Genesis s-video problem [Archive] - Retrogaming Roundtable

PSony

11-09-2009, 04:50 PM

I have 2 s-video modded Genesis 1's and they both have the same problem. When I hook them up to my tv through s-video, sometimes the picture is only in black and white and there are horizontal lines all over. The reds appear as light-red/pink and doesn't look colorful.

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/2961/p1010053u.jpg
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/4513/p1010054sp.jpg
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/1179/p1010056f.jpg
http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/2429/p1010057a.jpg

Does anyone know what the problem is? My Dreamcast also displays in black and white when using s-video, but my Saturn with s-video displays perfectly fine.

Agressivadue

11-09-2009, 07:05 PM

Bad cables? Do you use a selector box?

Incidently I tried running the composite video from an un-modded Genesis into a composite to s-video adaptor cable that I had laying around, and I got black and white video too. Granted you said yours IS modded and I don't know why your DC wouldn't work, other than a bad cable or connection between your hardware and TV.

PC-ENGINE HELL

11-09-2009, 07:13 PM

Color wise looks like a similar problem others showed me when doing the old mod with the screwed up reds and stuff..

Mitch

11-09-2009, 11:06 PM

Have you tried it on a different TV?

Mitch

PSony

11-09-2009, 11:39 PM

I have it hooked up directly to the tv. I'll try it on another one tomorrow.

Spazmonkey

11-10-2009, 12:43 AM

If the Chroma line gets grounded from either jumbling around or touching the nearby ground pin, it will go black or white. If the mod board is the old one, a resistor that's not too precise anymore, a dry cap maybe, lots of things with that old one.

The new mod is a transistor and a cap, a baby could do it, and you can easily control the brightness of the picture with resistors tied to the ends of said components.

PSony

11-10-2009, 06:11 PM

I tried it on my other tv and it works, but unfortunately it's the one that's in our kitchen. Weird how my 19" Vizio lcd hdtv works perfectly, while my 32" Sony lcd hdtv messes it all up.

Would there be any difference if I hook up the Genesis to an av selector box instead of directly to the tv?

PC-ENGINE HELL

11-10-2009, 07:29 PM

Probably not, but if your LCD has VGA in, you can locate a s-video to VGA adapter and try that, see if maybe it helps you fix your problem there. Usually you can find basic versions of the adapters for around 70 bucks on ebay, and they will convert composite and s-video to VGA.

PSony

11-10-2009, 10:32 PM

My computer uses the VGA port.

Are there any differences between using composite video on the Genesis vs using s-video with an s-video-to-composite adapter?

Agressivadue

11-10-2009, 11:33 PM

I tried it on my other tv and it works, but unfortunately it's the one that's in our kitchen. Weird how my 19" Vizio lcd hdtv works perfectly, while my 32" Sony lcd hdtv messes it all up.

Would there be any difference if I hook up the Genesis to an av selector box instead of directly to the tv?

Did your 32" TV work OK before?

I just read this in another thread. Maybe it will help you: http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=87708

PSony

11-11-2009, 05:11 PM

It works but with only certain consoles it seems. Genesis/Dreamcast doesn't work properly in s-video, while all Saturns work fine in s-video. Guess I'll have to live with composite. At least it doesn't look as bad as rf and isn't in mono.

Agressivadue

11-11-2009, 07:38 PM

It works but with only certain consoles it seems. Genesis/Dreamcast doesn't work properly in s-video, while all Saturns work fine in s-video. Guess I'll have to live with composite. At least it doesn't look as bad as rf and isn't in mono.

Then I figure your problem is that the TV sucks, and recommend you get a CRT to play your older games on.

FABombjoy

11-11-2009, 10:10 PM

Out of curiousity, which S-video mod did you use?

PC-ENGINE HELL

11-12-2009, 02:39 AM

He didnt do the mod, just bought it pre-modded.

ooXxXoo

11-12-2009, 10:47 AM

The single npn transistor for luma is fine, but instead using resistors for the output, I use a 1k pot....Same goes for Chroma, just a 220uf cap and another 1k pot...By adjusting both, makes the s-video signal perfect and gets rid of the vertical lines background effect/noise that some people experience when using resistors instead....
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