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SNES RGB cable woes

  • 16-09-2010 8:37pm
    #1
    Posts: 0


    I got an RGB SCART cable for my SNES from eBay a while back. While it works, the picture quality isn't great. There's visible moiré patterns in the picture and on bright images I can hear a buzz in the audio. I've tried it on two TVs, one a 21" CRT, so I know it must be an issue with the cable. Due to the patterning the standard composite cable is actually better quality! :eek: I cracked it open to check if there were any caps in the SCART block, there's nothing there except the wires.

    Any ideas whether this can be fixed or should I just get a new cable somewhere?


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Comments

  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 50,702 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    I was going to say to remove the capacitors but since they are gone then it should work fine. Are all the capacitors gone because only certain ones shold be removed according to this guide:

    http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/nintendo/pal-snes-rgb.htm

    Could be an internal problem or a cable problem. Check a gamecube scart cable if you have one. It should give an RGB image for about 5 seconds before fading to black.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    There's absolutely no components in the block, all it has is the cabling. I also just noticed it has no ferrite shield. Maybe it's just a rubbish cable.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Karsini wrote: »
    There's absolutely no components in the block, all it has is the cabling. I also just noticed it has no ferrite shield. Maybe it's just a rubbish cable.

    If it's a third party cable, I know the caps can be hidden anywhere in the cable, it doesn't have to be the block - could be even at the SNES end. Make sure your tv is set for RGB too, as with mine I can change the scart input to various other things.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Just to update this. I decided to get a new cable in the end and went for an official GameCube cable. My intention was to remove the caps and fit 75 ohm resistors instead. I received it today but it seems the cable I got has already been modded.

    It worked on my SNES without any messing and the picture is extremely bright, I have to drop my TV's brightness to zero just to counteract this. Despite this the picture is excellent, I just feel I need to fit the resistors to drop the brightness a little.

    The thing is, I haven't been able to open the damn thing to check, it's held with a locking mechanism at the SCART block end which I've yet to work out how to open up.


  • Registered Users Posts: 279 ✭✭maddymcmaddser


    Hey there, I don't know why you'd want to mod your gamecube cable if it works fine? I've got my Snes, N64 and Gamecube all set up and I just switch my Gamecube scart cable between the 3 of them and they all work perfectly.


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  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Hey there, I don't know why you'd want to mod your gamecube cable if it works fine? I've got my Snes, N64 and Gamecube all set up and I just switch my Gamecube scart cable between the 3 of them and they all work perfectly.

    Stock GameCube cables don't work on a PAL SNES without modification, the SNES expects 75 Ohm resistors on the red, green and blue lines while the GameCube (and Super Famicom) expect 100uF capacitors. Putting a PAL GC cable on a PAL SNES will result in a picture that fades out after a few seconds. Or at least that's what I'm reading online...

    But it seems my cable has had the capacitors removed without having the resistors fitted so the picture is extremely bright.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 50,702 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    It's a very easy mod to get a GC RGB cable working on a SNES:

    http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/nintendo/pal-snes-rgb.htm


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Retr0gamer wrote: »
    It's a very easy mod to get a GC RGB cable working on a SNES:

    http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/nintendo/pal-snes-rgb.htm

    I know how to do it, just can't open the bloody thing! :confused:


  • Registered Users Posts: 121 ✭✭eric90000


    Hey man I'm in the same boat I just bought a RGB cable for my SNES on Ebay. It's a Pal snes and it works like, I get picture and sound through the scart on 2 tv's, however the picture is sort of patterned, like it doesnt blend well together at all, looks bad. The RF cable actually looks better. Any suggestions?


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    In my case it was just a poor quality cable.

    As I mentioned above I got an official GameCube RGB cable to replace it. What I didn't say is that I since managed to open the SCART block and it wasn't modified. So I replaced the capacitors with 75 Ohm resistors and it's now perfect.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 121 ✭✭eric90000


    does it have to be an official gamecube cable? im pretty useless at soldering and electrics, any idea where i cud get a cable that will definatley work straight away?


    Did your picture look sort of pixelated when you got your first cable? with the original RF cable on super mario world, on the map screen, the water looks just normal blue, however with the new RGB cable I can actually see the different tiny light blue/dark blue pixels. pretty crap lookin


  • Registered Users Posts: 55,433 ✭✭✭✭Mr E


    Please don't bump year-old threads. I'll allow it this time since the OP was good enough to reply...


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    eric90000 wrote: »
    does it have to be an official gamecube cable? im pretty useless at soldering and electrics, any idea where i cud get a cable that will definatley work straight away?


    Did your picture look sort of pixelated when you got your first cable? with the original RF cable on super mario world, on the map screen, the water looks just normal blue, however with the new RGB cable I can actually see the different tiny light blue/dark blue pixels. pretty crap lookin

    It was almost like a cross-hatch pattern, so yes it sounds like what you're experiencing. Basically the cable isn't shielded well enough. There's probably other good third party cables out there, I just played it safe with an official one.


  • Registered Users Posts: 34,283 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    eric90000 wrote: »
    Did your picture look sort of pixelated when you got your first cable? with the original RF cable on super mario world, on the map screen, the water looks just normal blue, however with the new RGB cable I can actually see the different tiny light blue/dark blue pixels. pretty crap lookin

    It's not that RGB makes it look pixelated, it's that you get every pixel showing with perfect clarity and colour. With rf they're all blurred and horrible with nasty interference.

    Saying that, I did have one dodgy snes where it wasn't outputting RGB correctly and it did look overly pixelated. Maybe you're having that problem?

    Here's some comparison photos of all the different signal types on a Megadrive.

    rf.jpg

    av.jpg

    rgb.jpg


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 50,702 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    eric90000 wrote: »
    does it have to be an official gamecube cable? im pretty useless at soldering and electrics, any idea where i cud get a cable that will definatley work straight away?

    I'm useless at this stuff as well but it was the first mod I did and it was one of the easiest you can do. Google mmmonkey and there's a tutorial there on how to do it.

    Either that or just get an official cable.


  • Registered Users Posts: 121 ✭✭eric90000


    thanks for the replies. this is basically how my snes looks on my tv (tried both HD LCD and a smaller older TV):

    file.php?id=3096


    file.php?id=3095


    it looks like its been stitched or something.

    the thing is as soon as I switch back to the standard RF cable the background colours etc look normal again, as in they dont look horribly pixelated. Judging from the pictures is it the cable thats at fault would you think? surely its not supposed to look that way.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Retr0gamer wrote: »
    I'm useless at this stuff as well but it was the first mod I did and it was one of the easiest you can do. Google mmmonkey and there's a tutorial there on how to do it.

    Either that or just get an official cable.

    Here's the link - http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/nintendo/pal-snes-rgb.htm

    Though by looking at the OP's pic, this isn't what the problem is. In fact, I can't really tell properly but are you sure those arn't just the pixels on your tv?


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 50,702 CMod ✭✭✭✭Retr0gamer


    If you are playing on a Hi-Def screen it could be artifacts from the TVs upscaler. Have you tried switching the TV to game mode?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Retr0gamer wrote: »
    If you are playing on a Hi-Def screen it could be artifacts from the TVs upscaler. Have you tried switching the TV to game mode? dont. Use an old CRT screen for best results

    Fixed


  • Registered Users Posts: 34,283 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    Enternow - do you remember you had a look at a snes for me a while ago which had weird video issues? I think it was only displaying in black and white or something. You modded it hoping that might fix the problem but unfortunately it didn't.

    I tried it out with a PAL Snes RGB cable and ended up with a weird stitched effect that you can see in the OPs photos. Couldn't figure out what was going on with it as it was the only time I'd ever seen it happen.

    OP - any chance you know someone else with a snes and you could try out your RGB cable with their console? I really hope this isn't some age thing related to on board chips which is eventually going to effect everyones console.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 121 ✭✭eric90000


    EnterNow wrote: »
    Here's the link - http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/nintendo/pal-snes-rgb.htm

    Though by looking at the OP's pic, this isn't what the problem is. In fact, I can't really tell properly but are you sure those arn't just the pixels on your tv?

    I'm pretty sure its not the pixels, its more like a strange stitched pattern, really visible even from a distance. When I use the RF cable (its less defined etc but theres no pattern on the screen).


    I actually have a PAL SNES ordered from ebay that plays both PAL and NTSC/JAP games, I'll try the cable with that and let you know.


  • Registered Users Posts: 121 ✭✭eric90000


    I should note also theres an audible fuzzy noise when the volume is turned up at all, especially when the screen is bright (it seems to disappear when the screen is black). Would this indicate the cable is cheaply made?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    eric90000 wrote: »
    I should note also theres an audible fuzzy noise when the volume is turned up at all, especially when the screen is bright (it seems to disappear when the screen is black). Would this indicate the cable is cheaply made?

    Sounds like a grounding issue so. Where did you get the scart?

    @ o1s1n, yep I remember. The 60Hz mod made no difference, I think it lost a colour channel or two didn't it?


  • Registered Users Posts: 121 ✭✭eric90000


    EnterNow wrote: »
    Sounds like a grounding issue so. Where did you get the scart?

    bought it off ebay less that a week ago, heres the exact cable I got:

    http://www.ebay.ie/itm/110821942700?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649


    opened it up too, looks pretty flimsy, there was the usual wires and 1 capacitor.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    eric90000 wrote: »
    bought it off ebay less that a week ago, heres the exact cable I got:

    http://www.ebay.ie/itm/110821942700?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649


    opened it up too, looks pretty flimsy, there was the usual wires and 1 capacitor.

    When I was at the cable buying phase, I used consolegoods a fair bit & never had an issue. I'd suggest buying a proper PAL RGB Scart from them before you do anything else.


  • Registered Users Posts: 121 ✭✭eric90000


    EnterNow wrote: »
    When I was at the cable buying phase, I used consolegoods a fair bit & never had an issue. I'd suggest buying a proper PAL RGB Scart from them before you do anything else.

    funny enough thats the ebay seller I bought from, Ive heard good things about them also. maybe i just got a dud? he said send it back and he'll have a look at it but its probably not worth my while with postage etc, makes more to sense to just get a new one.


  • Registered Users Posts: 121 ✭✭eric90000


    I've come to the conclusion its actually not the cable at all, but my TV's. the first one I tried was a 47" LG HDTV (which said it had RGB Scart on the back, but probably was digital RGB, not analogue?) and it looked horribly stitched like the pictures. I'm guessing it was the upscaler doing a crappy job, or maybe the TV just doesn't support RGB even though it says it does.

    Then I tried it on an old Sony 32" CRT, but it still looked the same. However it seems I was using it in the wrong Scart socket. There was 3 of them on the back of the Sony, turns out the one that says "VCR" works like a charm, the horrible pattern suddenly disappears. With a little picture tweaking I got it looking great, really crisp and smooth.

    So I'm guessing new HDTVs just dont like SNES's!

    Thanks for all the help, appreciate it!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    eric90000 wrote: »
    I've come to the conclusion its actually not the cable at all, but my TV's. the first one I tried was a 47" LG HDTV (which said it had RGB Scart on the back, but probably was digital RGB, not analogue?) and it looked horribly stitched like the pictures. I'm guessing it was the upscaler doing a crappy job, or maybe the TV just doesn't support RGB even though it says it does.

    Then I tried it on an old Sony 32" CRT, but it still looked the same. However it seems I was using it in the wrong Scart socket. There was 3 of them on the back of the Sony, turns out the one that says "VCR" works like a charm, the horrible pattern suddenly disappears. With a little picture tweaking I got it looking great, really crisp and smooth.

    So I'm guessing new HDTVs just dont like SNES's!

    Thanks for all the help, appreciate it!

    Are you still getting the noise through the crt? Happy days if not, & nope, hdtv's don't like retro consoles. Its ok though, retro consoles don't like them either :p


  • Registered Users Posts: 121 ✭✭eric90000


    EnterNow wrote: »
    Are you still getting the noise through the crt? Happy days if not, & nope, hdtv's don't like retro consoles. Its ok though, retro consoles don't like them either :p

    yeah theres still a bit of noise alright.....its actually just dawned on me, this cable says it also outputs AV Composite in case your TV isn't RGB compatible....to be honest I think thats that I'm seeing. I compared it with a SNES Composite red/white/yellow jack cable and the difference is negligible, so it must be Composite I'm seeing though the RGB cable. It must be the only Scart socket that doesn't support RGB, so it outputs in Composite. when I plug it back into another Scart it immediately looks clearer and more defined but the annoying moire stitch pattern comes back.

    at this stage though I'm not bothered trying to find an old gamecube cable (which are like 60 pounds on ebay!?!). Composite looks decent enough.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 34,283 ✭✭✭✭o1s1n
    Master of the Universe


    That sounds about right, most TVs only support RGB through one scart socket, the others are composite only.

    Any decent RGB scart cable will support composite too. That's why you get a lot of people plugging RGB cables into scart sockets and saying there's 'no difference' - it's purely because what they are seeing is composite.


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