What I love about your videos, is that you do not worry about fancy editing, lighting, slow closeup panning, music, etc... You make them, much like as if I came over and we hang out. The plain style is so much more realistic in ways.
It's a premium scaling device and that's why it comes at that cost. The cost for FPGA chips to run at any resolution near 4K wasn't very feasible until lately. 4K is a very demanding resolution to run content in since it requires much more bandwidth and data compared to 1080p or even 1440p. 4K has about 8+ million pixels worth of data to render compared to 1080p at around 2-ish million.
IMO, this appears to be more of a professional device, rather than a hobby purchase. The 5x would certainly continue to support incredibly well, if that is more in budget.
@@Sebastian-xy3xk Don't forget insanely accurate CRT simulation, pre-scaling, multiple levels of Black Frame Insertion (w/ HDR for brightness compensation), and multiple de-interlacing modes including IVTC for 24fps content.
People spend thousands on BVMs. For 2k you could get a 55” lg c3 AND a retrotink 4k and have something comparable to a bvm, while being much bigger, and actually useful for modern content. Or if you already have the oled, it’s way cheaper than the bvm route. Top end options always command a premium. It doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for it. I’ll likely get one at one point. Current running a 5x to a Panasonic 1080p plasma to get integer scaling on a emissive display with perfect blacks. But, the downside is i can’t also run modern systems in their full resolution on the same display.
Several channels on RU-vid have reviewed this, and nobody, NOBODY thought to use the VGA input with a Dreamcast. Am I crazy, or is that not the very first thing to try out?? Thanks for showing that!
When I had previously commented that I was looking forward to you doing a "Retrotink-4k" review video, I did not expect you to release one this soon. This was a pleasant surprise and I would definitely watch a 4+ hour video on that badass upscaler you got there. As far as how you'll be making future "Retrotink-4k" videos goes, however, I'm sure you'll figure it out.
If the settings intimidate you, you should check out the custom profiles. If you do another video showcasing different consoles, that’d be cool to check out. Also the HDMI in pairs really well with a Gamecube and HDMI adapter like the Carby since there’s no digital to analog conversion. Would be cool to see what that looks like.
Hey Adam, I would love to see a comparison video of the 4K and the 5X. I'm under the impression the 5X is more than enough for most people, but I'm not sure.
I have the Retrotink5x I would consider it overboard if you are playing any pre-Dreamcast I use it for my N64 SVideo and SNES With hd retrovision cables and Atari 2600 through a VCR. I have fat PS3 that plays PS2 so I would probably would have been fine with 2x pro. I have a ps2 but it’s out of state and being used as a dvd player.
@@gummislayer1969 Atari 2600 to a VCR then to a scaler. The Atari 2600 does not support composite video yellow cable which is the reason why I am using a VCR I am not interested in the New Atari VCS+ because it does not play homebrew games modding is out of my expertise as well neither do I really care because it’s Atari. Also all my system besides the hdmi ones go to A 1977 integrated amplifier for audio
I'm not a console guy, but I still have an old school TV. Down to my last one as I broke my other one with a Wii Remote! Ha-Ha!! I'm 50, so that is why I still have an old school TV. For those that don't have an older TV get into Retro Hand Helds. They ALL come with a screen that is for the games of that time period! No RetroTink Needed. Good video though.
I like that this exists, but I am getting burned out with trying to perfect a legacy image on modern tech. I have 2 setups: an hdmi fpga setup, and a CRT. I’ll bow out but keep up the good fight.
I am tempted to purchase this. However, I have a gut feeling they are going to release a RetroTink 4K Pro with physical menu select buttons on the device.
Being dependent on the remote is really a big problem imo. At least i hope Mike gives the choice to buy a couple more remotes to have them backed up...
One day for sure. I’d like to add having properly calibrated equipment is essential for these. Manyyy people do not adjust their tv properly and leave bad factory settings on. I learned just how good a tv can look with some adjustments. From there, you tinker with this and you got perfection
Man, the price on some of this stuff makes me happy I decided to just focus on getting games and running them with emulators instead of getting too much into real hardware. At this point it's like getting $2,000 chrome rims for a beat up 1999 Ford Focus. In my opinion there's two 'best' ways to enjoy old games: either you run them with an emulator and go balls to the wall with enhancements, or you go for the classic experience and run them on a CRT with no enhancements. This middle ground of basically trying to strap rockets to real hardware, mod HDMI ports onto real hardware, expensive upscaling boxes, etc is just weird to me.
It does look impressive. I kind of want one, but I game on CRTS and I think by the time they go, an 8K retrotink will be here ready to truly make CRT emulation a reality.
If the retrotink guy's can get this price down then this is a perfect successor to the framemiester. However, at $750 any streamers/gamer definitely has to weigh the option of emulation for better video quality. I'm not saying either set up is better, just saying knowledgeable consumers definitely are gonna hesitant & look around. Informative video, Adam.
The way I look at it, half of the cost is for the hardware itself, and half the cost is for the next-level multi-year support that Mike Chi is going to give this thing. On paper the Morph 4K will give you most of the same things as the Tink 4K at a much cheaper price - but it won't get anywhere close to the same support.
I have the Retrotink5x I would consider it overboard if you are playing any pre-Dreamcast I use it for my N64 SVideo and SNES With hd retrovision cables and Atari 2600 through a VCR. I have fat PS3 that plays PS2 so I would probably would have been fine with 2x pro. I have a ps2 but it’s out of state and being used as a dvd player.
S-video is the best signal to use from a stock N64, with the exception that some PAL region N64s only have composite video output. The quality of the composite signal it puts out is also not too bad, at least as far as composite signals go.
At that price point, that's where I draw the line. A PS5, Polymega, an ASUS ROG ALLY, all cheaper. No scaler on Earth could ever be that important to me. I simply do not care, the thing had better make me edible hologram food while it's at it for that price. Nothing. And I mean nothing I own has ever costed me 700 dollars. If you handed me a million dollars I still wouldn't buy it. I'd just go buy a Lambo. I'd like to be paid to NOT support that price tag actually. It's too absurd...literally with all do respect Mike. No. Never.
Shit I forgot to say, I'd rather mod every single console individually with an HDMI mod. I don't even use my Tink5X because it's a hassle switching consoles. I love how the 5X was even missing anything... And then some.... Like. How about...no. No video signal needs to be that damn clear. But nah I'd take the thing for completely free.
If I may make a suggestion for things to test with it: consoles with HDMI adapters. Chiefly the PS2, Wii, GameCube, Dreamcast and Xbox. Not HDMI mods, but adapters. I know with the exception of the Gamecube, these are analog to digital converters. But for what it's worth, I've found the PS2 to HDMI and Wii2HDMI paired with things like the Framemeister or mClassic or even your old cheap SCART to HDMI with HDMI input doesn't look too bad. Matter of fact, the only way I can play Virtual Console games over the Wii2HDMI is by feeding the 288p content into the HDMI input on the cheap scaler or the Framemeister. So I think this would be a worthwhile test.
do you think you could use an hdmi switcher between this device and multiple other consoles? or what that muddy things up? also, would you get the full effect of the retrotink if using consoles for backcompat (playing a ps2 game on ps3) or would playing it through the original hardware be better?
This is off topic but I would love to see you get your hands on the new “ossc pro” and put it through its paces with the ps2, it could be a cheaper alternative to this madness
Yeah, like you said, I would like to watch a video like that when you’ve got the 4K capture device it’s just that right now I’ve looked into it you can’t get any captured device that would do HDR or 4K 120 and that’s kind of annoying
I'd like to see a video just on Dreamcast (favorite console of all time) comparing VGA through Retrotink 4K and DCDigital through Retrotink 4K. Side by side comparisons would be sweet when you upgrade your capture card.
I would be interested in footage taken by you pointing your camera at that monitor. I'd be interested in seeing more PS2 (since its image quality is a horror show), and I would also be interested in seeing you downscale modern releases of retro games to 240p, and then upscale them to 4k with shadow masks and scanlines.
Believe me, I agree with your logic. But after YEARS of making videos like this, and people asking me questions, the general expectation is "all cables are the same, and this box will make it HDified."
@AdamKoralik somebody spending $750 is probably going to do the bare minimum research on the best settings for each console they have plugged in. Which would more than likely tell them what cables they should be using to receive that
Man, I should of jumped on the Super Nt & Mega Sg when i had the chance. Now they're nearly $1300 CAD each, sealed on eBay. Retrotink4K however seems like another fantastic option, that has far more versatility and can obviously cover a wide spectrum of retro consoles, and only adds around 2ms of latency. But what would be the best latency free component cable splitter/Switch selector if you're simultaneously using multiple HD Retrovision component cables with lets say a Toploader(RGB Mod), SNES & Genesis(etc)when paired with RT4k's single component cable port? Plan on hooking up the following above to a 55" Samsung QD-OLED(S90C or S90D), which is easily the best alternative to using a Sony WEGA trinitron(2005) CRT.
@@AdamKoralik that makes sense. retrotink 4k is basically all-in-one solution. Would've been nice if it had a smoothing/buffering feature like you said in past videos as a bonus feature, incase you don't want to buy or use a mclassic
Oh! And i was gonna say, supposedly RT4K can reduce motion blur by around 60% with it's dual strobe BFI when watching movies at 24fps on a 144hz QD-OLED TV. That's a game changer and gets you plasma-tier motion for movies(Minus that nasty excess choppy OLED film judder) but I'm guessing the RT4K BFI OLED flicker will be unbearable on whites for most people if it's anything like the TV's internal BFI.
Mike and his range of products are amazing. For thinking of so many scenarios... example, my PS3 looked great over RGB Scart for games and Netflix on my CRT. So Blu Ray should amazing also, right? No Sony added Macro Vision protection over scart but thanks to Mike, PS3 over Retro RGB component cables into a Retro Tink Comp2RGB converter and boom! Even sharper PS3 games and now Blu Ray playback with extended colour range in tact. Thank you Mike. And with the 4k now out I know if anything happens to the CRT then a nice 40" OLED with HDR support can play all the consoles and even the Laserdisc player via the RT4K 😊
Great video, Adam!!! Yeappers - when I first heard bout this FANTASTICAL device I got Frameister vibes (ESPECIALLY when people are buggin bout that sticker shock - $750.00!!!) 😲😲😲 Is it worth it? EVERY FRIGGIN PENNY!!! Retro gaming is NOT a poor man's sport. You DON'T have to spend an arm & a leg to get good video output on modern tvs. Buuuuuuut...if you want the best, you're gonna have to spend some money. It's funny - retro folks will complain bout the 4k price, but won't blink an eye gulping down $1,500+ for an Nvidia 4090!?!?!?! 😆😆😆 To me (and yes - I'm on the waiting list!!!): RetroTink 4K is going to become the gold standard...🤓🎮🤩
i look to your opinion on these things, id love for you to revist this for all major retro systems & the nintendo switch. Id also love to see a comparison between the stacked 4k Gamer Pro/Mclassic NSW setup you previously reviewed & The Nintendo Switch hooked up to the RetroTink 4k. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Down the road, if you run into a 4k capture device. I would love a series 'RETRO MAX OUT' Like one video per console that you were interested in doing. But I understand if that is not interesting for you or others or that you'd even have time for it
Very cool device, but at $750 I can't even think about justifying that price. My framemeister does fine with its one frame of lag at 1080p. I don't sit close enough to notice the 4k and 1080p difference. But maybe in the future, if the price drops I will absolutely consider this since it's loaded with features and looks so clean.
I see that the Dreamcast image becomes seemingly 1:1 square instead of 4:3 rectangular here. It's strange how Dreamcast does that. I had to go in and tinker some extra with my settings on the OSSC to solve it. Apparantly the solutions for correct settings for that is out there on the web to find. But i never understood why specificly the Dreamcast does that when connected to line doublers like that. It's like the little fella just refuses to step in line...
I’ll get one, but not immediately. I do find the settings a bit intimidating, so I’ll look for any presets or recommendations I find online for each console
Too much for me and i agree about the lack of input changing button not being ideap, my cheap scart converter even has one. You're the primier expert in my mind when it comes to best image quality on retro consoles and i would like to see either one large video of you showing your ideal console set ups or a couple of smaller ones for different console gens. Or perhaps one on more mainstream consoles and one on obscure consoles, like the Casio Loopy and Nuon!
I got a question with an HDMI console like Dreamcast and NES with the Retro tank 4K would not be more clearer because they're both HDMI components now?
Watching your channel for years and enjoy your content. Keep it up man! At around the 19 minute mark you mentioned get the RGB cables for SNES and not composite. The SNES jr will not natively support the those cables. You can mod that one and it's the best quality SNES for RGB outside of looking at serial numbers on an original but the picture quality would be the same if you did find it to my understanding. Also if I'm not mistaken the n64 and SNES take different types one is sync on Luna? Either way cables look the same and there not.
Yeah, mods help obviously. I was just sticking to the stock standards. Not sure about the difference between the SNES/N64. Just that the N64 is, natively, limited to S-Video.
You have all of the equipment, this might be pointless but I'm curious about the difference in results of the 5x component to classic, and classic to 4k input for the ps2 if you don't mind even sharing just a comparison image of just the 4k and then the combination of the three. If I buy this 4k I will have all three and would be curious about the difference, since what else do I do with my 5x and classic once I buy a 4k lol
Yeah, you can. But the signal has to be upscaled to 480p first. I should warn you though, it'll never look good. The PS2 just...it can't. It can only look degrees of less bad.
$750 is an automatic no from me and probably most people. I like videos of niche products like this but there's no way to personally justify that price point.
