Thanks! It was was a lot of work, but I’m glad the capture held up this time. I remember when I filmed the first part, I had to do it in pre recorded segments because it kept cutting out or displaying things wrong as I swapped profiles and consoles. Here it worked and I was able to record all this in two sittings, the benefit being that it was live and I can mess with it and react.
just wanted to throw this out there - I quickly realized (imo of course) "smooth" is mandatory for each console on modern tv's lol then again I don't like the fake scanlines so maybe that's why *but* what I noticed is all the jagged edges calm down & everything just blends beautifully, which is sort of what real CRT scanlines do!
Thanks so much! Glad to hear it was helpful. Been playing around more with 1080p Under recently, mostly for N64. If you don’t mind the smaller overall picture, it looks damn good with the 5X Pro. Did a big N64 retrospective video a few months back, all of the 5X gameplay uses that.
Great video, just a suggestion, if you still just generic 4:3 for Dreamcast you should adjust the horizontal size to 10%. The Dreamcast outputs a strange signal that ends up being squished in on modern displays so you have to stretch it out a bit to get the correct aspect ratio. You can also get the right one by using the dtv sampling in 1440p but if you can’t use that than the 10% increase is the next best thing.
Thanks! Great suggestion too, I’ll have to give that a shot! My capture card doesn’t like 1440p and my TV can’t support it, so I’m out of luck with both of the 1440p output modes for the 5X.
Thanks so much for watching! It really it is. I feel like the RAD2X is the best I’ve seen it look “normally,” where the 5X Pro is the best when using scanlines, especially with hdr. I’ve heard the hdmi mods are good too, but haven’t seen them personally.
You should try playing Hidden & Dangerous on the Dreamcast. I finished it on the DC and the complicated control layout it has to get round the Dreamcast's lack of buttons is difficult to learn.
The video improvements you did on Wii, can also be done via Swiss on the GameCube. Here it is most noticeably “vertical filter” you should set to: 0. This will clear out the blur on GameCube. (Also you can force 99% of all GameCube games to run in 480p) 😊
Great video! Really helped me figure some stuff out with my setup. I just got one question. Where can I find this list of PS1 games output res? I cannot find it anywhere.
I just got this in the mail and I have to say I am massively disappointed with the image quality. 1080p looks so blurry and awful with my PS2 games. I'm going to try your settings and hope this fixes it because holy damn does this look bad right now.
Are you using Component or composite? For the PS2, component is the best, and it’s a cheap upgrade to make. My most recent video also shows the scanline presets and some custom settings I like, I’d recommend also playing with that. You could just start with the Exponential Beam itself on and see if you like it, and then can keep playing around with it from there. Also also, some forget to update the firmware! One of the updates recently tweaked the Motion Adaptive deinterlacer, which is something important for 480i content like what the pS2 mainly gives. Also also also also, don’t forget to mess with the PS2’s own settings. Mine is set to 4:3, you may like Full better, it’s subjective. Hope some of that helps!
@@RetroBoost I'm using component cables for my PS2. I updated to the most recent firmware before plugging it in as well. I've been tweaking with the settings and so far, every 1080p setting looks like shit. What I really don't understand is that when I switch down to 720p it makes the image much clearer. Hell even switching to 480p is a bit of an improvement. This is making zero sense to me right now because there's no way 1080p should look so awful like this, and yet lower resolutions look better. I'll keep trying to mess with other setting later, but damn what a let down this thing has been already. Especially for the ridiculous price it goes for.
@ Bummer. It’s all subjective, I respect that. Make sure you Enable Interlace in the Horizontal Sampling Menu. If you watched all my settings you’d see that step, but I’ll call it out just in case. You can also try using the higher res outputs. If you go into the OSD Menu, you can enable them in there, then flip back to the outputs and you’ll see more options, namely 1440p. If your display supports it, give that shot and see if you like it. PS2 and the N64 are both consoles that I find myself continually messing with the settings for because I’ve never been totally happy with them. For both it seems to be game to game. Great example for the PS2 is Baldur’s Gate. I thought it looked excellent. Pop in the first Monster Hunter after…good lord. MGS2 is similarly super good, so it’s ups and downs. N64 is very similar in that regard. Other consoles like the SNES and PS1 look so damn clean. It’s weird. Hope you find settings you end up happy with!
@@RetroBoost I enabled interlacing, and to no surprise 1440p is a blurry mess just like 1080p. I'm gonna have to go to their discord or get in contact with support to see whats going on because this thing is proving to be nothing but a joke. I didn't pay over $300 for a product that cant even get me an image on par with the $30 adapter I previously had. Yeah, a $30 adapter gave me a better image than this. I seriously feel like I just got scammed.
Hey Retro Boost, would you happen to have a setting compilation for us plebians that are using S-Video for SNES, N64, Gamecube, and PS2?? I'm running my consoles through an Extron SVA 4X4 into the 5x Pro. Also which model Extron component switcher are you using? I been trying to find one, but to no avail.
I use two Extron Crosspoint 300’s! As for the settings: For the SNES, if you have a 1 Chip Model, then 1080p over with SNES Sampling looks awesome with S-Video. If you have another SNES model, I’d recommend Generic 4:3 instead; personally I find that to be a little clearer with the 2-Chip Systems. I recently did a video showing all the basic options for the SNES with all the cable types I can test: ruclips.net/video/i0ApfKKdvb0/видео.htmlsi=e4oDqda4uHWzUN-S For the N64, if you have an HDR display you could go a similar route I show in this video, you can use whatever scanline settings you want, they really help with the clarity. It’ll require a lot of adjusting the gamma in the 5X Pro’s settings and possibly even your display’s settings to get it looking to your satisfaction though, the N64 tends to get very very bright with the HDR Flag. I’m working on gameplay video like that SNES one but for the N64 now. It’s a surprising amount of work, hours of capture footage, 99% doesn’t make it into the video haha. If scanlines aren’t your thing, then you can go 1080p Over or Under with Generic Sampling coupled with the smooth filter. That’s the other way I usually go with the N64. I don’t like the N64 Sampling personally unless I’m using my RGB N64, and even that is game to game. For the GameCube and PS2, those systems have similar quirks. The GCN really comes to life with 480p, which unfortunately S-Video can’t do. The PS2 is mainly 480i though, so path 1 here applies to both when using S-Video: Path 1 - S-Video: Make sure you set “Allow Interlace” to enabled, then use The HiRes 858 H. Sampling Mode. This one is the recommended sampling mode for 480i Sources (you can read more about that from the 5X Firmware Update Page and the 5X Pro’s Console Mod Wiki Page). You could then add Scanlines, fiddle with the pre-emph filter to see if you find any further tweaks you may like. I’ve always used Motion Adaptive deinterlacing as well. Path 2 - Component: If you have a Wii, that’ll be a much better GCN Experience if you can get component cables for your Wii. Doubly so if you get USB Loader set up on it. You could get GCN Component Cables, but those are expensive, even the 3rd Party options. Component is also how you’d utilize 480p from the PS2, but so few games output it that upgrading that isn’t as much of a big deal as the GCN can be worth doing. One final mention, the N64 and PS2 also looked quite good with the 1440p output modes if your display supports it. My capture card used to take that, and when it did, that is what I used. Then after some firmware updates, it started to reject those resolutions. My tv doesn’t take them either, so I’m all in that 1080p life now haha.
I dunno why i didn't gt a notification on this reply. Thanks for that info! I totally forgot you use the two behemoth Extron Crosspoint switchers for your routing. When hooking up through component with those switchers, looking at the manual i see it has RGBHV for the BNC connectors, how are you hooking up the component cables up to that? Just matching the cables to the associated letter on the back? Green to Green, Blue to Blue, and Red to Red?@@RetroBoost
@@earlmcnulty4665Basically yes. It requires getting an RCA to BNC for the video, and RCA to Phoenix for the audio. RetroGamingCables sells Phoenix adapters made for Extron switches, very easy, that’s where I got mine, the BNC adapters you can find everywhere. The top three ports on the back have labels for R, G, and B, so you just match the colors for component; for composite you’d put the yellow in green. I show a lot of that in this video: ruclips.net/video/vqw0m6Ususk/видео.htmlsi=MYPB6J69nUX3huwu
That's what I figured, before I went to S-Video I had made my own RCA to BNC cables using left over HD-SDI cable for composite infrastructure and it worked great, No i wish i had kept those cables I had made to upgrade to component down the road lol@@RetroBoost
What component cables did you use for your OG Xbox? Reason I’m asking is I ordered some monster component cables and they don’t fit the retrotink 5x which sucks and I was hoping there is another option out there other than the official Xbox component cables because those things are insanely expensive now
I’ve just been using generic component cables from Amazon for my Xbox. They produce a satisfactory image, at least to me, haven’t had any problems with them, I’m sure the image would probably be better with the official ones, I’d like to get them eventually, but I haven’t really seen a good deal on them.
@@RetroBoost okay just an update incase you had any interest getting some og Xbox monster cables off eBay, they actually do fit they are just annoying to get on they literally have to be put on perfectly straight but they do look fantastic
Were you seeing Tony Hawk in 16:9 despite having the 5X set to generic 4:3? Because it sets my 16:9-supporting Xbox games to squashed 4:3 mode when I have it on. I'm trying to fix that issue. Ideally, I'd like a setting where non-widescreen games output in 4:3 and widescreen-supporting games output in 16:9, without having to change the settings in the 5X every time.
Underground is a game that supports 720p output, so it becomes a 720p 16x9 output from the console provided the console is set to output up to that resolution. That 5X seems to behave in a kind of passthrough mode at that point, changing the horizontal modes between 16:9 and 4:3 still keeps the image as 16:9. If I go into the settings and set the cap of the Xbox’s output to 480p, it’ll then allow for the 5X Pro to display the image as 4:3, it doesn’t look artificially crushed or disproportionate to me like that. I think it’s important to make sure the settings of the console itself make sense. In addition to the resolution outputs there are also screen types. If your was set to widescreen I could see things getting weird.
I’d try 2560x1440 and see how it looks first. Before my capture card started to reject 1440p, I was using that for both my PS2 and GCN profiles way back. Currently I do 1080p Over or Fill depending on what seems to look best.
Thanks Mike for your response. I've tried both and they look great and I couldn't decide which one to use. If your capture card hadn't started rejecting 1440p, would you still use it? Or you would have changed to 1080 over
@@Mario.L127I’d definitely be using 1440p for PS2 if I still could. As for GCN hard to say, I didn’t get to use it much prior to my card rejecting it, but I could see myself using it. I mainly use the CARBY for GCN now, but the 5X can give a smoother experience for people who don’t like the “digitized” look of the CARBY, which I’ve gotten pretty used to myself.
Good video. I'll add a few tips Mike Chi gave in the 2.0 and 3.0 firmware interviews with RetroRGB. Some of these tips may be out of date with the new Firmware but here goes Press the Back button on remote quickly 6 times to load the default profile. YpbPr (SDP) input option works for 240p and 480i with a closer look to S video than RGB for component, with a softer image with a more CRT look, and/or for consoles that misbehave in normal YpbPr input mode. Use triple buffer for when capturing footage. Generic sampling may look better for scanlines vs. optimal sampling. In regards to VHS. Use 480i output with Genlock for VHS capture, With generic sampling. Have motion adaptive deinterlacing for best results when just watching. For CRT Simulation with a 480i native source, select bob deinterlacing over the default motion adaptive, and CRT simulation on the other setting in the same sub menu. You must put it in Gen or frame lock. Those interviews with Mike Chi are also a good watch to get your head wrapped around what all the settings do when you first start off with a 5x. Mike is still working on firmware updates (experimental firmware available on the Retrotink Discord) The newest official on the Tink site is 3.71 as of Oct 8th 2023 www.retrotink.com/post/retrotink-5x-pro-firmware-updates I need do some capture footage of my settings profiles before I update mine, to save me some grief when updating.
Great info! Thanks for posting it all here, there are some great tips there. I need to check out the SPD Source option for some of my 240p consoles. I got 3.71 the other day, along with that new remote, it’s pretty cool. Not necessary obviously, but neat if you find yourself tinkering with the settings a lot. Need to program my profiles again too!
@@RetroBoost No problem, I'm happy to share. There is alot to digest in those interviews and stuff can go over your head on first watch, especially with a feature/setting you're not used to using yet. I've probably rewatched them twice since they've came out, and I always try to take notes of things what would be relevant to my self that I'll probably forget. I ended up doing a quick 5 minute capture of my settings last night, updated the Firmware and reprogramed them via the capture software window and the capture video being start stopped on the other screen. It didn't take too long thankfully. I tend to wait for official Firmware releases otherwise I would be doing that once a month or more with all the experimental firmware Mike Chi releases on the Discord server.
I did not see you mention the initial setup with Wii when you go into the main settings and choose 480p and if you should set it to 4:3 or 16:9? I notice when choosing 16:9, the image is squished no matter what TV settings I choose and the Tink does not seem to automatically adjust the image to the proper aspect ratio.
I’ve always used 480p and 4:3. If I think the game looks totally off, I play around with it, but generally 480p/4:3 has worked for me. Only select games like Kirby’s Return to Dreamland and Skyward Sword have given me trouble that required 16:9 output from the console.
Just got my 5X today and I’m loving it, but I’ve got a question and I can’t seem to find any answers online, why do you choose 1080p over vs 1080p fill? What is the actual differences?
Pulling from info available from the manuals and streams with Mike Chi/Retro RGB and the Console Wiki: 1080p Over is the actual “5X” mode of the 5X Pro, it scales by a factor of 5. 1080p Fill is a 4X Scale, regarding 240p sources specifically. It’s also supposed to be sharpest of the three 1080p modes, other than 1080p Under, along with be the most screen filling, though it sometimes requires cropping. So in summary, it fills most of the screen and it’s generally the highest quality output mode, at least for 240p sources. 1080p Under is smaller, but due to it being more compact, it can help with picture quality, I’ve been using that more recently for the N64 and sometimes the Wii for that reason. 1080p Under’s smaller size can be a detraction for some though, if you like something more screen filling, 1080p Under is going the opposite way. For 480p sources on consoles like the GameCube and similar consoles, 1080p Over starts to lose appeal since you can’t use certain horizontal modes with it, like DTV A/B. I generally use 1080p Over for NES, SNES, Genesis, and PS1, and sometimes the N64 (which recently I’ve been using 1080p Under more). For everything else I’m usually using Fill, sometimes Over depending. I’d like to use the 1440p modes, but my capture card started to reject it, and my tv can’t take it at all, so darn. Hope all that helps! I’d recommend checking out the 5X Pro’s console mods wiki page, it’s got a ton of great info and explains pretty much all this stuff! The streams that RetroRGB has done with Mike Chi are also great sources of info, you’re getting from the man himself there, can’t get any better than that!
@@RetroBoost Hey im sorry to bother again but I’ve been playing around with the 5X alot using my 1440p gaming monitor and I’ve run into some weird things specifically with PS2 so I’ve been messing around with the h. Sampling and trying to get it dialed in I know games on ps2 have a couple different resolutions but when I’m using the HiRes 512 or HiRes 858 the image looks extremely sharp and clear but when I enable the interlacing the image becomes stretched and blurry I was under the impression that using interlacing would be good on PS2 because of it mostly being 480i but I loose so much clarity when allowing the interlacing. Am I doing something wrong?
@@severed6001 That’s odd. I haven’t really messed around with the 1440p mode since none of my stuff is compatible with it, so I’m not sure what is happening with that. I’ve read that is that you’re supposed to “enable” for “Allow Interlaced,” otherwise the H. Sampling won’t work correctly. There is some new stuff on the console mods wiki that has some recommended settings, which recommend “Allow Interlace” to enabled for the 1440p modes when using HiRes 512 or 858. I’d go with what you think looks best though, I’ve gone my own way for consoles like the N64, preferring Generic Sampling and sometimes with DeBlur disabled because I think that looks better to me. It’s all subjective.
Thanks for watching! Hope it was all helpful! That Xbox section was hilarious, I talk about the 480p options and set it all up, then I go to enter the game but can’t. I’m pressing all the buttons like an idiot and can’t figure it out. In the few minutes I took to explain the profile, the enemy team captured all the objectives and the match was over haha.
@@RetroBoost ha ha that's happened to me but when my controller died😀 today I'm taking a break from playing Dino Crisis on ps 1 and going to try get get that dastardly N64 to look good on my 5x otherwise it'll be the Rad2x coming out of retirement
Hi, can you tell me appromiately how much the box with the 5X unit, remote and cable weighs? Im thinking of ordering one and I want to know how much the full package weighs. Thanks
Not that I’ve ever seen. Best you can do is look around for people that post theirs/forums and try that out or use it as a starting point for your own tastes. Most of what I’ve learned has come from the Console Mods Wiki Page for the 5X Pro, it’ll teach you a lot. Link in the description.
Hey man can you help me out with something? So I cannot access the horizontal sampling settings besides generic 4:3 and 16:9? I see that you use composite on the nes and you're still able to use the snes preset for example. Any help would be appreciated man
Make sure you’ve got the latest firmware; The link the 5X Pro’s update page is in the description, along with a link to one of my videos that shows the process of updating. Beyond that I wouldn’t too sure why you are seeing that. I want to say that the 1440p output modes don’t let you use all the H.Sampling modes but I could be wrong there, as I can’t check for myself anymore. I used to use them but can’t now, my capture card started to reject them and my tv was never compatible to begin with.
@@RetroBoost Thank you for the reply man, I appreciate that. I've tried every resolution and I've even switched from composite to scart, but nothing worked. I can only see the generic presets. I've also tried older firmware and the newest ones, it should be able to show the presets but I'm pretty much lost now since nothing works...
That’s odd. My next suggestion would be to join the RetroTink Discord and post your question in the 5X Pro Help Channel. They have a lot of active members, so you should get a response pretty much instantly.
Sorry for the delay on this, I’ve been out of town. Just tested, and yes, it applies the patches/cheats to disc copies launched from within USB Loader no problem. You don’t have to back anything up, running via disc works too.
@@pops_retrogamer I think the 5X looks great on my TV. Upgrading the cables for certain consoles really makes a difference, its worth upgrading from Composite to Component or RGB where possible.
I would recommend taking a look at the Saturn portion of the 5X Pro Console Mods Wiki, which I will link in this comment. It has a lot of good info on different things to try and be aware of with the Saturn. I don’t own one myself, so I can’t speak to any of it personally. consolemods.org/wiki/AV:RetroTINK-5X_Pro#Sega_Saturn
Scanlines not your thing? They weren’t mine for the longest time, so I get it. NES is the probably the one console where I now use them always. N64 it depends. Those two consoles mainly. I’ve heard the scanline experience is really cool on OLED TVs.
RGB Modded, the Tim Worthington board if I remember correctly. There are some pretty cool hdmi mods out there now. One that got recommended to me is gamebox kit, it is said to be great.
Am I crazy or would the de-interlacing settings not be used at all for the NES? I think it's always 240p, there's never any interlaced output coming from the NES to de-interlace.
That is correct, messing with those settings there wouldn't do anything, or shouldn't for the reason that you specified, that is 100% my mistake for the confusion bringing it up there. That is something I forget about from time to time, and should've known not to talk about that stuff until getting to the PS2, which is my main 480i Console. Since the Filters were in that menu I may have felt compelled to list off what I leave everything else at, but that backfired because I confused myself on that point obviously. Sorry for any confusion that caused, your point is correct, those options don't do anything for the NES since it outputs 240p, aside from the Vertical Filter (Sharp, Soft, Smooth). The Vertical Filter is now in its own menu as of the latest couple of firmware updates too. Fun fact, I had a massive headache while filming this, at one point I had to step away and resume later on. The GameCube and Wii Chapters were the last two filmed, you can see that my hair looks different.
I’d love to have one, but hot damn are they pricey. Plus then I’d need a game or two to test with it. One day maybe, if I can find one at a yard sale for $5 lol.
@@RetroBoostit was worth a try. The latest firmware has so many options I can figure out how to use it…so I had to downgrade to a much earlier (and simpler) version
Sorry for the confusion with this…I did, not sure why they aren’t working. Check the description, you’ll see the chapter list with the timestamps. I’ll have to play with it to see why it isn’t working properly.
Check the description for call outs and corrections! Thanks for watching!
An incredible amount of work put into this. If I ever get a RetroTink 5X, I shall be sure to look this video up again..Thankyou :)
Thanks! It was was a lot of work, but I’m glad the capture held up this time. I remember when I filmed the first part, I had to do it in pre recorded segments because it kept cutting out or displaying things wrong as I swapped profiles and consoles. Here it worked and I was able to record all this in two sittings, the benefit being that it was live and I can mess with it and react.
Doing the lord's work
just wanted to throw this out there - I quickly realized (imo of course) "smooth" is mandatory for each console on modern tv's lol then again I don't like the fake scanlines so maybe that's why *but* what I noticed is all the jagged edges calm down & everything just blends beautifully, which is sort of what real CRT scanlines do!
Immensely considerate and helpful vid. Thanks.
Thanks so much! Glad to hear it was helpful. Been playing around more with 1080p Under recently, mostly for N64. If you don’t mind the smaller overall picture, it looks damn good with the 5X Pro. Did a big N64 retrospective video a few months back, all of the 5X gameplay uses that.
Great video, just a suggestion, if you still just generic 4:3 for Dreamcast you should adjust the horizontal size to 10%. The Dreamcast outputs a strange signal that ends up being squished in on modern displays so you have to stretch it out a bit to get the correct aspect ratio. You can also get the right one by using the dtv sampling in 1440p but if you can’t use that than the 10% increase is the next best thing.
Thanks! Great suggestion too, I’ll have to give that a shot! My capture card doesn’t like 1440p and my TV can’t support it, so I’m out of luck with both of the 1440p output modes for the 5X.
Thanks for this video. I agree about the N64 being the hardest console to get a good looking image from it
Thanks so much for watching! It really it is. I feel like the RAD2X is the best I’ve seen it look “normally,” where the 5X Pro is the best when using scanlines, especially with hdr. I’ve heard the hdmi mods are good too, but haven’t seen them personally.
You should try playing Hidden & Dangerous on the Dreamcast. I finished it on the DC and the complicated control layout it has to get round the Dreamcast's lack of buttons is difficult to learn.
The video improvements you did on Wii, can also be done via Swiss on the GameCube. Here it is most noticeably “vertical filter” you should set to: 0. This will clear out the blur on GameCube. (Also you can force 99% of all GameCube games to run in 480p) 😊
Good to know! I've heard and see some things on swiss, but haven't gotten into console modding for myself as of yet.
Great video! Really helped me figure some stuff out with my setup. I just got one question. Where can I find this list of PS1 games output res? I cannot find it anywhere.
I updated the description, it now contains the link to the document that shows the resolutions! It’s right below the chapter list.
@@RetroBoost awesome thx a lot.
5x Pro really puts some effort into the NES' image, I'll give you that. Too bad my composite cable is too terrible for it to get a decent image...
I just got this in the mail and I have to say I am massively disappointed with the image quality. 1080p looks so blurry and awful with my PS2 games. I'm going to try your settings and hope this fixes it because holy damn does this look bad right now.
Are you using Component or composite? For the PS2, component is the best, and it’s a cheap upgrade to make. My most recent video also shows the scanline presets and some custom settings I like, I’d recommend also playing with that. You could just start with the Exponential Beam itself on and see if you like it, and then can keep playing around with it from there. Also also, some forget to update the firmware! One of the updates recently tweaked the Motion Adaptive deinterlacer, which is something important for 480i content like what the pS2 mainly gives. Also also also also, don’t forget to mess with the PS2’s own settings. Mine is set to 4:3, you may like Full better, it’s subjective. Hope some of that helps!
@@RetroBoost I'm using component cables for my PS2. I updated to the most recent firmware before plugging it in as well. I've been tweaking with the settings and so far, every 1080p setting looks like shit. What I really don't understand is that when I switch down to 720p it makes the image much clearer. Hell even switching to 480p is a bit of an improvement. This is making zero sense to me right now because there's no way 1080p should look so awful like this, and yet lower resolutions look better. I'll keep trying to mess with other setting later, but damn what a let down this thing has been already. Especially for the ridiculous price it goes for.
@ Bummer. It’s all subjective, I respect that. Make sure you Enable Interlace in the Horizontal Sampling Menu. If you watched all my settings you’d see that step, but I’ll call it out just in case. You can also try using the higher res outputs. If you go into the OSD Menu, you can enable them in there, then flip back to the outputs and you’ll see more options, namely 1440p. If your display supports it, give that shot and see if you like it. PS2 and the N64 are both consoles that I find myself continually messing with the settings for because I’ve never been totally happy with them. For both it seems to be game to game. Great example for the PS2 is Baldur’s Gate. I thought it looked excellent. Pop in the first Monster Hunter after…good lord. MGS2 is similarly super good, so it’s ups and downs. N64 is very similar in that regard. Other consoles like the SNES and PS1 look so damn clean. It’s weird. Hope you find settings you end up happy with!
@@RetroBoost I enabled interlacing, and to no surprise 1440p is a blurry mess just like 1080p. I'm gonna have to go to their discord or get in contact with support to see whats going on because this thing is proving to be nothing but a joke. I didn't pay over $300 for a product that cant even get me an image on par with the $30 adapter I previously had. Yeah, a $30 adapter gave me a better image than this. I seriously feel like I just got scammed.
search retrotink 5x pro consolemods wiki. all the settings for the ps2 in every region, every mode is on there
Hey Retro Boost, would you happen to have a setting compilation for us plebians that are using S-Video for SNES, N64, Gamecube, and PS2?? I'm running my consoles through an Extron SVA 4X4 into the 5x Pro. Also which model Extron component switcher are you using? I been trying to find one, but to no avail.
I use two Extron Crosspoint 300’s! As for the settings:
For the SNES, if you have a 1 Chip Model, then 1080p over with SNES Sampling looks awesome with S-Video. If you have another SNES model, I’d recommend Generic 4:3 instead; personally I find that to be a little clearer with the 2-Chip Systems. I recently did a video showing all the basic options for the SNES with all the cable types I can test: ruclips.net/video/i0ApfKKdvb0/видео.htmlsi=e4oDqda4uHWzUN-S
For the N64, if you have an HDR display you could go a similar route I show in this video, you can use whatever scanline settings you want, they really help with the clarity. It’ll require a lot of adjusting the gamma in the 5X Pro’s settings and possibly even your display’s settings to get it looking to your satisfaction though, the N64 tends to get very very bright with the HDR Flag. I’m working on gameplay video like that SNES one but for the N64 now. It’s a surprising amount of work, hours of capture footage, 99% doesn’t make it into the video haha.
If scanlines aren’t your thing, then you can go 1080p Over or Under with Generic Sampling coupled with the smooth filter. That’s the other way I usually go with the N64. I don’t like the N64 Sampling personally unless I’m using my RGB N64, and even that is game to game.
For the GameCube and PS2, those systems have similar quirks. The GCN really comes to life with 480p, which unfortunately S-Video can’t do. The PS2 is mainly 480i though, so path 1 here applies to both when using S-Video:
Path 1 - S-Video: Make sure you set “Allow Interlace” to enabled, then use The HiRes 858 H. Sampling Mode. This one is the recommended sampling mode for 480i Sources (you can read more about that from the 5X Firmware Update Page and the 5X Pro’s Console Mod Wiki Page). You could then add Scanlines, fiddle with the pre-emph filter to see if you find any further tweaks you may like. I’ve always used Motion Adaptive deinterlacing as well.
Path 2 - Component: If you have a Wii, that’ll be a much better GCN Experience if you can get component cables for your Wii. Doubly so if you get USB Loader set up on it. You could get GCN Component Cables, but those are expensive, even the 3rd Party options. Component is also how you’d utilize 480p from the PS2, but so few games output it that upgrading that isn’t as much of a big deal as the GCN can be worth doing.
One final mention, the N64 and PS2 also looked quite good with the 1440p output modes if your display supports it. My capture card used to take that, and when it did, that is what I used. Then after some firmware updates, it started to reject those resolutions. My tv doesn’t take them either, so I’m all in that 1080p life now haha.
I dunno why i didn't gt a notification on this reply. Thanks for that info! I totally forgot you use the two behemoth Extron Crosspoint switchers for your routing. When hooking up through component with those switchers, looking at the manual i see it has RGBHV for the BNC connectors, how are you hooking up the component cables up to that? Just matching the cables to the associated letter on the back? Green to Green, Blue to Blue, and Red to Red?@@RetroBoost
@@earlmcnulty4665Basically yes. It requires getting an RCA to BNC for the video, and RCA to Phoenix for the audio. RetroGamingCables sells Phoenix adapters made for Extron switches, very easy, that’s where I got mine, the BNC adapters you can find everywhere. The top three ports on the back have labels for R, G, and B, so you just match the colors for component; for composite you’d put the yellow in green. I show a lot of that in this video: ruclips.net/video/vqw0m6Ususk/видео.htmlsi=MYPB6J69nUX3huwu
That's what I figured, before I went to S-Video I had made my own RCA to BNC cables using left over HD-SDI cable for composite infrastructure and it worked great, No i wish i had kept those cables I had made to upgrade to component down the road lol@@RetroBoost
What component cables did you use for your OG Xbox?
Reason I’m asking is I ordered some monster component cables and they don’t fit the retrotink 5x which sucks and I was hoping there is another option out there other than the official Xbox component cables because those things are insanely expensive now
I’ve just been using generic component cables from Amazon for my Xbox. They produce a satisfactory image, at least to me, haven’t had any problems with them, I’m sure the image would probably be better with the official ones, I’d like to get them eventually, but I haven’t really seen a good deal on them.
@@RetroBoostthanks, I saw some cheap ones on Amazon I guess I’ll give them a shot
@@RetroBoost okay just an update incase you had any interest getting some og Xbox monster cables off eBay, they actually do fit they are just annoying to get on they literally have to be put on perfectly straight but they do look fantastic
Were you seeing Tony Hawk in 16:9 despite having the 5X set to generic 4:3? Because it sets my 16:9-supporting Xbox games to squashed 4:3 mode when I have it on. I'm trying to fix that issue. Ideally, I'd like a setting where non-widescreen games output in 4:3 and widescreen-supporting games output in 16:9, without having to change the settings in the 5X every time.
Underground is a game that supports 720p output, so it becomes a 720p 16x9 output from the console provided the console is set to output up to that resolution. That 5X seems to behave in a kind of passthrough mode at that point, changing the horizontal modes between 16:9 and 4:3 still keeps the image as 16:9. If I go into the settings and set the cap of the Xbox’s output to 480p, it’ll then allow for the 5X Pro to display the image as 4:3, it doesn’t look artificially crushed or disproportionate to me like that. I think it’s important to make sure the settings of the console itself make sense. In addition to the resolution outputs there are also screen types. If your was set to widescreen I could see things getting weird.
Hi Mike
My 4k tv supports 1440p
What resolution do you recommend for PS2, GameCube and Wii?
1440p? or 1080 over
I’d try 2560x1440 and see how it looks first. Before my capture card started to reject 1440p, I was using that for both my PS2 and GCN profiles way back. Currently I do 1080p Over or Fill depending on what seems to look best.
Thanks Mike for your response.
I've tried both and they look great and I couldn't decide which one to use.
If your capture card hadn't started rejecting 1440p, would you still use it? Or you would have changed to 1080 over
@@Mario.L127I’d definitely be using 1440p for PS2 if I still could. As for GCN hard to say, I didn’t get to use it much prior to my card rejecting it, but I could see myself using it. I mainly use the CARBY for GCN now, but the 5X can give a smoother experience for people who don’t like the “digitized” look of the CARBY, which I’ve gotten pretty used to myself.
Good video.
I'll add a few tips Mike Chi gave in the 2.0 and 3.0 firmware interviews with RetroRGB.
Some of these tips may be out of date with the new Firmware but here goes
Press the Back button on remote quickly 6 times to load the default profile.
YpbPr (SDP) input option works for 240p and 480i with a closer look to S video than RGB for component, with a softer image with a more CRT look, and/or for consoles that misbehave in normal YpbPr input mode.
Use triple buffer for when capturing footage.
Generic sampling may look better for scanlines vs. optimal sampling.
In regards to VHS.
Use 480i output with Genlock for VHS capture, With generic sampling.
Have motion adaptive deinterlacing for best results when just watching.
For CRT Simulation with a
480i native source, select bob deinterlacing over the default motion adaptive, and CRT simulation on the other setting in the same sub menu.
You must put it in Gen or frame lock.
Those interviews with Mike Chi are also a good watch to get your head wrapped around what all the settings do when you first start off with a 5x.
Mike is still working on firmware updates (experimental firmware available on the Retrotink Discord)
The newest official on the Tink site is 3.71 as of Oct 8th 2023
www.retrotink.com/post/retrotink-5x-pro-firmware-updates
I need do some capture footage of my settings profiles before I update mine, to save me some grief when updating.
Great info! Thanks for posting it all here, there are some great tips there. I need to check out the SPD Source option for some of my 240p consoles. I got 3.71 the other day, along with that new remote, it’s pretty cool. Not necessary obviously, but neat if you find yourself tinkering with the settings a lot. Need to program my profiles again too!
@@RetroBoost No problem, I'm happy to share.
There is alot to digest in those interviews and stuff can go over your head on first watch, especially with a feature/setting you're not used to using yet.
I've probably rewatched them twice since they've came out, and I always try to take notes of things what would be relevant to my self that I'll probably forget.
I ended up doing a quick 5 minute capture of my settings last night, updated the Firmware and reprogramed them via the capture software window and the capture video being start stopped on the other screen.
It didn't take too long thankfully.
I tend to wait for official Firmware releases otherwise I would be doing that once a month or more with all the experimental firmware Mike Chi releases on the Discord server.
Awesome tips! Thank you! Why triple buffer? The input lag on that is unplayable for me...
I did not see you mention the initial setup with Wii when you go into the main settings and choose 480p and if you should set it to 4:3 or 16:9? I notice when choosing 16:9, the image is squished no matter what TV settings I choose and the Tink does not seem to automatically adjust the image to the proper aspect ratio.
I’ve always used 480p and 4:3. If I think the game looks totally off, I play around with it, but generally 480p/4:3 has worked for me. Only select games like Kirby’s Return to Dreamland and Skyward Sword have given me trouble that required 16:9 output from the console.
Just got my 5X today and I’m loving it, but I’ve got a question and I can’t seem to find any answers online, why do you choose 1080p over vs 1080p fill? What is the actual differences?
Pulling from info available from the manuals and streams with Mike Chi/Retro RGB and the Console Wiki: 1080p Over is the actual “5X” mode of the 5X Pro, it scales by a factor of 5. 1080p Fill is a 4X Scale, regarding 240p sources specifically. It’s also supposed to be sharpest of the three 1080p modes, other than 1080p Under, along with be the most screen filling, though it sometimes requires cropping. So in summary, it fills most of the screen and it’s generally the highest quality output mode, at least for 240p sources. 1080p Under is smaller, but due to it being more compact, it can help with picture quality, I’ve been using that more recently for the N64 and sometimes the Wii for that reason. 1080p Under’s smaller size can be a detraction for some though, if you like something more screen filling, 1080p Under is going the opposite way.
For 480p sources on consoles like the GameCube and similar consoles, 1080p Over starts to lose appeal since you can’t use certain horizontal modes with it, like DTV A/B.
I generally use 1080p Over for NES, SNES, Genesis, and PS1, and sometimes the N64 (which recently I’ve been using 1080p Under more). For everything else I’m usually using Fill, sometimes Over depending. I’d like to use the 1440p modes, but my capture card started to reject it, and my tv can’t take it at all, so darn.
Hope all that helps! I’d recommend checking out the 5X Pro’s console mods wiki page, it’s got a ton of great info and explains pretty much all this stuff! The streams that RetroRGB has done with Mike Chi are also great sources of info, you’re getting from the man himself there, can’t get any better than that!
@@RetroBoost thank you so much man, this video has been super helpful as well! Awesome stuff 👍🏼
@@RetroBoost Hey im sorry to bother again but I’ve been playing around with the 5X alot using my 1440p gaming monitor and I’ve run into some weird things specifically with PS2 so I’ve been messing around with the h. Sampling and trying to get it dialed in I know games on ps2 have a couple different resolutions but when I’m using the HiRes 512 or HiRes 858 the image looks extremely sharp and clear but when I enable the interlacing the image becomes stretched and blurry I was under the impression that using interlacing would be good on PS2 because of it mostly being 480i but I loose so much clarity when allowing the interlacing. Am I doing something wrong?
@@severed6001 That’s odd. I haven’t really messed around with the 1440p mode since none of my stuff is compatible with it, so I’m not sure what is happening with that. I’ve read that is that you’re supposed to “enable” for “Allow Interlaced,” otherwise the H. Sampling won’t work correctly. There is some new stuff on the console mods wiki that has some recommended settings, which recommend “Allow Interlace” to enabled for the 1440p modes when using HiRes 512 or 858. I’d go with what you think looks best though, I’ve gone my own way for consoles like the N64, preferring Generic Sampling and sometimes with DeBlur disabled because I think that looks better to me. It’s all subjective.
Gracias.
The video I've been waiting for.
Thanks Mike
Thanks for watching! Hope it was all helpful! That Xbox section was hilarious, I talk about the 480p options and set it all up, then I go to enter the game but can’t. I’m pressing all the buttons like an idiot and can’t figure it out. In the few minutes I took to explain the profile, the enemy team captured all the objectives and the match was over haha.
@@RetroBoost ha ha that's happened to me but when my controller died😀 today I'm taking a break from playing Dino Crisis on ps 1 and going to try get get that dastardly N64 to look good on my 5x otherwise it'll be the Rad2x coming out of retirement
Hi, can you tell me appromiately how much the box with the 5X unit, remote and cable weighs? Im thinking of ordering one and I want to know how much the full package weighs. Thanks
Not sure what the exact weight, but it’s gotta be under 3 or even 2 pounds. The 5X itself feels like it weighs nothing.
Thank you for your reply.
Are downloadable profiles for each console for the 5x possible/available?
Not that I’ve ever seen. Best you can do is look around for people that post theirs/forums and try that out or use it as a starting point for your own tastes. Most of what I’ve learned has come from the Console Mods Wiki Page for the 5X Pro, it’ll teach you a lot. Link in the description.
Hey man can you help me out with something? So I cannot access the horizontal sampling settings besides generic 4:3 and 16:9? I see that you use composite on the nes and you're still able to use the snes preset for example. Any help would be appreciated man
Make sure you’ve got the latest firmware; The link the 5X Pro’s update page is in the description, along with a link to one of my videos that shows the process of updating. Beyond that I wouldn’t too sure why you are seeing that. I want to say that the 1440p output modes don’t let you use all the H.Sampling modes but I could be wrong there, as I can’t check for myself anymore. I used to use them but can’t now, my capture card started to reject them and my tv was never compatible to begin with.
@@RetroBoost Thank you for the reply man, I appreciate that. I've tried every resolution and I've even switched from composite to scart, but nothing worked. I can only see the generic presets. I've also tried older firmware and the newest ones, it should be able to show the presets but I'm pretty much lost now since nothing works...
That’s odd. My next suggestion would be to join the RetroTink Discord and post your question in the 5X Pro Help Channel. They have a lot of active members, so you should get a response pretty much instantly.
@@RetroBoost Thank you, I will join the discord and ask there what's going on. Appreciate the help dude 👍🏼
Hey, did you find out what the problem was by any chance? I'm in the same situation here
Do the Wii fixes through USB Loader GX only work for games on SD cards or do they also apply to standard disc games?
USB Loader GX can load physical discs, so the Wii fixes should work.
I can't test it myself though, because my Wii disc drive is broken.
Sorry for the delay on this, I’ve been out of town. Just tested, and yes, it applies the patches/cheats to disc copies launched from within USB Loader no problem. You don’t have to back anything up, running via disc works too.
Can you link the ps1 resolution output list?
Sure! Took a bit of digging, but I found it. It’s this forum that has a link to a Google doc, the doc has the list:
shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?p=1408898#p1408898
which TV screen you use?
My TV is a Samsung Q90FN from 2018. If I ever have to get a new one I’d probably go with LG’s C Series OLEDs.
@@RetroBoost So RT 5X pro gives good results on 4K correct? I was initially considering RT 4K...but price difference makes me hesitating
@@pops_retrogamer I think the 5X looks great on my TV. Upgrading the cables for certain consoles really makes a difference, its worth upgrading from Composite to Component or RGB where possible.
Any pointers concerning Saturn?
I would recommend taking a look at the Saturn portion of the 5X Pro Console Mods Wiki, which I will link in this comment. It has a lot of good info on different things to try and be aware of with the Saturn. I don’t own one myself, so I can’t speak to any of it personally.
consolemods.org/wiki/AV:RetroTINK-5X_Pro#Sega_Saturn
all good except for scan lines... yuk!
Scanlines not your thing? They weren’t mine for the longest time, so I get it. NES is the probably the one console where I now use them always. N64 it depends. Those two consoles mainly. I’ve heard the scanline experience is really cool on OLED TVs.
is you n64 hdmi or rgb modded?
RGB Modded, the Tim Worthington board if I remember correctly. There are some pretty cool hdmi mods out there now. One that got recommended to me is gamebox kit, it is said to be great.
Am I crazy or would the de-interlacing settings not be used at all for the NES? I think it's always 240p, there's never any interlaced output coming from the NES to de-interlace.
That is correct, messing with those settings there wouldn't do anything, or shouldn't for the reason that you specified, that is 100% my mistake for the confusion bringing it up there. That is something I forget about from time to time, and should've known not to talk about that stuff until getting to the PS2, which is my main 480i Console. Since the Filters were in that menu I may have felt compelled to list off what I leave everything else at, but that backfired because I confused myself on that point obviously. Sorry for any confusion that caused, your point is correct, those options don't do anything for the NES since it outputs 240p, aside from the Vertical Filter (Sharp, Soft, Smooth). The Vertical Filter is now in its own menu as of the latest couple of firmware updates too.
Fun fact, I had a massive headache while filming this, at one point I had to step away and resume later on. The GameCube and Wii Chapters were the last two filmed, you can see that my hair looks different.
Neo geo please!🙏🏻
I’d love to have one, but hot damn are they pricey. Plus then I’d need a game or two to test with it. One day maybe, if I can find one at a yard sale for $5 lol.
@@RetroBoostit was worth a try. The latest firmware has so many options I can figure out how to use it…so I had to downgrade to a much earlier (and simpler) version
Can you add time stamps please?
Sorry for the confusion with this…I did, not sure why they aren’t working. Check the description, you’ll see the chapter list with the timestamps. I’ll have to play with it to see why it isn’t working properly.
Fixed it! Chapters ON!
@@RetroBoost thanks!! :)
Can you rename the profiles or does ot always remain as Slot?
You can create a name for it, but it will always read “Slot X: CustomName.” The slot part is always there, then the custom name follows.
No sega saturn. Shame
I knoooooooooow. It’s on my list. I’ve got the space for it, got about 3 slots or so for the last of the consoles I want.
@@RetroBoost sweeeeet