RetroTink 5x System Spotlight: Sega Dreamcast Composite Video Gameplay

In this episode, we test out the #RetroTink5x with the #Sega #Dreamcast using standard component video cables to see how well it works.

*Please note, at 0:41 seconds I state I am playing in 780P, clearly you can see in the upper left corner it is 1080P. Chalk this up to being tired while recording.*

Chapters
0:00 - Introduction
2:33 - Sonic Adventures
5:34 - Daytona USA
7:51 - Hydro Thunder
10:33 - Power Stone
11:58 - Jedi Power Battles

I've been wanting to up my game when it comes to my Dreamcast lately, and although I am planning to HDMI mod the system here, I did want to see what it would look like going through my RetroTink 5x. Up to this point, I had been using a VGA Cable with my OSSC, which admittedly looks wonderful. The downside of this setup is not all games work with this setup. Hydro Thunder, one of my favorites from Midway, is a perfect example. While HD Retrovision hasn't released their Dreamcast cables as of yet, I turned to standard component video cables as, well, it is what I had. Fearing a smudgy, ugly mess, I connected the system and powered it on.

First things first, this is NOT as sharp as VGA Cables, it just isn't. I'm not going to tell you it is. That being said, this is about the best I have ever seen any composite video video look before. Colors looked good, there weren't any weird artifacts, it just looks better than it deserves to. It is also nice that there is no noticeable lag or delay as I played. NICE!

One of the things I was a little disappointed in seeing, or really not seeing, was a profile for the Dreamcast. Now this may be because of the lack of VGA Input, or the lack of component or SCART Video cables, Mike Chi from RetroTink may have assumed fewer people would want to use the 5x with the Dreamcast. Retro-Bit and others do offer S-Video cables (which I unfortunately do not own) which would be great to use with the RetroTink 5x, we've seen how good S-Video looks on the SNES and N64, so having a dedicated Dreamcast profile would be greatly appreciated.

I started my testing with Sonic Adventures, a game I haven't spent a ton of time with because, frankly, I just don't like all the cut scenes. That being said, the Blue Blur looked better than I expected, even if he still has Tails following behind him and keeping him company.

Up next was Daytona, a game I honestly forgot I had for the system. I love Daytona USA, and while I don't think the gameplay of Daytona for the Dreamcast is as good as earlier entries, it is graphically more polished and sharper looking. Daytona looked quite wonderful, I dare say almost as good as VGA with just 2x line scaling through my OSSC.

While I will be HDMI modding my Dreamcast in the near future with the DCHDMI mod, that is a step many gamers aren't going to take. Component video cables are still a popular choice for the Dreamcast, and through the RetroTink 5x, it looks terrific. Now, the VGA cable through the OSSC most definitely looks better, and if the Dreamcast is your favorite system that is how I would connect it to your TV. The RetroTink 5x isn't the ultimate way to connect your Dreamcast to your modern TV, there are clearly better options out there. But still, for composite video the quality was decent, the controls were responsive, and the overall experience was wonderful.

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)