Noise on Nintendo 64 PAL S-video cables

**fireaza** · 06-27-2012

I'm trying to get S-video working on my PAL Nintendo 64. So far, I've tried three different S-video cables:
1) Had scrolling diagonal lines across the picture, like this:

2) Had a perfectly clean picture, but was an NTSC cable, and the image was too bright
3) Those scrolling diagonal lines again!

In both cases of the scrolling diagonal lines, the seller said they didn't experience the problem I was having. I'm pretty sure it's a shielding issue, as the second cables were really thick, and I'm assuming, well-shielded. I'm not sure if my entertainment centre is to blame, as I also get noise on the audio of my SNES's SCART connection when I run the audio via my AV receiver (and in this case, the audio is fine until the TV displays a bright image), but then again, I don't have noise issues with any of my other consoles.

What should I do? Is there a problem with my entertainment centre setup (the power board I'm using? I dunno.)? Is there a way I can fix my current S-video cables? Are the there other PAL s-video cables that would solve my problem?

**Lum** · 06-27-2012

NTSC cables are just plain incorrect on these two consoles. Different capacitor and resistor values or whatever. I doubt worth the effort to fix.

Nintendo has changed AV specs for PAL in some way every generation (French NES counts), continuing to today.

**fireaza** · 06-27-2012

Yeah, that's what I had figured. A shame, since the second cable had a nice clean picture. It seems like all the PAL-optimised S-video cables I've tried all have this scrolling diagonal lines issue.

**HEX1GON** · 06-27-2012

I get noise on both systems NTSC and PAL with original cables... I'm just guessing it's my new generation TV not able to show correct image. If I play this on any CRT the problem goes away.

**fireaza** · 06-27-2012

Are you getting the same kind of noise I am? I know on my PAL SNES, NTSC SNES and NTSC Mega Drive, I get a perfectly clean image, I would have thought S-video would be a slightly blurrier version of that. Not to mention as I've already said, I've gotten a clean image before with the second S-video cable I brought.

Also, I see you have a Shampoo avatar, nice :D

*EDIT* Oh, and the previous guy has a Lum avatar. What is it about this thread that's attracted Rumiko Takahashi fans? :P

**Lum** · 06-27-2012

Does s-video really look like that ultra zoomed-in, compared to RGB, or is it the typical N64 blur? I don't have an RGB equipped N64 either.

**fireaza** · 06-27-2012

The issue here isn't blur, it's those diagonal stripes you can see (they're not suppose to be there!)

**HEX1GON** · 06-27-2012

My noise is actually quite wavy with a bit of snow, but all I know is that it goes away on my CRTs.

**Hedgeyourbets** · 06-27-2012

Could you not just use the NTSC cable but turn down the colour on the TV itself?

**APE** · 06-27-2012

Why not swap it for an RGB capable model? You'd be killing six birds with one stone.

**Lum** · 06-27-2012

N64 framerates are iffy already. PAL slowdown on top of that... Ugh.

**fireaza** · 06-28-2012

Originally Posted by APE

Why not swap it for an RGB capable model? You'd be killing six birds with one stone.

I have heard that there's now an RGB mod for the PAL N64, I'd be very interested in that, does anyone know anything about it? I've already got quite a substantial collection of PAL games, so I don't want to swap to an NTSC console.

Originally Posted by Lum

N64 framerates are iffy already. PAL slowdown on top of that... Ugh.

It's not THAT bad :P

**APE** · 06-28-2012

You can use a CPLD and a large resistor network for RGB but it is far from being easy.

With an NTSC N64 all you'd need to do is cut some tabs to fit PAL carts...for the most part. I think a few will refuse to boot on non PAL consoles. Not sure how the 50/60hz bit factors in.

**fireaza** · 06-28-2012

Originally Posted by APE

You can use a CPLD and a large resistor network for RGB but it is far from being easy.

With an NTSC N64 all you'd need to do is cut some tabs to fit PAL carts...for the most part. I think a few will refuse to boot on non PAL consoles. Not sure how the 50/60hz bit factors in.

Wait wait... You can play PAL games on NTSC consoles simply by cutting the lockout tabs? I thought the N64 was like the SNES, you can make PAL cartridges fit, but they won't boot up. If it's that easy to run PAL games on an NTSC N64, that does sound like a good option (though it would mean saying goodbye to my childhood N64 :()

**APE** · 06-29-2012

Well, it is half the battle:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N64_Passport

I forgot about the CIC.

**Lum** · 06-29-2012

Originally Posted by fireaza

Wait wait... You can play PAL games on NTSC consoles simply by cutting the lockout tabs? I thought the N64 was like the SNES, you can make PAL cartridges fit, but they won't boot up. If it's that easy to run PAL games on an NTSC N64, that does sound like a good option (though it would mean saying goodbye to my childhood N64 :()

Unless using RGB, you'd probably still need a color fix with NTSC consoles like SNES, N64, Saturn, or others of the type.

Their composite/s-video/etc would default to NTSC50 or something from 50hz mode. Which I don't know if many TVs accept.

**fireaza** · 06-29-2012

Originally Posted by APE

Well, it is half the battle:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N64_Passport

I forgot about the CIC.

Oh, a converter cartridge :P They're really not the best, that's why I've got an NTSC SNES, I was having issues with certain games on the converter cart. Not to mention it looks silly with the whole cartridge sticking out :P

Hmmm, it's sounding like the "CPLD" option you mentioned might be my best option here, do you have any more information on it?

**HEX1GON** · 06-29-2012

Originally Posted by fireaza

Wait wait... You can play PAL games on NTSC consoles simply by cutting the lockout tabs? I thought the N64 was like the SNES, you can make PAL cartridges fit, but they won't boot up. If it's that easy to run PAL games on an NTSC N64, that does sound like a good option (though it would mean saying goodbye to my childhood N64 :()

No you can't... only that trick works on NTSC-J and NTSC-U.

**Bad_Ad84** · 06-29-2012

Originally Posted by APE

You can use a CPLD and a large resistor network for RGB but it is far from being easy.

With an NTSC N64 all you'd need to do is cut some tabs to fit PAL carts...for the most part. I think a few will refuse to boot on non PAL consoles. Not sure how the 50/60hz bit factors in.

You can get PAL n64's that are the same mod as the early ntsc ones.