Portta Component-to-HDMI Converter VS Hyperkin HDTV Cable for PS2/PS1 -No commentary-

Just for fun, here is a quick no-commentary comparison of the Portta Component-to-HDMI Converter and the Hyperkin HDTV Cable for PS2/PS1 to show upscale quality for video editing purposes. Neither of them is Retrotink 5X or 4K quality in upscaling, but both do a better job than the Retrotink 2X Pro (With the exception of 2D games), which is an overpriced waste of money, if you ask me.

For capturing footage, the Portta has issues with Elgato capture cards where, if the footage isn't progressive scan, the Elgato records the scan lines and looks terrible. There is a way to deinterlace with the HD60s while recording in OBS. So instead of using my Elgato HD60s to capture this footage, I swapped to my EVGA XR1 Lite.

I specifically bought the Portta (which upscales the games to 1080p) for the purpose of recording Wii footage. I had an old component-to-HDMI adapter, but it started giving me sound clipping issues, and it stopped upscaling non-progressive-scan games properly. The Portta is a cheap solution that works better than the other one I had.

The Hyperkin cable only upscales to 720p, and the reds look a little washed out on it. Some people also complain that it crushes the blacks (I did brighten the footage a little while capturing this footage), and it seems to have a bit of a motion blur filter. However, I think for the 3D games, a little motion blur on PS2 and N64 games looks better. It reminds me of playing on a tube TV, and you can pick up on some of the special effects that used the blurriness of a CRT TV that you miss on modern TVs.

For upscaling just to play on your TV, both the Portta and Hyperkin cable work great. They look both clear and blurry at the same time. It's hard to explain. However, PAL gamers should stay away from the Portta for upscaling over consoles because it upscales to 1080p at 60Hz and doesn't handle 50Hz well. The Portta also doesn't handle 240p, so any PS2 owners wondering if they can play PS1 games, Ico, or Ring of Red, the answer is no. The Hyperkin cable goes through the composite signal, as opposed to the component signal like the Portta does, and it handles 240p like a champ. It can be used on both a PS1 and PS2, so you can play PS1 games on your PS2 with it, no problem.

For capturing footage, each product has its place. For upscaling progressive scan Wii and GameCube games (through the Wii), the Portta works great. For capturing PS2 and N64 (if you buy the N64 Hyperkin cable), I'm still a big fan of the Hyperkin cable. Both are budget king upscalers depending on what you need them for.

#ssx #ps2 #portta #hyperkin