RetroTINK 2x vs Rettroscaler 2x showdown

[rubber_jonnie]

As a user of scalers I was interested to see this on YouTube: Scaler showdown

It looks like there may be some 'appropriation' of the RetroTINK technologies as the two devices are so similar in their operation and output that there is little to choose between them.

Apart from cost that is.

The RetroTINK 2x Pro is £140 and the RetroScaler 2x is just a tad over £34.

There is an ethical position here, buy the official product and support updates and new products, or pay a quarter of the price and don't worry about updates or the ethicality of the whole thing.

Given the output quality is seemingly identical it's a bit of a head scratcher.

[Steve]

Yeah this situation is around in different forms, like in 'flash carts', many of Krikz's original flash carts have been bootlegged. The way my morals fall on it is: If you can afford the real thing, buy it and support the developer. If you really can't afford it, then consider a bootleg. I keep meaning to write to Adrians digital basement about this, as he's always using a bootleg Nintendo flashcart. He can surely afford the real deal, so since he's in the 'public eye', he really should use a real Krikz cart. In my opinion anyways.

[exxos]

I had similar problem with that 3-D printer "smoothie board" or whatever it was called.. They open sourced the design and then when people cloned it , they give you abuse for using a cloned board, even though I didn't know it was a clone. But why open source something then complain because people have not brought the official one... Frankly glad I didn't buy the official after all that. The drivers they were using I had nothing but trouble with.. But anyway that's another load of drama....

I have similar problems with my store. Some people may be loyal to the brand and other people just want the cheapest thing they can get.. They don't care who did all the footwork as long as they get a cheap deal.

But isn't this the same issue with the MiST ? When someone did a cheap clone of the thing,everyone stop buying the official MiST for the cheaper clone ?

[leonk]

.. he's always using a bootleg Nintendo flashcart. He can surely afford the real deal, so since he's in the 'public eye', he really should use a real Krikz cart. In my opinion anyways.

This is an interesting dilemma. You got a device that's made to bootleg R0mZ but then it in turn gets booleg'd. I know, I know .. it's "legal" because people can use it for development purposes. But let's face it; no one who owns an Everdrive uses it just for development. They all have (c) ROM images on it.

As for RetroTINK 2x, while it's still sold (I think it is) Mike's focus is very much in improving the 5X and the 4K. I think the 2X is now pushing 8-10 years old? If you want a really good scalar for the same money, that's open source and works great, consider buying or building a GBS-Control. You'll get a lot more different input supports, and you won't be capped at 480p, GBS-Control can hit 1080p (A RetroTink 5X domain device for a fraction of the cost, and open source)

[rubber_jonnie]

Yeah this situation is around in different forms, like in 'flash carts', many of Krikz's original flash carts have been bootlegged. The way my morals fall on it is: If you can afford the real thing, buy it and support the developer. If you really can't afford it, then consider a bootleg.

Much the same as my PoV. I also do look at how often I would use something against cost, as if its something I will use rarely but is still then the bootleg looks more appealing, though in the case of the FlashMasta cart for the Wonderswan Colour I bought the real thing because it hadn't been copied and I don't think it is like to be. Worthwhile cart but very expensive for the use it sees.

I keep meaning to write to Adrians digital basement about this, as he's always using a bootleg Nintendo flashcart. He can surely afford the real deal, so since he's in the 'public eye', he really should use a real Krikz cart. In my opinion anyways.

I have noticed that as well, both for the frontloader NES and the Famicoms which have a different size cart, plus some dodgy multi game carts. I guess from his perspective, whilst he could afford them he may have owned them from a point in time where he couldn't, but I do take your point that folks in the public eye should try to do better.

[alexh]

I wouldn't buy or use either. They don't have RGBS input.

[lilwashu]

I have an OSSC but got one of the retroscaler knockoffs for stuff with composite or s-video output, the quality is extremely variable with stuff like a PS2 looking as good as possible over composite but a modded Spectrum looking terrible and some more exotic stuff like an Atari 130 not working at all. This is the same behaviour as on a real retrotink as far as I can tell.

[rubber_jonnie]

I wouldn't buy or use either. They don't have RGBS input.

Well it's a matter of perspective, I use composite to HDMI more than RGB to HDMI, but I do have an OSSC as well.

The OSSC gets used less than my Retrotink 2x but everything SCART goes through it. Apart from my BBC B that goes directly to the display on top of it via SCART because of an issue with that particular displays HDMI port.

[alexh]

I use composite to HDMI more than RGB to HDMI

Interesting. Maybe that generation of computers / consoles is 1-generation before I started collecting?

Practically everything I have has Analog RGBS output

• Acorn Electron / Archimedes
• Sinclair Spectrum +3 / Sam Coupe
• Amstrad CPC6128+ / GX4000
• Oric Atmos
• Enterprise 128
• Commodore 128
• Amiga A500/A600/A1200/CDTV
• Atari ST/Falcon
• Sega Master System/Megadrive/Saturn/Dreamcast
• Sony PS1/PS2
• Nintendo SNES/N64/Gamecube
• Microsoft Xbox OG

Don't get me wrong I have a couple of computers that don't have analog RGBS out (Dragon32, Vic20, ZX80 etc.). I have converted one or two using RGBTOHDMI the rest I don't tend to use.

[rubber_jonnie]

@alexh so looking at your list I do have some of these, and i've noted in RED my thoughts.

• Acorn Electron / Archimedes I also have BBC Bs and use RGB where I can via my OSSC but do have my machines modded for colour composite
• Sinclair Spectrum +3 / Sam Coupe I have a Spectrum +2 and use RGB via OSSC for this and my QL. My Spectrum 48Ks are all composite
• Amstrad CPC6128+ / GX4000 I have a CPC464 and use RGB & OSSC for it
• Oric Atmos I have an Atmos and use RGB & OSSC for it
• Enterprise 128 I don't have one
• Commodore 128 I have one and use RGB & OSSC for it
• Amiga A500/A600/A1200/CDTV I have an A500 and an A1200 and use RGB2HDMI and PiStorm HDMI for both
• Atari ST/Falcon I use either VGA or RGB + OSSC for my STs
• Sega Master System/Megadrive/Saturn/Dreamcast I have one and use RGB & OSSC for it
• Sony PS1/PS2 I have both and use composite
• Nintendo SNES/N64/Gamecube I have direct to HDMI adapters for these where possible
• Microsoft Xbox OGI have one and use RGB & OSSC for it

But I have a lot of other stuff that uses composite out, so 8 bit Ataris - 400 & 800 (Also SVideo for this, which I use and the pic is great), 800XL, 600XL (With the exception of my upgraded machines, another 800XL and a 65XE, that use VBXE and have RGB out to OSSC), Dragon 32, Tandy CoCo, TRS80 model 1, Acorn Atom (Until I build my RGB2HDMI for it), Atari 2600 & 7800, NES (yes, I know it can do better) & Famicom, Spectrums, ZX80 & ZX81s, PC-Engine Duo (I may get a better cable if I can), C64s (Yes I know there are solutions out there), VIC 20, Intellivision, Colecovision, MSX.

Likely more that, but I can't think of them ATM.

That's not to say I won't try in the future to migrate more to direct HDMI or RGB since I have Retrotink and OSSC, but I'm mostly using composite as it's very convenient.

I would add that RGB out on the BBC B and Electron is particularly nice, and my TI 99/4a produces one of the nicest Images ever with it's component connection through my OSSC.