OSSC Pro

[6t8k]

Fantastic news, I especially love the introduction of a GPIO connector and a scaling engine, vast possibilities are in sight!

The automatic sampling phase adjustment built into the Video ADC is very welcome too, provided it works well.
But I have no worries that there won't be a manual override option that may achieve better results in problematic cases.
Or does that concern happen to be unfounded anyway (which would be even better)?

[BuckoA51]

Will you be creating a mailing list for this one? ;p

Our new site can do actual pre-orders, though I'm never keen on taking peoples money before shipping stuff, so IDK, maybe I'll do both to keep whiny types like you happy

[DirkSwizzler]

Will you be creating a mailing list for this one? ;p

Our new site can do actual pre-orders, though I'm never keen on taking peoples money before shipping stuff, so IDK, maybe I'll do both to keep whiny types like you happy

I'll give you pre-pre-order money today just to reserve a spot to pre-order once a production cost & sale price are known.

[BuckoA51]

I'll give you pre-pre-order money today just to reserve a spot to pre-order once a production cost & sale price are known

I think we're a little ways off that yet, the prototype I have here still needs a lot of work, both on the case and the software, but there's no denying it's super exciting.

[orange808]

This is probably the most exciting announcement I've ever read.

Over time, this may replace almost every piece of gear in my gaming setup.

Things I would love to see someday:

Would extremely low latency downscaling ("line halving" or dropping half the lines) of 480p to 240p be possible with analog output? This would allow brand new nvidia GPU to output 240p and it would be very easy.

Also, would it be possible for the OSSC pro to output freesync? This would help increase compatibility with some displays.

[maxtherabbit]

quoth the bloodhound gang: "heavens no, hell yess"

[the Goat]

I wonder if Mister development will switch over to using this as the nominal hardware.

[DirkSwizzler]

I'll give you pre-pre-order money today just to reserve a spot to pre-order once a production cost & sale price are known

I think we're a little ways off that yet, the prototype I have here still needs a lot of work, both on the case and the software, but there's no denying it's super exciting.

I think you're underestimating my enthusiasm to get in line as soon as possible.

[Elrinth]

Will Symphony of the Night on Sega Saturn work better on this (Where it switches resolution)?
Will sync issues on the original OSSC perhaps feel less annoying on this one?

Looks like a big update, but for the non-techy people it's hard to tell what difference will actually show.

I personally think these shouldn't be optional, but rather built into it:
"* composite & s-video input module"

"* game controller port module (for using OSSC Pro as a dedicated FPGA console)" <- this part here is pretty sick

[marqs]

My only request is over voltage protection.

This! Please listen to the man.

Yes, it's already included. That's one of the things that make the HW more 'professional'.

I just thought I'd mention at this stage.. I'd love it if HDMI-CEC stuff were possible. If it detects a signal on one of the inputs, it would switch to that input, then send out an "Device On" and "Select this HDMI input" signal to the TV and/or AVR.

I forgot to mention. Please please PLEASE find a way to remove 5V output to the HDMI output when there isn't an active input. This would make a HUGE difference to HDMI auto switching setups.

CEC pins are connected on both HDMI RX and TX, and DDC5V output can be disabled at will.

Regarding features, will a frame buffer be possible? I'd be looking forward to that for smooth resolution changes without sync drops. Also looking forward to good de-interlacing (a lost art, really), LPF on D-Sub input, rotation, and expansion possibilities.

There's 512MB RAM on board which can be used for frame buffer etc. Framelock can be always disabled is one wants to completely avoid mode switch related sync drops at the cost of some latency.

[orange808]

Sorry for all the questions.

Will there will be a low latency partial frame buffer (frame locked) scaler mode (like DVDO) or just a full frame buffer?

[BuckoA51]

Will there will be a low latency partial frame buffer (frame locked) scaler mode (like DVDO) or just a full frame buffer?

Yes, that's what the adaptive line multiplier thing is.

[nmalinoski]

As far as case design goes, please offer a hefty metal bottom plate, even if it's an option. More often than not, my OSSC 1.6 is floating in one way or another due to the cables being heavier than the unit.

[maxtherabbit]

As far as case design goes, please offer a hefty metal bottom plate, even if it's an option. More often than not, my OSSC 1.6 is floating in one way or another due to the cables being heavier than the unit.

that's actually a good point, all the coax going into mine always keeps it lifted

[6t8k]

It's interesting that it'll have an HDMI input, what were the rationales/projections behind it?

Offhand the following possibilities come to mind:

- ability to scale an existing HDMI signal to circumvent subpar scaling the sink would do
- ability to have the device connected in-line at all times in case your source is HDMI
- HDMI audio extraction/muxing
- video muxing/picture-in-picture

[maxtherabbit]

- ability to scale an existing HDMI signal to circumvent subpar scaling the sink would do

that's huge, most TVs do absolutely disgusting scaling

[rama]

Thinking about it, this design may combine all the good properties of various existing scalers, and also adding all that FPGA madness

Thanks for confirming that the Si5351 is indeed capable!
I was surprised when it gave me a stable picture clock when first trying it out.
This stuff used to be jitter hell, especially at > 100MHz.

[Voultar]

A soft power switch would be very welcomed.

[PixelDharma]

CEC pins are connected on both HDMI RX and TX, and DDC5V output can be disabled at will.

Great! Sounds promising.

I don't know why but one of the things that has me most excited is the Toslink input. Seems like I could conceivably hook up every single game console ever with the proper switches (scart/component/toslink), and have a single HDMI output to rule them all.

[Unseen]

Holy moly, did I see ROTATION on there!!!!!! YES!!! How much lag will this introduce?!?!

Probably one frame plus whatever lag the selected scaling method adds - it can't be done in less than one frame because you need data from all input video lines to generate the first (unscaled) output video line.

[Omnigamer]

Looking through, I think the only remaining wishlist item would be some form of serial or ethernet control/config, which could possibly be accomplished by a GPIO expansion...

Excited to see where it goes! Great work, marqs and co!

[korpse413]

Will there be downscaling (480i/Other) to 240p on the roadmap?

Also wondering this.

Seems pretty exciting! Thought for sure the 'competition' Framemeista - Meistaburga 2.0 would've come out before something like this would've.

[GigaBoots]

Fantastic news. My excitement can't be oversold. Good luck to Marqs and everyone else on the team on getting it working. I'll be lining up to get one as soon as physically possible!

[Soltan_G42]

That datasheet is just for the video ADC, but yes, the HDMI transmitter chip is also limited to around 165MHz. Proper 4K processing is very expensive to implement on FPGA today, but the model is designed so that it'd be straightforward to make a 4K edition one day when the hardware (and required design tool) costs drop.

The HDMI Transmitter on the MiSTer's de10 nano also says 165mhz. I believe that's the HDMI 1.0 (and higher) spec. But the chip seems fine to at least around 200mhz. I'm not sure whether it's the transmitter or the scaler module in mister that gives up a bit over 200mhz but one of them does.

200mhz isn't too much more. But it does get you 1920x1440 which comes in at 185mhz for reduced blanking timings. And 1920x1200 (around 165mhz at 60hz I think) is fine too.

So if you're lucky then maybe you can get a little more out of the hardware than you think.

Looking forward to the new OSSC!

[Xyga]

This is probably putting the nail in the coffin for the DVDOs, the FrameMeister, and a number of doublers and scalers we were still keeping around because they had that one feature or spec they were better at.

[fernan1234]

Some weird ones that probably few would care about, regarding interlaced output. Would the scaler be able to output 1080i?

And if downscaling is ever possible, I could see a lot of use for 480p -> 480i for old broadcast SD content that has been digitized and deinterlaced, which could then be played back in its original interlaced presentation on CRTs using DACs, or on rare flat panels that do 480i via HDMI.

[nmalinoski]

Looking through, I think the only remaining wishlist item would be some form of serial or ethernet control/config, which could possibly be accomplished by a GPIO expansion...

Excited to see where it goes! Great work, marqs and co!

Onboard Ethernet would be killer; it would open the door for web-based management (configure and back up your profiles directly on the device), online firmware updates, and remote control with a REST API.

[ShootTheCore]

Looks marvelous! Lack of 4K output in the initial hardware release is my only real complaint - that's my Number One Most Wanted feature in a new upscaler, and I'd happily pay more for it.

That said, if the new OSSC can handle the jittery sync that a few of my arcade boards put out so that I can finally sell off my Framemeister, I'll be happy.

Just curious - are you planning on having both the hardware and firmware open-source from Day 1? Or will you be (understandably) keeping them closed-source for a while so that the Chinese knockoffs don't flood the market right away?

[Wolf_]

Looking at the strength of this puppy is it safe to assume 4k scaling through the ossc is going to be a thing?

If so I hope the hdmi input it has is 2.0 and has a passthrough mode because I have everything through one hdmi switch and would like to just passthrough my ps4 and xbox 3 video while upscaling everything else through the ossc.

[nmalinoski]

Looks marvelous! Lack of 4K output in the initial hardware release is my only real complaint - that's my Number One Most Wanted feature in a new upscaler, and I'd happily pay more for it.

That said, if the new OSSC can handle the jittery sync that a few of my arcade boards put out so that I can finally sell off my Framemeister, I'll be happy.

I'm sure it's doable now, but I think the kind of FPGA that would make a 4K scaler feasible is still too expensive to make a 4K-capable OSSC a viable product.