Dreamcast Internal VGA modification

**Treamcaster** · 03-31-2009

Your diagram and info is hella interesting!

Now to the questions ^^

1-Do ya know if this mod makes the vga signal better than this vga box?
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/vgabox3.jpg

2-What is the best shop to buy all these stuff? I have no electronics knowledge and so I would be very gratefull if you could give me that info.

3-When your running a DC game, do you have 2 black bars on each side of the screen, or can you play full 16:9 with no black stuff? Same question for 4:3.

4-I would like to do, or ask someone to make me a Digital audio mod as well. My question is, can I use VGA and digital sound at the same time?

Thanks in advance!

**RedDragunee** · 04-01-2009

Thank you! I'm glad to hear people appreciate it :)

Originally Posted by Treamcaster

1-Do ya know if this mod makes the vga signal better than this vga box?
http://www.racketboy.com/retro/vgabox3.jpg

Without question, it does!

I've owned both the transparent one, and a black one from "Brooklyn", I think it was. The transparent box, showed some clearly visible horizontal lines, sometimes more or less, depending on the game. The Brooklyn box did so too, and as a bonus, it just wouldn't work on certain televisions. A friend of mine owns the original VGA box, and the picture you get from this mod, is just as great - we've tested!

Originally Posted by Treamcaster

2-What is the best shop to buy all these stuff? I have no electronics knowledge and so I would be very gratefull if you could give me that info.

To be honorst, I don't have a clue. Google a online local-store would be my best advice - maybe another member knows more precisely? :shrug:

Originally Posted by Treamcaster

3-When your running a DC game, do you have 2 black bars on each side of the screen, or can you play full 16:9 with no black stuff? Same question for 4:3.

Haven't really tried that myself, because I usually like to play games in their original aspect. Guess it depends on your TV though.

Originally Posted by Treamcaster

4-I would like to do, or ask someone to make me a Digital audio mod as well. My question is, can I use VGA and digital sound at the same time?

Again, haven't tried that myself, but I can't see why you wouldn't be able to ;-)

**alecjahn** · 04-01-2009

Wow, man. Nice job. I like it when tutorials are made easy with a nice simple diagram instead of just a schematic I have to fumble my way through.

I was going to do a VGA mod to one of my DCs a while back, but then my mom got scared and said you're movin with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air.

I mean, uhh, I just bought RacketBoy's box dongle instead. If I get the mod done (working on other things...) soon I'll try and bust out some comparisons.

**Treamcaster** · 04-02-2009

Thanks for the answers dude.
Here's what I mean, uploaded specially for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tRzEBAXQHQ

**-=FamilyGuy=-** · 04-08-2009

Cool and nicely done!
Shouldn't 4k7 be 47k on the diagram though ?

FG

**RedDragunee** · 04-13-2009

Thank you very much!
And no, it shouldn't ;-)

**gorgyrip** · 04-24-2009

the switch is really necesary? isn't it possible to connect the rgb and vga lines to 2 gnd pins of the vga connector? because all gnd pins are linked in the monitor.

**link83** · 04-25-2009

Originally Posted by gorgyrip

the switch is really necesary? isn't it possible to connect the rgb and vga lines to 2 gnd pins of the vga connector? because all gnd pins are linked in the monitor.

Yes you can do that :nod: but the advantage of a switch is that you can 'trick' some Dreamcast games that are usually incompatible with VGA output into VGA by simply flicking the switch from 'standard' to 'VGA mode' after the game has started to boot (On original GD-ROM's you flick the switch just after you hear the 'beep' from the GD Drive, with CD-R software you wont hear any beep)

If you used the grounds pin on the VGA socket you would need to disconnect and reconnect the cable to perform the same trick which would quickly wear out the VGA plug/socket (In fact this is what some people used to do with Dreamcast VGA boxes which didnt have a switch, but they ended up wearing out the Dreamcast's AV socket)

**gorgyrip** · 04-25-2009

You can also use ipwriter to add vga support to any game.

**Christer-swe** · 04-25-2009

Originally Posted by gorgyrip

You can also use ipwriter to add vga support to any game.

How?

**_SD_** · 04-26-2009

Originally Posted by alecjahn

I was going to do a VGA mod to one of my DCs a while back, but then my mom got scared and said you're movin with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air.

:thumbsup: I actually lol'ed...

**gorgyrip** · 05-05-2009

i did this mod, but now my dreamcast isn't working.i have this problems:
1. on the dreamcast logo, the "S" letter is flickering
2. when i go to the VMU menu, i get the blue background and nothing else.
3. when i go to settings, i get to set the time again, and after that white screen.
4. when i have to set the time i get some strange horizontal lines. see the photo.

**MentalMan** · 09-24-2009

Just finished up a unit, sure was fun. Now I do still have to sort out holes for the vga socket, switch and audio socket but that is cosmetic. A little crappy Picture of the gutted sexbot.

This unit is actually a gift for a friend, also flashed the board to NTSC/J. Gonna kick him off into the awesome world of dreamcast with style.

My chipped HKT-3010 will most likely be next in line.

Thanks to everyone from whom I endet up taking information for this, especially RedDragunee! :thumbsup:

Edit: finished up the internal unit case fitting a few days ago and today I made my own VGA cable, since I went against cutting up my japanese unit. Fun!

**aryssoR** · 10-14-2009

Any chance you could re-upload the original images in the first post?

Thanks!

**RedDragunee** · 10-14-2009

Duh, stupid me. Sure thing :katamari:

**aryssoR** · 10-14-2009

Excellent, thanks again. Planning to do this mod on one of my DCs

**aryssoR** · 10-18-2009

Just finished this mod on one of my Dreamcasts, I ended up having to substitute some of the components (which I harvested from a broken phone lol:

150R > 100R
220uF > 100uF 10v
1N4148 > 1N50R

Worked absolutely perfectly, I'll take a pic of it tomorrow when my wife gets back with the camera.

I was hoping the switch would fool Last Blade 2, but I can't seem to get it to work, so I may not bother cutting it into the case (at the moment it's tucked inside)

Props RedDragunee, mmmonkey, etc