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The device before you here is a scaler / line doubler, which can vastly improve the quality of an image coming from a retro console into an HD TV (LCD/Plasma/LED).

The unit is a modified CGA/VGA scaler and line doubler, courtesy of some very significant help from my good friend "Scanline" Faginrs500 (channel link below). The basic scaler unit costs about £50 and accepts various inputs, including component video, but not RGB Scart, as it needs a separate sync amplifier, which faginrs500 built for me into this modded version, along with an RGB Scart input and Scart audio output. Please see his detailed video for more information.

Overall, the picture from the scaler looks AMAZING. The video doesn't do it any justice but I hope you can see the difference. From a Sega Saturn the RGB scart image is transformed into a high grade, progressive scan monitor quality image, and with the SLG3000 scanline generator running next to it, outputs an image any arcade CRT VGA monitor would be proud of. Both the 640x480 image (for low res scanlines) or HD 1024x768 image, look bloody amazing. There are plenty of settings to play around with to optimise your image.

You will also find you need to be careful how your HDTV is set up. A bit of fine tuning is needed to get the image to display at the correct size. Which is suppose is part of the fun.

It made me realise how poor the scaling engine inside my Philips LCD is. This scaler is at the bottom end of the market but it really is unbelievable how much better the image comes out!

That said, of course, anyone with an interest in retro gaming, will probably know to get hold of an old CRT TV set, preferably with RGB Scart input, for a proper "retro" look, especially for low res games. There's no replacing that classic cathode ray image!

BTW I had fun making this "case" for the unit, which is a bit improvised and not up to professional standards, but it keeps everything in place (there are quite a few wires hidden under the PCB) and lets you plug the hookups into it.

The other thing you need to know (which I didnt' at the start of this project) was that this scaler is not abnle to sync the signal from many low quality RGB Scart leads - you must do a very minor mod to get the signal to input correctly. Fortunately Scanline gave me some good advice - which I forgot to write down and subsequently cocked up. In the end I got it working and am very pleased with the results.

Please check out fagin's excellent tech videos on this subject:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Faginrs500