played a role, but i have to use my memory lol. Screenshots looks as good as your display is, good thing to consider.

[sonkun]

Speaking of glow, is it possible to implement some kind of “adaptive glow” feature? What I mean is that depending on the kind of image you see the glow will adjust itself automatically. If you’re on a dark screen it adds the right amount of glow to illuminate the screen, if you’re on a bright screen it dims glow to the right level etc. Kind of like how phones have that adaptive brightness feature.

It can function just like the raster bloom setting on how it zooms the image in more or zoom out more depending on the game screen. Just something I thought of not sure if that’s even possible.

[guest.r]

These situations are always tricky, because they are also related to mask strength if we are using bloom or halation.

But it’s something to consider in possible future development.

[sonkun]

I figured it wouldn’t be something simple you can just throw in there and call it a day. Maybe that can be further looked into in the future if that. Who knows, that might not even be a good idea to add in, could make things worse actually.

In any case I still look forward to your upcoming update to see how this new adjusted halation feature can apply to my presets.