OSSC Newsletter Issue 22 – New OSSC and OSSC Pro!

Welcome to the latest OSSC newsletter. It has certainly been a while since the last one and many of you (ourselves included) were starting to wonder if the OSSC Pro project had been shelved. Fortunately, that’s not the case as we will discuss later in the newsletter, but for now, it is time for an update on the OSSC Classic.

Introducing OSSC 1.8

OSSC 1.7 is no more, please welcome OSSC 1.8! I know we said that OSSC 1.7 would probably be the last hardware revision of the classic OSSC design but it turns out that Markus was able to squeeze a little more out of the design with some very minor changes.

So what is new this time? OSSC 1.8 has improved power/ground supply distribution with a new 4-layer PCB. Of course, the over voltage protection, improved audio toggle switch and reduced temperature and power consumption the OSSC 1.7 introduced have also been carried over to OSSC 1.8. This new revision OSSC can also natively run the new 1.xx firmware branch, with the latest firmware version being 1.06 at the time of writing. Read on to find out what’s new in firmware 1.06.

Firmware 1.06 introduces the following new features:-

Improved sync handling – Sync dropouts with sources such as PC and arcade hardware should be vastly reduced thanks to this new firmware revision. Users are already reporting stability improvements with previously troublesome hardware such as retro PCs.

HDR mode – Turn on your TVs HDR mode for improved brightness. Note that turning on HDR mode will affect colour and gamma accuracy and may require recalibration.

6X output mode – Convert 240p to 1440p (with pixel repetition). A compatible TV/monitor is required.

Shadow mask emulation/post processing filters – Mimic the look of a classic CRT even more closely. Works best at high multiplication modes (5x or 6x).

Some of the cool new options available in the new OSSC 1.xx firmware

Using the new firmware on older OSSCs

If you have a previous revision OSSC then don’t worry, you can still use the new firmware, all that is required is a small hardware modification. Obviously, you won’t magically gain new hardware features such as the new PCB, or over voltage protection on OSSC 1.6 or earlier, but you can still use the new firmware and gain the new sync handling improvements and other new features. Details of how to carry out this mod are available here.

If you’re not confident with doing the task yourself, we now offer an at-cost upgrade service through our partners BetaGamma computing. Any OSSC purchased from VGP or classicgamestore.ch is eligible for this service. Click here to purchase this service.

If you have a clone or competitor OSSC then the upgrade may still work, depending on whether the competitor followed the original specifications or not. Many of the companies who produced cheap clones of the OSSC cut corners or used substitute parts for the memory chips which may mean upgrading to this new firmware is not possible.

Manufacturing on OSSC 1.8 has already started, and units will be available in mid/late October 2023. The price is expected to be €115 for the base unit, with the option to buy with or without power supply and/or remote, as per usual. Stock will be plentiful, there is no need to worry about pre-ordering. We will announce on all our social media channels as soon as it goes on sale.

The OSSC Pro is finally getting the launch it deserves, after languishing on the sidelines for years due to the global component shortage. The design, case and other details have been finalised for some time, however the price of components meant that a launch was unfeasible. Thankfully, the market has stabilised enough now so that we can bring the unit out at a realistic price.

An OSSC Pro in prototype case. This prototype has existed since 2022

Firstly, let’s get this most commonly asked question out of the way. Will the OSSC Pro output 4k? – No, OSSC Pro is not competing with newer 4k scalers like PixelFX Morph. It will have real 2560×1440 output (without pixel repetition), but it won’t have 4k (3840×2160@60hz 10bpc) now or in the future. A 2880×2160@60 output mode (using pixel repetition) is also being tested. This mode is, of course, not true 4k and may only work with certain displays. All possible roadmaps for a 4k capable firmware on the unit have been explored and unfortunately there is no way for this to happen effectively. New hardware would be required.

OSSC Pro is positioned to the mid-range of the market between RetroTINK 5x and the upcoming 4K scalers. OSSC Pro has several advantages over the RetroTINK 5x, including:-

• Digital video input
• VGA input
  
• Wide compatibility with computers and consoles
  
• Support for PC resolutions, medium resolution etc
  
• Character OLED display (no trying to switch modes blind if you accidentally select a mode that your display doesn’t support)
  
• 120hz and black frame insertion (BFI) modes
  
• Better downscaling (easier to configure on OLED and more output options)
  
• Advanced downscaling (want to downscale to PAL 60? Now you can!)
  
• Pure and adaptive line multiplier modes
  
• USB port (for controlling external devices, attaching game controllers and other future possibilities, please note these functions are not yet implemented)
  
• Expansion card socket for additional input and output options
  
• 240p/480i pass-through
  
• Wider range of output resolutions (up to 2880×2160@60 with pixel repetition and 1080i modes for HD-CRTs)

Just like RetroTINK 5x, the OSSC pro also has:-

• Motion adaptive deinterlacer
  
• Frame buffer modes to prevent signal drop on games that switch resolutions on the fly
  
• Scanlines, shadow mask and other filters
  
• Wide compatibility with TVs, monitors etc
  
• HDR injection
  
• Profile support
  

The OSSC Pro is more powerful than the RetroTINK 5x on paper, however Mike Chi has polished the RetroTINK 5x’s firmware extensively, while OSSC Pro’s firmware development is only just getting started. Currently the RetroTINK 5x has these features that OSSC Pro does not:-

• Composite and S-Video support
  
• Additional deinterlacing modes (e.g reverse 2:2 telecine)
• Slightly less lag in framebuffer modes

All these features can and hopefully will come to OSSC Pro, but we don’t have a time frame just yet, so if they are important to you we would suggest sticking with the RetroTINK 5x. Sadly, VGP will no longer be stocking RetroTINK products so, for those of you in Europe especially, ordering the RetroTINK 5x could be somewhat more expensive now.

We understand that the lack of composite and S-video will be a disappointment for many and we aim to have options for you as soon as possible. Of course you can use a Koryuu or similar device to add this functionality but this is far from ideal. Full support for these formats is planned but again please do not order the OSSC Pro if you need this functionality as we have no idea when it will be added.

We are hoping to launch OSSC Pro in November this year, so be sure to follow us using your favourite social media platform for more announcements if you are interested in the project. The price is not yet confirmed but is expected to be around $330 (US dollars) which is competitive with devices of a similar specification.

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Thanks again to everyone who subscribes and everyone who has enjoyed using OSSC over its incredible life span, we hope OSSC 1.8 and OSSC Pro bring you even more happy retro gaming memories.