Megadrive Advice

[smithers0105]

I currently have a PAL MD that I picked up from a car boot (a fiver, no less), but it's in the loft as it's obviously 50hz only and I don't currently have an RGB scart lead or 6 button pad.

Anyway, the talk of the 20 Year MD anniversary got me looking on eBay. I'm not sure whether it's better to pick up a Japanese or Asian MD and get it modded, if it's not already, or to just get my PAL one modded. I must say, that since my first MD 19 years ago was a Japanese machine (unmodded), I much prefer the styling/colouring of those units to the European design. Also, the car boot one has either slightly worn edge connectors or just needs a clean, as the carts need a good hard shove for them to power on and play.

For example, is this Asian MD on eBay worth getting? (I'd be offering the seller less though, given no PSU). I am unclear from reading Wikipedia if an Asian MD can naturally play both PAL & NTSC (presumably at 60hz) and that this seller is confusing the switch on the back as "PAL/NTSC" when it's really a 50/60hz switch, but more confusing is he says the switch allows Jap games to run full screen?? (suggesting that the Asian MD outputs 50hz PAL by default??). I would mainly be looking to be able to run PAL games at 60hz or run Genesis carts at 60, but I remember that my 2nd MD, which was a modded Japanese unit, had 2 switches on the back, not one. It's 15 years since I had that MD, so the old grey matter can't remember exactly if the switches were PAL/NTSC and 50/60hz or one of those plus English/Jap language!

Any guidance appreciated!

[belmondo]

Asian MDs (MD 1 at least) are PAL machines in a Japanese case, but with no cartridge slot tabs. This means they can play UK and US games, plus Jap games that don't have region lockout, but they run at 50Hz.

You are right that you can fit two switches to an MD, one for 50/60Hz and one for language (Jap/Eng). With both of those fitted, you should be able to play any game at 60Hz.

[mmmonkey]

The Asian MD is PAL 50hz by default, so that one has been modified with a PAL/NTSC switch (that hole is where the Master System Powerbase converter secures to the console). I've only ever tried connecting up a MD using either RF or RGB, I know when my modded PAL machine was put in NTSC mode the RF Modulator in the console didn't like it and would output a dodgy B&W picture which the RGB lead obviously bypassed and sorted out easily (there are mods to further tinker around and get full colour without an RGB lead, but RGB is definately the way to go!). I recently picked up an Asian machine and the jumpers inside the machine were configured exactly the same as my UK machine.

Machines with 2 switches are for switching between PAL/NTSC and ENG/JPN language. This will allow you to run any MD/Genesis game, some have territory lockout so the switches will allow you to manually set the machines region and alter it on the fly.

I picked up the Asian machine just for the colouring and wide cart slot, a lot of the japenese machines advertised on ebay seem to be asian ones for some reason, they even say PAL on the label on the bottom.

Pete
(most of the above are my assumptions, based on the couple of machines I've bought recently! hopefully someone else will confirm or poo-poo what I just typed)

[Yakumo]

NOT all Asian MDs are PAL. The ones sold in Japan and Taiwan are NTSC. Take a look at my site under hardware - www.segagagadomain.com. Below are the box scans of the Japanese and Asian Mega Drive system. Both are NTSC. The PAL Asian Mega Drive have a whopping PAL silver sticker on the box but apart from that the boxes are the same as the NTSC Asian system.




Yakumo

[smithers0105]

Thanks all. I guess my main question about that eBay console, now that I know it runs at PAL/50Hz by default, is if I bought that particular Asian MD, will I be able to plug in the English PAL games I have already got and run them at 60Hz with the switch flipped to NTSC mode?
(I would definately pick up an RGB scart to plug it in to my LCD TV).
Also, I assume my PAL UK PSU will power this Asian MD no problem? (since it doesn't come with one)
Cheers!

[buster_broon]

there is a chap here called Chaoticjelly who could mod your current MD to do all manner of things

[egparadigm]

Thanks all. I guess my main question about that eBay console, now that I know it runs at PAL/50Hz by default, is if I bought that particular Asian MD, will I be able to plug in the English PAL games I have already got and run them at 60Hz with the switch flipped to NTSC mode?

That should be fine. The internals of all MD1s are more or less identical, it's just a question of which parts are soldered together inside. When you switch the right combination together, you effectively make it into a foreign console. (Waits for someone to say he's talking out his arse.)

As far as power is concerned, I understand a UK PSU will work fine, but wait for confirmation from someone who knows for sure.

If you ever did want to perform a mod, the MD is the perfect starting place as it's a piece of piss.

[mmmonkey]

Thanks for clearing up the PAL Asian thing Yakumo Is it only Japanese models that have the cartridge lock mechanism?

smithers0105, like monimaniacpat says, your UK PSU will be fine with it. And you would be able to use your PAL games with it, some might have territory lockout, but you'll be able to start in PAL mode and flick to NTSC one started (my Smurfs game checks the territory everytime it loads the title screen though, so it's a constant battle of changing modes!)

[Yakumo]

Thanks for clearing up the PAL Asian thing Yakumo Is it only Japanese models that have the cartridge lock mechanism?

As far as I know only the Japanese systems have the cartridge lock. I'm pretty sure the PAL Asian machines don't because some of the games come on western style carts which wouldn't work with the cartridge lock in place.

Yakumo

[AndyB]

The UK PSU works fine on any Megadrive, as they all run off the same voltage and wattage. Asian consoles do not have the cartridge lock, but do have the wider slot which is a bonus.

If you want a switchless mod for your megadrive I can do it discounted for forum members - see my thread: http://ntsc-uk.domino.org/showthread.php?t=91411

AndyB

[m3evo]

there is a chap here called Chaoticjelly who could mod your current MD to do all manner of things

what sort of things can a modded Megadrive do?

[dosucol]

NOT all Asian MDs are PAL. The ones sold in Japan and Taiwan are NTSC. Take a look at my site under hardware - www.segagagadomain.com. Below are the box scans of the Japanese and Asian Mega Drive system. Both are NTSC. The PAL Asian Mega Drive have a whopping PAL silver sticker on the box but apart from that the boxes are the same as the NTSC Asian system.




Yakumo

See,this is where i'm getting a bit confused.

Right ,the top box is of the ntsc/60 hz japanese mega drive,has the handle on the top,just as i remember when i bought one from mega ware,in sunderland,many years ago.

The bottom picture is of the asian mega drive,which i have always understood as being pal/50 hz(says Pal on the bottom of the MD,even says PAL on the PCB)and if this was connected via the included rf lead,to a UK tv,it would tune in perfectly(even on a old UK tv which doesn't support foreign tv signals),try connecting this to jap tv via the rf lead and you can't,as the rf lead's plug will not fit into the japanese tv,as the rf socket is more like for an f connecter type(a bit like what you use on your satelite cable ends),but has to be screwed in.(this is what's on the back of my Divers tv,so i asume this is now the norm(but i have seen a different rf box which comes with the old sega SG-1000's))

And if you chop off the rf lead's plug and fit the f connecter screw type plug,then when you try tuning in the japanese tv to this asian pal console,you will just get a black and white picture, white noise for sound and a slower running game,same thing when using a composite lead,but you do get normal sound(tried both on my Divers).

The same results with a UK pal ps2,UK pal sega mastersystem on the japanese divers tv,you get a black and white picture,reverse the tv's again,and i'd get a black and white picture when i connect up a core grafx ,or sg-1000 to this old UK tv(different tv modulators,incompatible frequencies).

And i've so far bought 2 of the asian mega drive's,one with the great big PAL sticker on the front,and one without it,both were of the slow ,****ty pal 50hz uk/australian tv versions,but you say there are 60hz ntsc versions out there.

I always just assumed the bottom boxed ones,were hongkong manufactured,and as they were under British rule at the time,these consoles were made to output the same tv standard as the rest of the "British empire"

Yakumo,i hope that's not coming across as me,saying you're talking nonsense,as it's not meant to,Just what i thought to be true for many years, isn't.

[Yakumo]

What you need to understand that the "ASIAN" Mega Drive means any Mega Drive that was sold anywhere in Asia outside of Japan. The top box is japan Only. It was NEVER sold in any other country officially, only imported. The bottom box is the same box used for ALL Asian Mega Drives at that time (After the original Japanese one had been on sale for about 1 year). These are either PAL or NTSC. The PAL ones as you know have the big PAL logo on the box while the NTSC ones don't. The NTSC ones were only sold officially in Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines. The rest of Asia such as Hong Kong got the ****ty PAL unit with slower speed and boarders just like a UK Mega Drive but looked like a Japanese one.

As for me talking trash, well I don't think you are saying I am but just to clarify things Japan does not use any PAL equipment at all. Both of those Mega Drives were bought in Japan (since this is where I live) and both are fully NTSC full speed systems and won't work on a standard PAL TV in colour via RF.

Yakumo

[dosucol]

What you need to understand that the "ASIAN" Mega Drive means any Mega Drive that was sold anywhere in Asia outside of Japan. The top box is japan Only. It was NEVER sold in any other country officially, only imported. The bottom box is the same box used for ALL Asian Mega Drives at that time (After the original Japanese one had been on sale for about 1 year). These are either PAL or NTSC. The PAL ones as you know have the big PAL logo on the box while the NTSC ones don't. The NTSC ones were only sold officially in Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines. The rest of Asia such as Hong Kong got the ****ty PAL unit with slower speed and boarders just like a UK Mega Drive but looked like a Japanese one.



As for me talking trash, well I don't think you are saying I am but just to clarify things Japan does not use any PAL equipment at all. Both of those Mega Drives were bought in Japan (since this is where I live) and both are fully NTSC full speed systems and won't work on a standard PAL TV in colour via RF.

Yakumo

Thanks,it's nice to have those two confusing issues, clearly explained.

So the next one i think about buying,( if it's being sold with that bottom box,)i'm just going to ask the seller for a picture of the consoles base,just to be sure of what i'm buying .

And the Talking trash,no man,it should have came across as me sitting here scratching my head,getting confused,as i've told a few sellers that they were selling a pal 50hz machine,when i've probably been making a right fool of myself,(and i've probably missed out on a few good deals ) because of what i thought to be true .

But they did have a UK type rf lead with them,so maybe i was right?

[dosucol]

One last thing,i see from a few of your posts,that your a seller,do you have an ebay shop or something?

Just i thought i'd ask ,if i wanted an original japanese mega drive,the one with the plastic handle on the top of the box, what would you normally sell one for,as at least with you i'd know i was getting the right version,and it would be less hassle than using yahoo japan and a proxy bidding service.