Jpn N64 TV screen output - help required

[Pootle UK]

I have a Jpn N64 machine (modded with tabs cut off to play US carts) and at the time I bought it, picked up an RGB cable so that I could play it in colour on my old TV.

Since then I've gotten a new TV in the living room and it plays fine via the stereo A/V cables which I used for my PAL SNES. However wanting to hook it up to my TV in my bedroom, I've stumbled across a problem... it basically won't work and fails to output any kind of image or sound on my 14" Beko TV

Any help in order to resolve such a situation would be much appreciated

[Papercut]

Are you sure your N64 has been modded to output RGB?

It could be lots of things:

- the Beko might not support RGB
- the RGB switching voltage might not be right
- the scart switching voltage might not be right
- the Beko might not support 60Hz
- the Beko might not support ntsc composite video

If you're using the normal A/V cable on the Beko, chances are its one of the latter two problems.

Only way to figure this out is trial and error with different hook ups to your 14" tv. Did you have an RGB cable for your pal snes? Try a pal PS2 with a 60Hz switching game and composite video and RGB hook ups. Should tell you where the problem is if certain combinations don't work (the pal PS2 outputs ntsc composite video at 60Hz).

[Pootle UK]

Thanks for your reply Papercut. I don't own a PS2 but I have my DC hooked up to the Beko atm using the official Scart cable and that works fine... as does my Q which is hooked up via a modded RGB cable.

My SNES (when it was hooked up) worked fine via the Stereo A/V Cables going into the TV.

Any other ideas?

[Papercut]

Does your Beko work with the DC in 60Hz mode?

If you're using an RGB cable then there could be something wrong with one of the switching voltages instead (the RGB switch voltage more than likely).

A fix would be to RGB mod the console, and/or get a RGB cable with the switching voltages properly wired.

In fact, if you haven't RGB modded the N64 but are using a properly wired RGB scart cable, then the TV will switch to RGB mode but display nothing. Sounds like whats happening, in which case try the A/V cable instead to see what happens.

[Pootle UK]

In fact, if you haven't RGB modded the N64 but are using a properly wired RGB scart cable, then the TV will switch to RGB mode but display nothing. Sounds like whats happening, in which case try the A/V cable instead to see what happens.

The N64 has only been modded to the extent that only the tabs have been removed. The console itself isn't RGB modded and I have an RGB scart cable. What you describe is spot on but I tried using the A/V cable last night and still no joy

[Papercut]

The N64 has only been modded to the extent that only the tabs have been removed. The console itself isn't RGB modded and I have an RGB scart cable. What you describe is spot on but I tried using the A/V cable last night and still no joy

Right so you probably have the RGB cable with no RGB signal problem then.

Best step is to get it RGB modded.

What happened exactly with the A/V cable?

[Pootle UK]

A/V cable - worked on my living room TV okay (better than the RGB cable I was using) but same thing on my bedroom TV - no output of picture or sound at all

[Saurian]

The Japanese N64 does not output RGB so using an RGB cable at this stage is pointless - the RGB mod is as follows:



RED > AV out pin 1
GREEN > AV out pin 2
BLUE > AV out pin 4

[Pootle UK]

How much would it be to get it modded shoudl I choose to go down that route?

[Papercut]

get it done, the picture quality will be much better.

shouldn't cost too much to do, its a fairly simple mod.

one caveat - some later ntsc models cannot be modded, and you have to open the N64 up to figure out whether its a later model or not.

[Papercut]

A/V cable - worked on my living room TV okay (better than the RGB cable I was using) but same thing on my bedroom TV - no output of picture or sound at all

Thats very odd, you should really see, or at the least hear, something.

Can you switch to AV manually?

Are you using a scart plug adaptor, or does the telly have phono sockets?

[Pootle UK]

I can switch the AV manually.

Since the TV only has the one scart socket I'm using a scart plug adaptor.

Oh also I bought my N64 2 weeks after it was released in Japan so it should be okay?

[Papercut]

re: the RGB mod, almost certainly. Its 1998 models and after (roughly speaking) that can't be RGB modded.

[Pootle UK]

Okay so now just to get it modded... thanks for your help Papercut and Saurian - much appreciated!

[Papercut]

hmm, before you rush ahead... you should still be able to get a picture via the normal (non-RGB) A/V cable. I'd try and figure out whats going wrong there before doing anything else.