Mosfetti Forum

Getting a classic console onto a modern display is a solved problem with too many solutions. Internal HDMI kits, RGB/component cables, and external scalers all claim to be “the” answer. The better question is: what are you optimizing for?

RetroRGB’s coverage of RetroGEM expanding to platforms like 3DO is a good prompt to think in systems, not product names:

Source: RetroGEM HDMI Mod Adds 3DO Support — RetroRGB

Internal HDMI mods

Pros:

• Single-cable convenience
• Often excellent digital output when well designed
• Clean living-room installs

Cons:

• Install risk (heat, lifts, case cuts on some kits)
• Harder to reverse completely
• Cost stacks if you mod every console

External scalers / processors

Pros:

• One device serves many consoles
• Console stays closer to stock
• Easier to upgrade the video chain later

Cons:

• Cable and switch complexity
• Quality depends on the console’s analog output stage
• Lag and processing settings become a hobby of their own

Mosfetti decision guide

• Daily-driver living room console → internal HDMI can be worth it
• Collection of many systems → scaler ecosystem often wins
• Museum-stock preservation → external path only
• Uncertain soldering skills → pay an installer or stay external

Discussion

What is your house standard in 2026: internal HDMI everywhere, RGB into a scaler, or a hybrid mess that somehow works?