Mike Chi has just released a new firmware update for the RetroTINK 5x, with a heavy focus on PAL50-related features. There’s also some bugfixes and a small update to the scanline options that was also included in the previous v1.77 update that we missed (sorry). Here’s links, plus see below for more info:
Purchase all RetroTINK Products via multiple vendors worldwide here: https://www.retrorgb.com/retrotink.html
Download the latest RT5x firmware here: https://www.retrotink.com/post/retrotink-5x-pro-firmware-updates
RetroTINK Update Software: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7nr70y6mbx9yzp6/RetroTINK%20FW%20Tool.zip?dl=0
Drivers (install first): https://ftdichip.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/CDM-v2.12.36.4-WHQL-Certified.zip
The main feature offered for PAL users, is the ability to stretch some badly-ported PAL games to properly fill the screen. You’ll see below that “fill” mode sometimes ends up with black bars on the top and bottom with certain PAL games. This is often perfectly normal: As demonstrated in the “Why 5x?” video, games like Star Fox, Virtua Racing and pretty much all SMS games either have no info, or just black bars on the top and bottom of the image.
Other times, like in the picture below, this is a result of a game designed fully for NTSC/NTSC-J displays, then quickly ported over to PAL, without taking the time to correct the aspect ratio. “Fill” mode will present the PAL image that same way you’d see on a PAL CRT (including aspect ratio), however changing the setting to 1080p (Over) “corrects” the image:
Now, of course, you can argue that if you grew up playing the game on CRT’s, the “fill” mode is the “right” way to play, as it matches what you saw as a kid. Either way, the options are there, so experiment to see what you like best. Also, remember that no setting affects lag other than Triple Buffer / Framelock, so feel free to try all of them out, knowing that the “best” option is simply what looks best to your eyes, on your TV when sitting at the proper distance.
Here’s the full list of changes for this update:
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Reworked 50 Hz 1080p modes for RGB/YPbPr inputs:
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1080p (Fill) is a 4x (288p) or 2x (576i) integer scale to 1152p with a tiny amount of vertical overscan cropping.
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1080p (Over) adds an vertical stretch of ~20% to undo “lazy” PAL ports that place 240p/480i artwork in a 288p/576i frame.
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1080p (Under) scales the 288p/576i content to exactly 1080p
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Use the “Up” and “Down” buttons to center the image vertically as needed.
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Optimal timings now available for 50 Hz RGB/YPbPr inputs:
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Only enabled for 1080p (Fill) and 1080p (Over) output modes.
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Highly experimental.
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- Fixed some minor GBI mode bugs.
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Enhanced auto-phase algorithm to avoid false locks on black screens.
There was actually one other firmware update between this one and when the smoothing filter was added; 1.77 on September 9th.
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Reverted AG scanline option to previous mask width
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Enhanced gamma and saturation compensation for all scanline modes
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EDTV LPF is a separate setting from SDTV modes
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I generally recommend leaving the EDTV LFP to ‘off’ for the sharpest image in DTV 858 optimal sampling/auto-phase. Only turn it on if you see noise/jailbars.
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Fixed screen tear bug in 480p -> 1080p (Under)
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Fixed vertical hold (rolling screen) glitch for odd NTSC and PAL systems that uses non-standard sync lengths (mostly old home computers and PAL Atari Jaguar).
