Retrotink 5x - any good?

Lamaman71 · 04 May 2022, 23:11

Anyone using a 5x with an Amiga? Are they any good with the Latest firmware now? And with interlace modes?

Retro-Nerd · 05 May 2022, 04:23

The Tink 5x Pro is mainly meant for consoles, it will never change. That said it works ok-ish, but not perfect with interlaced Amiga resolutions. Lores, or WB in 640x256, looks great though (awesome with some CRT masks+scanlines). But you shouldn't buy it solely for the Amiga. There are better options, especially for interlaced stuff or the higher Amiga resolutions in general.

Seboss · 13 May 2022, 13:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro-Nerd

There are better options, especially for interlaced stuff or the higher Amiga resolutions in general.

I'm looking into a solution a little less invasive than the Indivision and that would allow me the get sound on the TV through a single HDMI cable. Is there any solution that you would suggest?

Retro-Nerd · 13 May 2022, 23:55

Jope would probably suggest the D520 converter. But it's not available. Maybe due to the worldwide chip shortage.

https://d520-converter.de/produkt/d520-converter/

And then there's RGBtoHDMI which you can find on eBay.

Jope · 14 May 2022, 10:29

An OSSC might be also fine, but you need to spend some time adjusting it to get a nice image.

dreadnought · 14 May 2022, 11:20

https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=135

Lord Aga · 14 May 2022, 18:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro-Nerd

And then there's RGBtoHDMI which you can find on eBay.

Yes. For Denise powered Amigas nothing really beats RGB2HDMI in price/performance ratio.

AGA Amigas are a pain in the ass though

Retro-Nerd · 14 May 2022, 18:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jope

An OSSC might be also fine, but you need to spend some time adjusting it to get a nice image.

But still problematic for hires/interlaced stuff. The Bob deinterlacing implemented in the OSSC is far from being a perfect solution. GBS-C AIO could be a solution, with its motion adaptive deinterlacing (just like the RT5x). Never tried it though.

Seboss · 16 May 2022, 13:44

Thanks for the suggestions. The D520 is particularly interesting as it's specifically made for the Amiga and seems to be very straightforward to use. I'll keep an eye on its availability The Medusa also seems interesting if it holds its promises.

I have other retro devices that would benefit from an HDMI upscaler so, maybe a Retrotink or an OSSC might be a worthy investment.

Thanks again for the replies.

EDIT: just noticed the D520 is DVI and not HDMI, and that these devices only carry video signal but not sound signal. Seems like I'm stuck with the (pretty great btw) Indivision AGA Mk2 for the moment.

Jope · 16 May 2022, 14:53

The D520 does have an audio in for injecting it to the output stream, but I never tried it with mine.

Jope · 16 May 2022, 14:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro-Nerd

But still problematic for hires/interlaced stuff. The Bob deinterlacing implemented in the OSSC is far from being a perfect solution. GBS-C AIO could be a solution, with its motion adaptive deinterlacing (just like the RT5x). Never tried it though.

This is true, everything is a compromise.

I don't even know what I want with regards to interlaced modes.. Does some content suffer from being stuck together with the previous field? Do I actually even run any animated content in interlaced mode? I don't know.

A flickerfixer does make for a nicer workbench experience though.

dreadnought · 16 May 2022, 15:23

Wasn't there some major problem with D520 too, though? Seem to recall something related to proper 50hz display with no stutter.

Jope · 16 May 2022, 18:32

Yes, it is exactly 50Hz. I was in email correspondence with the author some time ago and he told me he has plans on a 49.92Hz mode later. Unfortunately the firmware was going through a large refactoring, which has to be completed first. No idea on what the status is otherwise.

Seboss · 17 May 2022, 09:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jope

The D520 does have an audio in for injecting it to the output stream, but I never tried it with mine.

Yes, I found out about it and the HDMI output from the product page of some French retailer. The device is out of stock everywhere anyway, could be related to the firmware refactoring you mentioned. I'll definitely keep an eye out though. I like the no-nonsense, plug and play approach.

Jope · 17 May 2022, 12:21

Could be chip shortage, unfortunately I don't have any further info.

Retro-Nerd · 30 July 2022, 22:26

The latest firmware adds HDR support. Of course it enables only the "HDR on" option on your TV/monitor, but that's good enough if you prefer CRT filters. My A1200 gives me generally a very dark image via RGB on the Tink. Looks much brighter now. If you don't like CRT filters it's not that helpful. But maybe for games which uses a very dark color palette anyway. Should look nice on OLEDs that suppport 120Hz BFI, my C9 sadly can't do it.

https://www.retrotink.com/post/retro...rmware-updates

Snoopy1234 · 06 August 2022, 12:24

I'm using a GBS 8200 and it's great on the A1200 and A500+. Sometimes needs resetting when NTSC/PAL modes are switched. The latest purchase I've made is a simple upscaler by JS Electronics in the UK for a BBC Micro. Hopefully it will do the same job.

04 May 2022, 23:11	#1
Lamaman71 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Katy, USA Posts: 154	Retrotink 5x - any good? Anyone using a 5x with an Amiga? Are they any good with the Latest firmware now? And with interlace modes?

05 May 2022, 04:23	#2
Retro-Nerd Missile Command Champion Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Germany Age: 52 Posts: 12,436	The Tink 5x Pro is mainly meant for consoles, it will never change. That said it works ok-ish, but not perfect with interlaced Amiga resolutions. Lores, or WB in 640x256, looks great though (awesome with some CRT masks+scanlines). But you shouldn't buy it solely for the Amiga. There are better options, especially for interlaced stuff or the higher Amiga resolutions in general. Last edited by Retro-Nerd; 05 May 2022 at 06:01.

16 May 2022, 13:44	#9
Seboss Registered User Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Grenoble / France Posts: 14	Thanks for the suggestions. The D520 is particularly interesting as it's specifically made for the Amiga and seems to be very straightforward to use. I'll keep an eye on its availability The Medusa also seems interesting if it holds its promises. I have other retro devices that would benefit from an HDMI upscaler so, maybe a Retrotink or an OSSC might be a worthy investment. Thanks again for the replies. EDIT: just noticed the D520 is DVI and not HDMI, and that these devices only carry video signal but not sound signal. Seems like I'm stuck with the (pretty great btw) Indivision AGA Mk2 for the moment. Last edited by Seboss; 16 May 2022 at 13:58.

30 July 2022, 22:26	#16
Retro-Nerd Missile Command Champion Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Germany Age: 52 Posts: 12,436	The latest firmware adds HDR support. Of course it enables only the "HDR on" option on your TV/monitor, but that's good enough if you prefer CRT filters. My A1200 gives me generally a very dark image via RGB on the Tink. Looks much brighter now. If you don't like CRT filters it's not that helpful. But maybe for games which uses a very dark color palette anyway. Should look nice on OLEDs that suppport 120Hz BFI, my C9 sadly can't do it. https://www.retrotink.com/post/retro...rmware-updates Last edited by Retro-Nerd; 30 July 2022 at 22:39.

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13 May 2022, 23:55	#4
Retro-Nerd Missile Command Champion Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Germany Age: 52 Posts: 12,436	Jope would probably suggest the D520 converter. But it's not available. Maybe due to the worldwide chip shortage. https://d520-converter.de/produkt/d520-converter/ And then there's RGBtoHDMI which you can find on eBay.

14 May 2022, 10:29	#5
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,861	An OSSC might be also fine, but you need to spend some time adjusting it to get a nice image.

14 May 2022, 11:20	#6
dreadnought Registered User Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Ur, Atlantis Posts: 1,899	https://lotharek.pl/productdetail.php?id=135

16 May 2022, 14:53	#10
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,861	The D520 does have an audio in for injecting it to the output stream, but I never tried it with mine.

16 May 2022, 15:23	#12
dreadnought Registered User Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Ur, Atlantis Posts: 1,899	Wasn't there some major problem with D520 too, though? Seem to recall something related to proper 50hz display with no stutter.

16 May 2022, 18:32	#13
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,861	Yes, it is exactly 50Hz. I was in email correspondence with the author some time ago and he told me he has plans on a 49.92Hz mode later. Unfortunately the firmware was going through a large refactoring, which has to be completed first. No idea on what the status is otherwise.

17 May 2022, 12:21	#15
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,861	Could be chip shortage, unfortunately I don't have any further info.

06 August 2022, 12:24	#17
Snoopy1234 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2022 Location: Australia Age: 51 Posts: 836	I'm using a GBS 8200 and it's great on the A1200 and A500+. Sometimes needs resetting when NTSC/PAL modes are switched. The latest purchase I've made is a simple upscaler by JS Electronics in the UK for a BBC Micro. Hopefully it will do the same job.

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