PAL Gamecube RGB flicker

[scottmog]

After watching this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVX81e6Ig-s
I was interested in making the best gameboy player setup.

I had a couple of extra scart cables, I'm using a "Super Nintendo NTSC" cable from retrogamingcables.co.uk. I'm getting a mass amount of flicker and wanted to know if anyone else was experiencing the same.

I plan on getting an OEM nintendo gamecube scart cable in the near future but just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing or assuming something incorrectly.

Here is a video of my issue, please let me know if you understand what issue I am experiencing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvZl1pXR758

[thetallguy24]

What kind of sync does the cable produce?

PAL GC needs a different sync than the SNES I believe.

"Composite sync extracted from composite video? What is this black magic?
Unfortunately the most commonly used format in the world of retro gaming after-market cables is the sync over composite video RGB SCART cable, including those cheap arse cables of eBay (oops). Consoles which can output composite sync include the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis 1 & 2, Super Nintendo (NTSC), Neo Geo AES, Atari Jaguar, Sega Saturn (JAPANESE model) etc. For consoles which only output sync over composite video, there is a solution. The composite video aspect of the video signal can be removed using a special circuit called a sync separator, sync cleaner or sync stripper as seen in figure 3. This removes the composite video signal and leaves a clean composite sync signal. A sync separator circuit can be inserted directly into a SCART plug and the voltage needed to power the circuit is drawn directly from the console and works without any problems. For consoles which don't output composite sync for example the Original Xbox, Sony Playstation, Super Nintendo PAL, Sega Saturn PAL and Nintendo Gamecube Pal we supply these cables with a built in sync separator circuit called an LM1881 which is a surface mount chip attached to our custom printed circuit SCART board, as seen below. Or retrofit your existing RGB SCARTs with our Sync Blaster PCB, which incorporates an LM1881 sync separator board."

https://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/com ... osite-sync

He recommends this cable:

https://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/nin ... SYNC-CSYNC

[speedlolita]

If your PVM is set up correctly then it won't give a damn about it being composite sync or composite video. I've used my own PAL Cube with official RGB cable without issue on my previously owned PVM-20M4E and my KX-14CP1 just fine.

That sort of image roll looks as if you've not got your PVM settings right.

Edit: As an aside (might be unrelated but worth asking) what region of software are you running and is the console modded at all?

[Guspaz]

I use a PAL GC SCART cable with my PAL GC, and theoretically some NTSC cables will work with it, but the sync is the problem.

It's not a matter of what the displays support, it's a matter of what the console outputs.

Your SNES SCART cable is probably wired up for csync, which means the SCART sync is pulled from pin 3 on the console.

Your PAL GCN does not have syc on pin 3, it has 12v. Using this cable can fry your monitor, don't ever use it.

Your PAL GCN needs a cable that pulls sync from pin 9 (composite video).

Right now you've basically got no sync signal at all going into the PVM. Or rather, you're feeding pure 12v power into the PVM's sync input.

[scottmog]

I use a PAL GC SCART cable with my PAL GC, and theoretically some NTSC cables will work with it, but the sync is the problem.

It's not a matter of what the displays support, it's a matter of what the console outputs.

Your SNES SCART cable is probably wired up for csync, which means the SCART sync is pulled from pin 3 on the console.

Your PAL GCN does not have syc on pin 3, it has 12v. Using this cable can fry your monitor, don't ever use it.

Your PAL GCN needs a cable that pulls sync from pin 9 (composite video).

Right now you've basically got no sync signal at all going into the PVM. Or rather, you're feeding pure 12v power into the PVM's sync input.

Gotcha, I won't do it again. It was on for literally a couple seconds. Good thing I didn't leave it on.

If your PVM is set up correctly then it won't give a damn about it being composite sync or composite video. I've used my own PAL Cube with official RGB cable without issue on my previously owned PVM-20M4E and my KX-14CP1 just fine.

That sort of image roll looks as if you've not got your PVM settings right.

Edit: As an aside (might be unrelated but worth asking) what region of software are you running and is the console modded at all?

I don't really have any settings on this PVM, its a Sony 2030 I think thats what its called. Console is not modded at all. I put an NTSC disc in a PAL gamecube. I knew it wasn't going to play, just wanted to see if the extra scart cable I had would work.

What kind of sync does the cable produce?

PAL GC needs a different sync than the SNES I believe.

"Composite sync extracted from composite video? What is this black magic?
Unfortunately the most commonly used format in the world of retro gaming after-market cables is the sync over composite video RGB SCART cable, including those cheap arse cables of eBay (oops). Consoles which can output composite sync include the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis 1 & 2, Super Nintendo (NTSC), Neo Geo AES, Atari Jaguar, Sega Saturn (JAPANESE model) etc. For consoles which only output sync over composite video, there is a solution. The composite video aspect of the video signal can be removed using a special circuit called a sync separator, sync cleaner or sync stripper as seen in figure 3. This removes the composite video signal and leaves a clean composite sync signal. A sync separator circuit can be inserted directly into a SCART plug and the voltage needed to power the circuit is drawn directly from the console and works without any problems. For consoles which don't output composite sync for example the Original Xbox, Sony Playstation, Super Nintendo PAL, Sega Saturn PAL and Nintendo Gamecube Pal we supply these cables with a built in sync separator circuit called an LM1881 which is a surface mount chip attached to our custom printed circuit SCART board, as seen below. Or retrofit your existing RGB SCARTs with our Sync Blaster PCB, which incorporates an LM1881 sync separator board."

https://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/com ... osite-sync

He recommends this cable:

https://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/nin ... SYNC-CSYNC

The cable is exactly as I stated "Super Nintendo NTSC" I got this quite a while back before retrogamingcables was selling a lot of the stuff they sell today.

So is everyone in agreement that I should purchase the second cable listed? Or should I only buy an OEM nintendo scart cable?

Thank you all very much!

[Guspaz]

Retro Gaming Cable's PAL GCN cable with composite video sync (https://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/nin ... le-dol-013) is what I've got, it seems to work decently, but my use case is pretty limited (gameboy games and nothing else).

The csync version of the cable just filters out the composite video feed right before it feeds it out the SCART cable: there is no quality improvement to be had, if any damage was going to be caused by composite video causing interference, the damage is done by then. You only need the csync version of the cable if you're using a device that flat up doesn't support anything but csync, such as extron devices.

[scottmog]

Retro Gaming Cable's PAL GCN cable with composite video sync (https://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/nin ... le-dol-013) is what I've got, it seems to work decently, but my use case is pretty limited (gameboy games and nothing else).

The csync version of the cable just filters out the composite video feed right before it feeds it out the SCART cable: there is no quality improvement to be had, if any damage was going to be caused by composite video causing interference, the damage is done by then. You only need the csync version of the cable if you're using a device that flat up doesn't support anything but csync, such as extron devices.

Awesome thanks. Yup I'm in the same boat as you, this is a second gamecube, specifically for my CRT and specifically for GBC/GBA games.

I have my other gamecube in the main room with component cables, and I have a spare brand new in bag.

[Ikaruga11]

I was considering getting a PAL GameCube and the official RGB SCART cable for it, but they only do sync on composite video.

If I were to get my NTSC GameCube modded with analog GCVideo and have it wired for RGB to the Analog Out, I could get Pure Sync RGB on my NTSC system.

[RGB0b]

I was considering getting a PAL GameCube and the official RGB SCART cable for it, but they only do sync on composite video.

You could always cut the trace to the composite video pin on the multi-out and install a sync stripper. Since it's on the console-end, it would be pretty much the same as csync. You could even install a switch that toggles between csync and cvbs in case you ever needed composite video.

[Gunstar]

I was considering getting a PAL GameCube and the official RGB SCART cable for it, but they only do sync on composite video.

You could always cut the trace to the composite video pin on the multi-out and install a sync stripper. Since it's on the console-end, it would be pretty much the same as csync. You could even install a switch that toggles between csync and cvbs in case you ever needed composite video.

Is doing this better than adding a sync stripper at the scart end?

[RGB0b]

I was considering getting a PAL GameCube and the official RGB SCART cable for it, but they only do sync on composite video.

You could always cut the trace to the composite video pin on the multi-out and install a sync stripper. Since it's on the console-end, it would be pretty much the same as csync. You could even install a switch that toggles between csync and cvbs in case you ever needed composite video.

Is doing this better than adding a sync stripper at the scart end?

Yes, as Guspaz said, the sync stripper in the SCART head will only help with compatibility (assuming your target device requires csync). It will not help composite video interference at all, since the interference has already traveled up the cable next to it. Installing it in the console side prevents the composite video noise from leaking into the color lines.

[Gunstar]

Yes, as Guspaz said, the sync stripper in the SCART head will only help with compatibility (assuming your target device requires csync). It will not help composite video interference at all, since the interference has already traveled up the cable next to it. Installing it in the console side prevents the composite video noise from leaking into the color lines.

Thanks! Exactly the info I was looking for.

[Hablaskakaf]

I have a follow up question that I want to chime in here and mention in regards to a recent conversation I had directly with someone from EBay named badomen who personally modded and sold me a PAL SNES 1-Chip 02 Revision. I was having a problem with Composite Cables (since my RGB ones hadn't arrived yet) and he mentioned that because of the RGB Bypass and 50/60Hz Switch he installed into the console, 60hz mode uses the NTSC RGB Colour Palette so I should use NTSC RGB Cables to go along with the mod.

We kept discussing things and I asked him about these cables I intended to buy from Retro_Console_Accessories..

According to him the SNES NTSC cable should work perfectly with a PAL Gamecube - contrary to some information I've seen here but he's not sure about other sync types.
This information is pretty important to me as I'm using an Extron Crosspoint in my setup so I wanted to double check with everyone here.

Quotes from my EBay Conversation With Badomen:

Badomen:
supposing is for ntsc snes (your snes is pal but right cable to use is for ntsc now) should be perfect

Me:
Yes, it is. Does that mean I should be able to use that same cable with my PAL Gamecube?

Badomen:
I'm sure you can use a rgb ntsc snes cable (with composite as sync) with a pal gamecube. dont know about the luma or c-sync versions