Resolved! NOT a new dreamcast quirk! just my TV.

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flojocabron
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Resolved! NOT a new dreamcast quirk! just my TV.

Post by flojocabron »

I am giving the gift of dreamcast to a needy family for my jobs 'adopt a family' for the holidays.

So I'm getting it all ready, Two Controllers, couple of original Games and some burned. I couldn't find a A/V cable so I hooked up an RF cable to my LCD TV.

Looks Crappy :lol: ! I'm gonna have to find a better cable.

But for now, when try to play some Beats of Rage homebrew game on the RF Dreamcast; It makes the TV screen a little funky! Theres some streaky snow effects with the accompanied sounds. Its a kind of flicker every few seconds with the occasional jumpy screen. So is it just my LCD TV?

I thought it was the RF cable, but this doesn't happen with an original disc. I also burned and put in a Copy of Dream SNES emulator on it and it worked fine! Tried them also on my dreamcast thats hooked up with composite cable, and they all worked fine as well.

Hooked up my PS1 with an RF cable too with no problems on the games!

The games that I tried are Ladies of Rage, X-men, Mortal Kombat Konquest, and Melty Blood. Some of these had the flicker upon the loading screen when the game starts, and some once the game started and you began fighting.

Could this have been a programming trick done by Senile team and they just never checked? Or is this just my tv and I'm just doing crazy talk? Bust out your RF :lol: cables and see if this happens to you too!
Last edited by flojocabron on Sun Dec 25, 2011 3:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Possible strange new dreamcast quirk?

Post by ExedExes »

A DC question even I can't figure out. I don't homebrew on it (save for the Dream Explorer ISO) ... I did however use an RF switch for it back in the day, and depending how tightly it was connected (or how strong the signal was) it would snow on me a few times, but it wasn't game dependent at all. I use an S-Video cable on mine now.
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Re: Possible strange new dreamcast quirk?

Post by bacardipr05 »

Wish i had a DC RF cable flojocarbon to try and confirm this. However i did a google search and a similar problem seems to pop up in 4 or 5 sites. I scanned through a few of them seems to be a lot of PAL DC have this problems. They dont mention specific games just that a few people have had problems.
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Re: Possible strange new dreamcast quirk?

Post by CD AGES »

Are you using an official RF cable?

BTW, thats real thoughtful of u! Makes me feel joyous someone less fortunate is getting a Dreamcast :)
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Re: Possible strange new dreamcast quirk?

Post by flojocabron »

CD AGES wrote:Are you using an official RF cable?

BTW, thats real thoughtful of u! Makes me feel joyous someone less fortunate is getting a Dreamcast :)
I know I have some dreamcast stuff I just cant find them! :x

Sadly I'm NOT using an official dreamcast RF cable.

I'm gonna try to go to the fleamarket to find a composite cable. Been trying to find some, I used to find them all the time when I didn't need one, and now that I do need one I cant find any :(
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Re: Possible strange new dreamcast quirk?

Post by CRTGAMER »

flojocabron wrote:But for now, when try to play some Beats of Rage homebrew game on the RF Dreamcast; It makes the TV screen a little funky! Theres some streaky snow effects with the accompanied sounds. Its a kind of flicker every few seconds with the occasional jumpy screen. So is it just my LCD TV?

I thought it was the RF cable, but this doesn't happen with an original disc. I also burned and put in a Copy of Dream SNES emulator on it and it worked fine! Tried them also on my dreamcast thats hooked up with composite cable, and they all worked fine as well.

The games that I tried are Ladies of Rage, X-men, Mortal Kombat Konquest, and Melty Blood. Some of these had the flicker upon the loading screen when the game starts, and some once the game started and you began fighting.
Maybe the LCD does not like the Resolution/Graphic Draw of the BOR games? Turn off the widescreen stretch. Do the games work fine on another TV? To be sure, hook it up to a CRT.

If the TV supports VGA or SVideo, a better choice over Composite and RF. But since the Dreamcast is a donation, a Composite cable would ensure compatibility with most TVs.
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Re: Possible strange new dreamcast quirk?

Post by Anthony817 »

flojocabron wrote:I also burned and put in a Copy of Dream SNES emulator on it and it worked fine!
Just to let you know there is a much better Snes emulator out that can run games real speed. I am sure the needy family would like to have this included as well. :mrgreen:

http://www.theisozone.com/downloads/dre ... d-support/

That is a very honorable deed you are doing. I had it rough as a kid at Christmas time and 2 times we got food and toys from an organization. It really cheered my brother and I up.

Keep spreading that Christmas cheer. :D
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Re: Possible strange new dreamcast quirk?

Post by flojocabron »

UPDATE!!!

I tried another dreamcast (black sega sports) with the RF adapter and still got the same effects.

Changed from channel 4 to 3 and it still does the same on the LCD tv.

One of the games "melty blood" Progressively got worse untill the tv said "weak or no signal"

The same streaking/flicker happens when I put one of those burned games hacked by the old group ECHELON. Only on their start-up screen. Once the real game starts its fine.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I finally tried it on a SYLVANIA 13in CRT tv and it worked just like any RF plug. A little grainy but no problems. All games worked fine.

I'm gonna keep an eye out for an official RF by sega. See if this happens with a real plug from them. When I do find some I'll keep you guys posted.

Lets hope the family that gets this system doesnt have an LCD tv. Let hope that its gonna be a fun Sega Holidays for them.
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Re: Resolved! NOT a new dreamcast quirk! just my TV.

Post by flojocabron »

ANOTHER UPDATE!

Hope everyone's have a fun holiday.

Been playing games with the family all through the night.

And It looks like my Samsung TV may be the culprit on why the RF cable doesnt work right.

I hooked up my Atari 2600 to the TV (wanted to get some Warlords action) and got the same effects from the dreamcast a week earlier. I used one of those radioshack adapters that were mentioned in an old post here.

Looks like you're right CRTGAMER, My tv may not suport RF gaming. :(

Gonna try this with some other consoles and see if this happens too.

Just another reason to keep an old tv in the house.

happy holidays.
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Re: Resolved! NOT a new dreamcast quirk! just my TV.

Post by Hobie-wan »

Try through a VCR.
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