Retrotink5x PRO & Playstation 2 Setup: Recommended Settings (NTSC & PAL) & Cables

[@jakebello7988]

I was thinking of buying a 5X-Pro for my PS2 in the future! Thanks for this video!

[@BrianWRobinette]

Really appreciate this. Mike makes it easy, but it’s nice to see someone else’s take on this. :)

[@RastaJediX]

That clip at the end really, REALLY tells the whole story of how incredible this scaler is. Great work, as always!!! Can you, when you do your next one, go into the detail of choosing soft/sharp/medium scale in combination with scanlines/masks? This used to be our only way and sometimes the added softness made scanline masks look more like a CRT, but now we have the wonder pre-emph filter you go over here, so maybe choosing soft scaling isn't appropriate for scanline masks? I guess it's primary use is when you're not using a scanline mask?

[@wobblingpixels3921]

Time stamps ---- 00:00 Intro 00:12 Before Setup 00:44 Cables 01:08 PAL & NTSC Pre-Settings 02:37 NTSC 480i: Output Mode 03:09 NTSC 480i: Widescreen 03:21 NTSC 480i: HiRes 858 & HiRes 512 07:41 NTSC 480i: CRT Masks & Scanlines 09:03 NTSC 480i: CRT Simulate 09:40 NTSC 480i: Pre-Deint. 10:15 PAL 576i: Output Mode 10:55 PAL 576i: Widescreen 11:10 PAL 576i HiRes 858 & HiRes 512 15:03 PAL 576i: CRT Masks & Scanlines 16:38 PAL 576i: CRT Simulate 17:09 PAL 576i: Pre-Deint. 17:45 PAL & NTSC 480p: Output Mode & DTV 858 18:15 PAL & NTSC 480p: Widescreen 19:29 PAL & NTSC 480p: Smoothing Filter

[@kjetilfrugard8395]

Great as always. Would be interested in how good all those console and arcade compilations on the PS2 can look when they are not zoomed in.

[@brkbtjunkie]

Very good. I set mine up last night on a 27” 1440p panel looks great. Also looks great on a 55” 4K panel I have because it has the quantum color dot thingies and I’ve never seen ps2 games pop with color like that before.

[@mrbungle589]

I'm amazed at how good rgb scart cables look on the 5x. I got my sega genesis, snes and soon ps2. I had no clue the rgb scart could be so good on it I just thought it was an outdated composite Euro connection 😂

[@wobblingpixels3921]

If you like to push it even further check out how to force PS2 games to 480p and the benefit of using the Retrotink5x PRO bob offset feature: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rH-uYqOKZrxreJo ...and don't forget: Stop tweaking and just play the game! ;D

[@TechTrappings]

Tweaking IS the game!

[@wobblingpixels3921]

@@TechTrappings true ;)

[@shadowspeare1145]

Great video! I'll have to experiment with the HiRes 858 and 512. One thing I noticed when I was playing Tenchu Wrath of Heaven is that the game can be very dark. I had to switch from RGB Full to RGB limited and that brightened up my screen.

[@brkbtjunkie]

Full range RGB hadn’t been invented yet when the ps2 came out so that makes sense.

[@QuilLocke]

Thanks for helping out a PAL (British) gamer out with this video!

[@JaeliusFairmout]

There's an easy mod for the PS2 to enable RGBS when in 480p mode. Black Dog Tech documented it years ago.

[@wobblingpixels3921]

This is the mod where the PS2 outputs TTL CSYNC? If you get 75ohm terminated sync at the end then it should be OK but I haven't tested it

[@jakehughes5155]

Link?

[@kcat80]

awesome, thanks for this, subbed. do you have another vid for og xbox and ngc or same settings applies to this gen of consoles generally? gonna grab your recommended cable choice! :)

[@cougar-town]

512x576i (Interlaced) is the PS2 core default resolution and will default to 1024x1280 during internal rendering/upscaling from the GPU and then through the Retrotink 5X Pro upscaler which in turn will make things alot more blurry but with some nice filters that can combat the blur, it will look nice. Hopefully the Retrotink 5X Pro has a anti-blur filter, as that will help with the double upscaled picture your monitor receives. If the signal is taken and is not processed, that's when you will get the best picture quality and best results. However Mike Chi's solution can look good with the right settings, but it takes a while to dial it in just like the OSSC scan converter...

[@wobblingpixels3921]

I appreciate your post but from my knowledge there is a LOT false information in your post. The PS2 is capable to output between 256x224 and 1280x1024 (in theory) depending on the game. In practice most PS2 games run in 640x and 512x h. resolution. (btw 576i is PAL, 480i NTSC) An upscaler like the Retrotink5x makes the output image sharper not blurry. The blur can have many roots, in most cases its game related. With retrotink5x you don't have to dial in as with the OSSC except setting the correct sampling rate for some consoles or games like 512x PS2 games. You just set the preset and play the game

[@permanentrampage]

go with a new tutorial with the new updates please and do a tutorial for all combines in retrotink because we cant see so much the difference at our tvs xD

[@brkbtjunkie]

Is the dtv 4x settings a little stretched too wide or is it just me?

[@ThorTheHusky2005]

How would this work with PS1 games ON the PS2?

[@megawarrior543]

That’s what I want to know

[@Kevin-jp4rb]

Yes, finally! You ever get a green sheen appearing when sdtv lpf is at light or off?

[@wobblingpixels3921]

Sorry, what do you mean? edit: You mean the LPF filter? AFAIR no.

[@Kevin-jp4rb]

@@wobblingpixels3921 will you do a video for n64 too?

[@wobblingpixels3921]

@@Kevin-jp4rb Yes, but I don't know if its going to be the next console. I will do a poll in the next days on my twitter account.

[@timwadsworth8654]

I don't know how exactly you're getting this kind of picture quality. When I switch to 1440p it just looks blurry. Currently playing Spider-Man 2 on PS2 with a Samsung QLED. So far it's been a very jagged, pixelated experience. 😞

[@thecrowneddoofus]

Same here. Retrotink 5x pro, 1440p or 1080p, hd vision cables or scart, doesn’t matter. The experience isn’t much better than the $50 upscalers I got off Amazon. Pretty disappointing stuff.

[@big_bird8597]

same spent 300 just for it to look worse than my 20$ amazon converter ive been trying dif tvs and consoles and they still look like shit, i think im just complete idiot, like literally i set my retrotink to 720 and it looks better than 1440 why

[@jaydenrios5504]

For spiderman 2 it’s honestly hard to get it to look good at all it’s literally my go to game and I can’t get it to look good on anything. Best bet is buying a Xbox 360 and a copy of Spiderman 2 for original Xbox game looks amazing on there.

[@LordArikado]

The PS2 is honestly one of the biggest pains to get a good picture out of with any scaler because it has an inherently blurry output, unless you get your console HDMI modded. It's not a fault of the Retrotink, it's down to the PS2 mainly being designed for 480i output on a CRT. Different games on the PS2 also use a variety of filters and motion blur techniques that make it look even worse, so it's really a case where some games look fine while others look abysmal, and short of emulating them with patches for disabling the various filters, you just won't get a clean, sharp image from them.

[@formdissolve]

I actually bought one of these and HD Retrovision component cables specifically to use with PS2. What's weird is that in the manual it states that "By default, the LPF is automatically turned on. If you are using a source with a built in LPF such as a HD Retrovision cable or a bypass mod, you can turn this off to avoid excessive loss of sharpness in Generic sampling modes." However, if it's turned OFF I get crazy vertical lines which only go away by activating the LPF (medium looks best). Makes me think HD Retrovision got rid of the inline filter... I should email their support.

[@wobblingpixels3921]

The passive cables don't have a LPF, only the active cables do e.x. SNES and Genesis

[@antonyjcarter]

Is there an easy way to know which horizontal resolution a game is using?

[@retrorobbgaming]

nice video! how can you tell what res your specific game is putting out?

[@vincimarino]

Hello! , thank you very much for all the super useful information you give us on every video! I have a quick issue with the retrotink 5x that maybe you can guide me on how to solve it. In my setup, I have 2 scart switchers connected in between and then to the retrotik 5x. This is not perfect but got the job done, and I can play all my retro consoles on my big LED TV... The problem came when I brought to my set up a new scart switcher, which looks very promising, 100 in and 2 out, and also is automatic so I don't have to manually change the input. Is really good, but since I installed it y don't have a good signal with my Genesis. The image starts to shake like crazy. I've always used a SCYNC stereo cable for my Genesis, and this cable seems not to work with the retrotink 5x anymore (it works if I connect it to a CRT). I tried also to plug the console directly into the retrotink, but same results, Do you have any idea if this new switcher can break/deconfigure my retrotink? (It works perfectly with the rest of the consoles - PCE, SNES, SATURN, DREAMCAST, N64, MVS, and PS1) Thank you very much! Bye

[@wobblingpixels3921]

I recommedn to to checkout the Retrotibk 5x Discord support channel

[@omegapointsingularity6504]

Hey, I wonder how I should go about recording the highest possible quality footage on PS2. What capture card? Should I go this route: ps2 > high quality component cables > retrotink 5x > hdmi splitter > TV + Capture Card? Or instead of hdmi splitter use the throughput on the capture card? What capture card is good? I want to game with the nicest picture quality on my TV and I want to record the nicest picture quality at the same time. Is very tricky for me to figure out!

[@davidlorenz1610]

Hello, i know your comment is more than 2 months old but i would like to know what solution you have found? I'm currently using the Retrotink 5x pro and Retrovision PS2 component cables (the cables are probably not worth the money but still a huge upgrade to the basic ones. im pretty sure you can get similar quality for less money). I am also using an optical to R/L audio converter to get optical sound from my ps2 to my pc (Fiio Taishan) i think this gives me generally the best audio quality. The recording is done using the elgato HD60S+ and i am highly advising against this one. The software is bad and the quality is mediocre. If i would buy another one i would probably go with an internal capture card. I am using a PAL PS2 and play games that put out interlaced signal. An NTSC PS2 will give you better quality because more games support progressive scan. But i am from Germany so ..i'm out of luck :D Try to find a way to record your footage as lossless as possible. Don't use OBS. In my case i use the software provided by the manufacturer of my capture card (4k capture utility). As i said the software is broken as hell but it's still better than OBS. All in all the quality i archive with my method is pretty good for what i have. I would upgrade my capture card as soon as i have the spare money.

[@omegapointsingularity6504]

@@davidlorenz1610 got a topyiyi hdmi splitter from amazon which should work well with the retrotink 5x according to an amazon review and then since elgato does not seem to be worth the money I got a cheap 13$ capture card which seems to be comparable in capture quality, kzbin.info/www/bejne/oIfcf2Cho79naaM, havent tried it all yet, and I got no retrotink, will wait and see if I get one.

[@SirMixALotRareMusic]

Completely missed the one thing I care about, 1080i PS2 games like GT4, do they work?

[@wobblingpixels3921]

I didn't include 1080i because 1. There are about 4x games that offer 1080i opt 2. 480p is the better option with the Retrotink5x

[@severed6001]

This video has been extremely helpful thank you! I’ve been loving my 5X but I have one question, so I’m playing on a 1440p monitor and I notice that when playing ps2 the image looks so much sharper and more defined when interlacing is not enabled which to me didn’t make sense because most ps2 games are 480i but when I switch the interlacing on the picture becomes blurry but as soon as I switch it off it becomes extremely defined and sharp again, am I doing something wrong or is it something to do with it being output to 1440p

[@casadovah4684]

Are the official Sony the best cables to use? I can buy them or should I get HD retrovison? Does it matter?

[@GameSkiller117]

Do one for the Wii please!

[@AdamNicholls-c3q]

I'm thinking of getting a Retrotink for my Gamecube, PS2 and Xbox. My questions is, can I make different presets and change through them all easily, or do I have to tamper with every tweak each time I switch consoles?

[@mrbungle589]

There's like 10 to 12 presets you can save and load with a couple clicks

[@jetpackwatchdog]

Excellent video, thanks for posting!! One question that I cannot seem to find the answer to anywhere: what exactly does enabling "Allow Interlace" in H. Sampling do? Assuming you were trying to "deinterlace", wouldn't you want that turned off? Or am I understanding it's function incorrectly?

[@volkte37]

Did you ever find the answer?

[@LordArikado]

Chiming in just incase you haven't found an answer yet! That setting allows the Tink5X to apply your current settings to interlaced content without having to dial in the settings again. Despite its confusing name, it doesn't actually enable or disable the Tink's deinterlacing feature. It's mainly meant for consoles like the PS1 and PS2 that can display in both 240p and 480i.

[@dr.paynechristian3169]

Do you have some recommendations for a good quality component cable? Pls keep up the good work I love your content

[@wobblingpixels3921]

First minutes of the video....0:45min ;) thx

[@brkbtjunkie]

HD retrovision

[@gpbear4]

im curious how 512x448 interlaced games running with GSM 480p mode would be displayed with the Retrotink5x Pro with 1080p output. could the game be displayed as 1024x960 letterboxed in 1080p?

[@dadrianca]

Hi I have a rocketfish ps3 component cable would that be good?

[@JustinHemmer]

The discord invite seems to have expired. 😥 I just got my 5X yesterday and was looking forward to installing the CFW before my PS2 arrives in a few days… Any help would be highly appreciated, thank you and keep up the great work!!! 😁

[@wobblingpixels3921]

invite works for me: discord.com/invite/jE6deAhjCM

[@JustinHemmer]

@@wobblingpixels3921 Sorry about that, I actually got it to work after a couple of attempts. I don’t know what happened but at least it’s working now. Thank you for the quick response though! 👍🏻

[@sv_sup6661]

I recently got this product for my ps2 and I get these things called "Jailbars". Are they normal? I use high quality hdretrovision component cables so I doubt its a cable issue.

[@erdal2020]

Hello. I dont have these presets in H. Sampling? Only SNES, PS1 etc. Please help me :)

[@wobblingpixels3921]

Update to the latest experimental firmware version. Download on retrotink5x discord server: discord.gg/jE6deAhjCM

[@JumperTL]

Is there a rule of thumb when adjusting H (Interp) Size on different consoles? Or do you just stretch it until it looks good?

[@wobblingpixels3921]

it depends on the console and game resolution.

[@ssjcheif]

I have a question. For 480p games section of the video, I noticed that you didn't mentioned changing the changing of "V Size" or "V position", is there there no need to do so? Will changing it effect the sharpness of "DTV 858 3:2"? Or did you omitted it cause there is no need to change?

[@wobblingpixels3921]

Don't change v-size or the image will lose sharpness.

[@ssjcheif]

@@wobblingpixels3921 Got it. Thanks for answering my question

[@SeanLaughter]

Great, and very helpful video! In the 480i CRT Masks and Scanlines section does the "highly recommended" note mean the Generic timings are better to use than the optimal timings when using scanlines, or just that the Generic timings just look better with scanlines? Similarly, is there a preference for 1080p(over) vs 2560x1440 when using scanlines with motion adaptive or in conjunction with bob+CRT Simulate on a 4k TV when taking into account the scaling needing to happen on the TV?

[@wobblingpixels3921]

IMO generic settings look better except in CRT Sim mode. thats the exception where I would use optimal. It depends on your TV. How it handles scaling but also the input lag of your tv. In general 2560x1440 is the mode I would pick because of integer scaling by R5x

[@looperdup]

Thanks for the video! I just got the retrotink 5x pro. Am i doing something wrong? ive tried setting output resolution to 1080p (various settings) on two diffrent TVs (LG CX & Gaming Monitor) and they both do not show anything for me. When i change hdmi settings it does output image but with static noise. Is my retrotink broken?

[@wobblingpixels3921]

Please ask on the retrotink5x discord support server

[@normalguycap]

I just got one and updated it. It's FW 2.71 and yours says 2.6 but I don't have access to a 2560x1440 option in Output Resolution. Any ideas?

[@wobblingpixels3921]

OSD -> enable advancced menu

[@nik12100]

5:57 This is the part I'm really confused on, and it relates to troubles I'm having with 512 optimal timing mode. How do you know how far to adjust horizontal sampling and how do you know what to set vertical scaling to when the final 4:3 percentage is 1.05?

[@wobblingpixels3921]

Horizontal Sampling depends on the resolution and console clock rate. You can adjust vertical scaling as you like. In this case it's a compromise between aspect ratio and avoiding to much is cut off on the top and bottom of the screen.

[@nik12100]

@@wobblingpixels3921 What clock rate should I be aiming for?

[@wobblingpixels3921]

@@nik12100 it's in the video...

[@nik12100]

@@wobblingpixels3921 Sorry. Missed it.

[@nik12100]

@@wobblingpixels3921 When the clock speed for Hi-Res 858 is 858.00, why is 512's optimal clock speed around 682/683? Why do both Hi-Res modes seem to refer to different things (i.e. 512 horizontal pixels for one and 858 clock speed for the other)? Maybe I'm just stupid and missing something obvious, but still...

[@brandondillon5762]

Question, for recording footage for 480p content, do you think it's better to do so in sharp or smooth?

[@LordArikado]

Sharp gives you a clearer picture, smooth is a good option for games that make use of dithering.

[@MKAxe]

This retrotink 5x pro looks just as good as the pc pscx 2 emulator? or better? or not so good?

[@Jayblixt]

I’m trying to figure that out too

[@DragonQuarter]

If the game's internal resolution is 512x448, should I not use the HiRes 512 setting?

[@wobblingpixels3921]

512 is the correct one

[@DragonQuarter]

@@wobblingpixels3921 Thanks! But if the game looks too weird on there, it's best to go with Generic 4:3 I guess.

[@Kobz]

plz try ratchet & clank first game with retrotink 5x

[@stevensalinas1994]

I think MGS2 looks way worse on my 4k tv when I do the settings described. Any reason why this would be? It looks more blocky and just zoomed in.

[@wobblingpixels3921]

because thats how low resolution games looks like when upscaled

[@drac6838]

What is the difference between the two 1440p modes?

[@wobblingpixels3921]

The one is 1920x1440 and the second 2560x1440 which has a higher TV compatibility than the first one.

[@drac6838]

@@wobblingpixels3921 Understood. But if both work on a TV, is there a outright better one?

[@wobblingpixels3921]

@@drac6838 I would pick 2560x1440 because of the widescreen support with optimal sampling (sharper image in widescreen)

[@GuillaumeLACHAUD]

I see a strange flickering of the image when enabling bob deinterlacing. Do you know what the root cause might be?

[@wobblingpixels3921]

There is no reason. Thats how bob deinterlacing works

[@jsr734]

@@wobblingpixels3921 that is why i prefer "weave" deinterlacing over "bob".

[@wobblingpixels3921]

@@jsr734 but weave have some combing effects which can be really distracting depending on the game. at least for me lol

[@jsr734]

@@wobblingpixels3921 ha ha that is true, it produces combing artifacts that look like scanlines on fast moving objects, but at least produces a sharp and stable picture wich i prefer over bob's headache inducing flicker - bouncing screen.

[@123456789million]

You said the majority of ps2 games run at 512x480i and 640x480i but don't they run at 512x448i and 640x448i. And some rare ones run at 640x446i.

[@wobblingpixels3921]

Yes, the internal resolution is 448 but the output is 480

[@123456789million]

@@wobblingpixels3921 ah ok thanks for the clarification