I'd like to get a HDMI/Other Digital Signal DAC, are there any high-end ones built for modern gaming?

[RH | 4,895]

It's 2020 and there are a lot of ways to play old games.  Many of us prefer to play old games on CRTs, since that's what they were designed for and we feel that simply looks better.

However, there are now toys like the long list of "Minis" as well as other emulator systems.  Has anyone made a really good DAC that takes HDMI and outputs it to an analog component or composite signal?

Special features I'd like but I can't find.

• Can accept at least 4k input.
• Scaling features, scaling features, scaling features.  Specifically, it'd be nice if it could either size-to-fit, or zoom into specific ratios.  Other buttons, options can allow you to finely position which region of the digital display resolution you want to zoom in on.
• Built with reducing latency as much as possible.

A couple of other nice to have features might be multiple forms of output, including an old antennae in case you want to output to a really old TV. Presets for all of the special features would be nice, and maybe a way to update the unit.  It'd be even cooler if you could download profiles for typical HD-outputting units like the SNES or NES Minis. Multiple inputs so the device can be shared with various units would be cool too, so you don't have to swap cables in and out.

I doubt a device like this exists, but it'd sure be nice if there was one.  I know it'd be extremely niche but I think there are more than a few of us that'd drop maybe $200-300 for something like that, assuming it had all of the above mentioned features or any other really useful ones.

Is there anything close to this on the market?  I can find some general purpose DACs and I've even found some pro-grade units, but they seem to be very barebones and simply take an input signal and output it on the other side, with on options for scaling or anything like that.

So, other than the DAC for Analogue devices made by Kevtris, is there anything else that comes remotely close to this?

Edited December 22, 2020 by RH

[TDIRunner | 2,725]

The DAC sold by Analogue is the only one I'm familiar with, but I know it doesn't check off every item on your list.  

[Deadeye | 1,595]

3 minutes ago, TDIRunner said:

The DAC sold by Analogue is the only one I'm familiar with, but I know it doesn't check off every item on your list.  

Only compatible with Analogue consoles.  It uses firmware on the console to detect the DAC and sets the HDMI port to send data to the DAC.  It is not using HDMI video and then converting that, so it is not a traditional Digital to Analog Converter and will not work with other devices. 

[RH | 4,895]

If I had Analogue devices, I'd probably pick one up but I don't.  In my case, I'd like to get another mini console or two, hack it load games and use those on a CRT.  I could possibly think of a few other use cases.  I have a PC in my game room, so running an HDMI-out from here to a DAC would nice, plus if I ever want to Twitch stream or make YouTube vidjas, I can use CRT but also have the game recording/running from a PC.

[ifightdragons | 234]

An upcoming OSSC Pro might be the solution.

Like you, I've been looking for something like this myself. I already own the Analogue DAC, but I also want a more universal solution, not only applicable to Analogue consoles.

The forthcoming OSSC Pro might just be what we're looking for. I remember reading in an early post about it on Retro RGB that it should support HDMI in and RGB out, downsampling HD to as low as 240p.

The current OSSC of course does the opposite. The Pro version seems like it might do both, which would make it a fantastic device. It probably won't work with 4K signals though. If that's something you need, there really isn't a feasible or affordable solution on the mass market yet.

P.S.: I already own the OSSC, and it's great.

[RH | 4,895]

2 hours ago, ifightdragons said:

An upcoming OSSC Pro might be the solution.

Like you, I've been looking for something like this myself. I already own the Analogue DAC, but I also want a more universal solution, not only applicable to Analogue consoles.

The forthcoming OSSC Pro might just be what we're looking for. I remember reading in an early post about it on Retro RGB that it should support HDMI in and RGB out, downsampling HD to as low as 240p.

The current OSSC of course does the opposite. The Pro version seems like it might do both, which would make it a fantastic device. It probably won't work with 4K signals though. If that's something you need, there really isn't a feasible or affordable solution on the mass market yet.

P.S.: I already own the OSSC, and it's great.

*4k for future-proof.  But no, I don't think I have a device that outputs to 4k.  That doesn't mean I won't in 4-8 years, though.