Added RGB jacks to my SNES (with pics)

[skate323k137]

Great work!

I have no idea why, but pin 7 on the multi out is sync on NTSC consoles and 12v on PAL consoles.

Aside from scart TV's using cvid for sync, the reason for having a pin provide voltage is that the scart standard uses various voltage on certain pins to tell the TV what mode to use (4:3 vs 16:9, composite vs RGB, etc). In this case the 12v sets the TV to 4:3.

For the hell of it:
Pin 8 Status & Aspect Ratio up[c]
0–2 V → off
5–8 V → on/16:9
9.5–12 V → on/4:3

Pin 16 Blanking signal up
RGB-selection voltage up
0–0.4 V → composite
1–3 V → RGB

[fvgazi]

Thanks!
If you're on the fence about a PVM, do it. They're fantastic, I don't know how/why I waited so long to get one.

Forgive my ignorance, but is PVM = Sony Professional Video monitor?

I'm working on a supergun now, but I have a $40 s-video + composite encoder to use on my 26" trinitron. I feel like it wouldn't be worth the smaller size screen for me.

[skate323k137]

Thanks!
If you're on the fence about a PVM, do it. They're fantastic, I don't know how/why I waited so long to get one.

Forgive my ignorance, but is PVM = Sony Professional Video monitor?

I'm working on a supergun now, but I have a $40 s-video + composite encoder to use on my 26" trinitron. I feel like it wouldn't be worth the smaller size screen for me.

Yep, PVM = Sony professional video monitor. S-video to a trinitron tube is certainly not bad by any means, espeically if you already have the encoder. Nothing is going to give you the color quality of a true RGB signal though. I was honestly amazed at the difference going from nice tube TV's with s-video and component video to a PVM with RGB input.

I've compared S-video vs RGB and component vs RGB on my PVM, the clarity/defintion is probably 8.5 and 9 out of 10 respectively (with 10 being RGB input), and maybe 8 and 8.5 out of 10 respectively for color. Clarity/definiton of the picture isn't a big difference between s-video and RGB; the main noticable difference with RGB input is definitely the brightness/vibrance of the colors themselves. For me, a 20-21 inch monitor is fine, though I don't mind a bit bigger for some games.

Since I didn't already have an encoder, I decided to go the PVM route, since I would have spent the ~80 bucks for a jrok encoder with component video output otherwise.

[fvgazi]

I'll have to think about going the PVM route. It looks like I can pick up one for $70-$95 off cragislist in my area. I just don't have the space at the moment. I already have two TV's in my room.

Enough derailing the thread, but I think I need to make my own s-video cable for SNES. The one I got form the RB store doesn't seem to have any noticeable difference from composite.

Anyway - your mod looks great, Skate!
Zig - Any luck with the s-video -> component yet?

[Jamisonia]

I've seen plenty of PVMs when I worked for an electronic recycler. I thought about getting one but passed for two reasons.

1. I never saw a monitor if any size nearing 27" (which is how big my Sony Wega is)
2. They were generally used in professional broadcasting settings, and as a result I never seen one that didn't suffer some amount of burn in. Usually extreme burn in.

So if you're looking to get a PVM keep this in mind. Also they only use BNC jacks that I've seen, so you'll want to get converters.

skate323k137 if you are using a PVM with BNC input jacks, you would be better served by installing BNC jacks on your SNES and using BNC cables. BNC connections are superior to RCA because they give true 75 Ohm impedance. Additionally since the cables have a locking mechanism they're easier to use.

[Ziggy]

Enough derailing the thread, but I think I need to make my own s-video cable for SNES. The one I got form the RB store doesn't seem to have any noticeable difference from composite.

Yeah, sadly the one I got from the RB store is pretty sad. The cable seems thick, but once it breaks out into S-Video, composite and audio, you can see how pathetically thin they are. The s-video cable is so thin, there's no way Y and C are properly shielded, if shielded at all. You're best bet, without going overboard, is to just mount standard AV jacks on your console that way you can pick out AV cables that don't completely suck.

Another option, like I mentioned on page 1 with the Dreamcast, is modifying the proprietary plug. I'm thinking about busting open the plug on my SNES s-video cable and cutting off the wire, then just add my own back to it. The plug might end up looking a little ghetto, but oh well, at least I'd have a better AV cable.

Here's the thing that sucks about s-video: you need to have Y and C properly shielded form each other, so the cable is gonna be a certain thickness because of that. S-Video uses a mini-DIN plug, which is small. Having good shielded means a thicker cable, which is hard to stuff into the small mini-DIN connector. Same goes for the proprietary Nintendo multi AV plug. It's only so big, the wire coming out of it can only be so thick. Is there enough room to have properly shielded Y, C and audio L and R? Maybe not! That's why mounting jacks on your console is the best bet.

Zig - Any luck with the s-video -> component yet?

Actually, yes. The same transocder that I'm using for SNES to go from RGB to YPbPr, I'm also using it to go from S-Video to YPbPr for my N64. But I might give up on building my own s-video to component adapter, I might wanna RGB mod my N64 instead. I bought a couple different kinda of video amps for the SNES YPbPr mod that I've been working on, so I bought a few extra to mod my N64s if I ever get around to it.





I've also thought about getting a PVM at one point. It would be interesting to see how much better the true RGB will look compared to RGB converted to YPbPr. If I ever find one in a thrift store, I'll definitely pick it up. But I'm perfectly happy with my Sony Wega for retro gaming. A PVM would just be a curiosity.

[skate323k137]

I got my PVM from a medical supplier, so luckily no burn in issues. Overall it's in great shape, and any adjustments I needed to make were in the service menu.

I'll consider swapping for BNC jacks on the snes, but for now the quality is pretty good using rca to bnc adaptors.

I got lucky and found a few nice thick s-video cables at a thrift shop for a dollar a piece. One or two even had y/c split (i.e. looked like speaker wire).

[Ziggy]

I got lucky and found a few nice thick s-video cables at a thrift shop for a dollar a piece. One or two even had y/c split (i.e. looked like speaker wire).

Yeah, that's what I meant when I said "without going crazy." If you wanted to go overboard with shielding cables, you could output S-Video from two RCA jacks. Then your S-Video cable would be two cables, where Y and C would be shielded better. Of course, at the end of your cable, you'd condense them back to a mini-DIN plug so you could plug it into s-video inputs.

[Jamisonia]

I got my PVM from a medical supplier, so luckily no burn in issues. Overall it's in great shape, and any adjustments I needed to make were in the service menu.

I'll consider swapping for BNC jacks on the snes, but for now the quality is pretty good using rca to bnc adaptors.

I got lucky and found a few nice thick s-video cables at a thrift shop for a dollar a piece. One or two even had y/c split (i.e. looked like speaker wire).

BNC jacks are the professional way to do it. I would install those just for the locking mechanism alone. Impedance mismatch of using RCA may not hurt you on small runs though. I honestly have no idea how much it will improve the picture. It may not matter at runs of 6 feet. I guess it depends on how bad the impedance mismatch is now. Just know its very easy to make your own BNC cables with coax and BNC plugs are sold at Lowes and Home Depot.

The problem with MiniDin 4 is its impossible to stuff a properly shielded cables into such a plug. But at small distances the impedance mismatch isn't as big of a deal. The shielding is the bigger deal. You could place two RCA (or BNC) jacks, run two coax cables the length of the run, then combine them into a MiniDin 4 at the TV using a breakout adapter. Edit, Ziggy said the same thing. This is likely unnecessary, if you intend to have cable runs under say 50 feet.

[Ziggy]

Yeah, again, why I said without going crazy. You have to draw the line some where, IMO. Unless you have an abundance of time and money, and you really REALLY care.

Right now, where I'm at with my quality concerns, I'm more interested in having everything at least be decent quality (as oppose to super quality like coax cable and BNC connectors and poor quality like the S-Video cables referenced above).