OSSC (DIY video digitizer & scandoubler)

[Xer Xian]

It's actually exactly 1.15 (=1200/960 - 120/1200) times better

[FBX]

I'd be pretty pissed off if 4x mode were dropped. It's my favorite mode for both the OSSC and the Framemeister when it comes to 240p content.

[GigaBoots]

I'd be pretty pissed off if 4x mode were dropped. It's my favorite mode for both the OSSC and the Framemeister when it comes to 240p content.

If you did video content, it should be 3x.

This is the first video I've made of a game with the fully calibrated OSSC and new workflow to get the sharpest/highest quality image out of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJD79qZk0as

[FBX]

I'd be pretty pissed off if 4x mode were dropped. It's my favorite mode for both the OSSC and the Framemeister when it comes to 240p content.

If you did video content, it should be 3x.

This is the first video I've made of a game with the fully calibrated OSSC and new workflow to get the sharpest/highest quality image out of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJD79qZk0as

Oh I gotcha, for 4k upscaling, yeah 3x is ideal. I was speaking for us folks in the stone age with 1080p displays.

[Zappyraccoon]

I could never get into line optimized mode, those random pixels that wiggle I never found a cure for. But otherwise that is probably the cleanest youtube capture video I have seen!

[strygo]

This is the first video I've made of a game with the fully calibrated OSSC and new workflow to get the sharpest/highest quality image out of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJD79qZk0as

Cool video. In it, you mention scaling to 4K. How are you doing that?

[Xyga]

Oh I gotcha, for 4k upscaling, yeah 3x is ideal. I was speaking for us folks in the stone age with 1080p displays.

Nothing wrong with paleolithic (more mesolithic 2) 1080 when 4K can hardly brag about having started neolithic yet. OLED's a first step in the right direction but I'll praise 4K as being part of the neolithic revolution of displays when it'll actualy be put to better use than 1080 in all aspect.

[FBX]

I could never get into line optimized mode, those random pixels that wiggle I never found a cure for. But otherwise that is probably the cleanest youtube capture video I have seen!

The trick is proper H. samplerate. If that isn't properly set, you'll end up getting frustrated. Once it is properly set, then you have to use Sampling phase to rotate the signal alignment.

Neither of these settings can be 'guessed at', but I developed a technique that makes use of Artemio's test suite to make it easy. I was going to do a tutorial video on this, but I realized I needed a means to capture two video sources live (the OSSC feed and a camcorder shot of the OSSC LCD screen) in order to make it easy to follow. So I may end up just having to do just the OSSC feed live and explain what setting I'm adjusting while I do it live. Not ideal, but it's a start anyway.

[tpp]

I'm sure it's best to connect the OSSC directly to the TV, but I'm doing some reconfiguration on my AV system that will work out a lot more cleanly if I can run the OSSC through an HDMI switch instead. Any OSSC-specific recommendations or experiences with switches? I probably only need a 2 port switch, but I'd take a 3 port if the price was similar. I don't specifically need 4K/HDR/DV/etc. capability on the switch, as only non-4K devices will be on the switch.

[jayde6]

Neither of these settings can be 'guessed at', but I developed a technique that makes use of Artemio's test suite to make it easy. I was going to do a tutorial video on this, but I realized I needed a means to capture two video sources live (the OSSC feed and a camcorder shot of the OSSC LCD screen) in order to make it easy to follow. So I may end up just having to do just the OSSC feed live and explain what setting I'm adjusting while I do it live. Not ideal, but it's a start anyway.

Would it be better then to create a text post here or on the OSSC support forums describing your technique? Or is there something about the way it works that requires a video to explain properly?

Either way, big thanks for all you do!

[FBX]

Would it be better then to create a text post here or on the OSSC support forums describing your technique? Or is there something about the way it works that requires a video to explain properly?

Either way, big thanks for all you do!

Easier to watch it in action. I just uploaded the youtube video. It's recorded in 1080p, so be sure to watch it in 1080 fullscreen mode for best results:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBStHr4XCTg

Cheers!

-FBX

[Fudoh]

I just uploaded the youtube video

total backflash You can't imagine how often I went through these clock/phase adjustments in the earlier days of video processors, when you had to match the timings of the analogue VP output to that of the display or projector.

(and thanks for mentioning that the Darksoft MVS preorders were opened. Would have missed it otherwise!)

[GigaBoots]

Cool video. In it, you mention scaling to 4K. How are you doing that?

I'm doing it in post production via a Nearest Neighbor Scaler. You need to record 100% lossless and upscale to 100% lossless. Keep in mind, this takes up a ton of space, the raw video for that MK2 video is is 33.4GB at 720p and 140GB upscaled and that's lossless BUT heavily compressed. In fact, the codec I use compresses more than UT Video from what I've read but it's unfortunately not available for sale anymore. UT Video would be your best bet.

[forin]

Warning!!! 2017 LG OLED love note below.

Seriously if your considering buying a 2017 LG OLED stop reading now and go buy it. I cant imagine a more perfect tv for retro gaming and current gaming. Everything I have thrown at it works flawlessly and looks stunning.

C7 65 inch LG OLED professionally calibrated and running in ISF Dark room with PC input (4:4:4 Chroma) and 21ms input lag

I have been playing Wii via component without any problems using 480p Line2x with upsample2x and 31% scanlines. Actually every resolution I could throw at it with my PS2 (240p psx games, 480i, 480p, 1080i) and Wii have worked flawlessly on the TV.

I suck at taking pictures with my phone but it looks really, really clean in person.

7 feet back from the couch
https://imgur.com/Zjt2vo9

https://imgur.com/K0SWHN1

https://imgur.com/eFhcqMv

https://imgur.com/4Y163Xa

https://imgur.com/zbdYy4C

Turned out really bad
https://imgur.com/3ZXVWmk


If anyone wants specific pictures I can try. Just to reiterate, my picture taking skills are horrible.

[Thomago]

Soooo.... OSSC compatibility?

[Xyga]

I think I've read the LG OLEDs can take all modes, but I don't remember anyone ever detailing the actual quality of the scaling, how sharp or blurry, if there's uneven scanines producing patterns or not, etc.

[copy]

Forin: I read that in the C7, color gamut is incorrectly locked into the "wide" setting in SDR Game mode, which produces inaccurate colors... Does PC mode allow you to change the color gamut?

[Galdelico]

Easier to watch it in action. I just uploaded the youtube video. It's recorded in 1080p, so be sure to watch it in 1080 fullscreen mode for best results:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBStHr4XCTg

Cheers!

-FBX

Awesome. Thank you so much.

Does the system you run Artemio's test suite on need to be the one you're setting up at specifically? What I mean is: right now, the only console I can use for it is my Japanese Mega CD 2. I don't own a Neo Geo, but - let's assume I did - could I go through the whole process (of setting up the NG) using my MCD2 as well? I ask that because I don't mod my consoles, so that's the only one right now that is able to run CDRs.

Thanks again. ^_-

[GigaBoots]

Does the system you run Artemio's test suite on need to be the one you're setting up at specifically?

Yes, because you're tuning it to the specifics of that system. My PS2 looks like trash if I apply my Genesis settings.

[Galdelico]

Yes, because you're tuning it to the specifics of that system. My PS2 looks like trash if I apply my Genesis settings.

Yeah, it makes perfect sense. Thanks for clarifying.

[GigaBoots]

So I noticed something about that video I posted. I changed to 3x at the last minute so the video workflow would be easier. While this didn't change any of my sampling options meaningfully, 3x mode didn't have 320x240 mode set, so it's a generic 4:3 ouput, thus it causes minor pixel blurring at moments. Clearly, even that wasn't good enough.

Also, the OSSC is tuned to output perfect white at 255,255,255 instead of what an emulator would register that as, which appears to be...255,253,255?

Wait, wtf? Why are the bottom 2 squares in Blue actually Green?

[mdd45]

FBX, thank you for your detailed video tutorial about ossc. One question though, how to calibrate ossc for consoles like N64 and Saturn due to the absence of 240 suite build ?

Also, this tutorial is the same for 4k Tv's with 5x mode or (3x)?

[FBX]

FBX, thank you for your detailed video tutorial about ossc. One question though, how to calibrate ossc for consoles like N64 and Saturn due to the absence of 240 suite build ?

Also, this tutorial is the same for 4k Tv's with 5x mode or (3x)?

I'll be doing a followup video on how to reach optimal timings without a checkerboard pattern. The problem is this other method requires a capture card that feeds a resizable window view of the game signal into your computer. It's the best sure-fire alternate method I could come up with.

As for 4k TVs, that checkerboard method does not worry about what display you are using. Finding the H. samplerate is based on the input signal, not the output to your TV.

[Fudoh]

I'll be doing a followup video on how to reach optimal timings without a checkerboard pattern.

On the Saturn you can usually find a Capcom fighting game that uses a checkerboard pattern for the energy or super move bars. Good enough if you know what to look for.

[FBX]

I'll be doing a followup video on how to reach optimal timings without a checkerboard pattern.

On the Saturn you can usually find a Capcom fighting game that uses a checkerboard pattern for the energy or super move bars. Good enough if you know what to look for.

Yeah I was thinking about this the other day, but I'm not sure if it would suffice. Something about the black and white pattern gives such a signal swing that makes the sampling phase so much easier to adjust. Still it might be worth a shot. However, the Saturn has distinct resolution modes that I should be able to find optimal timings for using my alternate method:

I use my capture card's live window feed, and my alternate method only requires knowledge of the game's horizontal resolution. That's how I was finally able to 'reconstitute' the PS2 Final Fantasy X optimal timings. Once I found out FFX runs at 512 horizontal, I set my capture card's live window to 1024, set the OSSC to line2x, set the H. active to 512, and then merely adjusted H. samplerate until it perfectly fit the 1024 frame of my capture preview (adjusting H. backporch as needed to center the image). Sure enough when H. samplerate nailed the 1024 window size, FFX's pixels suddenly came into perfect focus. It sounds convoluted but it's actually quite a nifty trick and easy to do. Of course the problem being you have to have a capture card that sends an adjustable preview window to the computer.

[forin]

Soooo.... OSSC compatibility?

So far everything I have thrown at it has worked without a hitch its bating 100% at the moment. I have not needed to use a downstream scaler other than the video pass-through on my Marantz preamp for audio (OSSC 1.6).

A quick side note, a female rca to 3.5mm dongle was packaged with the OLED tv for some reason, so I didn't even have to buy a dongle for the OSSC 1.6 audio, its like LG knew all along!

Copy:
The SDR color in PC mode was fixed awhile ago. Looking through my calibrators reports from August he was able to get all of the colors to under Delta e less than 3 except for yellow which I think it had a delta e of 4.

The only problem people are having ( and I dont think it is a problem) with the 2017 OLEDs are in HDR in PC mode. My guess is that's due to HDMI 2.0 not having the bandwidth to pass 4:4:4 at 10 bit, so its locking out some functions?

[Mantrox]

This is semi offtopic but i might as well ask.
I have been trying out some streaming of retro games and so far i am happy with the image quality results, but i don't lose anything by asking the other folks here if you might have any recommendations in terms of adjustments to improve it even further.

I am using the following setup in this video example:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/204459144

PC Engine Duo-R->
-> PVM 14L4 ->
-> OSSC ->
-> DVDO EDGE ->
-> Elgato HD60 PRO

The first hald of the video i have scanlines off and the other half i have them on.
I used to use the DVDO to upscale from 480P upwards and for the zoom and pan features but since we got x5 on the OSSC it's there only joining the audio and video into 1 HDMI out.
Nowadays i only use it when i play a console that doesn't work well with the x5 mode.

The one thing i notice from time to time is that there is some slight banding on solid colors, but since it also shows up on the PVM i assume it's some quirk with the RGB Scart cable, no?

Thank you in advance for any feedback on this.

[TestType]

Thanks a lot for the video tutorial FBX! It is super useful. I used it to dial in the timings for Game Boy Interface on the GameCube player. Currently the GC is the only console I can hook up as I'm waiting for SCART cables for my other systems, and it is also the only console I can currently run the 240p test suite on.

I did it for both x4 and x2, as my TV can zoom the image for 480p but not in x4 mode. Even in x2 mode it makes a noticeable difference in sharpness from the generic mode. If your TV only supports 240p x2, I highly recommend trying to optimize the timings on the optimized modes using FBX's method. It does make a surprising amount of difference in sharpness.

[Hoagtech]

Would it be better then to create a text post here or on the OSSC support forums describing your technique? Or is there something about the way it works that requires a video to explain properly?

Either way, big thanks for all you do!

Easier to watch it in action. I just uploaded the youtube video. It's recorded in 1080p, so be sure to watch it in 1080 fullscreen mode for best results:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBStHr4XCTg

Cheers!

-FBX

Thanks for sharing that video.

You explained it simply and it helped my picture improve significantly.

I still would like to see your tuning on a PVM/CRT/Monitor.

Just to see your solutions of problems caused by digital to analog conversion and pillaring problems caused by true full screen 4:3 gaming.

[Xer Xian]

For non-experts like me that are curious about why sampling adjustments matter - here's a concise, but neat explanation