keropi wrote on 2020-01-07, 19:54:

Yes the terradrive , it was a 286 system but the megadrive part was more integrated so it could also be used for debugging/development (or so I have read)

They are, but there is exactly one (known) piece of software that communicates between the PC and Mega Drive sides, and that't the Puzzle Construction Set.

Unfortunately there is no documentation of the integration that I'm aware of. 🙁

spiroyster wrote on 2020-01-09, 11:46:

And of course being UK, the MegaPC would only accept UK PAL MegaDrive games... unless modified 🙁

modifications.... a long story for me 😁 😁 😁

actually thanks to Tiido there are also sound quality improvements for the megadrive part:
stock megadrive output: https://soundcloud.com/user-919839499/stock-sonic2-0b
modded megadrive output: https://soundcloud.com/user-919839499/modded- … inal1-sonic2-0b

I have shown these differences in other forums relating to retrogaming and consoles but there was no interest to properly document the mods... no surprise as megapc systems are not common 🤣

keropi wrote on 2020-01-09, 12:42:

spiroyster wrote on 2020-01-09, 11:46:

And of course being UK, the MegaPC would only accept UK PAL MegaDrive games... unless modified 🙁

modifications.... a long story for me 😁 😁 😁

🤣... I was just going to ask if you had the courage to do that to the MegaPC... then spotted the Amstrad text 😀

keropi wrote on 2020-01-09, 12:42:

actually thanks to Tiido there are also sound quality improvements for the megadrive part: stock megadrive output: https://sound […]
Show full quote

actually thanks to Tiido there are also sound quality improvements for the megadrive part:
stock megadrive output: https://soundcloud.com/user-919839499/stock-sonic2-0b
modded megadrive output: https://soundcloud.com/user-919839499/modded- … inal1-sonic2-0b

I have shown these differences in other forums relating to retrogaming and consoles but there was no interest to properly document the mods... no surprise as megapc systems are not common 🤣

Damn... you clever people. That is a noticable improvement on the sound.

spiroyster wrote on 2020-01-09, 11:46:

solidus wrote on 2020-01-07, 23:25:

spiroyster wrote on 2020-01-07, 21:45:

I remember seeing some on yahoo.jp (when yahoo had an auction site) a number of years ago, they always went for ridiculous monies. The teradrive was a sega product (Japan only), where as the MegaPC was Amstrad licensing the megadrive tech from sega, only avaliable in the UK I think. I remember lusting for one after seeing an advert in Sega Mean Machines magazine years ago. iirc Unlike the teradrive, you can't play the megadrive at the same time as using the PC 🙁. I think SquallStrife (user here) did a video about the teradrive a few years ago. Wonder if he still has it?

Looks like keropi's is pretty complete with the white megadrive pad and that awful looking amstrad joystick o.0 Might struggle to find the peripherals for the MegaPC these days.

Yeah that's what I figured. I found out about them from an article in RetroGamer mag. Ever since then Ive been lusting over them. Definitely an impractical find especially for me in the US

And of course being UK, the MegaPC would only accept UK PAL MegaDrive games... unless modified 🙁

Oh right, yet another layer of obstruction for me 🤣. Ill likely just dream of it and be satisfied with that

spiroyster wrote on 2020-01-09, 11:46:

And of course being UK, the MegaPC would only accept UK PAL MegaDrive games... unless modified 🙁

Cheer up! The Nintendo NES times were even harder. They not only had NTSC bs PAL, but also PAL-A vs PAL-B. 😉
Playing, say, a French game on a German NES was out of question, thanks to the lock-out chips.
Except if you managed to modify the NES. Or the cardridge. Or used an interposer module.
Except in some more rare situtations, however, when the game itself would check for the chips.

By comparison, the MegaDrive was much friendlier. Well, in the beginning, at least (pre-TMSS BIOS).
Before they added region checks in games that could ki.. -err- loose save states, etc (hi Phantasy Star IV! 😁 ).
Quality games like Sonic 2 often have got a 50/60Hz speed detection and work the same on either console.
One game/a few games made use of the higher PAL resolution, even. Ristar belongs to that list, I believe.

Edit: Typos and quote fixed.
Edit: Using a Retrode and a flash cart could help to overcome some issues without modifying the PC..

keropi wrote on 2020-01-09, 12:42:

modifications.... a long story for me :D :D :D […]
Show full quote

spiroyster wrote on 2020-01-09, 11:46:

And of course being UK, the MegaPC would only accept UK PAL MegaDrive games... unless modified 🙁

modifications.... a long story for me 😁 😁 😁

actually thanks to Tiido there are also sound quality improvements for the megadrive part:
stock megadrive output: https://soundcloud.com/user-919839499/stock-sonic2-0b
modded megadrive output: https://soundcloud.com/user-919839499/modded- … inal1-sonic2-0b

I have shown these differences in other forums relating to retrogaming and consoles but there was no interest to properly document the mods... no surprise as megapc systems are not common 🤣

Does the monitor accept a 60hz signal from the MD when modded? Or do you have to hook it up to a TV that supports it?

Duouk2000 wrote on 2020-01-11, 14:17:

Does the monitor accept a 60hz signal from the MD when modded? Or do you have to hook it up to a TV that supports it?

monitor works fine with 60hz , it's no issue at all

Wow, if you ever want to sell that... pleeeeeeeeeease let me know!

I remember when my dad came home with a mega PC.. It was for his work, but as a kid I damn well knew there was a mega drive hidden in there 🤣. To be fair I spent more time on F15 and POP than the mega drive.

I sold our one about a decade ago and regretted it ever since 🙁

I used to have one too. A couple of things to note:

It was a 386, not a 286
It came with 1Mb ram. I got it upgraded to 4mb ram and it wrecked the Mega Drive 🙁
40Mb hard drive, which was relatively pitiful even when it was launched.
Adlib sound card, so no Sound blaster, only badly synthesised tones...probably something to do with the necessity for the Mega Drive
An S2 video card if I remember rightly. Again, due to the Mega Drive it wasn't really possible to upgrade it without killing the console.
It didn't come with any version of Windows. Later on I installed Windows 3.1, which actually ran fine on it.

I remember accidentally deleting amstrad Desktop (or some of the key files), and the software that came with it looked slightly different, so it never felt the same again.

I loved the idea of a video console and PC togther