Kaico OSSC & BenQ EX2780Q IPS 144Hz 27″ monitor

[Nick_NG66]

Hi,

Thanks for all the effort in answering my questions on this forum!

I just ordered the Retrotink V2 Pro Multiformat. Keeping the OSSC for a while and going to test both on another monitor. I’ve read that a TN panel tends to have less burn in issues then an IPS panel. The Viewsonic https://www.viewsonic.com/nl/products/lcd/VX2458-P-MHD is possibly a good monitor for the OSSC but I will have to test it out. Not to cheap but the only one that I could find that supports 720 x 480p.

It actually supports a lot of resolutions:

• 1920 x 1080 @ 144Hz
• 1920 x 1080 @ 120Hz
• 1920 x 1080 @ 60Hz
• 1920 x 1080 @ 50Hz
• 1680 x 1050 @ 60Hz
• 1600 x 1200 @ 60Hz
• 1600 x 900 @ 60Hz
• 1440 x 900 @ 60, 75Hz
• 1440 x 576 @ 50Hz
• 1400 x 1050 @ 60, 75Hz
• 1366 x 768 @ 60Hz
• 1360 x 768 @ 60Hz
• 1280 x 1024 @ 50, 60, 75Hz
• 1280 x 960 @ 50, 60, 75Hz
• 1280 x 800 @ 60, 75Hz
• 1280 x 768 @ 50, 60, 75Hz
• 1280 x 720 @ 50, 60Hz
• 1152 x 900 @ 66Hz
• 1152 x 870 @ 75Hz
• 1152 x 864 @ 60, 75Hz
• 1024 x 768 @ 50, 60, 70, 72, 75Hz
• 1024 x 600 @ 60Hz
• 848 x 480 @ 60Hz
• 832 x 624 @ 75Hz
• 800 x 600 @ 56, 60, 72, 75Hz
• 720 x 480 @ 60Hz
• 720 x 400 @ 70Hz
• 640 x 480 @ 50, 60, 67, 73, 75Hz
• 640 x 400 @ 60, 70Hz
• 640 x 350 @ 70Hz

Not sure if PS1 games will be displayed nicely on this monitor when played on a PS2? PS1 normally outputs a 240p signal, right?

Anyway, what do you think of this monitor?

[GlueyPorchBoy]

From here on, I’m afraid it’s all about you. If it has that many modes (looks like it was intended be sold internationally), fingers crossed that it has an onboard deinterlacer so you can use passthrough mode with PS2 games. The RetroTINK basically has the same de-interlacing process as the OSSC.

You only have to worry about it handling 240p if you’re in passthrough mode on whichever device you’re running, and there’s not much point in doing that with a progressive signal. In all regular settings, your OSSC or RetroTINK will be converting the signal into something a modern screen recognizes.

EDIT – I should add that, once you’ve got everything set up right (including the alternating horizontal scanlines), the bob deinterlacing isn’t that noticeable unless you’re viewing from really close (except with straight lines against black – the “loading progress” bar you see when booting up GTA, for instance). Obviously, no flicker is better than flicker, but it certainly doesn’t render games unplayable.

[Achelon]

ignore. replied to wrong thread.

[Nick_NG66]

I got the smaller version now from Viewsonic. It is the VG2239smh. It does except pass thru from the OSSC. Line 3x does not work very well. I get a flickering image. Line 2x works good and also line 4x, but the difference between line 2x and line 4x isn’t huge. When setting it to line 4x the monitor outputs a 1440 x 1152 resolution. This is 1080p monitor. Would I have been off with a 4K monitor for line 4x?

Scanlines works best with pass thru mode. When using line 2x or 4x the scanlines are vertical instead of horizontal even though I have selected horizontal in the OSSC?

[Harrumph]

With PAL consoles, try setting v.active to 270 in 4x mode = 1080p, so should be sharper.
Try set v.active to 240 in 3x mode, should work then.
Issue with scanlines sounds really weird. Try reset settings.
For more info on tweaks for PAL 288p signals, see here:
videogameperfection.com/forums/topic/tips-tweaks-lx3-lx4-lx5-modes/

[Nick_NG66]

Hi,

If I change v.active to 270 the image does not get sharper. My monitor does output a 1080 resolution

What about the allow upsample2x ? What does it do? I don’t see any differences between off or on.

Thanks for the tips!

[Harrumph]

Allow upsample 2x is only relevant for 480/576 i/p sources.

[GlueyPorchBoy]

Are you still testing things with San Andreas? The graphics on the PS2 version actually have an effect much like vertical scanlines, it was confusing me for a while, too. If so, try a different game.

Have you set the sampler to the recommended PS2 settings? That can make a huge difference across the board.

[Nick_NG66]

But the PS2 outputs a signal of 480/576i ?? Correct?

[Nick_NG66]

What would be the best settings for the PS2?

When I set the OSSC to line 2x, my monitor outputs a 720 x 576 signal Setting it to line 4x the monitor outputs a signal of 1440 x 1152? My monitor is a Full HD monitor, thus 1920 x 1080?? The differenc between line 2x and line 4x isn’t huge.

[GlueyPorchBoy]

The PS2 mostly outputs 480i/576i (there are exceptions, including every time you’re playing a PS1 game), but it’s better to think of that as a format (i.e., the NTSC and PAL formats, respectively) than a resolution. Different consoles all kind of operate at their own resolutions and (this part’s important), pixel shapes. Back in the days of SD standards, the TV itself did most of the heavy lifting at making these look consistent, but things don’t work that way now – that’s why the OSSC has sampling options.

People have done a lot of experiments and a lot of math to come up with the optimal timing chart, which based on the output of each of the systems listed – telling the OSSC how to interpret to signal to yield a consistent result onscreen. For the PS2, the standard optimal timings for the vast majority of games is:

H.samplerate=858, H.active=640, H.synclen=44, H.backporch=116

Now, this is for NTSC. If you’re PAL, things will have to be adjusted a bit (as Harrumph said above, you might have better results wit . On a regular TV, you could force the signal into a 4:3 aspect ratio and everything will be just about right. But we’re both using monitors, and they’re going to treat the signal differently, so getting right comes down how much time you’re willing to put into it.

My monitor processes the 4x signal in a way that won’t let me force it to 4:3, so I have to compensate by changing the samplerate, or everything looks too wide. Here’s what I ended up with:

H.samplerate=788, H.active=640, H.synclen=58, H.backporch=59

But my starting point was that first set of numbers. I spent more time than I’d care to admit with a test image I’d made open in Simple Media System and a ruler pressed against the screen. Measure, adjust. Measure, adjust. Use whatever you have at hand – some games (Silent Hill 2, for instance) have grids in their “screen calibration” settings that you can use. In a pinch, you can use the cubes in the “PS2 Configuration” screen, although I think that might actually be lower resolution than most PS2 games. In any case you’ll need to spend some time fiddling with the settings until the picture looks right – afterwards, I think you’ll get a better idea of what the different output settings on the OSSC should look like. But it will likely be unique to your system and your screen, you could end up with something entirely different than the standard settings or mine. (Especially since I’m NTSC, and I believe you’re PAL?)

I knew I got it right when I Was finally spending more time gaming than fiddling with the settings, but I’m having so much fun with the system now that I don’t regret a minute of it.

Good luck!

[Harrumph]

576i is already optimally sampled at the default setting, which is 864 h.samplerate.
It’s true that for some displays and/or games you get better AR with either 704 or 640 h.active.
I would advise against lowering samplerate, as you actually lose some horizontal definition (exception is cases like described above (x4 mode), IF you also set Allow upsample 2x to ON). But if you are happy with the picture, go for it.

[GlueyPorchBoy]

You’re right, I should specify that I exclusively use 4x mode with the PS2 on my monitor (mostly with Upsample 2x on, but I also have a profile for some games with it turned off and non-alternating scanlines), largely because it squashes things in passthrough (without the option to force 4:3) unless I switch the TX Mode to DVI. (Also, 4x looks really good with the settings I listed.)

One of these days I’ll start a thread asking about that.

[Nick_NG66]

Hi,

I don’t see any difference between upsample 2x on or off. What does it do? Should I see a big difference between on or off?

Scanlines on is ugly. I think the distance between the scanlines is to big and the lines are also to thick.

When I adjust h.active from 720 to 704 the image shifts to the right on my monitor. I don’t see any difference in picture quality.

I have a 22″ Viewsonic VG2239smh VA panel monitor but not sure if this monitor was the best choice.

It does support a lot of resolutions: https://www.viewsonic.com/nl/products/lcd/VG2239Smh-2

What do you guys think?

[GlueyPorchBoy]

Sample 2x softens things a little in 4x mode, so everything should look less pixelated and closer to what you’d get on a CRT. While it’s a pretty noticeable difference on my screen, I wasn’t able to capture it on camera. I leave it on for almost everything, I think it really helps 480i signal.

As for scanlines, the main reason to use them with a 480i output is to help hide the de-interlacing flicker when “Sl. alternating” is on. Even at their lowest strength, they’ll help, especially if you also turn up the Hybrid scanline strength.

The main purpose for the “always on” scanlines has more to do with how 240p images are displayed. I’d recommend you watch these videos when you get a chance, he goes into how the different video modes work. They can get a bit technical, but cover things on the whole more clearly than other things that I’ve seen.

The History of 240p
What is 525-Line Analog Video?

I wish I could give you an answer as to why you aren’t seeing any difference between the different output modes – 2x and 4x are quite different looking on my display. Would you be able to post any screenshots so we can see what you’re ending up with?

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