OSSC (DIY video digitizer & scandoubler)

[marqs]

Strobing was supposed to bring balance to the force, then we've realized it's no simple matter like flipping a switch, yeah...

It's too bad strobing/rolling refresh is not very well supported among manufacturers. I had high hopes for Sony's A1 OLED, but based on early reviews it seems to only have BFI (at 120Hz). It's better than nothing but combined with mediocore input lag (especially for non-4k content) I'm not sure if it's much better for gaming than other OLED TVs on the market.

[Xyga]

Strobing was supposed to bring balance to the force, then we've realized it's no simple matter like flipping a switch, yeah...

It's too bad strobing/rolling refresh is not very well supported among manufacturers. I had high hopes for Sony's A1 OLED, but based on early reviews it seems to only have BFI (at 120Hz). It's better than nothing but combined with mediocore input lag (especially for non-4k content) I'm not sure if it's much better for gaming than other OLED TVs on the market.

Yes that's very sad, even without BFI the lag is twice that of the LG C7. Damn, Sony, so close yet so far.

[cleeg]

Now, I know I can just go straight into the component input, but for convenience so as not to have to go ferreting about around my setup SCART will be easiest for me here: I have a newly acquired Wii that I want to route via the OSSC for those one in a thousand non interlace games. I seem to remember that in the dense jungle of this thread's foliage it was mentioned that the OSSC can accept component via its SCART input? I wonder if the item in the link will help me...

https://store.retrofixes.com/products/a ... pter-audio

... I want to achieve the following:

Wii component video cable --> Component to SCART adapter as above --> GSCARTSw --> OSSC --> TV.

The GSCARTSw, as I'm sure many of you will know, is a SCART switch bank made for retrogaming. I also use its audio pass through to get sound into my TV. I also use its secondary VGA out (via BNC adapters) into an XRGB Mini, which is why I'm trying to achive what I am above, it's the most flexible option for me!

Many thanks everyone!

[BuckoA51]

I seem to remember that in the dense jungle of this thread's foliage it was mentioned that the OSSC can accept component via its SCART input?

Yes it can. It's mentioned in the Wiki too and in the documentation

I wonder if the item in the link will help me...

That is indeed the correct adapter. However, remember that the Gscart uses the sync signal (composite video or clean csync) to detect an active input. There's no separate sync signal present when you have a YPbPr input. I believe you can use the default port on the GScart for sources like this though, but that's the one and only input that will work for it.

[cleeg]

Ah right, so not documented very widely then .

Thanks for the further advice Matt, I'll look into getting that adapter. EDIT - Adapter ordered, I'll post how I get on. Shipping was a killer, but I couldn't find an adapter this neat anywhere else.

[rayik]

Got the OSSC a couple of days ago. Two questions:

1) Purchased remote with it. OSSC firmware is 0.76-aud. At times the OSSC does not respond to the remote. New batteries. Remote red light flashes bright on button press. Sometimes the OSSC responds. Other times it does not. I am sitting about five feet away. Anything I should do?

2) Unable to turn ON any other output modes (such as line3x, etc). I use remote to go menu > Output opt > Line3x Generic 4:3. However, I can not turn it on. Pushing OK on the remote does nothing. Not sure if this is related to question 1) or if I'm pushing the wrong button to turn ON.

Thank you

[Harrumph]

You change output mode by hitting left/right under the heading categorized by input mode, e.g. 240p for 240p input (switch between them by up/down). You will see that default is 2x and when you press right it changes to x3, x4 etc.
The "linex3" menu heading is only for the submodes of lx3 (generic, optimized).

See further in the OSSC wiki.

[rayik]

You change output mode by hitting left/right under the heading categorized by input mode, e.g. 240p for 240p input (switch between them by up/down). You will see that default is 2x and when you press right it changes to x3, x4 etc.
The "linex3" menu heading is only for the submodes of lx3 (generic, optimized).

See further in the OSSC wiki.

Thanks Harrumph.

Turns (1) OSSC not responding to remote was due to me pressing the SAT or DVD button. Once I pressed TV button on the remote OSSC recognized remote fine. Found the solution in the Videogameperfection OSSC thread here: https://www.videogameperfection.com/for ... t-working/. Maybe this should be added to the wiki. I'm sure I am not the only person who has done this.

Thanks for the solution to (2). Turns out you just select line3x and it automatically switches. If you go into sub-menu it does not and pressing OK does not enable it. Thank you for the help.

[RocketBelt]

Got the OSSC a couple of days ago. Two questions:

1) Purchased remote with it. OSSC firmware is 0.76-aud. At times the OSSC does not respond to the remote. New batteries. Remote red light flashes bright on button press. Sometimes the OSSC responds. Other times it does not. I am sitting about five feet away. Anything I should do?

2) Unable to turn ON any other output modes (such as line3x, etc). I use remote to go menu > Output opt > Line3x Generic 4:3. However, I can not turn it on. Pushing OK on the remote does nothing. Not sure if this is related to question 1) or if I'm pushing the wrong button to turn ON.

Thank you

I've found that compact fluorescent lighting affects the remote operation. If I turn off the brightest cfl bulbs in the room it works much better. Haven't tested if incandescent or led light have a similar effect.
It makes me wonder if the ossc could have some sort of filter over the remote sensor.
Doesn't bother me anyway as I typically only have a few occasional lamps on while using it.

[Galdelico]

I have a question that I'm surprised didn't came up more often: What is in your opinion the best monitor to use with the OSSC? That works best with x3, x4, x5 and with which you'll get the best results with every system? I'm asking this because my Panasonic plasma is great but only accept line double and doesn't work with snes and neogeo, so I'm thinking about buying an extra monitor only to use with OSSC.

Each multiple mode will give you different levels of sharpness with your monitor, from which you should be able to set either scaled to fit the screen's real estate, or 1:1 with the OSSC's output.
Galdelico who had an LG 27MU67 could do just that, there's a couple pictures here and some people also post theirs in the Retro AV thread on neogaf.
The other reason for choosing 4K I think is that so far, it seems that even on the side of TVs those are the displays that showed the broadest compatibility w/ the OSSC.

Sorry guys, I've only read this now, but - if I'm still in time for some advice, arovane - here's my feedback.

As Xyga mentioned, I've been using the OSSC with two different PC monitors: an old Asus VW246H - 24", 1080p, TN - and the LG 27MU67, which is 27", IPS and 4K.

Now, quick and dirty...

---Asus---
+ it takes everything the OSSC throws at it, in terms of output modes (up to LineX5), no problem
+ it's great for both 240p and bob-deinterlaced 480i contents (I still have to test 480p)
+ it's perfectly compatible with NTSC and PAL systems, both at 60 and 50hz
+ very fast response time... As an average-to-decent gamer, I can't tell a difference between playing on that display vs. my CRT TVs
- colors aren't really accurate, and it becomes more apparent with retro, compared to PS3/360 (the systems the monitor is usually hooked to)
- typical TN panels' color shift makes pretty much impossible to enjoy vertical shmups in tate mode (this issue may be reduced on newer and better TN monitors, but I still have to get one to confirm it)
- 24" is barely up for desk gaming. It may sound like a non-issue but...
- ...scanlines in LineX3 create an odd pattern when observed from a larger distance, making them extremely annoying to my eyes, when I don't sit very close to the monitor
- I believe this is due to the screen size/resolution, scanline in LineX4/5 look uneven (even with the screen set to Standard, sharpness=0 and very subtle contrast)
- that's completely down to my monitor but... Every time a game switches resolution (Virtua Fighter 2 on the Saturn, Castlevania SotN on the PS1...), this brings up the OSD's channel selector, which gets in the way pretty badly

Finally, in order to show you how a Japanese Mega Drive looks on the Asus (in terms of screen usage and aspec ratio), I took this picture, which is also useful to appreciate how nicely you can crop the colored overscan of MD games, thanks to the post-processing options of the OSSC:



---LG---
+ once again, it takes everything the OSSC is capable of, even though LineX2 is way too blurry, due to the amount of upscale involved
+ it's fantastic for 240p...
- ...and it would be just as perfect for bob-deinterlaced 480i sources, if it wasn't for some IPS technology quirk, that seems to severely dislike flickering graphics. Long story short, stuff like Saturn's Dear or Alive, PS1's Tobal 2 and pretty much the entire PS2 library look great on it, at the cost of getting flicker persistence and image retention after only a few minutes of usage. It's temporary, but it's a game-breaker to me, to the point I'll soon replace my old Asus with a 27" TN monitor, to enjoy my entire game collection with no worries
+ as expected, it's perfectly compatible with NTSC and PAL systems, both at 60 and 50hz
+ in spite of being slower than my Asus, in terms of response time, I still can't feel any lag whatsoever
+ colors are incredible and it allows tate play without a hitch
+ 27" is the ideal size for my current retro setup, with scanlines looking great in every mode
+ very fast in switching resolutions, and the channel pop up can be disabled
- I haven't been unlucky with my monitor (it only shows a faint, clearer smudge at the bottom right), but backlight bleed can be annoying with retro gaming, since you're constantly playing with a noticeable black border around the actual frame. I've seen IPS screens with almost white/yellow corners, on black, and I can only imagine how distracting it could become after a while

Now, for comparison, this is how the Mega Drive and the Saturn (also NTSC-J) look on screen, in LineX3:




(^^^ this odd horizontal pattern is only due to my craptastic cellphone photo... In real life scanlines look great, as you can see in the Sagat close-up down below)

And now some random cropouts, to (hopefully) show you how good 240p looks on this 4K display:


(Garou Densetsu 2 - Mega Drive)


(Gunstar Heroes - Mega Drive)


(Street Fighter Zero 2' - Saturn)

As Xyga realised at his expense I'm not tech-o-tronic in the slightest, but if you have specific questions, or need pics/tests/anything, feel free to ask! ^_-

[Xyga]

^^

Two remarks:
- you're mixing up response and lag, which are two different things only marginally related in your case (50/60Hz displays)
- buying a 27" TN is still a mistake, they're all inferior displays no matter what, no 'better TN' exists don't believe the BS from some frustrated/obsolete FPS gamers opinions. IMHO you should go for a large VA instead knowing they're much less sensitive to flicker persistence if at all. I know there's very little choice right now, mostly 1080p and 1440p 32", but 32" 4K VA monitors are coming. It means starting from zero again with products info search and (scarce) reviews, but heh, nobody said getting the right display is an easy thing ^^

PS: nice shots!

[paulb_nl]

+ very fast in switching resolutions, and the channel pop up can be disabled

Can you time how long it takes to switch resolutions? My displays take 2 seconds to switch.

[Xyga]

Some rather positive Sony A1 news; avforums measured 29ms with 4K signals.
http://www.avforums.com/review/sony-kd- ... nchor50487
I find it bizarre that 1080p signals (and lesser ones too I guess) get more delay (47ms), probably for their flagship Sony couldn't resist forcing some fancy processing on top of the scaling so nobody would criticize the PQ by 'accident'.
Poor choice Sony... now do like LG and release a firmware update that allows to turn it off and get that lag down.

[marqs]

Some rather positive Sony A1 news; avforums measured 29ms with 4K signals.
http://www.avforums.com/review/sony-kd- ... nchor50487
I find it bizarre that 1080p signals (and lesser ones too I guess) get more delay (47ms), probably for their flagship Sony couldn't resist forcing some fancy processing on top of the scaling so nobody would criticize the PQ by 'accident'.
Poor choice Sony... now do like LG and release a firmware update that allows to turn it off and get that lag down.

I've heard that some Sony 4k sets can display 1080p at equal latency when set to Graphics mode. Not sure whether that applies to A1, but it'd certainly make it more attractive.

[paulb_nl]

On Rtings only the Sony X930E has less input lag on 4k (25ms) than on 1080p (42ms). Yet X900E and X850E have 31ms on 1080p.

[Daytime Dreamer]

Just bought one a week ago. Some notes:

- Line triple mode works on an old Sony Bravia KDL-20S2030 (it has an HDMI input and can only do 720p max)
- What's your recommended settings for a Neo Geo AES? I used line triple mode, horizontal scanlines at 31% strength? Does the horizontal and vertical mask do anything coupled with mask brightness? Can't quite figure out if I like the top or bottom alignment with the scanlines.

Just started testing it. Anyone that has tried this on the Neo Geo please give some advice, thanks

[Blair]

Quick Video of Wii+OSSC+HD3000 (captured with UHD-60 usb3.0) (Nvidia gtx 750ti NVENC low latency)

Link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLiz1exbhmo

(please set video quality to 1080p60)

[Hoagtech]

What benefit does the HD3000 give to your setup when playing 480p games?

Cool video. I liked your mundane soundtrack

[FinalBaton]

Moreso : what's an HD3000?

[xadox]

Is there an easy way to program a fresh Chunghop L336 to OSSC?

[citrus3000psi]

Has anybody experience any issues with the audio addon not working on certain TV's?

I installed an addon on board for a customer and tested it with a snes + sony bravia 850D and a LG LH5700. They got the OSSC and couldn't get audio on the TV. I had him verify audio was indeed reaching the OSSC with headphones and verify that the TX was set to HDMI on the output options. He was trying PS1 and Genesis

I figured something had broke loose or whatever. I got the item back and everything is working fine with a PS1 on my two tvs still.

He was try the OSSC on two Samsungs / un40fh6030 and un39fh5000f

[zeruel85]

Has anybody experience any issues with the audio addon not working on certain TV's?

I installed an addon on board for a customer and tested it with a snes + sony bravia 850D and a LG LH5700. They got the OSSC and couldn't get audio on the TV. I had him verify audio was indeed reaching the OSSC with headphones and verify that the TX was set to HDMI on the output options. He was trying PS1 and Genesis

I figured something had broke loose or whatever. I got the item back and everything is working fine with a PS1 on my two tvs still.

He was try the OSSC on two Samsungs / un40fh6030 and un39fh5000f

Yes, I have a Asus VX279H and have problems with lineX3 enabled. If I use lineX2 audio works flawlessly with different consoles (e.g. NES, SNES, N64, PS1...). When I enable lineX3 only PS1 works fine.

Tested with two different OSSCs and two different audio4ossc pcb addons. If I connect the OSSC to another TV or monitor, I don't have all these issues, so the problem is the compatibility between OSSC and VX279H, in my case.

[BuckoA51]

Changing the sample rate is required on some TVs.

[Lord of Pirates]

Moreso : what's an HD3000?

A processor/scaler from Optoma. I believe it's fairly uncommon. I've only seen a few pop up on eBay over the last few years, though I haven't searched constantly.

[Xyga]

The PSU also matters for 5x stability, right ?

[cleeg]

My little adapter thing arrived and works very nicely; I can now add component video to the OSSC via the Wii. It looks nice, and it's good to have the option, but it's a little too 'wooly' at the moment, also there are some weird colour banding artifacts horizontally across the screen when operating the Wii.

For example; particularly noticeable on USB Loader GX's white interface when scrolling through games in the list - there are subtle, but visible bands of feint colour that span the whole screen from left to right. Are there any tips for making this better using the OSSC? I have my TV's sharpness turned up a bit and that has helped the softness.

As a side note, the XRGB Mini doesn't like this input method, though I haven't done any tweaking on that yet.

[Gunstar]

My little adapter thing arrived and works very nicely; I can now add component video to the OSSC via the Wii. It looks nice, and it's good to have the option, but it's a little too 'wooly' at the moment. Are there any tips for making this better using the OSSC? I have my TV's sharpness turned up a bit and that has helped.

As a side note, the XRGB Mini doesn't like this input method, though I haven't done any tweaking on that yet.

Did you try 480p x2 mode?

The PSU also matters for 5x stability, right ?

Oh, this is interesting, stability as in it reduces jitter/trembling in x5?

[cleeg]

I did thanks, my TV doesn't like it. I edited my post above with some new info too.

Cheers for the advice

[Xyga]

The PSU also matters for 5x stability, right ?

Oh, this is interesting, stability as in it reduces jitter/trembling in x5?

I had some flickering and trembling (little bit at 4x and a lot at 5x) and well since then I've found that it was indeed because of a weak PSU delivering slightly under 5V.

(all gone now, using a proper psu)

[ZellSF]

This one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0177DG71S/ Keep in mind I only did a few minutes of testing, so maybe we'll find a major flaw in using it. Personally, the only thing I need it for is to capture footage for streaming or just to show parts of games. As long as it doesn't totally suck, it's fine with me. I don't even care about lag, since I'll actually be playing on a CRT.

took a moment to realize what you're doing here. You're using the converter's HDMI passthrough input to increase compatibility, right ?

It's not a passthrough, it gets scaled too.

Just got mine and wanted to share my thoughts on it as a OSSC companion. I was hoping retrorgb would have missed something interesting but sadly not. I thought maybe it would support 240pX5 and retrorgb had too poor quality cables, but same connections as to my DVDO VP50 and no X5. I was hoping it would do 240p>480i transitions nicely (I know it should in RGB), but it doesn't support 480i passthrough at all (and the bob 480i transitions aren't that pretty either).

So my thoughts on the image quality. First it was ridiculously oversharpened, I turned my TV's sharpness to it's lowest value (way below neutral) to counteract the horrible ringing. The colors were way oversaturated, again happy my TV goes to below neutral values here to get it colors looking more natural. Still, the 240p test suit reveals that several of the brightest RGB shades are just gone, grayscale is fine though. It also seemingly dropped some frames (why?) and had some forced noise reduction creating image noise. Lag was also an issue (manual lag testing says between 1 and 2 frames). Somehow even with all those drawbacks it looked nicer than my TV's 480p handling. That says more about my TV than this box though.

As for this scaler as a OSSC companion, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, except maybe if your TV doesn't support the OSSC even in 240pX2 and you just want something to hold you over until a new TV (though if a new TV is far away I'd get a XRGB-Mini over this wonky combo) or if you want to normalize OSSC's output for a picky capture card you want to use for web streaming.

That said they're also very cheap so if you're one of the people who spend a lot of money on stuff like this, might as well buy one in case you ever have a use for one.

So today I connected this cheap scaler again to compare against the XRGB-mini as I don't have anything that handles 480p 2D games quite how I want them to be handled.

When comparing I noticed something weird though. This cheap scaler looked pretty good. I remember it looking pretty crap. Gone is the artificial sharpening, noise reduction and oversaturated colors. And it handles 480i now! Lag and 240p-480i transitions are still weaknesses though. Haven't tested enough to see if it still drops frames.

I quickly figured out that this scaler seems to have wildly different processing depending on if the OSSC is set to DVI or HDMI TX mode. DVI TX mode is what you want with this scaler.

Decided to capture two samples:
240pX3
240pX4
The scaler does stretch all inputs to 16:9. For X3 I used the OSSC's 4:3 mode, for X4 I resized it in Irfanview using hermite filtering. I think most TVs should do an equally good job at it.