In a number of prior articles, we’ve got coated units and software program to finest seize legacy analog to a local interlaced SD file for later high-quality deinterlacing and upscaling to HD. Some of the latest of these articles was Deinterlacing legacy materials + upscaling with DaVinci Resolve (Studio) to 50p/59.94p for smoothness (or 25p/29.97p for a extra dramatic look). That does an ideal job, however consumes a number of hours per authentic hour of footage to realize, even when utilizing an Apple Silicon processor. That is inefficient for individuals who have to course of tons of of hours of SD legacy materials. At this time, we’re overlaying a realtime answer to go from the analog sign on to any desired taste of ProRes at 1080p HD video at those self same desired charges: 50p/59.94p to protect the unique smoothness (or 25p/29.97p for a extra dramatic look). As coated beforehand, capturing this legacy SD analog footage completely requires a TBC (time base corrector) to stabilize the fairly unstable sign. I’ve additionally established that I favor to make a single A-to-D (analog-to digital) conversion, which excludes the usage of most standalone TBC items, since most solely supply an analog output. After its acquisition of Teranex in 2011, Blackmagic grew to become a frontrunner in scaling. Nevertheless, as indicated within the responses of many inquires on-line, Blackmagic doesn’t at present embrace TBC performance in any of its units, as an alternative recommending the usage of a VTR/VCR with built-in time base correction. Aside from Betacam SP and MII studio decks (which certainly embrace them), only a few fashions of S-VHS or U-Matic decks have them built-in. These are scarce and so they can value a minimum of 3x the value of an analog-only S-VHS or U-Matic deck. It’s way more cost-effective to buy analog-only variations of those decks, realizing that they might quickly grow to be disposable, so you might be shopping for a number of of those decks. For this reason I used to be so blissful to create an ideal marriage between the RetroTINK-5X Professional TBC/scaler (US$325 + a USB energy provide you might already personal), its non-obligatory premium distant management (US$30) and the Blackmagic Video Help (just about any model able to recording as much as 1080p at as much as 59.94p from HDMI). Forward are the small print (and a single caveat).
About RetroTINK
RetroTINK is just not targeted totally on our use-case or our market, regardless that this gadget, the RetroTINK-5X Professional, works nice for us. RetroTINK was born to make retro recreation consoles (made for CRT shows) work fantastically on our trendy flat shows. RetroTINK doesn’t even promote the TBC performance (at present) on its gross sales web page, however does point out in its wiki, the place it’s indicated that this function was added with firmware model 3.7 again in 2023. In my testing, I used firmware model 3.71 which is present as of publication time of this text. The way in which that it labored to match and retain the 59.94 fee was by selecting «Gen Lock» within the menu. RetroTINK makes use of the time period genlock fairly in another way then manner most individuals have used it throughout the skilled broadcast business because the Eighties, however we all know what they imply.
Among the many 4 modes, that is how the proprietor of the RetroTINK proprietor outlined the settings for me in an e mail:
- Triple Buffer – free working clock at 60 Hz. All of the tink merchandise are actually meant for video video games and this matches carefully many legacy consoles (e.g., SNES). Enter frames can be dropped or duped as wanted to keep up a relentless 60 fps output. The 4K mannequin does have the power to alter it to a 59.94 with a customized modeline however remains to be absolutely decoupled from the enter fee.
- Body Lock – Output fps locked laborious synced to enter. This implies no dropped or duped frames however any disruption within the enter aspect will propagate proper to the output.
- Gen Lock – like body lock, however {couples} it a bit looser means it might be extra tolerant to quick disruptions.
- TBC – measures the common of the enter fps to set the output fps. That is the loosest type of enter to output fee coupling which implies its finest for making an attempt to comply with noisy and unstable sources whereas minimizing disruptions and misplaced frames.
I make clear that the one one which labored nicely for me, for our functions, was quantity 3, known as «Gen Lock», I prevented #1 (Triple Buffer) since with the RetroTINK-5X (not the 4K mannequin), it’s locked to 60 Hz and since its introduction in 1953, NTSC is 59.94 fields per second, not 60. I didn’t need to retime the unique 59.94 to 60, nor did I need to spend US$750 for the RetroTINK-4K Professional when 1080p as much as 59.94p is all I needed or wanted for this software. That’s why I selected the RetroTINK-5X Professional for under US$325 plus the premium distant and used it with choice quantity 3, known as «Gen Lock».
Six causes I really like the RetroTINK-5X since it might probably do all of this in realtime
- It accepts Y/C (S-video) and even YPbPr (aka Y, R-Y, B-Y) which might be nice from Betacam SP or MII, though I haven’t examined that but. (Sure, it additionally accepts composite, however I wouldn’t need to use that, in addition to RGB and SCART, frequent on client PAL & SECAM decks.)
- It has nice time base correction built-in and a digital output, with out forcing a conversion again to analog and again to digital (which might be required with most standalone TBC units).
- When capturing NTSC, it in fact accepts at the usual subcarrier frequency of ≈3.58 MHz. When capturing PAL, it in fact accepts at the usual subcarrier frequency of ≈4.43 MHz. However along with that (based on a response I obtained from the discussion board), it might probably even settle for NTSC at ≈4.43 MHz which is frequent when enjoying again NTSC tapes on a multistandard deck. (I didn’t take a look at this personally, however was assured that it does this.) The NTSC at ≈4.43 is a pleasant function that’s sadly lacking from the Canopus/Grass Valley ADVC110 (reviewed right here) for anybody who has a multistandard deck.
- Can go from 50i (50 fields per second) to 50p (50 progressive frames per second) preserving all the the unique smoothness as initially seen on a CRT… or from 59.94i (59.94 fields per second) to 59.94p (59.94 progressive frames per second) preserving all the the unique smoothness as initially seen on a CRT, all in realtime.
- It has a setting for dealing with the unique NTSC at both zero IRE (Japanese NTSC, usually used with client camcorders in the US too) or 7.5 IRE (US NTSC) along with proc amp changes, if desired.
- It affords 4 choices for 1080p output, as coated forward.
The 4 1080p choices
- 1080p (Fill) – In 1080p (Fill) output mode, the video supply can be enlarged to suit the vertical boundaries of the 1920x1080p display.
- Execs: Not one of the video data is cropped, all the vertical display house is used.
- Cons: Considerably softer picture as a result of non-integer scaling.
- 1080p (Over) – Overscan. 480i alerts are multiplied 2.5 occasions. The output will barely exceed the vertical edges of the 1080p body and be cropped on the prime and backside. It will crop out headswitching noise.
- 1080p (Underneath) – Underscan. 480i alerts are multiplied twice. The video output can be centered on the display with a black border. This ensures that each pixel will seem in your display and seem very sharp, however will end in extra unused house, together with above and under the image. Headswitching will stay seen.
- Execs: Sharp integer scaled output.
- Cons: Smaller picture / unused 1080p display house.
Word that Scaling and Crop changes are additionally out there to place the picture and crop out undesirable video artifacts.
Why I selected to buy the premium distant management
I selected to buy the US$30 premium distant management (as an alternative of utilizing the included normal distant management) to have direct entry to many features, together with the enter supply, 1080p output choices and the menu to decide on «Gen Lock».
Why I selected to pair the RetroTINK-5X with the Blackmagic Video Help
The RetroTINK-5X is a TBC and scaler, not a recorder. Another recorder have to be connected to it by way of HDMI, together with the embedded audio. Though it could be potential to attach the RetroTINK-5x to an UltraStudio Recorder 3G from Blackmagic (which I coated twice in 2020), that will tie up a pc during the seize. Through the use of any qualifying Video Help from Blackmagic (i.e. any mannequin that may report as much as 1080p at as much as 59.94p), we will alleviate our pc and report on to an SD card. 4 different options of utilizing the Blackmagic Video Help are:
- The Blackmagic Video Help has a correct waveform monitor to verify correct zero black stage within the digital world, relying upon whether or not the unique analog footage was Japanese NTSC or US-NTSC, and make the suitable setting within the RetroTINK-5X menu (in addition to to make use of the RetroTINK-5X’s procamp settings, if needed.
- The Blackmagic Video Help has a correct vectorscope, in case a Betacam SP, MII or U-Matic tape has colour bars on the head.
- The Blackmagic Video Help is among the many few such units in the marketplace that reveals the incoming framerate with two decimals, so we all know if we’re getting 59.94 or 60.00 (which aren’t the identical) or 50.00p derived from PAL footage. Thanks Blackmagic!
- Per Blackmagic’s affirmation by way of e-mail, the Blackmagic Video Help exhibits all traces of the video portion of the raster, so we will decisively decide whether or not when we’ve got utterly cropped out headswitching utilizing the RetroTINK-5X, if desired.
So the Video Help from Blackmagic Design is just not solely an ideal recorder to match with the RetroTINK-5X Professional, but additionally an ideal instrument to exactly see any settings within the RetroTINK-5X Professional too. Then we will transfer it by way of sneakernet to our pc for any desired goal, i.e. edit out undesired scenes, at a brand or add to a web based platform like Bunny Stream (coated in 2 articles to this point), Vimeo or YouTube.
Caveat
Although firmware model 3.7 was launched again in 2023, the unit that I bought instantly from RetroTINK in February 2025 got here with a a lot earlier model. After fastidiously following the directions, I used to be nonetheless unable to replace the firmware from macOS or Linux Mint. Fortuitously, I used to be lastly in a position to replace it to model 3.71 utilizing Home windows IOT, coated on this article. I hope that someday quickly, RetroTINK will begin delivery out items with the present firmware (or a minimum of the most recent from 2023).
Conclusions
I imagine that the RetroTINK-5X, its non-obligatory premium distant, along with any qualifying Video Help from Blackmagic is a perfect realtime answer for digitization with time base correction of legacy SD footage, scaling and recording to any taste of ProRes at 1008p for all the causes coated on this article. One hour of footage takes just one hour from begin to end (not a number of hours)! That is very true when tons of of hours of legacy SD footage have to be processed. For extra data extra data on the RetroTINK-5X Professional, go to the RetroTINK-5X product web page right here. For extra data on the Video Help from Blackmagic, go to Filmtools right here.
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FTC disclosure
Neither RetroTINK nor Blackmagic has paid for this text. Though Blackmagic as lent units prior to now for overview, that was not the case for the Video Help used for this text. Allan Tépper paid full value for the RetroTINK-5X and the premium distant. Allan Tépper paid market worth for a second-hand Video Help. Among the producers listed above have contracted Tépper and/or TecnoTur LLC to hold out consulting and/or translations/localizations/transcreations. Thus far, not one of the producers listed above is/are sponsors of the TecnoTur, BeyondPodcasting, CapicúaFM or TuSaludSecreta applications, though they’re welcome to take action, and a few are, could also be (or could have been) sponsors of ProVideo Coalition journal. Some hyperlinks to 3rd events listed on this article and/or on this internet web page could not directly profit TecnoTur LLC by way of affiliate applications. Allan Tépper’s opinions are his personal. Allan Tépper is just not chargeable for misuse or misunderstanding of data he shares.
