What’s the best way to connect an N64 to an OLED TV?

[RBH]

Hello friends

I want to connect my N64 to my LG C9, and I was wondering what would be the best way to do that in terms of preserving picture quality and minimizing input lag.

I'm clueless about this kind of stuff and did a random Google search and came across this:

This expensive adapter makes the Nintendo 64 look good on modern TVs

The easiest way to play GoldenEye today.

www.theverge.com

But $150 for an adapter seems crazy


Any suggestions on an adapter or cable or whatever else I should look into?


Thank you, and I'll be watching this thread closely!

 

[jett]

This video is probably relevant to your interests:



Personally I would consider trying out emulation and connecting a PC/Laptop to your TV, because quality converters/mods are pretty expensive.

 

[Orayn]

$150 is on the low end of the real stuff, actually, most of the really intensive retro to HD solutions are going to cost even more than that. You can get a bad quality adapter for less, but you shouldn't.

A good compromise between price and quality would be a line doubler like the ones RetroTINK makes. They produce a 480p HDMI signal and let your TV's scaler handle the rest, which will get you a better picture than some mystery meat 1080p converter.

 

[ghostcrew]

The best way is the Ultra HDMI. But it's very costly, requires modding your console and is hard to find in stock. People are constantly on waiting lists for it. It's the best option.

The one you linked, the EON Super 64, is the simplest option (and the one I use personally). It will not upscale and will largely look like how your N64 does on a CRT, blurry image and all. And it only works on an NTSC console (for those PAL machine users!). It is 100% lag free though and doesn't require any cutting/modding of your console. It's literally plug and play.

I'm really pleased with mine in terms of literally just plugging something into the back of my JP N64 and being able to play it, lag free, on my 4k TV. It still looks like an stretched N64 image, but the 'slick mode' toggle on it is actually really good at cleaning up the image (I was 100% scepticle) and it's just very easy to use with no faff.

 

[Molto]

In a few months, this should be your best bet since it's from the same makers of the DC Digital and PS1 Digital. If you need to do it now I would recommend the N64 Advanced RGB through an OSSC or Retrotink 2X.

 

[Ovaltine]

getting my retro rink this week, will report back!

 

[Mantrox]

The N64 is a pain in the butt to connect to modern displays since it doesn't have native RGB on the outputs.
You need a modded unit or to just rely on those middle of the road, plug n play solutions.

When it comes to the N64, pretty much all of what's available on the market is expensive.

You either:
- Buy one already modded and pay through the nose. $$$$
- Look for a mod service and pay quite a bit. $$$
- Look for the parts and mod it yourself. $$
- Spend 150€ on that adapter. $$
- Get a retro tink 2x to upscale the composite (or s-video if you have the cable). $

The cheaper you go, the less sharp of an image you're gonna get, but its definitely playable.

 

[FuzzyAssassin]

What's your budget look like? How much do you care about picture quality?

I use a RetroTink 2X-Pro and N64 S-Video cables to connect mine to my LG E7, and it works wonderfully.

If you don't want to modify the N64, S-Video is the best video signal you'll get out of it, and is actually the video signal that the EON Adapter is using and converting to HDMI. If you're looking for a very low budget option, I'd recommend a RetroTink 2X-Mini ($79) and an N64 S-Video cable. There are upgrades from the 2X-Mini, the 2X-Pro or the OSSC, but that's the cheapest entry point, and will work fine, especially if you aren't planning to use any component-enabled consoles.

EDIT
As the above poster said, there's an HDMI mod that is impossible to get a hold of and is relatively expensive.
The RetroTink + S-Video cables will give similar results as the adapter. Composite will work with on the RetroTink as well, but a composite (yellow cable) signal isn't as clear as S-Video.

 

[Taco_Human]

Retrotink + s-video is probably the cheapest for the time being. Maybe wait for the rumored 5x to come out.

 

[Brandino]

If you have GameCube composit cables, they should work with the 64 as well

 

[MarcelRguez]

There's no cheap solution for the N64, I don't think, especially if you really want the best possible quality.

Honestly, if you have the space, I'd advise to get a CRT that takes S-video and be done with it. If you really want to explore your options, this site helped me understand all options available.

 

[Joseph Joestar]

The current emulators have reached a new level of accuracy that you dont realy need the original hardware anymore. Retroarch Mupen64-Next and Parralel with Parralel RDP and Paralel plugin are you best choice for compatibility and accuacy. If you hook a PC to your TV with these Emulators and a Xbox One controller and you're set.

 

[Deleted member 12129]

The current emulators have reached a new level of accuracy that you dont realy need the original hardware anymore. Retroarch Mupen64-Next and Parralel with Parralel RDP and Paralel plugin are you best choice for compatibility and accuacy. If you hook a PC to your TV with these Emulators and a Xbox One controller and you're set.

Click to shrink...

I started using a USB N64 controller for emulation. Works better!

 

[Tamath]

I went with an RGB mod and the OSSC (which I also use with my Saturn, making buying one more worthwhile).

Frustratingly, the OSSCs max output resolution is 1920x1080 or 1600x1200. As I have a PAL N64, its native 288p and line5x comes to 1440p, which is a totally standard resolution - which the OSSC can't reach, so I can either have line4x and black bars top and bottom or 5x and a cropped picture. I live in hope that a firmware update allows for 1440p output but maybe the OSSC can't handle it (I must confess to ignorance of the technical specs). Or maybe the OSSC Pro will be able to do it.

 

[entremet]

Retrotink is gonna be the easiest and cheapest option.

Amazon.com: RetroTINK 2X Mini (Purple) with N64/SNES S-Video Cable: Home Audio & Theater

Amazon.com: RetroTINK 2X Mini (Purple) with N64/SNES S-Video Cable: Home Audio & Theater

www.amazon.com

 

[Nabbit]

$150 is on the low end of the real stuff, actually, most of the really intensive retro to HD solutions are going to cost even more than that. You can get a bad quality adapter for less, but you shouldn't.

A good compromise between price and quality would be a line doubler like the ones RetroTINK makes. They produce a 480p HDMI signal and let your TV's scaler handle the rest, which will get you a better picture than some mystery meat 1080p converter.

Click to shrink...

This is my vote. I've been ecstatic with my RetroTINK and use it for my SFC, Genesis, N64, PS2 and Wii.

 

[ghostcrew]

Retrotink is gonna be the easiest and cheapest option.

Amazon.com: RetroTINK 2X Mini (Purple) with N64/SNES S-Video Cable: Home Audio & Theater

Amazon.com: RetroTINK 2X Mini (Purple) with N64/SNES S-Video Cable: Home Audio & Theater

www.amazon.com

Click to shrink...

I think the Super 64 is actually the easiest option of all. It doesn't require any external power, it's literally just a plug and play little adaptor that plugs straight into the N64.

There's not a great deal in it to be fair and I'm being a little pedantic. But I reckon the Super 64 wins in terms of 'ease'.

 

[Plinko]

I use a Retrotink HDMI + mClassic dongle. Looks fantastic.

 

[Mad_Rhetoric]

Super 64 with smoothing on + mClassic is amazing/lag free.

In a few months, this should be your best bet since it's from the same makers of the DC Digital and PS1 Digital. If you need to do it now I would recommend the N64 Advanced RGB through an OSSC or Retrotink 2X.

Click to shrink...

Is this a mod? Or an adapter?

 

[yyr]

If you already have a Wii and the N64 games you like on Virtual Console, there are inexpensive adapters to connect your Wii via HDMI.

But obviously this is not the ideal solution if you want to play on the actual, original hardware...or if you haven't already purchased those games, because they're no longer available.

 

[TSM]

The Ultrahdmi is pretty great:

Also has a retro mode:

[

A shame it's pretty much made of unobtanium.

 

[Jailer of Hope]

I use the retrotink RAD2X with the rgb mod. Love it.

 

[Deleted member 2620]

N64 is blur embodied, I use RetroTink 2x and s-video and think it's a pretty good balance personally.

 

[RBH]

In a few months, this should be your best bet since it's from the same makers of the DC Digital and PS1 Digital. If you need to do it now I would recommend the N64 Advanced RGB through an OSSC or Retrotink 2X.

Click to shrink...

Sorry for my ignorance, but is this a mod or adapter or something else entirely?

 

[ConanEdogawa]

An HDMI adapter would work, but I use my receiver, it upconverts SD video inputs and looks pretty good.

 

[FuzzyAssassin]

Sorry for my ignorance, but is this a mod or adapter or something else entirely?

Click to shrink...

This will be a mod that requires soldering a flex cable to the N64's video chip. It'll probably cost $120 and require either okay soldering skills or paying an installer who does.

 

[Bjomesphat]

Still waiting on my UltraHDMI.... a year and a half later! I'm next in line though so I'll wait patiently.

 

[bionic77]

Sorry for my ignorance, but is this a mod or adapter or something else entirely?

Click to shrink...

Just get a CRT old man. It will probably close close to what that adapter will cost anyways.

These systems are not designed for your fancy OLED.

 

[RBH]

Thanks for everyone's help!

What's your budget look like? How much do you care about picture quality?

I use a RetroTink 2X-Pro and N64 S-Video cables to connect mine to my LG E7, and it works wonderfully.

If you don't want to modify the N64, S-Video is the best video signal you'll get out of it, and is actually the video signal that the EON Adapter is using and converting to HDMI. If you're looking for a very low budget option, I'd recommend a RetroTink 2X-Mini ($79) and an N64 S-Video cable. There are upgrades from the 2X-Mini, the 2X-Pro or the OSSC, but that's the cheapest entry point, and will work fine, especially if you aren't planning to use any component-enabled consoles.

EDIT
As the above poster said, there's an HDMI mod that is impossible to get a hold of and is relatively expensive.
The RetroTink + S-Video cables will give similar results as the adapter. Composite will work with on the RetroTink as well, but a composite (yellow cable) signal isn't as clear as S-Video.

Click to shrink...

What's the main difference between the RetroTink 2X-Pro versus 2X-Mini? If I wanted to also use my GameCube or Wii in the future, would either of those be a decent option for those systems as well?

 

[Jailer of Hope]

Thanks for everyone's help!



What's the main difference between the RetroTink 2X-Pro versus 2X-Mini? If I wanted to also use my GameCube or Wii in the future, would either of those be a decent option for those systems as well?

Click to shrink...

Mini does not offer component hook ups. Even if you have GameCube component cables, I'm not sure you can run it in progressive scan through retrotink. If you're really not looking into spending any additional money, retrotink will do the trick as a bare minimum for anything with composite, component (except with mini), or S-video hook-ups.

If you're looking into the best options for each console I think you're better off getting the Carby for GameCube and maybe just backwards compatibility with Wii on Wii U.

If you're only interested in Snes->Wii, you can look into the retrotink RAD2X. It doesn't require an external power source andmight be a little cheaper.

 

[FuzzyAssassin]

Thanks for everyone's help!



What's the main difference between the RetroTink 2X-Pro versus 2X-Mini? If I wanted to also use my GameCube or Wii in the future, would either of those be a decent option for those systems as well?

Click to shrink...

Now we're getting into the details!

When comparing the Pro and the Mini, the difference is 2X-Pro has components inputs and is more expensive. However the only supports 480i and not 480p, so the progressive scan modes of the Wii and GameCube are not supported. If you're interested in something that supports those modes, you'll want to get a 2X-Pro-Multiformat (I know this is confusing). Here's a link to the creator's site. Link

There are higher-quality options specifically for original model GameCubes, but that's an entirely other rabbit hole to go down.

TL;DR: 2X Mini: for composite or S-Video
2X Pro: for composite, S-Video, or component without progressive scan
2X Multiformat: Same as pro but with progressive scan and slightly softer 240p. (Great for GameCube & Wii with component cables)

 

[EllipsisBreak]

There are a few options. I'd personally use an RGB modded N64, through an OSSC. But that's not cheap or simple. If you don't want to deal with that, a Retrotink 2X-Mini would be an easier alternative.

 

[entremet]

I think the Super 64 is actually the easiest option of all. It doesn't require any external power, it's literally just a plug and play little adaptor that plugs straight into the N64.

There's not a great deal in it to be fair and I'm being a little pedantic. But I reckon the Super 64 wins in terms of 'ease'.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I would do this if I had the same use case. But was going with the cheapest option.

 

[RBH]

Mini does not offer component hook ups. Even if you have GameCube component cables, I'm not sure you can run it in progressive scan through retrotink. If you're really not looking into spending any additional money, retrotink will do the trick as a bare minimum for anything with composite, component (except with mini), or S-video hook-ups.

If you're looking into the best options for each console I think you're better off getting the Carby for GameCube and maybe just backwards compatibility with Wii on Wii U.

If you're only interested in Snes->Wii, you can look into the retrotink RAD2X. It doesn't require an external power source andmight be a little cheaper.

Click to shrink...

Now we're getting into the details!

When comparing the Pro and the Mini, the difference is 2X-Pro has components inputs and is more expensive. However the only supports 480i and not 480p, so the progressive scan modes of the Wii and GameCube are not supported. If you're interested in something that supports those modes, you'll want to get a 2X-Pro-Multiformat (I know this is confusing). Here's a link to the creator's site. Link

There are higher-quality options specifically for original model GameCubes, but that's an entirely other rabbit hole to go down.

TL;DR: 2X Mini: for composite or S-Video
2X Pro: for composite, S-Video, or component without progressive scan
2X Multiformat: Same as pro but with progressive scan and slightly softer 240p. (Great for GameCube & Wii with component cables)

Click to shrink...

Much appreciated!

 

[Subnats]

If your looking for something plug and play the RAD2X is decent enough. It only scales to 480p like the Eon adapter but is less than half the price for basically identical results.

 

[JustinBB7]

I got a CX recently and a nice cabinet with all my old consoles. I thought you could just buy a SCART to HDMI converter (like 15 bucks) and it would work. But I guess that's not the case then?

 

[Jailer of Hope]

I got a CX recently and a nice cabinet with all my old consoles. I thought you could just buy a SCART to HDMI converter (like 15 bucks) and it would work. But I guess that's not the case then?

Click to shrink...

Those cheap solutions aren't any better than those built-in analog to digital converters that TVs in the mid to late 00s had which introduced a lot of lag. A lot of the ones being mentioned in this thread are low latency.

 

[RBH]

I use a Retrotink HDMI + mClassic dongle. Looks fantastic.

Click to shrink...

What's the mClassic used for?

 

[Plinko]

What's the mClassic used for?

Click to shrink...

It has a "retro" mode that upgrades 480p content. It really works well.

 

[ghostcrew]

I got a CX recently and a nice cabinet with all my old consoles. I thought you could just buy a SCART to HDMI converter (like 15 bucks) and it would work. But I guess that's not the case then?

Click to shrink...

Nooooo. Insane lag on those boxes. They're for video (VHS and DVD players) not for games.

I have one for capturing old game footage into an HDMI capture card but it's zero use for actually playing games through. Like, beyond silly lag. Half a second delay or something.

 

[Anth0ny]

I have the ultra hdmi mod and it looks fucking incredible on my LG Oled. impossibly good.

 

[Scarf]

If you happen to have Series S or X, you can get RetroArch on it. I've been playing Super Mario 64 on my Series X and LG OLED and it's fantastic. There are plenty of CRT scanline options, the game runs smoothly with no inpuy lag and you can use a widescreen hack to make the game run in 16:9 without stretching the picture. Black bars can be problematic on an OLED TV in a long run.

 

[KrillinLikeAVillan]

I just said fuck it and went for emulation.

 

[Nessus]

Depends on how much you're willing to spend/how long you're willing to wait.

If I could afford it I'd get an UltraHDMI modded N64, but I can't. It's easily the most expensive option. They're also constantly on backorder so you usually have to get yourself on a waiting list.

So instead I got an RGB mod installed on my N64, one of the newer ones with the de-blur option.

Then I run that through my OSSC (Open Source Scan Converter, a device that takes retro game outputs and line doubles them, effectively upscaling them for modern TVs).

I absolutely love the way it looks. I personally like sharp pixels, and with this setup you get the sharpest image quality possible outside of the UltraHDMI.

You could also get a RetroTink 2x, but they're not that much cheaper than an OSSC and they only output at 480p, so you're reliant on your TV's built in upscaler, which is designed for video content like DVDs and I personally find most built in TV upscalers make 480p games look terrible. The RetroTink 2x does have a smoothing filter if you don't like the look of sharp pixels. It can also accept component and s-video which the OSSC can't. Even without the RGB mod the N64's native s-video output is pretty good and looks decent going into a RetroTink 2x. You can't do de-blur that way though.

If you do get an RGB mod and OSSC make sure to get the OSSC remote and power supply along with it. The remote makes navigating the menu way less annoying and the power supply is worth it just so you don't have to track down a compatible one locally.

The OSSC also makes SNES, Genesis, Saturn, PS1, Dreamcast, PS2, original Xbox, GameCube, and Wii look waaay better on modern TVs. So if you were planning on having any other retro consoles it works well with those as well (the NES requires an RGB mod to work with the OSSC, however).

 

[JustinBB7]

Those cheap solutions aren't any better than those built-in analog to digital converters that TVs in the mid to late 00s had which introduced a lot of lag. A lot of the ones being mentioned in this thread are low latency.

Click to shrink...

Nooooo. Insane lag on those boxes. They're for video (VHS and DVD players) not for games.

I have one for capturing old game footage into an HDMI capture card but it's zero use for actually playing games through. Like, beyond silly lag. Half a second delay or something.

Click to shrink...

Aah ok thanks, glad I didn't buy that then.

Maybe someday I'll just buy a CRT again then. I actually threw away a tiny one recently. Oh well!

 

[RBH]

It has a "retro" mode that upgrades 480p content. It really works well.

Click to shrink...

Ah gotcha

 

[RBH]

Just get a CRT old man. It will probably close close to what that adapter will cost anyways.

These systems are not designed for your fancy OLED.

Click to shrink...

I don't have the space for a CRT tho

 

[bionic77]

I don't have the space for a CRT tho

Click to shrink...

Just put it on the floor under the tv that is mounted on the wall. A nice 13-15" tv won't take up that much space.

But I get it. I had a nice 27" Sony that I bought near the end of college with component inputs and I felt like it took up too much space and I live in a house.

I just think if you are going to play those games that is by far the best way to do it. Its hard to properly simulate a CRT on a HDTV.