Having problem playing PAL SNES on NTSC TV!

[kaduflyer]

I have a UK Pal snes and I live in Canada. It is modded with 2 switches, one switch for - ntsc output; pal output and the other switch for - region.

For some reason it is only in black and white, no matter how I have the switches set up.
The pal & ntsc games play but they aren't in color. The snes is connected to my tv with a RCA cable, (2 audio and 1 video).

Anyone know if there is a way to make it color?

[miko]

i think an RGB cable will clear this up (from what i've read the black and white thing is quite common is situations like this)

from what i understand its the same in reverse, for example i get black and white output form my PS1 when its putting out NTSC to my PAL TV without my RGB scart lead, from what i understand using RGB input bypasses the TVs own inbuilt colour decoding (or what ever it's called) so NTSC or PAL input it makes no difference the TV just displays what its supposed to . . .

(though living in the UK, i don't know what kind of inputs TVs have over there, i have heard most don't have scart, which is what i use, so i don't know how helpful this post may be)


you could probably buy a lead or mod a gamecube cable

there are some nice links in this topic i started -

http://ntsc-uk.domino.org/showthread.php?t=53341

and around the forum (use the search)

i think if you can do it that'll sort it out (but i'm not totally, totally sure)

maybe some forum bigwig will clarify (i'm really just a noob around here )
hth.
miko.

[kaduflyer]

I really don't know much about a scart lead, but I actually bought a snes scart lead thinking it would help, but it doesn't. I also had to get a scart adaptor to connect to rca audio video cables because thats the connection to my tv. My tv doesn't have inputs for RGB with 4 inputs, only audio video (3 inputs).

I take it, this is mostly a UK forum by what I'm reading here.

Maybe I'm just out of luck, I don't know. I bought this snes because it was modded and can play any region, pal and ntsc, but never thought it would only show in black and white.

On a PAL tv it would be perfect, with the mod, but unfortunately I don't have one.
I hope theres some way around it.

[sj33]

I think the problem is more to do with the TV. While most PAL TV's can display NTSC content fine, most NTSC TV's cannot display PAL content fine.

[zipper]

It may be because it's a composite scart lead (I've found most 3rd party ones are) rather than a true RGB scart lead.

[vertigo]

Errr yeh even if he has an RGB SCART lead it still wouldn't work because he's using a SCART to RCA convertor which is just going to use the composite video anyway.
Tbh, as SJ said, we have the advantage in PAL territories.
Best advice for you would be to buy a modded US or JP SNES instead.

[Mayhem]

Indeed. Most US TVs don't know the meaning of the word "scart", it's a European standard.

Yeah, just getting an ordinary US SNES is probably the best way, and removing the tabs inside the cart slot.

[Lyris]

Yep, get a US SNES. Won't that rid you of horrible PAL borders too (or is that game dependant?)

[mcarocks2003]

US Snes games don't have any black borders. All games are full screen and 60hz.

It's only games converted to the PAL market that suffer from black borders.

[Mayhem]

Or more precisely NOT converted. Playing a game designed for an NTSC SNES on a PAL SNES would give you the 17% slow down and borders.

NTSC screens have less lines, hence the borders because PAL TVs didn't know what else to do with the missing screen information. Slower speed because now the game was running 50Hz rather than 60Hz.

[Bada Bing!]

Your TV doesn't have 625 lines on it.

[kaduflyer]

I guess I made a mistake buying it than.
I bought it so I could play my PAL snes Terranigma game, since that game wasn't released over here, but I just recently got a Programmable Universal Adapter which actually works on my US snes.

I guess using the adaptor is my only choice.

I read in a lot of places that no adaptor will play it, so thats why I bought the PAL snes, but the adaptor works great and full speed and full screen.

[kaduflyer]

Your right, its only 520 or something like that.
By using the switches on the PAL console it either rolls and gets full screen or flick the switch and it doesn't roll but has the black bars, BUT its always in black and white, either way.
(the PAL console that is)

[sj33]

BUT its always in black and white, either way.
(the PAL console that is)

That is to be expected, as the NTSC TV doesn't like the PAL colour signal.
I'm sure there are PAL-to-NTSC converter boxes for not too much.