RetroTINK 6X and 4K Firmware 1.94.0 Adds Major Changes

Over the past month, Mike Chi has put out several substantial firmware updates for the RetroTINK 6X and both 4K models. Wobbling Pixels has also released a new profile pack that makes use of many of the changes. Installation instructions are available with the packs; the process is as simple as deleting the old profiles and copying in the new folder.

I would usually prefer to give each major update its own post, but there wasn’t time to do that here. Rather than skim, it’s worth reading through the information below to see what might improve your setup. One note on the firmware’s “experimental” label: Mike uses it to indicate that it has not been tested for as long as an official release. These builds are safe to use, will not affect your warranty, and you can always return to another firmware version.

Firmware and profile downloads

• Latest firmware: RetroTINK 4K experimental firmware page

• RetroTINK products: RetroTINK product information

• Wobbling Pixels RT6X profile pack

• Wobbling Pixels RT4K profile pack

Wobbling Pixels profiles cover more resolutions

Let’s begin with Wobbling Pixels’ new profile packs. A single profile can now work across multiple resolutions. For consoles such as the Saturn, this makes setup easier: you no longer need to know the resolution of the game, because the profile handles it automatically.

The Nintendo 64 gets an additional improvement. One profile covers multiple resolutions, and de-blur is applied automatically too. You won’t accidentally get a “worse” picture by forgetting to turn de-blur off for particular resolutions. Wobbling Pixels has also refreshed its NES, SNES, Genesis and SMS profiles with razor-sharp 10x modes. Check Wobbling Pixels’ post for more details.

Sharper automatic phase and decimation detection

Mike has added entirely new phase and decimation detection to both the 4K and 6X. The result should be a sharper image overall, with detection completing a little faster as well. The process is fully automatic: after installing the firmware, it works better without requiring any input from you.

True VRR HDMI output

A new, genuine Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) HDMI output mode is now available on every TINK model. If your display works best with the previous approach, you can still simply send a VRR flag: leave Sync Lock set to framelock or genlock, then choose a “VRR Format.” For a TV that accepts a true VRR signal, however, the new mode adjusts frame length to follow the incoming signal. This avoids dropped frames and reduces latency on the VRR display.

If you have a VRR display, it’s well worth trying:

• Open the menu and select HDMI Output, then Sync Lock, then VRR.

• Set the VRR Format option immediately below it to FreeSync or VESA.

Automatic low-latency mode support

Displays released in the past few years may include Automatic Low Latency Mode. When supported, both 4K models and the 6X will send a notification that should automatically switch the TV to game mode when it detects the TINK.

Enhanced S-Video improvements on 4K Pro

The RetroTINK 4K Pro’s Enhanced S-Video engine has received a complete update, greatly improving automatic luma and chroma alignment at all sample rates. If you own a 4K Pro and use S-Video with any console—especially the N64—get one of these adapters and connect it to the rear of the unit.

Rotation support for more 4K Pro inputs

Another addition exclusive to the 4K Pro: rotation now works with 720p, 480i and 576i sources. That’s particularly handy for certain shmups.

Lumacode decoder update

Lumacode users on every TINK model also get an important change. Mike has updated the Lumacode decoder engine, bringing full support to more consoles. This is a significant update, and I’m planning a separate post within a week to detail what has changed. In the meantime, remove the existing Lumacode folder from your SD card and replace it with the new Lumacode folder from this update—copy only that folder, not the rest of the update. Then install the latest build from the experimental firmware page.

Complete changelog since the previous update

The following list covers everything added or revised since my last post about RetroTINK firmware updates:

• Recalibrated the RT6XCE SDRAM controller, eliminating a glitch that affected a small subset of units.

• The RT6XCE SDRAM controller now uses a gearbox.

• Improved overall HDMI output transmitter stability and self-healing, particularly at lower resolutions.

• Corrected excessive dwell time when querying HDMI transmitter status.

• Addressed data transmission errors caused by stalls when flow control is not used.

• Expanded the serial TX/RX buffer so ACK mode is safe by design at every baud rate.

• Added a CRC16-only ACK mode to avoid the per-block SHA256 overhead.

• Added support for transferring the video input measurement struct over the serial link.

• Corrected VGA detection rules for DOS 400p and 1600×1200.

• Fixed banner image alignment in the last RT6XCE FPGA build.

• Reworked the HDMI transmitter drive further.

• Implemented the second-generation Lumacode decoder engine:Improved automatic symbol learning and calibration.Try the default settings: On (AGC), auto decimation phase and auto word phase.The ZIP archive includes updated Lumacode .lmc files that fix errors, including the NES blacker-than-black entry, and provide default word alignments for each system.

• Introduced an entirely new third-generation automatic decimation and phase engine.

• Made decimation factor detection much more reliable.

• Sharpened phase detection.

• Eliminated switching between multiple valid phases.

• These changes apply to every 4K and 6X model.

• Optimized internal math rounding.

• Added an N64 mode under the Sample Rate menu, with Detection Mode set to N64. It locks the N64 sample rate and detects automatically when de-blur can be applied.

• Corrected horizontal dynamic calibration alignment relative to the selected phase index.

• Fixed conflicts between Saturn 320 and 352 scaling settings. Saturn settings tuned previously may need a one-time adjustment.

• Optimized the HDMI output driver.

• Rebuilt all three bitstreams: rt4k_1860, rt4kce_1860 and rt6x_1860. Copy every RBF file to the SD card along with this firmware; it loads only the *_1860 bitstreams.

• Added the second-generation Enhanced S-Video engine.

• Greatly improved automatic luma and chroma alignment at all sample rates.

• Set Trim to 0; it should no longer be necessary.

• Enhanced S-Video now handles very high sample-rate PAL sources.

• Further refined the Enhanced S-Video, N64 and automatic alignment algorithms.

• Improved Enhanced S-Video reliability further.

• Introduced the third-generation LumaCode engine.

• Replace the Lumacode folder on the SD card with the folder included in the ZIP.

• Begin with the default profile, turn LumaCode Enable to On (AGC), and change Word Trim only if needed.

• The revised AGC and automatic word alignment should make additional adjustment unnecessary.

• Recalibrated all systems against the reference implementation.

• Further optimized SDP alignment.

• Renamed N64 mode to N64 Auto Deblur to clarify that it detects interpolated output and reconstructs the original 320-wide source.

• Rotation now accepts input sources up to 1280x720p.

• Fixed an RT6X issue that could cause 1920x1080p to glitch with Gen Lock and a buffer delay of one full frame.

• Optimized the DRAM controller to clear glitches in edge cases and rarely used non-standard resolutions.

• Cleaned up additional edge cases that produced stray pixels along the left and right edges at uncommon sample rates or input sizes.

• Made Enhanced S-Video chroma alignment lock slightly faster when encountering pathological conditions.

• Added wavelet-domain edge discrimination with harmonic nulling for decimation and phase detection.

• Added adaptive cancellation of secondary artifacts for automatic decimation and phase detection:Combined with the harmonic nulling from 1.89.0, this should enable reliable sample-rate detection even with ambiguous or poor-quality signals.

• Added sparse-lattice coherence voting for sample-rate detection, allowing quicker responses to in-game resolution changes during dimming, cuts and fades.

• Further improved the sample-rate detection engine in combination with versions 1.90.0 and 1.89.0.

• Rotation now supports 480i and 576i sources on the RT4K Pro.

• Added true VRR, combining minimal lag, glitch-free resolution changes and a perfectly stable clock on supported displays.

• Unlike Gen Lock, true VRR keeps the pixel clock completely stable, avoiding brief video or audio blips on less tolerant displays.

• True VRR is available on the RT4K Pro, RT4K CE and RT6X CE.

• To enable it, select FreeSync or VESA in the HDMI Output menu.

• Non-VRR displays fall back automatically; the mode remains injection-only.

• BFI was initially unsupported, as enabling it required a significant rework of the BFI engine.

• Made minor remote-control optimizations.

• Improved VRR compatibility.

• True VRR now works with BFI, as Gen Lock does.

• Further cleaned up true VRR generation.

• ALLM is enabled automatically when the display reports support.

• Fixed an issue that prevented transmission of the ALLM bit.

• Lengthened the blanking period when VRR is enabled, in an effort to make poorly implemented TVs resynchronize to the new VRR stream.

• VRR now appears to work with most setups, but results can vary because of differences among switches, TVs, settings and firmware.

• Further refined the VRR controls.

• The HDMI menu option previously called “VRR” is now “VRR Format.” It chooses the VRR signal sent to the display, if any: Off, FreeSync or VESA.

• Sync Lock now includes a “VRR” mode after “Triple Buffer.” If the display supports the selected VRR Format, this enables true VRR frame locking to the source. Otherwise, it behaves like Adaptive Triple Buffer, and the Sync Lock line explains why.

• Other Sync Lock modes send the VRR infoframe to instruct the TV but do not change frame length.

• To keep the old, injection-only behavior, set VRR Format to FreeSync or VESA and select the Sync Lock method you used before, such as Gen Lock.

• For true VRR, set Sync Lock to VRR and choose the display’s supported format, FreeSync or VESA.

• VRR quality and reliability differ widely across manufacturers and models. Some displays need multiple settings changed before VRR works, and switches or AV receivers in the signal chain can block it. Use the support resources from your display manufacturer as needed.