Sivak | 24 Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 Pretty straightforward. I was looking at the Retrotink 2X Pro as it seemed like a good middle ground and I've heard that users are pretty satisfied with it. Just curious what the folks on here also think. My main plan is for use with NES/Famicom, SNES, and possibly Genesis for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumez | 2,933 Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 (edited) Retrotink's products are all really good, but I think the fact that there is no RGB support is a massive dealbreaker for my usecases. S-video is a fair compromise when it's possible, but I think if a decent video output if important enough to you invest in a quality upscaler in the first place, you really don't want to settle with composite outside of unmodded consoles with no alternative. It does support component video, but very few consoles support that out of the box, so you'd need another external encoder (which retrotink also sells) Of course Retrotink 5x is an option as well. I haven't tried it, but from what I've heard it's pretty much the end-all-be-all solution for consumer grade upscaler, with that one you are not making any compromises! Unfortunately $300+shipping*customs is a pretty steep asking price, so that's a dedication. Personally I'm very happy with my OSSC, but it has the caveat that it *only* supports rgb/component, so any consoles that only have composite output would need to be modded to RGB. IMO you want to do that anyway, but it's a bit of a tall order if you want a solution you can just hook anything up to without worrying too much. In summary, I do think the 2x Pro is a good product for what it's designed to do, just as long as you're aware of its shortcomings. Edited July 8, 2022 by Sumez 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sivak | 24 Posted July 8, 2022 Author Share Posted July 8, 2022 I would likely just use it with the native RCA cables. The main thing is I just wanted something that'd be easy to hook to a computer monitor but also have the versatility for TV use. I currently have a similar, more generic box that does this, but I wonder if the upgrade is worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Nunchucks | 15 Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 (edited) I used a Retrotink 2X Pro for a little bit as my first upscaler. I mainly used it to upscale my SNES via s-video. I was pleased with the results but I quickly outgrew it due to the lack of RGB scart support, like Sumez mentioned. I found a great deal on a Framemeister XRGB mini so I picked one of those up and used it for years. I was pleased with it except its performance with component video wasn't spectacular. Now I'm using a Retrotink 5X Pro, and I think it's a very nice solution. It does a good job handling both RGB scart and component video. The firmware has been actively updated by the developer as well, adding new features and refinements. Since the NES doesn’t output RGB natively, I think the 2X Pro would get the job done there. That Genesis would really sing on an upscaler with RGB support though. Edit: Made an incorrect statement earlier, the SNES does output RGB natively. Edited July 8, 2022 by Johnny Nunchucks Made an incorrect statement earlier, the SNES does output RGB natively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadeye | 1,595 Homebrew Team · Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 I had the 2X pro, sold it, and purchased the 5X pro. Even if you don't need RGB and scart, the extra filters and options are still worth getting the 5X. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumez | 2,933 Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 5 hours ago, Johnny Nunchucks said: Since the NES and SNES don't output RGB natively The SNES outputs RGB natively, I've been hooking both my EU and NA models up with rgb cables for the better part of 25 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumez | 2,933 Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 5 hours ago, Sivak said: I currently have a similar, more generic box that does this, but I wonder if the upgrade is worth it. No doubt about that! Those cheap generic boxes have all sorts of issues! Blurry picture, deinterlacing of progressive scan images, forced aspect stretching, and worst of all sizeable input lag. You'll be happy with an upgrade to a serious product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Nunchucks | 15 Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 9 minutes ago, Sumez said: The SNES outputs RGB natively, I've been hooking both my EU and NA models up with rgb cables for the better part of 25 years Oops, I misspoke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkchylde28 | 1,546 Posted July 12, 2022 Share Posted July 12, 2022 The first one I bought was a 2x Mini, which I was more than happy with, even though it's limited to composite and s-video inputs. I run my stuff on a 50" 4K TCL TV, sit across the room when playing, and still think everything looked great. Later on, I picked up a used 2x Pro locally and was happy with it as well, although I didn't ever really mess with any of the settings on it. The two things that the 2x Pro absolutely has above the Mini are that it will allow for upscaling component video and that it will correctly interpret the "dirty"/off-spec signal that the 32X (and some Genesis models) put out (which causes everything to just show up in various shades of pink and/or purple on the Mini, unless you get truly lucky and the console outputs a good signal at startup for the scaler to lock onto, which I had happen exactly *once*). HD Retrovision cables are a fantastic upgrade option for the SNES/Genesis if you end up picking up a 2x Pro (or better). Unless you're just really, really picky about exactly how bleeding edge the corners of your pixels are, I don't think there's much of a usage case for the extra expense of the 5x Pro for most users. The people who would or should be throwing down on it are going to be people who are doing so for professional reasons or people who are really, really picky about how their stuff looks. If you're playing it on the big screen and sitting on your couch across the room, like you would with any modern console, it's highly doubtful that you'd ever notice any difference without doing a lot of side by side comparisons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMR | 519 Posted July 24, 2022 Share Posted July 24, 2022 (edited) I have a 2x pro. They're good converters, but don't buy into the filter hype. The image quality you're going to get out of it is pretty much going to match what you put into it. In my opinion there are cheaper converters out there that will do just as good a job. Edited July 24, 2022 by CMR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeevan | 8,909 Events Helper · Posted April 11, 2023 Share Posted April 11, 2023 Necro bump Anyone use the retrotink 5x pro and if so are you super satisfied? @Deadeye has the 5x? I would like to invest in something i can possibly use to stream/play normally on my tv as i never received my ultra hdmi mod from the brothers who were displaced by a tornado........ Any thoughts etc. would be much appreciated before I pull the trigger on a $305 toy that I don't have to have, but would like! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadeye | 1,595 Homebrew Team · Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 10 hours ago, Jeevan said: Necro bump Anyone use the retrotink 5x pro and if so are you super satisfied? @Deadeye has the 5x? I would like to invest in something i can possibly use to stream/play normally on my tv as i never received my ultra hdmi mod from the brothers who were displaced by a tornado........ Any thoughts etc. would be much appreciated before I pull the trigger on a $305 toy that I don't have to have, but would like! Worth it. There is a 4K model in the works, but no idea when it comes out, what new features it will have, or cost. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spacepup | 2,404 Administrator · Posted April 12, 2023 Share Posted April 12, 2023 I have the 5x and I like it and it does everything I need it to. It's also a lot simpler than some of the other options out there. Different people have different opinions about the "best" setup and all that, and I can't really speak to that. All I know is that the 5x is a nice handy little device that gives me a lot more options, and everything so far has worked as promised. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brickman | 3,982 Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 On 4/11/2023 at 11:08 PM, Jeevan said: Necro bump Anyone use the retrotink 5x pro and if so are you super satisfied? @Deadeye has the 5x? I would like to invest in something i can possibly use to stream/play normally on my tv as i never received my ultra hdmi mod from the brothers who were displaced by a tornado........ Any thoughts etc. would be much appreciated before I pull the trigger on a $305 toy that I don't have to have, but would like! Did you end up getting one of these? If so, what are your thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeevan | 8,909 Events Helper · Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 5 minutes ago, Brickman said: Did you end up getting one of these? If so, what are your thoughts? ya i did! I reccommend it 10000000% I started streaming with it the day i got it. Super simple setup and does the job with very little setup! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brickman | 3,982 Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 33 minutes ago, Jeevan said: ya i did! I reccommend it 10000000% I started streaming with it the day i got it. Super simple setup and does the job with very little setup! Great to hear. I’ll check out your stream to see how it looks. Are you streaming any N64 games because that’s probably what I’m most interested in seeing. What is your YouTube channel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeevan | 8,909 Events Helper · Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 16 minutes ago, Brickman said: Great to hear. I’ll check out your stream to see how it looks. Are you streaming any N64 games because that’s probably what I’m most interested in seeing. What is your YouTube channel? I have not streamed any n64 yet because mindless rpgs are the best way to talk on keyboard if i have anyone ask questions lol. I have actually found my new love of Dragon Warrior Randomizer, which i will be streaming another run this evening, in about 2 hours or so. All my info. is on my profile here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brickman | 3,982 Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 16 minutes ago, Jeevan said: I have not streamed any n64 yet because mindless rpgs are the best way to talk on keyboard if i have anyone ask questions lol. I have actually found my new love of Dragon Warrior Randomizer, which i will be streaming another run this evening, in about 2 hours or so. All my info. is on my profile here. Have you tested the N64 yet? This would definitely be my primary reason for getting it with other consoles a nice addition but N64 the main reason. Any pros and cons with it running N64? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeevan | 8,909 Events Helper · Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 15 minutes ago, Brickman said: Have you tested the N64 yet? This would definitely be my primary reason for getting it with other consoles a nice addition but N64 the main reason. Any pros and cons with it running N64? I mean, i emulated nes on my n64, so what you see is the n64 hooked up. I will double check, but pretty sure it will be perfect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brickman | 3,982 Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 2 minutes ago, Jeevan said: I mean, i emulated nes on my n64 Explain, what is this sorcery? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeevan | 8,909 Events Helper · Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 1 hour ago, Brickman said: Explain, what is this sorcery? everdrive 64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brickman | 3,982 Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 Just now, Jeevan said: everdrive 64 Oh yeah duh! Just ignore me I checked out your stream and it looks nice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeevan | 8,909 Events Helper · Posted May 17, 2023 Share Posted May 17, 2023 @Brickman I'm going to stream dragon warrior randomizer in 15 mins. if u wanna check that out, its emulated on my pc, not the everdrive. Just fyi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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