White PC Engine S-Video/RGB mod

[acidhammer420k]

I'm interested in modding a white PC Engine to put out S-Vid or RGB since I got a PVM that doesn't take RF input

I already have a PC Engine DuoR with a SCART RGB cable for that. I would like to use that same cable on the PC Engine original, but I am worried the DIN-8 style plug used on the DuoR might be too big to fit on the PC Engine where the RF box is.

Is S-Video with RCA audio breakouts a possibility too? I wouldn't mind just having S-Video and RCA audio if a DIN-8 is too big to fit. I suppose I could always wire it to be able to use my Genesis Model 2 RGB SCART cable and install a jack for whatever size DIN the Genesis 2 uses.

[Fudoh]

Why make it so complicated ? If you don't want to widen the existing RF "hole", then only a MiniDin socket will fit. With s-video it's the same. You can go MiniDin to s-video + audio, but again require a custom cable. If you want to use your Genesis 2 cable you have to make sure it doesn't contain the sync-fix capacitor.

S-Video is way more complicated since you need an encoder (RGB to s-video) inside the PCE. RGB is available already and just needs a booster circuit.

[ApolloBoy]

S-Video is way more complicated since you need an encoder (RGB to s-video) inside the PCE.

Not anymore, some of the guys at PCEngineFX figured out a far simpler S-video mod that only involves three parts. I've done it several times myself including on my white PCE and Duo-R and it looks fantastic.

[rCadeGaming]

Just use a mini-DIN and make a short mini-DIN to DIN adapter dongle for use with your existing cable.

[acidhammer420k]

S-Video is way more complicated since you need an encoder (RGB to s-video) inside the PCE.

Not anymore, some of the guys at PCEngineFX figured out a far simpler S-video mod that only involves three parts. I've done it several times myself including on my white PCE and Duo-R and it looks fantastic.

Would you be willing to post it here? PCEngineFX signups have been closed for a long time AFAIK...

Just use a mini-DIN and make a short mini-DIN to DIN adapter dongle for use with your existing cable.

This might not be so bad. I don't have any spare video cable but I have about 1000ft of ethernet. I wonder if the cable is 15cm or less if it would be okay?

[ApolloBoy]

S-Video is way more complicated since you need an encoder (RGB to s-video) inside the PCE.

Not anymore, some of the guys at PCEngineFX figured out a far simpler S-video mod that only involves three parts. I've done it several times myself including on my white PCE and Duo-R and it looks fantastic.

Would you be willing to post it here? PCEngineFX signups have been closed for a long time AFAIK...

It's pretty simple, you need a 2N3904 transistor, 220 ohm resistor and 0.001 uF capacitor. Solder the base pin of the transistor to pin 40 of the HuC6260, the collector to 5V and the emitter goes to your 220 ohm resistor, which goes to the luma pin of your S-video jack. For chroma, take the composite video signal, put it through the 0.001 uF cap, which then goes to your S-video jack.

[acidhammer420k]

Thanks a bunch, that doesn't seem bad at all. Now I think I can do what I originally wanted, which is to put a S-Vid jack where the RF plug was and mount RCA stereo jacks. Should I put any caps between tapping L/R audio and the RCA jacks?

[Fudoh]

I don't get it. You don't mind adding some RCA stereo jacks, but you do mind adding a RGB output ? What's the point ?

[ApolloBoy]

Thanks a bunch, that doesn't seem bad at all. Now I think I can do what I originally wanted, which is to put a S-Vid jack where the RF plug was and mount RCA stereo jacks. Should I put any caps between tapping L/R audio and the RCA jacks?

I'd probably put some 1 uF caps on the audio outputs to be on the safe side. I'd also suggest using a 3.5 mm jack for audio which is what I did with mine. You do have to use a dongle cable with RCA breakouts (which are dirt cheap and easy to find), but you only have to drill a single hole and it looks cleaner.

I don't get it. You don't mind adding some RCA stereo jacks, but you do mind adding a RGB output ? What's the point ?

Adding stereo jacks is fairly trivial but adding RGB output is somewhat involved of course. It seems like he wants to go simple with this and I think just having S-video and stereo audio will be perfectly fine for his needs.

[acidhammer420k]

Yeah, I already have a RGB modded but non SVid capable Duo. This is more for fun. A 3.5mm is fine for me too since I have a million 3.5mm to RCA cables.

I would not be opposed to tapping RGB at all but if I did so I'd want to just mount a full size DIN8 and use the cable I already have made. A mini DIN8 to DIN8 seems like more work than I'm willing to do for that, haha.

[rCadeGaming]

Idk, he has a monitor that accepts RGB, so he ought to take advantage of it. I wouldn't put in work just to end up with s-video.

[ApolloBoy]

I would not be opposed to tapping RGB at all but if I did so I'd want to just mount a full size DIN8 and use the cable I already have made. A mini DIN8 to DIN8 seems like more work than I'm willing to do for that, haha.

I would suggest using the same 9-pin mini-DIN that the Genesis 2/3 uses, I did this on my old TG-16 which saved me having to build a separate cable or adapter. They're available on eBay if you look around.

[acidhammer420k]

I would not be opposed to tapping RGB at all but if I did so I'd want to just mount a full size DIN8 and use the cable I already have made. A mini DIN8 to DIN8 seems like more work than I'm willing to do for that, haha.

I would suggest using the same 9-pin mini-DIN that the Genesis 2/3 uses, I did this on my old TG-16 which saved me having to build a separate cable or adapter. They're available on eBay if you look around.

No idea why I didn't think of this myself Might as well wire it for RGB as well as Composite then to make it useful with any Genesis 2/3 cable

[azmun]

Some guy few months ago figured out how to give our beloved PCE s-video (as well as RGB) output! You can see his work here:

http://www.db-elec.com/home/lab-posts/d ... aluma-ohmy

Best part is you don't need to mod your console as it relies on an external encoder. Unfortunately, the first batch has sold out and pre-orders for the second have closed. I just hope they make a shell or some protective casing to increase the longevity of this device in future revisions and they become available again soon.

[ApolloBoy]

Best part is you don't need to mod your console as it relies on an external encoder..

The problem with that though is that you can't use the PCE CD since it takes up the expansion port.