SNES problem - Green lines [Archive] - Retrogaming Roundtable

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Moriya

03-24-2009, 04:23 AM

Here's my problem:

I am using my SNES on my LCD tv and when I use Multi-out A/V, I am getting a band of green when there is black on the screen about 1/3 of the way from the left.
NES is also doing the same thing.

I have used my NGCD and N64 on the same input and do not have this problem.

Anyone have any ideas why this might be happening?

Doesn't do this on RF but would rather use RCA because RF gets static.

SnowKitty

03-24-2009, 05:27 AM

have you tried it on another TV?

Moriya

03-24-2009, 06:18 AM

I haven't...

I was hoping for a fix so I can play it on a 46" LCD instead of a 27" CRT.

izarate

03-24-2009, 10:00 AM

Are you using an aftermarket AC adapter?

Moriya

03-26-2009, 04:12 AM

Are you using an aftermarket AC adapter?

Nope.
I tried 2 different official Nintendo adapters.
I will take a pic to show you guys what I mean...its not like green lines that run up and down the screen.
Its just a band of green that appears in the same place everytime from top to bottom.

Moriya

03-31-2009, 05:35 AM

FABombjoy

03-31-2009, 08:58 AM

If that happens on both the NES & SNES, it's the TV.

Some ED/HD TVs just don't work well with non-interlaced SD signals. Although this banding is strange enough that it almost seems like a hardware fault, but if it doesn't appear for any other SD source then it probably isn't hardware related.

It would appear that you're not alone:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/index.php/t-696736.html

Moriya

04-01-2009, 02:35 AM

Thanks for that link.
Maybe I can try that signal "washing" as they call it and run it through something else first and see if that cleans up the picture.

The strange thing tho, they are getting it with n64 too, but I am not. I am using the same cable as the SNES.

BTW, what did you search for to find that? I couldn't find anything when I searched for that issue.

FABombjoy

04-01-2009, 08:43 AM

At the time I was searching for "NES artifacting". I was looking for some documentation that the NES might use video tricks, timings, or modes that a modern TV's signal processor might not be set up to handle.

izarate

04-01-2009, 10:16 AM

Here are some links to pics.
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m48/MoriyaMinakata/DSC03352.jpg
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m48/MoriyaMinakata/DSC03353.jpg
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m48/MoriyaMinakata/DSC03354.jpg

Its always in that same spot.
This only happens with NES and SNES too...
I tried different AV cables, different inputs, and 2 SNESes

After inspecting those pictures, I can tell you that the same lines are present even in CRT TVs. It's just that they are less noticeable:

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/3029/img2327vg0.jpg
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/6034/img2328sr3.jpg

That is because the SNES uses a non-standard way to compose the picture, as FABombjoy has stated. Maybe your LCD TV has a different reaction than CRT TVs. The pictures are from a SHVC-CPU-01 (first revision) and a SNS-CPU-GPM-02 (third revision) on a CRT Triniton Wega.

The SNES Jr. has a proper video encoder so it might not have this issue. I'll test it and let you know.

Orion Pimpdaddy

04-01-2009, 03:50 PM

If you upgrade to a s-video cable for the SNES, the problem may go away.

izarate

04-01-2009, 10:32 PM

If you upgrade to a s-video cable for the SNES, the problem may go away.

It's the same with S-Video. The lines are still there. My pictures were shot while using an S-Video cable.

Moriya

04-02-2009, 04:32 AM

Its not that its that bad, but still a bit irritating.
Usually (except with Flashback) it doesn't even come up during gameplay, although I need to see what it looks like in Super Metriod.

SnowKitty

04-02-2009, 12:20 PM

After inspecting those pictures, I can tell you that the same lines are present even in CRT TVs. It's just that they are less noticeable:

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/3029/img2327vg0.jpg
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/6034/img2328sr3.jpg

That is because the SNES uses a non-standard way to compose the picture, as FABombjoy has stated. Maybe your LCD TV has a different reaction than CRT TVs. The pictures are from a SHVC-CPU-01 (first revision) and a SNS-CPU-GPM-02 (third revision) on a CRT Triniton Wega.

The SNES Jr. has a proper video encoder so it might not have this issue. I'll test it and let you know.
i hooked a snes up to an RGB monitor a while back, it didnt have that problem. it did get it thru S-video though

Draven

04-08-2009, 10:37 PM

I had a similar problem with my SNES but I was using the RF unit. I tried different cables from other systems, different tvs, etc. On the back of the SNES the RF plug was so corroded it was interfering with the signal. I cleaned it by scraping the corrosion off with a wire brush and presto...perfect picture...but it sounds like your problem is alot more complicated than that. All I can say is try the simple things first. Good luck, I'll keep an eye on your progress.

izarate

01-14-2010, 09:46 AM

The SNES Jr. doesn't produce the lines.

Orion Pimpdaddy

01-14-2010, 11:20 AM

Make sure there are no large magnets near the screen (from speakers). Just a thought.

Leo_A

01-14-2010, 11:40 PM

For anyone that is curious about this and has never noticed it before, an excellent game to see this odd effect is the title screen in Star Fox. Shows up really well there for some reason.

I even called Nintendo support back in the day thinking something was wrong with my cartridge or console, but ended up never doing anything about it.