best retro gaming console
by
$$89.90
$89.90
Save: $89.90
In StockUnique Features:
- Dual screen output under different formats
- Adjust output scanline quality for retro gaming experience 🎮
- Control image quality, size, and position via phone
- Adjust signal intensity of red, green, and blue with knobs
- Connect audio to earphones or audio devices 🎧
- Easy control interface via mobile phone or computer
- Firmware upgradeable
- Separate audio input and output
- LED display and control button for settings
- Powered via DC 12V,2A
- Additional ODV-II Converter required for N64, Game Cube, Wii 🕹️
- Not compatible with N64, Game Cube, Wii without ODV-II Converter
What Customers Are Saying:
Customers have mixed feelings about the product with some praising its quality and effectiveness 👍, while others are disappointed with its performance 😕. Many customers appreciate the customer service and quick delivery 🚚, but some have had issues with returns and refunds 💸. Overall, customers seem satisfied with the product but there are some areas for improvement.
Matthew Abrams –
Swiss Army Knife Scaler
As of writing this review, there wasn’t much info about this or any prebuilt GBS-Control devices currently on sale. Just to toss my 2 cents in here: If you have a bunch of old game consoles you want to use on modern TVs, but don’t want to spend $200+ to do it, this is probably the easiest bet.The adaptive de-interlacing is the star of the show here, offering a great picture on 480i content (particularly the PS2) with minimal lag. I own an OSSC, but couldn’t use the bob de-interlacing due to it causing image retention on my computer monitor. This GBS-C adaptive de-interlacing solved that, and now I can play all my PS2 games in great quality.As for 240p content, it’s great for that too. The scanline generator looks good, and the image is plenty sharp. Maybe not quite as sharp as the OSSC when configured, but it isn’t that far off, and looks sharper than the samples of the Retrotink 2x I’ve seen. If I didn’t already have the OSSC, I’d be totally content with the picture. One thing I’d like to point out is black levels / contrast. This thing outputs a limited black range, so make sure you configure the black-level setting in your TV accordingly. Setting your TV to full-range will make it look washed out.The menu interface is great. You configure it with your cellphone by connecting to it with WiFi. If you’ve ever had a DSLR Camera with built in WiFi, it’s very much like that. You can save profiles, and the layout is easy to understand. I prefer it to the OSSC in the regard.Build quality seems good, for the price I’m pretty impressed. I can’t comment about the power supply, it doesn’t look very robust… but I havn’t had any issues. I don’t really like the look of the scaler, but the outer shell seems nice and connectors seem solid. Overall, I’m super happy with this. Unless you really like tinkering to get the perfect picture (OSSC) or don’t mind spending way more for ease of use AND picture quality (Retrotink 5x), I honestly think that this is the best scaler for the money currently.
Bulbasaur –
Pretty Good
It has quirks and wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, but it’s pretty good!
David Barbara –
This is a fantastic option for Sony PSOne and Sony PlayStation 2
Let me start off by describing my setup. I have a Denon receiver that feeds an HDMI input into my LG 4K TV (set to game mode). The output resolution on the GBS-C is 1280×960, for a widescreen effect, since 1080p displays in 4:3.Youâre probably reading this review because youâre looking for an upscaler. A month ago I was too, and if you donât know much about tech youâll be completely lost, when all you want is better video quality for your retro console games. Or in some cases you just need a video signal your TV can understand, like the PSOneâs 240p resolution that isnât compatible over HDMI.I looked around a bit before buying, and did the research, and if you donât want to spend a boatload of money on the RetroTink 5x then your options are really limited, due to the chip shortage. Everybody is out of stock of just about everything. If youâre handy with DIY, and a soldering iron, then GBS Control becomes a solid option at a relatively lower price point. But what if you donât DIY or have the tools to do it?Thatâs where the McBazel ODV GBS-C comes in. Itâs a commercial product that takes the DIY out of the GBS Control, so you can just connect it to your TVâs HDMI input, then connect your gaming console either via component or SCART inputs, and it converts it to a resolution that your TV can understand. It even runs on the same open source firmware that the DIY option uses, so you can update it as new improvements get rolled out by the community.I have my PS2 connected via HD Retrovision component cables, and my PSOne connected via a SCART cable.A couple of caveats on RGB SCART, make sure the one you use has capacitors built into it, or it will only be compatible with the PS2/PS3. Also, when connected via SCART, make sure the switch next to the SCART input on the GBS-C is set to RGBS (middle position). At first mine was set to the first switch position (YPBPR VGA RGBS), and the PSOne had lots of sync issues, screen tearing and dropouts. I almost returned this unit, until I figured this out through trial and error. Now it works great.I have the GBS-C set to output scan lines on the PSOne, because personally I think it looks better. It actually makes it look higher resolution than it does without them. The PS2 uses motion adaptive deinterlacing, and thereâs no screen flicker or movement at all like there is with upscalers that use bob deinterlacing.So howâs the lag? Well, there is none. None thatâs perceptible anyway. My LED TV adds more lag to the signal than the GBS-C. At first I thought the GBS-C was fairly laggy, but after doing further research it was all the image processing going on in my TV. Once I optimized my TV the lag completely disappeared. Games that require precise timing like Guitar Hero, Tekken 5, and Hot Shots Golf 3 work without any lag issues.Iâve only found one con so far in my use case, and that is that the GBS-C defaults to using the RCA audio inputs if a cable is plugged in, even if the console is turned off. So if I want to play the PSOne over SCART, I have to unplug the audio cables from the PS2âs component input to get any sound. Overall thatâs a minor inconvenience, but Iâm looking into using the digital audio output from the PS2, and feeding the audio into my receiver that way to see if it solves the problem. I want to just be able to turn on either console without fiddling with wires.Another con, for other people (not me), would be that it doesnât support S-Video. That means a lot of Nintendo consoles wonât work without conversion first. McBazel shows a S-Video converter that pairs with the GBS-C, but I havenât found it retail in the US yet. If you need Nintendo S-Video support, then the RetroScaler2x is probably a better option.I included a bunch of photos so people can make up their own minds about the video quality, since the only other review with pictures said it was horrible. It doesnât seem so bad to me. Itâs upscaling 480i and 240p video signals several times, and does a pretty good job to my eyes. The images should be self-explanatory, but if theyâre not then the PSOne images all show scan lines, and the PS2 ones donât.Overall Iâve been very pleased with this upscaler, and GBS-C is probably the best option for PS1/PS2 if youâre on a sensible budget. If youâre a retro console enthusiast, and money isnât the sticking point, then you probably already know which option is the absolute âbestâ one, and of course itâs not this one. For everybody else, this option can get you 90% of the way there.
Greg –
Compact Design but incorrect RGB Color levels and Noisy Picture
I have been using my home built GBS-8200 GBS-Control solution, which has been working perfectly, so I have a good baseline reference to compare the ODV GBS-C to.I bought the ODV for two reasons. I liked the compact and professionally finished case, and I wanted to upgrade to HDMI output capability.Unfortunately I was disappointed. With my GBS-8200 solution I had perfect color levels. The GBS-8200 also has the removed trimpots mod, for optimal untouched RGB level input.With the ODV GBS-C, with its trimpots turned fully down, Grey appears the same as full White, also Greens appear very Yellow. Playing with the color trimpots, the best I can get is a Blue tinted Grey. Certainly not ideal.I also noted the picture is a quite noisy compared to my old GBS-8200 solution, which has a very clean image. Perhaps a side effect of smaller PCB routing decisions?So overall, Iâm very disappointed with the ODV. Iâm back to using my GBS-8200 GBS-Control solution, and the ODV is back in its box, unused!Iâve given it 1 star for the nice enclosed case design only.
Jedi –
Everything worked out of the box. Compared to a basic RCA to HDMI converter, this blows it completely out of the water with it component support. Immediately out of the box the picture was essentially perfect and I didnât have to tinker with resolutions, colour gamuts, screen positions, or any other settings. I also had zero issues accessing the online menu that a lot of people have troubles with, so results may vary.If youâre looking for a cheaply priced alternative to the over the shelf cheap converters you can buy at your big retail box stores, and something a lot cheaper than the more expensive Retro Tink products, this is the perfect product to enjoy retro consoles on modern TVs.
Cliente de Amazon –
Resultados bastante decentes en consolas 240p pero lo más interesante es 480i del PS2 da un excelente resultado. Lo único malo es que presenta ruido a pesar de usar cables de alta calidad (HD retrovison). Recomendable.
Dave –
As someone who uses a slim Playstation 2 to also watch DVD movies, the GBS-C has been terrific at rendering a 480p signal to my 1080p monitor.There was a minor adjustment though to shift the picture upwards by 5 or 6 units to make the black borders at the top and bottom even on a widescreen movie. This was done in the WiFi & phone browser.With games, I found no adjustments were needed unless its for personal preferences.Also with games, at the default 1280 x 960 resolution setting, the GBS-C will automatically pseudo-widescreen the 4:3 aspect ratio. For most games, you probably won’t mind this. But with movies (non-widescreen ones, and optionally games if preferred) – switching to 1920 x 1080 setting will keep the 4:3 aspect ratio with black bars on the sides. This can be done with the VR dial.————There’s one major flaw on the GBS-C however, and it has to do with the cooling vent holes at the bottom of the unit.There’s just not enough clearance for the hot air to escape when laid flat on the surface.This causes a lot of unnecessary heat buildup and I was shocked to find a single 100 minute movie made the right side of the unit very hot afterwards. The kind of hot that makes you wonder if it’ll still work after a year from now.I would suggest either placing the unit upright or use something to support & raise it up from the surface by at least 1/2 inch or more if keeping it flat like I did.Doing so has removed around 60% to 70% heat buildup and now after watching a movie, the right side’s only warm to the touch.————————-Overall I think the GBS-C is worth considering for what it can do at this price but be aware of its flaw.If its still too much for your budget or you don’t need all those connection types or even 480p, a S-video cable with the right converter for your display might just do the trick.Note: Disregard the green/magenta and wavy lines in the photos, those are caused by the camera. Movie is on 480p, while game is 480i.
Daniel Garcia Gradilla –
Soporta de manera correcta el 240p, pasa las pruebas del Drop Shadow y el Striped Sprite de Artemio. La interfaz web accesible mediante wifi tiene opciones para ajustar la resolución, el tamaño , posición, filtros, intensidad y varios otros detalles, da muy buen resultado, y permite guardar presets. Dichos presets después se pueden cargar con la perilla, sin necesidad de entrar a la interfaz web. Estoy muy contento.
Rodrigo Cifuentes –
Al principio no parece un mal producto, la resolución de imagen que logra para ser un DIY y un conjunto de hacks a una placa mediocre es buena; el problema es cuando quieres empezar a usarlo y configurarlo ya que es un gran problema, es un dispositivo altamente inestable, su interfaz se controla por wifi en tu telefono y es un calvario, ya que se desconecta constantemente y hay que reconectar manualmente a cada rato, nunca se sabe si los cambios que hace uno se guardan o no en las configuraciones individuales para cada consola que uno puede hacer, hay veces que los botones ni se marcan como prendidos o apagados en la interfaz, ademas de que aveces guarda los cambios y a veces no asà que si apagas el dispositivo y guardas un preset de imagen puede que cuando lo vuelvas a prender regrese a los valores pre-establecidos lo cual puede ser altamente frustrante. Además de que la señal de RGB que emite aunque dice ser Limitada provoca altos contrastes de negros(crushing blacks) en toda la imagen, al menos en mi pantalla y hace imposible jugar ccualquier juego, mucho menos los de terror ya que pierde toda la información fuera del rango; se medio soluciona poniendo mi tv en Full RGB pero la imagen entonces se ve bastante deslavada y hay que manualmente modificar los valores de negros en tu pantalla. Lo que al final me hizo optar por la devolución es el poco soporte que hay para el dispositivo por parte del fabricante, ya que después de una semana de uso dejo de conectarse a la red wifi y no habia nada que pudiera hacer para arreglarlo, incluso me di a la tarea de descifrar el español roto del mediocre manual que trae hasta que logre entender como actualizarlo a la versión mas reciente del firmware lo cual tampoco arreglo el problema y sin acceso a la interfaz por wifi no se puede controlar el dispositivo, asà decidà que ya habÃa hecho demasiados corajes con este aparato y procedà a generar la devolución y el reembolso. Si te piensas comprar este aparato piensalo dos veces, puede que te salga bien o mal como a mi la verdad no se pero no tiene un buen control de calidad, recomendarÃa mejor ahorrar un poco mas y comprar un OSSC que es lo que al final haré. Espero mi experiencia ayude a alguien mas con su compra. Saludos! (Adjunto dos imagenes donde se aprecian dos dispositivos con rango RGB limitado en la misma pantalla corriendo el mismo juego uno es el ODV GBS-C y el otro el PS3, espero se aprecie la diferencia en niveles de negro y contraste de una buena señal de RGB).