Megadrive/Genesis RGB Scart cables

[thermodan]

I'm wondering what are the best RGB Scart cables available for the Megadrive (I or II), and where I can get one ?

Is there an "official" Sega scart cable that works best ?

I know from Nintendo consoles that there is a world of difference between the official Nintendo branded RGB scart cable and some third party ones.
Is this true in the Sega world too ?

Hope someone can help....

[NFG]

Sega never released an official RGB cable in Japan (or the US of course).  I've never seen a European cable, but I've heard rumors they do exist.

[kendrick]

And now, confirmation:

http://www.ncsxshop.com/cgi-bin/shop/NCS-RGB05.html

At $20, it's not exactly a bargain, but NCS is my favorite importer for many reasons. Also, they're well aware that the main buyer for this item is the kind of person who would hack out RGB connections on non-SCART devices, so their reasoning for the premium is sound.

Hope that's helpful.

-KKC, watching the city of Jacksonville get ridiculously tense right before the Super Bowl. It's like ugly people getting ready for the prom; no matter how pretty the dress or how nice the tuxedo, they're still ugly. :/

[Endymion]

I've bought this cable from NCS and it was not "official," no Sega logo, copyright information or any such thing anywhere on it. For that matter its packaging, if you can call it that, was a plastic baggy. I don't know why a Nintendo SCART would be intrinsically better than a non-Nintendo made one, so long as the dots are connected and you aren't getting composite or S-video when you thought you were getting RGB, any cable should be as good as any other, including a home made one.

And that's the kind of DIY spirit we foster around here.

[thermodan]

I checked out the NCS site - it says these cables are for the "newer model" of the Genesis2/Megadrive2. I'm guessing there are not different models of the Genesis2/Megadrive2 and what they mean to say is this cable is not for the Genesis/Megadrive I. Can someone confirm ?

Also, what about an rgb scart cable for Megadrive I ? I've not seen one. I've heard there is one that plugs into the headphone socket (what?).

And......notice that I said the official nintendo rgb scart cable is better than 'SOME' 3rd party ones (ie. not all). Obviously not all third party cables were created equal.

[Endymion]

There sure is (was) a SCART for the MD1, just like the MD2 you saw though it wasn't "official." When NCS says that SCART is for the newer model they mean precisely that it is not for the MD1. The MD1 SCART I have doesn't plug to the headphone socket, although I could understand why somebody might have made such a cable--the MD1 can only output stereo from the headphone jack, and not from the rear where the cable attaches. It's a little extra work but worth it, although you could eliminate this if you had a Sega/Mega CD attached.

And what I meant by the SNES SCART cable is this--if you have a SCART cable for the SNES and it does RGB, there's really nothing any Nintendo cable is going to do better. There are SCART cables out there that go with Y/C and Composite, yeah, but this really has nothing to do with whether it's from the hardware-maker or not, it's just that somebody decided to make the cable one way or the other. It doesn't mean it's shoddy work, either, it just means that it was made for Composite/S-video instead of RGB.

But this is all academic and something you can eliminate completely with the cables you make from your own hands, why bother searching high and low? Just buy a SCART patch and go to town.

[ilesj]

I don't know why a Nintendo SCART would be intrinsically better than a non-Nintendo made one, so long as the dots are connected and you aren't getting composite or S-video when you thought you were getting RGB, any cable should be as good as any other, including a home made one.

Actually, that's not true. The quality of wiring and soldering does matter. If the cable is made of some kind of cheap data-cable without any shielding etc., you most likely notice some error in the picture. Also the capasitors and resistors used (or not used) affects the picture. But.. It really needs some "skillz" to make the picture BAD with RGB.

thermodan, the site says that the cable is for MD/Genesis 2 (the smaller and more rounded one), not for the original MD/Genesis (which is bigger and has a plug for headphones).

[dumdum]

euro manuals for the mastersystems+megadrives mention that the French machines are supplied with a scart cable (so french sms2 gets rgb by default but everyone else got rf). France is the home of scart after all. Im pretty sure the official MD2 scart cable was avaliable seperatly, I saw a boxed one on a Euro ebay once if you care to believe me.

i too have to agre about "dont use data cables for video" - i used an old printer cable for scart-to-scart but the video out from the TV's tuner would cause visable interferance with video in...

[NFG]

I always use data cables for video.  Over short distances (1-2 meters) you shouldn't have trouble.  The quality of your soldering and local interference will have a bigger impact on signal quality.

[Endymion]

Actually, that's not true. The quality of wiring and soldering does matter.

That is kinda a duh-statement. I think that the job is done right should be a given.

If the cable is made of some kind of cheap data-cable without any shielding etc., you most likely notice some error in the picture.

Data-cable? Cat-5 ethernet cable is shielded near as I know. But presuming he lives in Europe or England he should be able to easily get ahold of a quality SCART patch. Connecting the dots with the diagrams I posted should give results as well as any "official" brand SCART. They don't make these things like magic, it's nothing that you can't do yourself for less money.

Also the capasitors and resistors used (or not used) affects the picture.

I've never had this problem on any RGB monitor from any console, although I do know that most SCART TVs use certain combinations to switch to the RGB mode. Some consoles need amps also, but this is yet another duh, an exception and not really covered by any "official" cable. (i.e. there is no TurboGrafx or N64 official SCART . . . )

[KeepGood]

I build all of my video cables myself (if I can get the parts).  Its more fun that way :-)

I've never had a problem with using data cables either.  They can make for excellent video cables.  Obviously a really crappy cable will make a crappy vid cable but generally data cables are fine.

A small extra note to  the post above.  Cat5 cable isnt shielded (unless you buy STP instead of UTP).  

Network cable doesnt make the best of video cables.  The quality of the cable is generally really good but most ethernet cable has solid cores inside it rather than the strands of copper, which makes the stuff brittle, a few bends to the cat5 cable and a core can snap easily.

:-)

[Aidan]

Yeah, most Cat 5 cabling is unshielded, as it doesn't need shielding. However, if you have dedicated returns for each of the R/G/B lines, then you can use twisted pair.

The reason is that a twisted pair relies on those twists to reduce interference. If you send the signal up one half, and the return down the other half, you effectively have a balanced line. As soon as you tie the return to some other point (such as ground), you lose the noise immunity that twisted pair can offer.

As most consoles use a common ground, it makes it rather harder to use twisted pair without resorting to things like baluns to balance lines.

[Midori]

I can confirm that there is an official Mega Drive RGB cable here in europe (or sweden at least) I've got proof if you don't belive me

[Endymion]

Okay, but find us a place to buy one? NCS doesn't have it, it's a generic one. (Not that I think it is any worse for the fact, mind.)

[NFG]

Show us your official cable, green-hair!  I'd like to see it.

[Midori]

Sadly I havn't got one for myself but I got two official information papers from SEGA wich says(or said in -96) there are rgb-cables available for best possible picture quality, unless SEGA are showing off third party RGB cables in the middle of their own equipment (everything else there is from SEGA themselves) there is a official cable or at least should have been ;P