Table of Contents
Why Use a RetroTink with a CRT?
The most common use case for a RetroTink scaler is to be used instead of a flat panel's built-in scaler. But, RetroTink scalers have a selectable high performance notch filter for composite decoding, which produces significantly less dot artifacts for 240p content than the composite decoders in the vast majority of CRTs. The example image below highlights the excessive dot artifacts on a Toshiba 20AF42, which uses a 3-line digital comb filter made by Sanyo.
While comb filters were a step up for 480i content, for 240p content they generally introduce more artifacting than a good notch filter [1] (and some combs even break color-blending effects). This means that for most sets with comb filters, the composite 240p experience will introduce extra dot crawl, with no way for the user to select the set's built-in notch filter exclusively.
But, for any CRT with a component input, a RetroTink's high performing notch filter can be used to decode composite instead, and send that to the set's component input. Then the CRT's comb filter is bypassed, and composite video will have very minimal artifacting, as well as blending of all dithering patterns.
Setting It Up
For this solution you will need:
- A CRT with component input - more common on CRTs from the 2000s that are 20" or larger
- A RetroTink with a notch filter and passthrough option - such as the 2X-Mini, 2X-Pro, 5X-Pro, etc.
- An HDMI to component passthrough converter with no lag/scaling
- First connect your 240p source device's composite output to the composite input on the RetroTink scaler.
- Select passthrough mode on the RetroTink so that it outputs 240p instead of scaling it to a different resolution. For the 2X-Mini, "press and hold the filter button for more than 1 second and release to toggle between pass-thru and Line2x"[2]. For the 2X-Pro, set the MODE switch to 'Pass'. For scalers with an on-screen menu, select passthrough/240p as the output mode in the menu system.
- Set the comb filter option on the RetroTink to 'Retro' (or notch). This is a physical switch on the 2X-Mini and 2X-Pro. It is a menu option on the 5X-Pro and 4K. This setting yields the least amount of artifacting for the Genesis/Mega Drive. (some other systems may see gains from the other comb options)
- Connect the HDMI output of the RetroTink to a passthrough HDMI to component converter. I got the one from AliExpress recommended by TheRetroChannel[3]. As the one he originally linked to is out of stock, he then recommended this one in the comments section (~$12 at the time of writing).
- Connect the component output of the converter to your CRT's component inputs. Compare the often significant decrease in dot artifacts, while still getting proper composite blending of the artwork.
*A variation of this arrangement could also be done using a CRT with an RGBs input, or even S-Video, though would require other converters.
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