Super NES video quality problems

[xttl]

Hi,

I'm having some trouble with the video output from my Super NES systems on my Sony PVM-2043MD monitor. The problem is most visible in RGB but it's also there in s-video, though more subtle. There's a large vertical bar in which the brightness varies going through the middle of the screen, and many smaller and much more subtle diagonal or horizontal lines which are sometimes moving, sometimes not. Other consoles (I regularly play a Mega Drive and a large PS1 and PS2) do not show this problem, so I don't think it's the monitor.

I also previously had a Super Famicom which showed an even worse case of this video defect, but I sold it and bought an US SNES instead (also hoping that it wouldn't show the defect). Now I've got two of them (because the first seller took 1,5 months to ship -- I thought he was a crook and bought another one) and both have the same problem as my Super Famicom did, though less severe. They're both fairly recent revision units, both have no eject prevention lever and one has the 1chip APU. The one with the 1chip APU is the worse of the two units, which leads me to think that maybe Nintendo somehow cheaped on the video output on later model SNESes. After all, they did completely remove RGB and S-Video from the SNES Jr., and RGB from the N64 & NTSC Gamecube just to save a few  pennies. The RGB output on all 3 units (the Super Famicom which I sold + 2 US SNESes) is also quite a bit smoother than, say, that from a PlayStation. Like it's filtered a bit or something.

Is there anything that can be done about this and would it be worth it to go hunting for a first revision SNES? Probably kinda hard since most people don't have the appropriate toolbit to open the case so I could ask them what kind of APU they have before buying, or what text they have printed on their motherboards...

I'm using the official Nintendo Gamecube RGB cable, but I've also got some unofficial leads which display the same problem. One of them has also been modded for use on a PAL SNES, so trying that didn't help either. I've also got an official Super Famicom RGB cable which has the SCART-lookalike JRGB21 connector, but no way of trying that since the BNC adapter for my PVM is wired for Euro-SCART. I doubt that it would work better anyway.

I've attached a pic of the problem, captured via s-video (I don't have a RGB capture card). I increased the brightness so that at least the middle vertical bar shows quite well.

[RGB32E]

I've encountered the exact same issue on my oldest SNES that was purchased new in Feb 1992.  I noticed the issue for the first time when playing FFIII for the first time!   How ironic  .  I'm not sure what causes this, but my newer snes (wo/cart lock mech) doesn't exhibit this issue (on RGB, YC, or composite).  Hence, its your SNES, not the cables you're using... if that helps...

[NFG]

This is basically interference.  All machines are subject to it, and they often take significant steps to eliminate it.  All kinds of things can cause it: bad power supply, orientation of the machine, too much or too little power at a crucial point, insufficient shielding...  If you haven't modified it then I'd suggest replacing it, unless you can spot anything obviously wrong inside.  As RGB32E points out, it's likey to be your machine.

[Josh]

I see something very similar on my SNES I bought off eBay (I can't get my other SNES to work right now, so I can't compare to that one).  I don't know when it was manufactured and I haven't opened it up, but there is a vertical line (it's kind of bluish) like the one in that screen grab just to the right of the center of the image.  I used S-Video and composite and saw it over both, but first noticed the problem over S-Video.  I also tried the cables on different consoles, and didn't notice the problem.

But, I guess it's just interference, eh?  Hmm...Not much I could really do about that, then.  Oh well.