Video Upscalers

Episode
313 - With HDTVs common and bulky CRTs often difficult to find and maintain, video upscalers are often the best way to enjoy your retro consoles. So which ones are good? I show you the ones I've used.
My Life in Gaming - / mylifeingaming
0:00 - Intro
0:43 - Generic SCART to HDMI Video Converter
4:32 - Framemeister
8:55 - OSSC
12:50 - GBS-C AIO
16:46 - RetroTINK 5X
24:21 - End Skit
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[@englishwithphil42]

23:44 Remember, as a perfectionist, Joe is never fully satisfied with his results and always dislikes Game Sack videos.

[@__Generic]

Be your own worst critic.

[@BlueflagAlpha]

Oh really

[@acecarrera1]

23:21 "Bury me with my...money." Another lovely Sunday with Game Sack.

[@tomg8062]

Joe, you rock for getting the full gamesack playlist back up, thanks man

[@Jesse__H]

Yes!! I was asking him about that a couple weeks ago. So glad he made the time to do it. I fall asleep to that playlist as often as a couple times a week. (I also watch the episodes while awake first, of course, haha)

[@SCU3A_S7EVE]

@@Jesse__H Hi u/marxychick1!

[@Jesse__H]

@@SCU3A_S7EVE er, huh?

[@Zerroth]

To me, it always sounded like he was saying "Marry me with my money". I thought that in the 90s and I still think that today.

[@Goto10Gaming]

I had to rewind it to hear it again and read the caption

[@Richard.Linder]

@@Goto10Gaming LOL. Me too.

[@TimelordUK]

I thought he said marry me even as I read bury me! Marry me with my mommy

[@Goto10Gaming]

@@TimelordUK 😂😂👍🏽

[@DatBeastard]

Of course, when you get footage of Truxton, you MUST capture footage using the Framemeister! Especially if you're broadcasting from a intergalactic space arcade. But seriously, I do miss Mark's reviews and hope he's doing well.

[@SlapNuts4Life]

EDF!! EDF!! EDF!! Aw man I miss CGR so much 😢

[@polycube868]

@@SlapNuts4Life me too, Mark is the best in the business of reviews, he could review a garbage game and make a fun review out of it, not to mention the Classic Game Room background tunes, I'd rather hear Mark than IGN or GameSpot or any of the big reviews.

[@SlapNuts4Life]

@@polycube868 Amen broseph!!

[@Narhijan]

yep... :'(

[@targetrender9529]

Marks back, guys. Check his channel for new game reviews.

[@westleymullins]

I just wanted to leave a thanks for the algorithm. I really enjoy your content. I look forward to each new episode. Thanks!

[@GODCONVOYPRIME]

Finally, something good to watch.

[@BlueflagAlpha]

Still watch it even though i dont have money to buy

[@soullos555]

I absolutely love the Retrotink 5X. I got it mainly for the PS2. The motion adaptive de-interlace is noting short of magic. I've been playing a lot more PS2 games these past few weeks thanks to it.

[@Bratzernnjr]

Do you use the composite cables?

[@soullos555]

@@Bratzernnjr No, instead, I use HD Retrovision's PS2 component cables. Much better video quality from those than the cables that came with the PS2.

[@kevin3seven]

Just watching this video two years later and the PS2 is what I intend to use it for. Appreciate your comment, also about the HD Retrovision cables.

[@albal156]

Do you only have a PS2? Tbh I think having a 5X-Pro for that is a waste of money with them being over $300 in the US and not available or over $400 to have one shipped here to the UK. I literally do not know what to get because I don't see the 2X-Pro multiformat anywhere over here ust the regular 2X Pro.

[@SCU3A_S7EVE]

“Bury me with my money.” 😂

[@orderofmagnitude-TPATP]

Your not the boss of me!

[@Code7Unltd]

YEE-HEE!

[@Deep_wolf]

wise flom your glave!

[@martinrc80]

KZbin cc says marry me with my money.

[@BlueflagAlpha]

I heard marry

[@mmpsp693]

I still believe having a CRT/vga monitor is almost a requirement

[@chrisfratz]

I'd love to have one in my room for my retro game so I can emulate that 240p look on it, but I just don't have the space for it which sucks

[@aryinc]

probably the best way still.

[@maxxdahl6062]

Still have a couple myself. mostly in case I want to play lightgun games.

[@maxxdahl6062]

@Virtuous Hombre That makes zero sense. lol. CRT= 10-20 bucks now days. But that somehow equates to a lamborghini, especially when these upscalers can cost upwards to 300-500 bucks? lol

[@ericochoa4034]

Since this was recorded awhile back the retrotink 5x is even better now with all the updates that have been implemented.

[@Jesse__H]

I'd be down for a short episode on your capture devices! I've always been interested in the lengths you go to to get such a wide range of games into the show.

[@Jesse__H]

From what I can see, the basement remodel looks good! I bet you're glad to be done with it. The wraparound shelving unit in the outro skit is a definite upgrade!

[@jeromelepulu1]

Finally watched every single episode. Definitely one of my favorite channels on youtube by far.

[@orbitingdecay6797]

I'm getting there.

[@RecklessLink86]

These videos are what makes me look forward to Sundays. I really, really enjoy retro tech and these videos deliver in spades. Thanks so much for the great content Joe!

[@FeisarX]

This is a great channel. Long live Gamesack!

[@Amiiben]

It's Sack o' Clock!

[@SuperSZ]

I've been watching GameSack for years. I wonder why he doesn't have at least 1 million subscribers. He deserves them

[@xNeoGenesis]

Man I just love this channel, always has interesting topics and terrific production that make it very enjoyable to watch.

[@robbiedoblin]

Thanks for explaining the technical facts instead of shamelessly plugging. This is why I still play on a CRT TV

[@arcadeperfectreviews2653]

I use the retrotink 5X and man I've never been happier with retro consoles on my HDTV.

[@MrDustpile]

Also, as I say, a good cheap way is simply to buy a quality TV from around 12 years ago, when inbuilt upscalers were superior. LG or Technika tellies are good makes. These are junk shop prices too.

[@arcadeperfectreviews2653]

@@MrDustpile that's not a bad idea but I already have a Sony Trinitron with component and S video in for my retro consoles as well as a PVM, plus a 4K TV for modern gaming, so I'm not really looking to have a 4th screen in my living room

[@MrDustpile]

@@arcadeperfectreviews2653 Well I admit I said that more for the audience as I'm more in your shoes, by owning Trinitrons and whatever screens are best for the job too. And no glitching or manual settings to worry about - not least 'til these tellies are too costly to replace or fix.

[@arcadeperfectreviews2653]

@@MrDustpile yeah that's the main reason I like the 5X no settings or anything it's literally just plug and play.

[@xFEARxPHOENIXx]

Right on time for bed. Thank you Game Sack!

[@lilbshull]

A lot of cheeper Amazon upscalers have HDMI in because it secretly strips HDCP.

[@zombiemachinery4868]

I want one because of that but I don't know which one doesn't add input lag.

[@benryves]

The signal timing from older consoles can cause problems with some screens and capture boxes, too (e.g. my capture box produces corrupt video when fed a signal from a Dreamcast and won't even pass through the signal from my Saturn/Mega Drive, even though both work fine connected directly to the TV). I use the HDMI->HDMI scaler to produce a "clean" HDMI signal that my capture box has no problems with. I've seen some people use the mClassic for similar reasons.

[@nickwallette6201]

Good to know! :-D

[@WhiteJarrah]

Indeed, I've used the HDMI input on the cheap converter to strip the copy protection on my PS4 and PSTV.

[@12ealDealOfficial]

Have been wanting an episode on these for a while! Thanks, Joe!

[@MoonSpiritChannel]

I've always been done right with my Framemeister since MLiG recommended it. And I thought I don't need anything else, until I saw the Retrotink 5X. Now I gotta wait until pre-orders are on again. Good time for me to invest!

[@RideRedRacer]

Framemeister has so much input lag. How does that not bother you. I had to sell mine asap

[@37Kilo2]

Since buying the RetroTink 5x, my Framemeister hasn't seen any use. Have you bought one yet?

[@rootshelldev]

That joke at the end gave me the best laugh I had for years. Thanks man.

[@radranger4310]

The RetroTink 5x looks very cool; it would be something to consider getting later. Great job with this video; thanks for doing these comparisons and providing this information.

[@JosephXFS]

Thank you for this vid. Always nice to have a refresher on the options out there

[@TimelordUK]

I love the content on your channel. Always a great script and very well presented. Thank you for all the work you put in

[@johnnada6855]

The Retrotink just ate the Framemeister´s lunch...

[@kennyaustin429]

I'm normally a bit of a CRT purist but even I have to admit it looks pretty damn good, and I like the large number of options it has for display and tweaking the picture to look just right. Best of all it can take composite cables and isn't one of those upscalers that requires me to chop up my consoles to add SCART so it can be used.

[@RetrOrigin]

I love the DIY/Open Source nature of GBS-Control. I was able to build my own for about $50 and couldn't be happier.

[@ot4kon]

Me too. Is very easy. But not many people can solder or install the software.

[@ericochoa4034]

Yeah but once you see the quality of the retrotink 5x you will totally see the difference in image quality and want the tink. I have both and the tink makes the gbs look like a children's toy!

[@RetrOrigin]

@@ericochoa4034 I only use upsacalers to capture video because I only play my older consoles on CRTs. The difference it's also not that big if you know what you're doing when building the GBS.

[@ericochoa4034]

@@RetrOrigin I was being a little harsh but the image is too soft for my liking. If you compare the tink to the gbs side by side you will see the difference trust me on that. Plus with all the updates that Mike has made to the tink you'll see why it is way superior and worth the extra money. But it is just my opinion.

[@RetrOrigin]

@@ericochoa4034 It's all good. Think 5x is of course better and considering the price difference it definitely needs to be that way. I personally don't see that big of a difference from a properly built GBS Control and the 5x, at least not enough to justify the price difference. And like I said, for my personal use case (capturing video), it's perfectly fine. Nothing wrong with having different options available.

[@cheezewheel]

So much goodness in this video. It's amazing the lengths we go to to not pirate old games 😅

[@DonutSwordsman]

Thank you so much. This video rules and something not talked about on KZbin alot. Thanks gamesack

[@dwood78part23]

After several weeks, we get a new Games Sack video. This is going to be interesting.

[@Goto10Gaming]

Wow, Joe, great video. So many laughs in this one, especially the bit about forgetting to turn on blast processing 😂😂👍🏽 Thanks again.

[@josephrhodes5025]

i just got a puppy like a week ago. he already loves game sack i have had it playing on my tv the last 24 hrs

[@hhectorlector]

3:45 heh that is funny. Good shit, Coury

[@jamesburchill7522]

Classy, as always.

[@andthentheybled]

This was great, my head always spins when I look at up scalers

[@joezep]

A lot of great info here, and I am looking forward to that capture device video in the near future as a follow up to this. :)

[@Bloodreign1]

I was half expecting Craig Sadler to give you a stern talking to about your bad day.

[@thepickles8833]

On a golf game, no less

[@forrestredd2706]

There are very few content creators that can make videos about things that are of no importance to me, and still get me to watch and enjoy. Joe and Game Sack are one of those few.

[@wagwagz6062]

love your show Joe have for many years

[@Fnnrqwin]

You should definitely update the OSSC firmware! The last two firmware revisions allow you to adjust scanline darkness so that they don't universally darken across the board. You can set it so there's a brightness threshold where the scanlines kick in. It looks really natural. You can also use the online profile editor to save your settings for future updates/in case the OSSC profiles get wiped for some reason. You can rename the profiles that way so you don't have to just memorize numbers.

[@samhillier9607]

I have welded together two ultra hd TV screens, so now I just need the correct upscaler and some custom made cables to enable me to finally play some Game & Watch Donkey Kong in 4K using the original hardware. I am sure it will be worth the trouble.

[@BryantJoy]

Where do I see your progress and final product?

[@samhillier9607]

@@BryantJoy in your imagination (drugs might help).

[@ehrenloudermilk1053]

I've never owned an upscaled, nor do I ever plan on it. But, Joe could fart on a snare drum and I'd watch it

[@Therealmadkong]

But would you rewatch it?

[@sfjp1]

Joe is gonna put that as new ending of next episode 🤣🤣🤣

[@nukeum9535]

Put that in your next vid. Then look at the cam then say... "id watch that on game sack!"

[@deniromorales312]

I need this now

[@Japan_Changed_My_Life]

Love the new background music track at the opening.

[@jonniefast]

solid upload, was still on the fence for the 5x might grab it and use it along side my 2x pro

[@chrisgullo3893]

When you watch all of every Game Sack video just to get to the best part -- the dumb little tag at the end

[@bradmack7432]

Hands down the best channel on you tube!

[@jengelenm]

OSSC also has remote control available as an option, great video

[@GameSack]

Yeah I should have mentioned that. You need it to adjust pretty much anything.

[@GuyManley]

Babe, wake up. New Game Sack video.

[@woodenotaku]

As someone that absolutely hates the 480i flicker you get on 15kHz CRTs I found the GBS-C to be the perfect solution alongside a PC CRT I DIY'd my own for roughly 30 euros in parts from AliExpress so it's also a great value. My Saturn and PS2 have never looked better

[@c2ironfist]

How did you find the color reproduction output of the GBS-C I couldn't help notice that it had a sort of darkish brown tint to it

[@Scott-fj9uf]

I’d be very grateful for a capture device video! I’m trying to decide on one. Love the video Joe! Always gives me a great feeling when I see new GameSack. 🖤

[@sparksterz]

You integrated that broken Neo Geo controller perfectly lol. Solid end skit

[@bsinforoso]

You are amazing dude, this is a solid content.

[@Holammer]

I saw the skit twist coming as Joe posted a picture of the busted controller on Twitter.

[@jengelenm]

Can’t wait to see what the upcoming OSSC Pro and Pixel FX Morph are going to bring to the table!

[@Clay3613]

Hopefully for way less than the Retrotink 5X.

[@Reckoner89]

If the OSSC Pro ever makes it to fruition, that is. Dang Rona.

[@GamingDelight]

I hear there's a RetroTINK 4K (one that outputs in 2160p) in the works. My guess for the price-- At least $400. Not that I'll be replacing my 5X anytime soon.

[@Moshugaani]

@@GamingDelightHopefully the 5X price comes down when the 4K is released, but I guess it won't since these are specialized equipment with a niche market. :p

[@philosophyoftrucking]

So many incredible games, so little time.

[@wynnpetsovich34]

If you watch game sack through 3 upscalers it becomes the 1997 American epic romance and disaster film “Tiranic”. I’m not sure why but it’s a pretty cool little trick.

[@jonniefast]

i added an external scanline generator and it became the second vhs tape of braveheart

[@Level1Sword]

I often consider these for my PS2 and GamdCube. Maybe if my CRT dies one day I'll pick one up.

[@angolin9352]

Try to repair the CRT or buy another. No upscaler looks like a CRT does, and emulators are so good now that if you're playing on an LCD you may as well just use an emulator and a clone controller or USB converter box.

[@gpbear4]

please do a video on capture cards for use with these devices

[@jonniefast]

the elgato HDpro (the one that's PCIE) is kinda good- plays nice with almost everything i through at it but sometimes i lose audio depending on the system. retrotink 2x pro works great with it though there are other options but if you want low latency directly plugging into the motherboard is your best bet 💖

[@retro-computing-gaming]

I entered the rabbit hole of upscalers years ago right after watching your Sega CD episode and buying myself a Sega Genesis and Model 1 Sega CD. Settled on a Micomsoft XRGB-3 which looks fantastic in linedouble mode on my 22-inch CRT computer monitor.

[@metroidmayhem8463]

That retro tink reminds me of a modem from the 90s lol

[@visionop8]

I have the first upscaler from Amazon that you reviewed at the beginning of this video. I'm actually shocked that yours worked for even a little while. Mine was completely useless and broken right out of the box and wouldn't even pass through a video signal at all. I told that upscaler to go get effed in the bee and I just grabed a sony 20m4u and a 14m4u (800 line monitors and these were purchased in 2012 I have no idea what this stuff costs now.). Everything looks great on both of these (I have a preference for the 14" one but the aspect ratio is controlled from the monitor on both and again, no need for an upconversion device ) except for the Sega Genesis composite output. I only use RGB on the Sega Genesis because trust me do it that way only. It looks incredible. The good news is if you have a Neo Geo AES or CDZ the HD Retrovison RGB cable works on both consoles with incredible results. I have found that the only real answer is to get yourself an RGB or S Video capable monitor/TV and RGB output everyting except the PC Engine and NES. The composite output is so amazing on the NES and PC Engine via monitor\TV that you really don't need to bother with it and you just plug it in. All that BS aside, I would like a video to reveal if there is a good way to hook the FM Towns PC to ANY kind of monitor\TV without blowing it up. I could really use that kind of advice. Get a CRT, thats pretty much it. If you can't, theres tons of options for LCDs. I have a sega Dreamcast hooked up to a 4k Samsung QLED through a Denon X4300H using a $30 US HD converter cable and Resident Evil 3 looks just killer to the point that I sent a friend video of me playing Resident Evil 3 on the Sega Dreamcast and he actually asked if I downloaded a remaster. . Don't think about it, just do it, and enjoy games. Period.

[@Lukas-kz4xm]

You have very good taste in VGM music. Gradius V, Under Defeat, Capcom vs SNK etc; a nice broad selection.

[@P1an0Freak]

Amazing intro!!

[@coolgreek79]

I had the same upscaler you mentioned at the start ...it was alright I guess but it die on me after some time and I haven't used it all that much too.... I guess you do get what you pay.

[@extradipboneless]

Two of these upscalers from Amazon died on me. I'll never buy these again.

[@ScottX68000]

Brilliant episode Joe, the disliking your own videos joke was subtle but really cracked me up! However i've gotta say while I love how far these scalers have come for most of my consoles I just stick to using a CRT, no hassle or time spent tinkering with settings, just plug in your console and it works perfectly. I do however use an OSSC for my Dreamcast so I can use the VGA input (none of my monitors or TV's have a VGA port).

[@dbzeh6837]

Regular people hahaha. Joe can talk about anything and make it interesting. Another superb episode as usual.

[@brandnewman9870]

A video just as great as usual. I'm personally a OSSC user for playing retro stuff on my Wii (lots of emulators there, and they all provide 240p signal if selected): this purchase really was a life changer (my TV could handle 240p, but boy did it look ugly) ! But I like to use mclassic for 3d stuff as well, so I bought myself a hdmi splitter to generate two signals (one from the OSSC, and the other from the mclassic), which gives me the best of both worlds! I strongly advise people who can't decide what they like the best for PS2/Wii era 3d games to go with that if they can (of course, 2d games belong to the devices reviewed in this video, no question about that).

[@matthewconley7568]

Honestly, that sound with headphone at 17:29. Quite unexpected and humorous.

[@username30536]

The problem is a Venn diagram of the people with the desire and know how to make these devices and people who understand usability is two completely separate circles.

[@kidthorazine]

That's a huge problem with open source stuff in general and why it tends to take upwards of a decade for open source software to have a halfway decent UI.

[@username30536]

@@kidthorazine yeah. *glares at Linux*

[@kidthorazine]

@@username30536 Yeah I remember using Linux in the late 90s, that was fun. Even now it's a pain in the ass unless the distro repository actually has all of the stuff you need.

[@TechTrappings]

You can name the profiles on OSSC. There is an online generator with many predefined configs that you can save to SD and import on the device. When you adjust them, you just save on top of the imported profile.

[@danielfatfingahs5649]

It took me seven days to get through this video nearly to the minute!!! What kind of fan am I?!?!

[@kuhpunkt]

A BAD ONE! GO AWAY!

[@yabaiii1530]

Wow, we came a long way in upscalers in the last decade

[@WhatAboutZoidberg]

Just a quick note, you can get very finely adjusted OSSC profiles from firebrandx as well. They are all labeled when I use them on my OSSC & it works great so far. Its a lot cheaper entry price requires you to put in more effort to get it working, but once you do its great for the price. I dont capture any footage so I havent had any issues with that but most tvs after 2018 ive tried have worked great with it. Great video as always. Buy whatever fits your needs and budget.

[@Zanderlorian]

Yo that was an amazing intro

[@erebus015]

This video just makes me want to get a crt tv for retro gaming lol

[@kadosho02]

Fascinating to know how many of these devices exist. But prices wow. Hopefully there is one that you definitely recommend. Seems like each of these video upscalers have pros and cons. The ability to play past gen systems, with higher fidelity is surreal

[@sideswipe1261]

I just found this vid and I think I’m going to love it! Upscalers can confuse me when I’ve got (I.e.- My Dreamcast has the Vga cable from the console fed into a VGA-2-HDMI adapter box, which then goes into my 4k/60HZ switcher, which outputs to an MClassic that is plugged into my Vizio QLED M series; basically I’m not sure what’s scaling what anymore!

[@overkill1473]

Good lord. To what great lengths people go just to avoid having a CRT TV in the house...

[@AtheistPanic]

I like to wind down to a Game Sack. It doesn't suck.

[@targetrender9529]

Great video. Mike Chi is king of the upscalers. Can’t wait for the Retrotink 4k. It’s going to be amazing…and expensive!

[@RandomGamingDouchebag]

What odd timing, I just recently bought a retrotink 2x multi-format since that was more convenient for the setup I have while also being more in my cost range. Insightful video, good stuff as always Joe.

[@GameDawgs]

I really think the 2x line is great for 90%+ of people. I just helped a friend decide to get 2x pro after they compared my 2x pro to my 5x. I love the 5x, but if I wasn't such a nerd for this stuff, I would have probably stuck with a 2x mini and made my whole setup S-video based. lol

[@RandomGamingDouchebag]

@@GameDawgs ayy man do what makes you happy. The 5x is a cool product but I was content with the 2x multi for what I was after so I guess I'm in the same boat as your friend. Much of the reason why I bought it was primarily for game capture because I still use my consumer CRT for leisure gaming on my own time. Been wanting to get an all in one solution for my 480p compatible consoles for whenever I record/stream so I'm excited to get my hands on the thing and see how it comes out since composite on my capture card going through AmaRecTV is a bit too much of a hassle for not great results, but serviceable compares to just using the OBS settings when direct capture from my capture card.

[@rDanny]

@@GameDawgs do the 2x line upscale to 1440p like the 5x?

[@commonsensei8719]

That intro tune💖

[@johnrussell8086]

I'd love to see descalers. How they show HDMI to RGB for example and what are the pros and cons.

[@ShogunGin0]

I'd love an episode from you on capture devices and recording codecs. I love my Startech, and OBS works pretty well with it, but, like others, I know there's always something better and more to learn.

[@heresachallenger]

Gamescare from Brazil produces two kinds of GBS-C: one with VGA output (I got one of that) and another with HDMI output. Both are excellent for upscaling, downscaling and footage.

[@MrPoestyle]

Excellent video and very informative . Yes , please do a video on capture devices .

[@emmettturner9452]

I have the old DVI OSSC with Borti’s audio upgrade. With a DVI to HDMI cable I never even notice that it isn’t direct HDMI as it is 100% equivalent. Also, the audio jack is still useful for output, since I use a breakout in the SCART jack for RCA audio input. You know: one of those $2 SCART blocks with a few RCA jacks and an S-Video port on it. Though the video and S-Video jacks don’t do anything, it out the audio jacks right in line with the OSSC’s built-in component jacks for HD Retrovision cables and the adapter is rigid like it was part of the OSSC. I just plug my HDRV cables right in, including the audio, like the OSSC was always built with audio jacks.

[@venenareligioest410]

I bought the first unit from eBay, I use all my SCART PAL consoles on it - absolutely perfect, no stretching, no soft picture, no ‘oddities’!

[@ArthurPessoadeSouza]

Nice video! Solved several doubts that i had! Unfortunately right now, the options are too expensive here. Definitely deserved my sub :) Best regards from Brazil!

[@104d_3rr0r_vince]

I have the first cheap one, I agree 100%

[@Cimone90]

My ossc does great. I had to get a newer TV to play nice with it but it works well now. I also love how it looks. I got the clear blue covers for it. It just looks more techy in my setup.

[@StRoRo]

OSSC you can name the profile save names using tools.

[@topchief1]

I have the first one you showed to connect my saturn to my hd tv

[@8thLife]

Yeahhhh that's *this* show 😂

[@COLGrimm]

Must be Saturday night I have pizza and new ep of Game Sack.

[@pliniomsann]

First Game Sack I see with no game review 😭