The Scanline | OSSC V1.8 Open Source Retro Scan Converter

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East Supplier PlatformSKU: 32992317490-with Dreamcast CABLE

Color: with Dreamcast CABLE
Price:
$254.69 $318.36

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Only 3 units left

Description

A 1990s console on a modern panel looks wrong because the panel samples it wrong. The Scanline is an open source scan converter that reads the original analogue signal line by line and rebuilds it as clean HDMI at the refresh rate the game was written for.

Version 1.8 carries a lower write latency and a stable power and ground distribution across the board, which is what stops the shimmer and dropouts that made earlier revisions fussy about cable quality. Shadow mask CRT simulation and a 1440p pixel repetition mode let you keep the soft aperture of a CRT or push a hard, even grid. Sample rate and colour space conversion are selectable, so 480p sources and YPbPr component can be dialled in rather than guessed at.

Inputs cover SCART, component, VGA and composite across the machines most people still own, from a Mega Drive and a Super Nintendo through to a Saturn, PC Engine, Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast. No emulation and no conversion inside a PC. Your console, your discs, your display.

The reason a board like this holds its place is that it is not tied to one machine. A single unit moves between a Mega Drive over SCART and a PS2 over component with a profile change, so a shelf of hardware shares one converter instead of one box per console. Firmware is developed in the open, and the pixel repetition mode lets a 1440p panel show an integer scaled 240p image rather than a smeared one.

The console was never the problem. The sampling was.


Key Features

  • ✦ Line by line analogue to digital conversion for retro consoles
  • ✦ HDMI output at the console's native refresh rate
  • ✦ Version 1.8 board with improved power and ground distribution
  • ✦ Shadow mask CRT simulation for a softer, period correct look
  • ✦ 1440p pixel repetition mode for a hard, even pixel grid
  • ✦ HDR mode support for compatible displays
  • ✦ Selectable sampling for 480p sources and colour space for YPbPr
  • ✦ Accepts SCART, component, VGA and composite inputs

Technical Specifications

  • Board: OSSC version 1.8, open source hardware
  • Output: HDMI, native refresh rate
  • Latency: Line doubling with no frame buffer, so no added input lag
  • Inputs: SCART RGB, component YPbPr, VGA, composite, AV
  • Console fit: PS2, Nintendo 64, PC Engine, Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, Mega Drive, SNES
  • Video modes: Line double, line triple, 1440p pixel repetition
  • Colour space: Selectable for YPbPr sources, Rec. 601 or Rec. 709
  • 480p handling: Selectable sampling, DTV 480p or VGA 640x480
  • CRT simulation: Shadow mask mode
  • Included: Scan converter with Dreamcast cable

Built For The Shelf You Still Own

This is for people who kept the hardware and the discs rather than moving to emulation, and who want the display to respect the original output. It suits a Saturn or Dreamcast owner with a component capable panel, a Nintendo 64 owner who wants stable resolution in games that switch modes, and a PC Engine or Super Nintendo user comparing the soft CRT look against a hard pixel grid. It also works for a PS2 or original Xbox over component when the display drops signal at 240p and 480i.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does it add input lag?

No meaningful lag. Line doubling is done without an image buffer, which is the reason this class of converter suits fighting games and platformers.

Q: What cables do I need?

Depends on the console. SCART RGB for Mega Drive, Super Nintendo and Saturn, component for PS2 and original Xbox, VGA for PC sources. A Dreamcast cable is included in this listing.

Q: Will it fix a 240p signal on my modern TV?

Yes. That is the core function. It converts 240p and 480i to a signal the panel accepts without dropping or deinterlacing badly.

Q: Is the firmware updatable?

The board is open source and firmware can be updated over the standard method for the platform. Check the version before a large update.

Q: What changed in 1.8?

Improved hardware compatibility, a cleaner power and ground distribution, shadow mask CRT simulation, HDR mode and a 1440p pixel repetition mode.

Q: Can I use it with a capture card?

Yes. HDMI out feeds a capture device, which is a common setup for recording original hardware at native refresh.

Q: Do I still need the original power supply?

You power the console as before and the converter takes its own supply. Keep the original PSU for the console rather than a switching substitute.

Q: Will it work with a TV that has no SCART socket?

That is exactly the case it is built for. The console connects by its own cable and the converter outputs HDMI, so the display only needs an HDMI input.

Q: Do I need another upscaler after it?

Not for 240p and 480i sources. The television takes over from the doubled signal, and most panels handle output at the console native refresh rate correctly.

Q: What should I check before ordering?

Confirm which cable your console outputs, since the inputs here are SCART, component, VGA and composite. Also check that your panel accepts the refresh rate your console runs at.

Customer Reviews

Customer Reviews

Based on 3 reviews
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33%
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L
Laura F.
Needs a decent power supply

It shipped without a power supply and the cheap one I tried first added noise to the picture. With a proper 5V supply it is clean. Worth the extra step for a 240p console setup.

K
Kenji A.
Line doubling is clean

It upscales to 480p without the shimmer my old adapter showed on 2D games. Menu navigation takes a minute to learn, then you never touch it again. Input lag is not noticeable on fighting games.

D
David C.
Retro consoles look right again

I run a Saturn and a Super Famicom through this into a modern TV. The scanline settings are the difference between a stretched blur and something that looks like the CRT I grew up with. Firmware was already current out of the box.

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