Sega Saturn Bottom of Screen Missing

[SegaDreamscape]

I have a white Japanese Sega Saturn and a 28" Sony Trinitron CRT U.k T.V.

While this sounds like a wet dream I've had for as long as I can remember I've noticed that when im playing my Pal games using a Action Replay Plus 4m Auto cartridge the bottom of the image is missing. It seems fine when I use my Japanese games.

-Also the other day I had a game of Sonic 3D Blast and when I got to the Special Stage I couldn't see sonic or the course but only the dark background unless i paused the game when everything would become visable. The rest of the game played fine.

My TV is a model KV-28LS36U and after looking on the web it says the tv is 50hz only but I have played Dreamcast games in 60hz mode with no problems at all.

If anyone has come across these problems before and help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Bagel]

Do you have a 50/60mhz mod installed on your Saturn? PAL games have a lower refresh rate and won't look or sound correct on most NTSC TVs

edit: I see you have a 50hz TV, but the Saturn needs to be in 50hz mode as well

[theclaw]

Some games are PAL optimized, having issues run at 60hz.
Action Replay lets the system determine video mode.

Stock NTSC console will force PAL games into NTSC.
Stock PAL console will force NTSC games into PAL.

[SegaDreamscape]

Even though my T.V. says its 50 hz im positive it supports 60 hz as i reguarly play my Dreamcast using the 60 hz option in a lot of games.

Even though this is the case is it normal for the image to be partly missing playing pal on ntsc I've checked the list of pal optimised games but the games ive used werent listed.

Would a 50 / 60 hz switch mod alleviate the problem?

[Bagel]

What the 50/60hz mod does is puts a flipswitch on the outside of the system to change the systems native setting from NTSC to PAL. Despite the 4-in-1s being able to convert the PAL signals, it doesn't do them with certain titles.

If you can track down a different/smaller TV to use right quick, try to eliminate the TV before doing the mod (even though the mod is cool and raises the value of the system a bit)

[theclaw]

Hmm. That doesn't seem right.

I've sure never heard about any means to toggle either 50/60hz, or NTSC/PAL color encoding, from the cart slot or disc drive.

[Bagel]

I actually didn't know about it either myself until a gameshop I used to work at had one traded in with the mod installed:

http://www.segakore.fr/articles/switch_sat_p2.html

It's a neat lil' mod. If you aren't awesome with French, run it through Google Translate... the instructions should come out quite readable

[Thierry Henry]

Also the other day I had a game of Sonic 3D Blast and when I got to the Special Stage I couldn't see sonic or the course but only the dark background unless i paused the game when everything would become visable. The rest of the game played fine.

Yeah the bonus stages of the PAL version of that game don't work at 60hz when played in an NTSC Saturn.

Just out of curiosity, which other games have you tried that also have issues?

I know that my PAL only release of Deep Fear plays fine but there are green like artifacts?/lines near the top of the screen when I play that game on my US Saturn.

[theclaw]

I actually didn't know about it either myself until a gameshop I used to work at had one traded in with the mod installed:

http://www.segakore.fr/articles/switch_sat_p2.html

It's a neat lil' mod. If you aren't awesome with French, run it through Google Translate... the instructions should come out quite readable

Yeah in other words this topic is the exact same scenario Gamecube modchip users face:
running games at incorrect region settings.

PS2 modchips don't change the console's original region either.
I have one, and it certainly did not add Japanese to the BIOS language select.