Nintendo + RGB

[tankplanker]

you can play pal dvds on a modded Q using the lead but the display will be composite not rgb.

If it's composite, aren't I better off using the s-video then?
What signal will it use if both the RGB and s-video cable are connected? Don't feel like plugging them in and out all the time heh

You can use a modded rgb scart with the Q, I have one, and its well worth it. What Ince is saying is that for DVD playback you will have to hook up s-video as well. The Q has an s-video socket on the back, and theres no problem connecting both at the same time.

Why didn't they include a RGB option with the Q in the first place...?
Any chance there will be a cable in the future which WILL get RGB out of the dvd mode?

In Japan no one has an RGB scart socket on their TV, thats why.

It is not possible to playback DVDs in RGB (or component). There may be a way with a real nasty hardware hack, but no one has reported doing so, and it would be so ugly you wouldn't want to do it.

So if you connect the Q with both a modified RGB cable and a s-video it will automatically use the RGB for gaming mode?

How do the Japanese connect their dvd-players for optimal quality? Is that with component cable?
If that's the case, isn't it possible for the Q to output component? (not that I have a tv that supports component or something :P Just wondering)

not 100% sure with the Q, but there is a japanese component cable and d plug (similar to a VGA plug) for the cube. This is the optimum for Japanese TVs (I think they mainly use the d plug)

No, and I mean zero, zip, PAL N64s support RGB, you need to get a mod'd US or JPN NTSC machine, which is worth it as it removes alot of the fuzzyness from the N64s picture. Newer PAL N64s (I've tested this with the ltd transparent ones) do not even support s-video.

[rjpageuk]

Which cable(s) do you have from Lik-Sang and Play-Asia then?

I have the following cables:

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-5-70-64-4-5-77--15-rgb.html

http://www.lik-sang.com/info.php?category=0&products_id=220&

It seems a bit weird that Lan-Kwei would give out false info about their RGB cable working with the SNES. Then again, there's a difference between the PAL and NTSC version of course.

But this is part of my correspondence with Lan-Kwei:
"About your N64 problem, did you try your N64 on her TV and vice versa? I think earlier models of the N64 did indeed have RGB support, but it was scraped for lowering production costs later. In fact the old SNES also has RGB, I remember my old one back in the days was connected via RGB to my TV without problems (european SNES to PAL TV). Can you see any production date on the machine itself (not sure if there should be one, if not it's probably on the mainbord inside the console)."

Does anyone know anything about earlier N64's supporting RGB?
And what about the PAL SNES with RGB story? He doesn't mention anything about modding the RGB cable...

That does actually sound pretty promising, but if you look on their website at the cables, there is some strange stuff.

SCART-RGB CABLE
- connects your SNES/SFC to a TV with Scart output
Note: As the SNES, as well as the N64 and Gamecube do not support true RGB, the console itself must be modified to properly use this cable.

That just isnt true about the SNES/SFC, is it? There is also no distinction between a PAL version and the NTSC version, where as as Papercut said, for the PAL SNES you need to remove certain parts from the NTSC to avoid a dim picture.

[Shadow_Zero]

So now I wonder what a better option is for optimum gaming experience
A PAL SNES with modified RGB cable or a NTSC SNES with RGB cable.
How is it possible to play PAL games on a US SNES (assuming it's possible)?
And what's the exact story on PAL games having these black bars. Is that a lot of difference in comparison with NTSC games?
I also read somewhere that PAL gamepads don't work on the NTSC machines and vice versa.
Was this also the case with the N64?

I guess with the N64 it's best to get a NTSC machine then, since it's the only one supporting RGB (so far). But then I need to find someone who can make the modifications to support RGB (cause I don't find myself capable of that heh).
Does the PAL N64 also suffer from the black bars in comparison to the NTSC counterpart?
How are PAL games playable on the NTSC N64?

[rjpageuk]

Most of these questions I know the answer to .

The best SNES experience will be found on an NTSC machine with standard RGB cable (any old PAL GC RGB cable will work). Since it will be 60Hz and with no borders.

The borders come about because PAL TV system has 625 lines and NTSC TV system has 525 and the publisher cannot be bothered to sort it out.

I dont know much about playing PAL games on an NTSC system though - you would need to modify the SNES and frankly it is hardly worth it now - you might as well just buy the games on NTSC.

PAL SNES pads do work on NTSC machines. I think there was some problem using the SFC pads, but I have never experienced it.

Again with the N64 the pads are mutiregion. The n64 also has PAL conversion problems - the main one being that games run in 50Hz rather than 60Hz. You are certainly better off getting an NTSC N64 machine, especially considering these can also play JPN games with a very minor modification (breaking the tabs which physically stop the game fitting in the slot).

Saurian used to perform the RGB mod, but I dont know if he still does. I also know you have to have a certain model N64 to perform the mod - it cannot be done on them all.

As for PAL playing on the N64 - I think it is similar to the SNES situation. Personally I have both a PAL and NTSC SNES and N64, and think this is probably the best road to go down rather than attempting to mod the systems to play all region games.

[Shadow_Zero]

Well, most of my games are PAL, so to just have a US SNES for the few NTSC games I have isn't worth my time money and space I'd say ^_^
There aren't converters to play PAL games on NTSC machines like we always used to do?
I have a widescreen telly, so I can always zoom the picture so it's full screen. Of course the picture quality will decrease then heh
(seems like choosing between 2 evils ).

How about the difference between s-video and RGB? I hear a lot of people say that the difference between composite and s-video is considerate, but the difference between s-video and RGB are hardly noticable. How do you guys experience this?

What I also wonder is if NTSC machines display as good quality on PAL tv's, which support NTSC, as on original NTSC (US) tv's. Since PAL tv's don't necessarily need NTSC, I tend to think it doesn't display it as good as an original NTSC tv (but maybe that's nonsense). And perhaps the voltage difference has effect on the quality as well...?


Still I'm not sure, do PAL SNES RGB cables exist? Or does such a cable always have to be modified?

[Shadow_Zero]

On a side note, does the NES have any better connection possibility than composite?
(while I'm at it :P )

[yashiro]

Nope.

[Naiera]

The PAL N64 does not, and never will output RGB. Just composite, RF and S-Video.

Sorry, no S-VHS on PAL N64's.

[Shadow_Zero]

The PAL N64 does not, and never will output RGB. Just composite, RF and S-Video.

Sorry, no S-VHS on PAL N64's.

If I recall correctly S-VHS isn't the same as S-Video. But perhaps you just mean the s-video cable/connection

But if you look at the first page "Nintendomad" claims the PAL N64 also supports s-video. So what's the truth?

[Papercut]

So if you connect the Q with both a modified RGB cable and a s-video it will automatically use the RGB for gaming mode?

You'd have to switch between s-video and rgb manually (well, the rgb cable would auto switch, the s-video cable wouldn't).

How do the Japanese connect their dvd-players for optimal quality? Is that with component cable?
If that's the case, isn't it possible for the Q to output component? (not that I have a tv that supports component or something :P Just wondering)

Yes, the Q outputs component, but not for DVDs.

[Papercut]

The best SNES experience will be found on an NTSC machine with standard RGB cable (any old PAL GC RGB cable will work). Since it will be 60Hz and with no borders.

... or a PAL SNES with a PAL SNES RGB Scart lead and 60Hz switch mod.

I dont know much about playing PAL games on an NTSC system though - you would need to modify the SNES and frankly it is hardly worth it now - you might as well just buy the games on NTSC.

Some games are unoptimised and run fine at 60Hz, some games (Mario Kart springs to mind) have been optimised for 50Hz and mess up a little. You can mod an NTSC SNES/SFC to run at 50Hz though, which would fix almost all games. A few with software copy protection schemes or unusual co-processors may still mess up, but thats only a handful of games.

PAL SNES pads do work on NTSC machines. I think there was some problem using the SFC pads, but I have never experienced it.

Some SFC pads won't work with the PAL SNES.

[Shadow_Zero]

So if you connect the Q with both a modified RGB cable and a s-video it will automatically use the RGB for gaming mode?

You'd have to switch between s-video and rgb manually (well, the rgb cable would auto switch, the s-video cable wouldn't).

How do the Japanese connect their dvd-players for optimal quality? Is that with component cable?
If that's the case, isn't it possible for the Q to output component? (not that I have a tv that supports component or something :P Just wondering)

Yes, the Q outputs component, but not for DVDs.

So if I have a s-video and modified RGB cable hooked up to my Q I'll have image on both my RGB and S-Video channel in gaming mode?
Kinky! :P

@Papercut
What's your opinion on the RGB/s-video matter?

(earlier post of mine)

How about the difference between s-video and RGB? I hear a lot of people say that the difference between composite and s-video is considerate, but the difference between s-video and RGB are hardly noticable. How do you guys experience this?

[Papercut]

Still I'm not sure, do PAL SNES RGB cables exist? Or does such a cable always have to be modified?

They did exist yeah, but I don't think there was ever an official one.

I figured out the capacitors thing with a SFC RGB Scart cable and a PAL SNES 'back in the day'. I bought a SFC on import originally, then got the PAL one a couple of years later cheap. I remember modding the cable one way or the other depending on which one I used.

[Papercut]

If I recall correctly S-VHS isn't the same as S-Video. But perhaps you just mean the s-video cable/connection

s-video appeared with s-vhs vcrs, so people sometimes referred to s-video cables as s-vhs at the time...

But if you look at the first page "Nintendomad" claims the PAL N64 also supports s-video. So what's the truth?

I thought my pal N64 did s-video, but I'm not certain. Someone once posted that the later transparent case models removed s-video, so maybe thats whats going on.

[Papercut]

@Papercut
What's your opinion on the RGB/s-video matter?

(earlier post of mine)

How about the difference between s-video and RGB? I hear a lot of people say that the difference between composite and s-video is considerate, but the difference between s-video and RGB are hardly noticable. How do you guys experience this?

There is a huge difference yeah, RGB looks an awful lot better. It does depends on the setup though.

Usually the quality of the chrominance (color) signal on a console is no better than composite video, so colors often bleed into one another, and you can see faint interference between contrasting colors. Its especially noticalble with strong reds.

The TV can make a difference too, some handle s-video much better than they do RGB. Also you normally can't alter the color saturation with RGB, so if you have a poorly tuned TV s-video can look better.

Having said all that, some people can't really tell the difference between s-video and RGB. If you spend enough time looking at both, you'll appreciate the difference in quality I reckon.