Plug & Play HDMI For PS1 & PS2! Should You Buy the LevelHike HD Video Cable for PlayStation 1 & 2
337In this video, we unbox ad test out the LevelHike HD Cable designed for the Sony Playstation and Playstation 2.
You can't doubt the powerhouse that was the Sony Playstation 2, or its direct predecessor, the PS1. Both systems featured iconic games and experiences. One of the downfalls of these systems, at leat on current flat panel televisions, is the lack of any HDMI outputs on these systems. Sure, some Playstation 3s offered backwards compatibility, and PS Now lets you go back and replay some of the PS1 and PS2 libraries, but nothing beats playing on actual hardware. That's where the folks from LevelHike come into play with their HD Cable for the PS1 and PS2. This plug & play cable promises to give you a better image right through your tv.
Like other LevelHike cables, the Playstation edition has a dongle design versus being a hardwired cable. This means you can use whatever length HDMI cable you might need to connect your system to your television. I prefer this setup to the all-in-one cable setup design. There's also an included Micro USB cable for power, and a 4-foot long HDMI cable. Everything you need to connect it up is included for you.
Connecting the cable to my PS One was a bit of a challenge; man, that was a tight fit! Connecting to my PS2 Fat was not an issue at all, as it plugged right in without a struggle. I had thought initially that the connector on the LevelHike cable was too fight, but testing some other cables too, it's on the PS One itself.
I started my testing on the Playstation and Jet Moto 2. Ryan Schlemmer has wanted me to stream this for awhile and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to test this out. Well, uh it's a, um, ok racing game I guess. I didn't do that well to start but the controls felt connected and the colors looked decent.
From here I threw in WCW Nitro, which I didn't show in the game play footage because the game is so terrible. But, the visuals looked pretty sharp! The colors looked right, there wasn't any real lag or delay, and audio sounded good. But this is just such a terrible game, do NOT under any circumstances subject your PS1 to the torture rack that is WCW Nitro.
The final PS1 game I took on was Crash Bandicoot. This classic game is so good, it really is one of my favorites on the platform. This was the first game where I noticed, similar to LevelHike's other cables, the reds seemed to be oversaturated and rather hot. It didn't seem to be to the same level as the other cables, but it was definitely noticeable.
Next up was the PS2, and I am sorry to have to report that you cannot play DVDs through this cable. Much like other cables, you get a green filter over the display when playing DVDs, bummer. But what it did play without an issue was EA's FPS Black, an amazing title for the platform. I thought the visuals on this were really very good, a little bit of that 480i shimmer was present during game play however. But audio and video were both along the lines of what I expected, and Black is amazing. If you don't have it, get it, seriously.
Finally I threw in Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters, and once again things looked and sounded quite good. The reds didn't seem as oversaturated here as in the PS1, so perhaps the cable is optimized for the PS2 color pallet, I'm not sure. I was able to run through a lot of the first level in my test without any complaints.
Why it RoX:
Why it Rox:
- Plug & Play
- Budget Friendly
- Dongle design lets you use whatever length HDMI cable needed
- 4:3 & 16:9 switch
What Could Be Improved:
- 480i vs 480p leads to shimmering effects
- You really need to push hard to get the dongle plugged in on PS One
- Reds are over-saturated
Should You Buy One?
Both the PS1 and PS2 support component video right from the box, but going HDMI does streamline things into your TV. The 480i shimmer IS there, which could be distracting to some, but when you get to the PS2, the visuals are really pretty decent. Will this outdo an HDMI mod? Of course not. But for under $40, you get a quick and easy way to enjoy your Playstation on a modern TV. For me, I'll still likely use my Component Cables into a RetroTink for the PS2, but for PS1, this is good enough for me in a pinch.
#LevelHike #PlayStation #HDMI
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.
(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.)
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