PAL N64 console AV output query

[markpsych]

i think the problem may lie in the fact that the official one has these capacitors inside it that also help amplify the signal, so it's getting super-amplified and the whole universe may implode...

That makes sense....pm'd you billy_dimashq for further advise

[Link83]

Any Nintendo S-video cable should work fine with the N64.

Using an S-video to scart adapter would work, but the scart socket you plug it into has to accept S-video for it to work (otherwise you'll get a black and white picture if it only accepts composite).

Thanks Mayhem. So the best I can get out of a PAL N64 would be using an official S-Video Cable in a scart adaptor in an S-Video enabled scart socket, correct?

All I need to know now is what is the best RGB mod is for an NTSC N64? What mod was used on yours billy_dimashq? I have read as many articles as I can about N64 mods from here:-
http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/ni...ndo_64_rgb.htm
and here:-
http://www.gamesx.com/rgbadd/n64rgb.htm
and it seems there are so many different solutions! Each with there own upside/downside making the picture dark/bright or have interference:-

-Lifting the chip legs or not lifting them
-Connecting from the chip itself, or from the resistors C124, C125 & C126
-leaving the capacitors in the scart lead or not
-adding a small amplifier or not

All these options/different ways of performing the mod seem to be combined together in so many different ways/combinations that I end up totally confused as to whats best!

Does anyone know which mod gives the most 'perfect' RGB picture?

Thanks again

[randombs]

i did that mod that's on the mmmonkey page you've linked to (where you join those two red points with wire). it gave a really nice, clean, bright rgb pic that could at least rival my xbox/ps2, if not my dc/saturn/cube.

if you lift the pins, you lose the composite output completely apparently, so if you were to go that route it'd be best to wire them to a 4-pole toggle switch to choose between composite and rgb

[Link83]

Thanks billy_dimashq, have you tried/seen any of the other N64 RGB mods to compare it to?

...I am not too bothered about losing the composite picture thanks. I think there is a good reason so many forum memebers refer to it as 'compo****e'

I read somewhere along time ago that the best N64 mod involved lifting the legs off the chip and removing the capacitors from the scart cable - does anyone have this mod? If so could you tell me how your picture looks?

[randombs]

well i did try the lifting legs one at work on another n64 last year but was greeted by a black screen.

so i tried removing the wires and pushing the legs back down to resolder them to the board but cocked that up.

of course afterwards i realised the scart lead wasn't an rgb one (just straight composite)

<ahem>

initially the n64 just had the regular rgb mod without any boosting, and without lifting the pins up. the picture was awful - really dark and muddy, and turning the brightness up didn't help, just made it light and muddy . we had a few rgb-modded n64's at work that had the other modification done (with the capacitors and stuff) internally instead of on the scart lead (so you could in theory use any scart lead you wanted) which looked ok but the colours would bleed.

i feel the mod mmmonkey mentioned worked great and didn't suffer from colour bleeding. as for composite, i only noticed the issue when i tried the n64 on a projector (which only did composite/s-video and vga)

[Link83]

Thanks again for your help billy_dimashq. Do you know what the capcitors in the scart lead actually do? Do they amplify the signal, or weaken it etc?

Also, which N64 console is best for performing this mod - a USA or Japanese model? and which one is easist to removed the 'tabs' to make it compatible with both region games? (but not PAL of course)

[randombs]

i haven't the foggiest about capacitors mate

regarding us/jap, either will be fine. apparently newer ones (different colour cases) can't be rgb modded (but can be overclocked)