[SOS] AV Famicom video problem & other issues

[SceptreJLRB]

Hiya,

I just adquired a japanese AV Famicom, but I am experiencing some problems which I cannot get solved. I am using the PAL MegaDrive I AC adaptor and the PAL GameCube RCA cable in an European Sony Trinitron KV-21C5E CRT television which is compatible with NTSC video signal. However, image is displayed dull, darkened and lacking proper brightness, with subdued colors and 'dirty' whites instead of pure ones. This is in striking contrast with the video signal I obtain from my PAL Creation NES-clone console, which shows sharp, vibrant colors when pluggled by RCA to this TV set. I have tried with the PAL N64 RCA cable and also in other televisions, obtaining the same results.

So my question is: Is the AV Famicom supposed to display this kind of dull, subdued colors or is it due to some defect in the console or in another element?

In addition, there are problems with game cartridge recognition, sometines being necessary to re-insert my original Famicom cartridges several times to work, and yet the game often glitches or freezes. This defect is more prominent when using a NES (72 pin)-to-Famicom (60 pin) adaptor with my PAL NES cartridges and, above all, with my NES EverDrive N8, in whose case some games always freeze at gameplay. On the contrary, the EverDrive is working perfectly on my NES clone. Of course, I have cleaned all connections with alcohol and have even tried to polish them using sandpaper, but the problems still persist.

Now I am wondering: Are these issues kind of common when using a NES EverDrive in a AV Famicom via pin-adaptor? Or could it be that all is due to a problem in my console, hence producing the aforementioned video problems as well as these game recognition problem? If so, any idea of how could it be fixed?

Please, help! Certainly, I don't know what to do in order to get it work poperly...
Thank you very much in advance for your responses!

Cheers!

[Ziggy]

I just adquired a japanese AV Famicom, but I am experiencing some problems which I cannot get solved. I am using the PAL MegaDrive I AC adaptor and the PAL GameCube RCA cable in an European Sony Trinitron KV-21C5E CRT television which is compatible with NTSC video signal. However, image is displayed dull, darkened and lacking proper brightness, with subdued colors and 'dirty' whites instead of pure ones. This is in striking contrast with the video signal I obtain from my PAL Creation NES-clone console, which shows sharp, vibrant colors when pluggled by RCA to this TV set. I have tried with the PAL N64 RCA cable and also in other televisions, obtaining the same results.

The PAL Nintendo cables (SNES, N64 and GCN) have a 75ohm resistor tied to ground on the composite video line. The PAL GCN cables also have a 220uf capacitor in series on the composite video line. This will surely dull the picture for the AV Famicom. You need to use a "straight through" cable, with no components inside. Easiest way to do that is to get ahold of some NTSC Nintendo composite cables.

http://gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=av:nintendomultiav

[SceptreJLRB]

Hi Ziggy587!

Thank you very much for your accurate answer and for this piece of information! It is just what I needed to get clear. It is commonly assumed, at least in Europe, that PAL/NTSC RGB cables are different for sure, due to such additional components (resistor, capacitor). But what was not so clearly confirmed is whether the same applies to RCA cables. A number of users claim that they obtain proper display with NTSC Nintendo consoles using PAL RCA cables... But maybe it depends on the TV set. In my case, it is full compatible with RCA NTSC signal, and maybe this causes the extra components of the PAL RCA cable to make a difference.

So, I'm gonna get a NTSC Nintendo RCA cable asap, hoping to solve the problem.

[SceptreJLRB]

Problem solved! Now the picture is perfect. Thanks to the Super Famicom RCA cable (NTSC-J, just what I needed) & the advice of Ziggy587.