A Moment With
Robert Fletcher tells us about Retro Gaming Cables’ new RAD2X HDMI range
Robert Fletcher tells us about Retro Gaming Cables’ new HDMI leads
If you’re really interested in getting the best out of your classic consoles, odds are you’ve used leads by companies like Retro Gaming Cables. It’s recently, teamed up with RETROTINK to create a new cable that allows you to easily play your older systems on modern Hdmi-equipped televisions. RGC’S Robert Fletcher goes into more detail.
When did you come up with the idea of the RAD2X?
In July 2018 when I saw the potential of the Retrotink2x, a device for connecting retro consoles to modern flatscreen TVS via HDMI. The Retrotink2x accepts inputs like composite and S-video and converts these signals to HDMI. I’d been looking for a HDMI cable solution for a few years prior, however, the normal method of upscaling analogue video signals to HDMI causes a lot of issues and the Retrotink2x resolved these.
This is because the Retrotink2x uses a line doubling method, rather than relying on video processor to upscale the image. I saw the potential of this device and approached the creator, Mike Chi, to see if he was interested in a collaboration to make an all-in-one cable solution which used an RGB source rather than composite video or S-video. Most retro consoles have the capability of outputting RGB video, which is the best signal a console can output during the 8-bit and 16-bit era, so I wanted a circuit which would convert RGB to HDMI.
How hard has it been to design? This was one of the longest and most technical projects that I’ve worked on to date. After submitting an initial design overview to Mike we worked closely together on prototyping, which involved carrying out testing and directing Mike on amendments to the design and also liaising with the tool maker on the design of the case for the RAD2X.
What separates the RAD2X lead from similar products?
The 240p signal from a console is interpreted correctly by the RAD2X whereby other all-inone cable solutions do not. Instead they treat the signal as 480i resulting in a washedout image with motion blur. No other cable on » the market uses a line doubling method to achieve low latency, and our product is the only RGB-TO-HDMI cable which incorporates a smoothing filter.
Tell us a bit about your connection with RETROTINK.
I became aware of Mike Chi when Bob Neal at Retrorgb.com interviewed him back in 2018 showcasing the retrotink2x. I became aware that this was just a sideline project for Mike as his main business was designing headsets to monitor brain activity!
Why are your leads limited to one per customer?
The leads are currently limited to one per customer since we have been running a preorder system. However, we hope to stock these in future for immediate purchase.
How have you managed to achieve such low latency?
The low latency is due to the inherent design of the RAD2X. It uses a line doubling method whereby only one line of information is processed at a time rather than one whole frame.
Why does the Playstation version need an external power supply? Unlike all other variations of the RAD2X the Playstation version of the RAD2X requires powering via a USB cable. This is because the Playstation consoles cannot provide enough power from the AV Multi Out socket.
Why is a smoothing filter included? As the smoothing feature was part of the original RETROTINK2X design, we decided to include this on the RAD2X for use on polygon games.
Do you plan to support any other systems outside of the ones you do already?
We have successfully tested the RAD2X on the Nintendo Wii, Original Xbox and Dreamcast. These systems are capable of outputting higher resolutions like 480p and above, however since the RAD2X can only accept the lower 240p/480i signals we decided not to sell dedicated RAD2X cables for those systems as it doesn’t utilise them to their full potential.