Anyone make Sega Saturn SCART cables?

[BuckoA51]

I tried this question over on the shmups forum and now here. Does anyone have the mini-din connectors to make me a custom NTSC Sega Saturn SCART cable? I'm running my Saturn through my XRGB3 and when the screen goes bright, the picture drops out. I've been reliably informed that if I obtain a SCART cable that uses composite sync (pin one on an NTSC Saturn) instead of composite video for sync then the problem will be solved.

So, can anyone help? I will pay handsomely (well, within reason )

[Oldgamingfart]

I think this is caused by some extra voltage on the composite video output.
You could try soldering in a 220uf capacitor inside the SCART end.

Cut or de-solder the wire at Pin 20 (composite video), then solder on the + side of the capacitor to the Composite Video wire, and the - side onto SCART pin 20.

If you are unsure of the arrangement, have a look inside a Nintendo Gamecube SCART end. These have three capacitors over the RGB lines instead.

[speedlolita]

This one works perfectly with my 2+ and my This is COOL Saturn. Perfect colour and no sync issues.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sega-Saturn-RGB-SCART-video-cable-lead-Jap-US-version-/360337083138?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL&hash=item53e5c38b02#ht_2017wt_1139

I can attest to EU and JP/US cables being different.

[BuckoA51]

I have that exact same cable unfortunately and still have the issues. It is weird how the XRGB3 struggles with composite video for sync when the 2+ does not.

I could try the mod Oldgamingfart suggested but my soldering sucks and I'm not sure if it will work. I have it on good authority (from another XRGB3 owner) that the composite sync mod will work however, I'd just rather not permanently mod composite video out of my Saturn like he did.

[speedlolita]

Funny, my friend never had such problems using the above cable and his XRGB3..

[BuckoA51]

Perhaps he was using B0 mode whereas I always use B1? The XRGB3 is a quirky thing, lots of people swear blind the Genesis/Megadrive doesn't work through it, for example, yet mine is perfectly fine.

[speedlolita]

Nah, he always uses B1. He did use a CRT PC monitor though - dunno if that makes any different.

[BuckoA51]

Yeah CRT's are more tolerant to bad sync, I think. Damn XRGB3, if it didn't look so nice when it worked nobody would ever bother with it

[BuckoA51]

I did some more checking around and Oldgamingfart might be onto something. If I plug the Saturn directly into the XRGB3 the problem disappears. I use a 4 in 2 out SCART switch to hook everything up, which has the advantage of letting me bypass the XRGB3 entirely for interlace games (I use an XRGB3 and DVDO Edge in tandem for my 240/288p stuff). Everything works with this configuration except the Saturn.

Though, if I use the Saturn directly with my DVDO Edge, bypassing the XRGB3 but still using the SCART switch, the picture never drops out either. The XRGB3 sure is quirky.

[briareos_kerensky]

Have you tried updating the firmware? For me version 1.21e solved a lot of problems, most noticeably resolution and video output positions with progressive sources via VGA+B1. There are still a couple of quirks (mostly Wii-related) to be solved but it's worth the time spent to upgrade. The latest firmware is also in English, a great help to get around the XRGB's unfriendly menus.

Unfortunately the update program only works on WinXP, had no luck with Vista or Win7 x64, Windows fails to install appropriate drivers and the updater won't detect the XRGB.

[BuckoA51]

Yep, firmware upgrade done, loving the English firmware.

I was lucky enough to find an incorrectly wired Saturn SCART cable, basically someone had used pin 1 on the Saturn end across pins 8 and 16 on the SCART. This works on the PAL Saturn since that is +9 volts.

Seeing as I didn't need the auto switching capability that these pins are for I just cut the wire from those two pins, cut the composite video and soldered the wire from pin 1 wire onto it. So far it's been perfect, I ran the intro to Prikura Daisakusen 3 times and the picture never dropped out once