Consoles4U has just released a new product called the Analog2HDMI, based off ManCloud’s open source project: A high quality analog to digital converter that converts both VGA and Component Video to HDMI. There’s also both RCA and SPDIF audio inputs, allowing you to route digital audio into the HDMI signal if it’s available. Since this is just a converter, it outputs the same resolution it receives with zero lag added (no scaling or deinterlacing though). The price is around $70 plus shipping, which is a great price considering you get two ADC’s in one, plus digital audio mixing…and the quality seems to be a step up from the generic ones! More info and screenshots below the links:
Analog2HDMI: https://retrorgb.link/analog2hdmi
Generic ADC/DAC’s: https://retrorgb.link/cheapdac
Original Open Source Project*: https://github.com/ManCloud/Analog2HDMI_Carrier
*this is not the same version being sold; It is unsupported and you should use at your own risk
The main features of the Analog2HDMI are pretty straightforward: Connect a VGA (RGBHV) or component video (YPbPr) source to the inputs. You can safely connect both at the same time and just use the switches to toggle between. Then, connect your audio inputs – These can also both be safely connected at the same time. Then select the audio and video input from the switches on the side, plug in your USB-C power and connect your HDMI output. The power requirement is 300mA, so use a decent charger.
I tested 240p, 480i and 480p resolutions and performance is definitely a step up from generic converters. Here’s a screenshot scaled 10x nearest-neighbor from PS2 OutRun showing the difference (click for full-sized image):
And here’s the full screenshots for reference, untouched other than putting them together; Analog2HDMI on the left, Generic ADC on the right:
Overall, this seems to be a great product for someone that wants a high quality ADC, or just for someone who wants to integrate digital audio into their analog to digital video conversion. Of course, this isn’t nearly as versatile as something like the RetroTINK 5x, but not everyone needs those scaling features. If you’re just looking to connect a Wii or original Xbox to a modern TV, something like this will be just fine.
As-always, I never recommend connecting analog consoles directly to flat-panels, as most TV’s add lag and sometimes process the image wrong. See this video for more details as to why you’d want a scaler or ADC for even 480p consoles:
