Update - Questions answered - RAD2X HDMI Solution for Sega Saturn

[@sideswipe1261]

This is the one I bought and it is the one I love. It was affordable, easy to plug in (you do need the extra power to the box’s USB, so it has to come from another cable, but the only inconvenience I have is plug-swapping. My current 5-in/1-out HDMI 4k/60HZ switcher is a nice deal, and I output those devices to my TV with a MClassic to a Vizi 65” M-Series QLED/DolbyVidion/HDR+/local dimming. I know it sounds like a long chain but is as digital as possible on $150ish (w/18Gbps cables included, in all feeding my Saturn, Dreamcast (w/VGA box + VGA-2-HDMI powered adapter), Pi400, and Xbox 360 to the 1-2 ARC (Audio Return Channel: let’s me hear through my bigger surround receiver w/digital-optical VS Tv speakers). 4k Ultra Sony BlueRay gets its own 4k/60HZ TV input. Oddly I think 2 of 4 4k inputs built into the TV are 60HZ, the other 2 capped at 30hz(?). 2 say “4k/60HZ” 2 don’t. The 5-in/1-out 4k/60HZ all-around switcher is worth it for $50-70 for a clean signal, be sure all cables are 18Gbps for the sake of sanity [if you have all 18G HDMI cables, you can’t confuse them with older cables in case one punks out]. This Saturn HDMI solution is great. The 4:3/16:9 switch can really help to setting the ratio the stretched or “correct but now I’ve black panels!” to your game-by -game liking. Solid construction. As long as you keep expectations reasonable, as no Onion or OSSThingy is every going to make your Saturn look like a 2022 AAA title. You have to *enjoy* sprites on Saturn. Or find remastered releases on other platforms. Disappointing that no home machine can even get 1 AAA game running ROCK-HARD 60fps at 1080p, let alone full ray-traced, aHDR+/DolbyEverhthing/DTS Ultimate Settings so many years after Saturn. You really slacked off. And every new game has that “StarTrek:TNG” glossy, Crap-lit sheen to it. That TV show barely topped “Captain Power” in CGI! And it’s no better in a single game engine today. No “Mega Box/Console/PC” has ever shown me graphics that I don’t see and instantly say “What? If I looked at a real-version of anything on this screen, it would not look close to real to me.” I’m just glad to have a simple, very effective (the ratio switch is a must!), affordable way to play My beloved Saturn via HDMI and without “Cord-Madness”- the frustration we’ve all felt when each machine needs 5 connections or more and smashing becomes a legit option). This is what you want.

[@zanychelly]

Looks really good. Confession time: I never had a Saturn, I used to read on magazines about it. At the time I had the PSX, great console as we all know... but I have nostalgia for that time. Someday I will get a SEGA Saturn.

[@RetroCore]

You'll like the Saturn if you get one. Make sure to go Japanese though. That's where all the great games got released.

[@mistermilo4308]

Thanks for review! RGC Solid company in my experience over the years shipping to the US, and rad2x is amazing value. Happy new year!

[@CAPCOM784]

Very nice of you to answer questions other's had about the Rad2X. Thank You!🙂

[@RetroCore]

No worries. They are points I should have covered in the original video I guess.

[@briantaylorcloe7725]

Happy New Year everyone! RAD2X looks incredible! Retro Core coming with the strong content as always! Oh hi, Mark

[@RetroCore]

Cheers, BeeTeeCee_.

[@topofbones]

The drive motor of the Saturn reading the CD sounds like a Harley Davidson one to my ears... So many memories. I've a PAL one, but with a cartdrige converter I enjoyed a lot of japanese titles. That looks amazing.

[@nekononiaow]

Definitely. The more noise that CD drive makes, the closer to death it is. It is easy enough to disassemble the Saturn to get access to it and give it some grease. Do it before it is too late.

[@ProbableKoz]

Thanks for answering my question (and others) about the egg-shell whites on Street Fighter. Mucho appreciated!

[@RetroCore]

No worries. Glad I could help.

[@104d_3rr0r_vince]

Happy new year Mark with health for you and your family.

[@RetroCore]

Thanks Vincent. Happy New year to you too.

[@klausschneider9963]

Thanks for that Video. In fact I ordered the RAD2X for the Saturn Just to give this Maschine the attrntion it deserves. Though not having many of the much praised SHMUPS since the prices are ridiculous, I really was surprised by the quality the RAD2X delivers. I Just ordered the Version for my Neo Geo CD. Unfortunately there is none for the Dreamcast.

[@Monacomaverick]

Great video! Seems like a fine product all around. Would love to see some more videos using this device.

[@RetroCore]

All Saturn footage I publish from this day one will be through this device. 👍

[@DacioNerdTV]

Dear god that picture is so beautiful ! Since this is similar to the 2x scart I think i'm really gonna pick one up. On the SF 30th anniversary collection for ps4 and xbox the emulation looks beautiful and this device with the actual hardware by comparison to ps4 and xbox emulation on the anniversary collection with 1080p resolution is similar and that's like a big no brainer to get one of these devices or the 2x scart.

[@hyp36rmax]

One hell of a wonderful flex in tested games ;)

[@ewrooney]

I'm an OSSC owner and the RAD2X is definitely amazing device by comparison. Anyone on the fence should definitely get a RAD2X It's a great upscale solution for anyone looking to get into playing their old consoles on HDTVs. I tested two of the games retro core did long with this video on my OSSC (Alpha 2 and DOA) and i didn't have the blanking issue with DOA the resolution changes seemed to be on time with what the RAD2X was producing so my only advice to give anyone is make sure your tv handles resolution changes well or you may still have issues even with a fast upscaler.

[@steve5123456789]

The thing has been sold out for eternity. Is the component cables a good alternative?

[@ewrooney]

@@steve5123456789 be patient. There will be more. It also depends. If you are planning to plug ANY component solution directly into your HD tv the answer would be no because the analog inputs for pretty much all HD TVs process the signals a little slower than if you had put the same signal into an HDMI port so there will be more lag. If you are going into a old CRT/tube tv then you are good.

[@steve5123456789]

@@ewrooney They won't release more until March 2022. They're selling a "Sega Saturn Component YPbPr cable" for £48. This is no good?

[@ewrooney]

@@steve5123456789 that is a long time to wait. Trying to avoid a long post so I’ll just ask, what type of television will you be connecting your Sega Saturn to?

[@steve5123456789]

@@ewrooney A flatscreen acoustic solutions tv, with scart (no rgb), component and vga. I have a tube tv but it has no RGB, just scart. Someone recommended the retrolink as an alternative. What should I do?

[@JavierSianes]

I prefer that graphical filter off. I love square pixels ♥️. Quite impress with the low filter audio. That option should be implemented in any analog to digital converter such as OSSC. Probably I would get some RAD2X cables shortly (SNES, MD1, Saturn and Dreamcast) before Brexit to avoid customs charges buying from Spain. Thanks for sharing this video. Really useful!

[@RetroCore]

Yeah, I'm also not a fan of the video low pass filter. I do love the clean audio though.

[@nekononiaow]

CRT pixels were never square though, they were round.

[@ElricSowrd]

I've been doing that ever since my dad gave me my first Smartphone. Last year I started using my new one (Because I broke the USB Port on my first one) for my playthrough recordings of the DUAL SHOCK Version of Resident Evil 2, Metal Gear Solid 1 and Metal Gear Solid 2.

[@jamesburchill7522]

I have a 32 inch CRT....and yes. It is massive

[@RetroCore]

I know. I used to own a 32 inch Toshiba from 1995. Was the first TV to have Dolby pro-logic audio too.,

[@imarkovic1]

Hi, this is the first time I`m seeing the picture for the Sega Saturn over the RAD2x, it is very nice indeed. Unfortunately they are out of stock, I`m waiting for the adapter for MD2 Genesis, no luck so far..

[@RetroCore]

Fingers crossed they'll get some more in stock.

[@sideswipe1261]

The Dead or Alive Rad2x HDMI shows since smoothing in 4:55! Was this a technique inspired by audio software to smooth-out all sounds at will and degree, then applied graphics? That’s how I’d have done it. So many filters, gates, low/high pass, EQ, stereo, surround (real or simulated), SAW and Sine envelope shaping, layering; it would not surprise me if a game engineer’s screens look incredibly close to that of an audio engineers. All of those audio parameters can be adapted to their corresponding core lines and light properties and their processing with virtual knob twists, slides and presets and countless free fx plug-ins. It’s seem foolish to me to not pattern game design gui’s over Fruityloops.

[@TransKingFormers]

hi mark is the rad2x better than sega saturn componet ypbpr cable made by the same people?

[@RetroCore]

I wouldn't know. I've never tried the component cable. Sorry.

[@TransKingFormers]

@@RetroCore no need to apologize but base on your video i will try the rad2x once they get released hopefully soon and thanks for responding

[@StudioMudprints]

nO Low-pass filter for me; I gotta have my pixels thicc. That said, RAD2X looks pretty solid, especially for streaming.

[@RetroCore]

For steaming it's very useful I think.

[@souljastation5463]

It's a nice feature for 2D games, that alone it's worth the purchase. I hate blocky pixels, first of all because these games weren't meant to see that way, CRTs naturally smooth out much of the blockiness. And secondly, wanting to see a smooth picture it's only natural; I bet you wouldn't want to see an old anime on a blocky low resolution Video Disc, you'd choose the remastered Blu Ray edition. If it wasn't so, things like the Anti Aliasing filter on videogames and the arms race to increasingly higher resolutions on monitors and TVs wouldn't be a thing.

[@Dirk1Steele]

Looks like a great solution for the Saturn. I noticed on their website that they are producing similar cables for other consoles. Given I need a solution for my MegaDrive, SNES, Saturn and Dreamcast, would you recommend cables for each, or a more comprehensive solution like the OSSC? Thanks

[@RetroCore]

To use a OSSC or Framemeister you will need to buy RGB cables for your consoles to get the best image from the console in to the OSSC. It all depends upon what you want. If you are planning to upscale many systems then a dedicated upscan converter is the way to go. I use a Framemeister myself. The only reason I use this RAD2X for my Saturn is because I ran out of RGB ports but have a few HDMI ports open. Plus my Saturn had terrible audio hmm via RGB so it was worth the change to the RAD2X. Image quality wise, it'S the same as when I used RGB via the Framemeister. Just that now I get no audio hmm and I have that filter if I wish to use it (Probably never will)

[@Retro_Royal]

The OSSC is switching fast enough, no hits taken in Death or Alive, Screen appears while timer is still paused on 30:00 seconds and the Fighters are making their introduction pose. I have the Retrotink 2x, which uses the same chipset then the RAD2X, no real difference there. If you want I can make a comparison video :) It is true that the Framemeister takes a bit longer, but then again, it was the first of it´s kind for real retro gaming on HDTV

[@RetroCore]

The Framemiester takes way too long for games like Dead or Alive. Still, I do really like my Framemeister.

[@Retro_Royal]

@@RetroCore And it has a lot of comfort features the OSSC is missing, like zooming in for GB Titles on Super GB. Had to test Dead or Alive on the OSSC straight while your Video was still running, out of curiosity. Thank you for all the nice content you create!

[@pam8352]

it could be usefull the rotate function for vertical shooters.

[@edwin8808]

One of the first comments of the decade in the RetroCore channel!

[@RetroCore]

Congratulations!

[@FuzzballRenakitty]

Such a creamy Saturn you have there! Ever thought about getting it restored or look into a cheap for-spares to switch out the casing?

[@Retro_Royal]

Retrobriting isn´t that hard, did my SFC this summer, but then again, the inner values are the ones that count :)

[@RetroCore]

I have 3 Saturns so I'm not bothered about restoring that one for now. I have a Hitachi Hi-Saturn, the Silver and Black paint modded Sega Saturn and this yucky looking white Saturn.

[@FuzzballRenakitty]

Oh to match your Megadrive? Niiice!

[@nikkiwileman7033]

Hey new device for ya to check out well two,because they go together so well,the retrotink scart 2x pro and the mclassic from Marseille,theses two together are amazing for all scart consoles,hope to see a review on them separate and together in the future on ya channel and for the sega Saturn especially its amazing,laters

[@RetroCore]

Ah, two devices I have no real interest in. I never used composite so the Retrotink like have no use to me. That Mclassic is also not of interest I'm afraid. The difference it makes is tough to even notice in most cases.

[@nikkiwileman7033]

All I’ll say is that for me dc I’ve used a vga to hdmi converter for the past six years and a scart to hdmi converter for the same time,both did a good job for me,but they both packed in,can’t afford a framemeister or a ossc with all the scart leads from retro cables,so did some research on a better alternative but better than i had before for Megadrive,Saturn and dc,so got the mclassic first before Xmas,then the akura beginning of this year then got the retrotink scart pro this month and the quality is amazing from what I had before,plus the retrotink scart is firmware updateable aswel,the akura like the gekko you have is 480p pass through,with the mclassic plugged into it,it’s 1080p or 1440p if you have a 4K tv,and same as using it with the retrotink scart,I’m just saying from what I have seen with these devices already for me consoles compared to before,so in answer to the retrotink scart it ain’t composite and a great device and the mclassic to get the most from it depends on what ya use it with or combination of what ya use with it,loving ya channel by the way especially ya sega stuff keep it up and as you say enjoy your games,lol,laters

[@josephfrye7342]

oh good at least you have a scart cable if you have one but I think you didn't have biohazard (resident evil) on Saturn yet do you well I got the personal computer version for a reason well it was uncensored but in color. but I wanna point out how many second or minutes for the door to open in the Saturn port of biohazard (resident evil)

[@josephfrye7342]

you know Capcom did biohazard (resident evil) rockman (megaman) and street fighter series.

[@josephfrye7342]

and is it possible for Saturn to load through the doors to the next scene?

[@RetroCore]

I own every Japanese released Saturn game. I have a complete collection :) I've not tried Bio Hazard with the RAD2X yet.

[@josephfrye7342]

@@RetroCore cool! ;)

[@azidahaka2]

Have no love for that smoothing filter... I wish it had scanlines and maybe some dithering to transparency filter. those would have been super improving on Saturn... "karsten"

[@RetroCore]

I'd also rather have a scan line generator than smoothing too. Smoothing is horrible.

[@SomeOrangeCat]

8-Bit Guy weeps at the yellowing on your Saturn.

[@RetroCore]

He can come around and retrobright it for me :)

[@SomeOrangeCat]

@@RetroCore That would make for a fun video. Just randomly shows up in Japan one day. XD

[@JavierSianes]

Retro Core be careful with your wishes: it can become true hahaha

[@RetroCore]

Haha, he can give me his Yamaha DX rebirth or whatever its called.

[@samuraispiritsx]

damn I want bulk slash so badly but the online prices are really high.

[@RetroCore]

It's expensive here in Japan too.

[@attilathehun0]

Are those inflatable Dreamcast and Saturn?

[@RetroCore]

Lol, nice. No, there dust covers. Under them are real console.

[@attilathehun0]

@@RetroCore 🤣🤣Great videos!

[@solidunit]

It’s not a low pass filter, it’s a smoothing filter

[@RetroCore]

It says low pass filter on the rgc website.

[@JolliAllGenGamer]

I should play my Saturn again, but need to buy an hdmi cable for it. I need to find a cheaper solution that this one.

[@RetroCore]

Don't buy the cheap ones. They're total crap. I'm talking about junk from the likes of Pound or Hyoerkin. They have awful colours, wrong aspect ratio and. Loss of detail.

[@SombraSR]

What TV is this?

[@RetroCore]

It's a Toshiba Regza.

[@SombraSR]

@@RetroCore Model?

[@RetroCore]

It's a Japan only model. I'll have to look at the TV when I get home.

[@SombraSR]

Retro Core Understood.

[@RetroCore]

Checked last night. It's part of the Z730 series of screens.

[@williamwilliam9993]

Hey mark if you want to upscale sega saturn games you need RAD2X and set your aspect ratio to 4:3 on your HDTV

[@voteDC]

I love my Saturn but it isn't £48 worth of love.

[@hybridplc]

Dead or Alive 2❓❓❓ 😁

[@RetroCore]

Yeah, don't know why I keep saying that.

[@ReviewUSA-ri5dv]

A solution to a problem that shouldn't exist - these beautiful 240p consoles should never be played on these garbage, flat, lifeless LCD/LED tvs. I Wish this HDMI-mod fad would die out, I wouldn't use a framemaster if someone gave it to me for free. CRT OR BUST!

[@stevenqbosell]

Review1316USA lol jesus, good luck living in the year 2001

[@DauntlessDamian]

Sadly CRTs will bust. That's why we need alternate options like this.

[@thefifthdoctor6780]

CRTs will fail in time. Enjoy that buzzing too. 😂