NES - RF Unit only?

[fatbatch]

My son came back from a boot fair today with a NES and some games, very pleased at buying a console for himself.

However, the only way to connect it seems to be by the RF Unit - is there an adaptor I could get to allow us to connect it via Scart? Or is there another way to connect it to the tv?

[gIzzE]

I thought that the NES had composite and mono audio out too??

Apart from that you cannot do anything else, unless you cange the video chip inside the unit with one from a Playchoice 10 arcade unit and then mod it from RGB off that chip, lot of hassle for a NES.

[fatbatch]

Thanks for that. It does have audio and video outs, but I dont know how I would connect to the tv from them. Any help would be much appreciated.

[Papercut]

I thought that the NES had composite and mono audio out too??

Mine does.

Thanks for that. It does have audio and video outs, but I dont know how I would connect to the tv from them. Any help would be much appreciated.

Get a scart block adaptor (video/audio in with three phono sockets on the back) and hook up a phono cable for video in and left audio in (most TV sets understand left only audio as being mono).

You might also have phono in sockets on the front of your TV set.

[Sketcz]

If memory serves me right, French NES systems come with a SCART cable.
99% certain of it.

Mine does anyway.
Though I dunno what extra good it does.

[gIzzE]

I think the French unit uses RGB as standard, same with the early N64 units, because that way you can use it on a secam tv.

Want to sell it ??

[MD]

Sadly the French units are still Composite video (although they still use SCART, remembering the SCART does support Composite, S-Video and RGB....). The Famicom / NES is limited to Composite video due to the clever way the chip generates colour.

However the Playchoice 10 (arcade board which plays Famicom games in the arcade, called Playchoice 10 as you can play one of up to 10 games...) uses a GPU which outputs an RGB signal and by replacing the GPU chip in the Famicom with the PC10 GPU and doing some soldering you can get RGB from a Famicom. However as the chip generates colour in a slightly different way to the normal GPU, the colour output is a little off what you expect from a NES and different from what you get from an emulator.

[Sketcz]

Believe it or not, I bought it as a British car boot sale, some dirty looking old man, was trying to flog it for ?2
Kept telling me how
"if it dont work mate, I wouldnt be selling it."

Anway, it didnt, and I had to clean it and rebend all the connector pins.
Runs fine now. Think I may have posted this in the bargains thread.

Where such a literally rotten looking person could have got it is beyond me. Oh if only those pads could talk.

EDIT:
I personally just stick to my UK NES, or one of my Famicom clones. Easier on my plug adapters.

[fatbatch]

Thanks for the replies.

I bought a scart to two phonos today (one red, one yellow) but it doesn't work. I have noticed that the red light at the front of the console switches on and off - is this standard with the NES or is it a sign that the machine is faulty?

[iamlost_]

the flshing light is perfectly normal it means that there is a poor connection to the cart all you have to do is clean your cart normaly with a good blow or 8if it really dirty then a can of switch cleaner and a cotton bud is the best way i've found or there is not cart in it

[Shadow_Zero]

Sadly the French units are still Composite video (although they still use SCART, remembering the SCART does support Composite, S-Video and RGB....). The Famicom / NES is limited to Composite video due to the clever way the chip generates colour.

I bought a French NES console today and it DOES in fact output RGB. It looks wonderful! Sharp image and nice colours. I'm very happy with it

When I bought it I thought I recalled something about a French NES being able to be modded to output RGB, but I guess that was the N64 then. This one does RGB standard (it even says on the AV-out port).

@gizze: I thought the early French N64's only did RGB after modding it, not?

[Rockard]

Uh what?

Are you REALLY sure?

I bought a french RGB-nes some time ago, and it is just standard rf or a/v picture transformed into rgb inside the nes. I later bought a playchoicechip and gave it true rgb-capabilites, also combining a NTSC-NES, as the chip only works in ntsc NES machines.

I don't believe your nes outputs true rgb. I'll be happy if you could provide a picture to prove it!

/Rickard

[markpsych]

dito. I've owned half a dozen of these over the years. All had the flashing light prob. In my experience, it appears to be more often the cart, i.e., new/hardly used carts tend to load consistently really well. It is worth giving them a gentle clean (with some electrical contact cleaner or meths), but you'll probably end up having to blow on them most times you use anyway, particularly if they've been sitting for a while. I cleaned a couple games over and over, and it didn't make much difference, and probably doesn't do the contacts much good in the long term. I saw a great tshirt for sale on the net once with 3 pics illustrating how to play a nes, including blowing on the cart! I think it has something to do with static as well as dirt? It's interesting though, something was clearly improved upon over time, i.e., nes carts are notorious for it, snes are also pretty bad....but not as bad, and n64 carts are pretty damn reliable, i.e., they have to be pretty grubby to fail, and are are generally fine once they've been cleaned. If it does turn out to be the console though, you can buy brand new contact boards for them now via ebay.

[Shadow_Zero]

Uh what?

Are you REALLY sure?

I bought a french RGB-nes some time ago, and it is just standard rf or a/v picture transformed into rgb inside the nes. I later bought a playchoicechip and gave it true rgb-capabilites, also combining a NTSC-NES, as the chip only works in ntsc NES machines.

I don't believe your nes outputs true rgb. I'll be happy if you could provide a picture to prove it!

/Rickard

Well, I don't know how it technically works. I just can tell you it has an A/V out on the back (which is the only connection) and the SCART cable which comes with it has the R, G and B wires and my tv says it receives a RGB signal and as far as I can tell the picture looks more sharp and bright. I could try to hook up my old NES, if I can get it fixed, to compare.