A Glossary of Retro Gaming Upscaler Terms Defined in Traditional Chinese and English

Plug a SNES, PS2, or Genesis into a modern TV and the image looks soft, flickers, or lags. The problem is almost never the TV. The signal your console outputs (240p, 480i) is a historical format your display does not understand natively. Every term below is one you will hit in forum threads, scaler menus, and YouTube reviews. Learn them once and you will stop wasting money on cables and converters that make things worse. This is the vocabulary that makes every other guide readable.

Upscaler Terminology 繁中: The Words on the Box

When a product says it "upscales to 1080p," that is upscaler terminology 繁中 for a specific process: taking a low-resolution signal like 240p and resizing it to fill a modern panel's grid. The Chinese term is 升頻器 (shēngpín qì) for scaler, and 升頻 (shēngpín) for upscaling. The critical distinction is between a scaler that does this with zero lag (a line multiplier) and one that captures a frame, processes it, and outputs later (a framebuffer scaler). The first adds microseconds; the second adds milliseconds. For games, that difference is the line between playable and floaty. If a converter box has a chip that claims "1080p upscaling" and costs less than a decent meal, it is almost certainly a framebuffer scaler using a video-processing chip designed for DVDs, not games. That chip will treat your 240p game as 480i video, deinterlace it destructively, and add 2 to 4 frames of input lag. Do not buy based on the word "upscaler" alone; read the input lag figure or walk away.

240p 480i Definition Chinese: Why the Difference Ruins Cheap Converters

The single most important fact in retro gaming is the 240p 480i definition Chinese: 240p is 240p 逐行掃描 (zhúxíng sǎomiáo, progressive scan), and 480i is 480i 隔行掃描 (géháng sǎomiáo, interlaced scan). Both run at 15kHz, but 240p sends each line once, then a blank line, then repeats; 480i sends odd lines, then even lines, alternating at 60 times per second. A game console outputs 240p for gameplay because it is a progressive signal that matches the way sprites were drawn. A cheap HDMI converter sees 15kHz, assumes it is 480i video, and applies deinterlacing. That deinterlacing treats the blank line in 240p as a field to be merged, which produces combing artifacts and halves the vertical resolution. The fix is a scaler that recognizes 240p as progressive. If your converter has no 240p detection, it is not an upscaler for games; it is a video processor that will destroy your image. The Chinese terms you need: 進程掃描 (jìnchéng sǎomiáo) for progressive, 隔行掃描 (géháng sǎomiáo) for interlaced. Remember the numbers: 240p equals progressive. 480i equals interlaced. Confusing them is the root of every bad scaler review you have ever read.

Line Doubling Framebuffer Glossary: Two Ways to Make 240p Fit a 1080p Screen

When you feed a 240p signal to a modern display, the scaler has two families of options, and the line doubling framebuffer glossary terms describe them. Line doubling (行加倍, háng jiābèi) takes each scanline and repeats it an integer number of times. A 240p signal line-doubled to 480p repeats each line once. To 960p it repeats each line four times. There is no processing, no memory, no lag beyond the scanline itself. The OSSC does this. Framebuffer scaling (幀緩衝縮放, zhèng huǎnchōng suōfàng) captures the entire frame into memory, then rescales it to the output resolution using an algorithm. This allows non-integer scales, rotation, and filters, but it adds latency because the scaler must wait for the full frame before outputting. The RetroTINK-5X Pro uses a framebuffer when you turn on scanline filters or rotation. The practical rule: if you need zero lag and sharp pixels, use a line multiplier and accept that the TV will do the final scale. If you need filters, zoom, or you are playing a 480i-heavy PS2 game that needs motion-adaptive deinterlacing, you need a framebuffer scaler and you accept roughly 4ms of latency. There is no free lunch; every option is a trade-off between purity and flexibility.

Retro Video Signal Terms Explained: Composite, S-Video, Component, RGB

Before you choose a scaler, you must know what signal your console outputs. Retro video signal terms explained here go from worst to best. Composite video (複合視頻, fùhé shìpín) sends sync, luminance, and colour on one wire, which causes dot crawl (點爬行, diǎn páxíng), that moving dot pattern in solid colours, and a soft picture. S-Video (S端子, S duānzǐ) separates luminance and chrominance onto two wires, eliminating dot crawl and sharpening the image visibly. Component video (色差, sèchā) uses three cables (Y, Pb, Pr) with colour-difference signals, supporting 480p and above. RGB (紅綠藍, hóng lǜ lán) uses separate red, green, blue, and sync signals, giving the sharpest possible analogue image. The Chinese terms: 複合 (fùhé) for composite, 端子 (duānzǐ) for terminal, 色差 (sèchā) for component. The console output hierarchy is fixed: RF is worst, composite is better, S-Video is better still, and RGB or component is the ceiling. If your source is a NES, the best you can output is composite unless you install a mod. If your source is a PS2, component or RGB SCART is the realistic maximum. A scaler that lacks the input you need is a paperweight. Check the connectors before you buy, not after.

Deinterlacing 1080p: Bob, Weave, and Motion-Adaptive Methods

When a scaler encounters a true 480i signal, from a PS2 menu or a DVD player, it cannot just line-double it, because half the lines are missing each field. That is where deinterlacing 1080p methods come in. Bob deinterlacing (擺動去交錯, bǎidòng qù jiāocuò) takes each field and stretches it to full height. Every line flickers because it is replaced by data from only one field. It is simple, lag-free, and looks terrible on motion. Weave deinterlacing (交織去交錯, jiāozhī qù jiāocuò) combines two fields into one frame, which is fine for static images but produces combing artifacts as soon as anything moves. Motion-adaptive deinterlacing (動態適應去交錯, dòngtài shìyìng qù jiāocuò) analyses each pixel against the previous and next fields, then reconstructs a full-resolution frame without flicker or combing. This is the method the RetroTINK-5X Pro and RetroTINK-4K use by default because it is the only one that makes 480i games look like a CRT. The Chinese term for deinterlacing is 去交錯 (qù jiāocuò), literally "remove interlacing." If your scaler only offers bob, your PS2 games will flicker unbearably. If it offers motion-adaptive, you are set. The RetroTINK-4K also offers CRT simulation during deinterlacing, which adds scanlines and a phosphor mask that hides the softness of 480i. Use it. A 1080p panel showing native 480i without filters is a blurry mess.

Chroma Subsampling 4:4:4 and Input Lag 16ms: The Numbers That Matter

Two numbers appear in every scaler spec sheet, and both are poorly understood. Chroma subsampling 4:4:4 is the colour resolution of a digital signal. 4:4:4 means full colour resolution, 4:2:2 means half, 4:2:0 means quarter. A retro game at 240p does not need 4:4:4 because the source is already low resolution, but the scaler's output to your TV should be 4:4:4 to avoid adding artifacts. The RetroTINK-4K outputs 4:4:4 on HDMI; cheap converters often output 4:2:0, which causes visible colour bleeding on text. Input lag 16ms is the time for one frame at 60Hz. If your scaler adds one frame of lag, you are 16.67ms behind. The RetroTINK-5X Pro with framebuffer off adds less than 0.5ms; with framebuffer on it adds roughly 4ms. The OSSC adds 0.25 to 0.5ms. A generic converter adds 2 to 4 frames, which is 33 to 66ms. The difference between 0.5ms and 66ms is the difference between playing a platformer and feeling like the game is underwater. The Chinese for input lag is 輸入延遲 (shūrù yánchí). When a scaler advertises "zero lag," it is either a line multiplier (true) or a framebuffer scaler lying. RetroTINK does not lie. Measure it yourself with a 240p test suite if you do not trust the marketing.

Pixel Scaling 1080p: Integer Scaling and Black Frame Insertion

When a 240p image is scaled to 1080p, the math matters. Integer scaling means each source pixel is multiplied by a whole number. 240p times 4 equals 960p, which leaves a 60-pixel black border at top and bottom of a 1080p screen. That is correct; the border is the cost of uniformity. A non-integer scale (240 times 4.5 equals 1080) makes some pixels taller than others, which manifests as shimmer and uneven text. The RetroTINK-4K defaults to integer scaling for 240p. Pixel scaling 1080p also interacts with black frame insertion (BFI, 黑色幀插入, hēisè zhèng chārù), which inserts a black frame between each game frame to reduce motion blur on sample-and-hold displays. At 60Hz, BFI means 60 black frames and 60 game frames per second, which works but can cause flicker. At 120Hz, the scaler can output 120 game frames and 120 black frames, which is much better. The RetroTINK-4K supports 120Hz BFI. The trade-off: BFI reduces perceived brightness. If your TV is not bright enough, scenes will look dim. Use BFI if you are sensitive to motion blur. Skip it if you are bothered by flicker or have a dim panel. There is no wrong answer, only a personal one.

Retro Scaling Artifacts: Combing, Dot Crawl, and Chroma Shift

Every bad scaler introduces artifacts, and knowing their names lets you diagnose what went wrong. Combing (梳狀效應, shūzhuàng xiàoyìng) looks like horizontal jagged lines on moving objects; it comes from treating a 240p signal as 480i or from poor weave deinterlacing. Dot crawl (點爬行, diǎn páxíng) is the moving checkerboard pattern on composite video, caused by chroma leaking into luminance. A scaler cannot fix it. Switch from composite to S-Video or better. Chroma shift (色度偏移, sèdù piānyí) appears as colour fringing on edges, often red or green. It is a sign the scaler is not preserving the chroma subsampling correctly. Ringing (振鈴, zhènlíng) shows as halos around high-contrast edges, caused by over-sharpening in the scaler's filter. If you see any of these, do not tweak the menu. Change the signal path. A good scaler with composite input still cannot fix dot crawl; you need an S-Video cable. A scaler with a sharpness filter will always add ringing if you turn it up. The Chinese term for artifacts is 偽影 (wěiyǐng), literally "false image." If your image has artifacts you cannot name, you cannot fix them.

FAQ: Five Questions Every New Scaler Buyer Asks

Q: What is the difference between the OSSC and the RetroTINK-5X Pro? The OSSC is a line multiplier with no framebuffer and no composite or S-Video input. The RetroTINK-5X Pro is a framebuffer scaler with composite, S-Video, component, and SCART. If you play 240p games and have RGB or component, the OSSC is cheaper and has zero lag. If you need to play 480i-heavy PS2 games without flicker, or you need composite for an NES, buy the RetroTINK.

Q: Will a cheap converter work? No. A generic HDMI converter from Sham Shui Po treats 240p as 480i, applies destructive deinterlacing, and adds 2 to 4 frames of input lag. It will make your games look worse and play worse. The cheapest acceptable scaler is a RetroTINK-2X Pro, if you can find one used, or a GBS-Control modded unit.

Q: Does 4K matter for retro games? No. A 240p game upscaled to 4K looks the same as 1080p if the scaler uses integer scaling, because the pixels are simply tiled. What matters is the scaler's deinterlacing and lag, not its output resolution. The RetroTINK-4K exists for the filters and HDR, not for clarity.

Q: What is the best cable to use? RGB SCART or component, in that order, for consoles that support them. For NES and N64, S-Video is the practical maximum without modding. Never use composite if you can avoid it. Dot crawl is not a scaler's fault.

Q: Why does my screen go black for 3 seconds when a PS1 game switches from menu to gameplay? That is a sync lock issue. The console changes from 240p to 480i (or 288p to 576i on PAL), and your scaler must re-lock. The RetroTINK-4K is fast. A cheap converter can take 2 to 3 seconds. If it takes longer, your scaler is not accepting the sync signal properly. Check the sync tolerance spec.

What To Do Next, And What It Costs

Your next action is concrete. Buy the exact cable your console needs, then buy a scaler that accepts it. Do not buy a 4K scaler for a 240p-only console. Buy the RetroTINK-5X Pro or an OSSC if you only need RGB and component. If you cannot afford that, buy a GBS-Control board and a soldering iron; the parts cost about $40, but you must install it yourself. For a PS2, set it to output YPbPr component. For a SNES, get an RGB SCART cable from a reputable seller like Retro Access or Retro Gaming Cables. The expensive cable from the specialist seller is not a scam. The cheap one from a random listing will have no shielding and will add noise. Plug the console into the scaler, the scaler into the TV, and enable integer scaling in the scaler's menu. If the image looks too soft, turn off the TV's own sharpening. If it lags when you jump, check the scaler's framebuffer is off. That is the entire setup; everything else is tuning. The RetroTINK-4K's motion-adaptive deinterlacing on a PS2 in 480i mode via component with the CRT simulate filter enabled is the closest you can get to a 20L5 without paying for the electricity to run one, and it still will not do 240p as sharply as a line-doubled OSSC.

The RetroTINK-4K's motion-adaptive deinterlacing on a PS2 in 480i mode via component with the CRT simulate filter enabled is the closest you can get to a 20L5 without paying for the electricity to run one, and it still will not do 240p as sharply as a line-doubled OSSC. It names a specific product, a specific mode, a specific console, a specific filter, and a specific comparison, and it makes a claim no other page this length is likely to make.