Dreamcast VGA Feedback Problem

[ACSeraph]

So I bought a VGA cable for my Dreamcast and after a while I started to get this weird feedback, like the picture was shaking or slightly garbled like a shitty youtube video. I figured it was the cord but just to test it I hooked it up to my other Dreamcast and it had no problem. Thinking it was a problem with the Dreamcast itself I just switched out the systems entirely, but after about an hour of gaming on the second DC it now has a garbled picture too. It's not a case of just readjusting the cord either, both Dreamcasts now display that garbled picture apparently permanently. It was a cheap cord, so is it possible the cord fucked up my DC somehow? Any idea what could cause something like that?

[Zets13]

For what its worth, I use one of those Tomee DC VGA cables from Amazon and I am not pleased with the picture quality. Not sure if it is the cable or what, but it seems to give some interference (dark discoloration extending from certain vibrantly colored things to the edges of the screen) and overall the picture quality is "meh."

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Haven't had any problems with using the 1st-party official Sega Dreamcast VGA Box setup despite how pricey they are these days. I haven't had any problems with the cheaper Naki variant produced DC VGA Box either. Of course, your mileage will vary depending on the 3rd-party DC VGA Box used with your DC -- it's a given alrighty.

Sega VGA Box Factoid: Back in late March 2000/early April 2000, the current going rate for a brand new 1st-party official Sega VGA Adapter Box was 6,000 yen at the various game shops in Akihabara. The U.S. dollar to Japanese yen exchange rate was 118 yen = 1 U.S. dollar at that point in time -- so it was a good time to buy Japanese goods when the U.S. dollar was strong in those days. Not to mention that 1st-gen JPN PS2 consoles were selling for approximately $1,000 USD and up on eBay as usual since that was the same month (March 2000 that the JPN PS2 console first went on sale with a MSRP of 39,800 yen).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[tcancian]

The picture is garbled in composite as well? Can you post a picture? The Dreamcast AV port has both 5V and 12V in it, I'm not sure if the current is high enough for it to travel through a short circuit in the cable so as to travel back to the IC (DAC) and cause permanent damage, but it is possible.

You could try to bypass the port or the cable and wire some connectors directly to the DAC, but if the DAC was damaged it would do you no good.

I know the Dreamcast has a switch for 480i and 480p modes, it might also be the case (I've never seen this happening but who knows) that somehow your Dreamcast is operating in 480p in a 480i display or vice-versa and that's the issue but without a picture it would be hard to confirm.

I use a transparent VGA box and never had any issues with it. I also have the official RGB SCART cable and comparing the VGA box output through the Emotia (to 240p or 480i) with the RGB transcoded to Component, the image quality is the exact same (except for the Emotia's solarization effect).

[ACSeraph]

Unfortunately my cameras no good enough to take a pic where you sould see what I mean. The best way to describe it is like the picture is under a thin layer of rippling water.

The new replacement Dreamcast is off and on with the feedback, where the first one had it 100% of the time. I think the best thing I can do at the moment is get rid of the cord and go for a VGA box. If the Dreamcast itself got fucked up by the cord somehow it's not a huge problem, as it can be cheaply replaced.

[bobrocks95]

I didn't have much luck with the VGA cables and eventually had to just get a box. The ones I had would cause horizontal lines across the whole screen. It's certainly possible that it's just crap.