AV:RetroTINK-4K

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The RetroTINK-4K, alongside the included remote and SD card.
Exclamation-circle-fill.svgThis page is a work in progress. It's possible that not all features or settings are covered at this moment, and additions will be made as new features are introduced.


The RetroTINK-4K (commonly abbreviated as "TINK-4K" or "RT4K") is an advanced video scaler from RetroTINK LLC. Building on the functionality of the RetroTINK-2X and RetroTINK-5X, the RetroTINK-4K offers high-end video scaling and processing at resolutions up to 4K60.

Overview

The RetroTINK-4K is the latest evolution of the RetroTINK line of video line doublers and upscalers. Below is a list of some standout features:

Output

  • HDMI® up to 4K60
    • Flexible output modes including 480p, 1080p, 1440p at various refresh rates
    • Custom modelines on the SD card
  • Fully buffered video (drop-free on input changes), Gen Locked and Frame Locked sync modes
  • HDR10 output with full color correction to Rec. 2020
  • High frame rate output modes: 1440p120, 1080p240
  • Optional deep color output (10 bits at 4K60 may not be compatible with all displays)
  • Up to 8-ch LPCM audio

Inputs

  • Supports for virtually all analog formats:
    • HD15/VGA: RGBHV, RGBS, RGsB, YPbPr, S-video and Composite
    • SCART: RGBS, RGsB, YPbPr, S-video and Composite
    • Rear RCA: RGsB, YPbPr and Composite
    • Front Composite
    • Front S-Video
  • HDMI® Input supporting up to 1080p60/1200p (CVT-rb)
  • Analog audio input sampled at up to 96kHz/24-bit with full gain control
  • Optical TOSLINK audio input supporting 2-Ch LPCM or compressed surround
  • HDMI® audio supports up to 8-ch LPCM

Analog Video

  • Automatic gain calibration
  • Automatic phase calibration
  • Automatic input cropping to trim borders
  • Full control of gain, offset and sample rate
  • Console specific automatic sample rate detection (experimental feature)
  • Support for a wide variety of off-spec arcade and PC boards (may require custom profiles to properly trim and center the image)
  • Max input resolution of 1920x1080p60 or 1920x1200p60 CVT-rb
  • Robust composite/S-video decoder with multi-region support (NTSC, PAL, PAL-60, SECAM)

Scaling

  • Fully flexible, custom cropping and zooming in the horizontal and vertical space independent of other settings
  • Automatic aspect ratio correction to 4:3 or 16:9
  • Motion adaptive deinterlacing including film modes for 3:2 and 2:2 inverse telecine (experimental feature)
  • RoTATE 90 deg CW or CCW (for 240p, 288p and 360p inputs)

CRT Simulation

  • Multiple CRT beam profiles
  • Fully configurable CRT beam strength and intensity modulation
  • Adjustable CRT masks and strength
  • Interlaced video simulation with offset scanlines
  • LCD simulation patterns that automatically adapt to scaling, including non-integer factors

Image Processing

  • End to end RGB pipeline with internal 12-bit precision
  • Conventional gamma and approximated modes to minimize quantization error
  • Advanced and fully configurable gamma and perceptual quantizer (HDR)
  • Advanced color gamut transforms to simulate different display technologies
  • Black frame insertion engine with customizable pattern and intensity
  • Linear light processing

User Interface

  • Advanced OSD menu-based system
  • SD Card for storing custom modelines, firmware updates and saving profiles
  • Support for over 100,000 profiles
  • Custom premium remote control

Product Contents

A new RetroTINK-4K package will come with the following items:

  • 1x RetroTINK-4K unit
  • 1x 8GB SD Card, pre-loaded with software and profiles.
  • 1x USB-A / USB-C SD Card Reader
  • 1x Remote Control
  • 1x USB-A to USB-C Power Cord

The contents do not include an AC adaptor. We recommend using a 5V 2A USB-A adaptor, similar to ones like Apple iPad or Samsung phone chargers. We do not recommend plugging the RT4K into the USB ports of your TV, as they often do not provide enough power and may result in operation errors.

Getting Started

Insert SD card with RT4K firmware, HDMI® output, USB-C power and whatever inputs you wish to use.

The RetroTINK-4K is designed to be powerful, yet easy to use and quick to set up. Here are some steps to get started using the RetroTINK-4K:

  1. SD Card - A card is included with every RetroTINK-4K that includes the launch firmware and profiles. Please make sure this card is inserted in the device, as it is required for proper operation. If you lose the card, any FAT32 SD card 32 GB or less may be substituted.
  2. USB-C Power - Connect a USB-C cable supplying at least 5V/2A to the USB-C power input on the 4K.
  3. Video Output - Connect an HDMI® cable (2.0 or higher / 18Gbps+) from the RetroTINK-4K output to your display.
  4. Video Input - Connect your device's signal to any of the RetroTINK-4K's inputs. More information on supported connections can be found in the Inputs section.
  5. Confirm Video Output - By default, the RetroTINK-4K outputs 4K60. If you don't see any picture, confirm that your display supports 4K60, or press the button on the remote that matches the resolution of your display (1080p, 1440p, or 480p). See the Remote and Output sections for more information.
  6. Select Your Input Source - Press the "Input" button at the top of the remote, then choose the port and signal your game system is using.
  7. Enjoy - Once your video source is visible, you're ready to go! Enjoy the high quality, low latency scaling of the RetroTINK-4K. Time to play the game!

Basic Analog Calibration

With your game up and running, you may want to consider two more steps if you're using an analog video source (note that HDMI® video sources do not require calibration):

Tink4k - Auto-Gain Side by Side Example.png
Auto Calibrate the Gain - The RetroTINK-4K has a function to automatically calibrate the gain, which works well so long as there's a patch of pure white somewhere on the screen. Gain should be applied on a per-console basis.
  • To quickly use Auto Gain, press the "Gain" button on the remote.


Advanced users may want to use the manual gain controls under Advanced Settings > RGB/Component ADC, in tandem with the 240p Test Suite.

Tink4k - Auto Crop Example (no crop).png

Tink4k - Auto Crop Example.png
Crop the Picture - Cropping the picture is how the RetroTINK-4K scales images to the edges of a screen and centers them. For best results, use a screen that has no black or dark edges. Crops should be applied on a per-game basis.
  • There are three ways to automatically crop the picture, which can be accessed via the AUX buttons at the bottom of the remote:
    • AUX1 - "Vertical Only", cropping only the top and bottom edges.
    • AUX2 - "Full Crop to 4:3", cropping all four edges.
    • AUX3 - "Full Crop to 16:9", cropping all four edges and setting the Aspect Correction to 16:9.


You can also manually crop and resize the picture if you wish by going to Advanced Controls > Scaling/Cropping. Head to that section to learn more.

Tweaks, Filters and Beyond

Of course, there is a lot more you can do with the RetroTINK-4K. Here are some more advanced options to explore:

Firmware Updates

The RetroTINK-4K can be updated to any firmware, with new firmware releases adding more new features as they are made.

  1. Power off your RetroTINK-4K and remove the SD card.
  2. Insert the SD card used for your RT4K into the SD card slot on your computer. If your computer doesn't have an SD card slot, you can connect it using the provided USB adaptor.
  3. Download the latest firmware .zip file from the RetroTINK website.
  4. Extract the contents of the .zip file to the SD card's root directory.
  5. Remove the SD card and insert it into the SD card slot on the RetroTINK-4K.
  6. There are two methods for initiating the installation of a new firmware. If you have multiple firmware files on the SD card, the RT4K will always pick the most recent one.
    • Option 1: Power on the RetroTINK-4K, then go to Advanced Settings > OSD/Firmware. In the Firmware update section, select "Check SD Card" to scan for the firmware file, then confirm that you want to install it.
    • Option 2: Hold down the blue Reset button on the back of the RetroTINK-4K, then power it on. The firmware installation will begin automatically.
    • If the LED blinks red, an install error has occurred. Check the files on the SD card and try again.
  7. The RT4K will reboot for about 40 seconds, with the front LED flashing pink and then blue. Once done, it will power on again as normal with a green LED. You're done!

All custom profiles, CSC files, banner images, input modes, mask overlays and modelines will be kept, as those are stored on the SD card instead of on the RT4K itself.

Remote

RetroTINK-4K Remote Diagram
RetroTINK-4K Remote.png
Button Description Button Description Button Description
Power Powers on / off the RT4K 11 Profile 11 4K Switches to 3840x2160p 60Hz
INPUT Input source selection menu 12 Profile 12 1080p Switches to 1920x1080p 60Hz
OUT HDMI® Output menu MENU RetroTINK-4K Main Menu 1440p Switches to 2560x1440p 60Hz
SCL Scaling/Cropping menu BACK Back out to previous menu 480p Switches to 720x480p 60Hz
SFX Processing/Effects menu Up RES1 Custom Output Resolution 1
ADC HDMI® Receiver menu if HDMI® In is currently displayed

RGB/Component ADC menu if an RGB or Component input is currently displayed

SDP Decoder menu if a Composite / S-Video input is currently displayed

Left RES2 Custom Output Resolution 2
PROF Profiles menu ENTER Enter RES3 Custom Output Resolution 3
1 Profile 1 Right RES4 Custom Output Resolution 4
2 Profile 2 Down AUX1 "Vertical Only" Auto Crop
3 Profile 3 DIAG Diagnostic Console screen AUX2 "Full Crop to 4:3" Auto Crop
4 Profile 4 STAT Status screen AUX3 "Full Crop to 16:9" Auto Crop
5 Profile 5 AUTO-GAIN Auto Calibrate Gain AUX4
6 Profile 6 AUTO-PHASE Auto Calibrate Phase AUX5
7 Profile 7 PLAY/PAUSE Pause current screen AUX6
8 Profile 8 SAFE Safe Mode AUX7
9 Profile 9 SYNC-GEN Sync Lock - Gen Lock AUX8
10 Profile 10 SYNC-BUF Sync Lock - Triple Buffer -

Pause Button

The Remote features one function that cannot be accessed anywhere else: the Pause function. Pressing this will pause the on the current frame and mute the audio. This frame will even be remembered if you switch to a different input source and back.

  • Perhaps the most useful application of the Pause Button is the Deinterlacer/Film menu. Here you'll be able to adjust the deinterlacing settings and see their effects more easily in a scene in motion, letting you tweak them to your liking more easily.

There are a few situations where using the Pause function will have undesirable results, such as loading a different profile, using the cropping tools, or engaging 3:2 Inverse Telecine. Other functions, such as Black Frame Insertion, won't be visible at all because they require new video frames in order to work. In these cases, simply unpause to resume normal operation.

Safe Mode

Safe Mode is an option accessible by pressing the blue Reset button on the back of the unit, or by holding down the "SAFE" button on the remote for two seconds. This causes the following:

  • Loads the Default profile.
  • Sets the input to HDMI® In.
  • Sets the output to 480p at 59.94 Hz.

Safe Mode is intended for use in troubleshooting, as any display that supports HDMI® should be required to support 480p60. It's also handy as a fall-back in case you need to return the RetroTINK-4K to a default state for any reason.

LED Light

The RetroTINK-4K has a front LED light that changes color and behavior to convey information about its operation to the user. Below is a chart for LED light behavior and what they mean.

Color Description
No light The RT4K has no power. No electrons, no business.
Slow Red pulse The RT4K is sleeping, and must be turned on for use.
White The RT4K is booting up, but is not yet ready for use.
Green The RT4K is on and ready for operation.
Yellow flash System files not found on SD card during boot. Check to see if the SD card is correctly inserted, that it has the .rbf system file, and that the rt4k.bin file matches it.
Purple-Purple flash The RT4K is updating the firmware.
Blue-Blue flash Firmware update is successful.
Red flash Firmware update error. Check the files on the SD card and try again (the unit is NOT bricked).

Inputs

The RetroTINK-4K features inputs for a wide variety of signals and connector types, which can be selected in the Input Selection menu. These options can be accessed by pressing the Input button at the top of the remote, or by pressing the Menu button and choosing "Input Selection".

HDMI®

HDMI® Input
HDMI In.png
The RetroTINK-4K supports many resolutions digitally, up to 1920x1080p60 or 1920x1200p60 CVT-rb. Unlike standard consumer equipment, the RetroTINK-4K can tolerate and adapt to arbitrary and off-spec resolutions.

It does NOT support higher resolution inputs, including 1440p and 4K input. If these inputs are fed into the RT4K, it will not display anything.

Front

The RetroTINK-4K offers S-Video (over Mini-DIN) and Composite (over RCA) inputs in the front (which can be concealed / revealed by moving the sliding panel). The red and white RCA jacks are stereo audio inputs. Red/White front audio inputs are active when either the Front Composite or S-Video input is selected (assuming audio input override is not used).

Front Inputs
Front connectors.png Composite To use Composite video, use the yellow RCA jack for video (CVBS/Composite) and the Red/White RCA jacks for right and left audio input, respectively.
S-Video To use S-Video, use the Mini-Din for video (Y/C S-Video) and the Red/White RCA jacks for right and left audio input, respectively.

Rear RCA

The rear RCA jacks support YPbPr (Component), RGsB, and CVBS (aka Composite) inputs.

Rear RCA Input
Rear RCA.png
YPbPr The Rear RCA input supports YPbPr (Component video). The maximum resolution supported is 1920x1080p at 60fps, or 148.5Mhz.
  • To use YPbPr, connect the Red, Green and Blue YPbPr video cables to their corresponding colored RCA connectors, noting that the Red/White pair to the left is for stereo audio input.
RGsB The Rear RCA input also supports RGsB (aka RGB Sync on Green), a flavor of RGB that sends the sync alongside the Green signal. The maximum resolution supported is 1920x1080p 60fps, or 148.5Mhz
  • To use RGsB, connect the Red, Green and Blue RGsB signals to their corresponding colored RCA connectors, noting that the Red/White pair to the left is for stereo audio input.
CVBS on Green Composite video (CVBS) can be used with the Rear RCA inputs. The maximum supported resolution is 480i.
  • To use CVBS on Green, connect the yellow Composite signal connector to the Green RCA jack, then setting the input to "CVBS on Green" option in the Input Selection menu. The Red / White pair of jacks furthest left is for stereo audio input.

SCART

The SCART port is the large rectangular input on the right-hand side of the device. SCART has many different options for video input using the same connector design, as it was designed to carry a wide array of them using a single cable.

  • Two M4x0.7 thread screw-holes sit on either side of the SCART port, 70.4mm apart from each other relative to their centers. These allow for a user-made solution to give a more secure fit for the SCART cable (similar to the HD-15 port's screw-holes).
SCART Input
Scart Input.png
RGBS (75 ohm) RGBS is a form of RGB where sync is sent through a discrete line. The RetroTINK-4K accepts the following RGBS signal formats via SCART: Composite Sync (attenuated), Sync-on-Luma, and Sync-on-composite. They all work by sending information down the Red, Green, Blue, and "Sync" lines. The maximum resolution supported is 1920x1080p 60fps, or 148.5 MHz
RGsB RGsB sends sync down the green input, using only 3 cables. This RGB format is notably used by the PS2 when in 480p mode via SCART. The maximum resolution supported is 1920x1080p 60fps, or 148.5 MHz
YPbPr YPbPr is sent through the Green, Blue, and Red pins, respectively. The maximum resolution supported is 1920x1080p 60fps, or 148.5 MHz
CVBS on Pin 20 Composite video sent through Pin 20, usually through a composite to SCART adapter or if your cable uses sync-on-composite video and you wish to use composite instead of RGB. As with all composite signals, only 240p/480i/288p/576p signals are supported.
CBVS on Green Composite video can be sent through the Green pin. This would be useful if you use a component (YPbPr) to SCART adapter, just plug composite (yellow) into the Y RCA jack (Green). As with all composite signals, only 240p/480i/288p/576p signals are supported.
Y/C on Pin 20/Red S-Video (Y/C) can be sent down Pin 20 (sync) and the Red pins. You will need a S-Video to SCART adapter. As with all S-video signals, only 240p/480i/288p/576p signals are supported.
SCART Jack Pinout
SCART Connector (female) Numbered.png
Pin # RGBS (75 Ohm) RGsB YPbPr CVBS on Pin 20 CBVS on Green Y/C on Pin 20/Red
1 Unused
2 Audio In - Right
3 Unused
4 Ground
5 Ground
6 Audio In - Left
7 Blue Blue Pb
8 Unused
9 Ground
10 Unused
11 Green Green+Sync Y CVBS
12 Unused
13 Ground
14 Unused
15 Red Red Pr Chroma (C)
16 Unused
17 Ground
18 Ground
19 Unused
20 Sync CVBS Luma (Y)

HD-15

The HD-15 connector (or VGA connector) is commonly associated with PCs, however it's also famously available for the SEGA Dreamcast.

  • Unlike SCART, the HD-15 port does not accept audio. When using HD-15, audio should be input using the RT4K's 3.5mm TRS input (associated with the HD-15 port by default) or the TOSLINK "optical" input.
HD-15 Input
HD-15 (VGA) Input.png
RGBHV RGBHV is a form of RGB where information is sent through 5 lines: Red, Green, Blue, Horizontal Sync, and Vertical Sync. The maximum resolution supported is 1920x1080p 60fps, or 148.5 MHz. This is most common for PC sources.
RGBS RGsB sends sync down the green input, using only 3 cables. This RGB format is notably used by the PS2 when in 480p mode via SCART. The maximum resolution supported is 1920x1080p 60fps, or 148.5 MHz
RGsB RGsB sends sync down the green input, using only 3 cables. This RGB format is notably used by the PS2 when in 480p mode via SCART. The maximum resolution supported is 1920x1080p 60fps, or 148.5 MHz
YPbPr YPbPr is sent through the Green, Blue, and Red pins, respectively. The maximum resolution supported is 1920x1080p 60fps, or 148.5 MHz
CBVS on Hsync Composite video sent through the horizontal sync line. As with all composite signals, only 240p/480i/288p/576p signals are supported.
CBVS on Green Composite video can be sent through the Green line. As with all composite signals, only 240p/480i/288p/576p signals are supported.
Y/C on Green/Red S-Video (Y/C) can be send down Green (Y) and the Red (C) pins. As with all S-video signals, only 240p/480i/288p/576p signals are supported.
HD-15 Jack Pinout
HD-15 Jack (pins numbered).png
Pin # RGBHV RGBS RGsB YPbPr CBVS on Hsync CBVS on Green Y/C on Green/Red Data
1 Red Red Red Pr Chroma(C)
2 Green Green Green+Sync Y CVBS Luma(Y)
3 Blue Blue Blue Pb
4 Unused
5 Ground
6 Ground
7 Ground
8 Ground
9 Unused
10 Ground
11 Unused
12 External Transmit (EXT TX)
13 Horizontal Sync Sync CVBS
14 Vertical Sync
15 External Receive (EXT RX)

3.5mm TRS Audio

3.5mm TRS Audio
Audio in Analog.png
The RetroTINK-4K allows for audio through a 3.5mm TRS input. This accepts stereo analog audio. By default, this is associated with the HD-15 port, as that port does not accept audio signals.

Optical Audio

Optical Audio
TOSLINK Optical Port on the Tink 4K.png
The RetroTINK-4K offers a discrete optical audio TOSLINK input. This input can accept 2-channel LPCM and compressed surround sound.

Alternate Audio Inputs

The RetroTINK-4K allows you to reassign audio inputs from their default video source. Go to Advanced Settings, and select "Audio Input" under the "Acquisition" section. The "Input Override" option under "Source" allows the audio for the current input video input to be taken from a different audio source. The only exception is that it is not possible to assign HDMI® audio to a non-HDMI® video source. The reverse, however, is possible.

  • This menu also has the Input Swap option, letting you swap the audio input channels (handy for some third-party Saturn cables), or derive mono audio using the left or right channels (useful for single-channel systems like the NES).
Audio Input Override Sources
Picture Name Description
Audio Input (RCA).png
RCA (Rear) The leftmost two RCA inputs in the rear. White and Red,
Audio in Analog.png
HD-15 The 3.5mm TRS input in the rear.
SCART Connector (female) Numbered.png
SCART The SCART input on the side. Audio is fed in through pins 2 and 6.
Audio Input (RCA).png
Front The red and white RCA inputs in the front of the unit.
TOSLINK Optical Port on the Tink 4K.png
S/PDIF Optical audio fed through a TOSLINK input.

HDMI® Output

The RetroTINK-4K only outputs via the HDMI® Out port. Note that the RetroTINK-4K can not output video or audio through any other port.

The HDMI® Output menu allows you to set your output resolution, enable black frame insertion, change your colorspace output (colorimetry), and more. Here is a breakdown of some key functions:

Output Resolutions

The following outputs are readily supported by the RetroTINK-4K, and are provided as the first eleven Output Resolution options at the bottom of the HDMI® Output menu. Which resolutions available by pushing their respective button on the remote are also noted. If you are unsure which resolution to use, use the buttons on the remote to quickly try them.

RetroTINK-4K Output Resolutions
Resolution Description Remote Button?
4K60 Default resolution and framerate for 4k displays, aka 3840x2160p.

Default Resolution for the RT4K

Yes
4K50 Intended for PAL games and 24Hz content. No
1080p60 Default resolution for 1080p displays. Yes
1080p50 Intended for PAL games. and 24Hz content No
1440p60 Default resolution and framerate for 1440p monitors, aka 2560x1440p. Yes
1440p50 Intended for PAL games and 24Hz content No
1080p100 Intended for PAL games and 24Hz content with BFI No
1440p100 Intended for PAL games and 24Hz content with BFI No
1080p120 Intended for NTSC content with BFI No
1440p120 Intended for NTSC content with BFI No
480p60 Minimum suggested output resolution for modern displays, aka 720x480p.

Pressing the Reset button on the back of the unit activates this resolution.

Yes

HDR

HDR is a way for the RetroTINK-4K to output a much more luminous picture for TVs that support it. HDR is intended for use with either Black Frame Insertion or Scanlines and Masks, as it helps compensate for the darkened image.

  • Currently, the only option available is "HDR10 [8-bit]".
  • You can adjust the brightness of HDR by going to Advanced Settings > Color Correction, then adjusting the "SMPTE 2084 PQ" value. This is useful is you want to play in HDR without scanlines, so that light tones are perceptible instead of being overly bright.

The table below shows two photos of an LG-CX displaying the RT4K using the "PVM 600 TVL" profile, under the HDR CRT Simulation folder. It's impossible to communicate the luminance of HDR in SDR, so here the camera had its exposure set for the HDR photo first, demonstrating the luminance gain compared to the SDR photo.

HDR Comparisons - Off-screen Photos
PVM 600 TVL scanlines - SDR.
PVM 600 TVL scanlines - HDR.

Colorimetry

HDMI® Output Colorimetry specifies the colorspace of the HDMI® output. By default, the Auto setting will select Rec. 709, and toggle to Rec. 2100 when HDR is enabled. You may wish to manually set output to Rec. 2020 (without HDR enabled), Adobe RGB or DCI-P3 if your display supports a wider color gamut. This may improve the image quality/accuracy when using the settings in the Color Correction menu.

Sync Lock

Sync Lock controls how the RetroTINK-4K synchronizes the output frame rate with the input frame rate, and handles these input changes.

Older video game consoles didn't always have perfect video timings, and while CRTs typically had no problems working with them, these "imprecise" consoles can sometimes have trouble working with modern TVs and capture devices that conform to a more rigid standard. Some games, such as Silent Hill or Chrono Cross on the PlayStation 1, will alternate between 240p or 480i video modes if you are in-game or in the items / pause menu, respectively. On many displays, upscalers and capture devices, this will create a long delay and a "no input detected" screen for several seconds while the device reorients to the new video mode. The issue of a device taking a gameplay-harming amount of time to change between video modes has been colloquially called the "Chrono Cross" problem. How the RT4K handles all of this can be chosen in the Sync Lock section.

  • Triple Buffer - Operates the output independently from the input, which results in a stable output signal even if the input signal glitches or changes. However, this comes at the cost of a variable lag, usually between a fraction of a frame to a fraction of a frame plus one whole frame. On occasion, you will see judder when frames need to be dropped or repeated in order to maintain sync.
  • Gen Lock - This is the recommended mode as long as your display is compatible with the source's refresh rate. Gen Lock loosely couples the output frame rate with the input frame rate. After a few seconds, the output frame rate will lock with the input frame rate and achieve minimum lag without screen judder. If Gen Lock is giving your equipment trouble, try enabling VRR if they support it.
  • Frame Lock - Tightly couples the input and output frame rates. Any change in the input frame rate will cause a disruption in the output signal and a hard re-synchronization.

VRR (Variable Refresh Rate)

The RetroTINK-4K can flag its output as VRR. While the RetroTINK-4K itself never outputs variable frame rates, settings this flag may be useful to force the display to accept a broader range of refresh rates, including if you're using Gen Lock. It is also useful on some displays to prevent re-buffering and other frame rate changes, which will interfere with the RetroTINK-4K's BFI generator. Lastly, some TVs activate a low-lag mode if they detect the VRR flag, which will improve the gameplay experience.

Deep Color

This option changes the bit color depth of the RT4K from 8 bits (Off) to 10-bits (On), increasing the number of colors in the picture. This can be useful if you've used any setting that adjusts the color of the picture.

  • Engaging Deep Color may cause issues with some equipment like TVs or capture cards, since enabling it while using 4K60 output will exceed the HDMI 2.0 bandwidth spec. In this case, your options are to either disable Deep Color, or use a lower output resolution. PAL systems may have better luck if the 4K50 option is chosen instead, so long as HDR is disabled.

BFI Control

Gives you quick access to the Strobe and Blur functions of Black Frame Insertion. For explanations on what these do, as well as more BFI controls, head to the Black Frame Insertion (BFI) section.

Profiles

The Profiles section handles all of the profiles provided on the SD card, as well as any you've put there yourself. Profiles allow you to save your settings to load later. This is where you'll find CRT presets, since they're just saved profiles.

  • For a list of Profiles provided on the SD card by default, head to the Profile Repository section.
  • For a collection of Profiles made by the community not provided on the SD card by default, head to the Community Profiles section.

Load Profile

  • Load From File - Selecting this will bring up a menu where you can navigate through the "profiles" folder on the SD card to load up a specific profile.
  • Load Default - Loads the Default Profile. The Default Profile can never be deleted or overwritten.

The arrangement of profiles in the Load From File menu matches the internal file structure of the "profiles" folder on the SD card. This means that you can alter the folder structure to your liking if you don't prefer how they're laid out by default.

Save Profile

  • Save Current - Overwrites the currently-loaded profile with the current settings. If selected while using the Default Profile, this will work like "Save As New" instead.
  • Save As New - Saves the current profile as a new file named "New Profile X", where X is an ascending number. This will be located in the root "profiles" folder on the SD card, and can be renamed using a PC.

Assign Profile

This section of the menu allows you to assign one of the twelve number buttons at the top of the remote to a specific profile, using the same SD card navigation menu as the "Load From File" function.

Additionally, this is where you can assign a profile to be loaded up when the RetroTINK-4K is Powered Up. This is not the Default Profile, which can never be changed.

Advanced Settings

The following sections outline the Advanced Settings menu for the RetroTINK-4K.

Scaling and Cropping

The Scaling / Crop Setup menu is where you can crop and resize the image. Unlike the RetroTINK-5X, by default the RT4K sizes and positions the image based on the cropping, but this can be overridden with the Scaling Mode setting.

Input Crop

The RetroTINK-4K has robust controls to adjust size, positioning and cropping:

  • "Top Trim" and "Bottom Trim" will effectively scale the image up and down in most Scaling Modes.
    • To more easily see the edges of the Top and Bottom Trims, set the Scaling Mode to "Auto Fill Integer".
  • "Left Trim" and "Right Trim" will adjust the centering of the image, as the RT4K automatically centers the image based on these settings.
    • To shift the image left and right, increase the Left or Right trim to push the image in the opposite direction.

Vertical Pre-Scale

The RetroTINK-4K features the ability to "Pre-Scale" video content, or discard scanlines, at a fractional increment of the source input. Discarding vertical lines results in a loss of vertical resolution. This loss can be useful under certain circumstances, such as creating more accurate scanline rendering for 240p visual content output from consoles that run at higher resolutions (such as the Dreamcast or Wii).

RoTATE

RoTATE (pronounced "roh-tah-tay") is a special feature within the RetroTINK-4K to rotate the image 90 degrees clockwise (right) or counterclockwise (left). This is especially useful for games that may only display their image horizontally, such as many arcade shooters.

RoTATE Example
Standard Output 90 Degrees Right 90 Degrees Left
Rotate example - uncorrected.png
Rotate example - 90 degrees right.png
Rotate example - 90 degrees left.png

The RoTATE mode will only work if the samples per line of your video source is lower than 1024 samples per line (visible in the RGB/Component ADC menu).

  • Because the video of Composite and S-Video is locked to 858 samples per line, no additional tweaking is required when using these input sources.
  • Further, RoTATE mode will only work with 240p, 288p or 360p resolutions. This is important for titles that mix them with 480i.

If you're using RGB or YPbPr input, visit the RGB/Component ADC section of this page for information on ADC and decimation settings to meet the 1024 samples per line requirement. Similar limits apply when using HDMI® sources: use the Input Decimation settings in the "HDMI® Receiver" menu if the horizontal samples exceed 1024 (for example, MiSTer cores that use pixel repetition).

CP Auto Crop

The RetroTINK-4K can automatically crop and set aspect ratio for an input if it is fed a sufficient game screen (although this only works with RGB and Component sources).

Autocrop looks for the black edges of a game image and crops to them, so use a picture that clearly shows the edges of the video for best results. Screens that have any dark edges, as well as letterboxed, pillar-boxed, and window-boxed screens, are not recommended as they will fool the Auto Crop into thinking those are the edges of the image, resulting in an incorrect crop.

CP Auto Crop Settings
Name Remote Button Effect
Vertical Only AUX 1 Automatically adjusts "Top Trim" and "Bottom Trim" to the top and bottom of the game image. Does not adjust Left Trim or Right Trim, and does not change Aspect Correction.
Full Crop to 4:3 AUX 2 Automatically adjusts Left, Right, Top, and Bottom Trim to the image, and changes Aspect Correction to "4:3 (PAR)"
Full Crop to 16:9 AUX 3 Automatically adjusts Left, Right, Top, and Bottom Trim to the image, and changes Aspect Correction to "16:9 (PAR)"

Scaler

The Scaler section in the RetroTINK-4K is where you'll find the tools that allow you to manipulate the geometry of the image.

Aspect Correction

The Aspect Correction setting chooses the Pixel Aspect Ratio, or "PAR", of the image. This is important because it needs to match the aspect ratio of the display the game is expecting to be seen on, referred to as the Display Aspect Ratio, or "DAR".

  • NOTICE - The Aspect Correction controls are only available when the current Input (analog or HDMI®) is a resolution with a variable PAR factor, such as 240p, 288p, 480i/p, and 576i/p. Most other resolutions will lock the Aspect Correction setting to their expected PAR, no matter the input. For example, 720p over the PS3's Component cables will lock Aspect Correction to "1:1 (Sq. Pixel)", while 480p over PS3's HDMI® cables will let you choose yourself.
    • If the Aspect Correction controls are locked, you can still transform the image using the Scaling Factors tools.

The options that are available are:

Pixel Aspect Ratio Description Display Aspect Ratio Use-Case
4:3 (PAR) Uses the common 4:3 Pixel Aspect Ratio, displaying the pixels slightly wider than squares. Pre-HDMI® video game consoles, which expect to be displayed on the 4:3 DAR of CRT televisions.
16:9 (PAR) Uses the 16:9 Pixel Aspect Ratio, displaying the pixels even wider than 4:3 (PAR). Pre-HDMI® games and systems that offer widescreen modes, such as with the PS2 and the Wii.
1:1 (Sq. Pixel) Uses the 1:1 Pixel Aspect Ratio, displaying the pixels as perfect squares. Games and consoles that expect a 1:1 PAR but still output a sub-HD signal, such as PSP, and Game Boy games via the Super Game Boy or Game Boy Player.

If you're using a device that can use more than one Pixel Aspect Ratio, it's important that you set said device to correctly dovetail with the RT4K, so that the game will be shown correctly once it gets to your display.

Scaling Mode

Scaling Mode allows you to select automatic scaling modes or change aspect ratio constraints on manual scaling:

  • Auto Fill - Fills the screen based on the selected Aspect Correction aspect ratio.
  • Proportional - Allows the Vertical Factor to be adjusted while automatically adjusting the Horizontal Factor to keep the aspect ratio selected in Aspect Correction.
  • Free-Form - Untethers the Vertical Factor and Horizontal Factor to allow values outside of the Aspect Correction setting. This setting lets you use the Vert. Factor and Hori. Factor settings to freely transform the image, like on the RetroTINK-5X.
  • Auto Fill Integer - Scales the Vertical Factor and Horizontal Factor to the highest possible integer value without exceeding the screen boundaries, while also respecting the ratio selected in Aspect Correction. We highly recommend using the cropping tools to ensure the picture can be as large as possible while using this scaling mode.

Scaling Factors (Transform Tools)

The Horizontal Factor and Vertical Factor settings allow you to stretch and transform the image, either horizontally or vertically. Each factor diplays the multiplier value, the input resolution, and output resolution respectively.

Which of these are available depends on what option the Scaling Mode is set to. Proportional unlocks the Vert. Factor, while Free-Form unlocks both Vert. and Hori. Factors.

The function can be expressed as a simple formula: [Input Resolution] X [Multiplier] = [Output Resolution].

Horizontal and Vertical Factor Example
Axis Multiplier Input Res. Output Res.
Vert. Factor 9.000 240 2160
Hori. Factor 2.045 1440 2945

Buffer

The RetroTINK-4K allows users to set how much video to buffer before outputting to your screen. The buffer, in conjunction with the Sync Lock mode, are the main determining factors for overall latency.

  • Min. Lag - Sets the buffer to only store to bare minimum number of video lines. This option provides the lowest latency.
  • 1/2 Frame - Always buffers half a frame.
  • 1 Frame - Always buffers a full frame.

Min. Lag is typically compatible, but if you encounter an edge case with screen tearing, try setting this to "1/2 Frame" or "1 Frame".

Note that certain movie modes, such as Inverse Telecine, will automatically force the RetroTINK-4K to buffer a full frame.

Masking Color

The masking colour settings allow you to adjust the colour of the mask that displays in the Scaling/Crop menu. By default, the values a 0 Red, 0 Green and 31 Blue. You can also change whether the masking colour is displayed in the cropping menu only, or always (even when the RT4K menu isn't displayed).

Processing and Effects

The Processing / Effects Setup menu is where you can adjust the pixel interpolation, as well as add Scanlines and CRT Masks.

Where are the Scanline Presets?

If you're a regular user of the RetroTINK-5X, you may be surprised to enter this menu and find that there's no Presets available to choose from. This is because they are stored as Profiles on the SD card.

  • To load an included CRT Preset, head to the main menu, then go Profiles > Load from File > HDR CRT Simulation, then pick one you want to use.

The "bundling" of CRT Presets as Profiles may seem odd to users of the RetroTINK-5X (where CRT Presets could easily be applied to optimal sampling profiles), however this shouldn't have much impact on the final result. CRT displays are inherently a bit blurry as part of their aesthetic (even PVMs and BVMs), so generic sampling is perfectly acceptable to use for them. If you're using a digital source and decimating it (like Nintendo Switch Online or an HDMI® modded system), you may want to simulate the blur using the Horizontal Interpolation Kernel, and / or the Horizontal Blur function.

The only exception to the above is when you're using the LCD scanlines, as the thin lines dividing each pixel won't appear correctly without scaling the image up by a flat number (such as 4.000x or 5.000x).

Interpolation

Vertical and Horizontal Kernel

Interpolation in relation to video processing is a technique to create more visual information on the output that is given on the input. These processes help make a more visually cohesive image, and reduce effects such as shimmering when the image is scrolling. The RetroTINK-4K offers a handful of interpolation options that can be applied independently across the vertical and horizontal axis.

  • Bilinear Sharp - The image is scaled up the maximum integer factor that is within the output size using Nearest Neighbor followed by a bilinear scale to the final output size. This option provides sharp pixels without shimmer at non-integer scaling factors.
  • Bilinear Medium - The image is scaled up 2x using Nearest Neighbor followed by a bilinear scale to the final output size. This option is somewhat softer than Bilinear Sharp but still sharper than regular Bilinear.
  • Bilinear Std - The image is scaled using conventional bilinear filtering.
  • Bilinear Soft - This performs linear interpolation over 4 pixels instead of the standard 2 pixels resulting in a very soft image. This may be desirable to produce horizontal blur for CRT effects
  • Cubic - Interpolation using the bicubic spline kernel which outputs an image sharper than bilinear but softer than Lanczos.
  • Lanczos2 and Lanczos3 - Interpolation using the Lanczos family of scaling algorithms. Lanczos is a popular algorithm that provides good results for natural imagery (i.e. movies) and most 3D games.
  • None - The image is scaled using Nearest Neighborfor completely sharp pixels, but may shimmer if the Scaling Factors are not set to even multipliers (ie set to non-integer factors).

Anti-Ringing

Anti-Ringing is a toggleable option (On / Off) to reduce the appearance of ringing artefacts when using the Lanczos family of interpolation kernels. By default this setting is set to On, but even then it won't actually be engaged unless you're using Lanczos2 or Lanczos3.

Linear Light

Linear Light is a method of image color and brightness reproduction that may provide more accurate scaling and blending. Linear Light will also alter the appearance of scanline effects, which users may consider an improvement or not based on subjective preferences.

  • Linear Light On - The RetroTINK-4K performs inverse gamma mapping at the start of the scaler pipeline and performs all operations in the linear light domain. The output is gamma encoded for SDR modes and PQ encoded for HDR modes.
  • Linear Light Off - The RT4K performs all scaler operations in the gamma domain and only performs inverse gamma at the output if needed for color gamut transforms.

Assuming default SDR settings, for linear light to function properly, you have to manually set input factor and output factor to 2.4 in the Color Correction-> Gamma/PQ menu.
Enabling HDR in HDMI® Output->Transmitter, Enabling Color Space Conversion in Color Correction->Color Space Conversion, or Adobe RGB/P3 in HDMI® Output->Colorimetry will adjust Gamma/PQ settings by default to properly allow Linear Light processing.

More information on the benefits of linear light can be found here.

Scanlines

The RetroTINK-4K has customizable scanline generation which can recreate the look of various displays, including early LCD displays. Scanlines are an effect that simulates the appearance of blank scanlines on a display, similar to what you might see on older cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor or television screens. The effect creates generates black spaces between each visible scanline of video, simulating how lower resolution progressive signals would be presented on higher resolution (480i) displays.

Since scanlines are part of the image drawn by a CRTs red, green and blue electron gun, they scale with the image's pixels, and it's for this reason that the RetroTINK-4K's scanlines behave the same. This means that scanlines will appear thinner depending on the resolution of the input source; 240p scanlines are much thicker than scanlines placed on a 1080p input.

  • For clarity, on a CRT, every line drawn on the display is a scanline. 240p however only uses half of these, resulting in blank scanlines every second row. This causes the scanlines to be perceptible, hence why these blank lines are called "scanlines" despite not being anything at all.

Note: Proper simulation of CRT and LCD effects involves many more factors than just the scanline settings, such as but not limited to: Scaling, ADC Sampling, Interpolation / Filter and Color Correction. If this is overwhelming, please try one of the pre-made profiles first (included on the RetroTINK-4K SD card).

Blank / Black Scanlines

This scanline function determines what formula is used by the scanline generator to translate the replaced video scanline to a "blank / black" scanline.

  • Off - Disables the scanline generator. Further settings in the Scanlines section will not have an effect if Off is selected.
  • Exponential - A scanline pattern that has the softest profile from bright to dark.
  • Gaussian - A scanline pattern similar to Exponential, but with a sharper transition from bright to dark.
  • Super Gaussian - A scanline pattern with a very sharp transition from bright to dark.
  • Linear - A scanline pattern with a straight ramp from bright to dark.
  • Box - A scanline pattern similar to old style emulator scanlines, with no blending from bright to dark. The scanline pattern is either completely on or completely off.

You can adjust the scanlines with the next two settings:

  • Strength - Adjusts the maximum width of the scanline effect.
  • Modulation - Adjust how much the thickness of the scanline effect will change depending on brightness. Specifically, the higher this value, the thicker the black scanlines will be around dark areas of the picture.

If you're inputting an interlaced signal, you should consider going to the Deinterlacer/Film menu and setting the Algorithm to "CRT Simulation". This will cause the scanlines to move up and down every frame, giving a look authentic to how these interlaced signals appear on a real CRT.

LCD Effects

The LCD functions behave differently than the "blank / black" functions, and are instead designed to simulate the appearance of older LCD displays.

  • LCD Mono - Will place a 1x1 pixel border around every upscaled pixel in the image.
  • LCD RGB - Simulates RGB subpixels per each upscaled pixel (similar to how the CRT masks simulate phosphor artifacts).

LCD effects will not look correct unless the both the Vert. and Hori. Scaling Factors have been set to even multipliers (such as 4.000x or 5.000x). LCD RGB looks best if both the Vert. and Hori. factors are the same multiplier.

With LCD functions selected, the Strength and Modulation options change to "LCD Subpixel Str." and "LCD Vert Str.", respectively, and will retain their values. Despite being available for both LCD functions, they only have any effect on the LCD RGB effect.

  • LCD Subpixel Str. - Sets how strong the LCD subpixel masking is. Lower values will more strongly "tint" the subpixels the colour of the upscaled pixel they represent.
  • LCD Vertical Str. - Controls the size of the horizontal line under each pixel.

Color Bleed

Color bleed simulates some of the imperfections of how colors were presented on a CRT. These won't do anything unless a scanline generator is enabled; these won't work with the LCD effects.

  • Red Bleed: Enabling Red Bleed simulates a common CRT effect where the Red beam is softer and less focused than Blue and Green.
  • Red Convergence: Adjusts a vertical offset of the red data within the scanline effect. Can be adjusted from a -10 to 10 offset.
  • Blue Convergence: Adjusts a vertical offset of the blue data within the scanline effect. Can be adjusted from a -10 to 10 offset.

Masks

Masks apply effects equivalent to the shadow masks on a CRT (as well as the similar aperture grilles and slot masks). Since these masks were metal plates that spanned the entire surface of a CRTs glass screen, they're independent of the image drawn by the red, green and blue electron guns. For this reason, masks on the RetroTINK-4K behave the same, and so will NOT adhere to the subpixels of the input you've selected.

The RetroTINK-4K accomplishes the mask effect by tiling an image across the entire screen at 1:1 sizing. Because of this, reducing the RT4K's output resolution will increase the size of the masks.

  • Enable - Turns masks Off or On.
  • Strength - Adjusts the strength of the masks. "+0" is the neutral value, "+10" is the maximum value, while "-10" is equivalent to turning Masks off.
  • Load from File - Takes you to the "masks" folder of the SD card

If you want to make your own masks, head for the Custom CRT Masks section of this page.

Horizontal Blur

The Horizontal Blur function approximates the horizontal blurring present in some CRTs, looking rather like the right-to-left smearing on "3CHIP" Super Nintendos.

  • Function - Can be set to "Off" or "IIR LPF".
  • Cut-Off Freq - Adjusts the strength of the horizontal blur.

If you're wanting to blur the image in a more "traditional" sense, you'll want to use the Interpolation Kernels in the Processing/Effects menu.

Color Correction

Color Correction Example
Golden Sun on Game Boy Advance / GBI Without Color Correction
Golden Sun using csc/Game Boy Interface/Game Boy Advance.txt

The Color Correction Setup menu controls the advanced color gamut correction and adjustment options on the RetroTINK-4K. The Apply Preset can be used to quickly load Color Correction profiles, such as the ones included on the 1.0 SD Card (more info on 1.0 CSC Profiles here).

Gamma and PQ

The input controls adjust how incoming RGB signals are converted from gamma space to linear light.

  • Input Factor: Factor used to convert the input from gamma space to linear light. Input factor is the inverse gamma exponent. Can be adjusted between 0.10 and 5.00.
  • Input Lift: Lift adds an offset (raises or lowers black level) to the input gamma conversion. Can be adjusted between -1.00 and 1.00.
  • Input Gain: Gain multiplies the output of the input gamma conversion. Can be adjusted between 0.00 and 10.00.

For SDR output modes, the output factor is used to re-encode the linear light signal back to the gamma domain using the specified exponent.
For HDR modes, the SMPTE 2048 PQ (Perceptual Quantizer) is used to tone map the linear light signal into a HDR signal. The PQ can be adjusted in units of nits, where the specified nits represents the maximum brightness of the tone mapping.

  • Output Factor: Factor used to convert encode the output of the video pipeline back to gamma space. Can be adjusted between 0.10 and 5.00.
  • SMPTE 2048 PQ: For HDR output mode, the RT4K uses a perceptual quantizer instead of simple gamma. The control sets the maximum brightness of the PQ in units of nits. Can be adjusted from 250 to 10,000.

Color Space Conversion

  • Apply Preset: Opens the Load CSC Matrix menu, where users can load any saved CSC profiles from the SD card. Most use cases will involve simply applying a preset from the SD card, for example, to apply a color gamut correction to emulate a PVM. The RetroTINK-4K 1.0 SD Card release includes many presets.

You can explore the included CSC presets here.
Information on the Custom Color Matrix preset format can be found here.

  • Custom Matrix: Allows the user to turn On or Off CSC by enabling/disabling the Input RGB to XYZ conversion matrix and settings applied to the Gamma/PQ.
  • Prevent Clipping: Automatically scale the CSC matrix so that highlights are not lost at the cost of making the image dimmer. Can be set to On or Off.
  • Saturation: Controls the color intensity. Lowering it turns the image black and white. Raising it makes the colors more intense. Can be set from -1.0 to +1.0.

Input RGB to XYZ

The user can manually adjust the matrix used to convert the input RGB data into XYZ colorspace. The RT4K automatically chains to correct conversion from XYZ to output RGB depending on the specified output colorimetry (e.g., BT709, BT2020, Adobe RGB, etc.). Each of the conversion functions can be adjusted between -1.75000 to +1.75000.

Advanced Controls

  • Transfer Function: Can be set to "sRGB 0.055", "Rec.601/709 0.099", "SMPTE 240M 0.1115" or "Gamma". The various transfer functions linearize the low-end of the gamma curve to avoid bit loss. "Gamma" uses a simple gamma encoding.
  • Bit Crush: Lowers the number of colors in the core video signal by reducing the number of bits per color. This is primarily intended for removing rounding errors that can occur in the original signal, e.g. when using GBI, as well as potentially removing noise in some limited cases. Alternatively, it can be used for aesthetic purposes to create a posterization or limited-color mode effect.

Black Frame Insertion (BFI)

Black Frame Insertion (BFI) is a technique to improve motion clarity with high refresh rate monitors. As an example, a 60fps video source played on a 120hz monitor could have a black frame interstitially placed between every frame. The resulting "image-black-image-black" pattern can increase the perception of motion and fine details. If you have a higher refresh rate monitor, a customizable example can be viewed over at Blur Busters.

BFI cannot be enabled unless the following two requirements are met:

  • Set a supported Output Resolution and frame rate - Due to bandwidth constraints, BFI is limited to 1440p or lower resolution output. This also must be a high frame rate: either 100hz or 120hz.
  • Set a supported Sync Lock Mode - BFI also cannot be enabled unless you are in Gen or Frame Sync Lock mode.

If both of these requirements are met, the BFI options will be unlocked.

  • LCD Saver: LCD display panels may suffer from image retention when using BFI. The LCD Saver helps prevent this by inverting the order of (video frame)-(inserted frame) at the timer value set. LCD Saver can be set to 0, 1, 5, and 10 Minutes. When the frame order is inverted, it may create a momentary glitch in the video output. Note that setting the time value to 0 will display a message screen warning the user of possible LCD panel image retention.

BFI Control

Black Frame Insertion (BFI) Settings
BFI Example Diagram.png
Strobe: Strobe controls how the output frame rate is divided into the input frame rate. As depicted in the diagram, with Strobe 1, the 60Hz input frame is flashed one time at 240 Hz. At Strobe 2, the 60Hz input frame is flashed twice at 240Hz, with black frames in between. Alternatively, a 60Hz source within a 120Hz output would display for 1/2 of the time 120Hz output window.

Blur: Blur is a duty cycle modifier that works in relation to Strobe to change how many frames the source video is presented in relation to the black frames. In the example diagram (60Hz Source inside a 240Hz output), a Blur of 1 would display the source video 1/4 of the 240Hz window, a Blur of 2 would display the source video 2/4 of the 240Hz window, and a Blur of 3 would display the source video 3/4 of the 240Hz window. Some relationships of Blur and Stobe are locked, such as a 60Hz video source in a 120Hz output window, which would only allow a Blur of 1 (1/2 of the output 120Hz window).

More information about BFI can be found at Blur Busters.

BFI Color

The BFI Color settings allows the user to change how the inserted frame appears.

The Blending Mode setting selects between the following functions:

  • Solid: Creates a grayscale inserted frame that can be adjusted with any of the Red, Green or Blue BFI Color settings. A lower BFI Color numerical value is darker, higher is brighter.
  • Alpha: In this mode, the inserted frame is a duplicated video frame with a transparent alpha overlay darkening the inserted frame based on the BFI Color setting. A lower BFI Color numerical value is darker/more opaque, a higher value is brighter/less opaque.
  • Solid Color: Sets a solid inserted frame with an RGB-assignable color from the BFI Color selections.
  • Alpha Color: Inserts a duplicated video frame with an alpha color overlay. The color of the alpha-blended frame is set from the R-G-B BFI Color values.

The Red, Green and Blue BFI Color values allow for customizable colors in the Solid Color and Alpha Color modes, and are an interlocked numerical valued for Solid and Alpha blending modes (R-G-B values cannot be adjusted separately).

Deinterlacer and Film

The Deinterlacer / Film Mode Setup menu allows you to adjust settings for use on interlaced sources, such as deinterlacing methods and Inverse Telecine.

While tweaking the options under the Mode and Motion Adaptive Settings sections, we suggest using the Pause Button to pause the video on a frame with motion. This will allow you to see the effects of the deinterlacing more easily.

Mode

There are six deinterlacing algorithms to choose from:

  • Motion Adaptive - Uses an algorithm to determine whether to use Bob deinterlacing for areas of the screen that change, or Weave deinterlacing for areas that stay the same. Can be further tweaked in the Motion Adaptive Settings section.
  • Weave - The current field remains on-screen while the next field is drawn, 'weaving' the two fields together. This is the same as 'disabled' in video players such as VLC, and will result in combing artifacts.
  • Bob - Doubles the vertical height of each line to fill the full frame. This causes the image to appear as if it's moving up and down, since the two fields are not aligned in the interlaced signal, but preserves temporal resolution of interlaced video.
  • Linear - Linear interpolated Bob (i.e., rather than a pure linedouble, line 2 is the average of lines 1 and 3, line 4 is the average of lines 3 and 5, etc.).
  • Blend - The frame is created by averaging lines from the two most recent fields. Produces ghosting.
  • CRT Simulation - Similar to Bob, but additionally changes scanline behavior to match that of interlaced content on a real CRT. If Scanlines have not been enabled, this mode will appear identical to Bob. See below for more details on this algorithm.

CRT Simulation

The CRT Simulation algorithm is unique enough to warrant its own section. It's used to to simulate the way 480i content is displayed on a real CRT: each frame of a 480i image is actually only 240 lines, and each new frame switches to using lines that were unused in the previous frame. Because of this, CRT Simulation will appear identical to Bob deinterlacing unless you use one of the Scanline functions enabled in the Processing / Effects menu (since they simulate the unused lines), and are viewing interlaced content.

CRT Simulation will also cause your crop settings to be displayed incorrectly, so be prepared to redo your crop after enabling this feature.

  • There is one thing to keep in mind when using this feature: the output frame rate of the RT4K must match the input signal's frame rate in order for the effect to be displayed correctly. This is important if you're using a PAL system, which run at 50 frames per second: if the RT4K is outputting at 60fps (as it usually does by default), the CRT Simulation will not appear correctly for PAL content!

Motion Adaptive Settings

Motion Adaptive settings apply only to the Motion Adaptive Deinterlacing mode, allowing you to adjust how the Motion Adaptive Deinterlacing operates.

  • Sensitivity: Adjusts the sensitivity of Motion Adaptive, between "Min", "Medium", "High" and "Max". The higher this is set, the more weaving will be present for moving parts of the screen, at the benefit of a stabler look for static parts of the screen. Many games will look just fine on the Min. setting, however several games may require Medium or higher. For example, Burnout 3: Takedown on PlayStation 2 has a subtle flickering and noise-like dithering that throws off the Motion Adaptive Deinterlacer for still parts of the screen.
  • Noise Threshold: Adjusts how much low-level changes are ignored, so that the deinterlacer doesn't fall back to Bob deinterlacing unnecessarily. Useful for content that has noise and / or dithering present.
  • Interpolator:Controls how the Bob function of the deinterlacer is calculated. The bob is either taken from the line above (Upper Field), line below (Lower Field) or the Average of the upper and lower lines.
  • Detector: Can be set to "Zero-Lag", which favors the most current field. "Symmetric" favors the previous field, but allows for symmetric motion detection, which may provide cleaner results.

Bob Settings

The only Bob Setting here is the Bob Offset, which adjusts adjusts how far apart each field is from each other. It can be set between "-3" and "+3". This setting is useful for 240p games that were poorly ported to run at 480i, such as Mega Man Anniversary Collection on PlayStation 2.

Film Mode

The settings under Film Mode contain options to help process video content.

Inverse Telecine:

  • 3:2: In this mode, video content that was 24hz sources converted to 60hz interlaced signal will play back in a reconstructed 24 fps. This helps applicable video content play with its intended cinematic framerate.
  • 2:2 In this mode, the deinterlacer will rebuild progressive video output from 480i games that run at reliable/stable 30 fps, which can effectively convert 480i into 480p. This will result in an increase in visual resolution and clarity. This is especially useful for PlayStation 2 where much of the library is 480i only.

Dejudder 24hz: This mode treats telecine material as a virtual 24hz source when using Gen lock and Frame lock Sync Lock, allowing for true 24hz output when combined with a 24hz output modeline. This option only applies when a 3:2 source is successfully detected / deinterlaced.

Cadence Detection

The cadence detection menu offers controls to adjust the RetroTINK-4K's detection of content to pass to the the inverse telecine functions.

  • Motion Digital, Motion CP, and Motion SDP: These values change the noise threshold for HDMI inputs, component/RGB inputs and composite/S-video inputs, respectively. Adjusting the noise threshold higher will decrease the detection of false positives, but may miss weaker or nosier telecine signals. Adjusting the threshold lower may increase false readings but allow less stable signals to be processed. Each value can be set from a range of 0 to 500.
  • Threshold: Once a signal passes the check of the Motion thresholds, the Threshold number sets how many consecutive detections of a telecine pattern are required before the deinterlacer function activates. This may be helpful for noiser sources such as VHS to further filter out false detections.

HDMI® Receiver

The HDMI® Receiver Setup menu is where you control how the RT4K handles HDMI® In video. This menu is only functional when the HDMI® In port is the currently selected Input. If it is, this menu can be quickly accessed by pressing the ADC button at the top of the remote when HDMI® is selected as the input.

Input Decimation

Input Decimation
Input Decimation Example.png
Input decimation is a function to reduce the horizontal resolution of a given HDMI input. This works by taking the current input horizontal resolution, and reducing it as a division between the Input Pixels and Output Pixels settings. A display of the final output resolution after decimation has occurred is shown in parenthesis at the end of the Input Pixels field.


  • Input Pixels: Sets the number of sample width pixels to generate a decimation from.
  • Output Pixels: Sets how many pixels to divide the sample width into.
  • Initial Phase: Sets the phase offset for the decimation, determining which pixels are preserved and which pixels are removed.

Colorspace

Colorspace has options to assign what colorspace the HDMI® input is using, as well as what method to use for 4:2:2 upsampling.

  • 4:2:2 Upsampler: Determines how to process digital inputs that are using 4:2:2 chroma subsampling. Can be set to "Linear", which uses a bilinear filter for a smoother appearance, or "Nearest", which uses a nearest neighbor filter for a sharper look (but with more obvious aliasing).
  • Input Range: Determines what color range to process the incoming digital signal as. "Auto" should be used unless there is a specific colorspace mismatch. Other settings include "RGB Lim.", "RGB Full", "YCbCr 601", "YCbCr 709", "XUYCC 601", "XUYCC 709", "YCbCr 601 (Full)" or "YCbCR 709 (Full)".

Misc

  • A/DAC Mode: Allows Analogue consoles that support the Analogue DAC to output an unscaled image to the RT4K.
    • Off: The Analogue console sees the RT4K as a regular HDMI display.
    • NTSC: The Analogue console sees the RT4K as an Analogue DAC with the region switch set to NTSC.
    • PAL: The Analogue console sees the RT4K as an Analogue DAC with the region switch set to PAL.

PLEASE NOTE: While using A/DAC mode, the connected Analogue console will output 240p with horizontal variable pixel repetition, in order to allow for cases such as SNES 512-column mode to be rendered correctly. This may cause some scaling settings to not behave how you expect. Nothing is broken, please adjust Input Decimation and Scaling/Cropping until you get the desired image, noting that the initial horizontal scale is 4x what you are probably expecting (2x if you're playing a game that uses 512-column mode), and THIS MAY CHANGE IN THE FUTURE. Additionally, A/DAC Mode when set to PAL will require manual aspect ratio adjustment, and when set to either NTSC or PAL will require significant cropping when used with the Mega Sg due to the Mega Sg's output having a significantly exaggerated overscan area. Due to limitations both with Analogue hardware and with our understanding of the Analogue DAC, none of these issues can be addressed automatically at this time. Finally, please also note that, like with the actual Analogue DAC, changing the A/DAC mode setting while your Analogue console is connected and turned on will result in improper operation from your Analogue console, and is not recommended.

RGB and Component ADC

The RGB / Component ADC Setup menu is where you control how the RT4K handles analog inputs, such as the RCA, S-Video, HD-15 and SCART ports. This menu is only functional when an RGB or Component input is in use. If that is the case, this menu can be brought up by pressing the ADC button at the top of the remote when YPbPr, RGBS, RGsB, or RGBHV is selected as the input.

Sampling (ADC)

Sampling (ADC)
ADC Decimation Example.png
  • Samples per Line: Adjusts the total number of samples taken per line of video. When Samples per Line is set to a multiple of the pixels per line in a particular video source, the image will appear sharper as the pixel edge boundaries are aligned with the ADC sample rate. The parenthetical information after the Samples per Line shows the active, visible samples.
  • Decimation Factor: Decimation divides the Samples per Line by the Decimation Factor value. For instance, if your Samples per Line is 1716, a Decimation Factor of 2 would leave 858 remaining samples. The parenthetical number after the Decimation Factor displays how many samples are remaining after decimation.
  • Decimation Phase: Phase determines which set of samples is preserved when Decimation is active, and which set of samples is discarded. The selection will be a single instance of the Decimation Factor, I.E, If Decimation Factor was 3, you could choose between 1,2 or 3 Decimation Phase selections. Decimation Phase is disabled if Decimation Factor is off.
  • Sub-Phase:A fine-tuning calibration to control the exact timing for when samples are taken. A calibrated Sub-Phase will result in a sharper image. This can be manually set or the alignment can be set with the Auto Phase function. Sub-Phase can be a value of 0 to 348.75 degrees, with 11.25 degree increment selections.
  • Anti-Alias LPF: Applies a low pass filter the incoming analog signal before the signal is sampled by the ADC. This can help eliminate analog signal interference in the video, but may result in a less sharp image at higher settings. Auto setting will attempt to apply an appropriate setting based on the signal's sampling rate. Can be set to "Auto", "9MHz (Strong)", "16 MHz (Med)", "35 MHz (Light)", "95 MHz (Min.)" and "Off".

Sync (ADC)

  • SoG Threshold: Sets the voltage level used to slice the video signal and generate a digital sync pulse. Adjusting this level may help with problematic sources. The volage can be set between "0.00 mV" and "327.42 mV" in in 11.29 increments.
  • Pre-coast: Sets the number of lines before vertical sync to switch from syncing with video source to internally generated sync. Can be set between 1 and 31 lines.
  • Post-coast: Sets the number of lines after vertical sync to switch from syncing with video source to internally generated sync. Can be set between 1 and 31 lines.

The coast settings create a padding area away from the vertical sync pulse, so syncing to the horizontal doesn't encounter errors from off-spec signals or glitchy signal transitions. Adjusting Pre-coast and Post-cost values may be helpful when processing off-spec video sources.

  • Slow-lock: Slows down the detection of new resolutions. May increase the glitch time between 240p/480i transitions but may help with locking on to problematic sources.

Gain

  • Pre-ADC: Changes the amount of analog gain applied to the signal before the ADC, functioning as a coarse contrast adjustment. Can be set between -0.7 and +0.8.
  • Red,Green, and Blue allows fine adjustment of the individual color channel digital gain, functioning as a finer contrast adjustment per color channel. Can be adjusted between 1.000 and 1.996.

Offset

  • Red,Green, and Blue offset provides per color black level / brightness adjustment. Values can be set between -100 and +100.

Auto Calibrate

Auto Phase

Any game screen is sufficient for automatic phasing, but it is recommended to use the 240p Test Suite or other sufficiently patterned screen for eyeballing results. whether you've set automatic sample detection using that menu, or you manually selected Decimation Factor in the ADC page, selecting Auto-Calibrate Phase makes the RetroTINK-4K automatically select the best Decimation Phase and Sub-Phase for your current picture and should give you the sharpest results. It is recommended you run this 3-5 times to make sure the same factors and phases are consistently chosen.

Auto Gain

The Auto Gain function will calibrate the gain levels for the current input, however it only works for RGB and YPbPr sources.

  • To use Auto Gain, go to a game screen which has a patch of colour that should be pure white. When you enable the Auto Gain function, the RT4K automatically calibrates the Gain levels based on that white patch.

Auto Gain only works in calibrating the overall brightness Gain, not the individual color gain. You may need to manually adjust the individual colors a few ticks more for in the Gain section to get the true RGB code (255) for a given color. We highly recommend the use of the 240p Test Suite for this task.

Auto Gain must be calibrated on a per-console basis, meaning it will need to be set between different systems. This applies even across different units of the same system, such as two Super Nintendos, as their picture output will have degraded slightly differently.

Sample Rate Detection

The Sample Rate Detection menu is where you control how the RT4K automatically detects the sample rate of a given analog source. This menu is only functional when an RGB or Component input is in use.

Sample Rate Detection Overview

The RetroTINK-4K can take advantage of sampling and scaling algorithms to seamlessly change settings when it detects a horizontal resolution change. This is useful for some analog retro gaming consoles, but requires knowledge of their "Master Sampling Rate." Please consult the table below to see which resolutions are available for consoles where automatic sampling detection is recommended.

Master Sampling Rate Chart (NTSC)
Console Name ADC Sample Rate Decimation Factor & Total (Active) Resolution
1/10 1/8 1/7 1/6 1/5 1/4
Super NES 3410 341.000 (256) 682.000 (512)
Sega Genesis/Mega Drive 3420 342.000 (256) 427.500 (320)
Sega Saturn (WIP)
Turbo Grafx 16/PCEngine 2730 341.250 (256) 682.500 (512)
Sony PlayStation 3413 341.300 (256) 426.625 (320) 487.571 (384) 682.600 (512) 853.250 (640)
Sony PlayStation 2 3432 343.200 (256) 429.00 (320) 490.286 (384) 686.400 (512) 858.000 (640)
Master Sampling Rate Chart (PAL, if different)
Console Name ADC Sample Rate Decimation Factor & Total (Active) Resolution
1/10 1/8 1/7 1/6 1/5 1/4
Sega Genesis/Mega Drive (256) (320)
Sega Saturn (WIP)
Turbo Grafx 16/PCEngine (256) (512)
Sony PlayStation (256) (320) (384) (512) (640)
Sony PlayStation 2 3456 345.6 (256) 432 (320) 493.714 (384) 691.2 (512) 864 (640)

Once you know the master sampling rate of your console, set that console's ADC Sample rate in the "Sample Rate Detection" menu under ADC Sample Rate, and turn both "Auto Dec. Factor" and "Auto Dec. Phase" to "On." Once you enable those options, if you know which resolutions you'll use, scroll down to that resolution to enable that horizontal resolution's detection and the RetroTINK-4K should automatically switch to a different set of settings whenever it detects that particular resolution is used. This process will help automatically set Decimation Factor and Decimation Phase in the ADC setup.

Note: You may be tempted to turn on every resolution, but if you know your console won't use it, consider turning that resolution off to help with the detection speed.

Control

  • Auto Dec. Factor: Turns on Sample Rate Detection
  • Auto Dec Phase: Turning this on makes the RT4K select phase for you. This disables the Decimation Phase setting in the ADC menu.
  • ADC Sample Rate: Tells the RT4K how many samples to take in each line.

Progressive Detection & Interlace Detection

Each line shows the result of the ADC Sample Rate divided by a different Decimation Factor: 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, and 4, respectively.

SDP Decoder

The SDP Decoder Setup menu is where you control how the RT4K handles Composite and S-Video. This menu can be quickly accessed by pressing the ADC button at the top of the remote when S-Video or Composite are selected as inputs.

Gain and Balance

  • Brightness: Adjusts the brightness of the image. Can be set between "-100" and "+100".
  • Contrast: Adjusts the contrast of the image. Can be set between "-100" and "+100".
  • Chroma: Adjust the saturation of the image. Can be set between "-100" and "+100".
  • Phase: Adjusts the tint of the image.
  • Blue Only: Displays a greyscale depiction of the blue colour values, with white being full blue and black being no blue.
  • Setup: Can be set between 0 IRE and 7.5 IRE.

Processing

These controls will adjust how the RT4K handles the processing of the Composite signal.

  • Y/C Filter: Can be set to "2D Adaptive", "2D Fixed" and "Notch". Settings determine the method that the luma and chroma components of the composite signal are isolated.
  • Comb Bandwidth: Comb bandwidth determines how much detail to try to preserve when separating luma and chroma components. Higher bandwidth maintains more detail but also introduces more artifacts.
  • Chroma Bandwidth: Controls a low pass filter on the chroma signal, may help to remove rainbowing and other artifacts.
  • Sharpness: Artificially sharpens the image. Can be set between "0" and "15".
  • CTIE: Can be set between "0" to "3". CTIE sharpens the chroma channels using the luma channel as a guide.

Sync (SDP)

Adjusts how the RetroTINK-4K syncs and locks onto the Composite signal.

  • H-Lock Speed - Can be set to "Auto", "Slow", "Medium" and "Fast".
  • Standard - Changes the analog signal standard. Can be set to "Auto", "NTSC", "PAL", "SECAM", "NTSC-443", "PAL-M", "PAL-N" and "PAL-60".

Audio Input

The Audio Input Setup menu is where you'll find options regarding the RT4K's handling of audio, such as the sampling rate and overriding which audio input is in use. More information can be found in the Alternate Audio Inputs and Inputs section.

Sampling (Audio)

  • Sample Rate: Set the RetroTINK-4K's audio output sample rate. You can choose either 48khz and 96khz.
  • Pre-amp Gain: Boost or attenuate the audio output gain. Can be set from -24dB to +28dB.

Source

  • Input Override: Here you can override the current audio source with an alternate input, choosing between RCA, HD-15, SCART, Front S/PDIF or Off.
  • Input Swap: Allows you to enable mono to stereo function (1 signal to two speakers) with Mono (left) and Mono (right) selections, or swap the left and right audio channels with the L/R Swap selection.

System

The System selection of menus relate to the RetroTINK-4K itself, including the On-screen display, firmware updates, and displaying various status screens.

OSD and Firmware

This menu allows you to load in your own Banner. The SD card comes pre-loaded with a default RetroTINK-4K banner, FirebrandX's banner displaying Firebrand from Demon's Crest, and two moon banners (both of which intentionally do not display the moon in a perfect circle).

Here's some information on how banners work on the RT4K:

  • Banners are stored in the "image" folder of the SD card.
  • Banners must be 24-bit BMPs in order to work with the RT4K.
  • 320 x 128 is the recommended pixel dimensions. It can be larger, however only the upper-left 320x128 pixels of the image will be drawn.
  • An RGB value of "255, 0, 255" (a pink colour) will be treated as transparency.
  • If a Profile doesn't have a banner image specified, the file named "default.bmp" will be loaded instead. This lets you determine your own default banner image.

On Screen Display

This section allows you to adjust facets of the On Screen Display, including the menu.

  • Position - This lets you set whether the menu is displayed on the Left side of the screen, the Center, or the Right side of the screen. This is set to "Left" by default.
  • Auto-Off - Lets you determine how long the menu will wait before disappearing (as if you pressed the menu button). This is set of "Off" by default, but you can set it to turn the Menu off after up between 10 - 100 seconds (and anything in-between in 10 second increments).
  • Hide Input Res. - Turning this on will mean the RT4K will not display the current input and resolution in the top-right corner of the screen every time it changes. This is useful if you're capturing or streaming games that switch resolutions.
  • Enable Debug OSD - This option allows you to permenantly display one of the three Status Pages or the Diagnostic Console.

Firmware Update

This option allows you to Check the SD card for the two files needed for installing new firmware to the RetroTINK-4K. For more information on how to install new firmware, head to the Firmware Updates section.

Status

Displays the Status menu, letting you learn more about the current status of the RetroTINK-4K. For more information, visit the Device section of our GUI Map.

Diagnostic Console

Shows the 30 most recent actions in the RetroTINK-4K's operations. Or something?

About

Displays the About Page, containing the following information:

  • About
    • Device - Displays information about the RT4K's hardware version.
    • FW Version - Displays the current firmware name.
    • Device ID - Displays the ID of the RT4K.
  • Resources
  • Special Thanks To:
    • RetroRGB - GameSack - FirebrandX - Wobbling Pixels - Extrems - CouryC - John Linneman - Try4ce - Artemio - Blur Busters - Voultar - Old Kid - MinotaurZombie - teen Nick - Chungo - Mr. Moro - Guspaz - SquidHominid - Mizox - blizzz - Supercowabunga - KBABZ - Jeff Chen - pram0d - atrac17 - Cyo - 8bitesquire - Fenris Wolf Retro - Ace - Kuro Houou - ScarletSprites - wizzo - CGQ - TechnicalMonkey - EposVox -Derf - IceStrike256
      • Names are ordered to favour formatting, and are otherwise in no particular order.


SD Card And Profiles

The RetroTINK-4K includes an SD card with a set of Profiles, CRT Masks, Color Correction Profiles and more from the talents of FirebrandX, Wobbling Pixels, Exrems, Kuro Houou, pram0d, Cyo, MrMoro, austinbroth, Chungo, and (anyone else I'm forgetting). This area includes a mirror to download the stock RetroTINK-4K 1.0 Full SD Card, as well as a comprehensive list of every profile included with the release.

SD Card Version 1.0

A copy of the 1.0 SD Card, including the stock firmware and included profiles, can be downloaded here: File:Rt4k 10rc26.zip.

Profiles Version 1.0

A comprehensive list of every profile included with the 1.0 launch release can be found here.

System Specific Settings

System-Specific Settings is all about highlighting how you can use the RetroTINK-4K's various features to improve the experience of using your video game systems beyond just plugging them in. This can range from setting 1:1 pixel aspect ratio for Super Game Boy on the SNES, to dovetailing with the Sharpscale Plugin on the PlayStation TV.

  • Due to its sheer size, this section has been broken out into its own subpage, which can be found here.


Additional Guides

Custom CRT Masks

The RT4K allows for the use of custom CRT mask overlays via the Masks menu. This is primarily intended to give an effect similar to CRT shadow, slot and aperture masks that stretch across the screen (as opposed to scanlines, which affect the picture underneath). The RT4K uses mask images and tiles them across the screen to replicate the effect.

If you want to make your own CRT Mask, here's what you need to know:

  • Custom CRT Masks must be saved as 32-bit .BMP files.
  • The maximum dimensions of a CRT Mask image is 16 x 16 pixels. They can be smaller, which will result in denser tiling of the mask across the screen.
  • A color value of 128 will be neutral,while 0 will completely black out the corresponding pixel. 255 will double the input value (although this will be clamped).
  • Custom CRT Mask images should be stored in the "mask" folder on the SD card.

CRT masks will NOT adhere to the pixel grid like the RT4K's scanlines will. If you want them to adhere to the pixel grid, you'll need to have your shadow mask image match the dimensions of a single upscaled pixel, but this will vary depending on many factors, and so should be paired with a specific Profile you have in mind. Since Mask images have a maximum size of 16x16 pixels, this inherently means that the upscaled pixels of the input image cannot exceed 16x16 pixels in RT4K's output resolution.

Custom Color Matrix

RetroTINK-4K Custom Color Matrix Instructions - Custom color gamut correction factors can be loaded by the user. Each file is a set of csv values describing gamma and Input RGB -> XYZ transforms. The RT4K will automatically apply the correct XYZ -> Output RGB matrix depending on the specified HDMI output colorimetry.

The csv file has 14 entries (all floating point) on a single line:

  • 1: Input Gamma
  • 2: Input Lift
  • 3: Input Gain
  • 4: Output Gamma
  • 5: Transfer Function (0 = sRGB, 1 = Rec. 601/709, 2 = SMPTE 240, 3 = Conventional Gamma)
  • 6-14: Input RGB -> XYZ Matrix Coefficients

Thanks to Dan Mons, Keith Raney (https://github.com/danmons/colour_matrix_adaptations/tree/main) and Extrems (https://www.gc-forever.com/wiki/index.php?title=Game_Boy_Interface) for providing technical assistance and example data.

Coming Soon

Under Construction.gif
  • Custom Modelines
  • Custom Input Modes


FAQ / Troubleshooting

Hardware Questions

Software Questions

Support Questions

Compatibility Questions

Store/Pricing Questions

Comparison Questions

Recommendation Questions

Miscellaneous Questions

RetroTINK-4K GUI Map

The GUI Map lists every single menu and menu item on the RetroTINK-4K, along with a brief description of what it does. For more information on them, click on a header to be taken to the appropriate section on this page.

GUI - Basic Setup

GUI - Input Selection

More information concerning inputs can be found in the Inputs section.

HDMI®
HDMI® Selects the HDMI® In input.
Front
Composite Selects the front composite input.
S-Video Selects the front s-video input.
Rear RCA
YPbPr Selects the rear RCA YPbPr input.
RGsB Selects the rear RCA RGsB input.
CVBS on Green Selects the rear RCA CVBS input.
SCART
RGBS (75 ohm) Selects the SCART input and sets it to RGBS
RGsB Selects the SCART input and sets it to RGsB
YPbPr Selects the SCART input and sets it to YPbPr
CVBS on Pin 20 Enables Composite input on SCART Pin 20
CVBS on Green Enables Composite input on SCART Green
Y/C on Pin 20/Red Enables S-Video input on pin 20 and pin Red
HD-15
RGBHV Enables RGBHV input on HD-15
RGBS Enables RGBs input on HD-15
RGsB Enables RGBsB input on HD-15
YPbPr Enables Component input on HD-15
CVBS on Hsync Enables Composite input on Hsync Pin
CVBS on Green Enables Composite input on Green Pin
Y/C on Green/Red Enables S-Video Input on Green/Red

GUI - HDMI® Output

More information concerning outputs can be found in the Outputs section.

Transmitter
HDR Enables "HDR10 [8-bit]"
Colorimetry Lets you choose between "Auto", "Rec. 709", "Rec. 2020", "Adobe RGB" and "Display-P3".

With HDR enabled, Rec. 2100 is also available via the "Auto" setting.

Sync Lock Lets you choose between "Triple Buffer", "Gen 50.0 Hz (x1)" and "Frame 50.0 Hz (x1)".
VRR Lets you choose between "Off" and "FreeSync".
Deep Color Lets you choose between "Off" and "On". Exceeds the HDMI® 2.1 bandwidth spec if used with 4K60 output.
Output Resolution
4K60 Sets the output to 3840x2160p at 60 frames per second
4K50 Sets the output to 3840x2160p at 50 frames per second
1080p60 Sets the output to 1920x1080p at 60 frames per second
1080p50 Sets the output to 1920x1080p at 50 frames per second
1080p100 Sets the output to 1920x1080p at 100 frames per second
1440p100 Sets the output to 2560x1440p at 100 frames per second
1080p120 Sets the output to 1920x1080p at 120 frames per second
1440p120 Sets the output to 2560x1440p at 120 frames per second
480p60 Sets the output to 640x480p at 60 frames per second
BFI Control
Strobe Sets BFI Strobe.
Blur Sets BFI Blur.
LCD Saver Sets LCD Saver.

GUI - Profiles

Load Profile
Load From File Loads a chosen profile from the "profile" folder on the SD card.
Load Default Loads the Default Profile.
Save Profile
Save Current Saves the current profile by overwriting the original file on the SD card.
Save As New Saves the current profile as "New Profile #".
Assign Profile
Button 1 Sets a specified profile on the SD card to Button 1 on the remote.
Button 2 Sets a specified profile on the SD card to Button 2 on the remote.
Button 3 Sets a specified profile on the SD card to Button 3 on the remote.
Button 4 Sets a specified profile on the SD card to Button 4 on the remote.
Button 5 Sets a specified profile on the SD card to Button 5 on the remote.
Button 6 Sets a specified profile on the SD card to Button 6 on the remote.
Button 7 Sets a specified profile on the SD card to Button 7 on the remote.
Button 8 Sets a specified profile on the SD card to Button 8 on the remote.
Button 9 Sets a specified profile on the SD card to Button 9 on the remote.
Button 10 Sets a specified profile on the SD card to Button 10 on the remote.
Button 11 Sets a specified profile on the SD card to Button 11 on the remote.
Button 12 Sets a specified profile on the SD card to Button 12 on the remote.
Power Up Sets a specified profile on the SD card to load when the RT4K is powered up.

GUI - Advanced Settings

GUI - Scaling/Cropping

Input Crop
Top Trim Adjusts trim on the top edge of the picture.
Bottom Trim Adjusts trim on the bottom edge of the picture.
Left Trim Adjusts trim on the left edge of the picture.
Right Trim Adjusts trim on the right sedge of the picture.
Vert. Pre-Scale Reduces the effective vertical resolution of an HDMI® image. Can be set between "1/2" and "1/31".
RoTATE (Beta) Enables image rotation methods.
CP Auto Crop
Vertical Only Crops only the top and bottom edges of the image, sets Aspect Correction to "4:3 (PAR)" and Scaling Mode to "Proportional".
Full Crop to 4:3 Crops all edges of the image, sets Aspect Correction to "4:3 (PAR)" and Scaling Mode to "Proportional".
Full Crop to 16:9 Crops all edges of the image, sets Aspect Correction to "16:9 (PAR)" and Scaling Mode to "Proportional".
Scaler
Aspect Correction Lets you choose between "4:3 (PAR)", "16:9 (PAR)" and "1:1 (Sq. Pixel)" options.
Scaling Mode Lets you choose between "Auto Fill", "Proportional", "Free-Form" and "Auto Fill Integer" options.
Vert. Factor Adjusts the vertical height of the image. Only available when Scaling Mode is set to "Proportional" or "Free-Form".
Hori. Factor Adjusts the Horizontal width of the image. Only available when Scaling Mode is set to "Free-Form".
Buffer
Length Displays the current lag in milliseconds. Can be set to "Min. Lag", "1/2 Frame" or "1 Frame".
Masking Color
Red Adds red to the cropping mask, between 0 and 31.
Green Adds green to the cropping mask, between 0 and 31.
Blue Adds blue to the cropping mask, between 0 and 31.
Show Lets you choose between "Cropping Only" and "Always".

GUI - Processing / Effects

Interpolation
Vert. Kernel Lets you choose between "Bilinear Sharp", "Bilinear Med.", "Bilinear Std.", "Bilinear Soft", "Cubic", "Lanczos2", "Lanczos3", "Sinc", and "None".
Hori. Kernel Lets you choose between "Bilinear Sharp", "Bilinear Med.", "Bilinear Std.", "Bilinear Soft", "Cubic", "Lanczos2", "Lanczos3", "Sinc", and "None".
Anti-Ringing Can be set to "On" or "Off". Only visible on "Lanczos2" and "Lanczos 3".
Scanline
Function Lets you choose between "Off", "Exponential", "Gaussian", "Super Gaussian", "Linear", "Box", "LCD Mono" and "LCD RGB". Anything except for "Off" will enable the settings below.
Strength Increases scanline strength from 0 to 99.
Modulation Increases modulation strength from 0 to 99.
Red Bleed Enables red bleed.
Red Convergence Adjusts red convergence from -10 to 10.
Blue Convergence Adjusts blue convergence from -10 to 10.
Mask
Enable Enables the Mask feature, as well as the Strength option. Will not appear to do anything until "Load from File" is used.
Strength Adjusts the mask strength from -10 to 10.
Load from File Select a Mask File from the "mask" folder on the SD card.
Horizontal Blur
Function Lets you choose between "Off" and "IIR LPF", enabling the Cut-Off Freq option below.
Cut-Off Freq Adjusts the blur strength from 0.50 MHz to 9.00 MHz, in 0.25 increments.

GUI - Color Correction

Gamma/PQ
Input Factor Factor used to convert the input from gamma space to linear light. Can be adjusted between 0.1 and 5.00.
Input Lift Lift adds an offset to the input gamma conversion. Can be adjusted between -1.00 and 1.00.
Input Gain Gain multiplies the output of the input gamma conversion. Can be adjusted between 0.00 and 10.00.
Output Factor Factor used to convert encode the output of the video pipeline back to gamma space. Can be adjusted between 0.10 and 5.00.
SMPTE 2048 PQ For HDR output mode, the RT4K uses a perceptual quantizer instead of simple gamma. The control sets the maximum brightness of the PQ in units of nits. Can be adjusted from 250 to 10,000.
Color Space Conversion
Apply Preset Lets you load a CSC file from the "csc" folder on the SD card. The csc file is a list of presets to quickly apply gamma and conversion matrix.
Custom Matrix Enables the Input RGB to XYZ conversion matrix.
Prevent Clipping Automatically scale the CSC matrix so that highlights are not lost at the cost of making the image dimmer. Can be set to On or Off.
Saturation Controls the color intensity. Lowering it turns the image black and white. Raising it makes the colors more intense. Can be set from -1.0 to +1.0.
Input RGB to XYZ
Xo[Rin] Can be adjusted between -1.75000 to +1.75000.
Xo[Gin] Can be adjusted between -1.75000 to +1.75000.
Xo[Bin] Can be adjusted between -1.75000 to +1.75000.
Yo[Rin] Can be adjusted between -1.75000 to +1.75000.
Yo[Gin] Can be adjusted between -1.75000 to +1.75000.
Yo[Bin] Can be adjusted between -1.75000 to +1.75000.
Zo[Rin] Can be adjusted between -1.75000 to +1.75000.
Zo[Gin] Can be adjusted between -1.75000 to +1.75000.
Zo[Bin] Can be adjusted between -1.75000 to +1.75000.
Advanced Controls
Bit Crush Lowers the color depth of the picture. Can be adjusted between "Off" and "7 bits Removed". This is useful to eliminate rounding errors in GBI or to create an artificially lower bit depth effect (similar to posterize in Photoshop).
Saturation Increases or decreases image color saturation. can be adjusted between -1.00 and +1.00.
Transfer Function Can be set to "sRGB 0.055", "Rec.601/709 0.099", "SMPTE 240M 0.1115" or "Gamma". The various transfer functions linearize the low-end of the gamma curve to avoid bit loss. "Gamma" uses a simple gamma encoding.

GUI - Black Frame Insertion

BFI Control
Strobe Strobe sets the number of times a frame is flashed in the BFI.
Blur Blur sets the duration of each flash in the BFI.
LCD Saver IPS LCD displays may exhibit temporary image retention due to the flashing BFI pattern. LCD saver alternates the phase of the BFI flash to reduce this effect. However you will see a momentary glitch on every inversion.
BFI Color
Blending Mode Sets the BFI insertion mode: Black/grey frame, Colored frame, blend to black or blend to color.
Red Adjusts Red, Green and Blue from 0 to 31.
Green Adjusts Red, Green and Blue from 0 to 31.
Blue Adjusts Red, Green and Blue from 0 to 31.

GUI - Deinterlacer / Film

Mode
Algorithm Lets you choose between "Motion Adaptive", "Weave", "Bob", "Linear", "Blend", "CRT Simulation" and "LCD Blending".
Field Inversion Reverses the fields of 480i signals. Can be set to "Off" or "On".
Motion Adaptive Settings
Sensitivity Adjusts the sensitivity of the Motion Adaptive Deinterlacer. Can be set to "Low", "Medium", "High" and "Max". Higher settings result in a more solid image but with more weaving artifacts.
Noise Threshold Adjusts the noise threshold, at the cost of weaving. Can be adjusted between 0 and 63.
Interpolator Choose which field to prioritize. Can be set to "Average", "Bottom Field" and "Upper Field"
Detector Can be set to "Zero-lag" or "Symmetric".
Bob Settings
Offset Adjusts how far each field is shifted when using the "Bob" Algorithm. Can be set between -3 and +3.
Film Mode
Inverse Telecine Enables a detector for "3:2" telecine (24fps content) and "2:2" telecline (30fps content).
Dejudder 24 Hz Can be set to "Off" or "On".
Cadence Detection
Motion Digital Can be set from 0 to 500.
Motion CP Can be set from 0 to 500.
Motion SDP Can be set from 0 to 500.
Threshold Can be set from 0 to 500.

GUI - Acquisition

GUI - HDMI® In Receiver

Input Decimation
Input Pixels Can be set between "1 (Output: 1)" and "15 (Output: 1)".
Output Pixels Can be set between 1 and 15.
Initial Phase Can be set between "1 of X" and "X of X", where "X" what Input Pixels is set to.
Colorspace
4:2:2 Upsampler Can be set to "Linear" or "Nearest".
Input Range Can be set to "Auto", "RGB Lim.", "RGB Full", "YCbCr 601", "YCbCr 709", "XUYCC 601", "XUYCC 709", "YCbCR 601 (Full)" or "YCbCR 709 (Full)".
Misc.
A/DAC Mode Can be set to "Off", "NTSC" or "PAL".

GUI - RGB / Component ADC

Sampling
Samples per Line Manually set the sampling.
Decimation Factor Can be set to between 2 and 16.
Decimation Phase Value range matches the Decimation Factor.
Sub-Phase Adjusts the Sub-Phase in 11.25 increments. Can be set as high as "348.75 deg"
Anti-Alias LPF Can be set to "Auto (16MHz)", "9MHz (Strong)", "16 MHz (Med)", "35 MHz (Light)", "95 MHz (Min.)" and "Off".
Sync
SoG Threshold Adjusts the Sync on Green Threshold in 11.29 increments. Can be set between "0.00 mV" and "327.42 mV".
Pre-coast Can be set between 1 and 31.
Post-coast Can be set between 1 and 31.
Slow-lock Gives more time to lock onto Sync on Green. Can be set to "Off" or "On".
Gain
Pre-ADC Adjusts the picture gain. Can be set between -0.7 and +0.8.
Red Adds red to the picture, in increments of 0.008. Can be adjusted between 1.000 and 1.996.
Green Adds green to the picture, in increments of 0.008. Can be adjusted between 1.000 and 1.996.
Blue Adds blue to the picture, in increments of 0.008. Can be adjusted between 1.000 and 1.996.
Offset
Red Can be set between -100 and +100.
Green Can be set between -100 and +100.
Blue Can be set between -100 and +100.
Auto Calibrate
Phase Analyzes the picture to determine the Sub-Phase setting. Works best on detailed images with high contrast details.
Gain Analyzes the picture to determine the Red, Green and Blue Phase settings. Works best on calibration screens like in the 240p Test Suite.

GUI - Sample Rate Detection

Control
Auto Dec. Factor Can be set to "Off" or "On". Enables all other options in the Sample Rate Detection Menu
Auto Dec. Phase Can be set to "Off" or "Auto".
ADC Sample Rate Manually set the sampling.
Progressive Detection
Enable Sample Rate A information
Enable Sample Rate B information
Enable Sample Rate C information
Enable Sample Rate D information
Enable Sample Rate E information
Enable Sample Rate F information
Interlaced Detection
Enable Sample Rate A information
Enable Sample Rate B information
Enable Sample Rate C information
Enable Sample Rate D information
Enable Sample Rate E information
Enable Sample Rate F information

GUI - SDP Decoder

Gain / Balance
Brightness information
Contrast information
Chroma information
Phase information
Blue Only information
Setup information
Processing
Y/C Filter information
Comb Bandwidth information
Chroma Badwidth information
Sharpness information
CTIE information
Sync
H-Lock Speed information
Standard information

GUI - Audio Input

Sampling
Sample Rate Can be set to "48 kHz" or '96 kHz".
Pre-amp Gain Can be set between "-24.0 dB" and "+28.0 dB" in 0.5 increments.
Source
Input Override Manually changed the audio input to another source. Can be set to "Off", "RCA", "HD-15", "SCART", "Front" or "S/PDIF".
Input Swap Can be set to "Mono (Left)", "Mono (Right" or "L/R Swap".

GUI - System

GUI - OSD / Firmware

On Screen Display
Position Can be set to "Left", "Center" and "Right".
Auto-Off Sets the time the menu will disable after inactivity. Can be set up to "100 sec" in 10 sec increments.
Load Banner Loads a menu banner from the "image" folder on the SD card.
Enable Debug OSD Permenantly displays one of the debug OSDs on the screen. Can be set to "Off", "Status Pg 1", "Status Pg 2", "Status Pg 3" or "Console".
Firmware Update
Check SD Card Checks the SD card for update files stored in the SD card's root directory. If multiple firmware files are present, the most recent one will be chosen.

GUI - Device

GUI - Status

Status
Lets one display one of three System Status pages relating to the RT4K.
GUI - System Status Page 1
Video Source
Video Source CP Proc. (I assume CP Proc will change based on selection)
Input Timing information
Pixel Clock information
Freq information
Detected Mode information
Audio Input
Audio Input I2S (I assume will change based on audio input)
Measured Freq information
Measured Freq information
HDMI® N / CTS information
FPGA Core
Scaler Clock information
PLL VCO information
Pipeline information
SDRAM Clock information
SDRAM Load information
HDMI® Transmitter
Output Timing information
Active Size information
Pixel Clock information
HDMI® Standard information
PIC32MX MCU
System Clock information
Uptime information
Loop Time information
Last IR Code information
SD Card Free information
GUI - System Status Page 2
HDMI® Input Protocol Analyzer
TMDS information
Mode information
Resolution information
Colorspace information
H. Timing information
V. Timing (F0) information
V. Timing (F1) information
Audio information
AVI Infoframe information
Aud. Infoframe information
VS Infoframe information
ACP Infoframe information
GUI - System Status Page 3
HDMI® TX Information
TX Mode information
Hot Plug information
Scrambling information
Clock Factor information
Ch 0 Error information
Ch 1 Error information
Ch 2 Error information
Sink EDID Dump information

GUI - Diagnostic Console

Diagnostic Console
Displays a diagnostic console screen regarding HDMI® In TX channels.

GUI - About

About
About Displays the name of the device, the firmware version, and the Device ID.
Resources Displays the URLs for the RetroTINK website, Discord channel, and the RetroTINK-4K wiki page.
Thanks! Displays a thank you message from Mike Chi to the user.