S-Video on PAL N64 (pics, details inside)

[mashley]

Actually my cables are from console goods, but still have the same problem I did get the multi av plug open quite easily on my other cables (which were cheap and nasty eBay jobs, but were identical in quality to the console goods cables).

[Shadow_Zero]

Ah, ok! Good to know. But shouldn't you complain with Consolegoods then? Apparently they're not making the right cable s-video cables for PAL N64...

I can only say I tried this mod on the board, but still trying to get it to work properly. But adding just the two capacitors results in a much better color quality, although there's some serious interference in the video. Adding the resistors gives me a black screen for some reason...
I don't recall if the mesh pattern was gone on my LCD with my mod, will check that when I have the time (need to redo the mod first though).

[mashley]

Well I think I've made some progress here. I opened the console goods cables to check if they had been modified for PAL N64s, and found that the two cables are actually wired up differently. I therefore swapped them between my N64 and SNES, and the N64 now looks much better without the mesh pattern. I had previously assumed that the cables were identical, but it seems that one is adapted for the N64 and one (possibly) for the SNES.

The SNES still has the mesh pattern over the screen, but I noticed that one of the ground wires is detached from the multi AV plug, so I need to solder that back on.

[Shadow_Zero]

So what components do you have in your Consolegoods PAL N64 s-video cable?

[PluueeR]

I have a PAL N64 but no s-video inputs on my TV. What's te best option here?

[Shadow_Zero]

You should check if your TV supports s-video over SCART. Then you can use a SCART adapter to connect s-video. Or if you have a NUS-001(FRA) model, you can RGB mod it   
Else use an official PAL GC/N64/SNES composite cable.

[mashley]

So what components do you have in your Consolegoods PAL N64 s-video cable?

Just a single resistor. It seems to work well on the N64. The quality isn't the best I've seen, but I think I have to be realistic about what I can expect from a PAL console being upscaled to a 1080p HD projector on an 80" screen...

As for the SNES cable, I've tried moving pin 9 to pin 7 and it made no difference. Still got the mesh pattern

[Shadow_Zero]

That really makes me wonder why soldering a 75ohm resistor on the board (was it Y or C?) didn't change the video quality at all for me! (speaking of N64)

[mashley]

I've got quite a bit of money invested in s-video now, as I've got an s-video to HDMI converter and an s-video switch box (all of which was bypassed for testing to rule them out as the source of the problem). However, right now I'm thinking of one of two options:

1. Go RGB. Wire up or buy all new SNES/N64/GC/DC/PS2/XBOX cables, an RGB switch box, and an RGB to HDMI converter
2. Use my real consoles just for display purposes, and go emulation


Option two is my least favourite, as I still get such a kick from using real retro consoles. But I'm so frustrated at this point by my struggles getting s-video to display in decent quality that I'm dreading starting all over again with RGB :/

[PluueeR]

For testing, I made a video only cable. The spare MultiAV cable I had (composite), only had a couple pins inside. So I still need a decent one, with more pins for the audio. I connected it as follows: from N64 to scart:

pin 5 - grnd - pin 17
pin 7 - luminance - pin 20
pin 8 - chrominance - pin 15

I'm surprised that I didn't need to install any resistors or capacitors. The picture looks pretty decent. Not as good as my SNES with RGB, but I intent to think this is better than composite, with less dot crawl. The menu of Mario 64 is a very good test for this. Now, I need to source a MultiAV plug with enough pins to complete this cable.

[mashley]

For testing, I made a video only cable. The spare MultiAV cable I had (composite), only had a couple pins inside. So I still need a decent one, with more pins for the audio. I connected it as follows: from N64 to scart:

pin 5 - grnd - pin 17
pin 7 - luminance - pin 20
pin 8 - chrominance - pin 15

I'm surprised that I didn't need to install any resistors or capacitors. The picture looks pretty decent. Not as good as my SNES with RGB, but I intent to think this is better than composite, with less dot crawl. The menu of Mario 64 is a very good test for this. Now, I need to source a MultiAV plug with enough pins to complete this cable.

That's interesting. Makes me wonder whether there's a grounding issue here. I might try unsoldering the audio connectors from one of my s-video cables and see if that makes any difference.

[mashley]

Makes me wonder whether there's a grounding issue here. I might try unsoldering the audio connectors from one of my s-video cables and see if that makes any difference.

Ok, just de-soldered the audio cables from one of my SNES s-video cables so there was just chrominance, luminance and ground connected. No change to the video quality. So what's left? The console? PSU? 

[mashley]

Well unfortunately I think it's time to give up. RGB didn't work properly on my SNES, and won't work at all on the N64. S-video looks terrible on the SNES, and mediocre on the N64. Worst of all, I tried playing Doom 64 and Donkey Kong Country through emulators on my HD projector displayed on an 80" screen, and the graphics looked absolutely incredible. There was simply no competition. And as much as I love the old consoles, I got more enjoyment from playing through an emulator where I could actually see what was happening on screen than I did on a console which was displayed as a pixellated, blurry mess. Sad as it is, I think my consoles and carts will now be used as display pieces only 

[ApolloBoy]

S-video looks terrible on the SNES, and mediocre on the N64.

Well if you're using a shit S-video to HDMI converter then no wonder.

[mashley]

S-video looks terrible on the SNES, and mediocre on the N64.

Well if you're using a shit S-video to HDMI converter then no wonder.

It looks exactly the same if I connect the s-video cables directly to the projector.

[PluueeR]

Please post some pics. It makes sense that emulation looks very crisp. The are no analog video processors  "messing" with the signal. Does you projector support scart?

[Knockturnal]

Firstly: Sorry for the 2 year gravedig, but this topic is hardly obsolete.

So I am going to mod a PAL N64, or the S-video cable, to get a proper good S-Video signal out.
I saw the pre-modded cable, and as it was mentioned it only contains a single resistor it leads me to believe it's not even a real S-Video cable, but rather composite through S-video.
To add to my suspicion, it includes the yellow composite video lead, which good cables (monster) exclude. I believe that the cable in question is essentially a composite AV slightly improved for the PAL N64, and NOT an actual S-Video cable. I thought this should be mentioned ITT, because a lot of people will come through here looking to make their N64 experience better.

This means that you need to get some caps and resistors and an actual good NTSC S-video cable, and mod either your console or your cable to get a good picture. At the time of writing this post, all this can be yours from ebay for about $25 USD, so there is really no reason to gamble on the inferior cable.

[jss_josafa]

Hello everyone! do not know what is the right topic, the more I need help!
I have 2 nintendo 64 with problem in the video. He calls, the LED lights, more is with a blue, green through the screen, I made a video of how it is to turn on the unit.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=3CEBE55EE75C0F53!2492&authkey=!AAUMy-SiSzKneSk&ithint=video%2cmp4

Sorry for the question in the wrong place and the mistakes, I'm using google translator: |

[Shadow_Zero]

@Knockturnal:
Nice of digging this up, but I kinda miss the point you wanted to prove in your post...?
Did you try this mod?
And what eBay cable are you referring to?


@jss_josafa:
Google translator makes your post a challenge 
I don't have a Live account, so I can't see the video I think...?

[Xan]

I did this mod on a S-Video cable and get a fine picture generally, but on a CRT I've noticed very faint horizontal interference lines peridocally crawling up the screen. It's usually not visible at all but when looking very closely on certain dark scenes it can be made out. I don't recall seeing anything like this on any other console, what could be the reason of that? I should also mention it's one of these generic cables with only one ground connected on the AV, if that is of any relevance.

Actually I have a general noob question about the order these parts have to be soldered on... in the OP it is mentioned the cap has to be soldered in series, does that mean that both the resistor and cap can be soldered straight to the pin (for chroma and luma, respectively)? This is the way I had it originally, but I just changed it up to connecting the cap with a piece of wire to the pin, while leaving the resistor on. From a quick test it didn't seem to help much with the aforementioned crawling interference, but at least allows for the caps to be positioned more freely inside that tight space.

[Shadow_Zero]

Since the nice schematics are not being hosted anymore, here they are again:

[Richter2023]

I thought that PAL region got RGB on their consoles?

[Tak-MK]

I thought that PAL region got RGB on their consoles?

Sadly not on the N64, it only outputs composite over here. There's a weird French early revision with something near to RGB or that was prepared for it at least, but nothing else.