Author Topic: The mClassic -- Pulled the Trigger  (Read 1101 times)

telekill

The mClassic -- Pulled the Trigger
« on: January 21, 2023, 06:14:18 pm »
Last year, I decided to finally get myself an HDMI adapter for my PS2 Slim so that I could play my PS1 and PS2 games again after buying a TV that no longer had anything but HDMI inputs (my bad, I know). Even when I could still use component though, the picture looked horrible with text being unreadable. I ended up getting the Hyperkin HDMI adapter for the PS2 and it made it so I could at least see the games and play them... but the picture quality wasn't there. The text was still grainy and the picture was even a bit stretched (forgivable but annoying). At least I could play them.

Fast forward to today, I'm still wanting to play my PS1 and 2 games but I want a crisp clear picture. I did a ton of research and was hoping there was a version of the PS1Digital for PS2... but there isn't. Next best thing... the mClassic... without the need to physically mod the hardware.



The Hyperkin adapter never stated it upscaled so I can't really be mad at them, but it does pass through the 480i signal just fine. The mClassic is supposed to take that 480i signal and upscale it to 1080p. Here's hoping that works.

I'm not going to be able to supply good enough comparison photos but will be able to go over what works and what doesn't. I should get it on Tuesday..

As an added bonus, the mClassic will supposedly upscale my Switch from 1080p to 4K. I'll let you guys know if it actually does that as well. It would be nice given the new Zelda coming out.

Stay tuned.

Re: The mClassic -- Pulled the Trigger
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2023, 12:18:16 pm »
I have this and will say that the whole upscaling 1080p to 4k apparently depends on your tv.. I have a Sony x900h which when i purchased it was one of the better options for 4k gaming as it hat HDMI 2.1 VRR and all that jazz. Unfortunately i have not been able to get the mClassic to upscale my switch to 4k.... now with that said, it does absolutely smooth out the picture. so even though it doesn't upscale for me, its still worth it. 

Re: The mClassic -- Pulled the Trigger
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2023, 05:11:46 am »
I'm glad I still own a flatscreen TV of earlier production, including antenna- and scart-slots as well as HDMI-slots to totally fit my retro-gaming needs :) Those TVs are somewhat getting harder and harder to get your hands on nowadays ...
ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US !!
WELCOME TO YOUR DOOM !!

tripredacus

Re: The mClassic -- Pulled the Trigger
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2023, 10:31:40 am »
mClassic should be cheaper than a Framemeister too.  >:(

 ;D

Re: The mClassic -- Pulled the Trigger
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2023, 11:48:00 am »
Well done for taking the plunge!

I'll be curious to see how you get on with it as I have been debating it too for some time  - More to use for the PS3/360 era but if it is a quikc fix for PS2 games I'll certainly be interested!

telekill

Re: The mClassic -- Pulled the Trigger
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2023, 09:31:52 am »
Ok guys, as promised, here's the comparison. I used Dino Crisis (PS1) running on my PS2 Slim to really see how the jaggies are affected by the mClassic. The images are rather large, maybe too large, but it gives a good idea. Keep in mind, these are not screen captures either, but simply pics I took with my phone... so not perfect, but it is what it is.

First... everything that was needed for this test to even function:

1. Hyperkin PS2 HDMI cable: $30


2. HDMI passthrough with two female ends: $5


3. mClassic: $100


I wasn't aware of the need for the two female ended HDMI passthrough until I tried hooking it up. Had to do a quick run to the store to snag one. It really depends on what you're plugging into if you need that or not. Not pictured was a basic HDMI cable going from the mClassic to the TV. As an added pain, both the Hyperkin and mClassic require external USB power sources. The nice part here, is that you can use the two ports on the front of the PS2 if you want. Most modern TVs have two USB ports in the back as well so there are options. Needless to say, the mess of cords surrounding the PS2 was a bit stupid.

On the side of the mClassic device is a switch that toggles from Off, On (green light), and Classic mode (blue light). I tested all three on Dino Crisis.

Starting with just the Hyperkin (having taken the picture before attaching the mClassic at all, my newer TV did a better job than my last one at making the text readable. That said, the game still looks janky as hell as seen in the first photo below. Take a look at Regina's shoulders and amaze yourself at how your imagination filled in the gaps. It's not pretty but it is playable. You'll also see that it's in the regular 4:3 aspect ratio just fine.

The second photo is the mClassic turned on in Retro Mode. Everything smoothed out to a point, but oddly, the picture was squished vertically. Honestly, I completely forgot to test the 4:3 and 16:9 switch on the Hyperkin in this mode, so I'll have to retest that to see if the 16:9 option will help it from getting squished. It's playable but she looks like a female version of Slender Man.

The final photo at the very bottom is the regular processing of the mClassic with the green light. This is the mode you'd use on the Switch or PS3 or Xbox 360. You can see that it keeps the 4:3 aspect ratio just fine and smooths everything out. The problem here, is that there are occasionally blinks that occur where the screen goes black for a second before returning. Couple that with odd thin interference lines occasionally coming through the picture. Without those two issues,  this would be the obvious winner.

Now, as a side test, I compared the Nintendo Switch with and without playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild. With the mClassic plugged in, the colors were far more vibrant and the picture was a tad more smooth. If you're wanting the mClassic just for Switch... I'd wager the $100 asking price would be a bit steep for what you get.

Sorry for the large photos, but they do help with comparison. I recommend centering on Regina for a good comparison as her surroundings are a dull hallway. Let me know what you think.

Just Hyperkin HDMI adapter. No mClassic assist.


With mClassic Retro Mode (Blue Light)


With mClassic regular uprez mode (Green light)

telekill

Re: The mClassic -- Pulled the Trigger
« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2023, 10:31:04 pm »
Happy to say that switching the Hyperkin from 4x3 to 16x9 fixed the mClassic's Retro Mode (Blue Light). It's now the best option making the games essentially as good as they did when I played it on an old SDTV.

Apparently the mClassic forces the picture (when in retro mode) into the 4x3 ratio to look right.

mastodon

Re: The mClassic -- Pulled the Trigger
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2023, 12:26:40 pm »
Just buy a retrotink 5x. Its way better than cheap options. I have nine consoles hooked up to it. Its flawless. Even has a scart port which I use for my Saturn.
https://www.retrotink.com/product-page/5x-pro