Gamecube NTSC/PAL/RGB driving me nuts

[scarredbyvideogames]

Hi all.Hope some kind soul can help me with a couple of questions before I drive myself crazy trying to figure it out! - and ,yes...I read all the faqs but I dont think it covers this

I got a Ninty Euro RGB cable today - does anyone know - since it uses the AV port - is it really 'true' RGB?It looks a real cheapo cable and Im suspicious! - I had a look at Zelda WW earlier and it looks fine - but not a lot different to using my composite connection - actually I could'nt tell!

Also - You know the 60hz mode on PAL games?Well,whats the difference - in terms of refresh rate/picture quality - between that and a ntsc game which I use on my US 'cube.It's not the same is it? - My tv is a modern Sony - supports both types of ntsc and also PAL 60.Im assuming then that the PAL game in 60hz mode is utilising the PAL 60 ability of my tele.

Anyway - Im going to take the plunge this week and try and track down one of those modded RGB cables so my US games dont look as if Im playing them through a thick fog - hope it works! - but if the PAL 60hz option is of same or similar quaility to an ntsc game played through a modded RGB cable I might start buying more PAL games and import less...

any and all advice will be VERY much appreciated!

[superkully]

Your RGB cable won't work on you NTSC cube (they don't do RGB). If you want RGB out of a NTSC cube you need an expensive cable that takes the colour from the digital output and the sync from the AV/Out.

Dunno whether you have a PAL cube AND a US Cube, but if you have a PAl cube, the image quality change should be markedly different. Remember that most TVs only accept RGB through the 1st SCART box and you may need to select RGB input in your TVs menu (although every TV I've used does it automatically).

[charlesr]

If you can't tell the difference between composite and rgb then your cable is not rgb. If you are using a normal UK Nintendo rgb cable on an import machine, then it will just output composite. You need the modded cable to get rgb on an import GC. Get one! You will be astonished at the difference. Composite is evil.

[scarredbyvideogames]

Wow - thanks for the quick responses!

'superkully' - I had'nt made it clear but yes,I have a Euro AND a US cube - and yes I did expect the picture to be a big improvement using my Nintendo RGB cable with my PAL cube and well - it just was'nt - but perhaps 'Wind Waker' isnt the best game to try with those garish graphics - Ill try another later,and yes my tv switches automatically to RGB.This is why Im a little suspicious about the Nintendo cable - and even if it is a true RGB one it doesnt look like a good quality one.

charlesr - yes I agree - composite IS evil - and although Im dissapointed with the result from my pal/rgb cable/cube I will be getting one for my US cube - do you know a reliable source btw?

So that just leaves my question about PAL 60hz mode and it's similarity to ntsc - I was told that they are different and that a game on a pal cube in 60hz isnt the same as an ntsc game on a US cube - but they're both running at 60hz right? - why is PAL 60 different? What benefit is there to playing an ntsc game as opposed to the PAL version in 60 hz?Is it obvious or am I being totally thick here?...hmm,maybe I shouldnt ask that.....

[MikeRox]

wind waker is a great game for testing RGB out on as it kills all the dot crawl instantly it is a huge difference when it works.

[charlesr]

pal60 is pretty much the same picture (just a different carrier signal) as far as I know. Although I don't think its worth worrying about. Once you are using RGB all that stuff goes out the window. It's just RGB.
Have you got pal Mario sunshine or anything with very bright colours? Look at the welcome screen and if there is any colour smearing or indistinct edges, it's probably not working. The easy way to figure it out is to take the lead apart.... and see which pins are wired up. Careful!
If it's not an RGB lead, I've got some spare. PM me.

[scarredbyvideogames]

OK - I just tested a few PAL games on my PAL cube using both the Official Nintendo RGB cable and the regular supplied composite (and the RGB through my tv's non RGB scart slot for the hell of it) and yes I can see the difference - it's not astounding or anything but it's quite apparent - especially if I look at the text in menus - that shimmery kind of 'scrolling line' effect (which I guess I'd just got used to) and it all looks sharper - more colourful too - too much so in fact,I turned it down

I heard that 3rd party RGB cables for the cube dont actually give you a true RGB signal - although they do allow me to hook up to my surround system which Nintendos' cable doesnt - a bizzare decision on Ninty's part considering that the games output Pro-Logic II !!

[Abhisara]

I heard that 3rd party RGB cables for the cube dont actually give you a true RGB signal

This used to be true, but you can now get 3rd party cables that do RGB.

although they do allow me to hook up to my surround system which Nintendos' cable doesnt

You could use a SCART switch box such as in this topic and wire up the audio out to your sound system.

[scarredbyvideogames]

Smegaman - your right.I just tested Wind Waker again and yes - the improvement (with Ninty's RGB cable) is very noticeable.I guess playing it in PAL 60 (which my tv supports ) is making some kind of improvement also.I cant believe Ive put up with composite for so long.....I bought a new sony recently and this is whats inspired me to get RGB for all my consoles

charlesr - thankyou,if what you say regarding the difference between ntsc and PAL 60 is true then I think Ill start importing less - although I'll get that modded RGB anyway.No way Id ever take anything apart again - I tried that before and it didn't end well.....I ended up covered in solder and smouldering bits of wire.It wasn't pretty.

Abhisara - thankyou for the link - I shall look into it.Although I dont know if it's feasible for me to hook up all my consoles that offer Pro logic II/5.1 anyway - I have 2 cubes 2 PS2's and 2 Xbox' under my telly (although it's my cube thats getting all the love right now) - nice if I could manage to hook up one of each of them though.I'll give it a go soon - I have a feeling another 'HELP!' topic may be coming.....

The biggest reason for my importing games over the years has been for the difference in quality between NTSC and PAL versions rather than getting hold of a game sooner - but with the cube thats much less of an issue anyway since their PAL games seem of a higher standard overall than those for my PS2 and XBOX - and almost all have the PAL 60hz option.

Thanks for your help all - I really do appreciate it.

[bowser123]

The thing to remember though is that it's cheaper to import and obviously means you get the games quicker. Not as convenient obviously, but you can always sell your games on here when you're sick of them rather than trade in at Game.

As for modded RGB leads, try and get one that is Saurian made (he's a member of this site). The difference in quality was astounding, I was skeptical to whether it was worth spending ?45 on a lead but the quality of the image is so superior it's unbelievable.

[scarredbyvideogames]

bowser - thanks.Yes I do mostly import - have done for many years and these days Ebay often makes it cheaper than it used to be - although I had delivery of a eleven ntsc games this week,and the new ones such as Zelda 4 swords and Silent Hill 4 were no cheaper (especially considering postage) - but with games I just cant wait for it's more a matter of impatience than anything.Although again,more often these days you see certain games getting a PAL release first,or,especially in the case of the Xbox - coming very quickly after the US release (if often buggy )

So how can I get one of Saurians modded RGB cables?(thanks for the tip btw)

I cant wait to re-play my 'cube ntsc Resi Evil games with an RGB cable - Im hoping it'l get rid of the purply blotches in the dark areas - (especially thinking of Resi Evil remake - an incredible looking game but spoilt slightly for me - the black - of which theres a lot! - just doesnt look really black - more purple - Im guessing it's my crappy composite cable)

[Pavey]

So how can I get one of Saurians modded RGB cables?(thanks for the tip btw)

Pm the boy. Lives in london if thats any use to you.

[scarredbyvideogames]

Thanks Paveynick.

[bowser123]

Best to PM the man himself probably. Send a quick PM to Saurian to see if he makes them still. If not place an ad in the wanted bit of the forum, somebody may have one they're selling with a Cube and may split.
This is his website I think, if not he mentions it in his profile and they can help: www.londonconsole.com

As for prices, have you tried the likes of Tronix or VideoGames Plus? For example Zelda 4 Swords would have cost ?27 after postage at VG+. Japanese games are more costly, but the likes of Play Asia aren't too bad. Obviously only slightly cheaper than shopping around on the internet for PAL, but over ?10 cheaper than the high street.

As for Resi, the blacks on my game are definitely black and not a deep purple Must be your cable or TV presumably. Saying that I haven't played that game for over a year now, I'm petrified of that bleeding spider boss I'll probably never do it. Too scary. The last bit I did was get to the boss and the second I saw her I just hit reset

[scarredbyvideogames]

Thanks Bowser!

Ta for all the info it's all very helpful.

I use quite a few importers - Lik-sang,YesAsia,PlayAsia - also Tronix (though I dont find them cheaper than anywhere else - reliable though)

Are V.G. + Canadian? Ive used a couple of Canadian importers before and found them slower than elsewhere - but Ill look into them anyway - especially if their as cheap as you say - thats a great price.

I dont buy many Japanese games anymore - the language barrier became too much of a headache - exept for games such as Final Fantasy X International and Silent Hill 4 which have an English language option - I have a small collection of bizarre Japanese RPG's unplayed.So it's mostly US these days.

Yes my Resi games look very purple!It's annoying - Im certain its not my tv since I recently forked out for a quite posh Sony - I bloody hope not anyway.I'm guessing its the composite.

Hmmm,Resi games are'nt the best choice for someone with arachnaphobic tendencies.Funny - I have no problem with polygonal gargantuan spiders yet when an insy-winsy common house spider dropped on my head last week when I was painting my bedroom ceiling I ran screaming from the room in mortal terror.Real life is much scarier IMO.