VIC20digitizer

Name: VIC20digitizer
SKU: 31917
Price: 49.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock
Rating: 4.88 (2 reviews)

(2 Reviews)

A mod board to upgrade a VIC 20 homecomputer to output semi-digital video for further upscaling.

Designed by c0pperdragon in Austria

2023-09-21T15:41:42.253Z-vic20digitizer.jpg

$49.00

Out of Stock

Sold out since Jul 06, 2024

A mod board to upgrade a VIC 20 homecomputer to output semi-digital video for further upscaling.

What is it? This board is inserted between the VIC chip and its socket in the VIC 20 home computer. The FPGA on the board listens to the digital communication between the VIC and the rest of the syst…

What is it?

This board is inserted between the VIC chip and its socket in the VIC 20 home computer. The FPGA on the board listens to the digital communication between the VIC and the rest of the system and re-generates the video output in a near-digital form. This output signal (we call it 'lumacode') can then be flawlessly upscaled to a pixel-perfect HDMI signal using an RGBtoHDMI device or something with equal capabilities.

Why did you make it?

The original video output of homecomputers of the 1980th is of pretty low quality. Using a modern TV to display this signal normally does not make this any better. In fact it normally just exaggerates the visible noise. Also there is basically no way to improve the analog signal because of the random nature of the noise.

With my digital-only approach, the monitor picture is absolutely perfect without any noise or ghosting.

Compatibility

Starting with 25.1.2024, the board now works with all variants of the VIC (PAL and NTSC). Thanks to Todd for lending me his NTSC version to get the development done.

UK shipping

I do not ship to the UK any longer. Please refer to the official vendor list for information on how to obtain my designs in the UK.

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Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Product: (5.00)

Documentation: (4.50)

Shipping: (5.00)

Communication: (5.00)

Joshua | April 29, 2024

The best it gets!

The VIC20digitizer is another great product in the Lumacode line. I've modded my NTSC VIC20 with S-Video, but for digital screens there isn't much better than the crisp HDMI output from Lumacode. Running the output to my Retrotink4K produces a flawless picture that I didn't think possible from this machine.

Installation wasn't bad at all, although removing the shielding around the VIC chip will make access much easier.

For tapping the lumcode signals I opted to sever PIN 1 (+6V) of the A/V port and soldered the VIC20digitizer's LUM directly to the back of the DIN jack for a clean install without case modification. As far as I know the +6V is used only for the RF modulator, which belongs in the trash anyways!

Peter | Dec. 4, 2023

Does what it says, make sure you know what you are getting..

A great little board, was pretty obvious to me (electronic engineer) how to install, to the extent that I didn't look at any documentation until it 'did'nt work properly'
(it shows monochrome with vertical lines)
It does need the additional RGB to HDMI adaptor, available from the same vendor, which also needs an additonal Pi-Zero board and SD card, and mini HDMI to HDMI. It's entirely my error, and would have bought these together had I read it all fully!!
Once put together, with the RGB to HDMI board, and some pretty trivial fiddling with the settings (menu that works in much the same way as a lot of desk top monitor .. two for 'up and down' and one for enter... worked it out pretty quickly...
Fantastic, rock solid , pin sharp display on my 40 odd year old vic20
Note .. need to do something for audio, lash something up with the din connector and headphones or PC-type speaker//whatever..
one niggle, and I can see why, doesn't seem to co-operate with my 'Penultimate' cartridge, probably a bus contention as the digitizers sits right on data and address bus on the VIC chip . Will investigate and see-- may yet be a user error!

$49.00