De-blur
De-blur
Some Super Nintendo consoles, particularly the later single chip 1CHIP revisions, apply a subtle blur to the video signal. This was intended to smooth the image on the televisions of the era, but on a sharp modern display or upscaler it can make the picture look softer than necessary. A de-blur modification removes or reduces this filtering for a crisper result.
What causes the blur
The console's video circuitry includes components that gently low pass the signal. On a CRT this softening was barely noticeable, but RGB into a high quality scaler reveals it as a slight haze around edges and text. 1CHIP sharpness
The fix
- The mod typically involves lifting or removing the specific components responsible for the smoothing filter.
- On some boards a simple switch can toggle the de-blur on and off, letting you compare results.
- It is usually combined with an RGB bypass for the sharpest overall picture.
Taste and trade-offs
De-blur is a matter of preference. Some players love the extra sharpness; others find the original softening more pleasant, since it can hide dithering patterns the developers expected a blurry display to blend. A switchable mod lets you decide per game.
If you already have RGB output and want every last bit of clarity, de-blur is the finishing touch. Because it targets only a couple of components, it is a relatively small addition to a larger video mod.