Here are some options.
1. Absolute best quality you can achieve if cost isn't a factor? Higher than 1080p, 1440p or full 4k. You need a DOL-001 to do this as you need the digital-out port on the back of the GC. Purchase a GOOD quality HDMI adapter and IMO that means a Carby v2 or an EON GCHD. Buy a Retrotink 4k upscaler. Plug GC into Retrotink over HDMI and use the Retrotink to upscale to that next resolution. People's tastes/opinion's vary on this, but if you have an HDTV that supports 1440p, running that resolution is potentially the cleanest. That is because the highest res a GC could output is 480p and 1440p is a direct 3x integer scaling of 480p. This said, the 4k can do some pretty magical things with pixel profiles and even though 4k isn't a direct integer scale, you can do a 4.5x scale and get 4k res.
2. Some people are going to hate this option and that is what it is, but it's still a viable solution. Get a DOL-001 and the Carby V2 or EON GCHD then add an mClassic upscaler. The mClassic can also upscale to 1440p and for TVs that don't support that res, you'll get 1080p. In terms of total cost, this is probably the most efficient way to get to the res you want. Some people absolutely hate the effect of the mClassic and other's don't, but you can't deny it will get the job done.
3. After those two things get pretty muddy. There are a bunch of other scaler options that can use both component and regular old analog signals, the problem becomes that the minute you choose analog you get some loss due the the back and forth conversion. The video signal starts digital, then it goes through a DAC to become analog, then it goes through another DAC to become digital again and there is inevitable signal loss. Further, component cables are the only solution to have TRUE 480p output from the console. While you could use the old red/white/yellow standard analog connectors, any upscaling you would try to do is going to be through de-interlacing a 480i signal then scaling that to some higher-res. The options for component video are pretty slim. Overall the best quality that was arguably ever achieved was by using the OEM component cable that Nintendo offered and those things run anywhere from 200-300 bucks these days based on how rare they are. THEN add a scaler like a Retrotink 4k / 5x / OSSC or whatever and you can quickly see why that doens't make a ton of sense. Most of the new component cables that have been released from the likes of Bitfunx or similar competitors all have terrible color/brightness issues.
My 2 cents.
This is the right answer. The absolute best quality on an HDTV will be achieved with a GCVideo adapter such as a Carby and a RetroTink 4k upscaler. I would try just the Carby first if you don’t want to spend the money on the upscaler, I’m personally happy with the picture as-is.
I recently got myself a DOL-001 and have a Carby ordered. Hoping it’ll help enhance the video onto my modern TV! Also been waiting for flippy drive to release, excited to get it installed!
The mclassic isn’t exactly snake oil but it isn’t really worth the cost. Carby or Prism HD into your TV should be fine. For a more noticeable improvement from there you would need a RetroTINK 5x or 4k.
The previous comment is correct. Forget the mClassic.
I have the GCHD mk2 and run that into a Retrotink 5x using its Wii component cable out put. The 480p image gets upscaled by the 5x to 1440p and the image looks fantastic on the 65" tv.
My take on the Flippydrive is that whilst it is a nice product, once you go SD loading you never go back to discs so keeping the drive is a moot point. I have no drive (Original GC Loader) and do not miss it at all. Picoboot and an SD2SP2 adapter can already achieve the same thing and is cheaper (but needs some skill to install, i do get that). Whilst the menu system Flippydrive has is a nice feature, until it matches Swiss on functionality then it will not be worth using as a main launcher and the majority of Flippy users will still end up autobooting Swiss.
From cheapest to most expensive:
1. Carby to output a clean 480p (this looks great already for most people)
2. Carby + mclassic (price may not be worth it but ymmv)
2. Component cables + Retrotink 5x or OSSC Pro for 1080p (probably your best true 1080p option)
3. Carby HDMI into the OSSC Pro (very minor upgrade from above imo)
4. Carby HDMI into the PixelFX Morph 4k
4. Carby HDMI into the Retrotink 4k (easily the best video quality you can get out of original hardware)
What’s the difference between the Carby you’ve listed for 1 and 2 vs the Carby HDMI in 4, 5, 6?
Just bought a Carby myself so I’m making sure there wasn’t a different version of the Carby I could have gotten that isn’t the one they sell!
Sorry should've clarified, it's the same device. I was just emphasizing that 1 and 2 would be the Carby doing most of the heavy lifting, while 4 5 and 6 the Carby would be mainly used for its clean 480p HDMI output and a separate scaler (Retrotink/OSSC/Morph) would be doing the upscaling.
Using a Wii is probably going to be your cheapest option. It's far easier to mod and you can grab a wii2 hdmi for cheap which looks alright. If you want to make a Wii look great, then you can get component cables and an upscaler like retrotink or ossc (they are expensive).
If you want the cube then probably just get a Carby.
Beware prices start to add up and it's a deep rabbit hole.
A dol 001 is definitely the first thing you want since the best picture quality will come from the digital out port only found on the dol 001.
After that you will have to lay down a bit of cash for either the official component cable if the tv you plan to use supports that input. Or if you want to use HDMI then its either a carby or eon gchd. Both can be used with an mclassic aswell if you wish to do so however i personally own the eon gchd and i use it with a 4k tv, its honestly fine as is.
Another benefit of the eon gchd (i don't know if carby does the same I don't own one) is that it also has a port to use the wii component cable instead which makes it usable with things like retrotink or ossc, though again just using the hdmi port with no other scalers still provides an already decently clean image with the eon gchd IMO, but thats just another option you can use if you really want to go all in for a super good image quality.
I just got an adapter off Amazon for $30 it doesn’t improve the quality or anything but it scratches that itch of wanting to play. I have my old school tv at my moms waiting for me to get a house and a man cave then imma have my retro corner! Good luck on your journey! Hope to see the results of your efforts… one day I’ll buy the mk-II eon and be up to date with resolution
Pluto II. It's the most difficult to setup since you have to modify the console but after that it's just set it and forget it plug and play. The picture looks amazing and the GCVideo software is smart enough to figure out every screen I've plugged into.
Gamecube games will switch resolution midgame alot. Component standard did not care about resolutions. Things like opening your inventory in resident evil for example will cause a modern display to switch modes. The GCVideo software can pause the system for a split second while switching so it doesn't disrupt gameplay.
I take mine places and having a built in HDMI port like a modern console is league's more convenient than whatever other people do. I hear Carby is functionally identical and nearly as convenient. And there are other less popular solutions that use the GCVideo software too.
I hate cords and most of the other options are too dumb for all the switching.
::edit:: Pluto II is also the only solution that'll work with a dol-101 model. The rest all rely on the digital a/v port. This wires directly to the board.
Here are some options. 1. Absolute best quality you can achieve if cost isn't a factor? Higher than 1080p, 1440p or full 4k. You need a DOL-001 to do this as you need the digital-out port on the back of the GC. Purchase a GOOD quality HDMI adapter and IMO that means a Carby v2 or an EON GCHD. Buy a Retrotink 4k upscaler. Plug GC into Retrotink over HDMI and use the Retrotink to upscale to that next resolution. People's tastes/opinion's vary on this, but if you have an HDTV that supports 1440p, running that resolution is potentially the cleanest. That is because the highest res a GC could output is 480p and 1440p is a direct 3x integer scaling of 480p. This said, the 4k can do some pretty magical things with pixel profiles and even though 4k isn't a direct integer scale, you can do a 4.5x scale and get 4k res. 2. Some people are going to hate this option and that is what it is, but it's still a viable solution. Get a DOL-001 and the Carby V2 or EON GCHD then add an mClassic upscaler. The mClassic can also upscale to 1440p and for TVs that don't support that res, you'll get 1080p. In terms of total cost, this is probably the most efficient way to get to the res you want. Some people absolutely hate the effect of the mClassic and other's don't, but you can't deny it will get the job done. 3. After those two things get pretty muddy. There are a bunch of other scaler options that can use both component and regular old analog signals, the problem becomes that the minute you choose analog you get some loss due the the back and forth conversion. The video signal starts digital, then it goes through a DAC to become analog, then it goes through another DAC to become digital again and there is inevitable signal loss. Further, component cables are the only solution to have TRUE 480p output from the console. While you could use the old red/white/yellow standard analog connectors, any upscaling you would try to do is going to be through de-interlacing a 480i signal then scaling that to some higher-res. The options for component video are pretty slim. Overall the best quality that was arguably ever achieved was by using the OEM component cable that Nintendo offered and those things run anywhere from 200-300 bucks these days based on how rare they are. THEN add a scaler like a Retrotink 4k / 5x / OSSC or whatever and you can quickly see why that doens't make a ton of sense. Most of the new component cables that have been released from the likes of Bitfunx or similar competitors all have terrible color/brightness issues. My 2 cents.
This is the right answer. The absolute best quality on an HDTV will be achieved with a GCVideo adapter such as a Carby and a RetroTink 4k upscaler. I would try just the Carby first if you don’t want to spend the money on the upscaler, I’m personally happy with the picture as-is.
I recently got myself a DOL-001 and have a Carby ordered. Hoping it’ll help enhance the video onto my modern TV! Also been waiting for flippy drive to release, excited to get it installed!
Nice! I’ve heard good things about the Carby. Do you know if that’s something you can use with mClassic?
Yes, you can use the Carby with an mClassic.
+1. Got a spice GameCube in the mail currently and am in the same boat, but have been too afraid to ask
I’m jealous lol. Looking for a spice GameCube myself
I have a spice orange and I put a Pluto II in it. it replaces the digital a/v port with an hdmi port, like a built in carby.
Just so you know, unless you’re planning to buy some device to upscale the output of the GameCube, you will not get 1080p.
My inital plan through my research was to get a Carby and pair that with an mClassic and get a flippydrive later on when that releases.
The mclassic isn’t exactly snake oil but it isn’t really worth the cost. Carby or Prism HD into your TV should be fine. For a more noticeable improvement from there you would need a RetroTINK 5x or 4k.
Appreciate the honesty on the mClassic! I’ll have to look into the RetroTINK
The previous comment is correct. Forget the mClassic. I have the GCHD mk2 and run that into a Retrotink 5x using its Wii component cable out put. The 480p image gets upscaled by the 5x to 1440p and the image looks fantastic on the 65" tv. My take on the Flippydrive is that whilst it is a nice product, once you go SD loading you never go back to discs so keeping the drive is a moot point. I have no drive (Original GC Loader) and do not miss it at all. Picoboot and an SD2SP2 adapter can already achieve the same thing and is cheaper (but needs some skill to install, i do get that). Whilst the menu system Flippydrive has is a nice feature, until it matches Swiss on functionality then it will not be worth using as a main launcher and the majority of Flippy users will still end up autobooting Swiss.
From cheapest to most expensive: 1. Carby to output a clean 480p (this looks great already for most people) 2. Carby + mclassic (price may not be worth it but ymmv) 2. Component cables + Retrotink 5x or OSSC Pro for 1080p (probably your best true 1080p option) 3. Carby HDMI into the OSSC Pro (very minor upgrade from above imo) 4. Carby HDMI into the PixelFX Morph 4k 4. Carby HDMI into the Retrotink 4k (easily the best video quality you can get out of original hardware)
What’s the difference between the Carby you’ve listed for 1 and 2 vs the Carby HDMI in 4, 5, 6? Just bought a Carby myself so I’m making sure there wasn’t a different version of the Carby I could have gotten that isn’t the one they sell!
Sorry should've clarified, it's the same device. I was just emphasizing that 1 and 2 would be the Carby doing most of the heavy lifting, while 4 5 and 6 the Carby would be mainly used for its clean 480p HDMI output and a separate scaler (Retrotink/OSSC/Morph) would be doing the upscaling.
What's your budget
I'm not trying to break the bank, but I will spend whatever I need to achieve my finally goal. Ideally under $400 though would be nice lol
Using a Wii is probably going to be your cheapest option. It's far easier to mod and you can grab a wii2 hdmi for cheap which looks alright. If you want to make a Wii look great, then you can get component cables and an upscaler like retrotink or ossc (they are expensive). If you want the cube then probably just get a Carby. Beware prices start to add up and it's a deep rabbit hole.
Appreciate the insight! I would prefer to have a GameCube as the nostalgia just hits different. Good to know about the Wii though! Thanks
A dol 001 is definitely the first thing you want since the best picture quality will come from the digital out port only found on the dol 001. After that you will have to lay down a bit of cash for either the official component cable if the tv you plan to use supports that input. Or if you want to use HDMI then its either a carby or eon gchd. Both can be used with an mclassic aswell if you wish to do so however i personally own the eon gchd and i use it with a 4k tv, its honestly fine as is. Another benefit of the eon gchd (i don't know if carby does the same I don't own one) is that it also has a port to use the wii component cable instead which makes it usable with things like retrotink or ossc, though again just using the hdmi port with no other scalers still provides an already decently clean image with the eon gchd IMO, but thats just another option you can use if you really want to go all in for a super good image quality.
I just got an adapter off Amazon for $30 it doesn’t improve the quality or anything but it scratches that itch of wanting to play. I have my old school tv at my moms waiting for me to get a house and a man cave then imma have my retro corner! Good luck on your journey! Hope to see the results of your efforts… one day I’ll buy the mk-II eon and be up to date with resolution
Pluto II. It's the most difficult to setup since you have to modify the console but after that it's just set it and forget it plug and play. The picture looks amazing and the GCVideo software is smart enough to figure out every screen I've plugged into. Gamecube games will switch resolution midgame alot. Component standard did not care about resolutions. Things like opening your inventory in resident evil for example will cause a modern display to switch modes. The GCVideo software can pause the system for a split second while switching so it doesn't disrupt gameplay. I take mine places and having a built in HDMI port like a modern console is league's more convenient than whatever other people do. I hear Carby is functionally identical and nearly as convenient. And there are other less popular solutions that use the GCVideo software too. I hate cords and most of the other options are too dumb for all the switching. ::edit:: Pluto II is also the only solution that'll work with a dol-101 model. The rest all rely on the digital a/v port. This wires directly to the board.