OSSC 1.8: a retro console's picture, multiplied line by line over HDMI

A modern TV handles the 240p signal of a Super Nintendo or a Mega Drive badly: it mistakes it for interlaced video, reprocesses it and adds lag. The OSSC (Open Source Scan Converter) tackles the problem upstream: it digitises the console's RGB, component or VGA signal and multiplies it line by line before sending it over HDMI, without ever storing a full frame. This revision 1.8 is assembled by BitFunx, whose name shows on the unit's display.

What it does

• Three analogue inputs: RGB SCART, YPbPr component on three RCA jacks, and VGA.
• 2x to 5x line multiplication: a 240p source comes out at 480p (2x) and up to 1080p (5x); a 480p source is doubled to 960p.
• No frame buffer: the signal is processed on the fly, so the added lag is counted in lines, not frames. That is what makes it a reference for gaming.
• Audio over HDMI: analogue sound from the SCART input or a 3.5 mm jack can be carried with the picture.
• Fine tuning: infrared remote, LCD display on the unit, savable setting profiles. Both hardware and firmware are open source.

What it doesn't do

• It accepts neither composite nor S-Video: this version ships without the AV expansion board. A console that only outputs composite won't benefit from it.
• It doesn't create RGB: the console must output RGB, YPbPr or VGA. Most stock Nintendo 64 consoles, for example, don't.
• Not every display accepts every mode. 5x (1080p) is the one most often rejected; some TVs only take 2x or 3x. Plan to test on your own screen.
• 480i and 576i are simply doubled, without advanced deinterlacing: a slight flicker remains on interlaced games.
• It adds no detail and doesn't output 4K: it is a line multiplier, not a frame-buffered upscaler.
• Console video cables and the HDMI cable are not included.

Compatibility

Any source that outputs RGB over SCART, YPbPr component or VGA: Super Nintendo, Mega Drive, Saturn and PlayStation 1 in RGB, PlayStation 2 and Wii in RGB or component, Dreamcast in VGA, as well as arcade boards and cabinets in RGB. Composite, S-Video and HDMI sources are not covered.

Skill level

No soldering, no disassembly: the unit sits between the console and the display. You do need the right cable for each console (RGB SCART, component or VGA) and a little patience in the menus: choosing the multiplication mode, adjusting sampling, saving one profile per console. Allow an evening to find the right settings for your screen.

In the box

• 1 OSSC 1.8, BitFunx version.
• 1 infrared remote.
• 1 5 V power supply with interchangeable plugs (EU, UK, AU and US).

Read before ordering: Scalers and image processing

Orders over €150 are delivered to a pickup point. Delivery in 10 to 18 days · dispatched within 3 to 5 days · 2-year legal guarantee · 14-day returns.