MVS Portable - Problems with S-Video

HBCoffin · Post by **HBCoffin** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 5:33 pm

Ok, I own one of Ben's MVS Portables. Anyway I just bought an S-Video cable to try the video out feature and I was welcomed with an unfortunate surprise. It was like the screen was getting a bad reception. I'm not sure what the problem could be so let me explain my setup first and then the cables I own.

Setup: (This may not be the source of my problem)
I have a GameStop multi-video s-video switch box. My television is old so the TV itself doesn't have an S video input itself, but the switch box does accept s-video cables (I'm not sure if the fact that the TV itself doesn't take s-video or does not have an s-video input to go from the TV to the switch box).

I have purchased two separate cables.

S-Video Audio PC TV to RCA Cable:
I figured this would be my best bet, it plugs into the MVS portable via s-video and 3.5mm audio (headphone jack) into the switch box via basic RCA (no s-video into the switch box).

S-Video:
I ordered the first cable and after that didn't work I purchase just a basic S-Video cable at Radioshack, but this cable may just not work at all. I tried plugging in my girlfriend's PC into the TV with the first cable and that worked just fine, but this cable didn't work for either the MVS Portable or the PC. This is just an S-Video to S-Video cable, but there is no s-video line actually hooked to the TV, it's connected through RCA cables to the switch box.

Does anyone know why this is happening? Do you think it's the MVS portable, or does my TV require an s-video input and I need to connect the system directly through s-video?

Hope someone can help me with this, I really wanted to eventually be able to use this as a consolized MVS as well. Any help is greatly appreciated!

(I really need help guys, I'm not too great with electronics and it's so hard to get in contact with Ben)

paul4990 · Post by **paul4990** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:47 am

maybe your TV doesnt have svideo, try cuttin the end off the svideo that goes into the neogeo, and wiring the Chroma and Luma together and connectin to composite.

HBCoffin · Post by **HBCoffin** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:12 am

Nope, my TV doesn't have an S-Video input, but I thought it would work since I bought an S-Video/Headphone (3.5mm) Audio jack that has an RCA input on the opposing end (which would allow me to plug from the MVS portable to my TV). Why do they sell such cables then if they aren't worth a damn? Or is my case different because the MVS works differently than a PC when it comes to these sort of connections?

As for cutting off the svideo and wiring the "chroma and luma" together, could you say that again in dumbass terms for me? Haha I'm really ignorant when it comes to working with wiring electronics.

Klefmung · Post by **Klefmung** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:21 pm

It looks like crap when you just connect them. Wire them together like ben's newest atari 2600 mod. Link can be found in the section for his "pancake" portable.

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 7:13 pm

that s-video/headphone thing sounds like it was made for a laptop...

HBCoffin · Post by **HBCoffin** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:58 pm

It is made for a PC, but it's exactly what the MVS Portable required (S-Video/3.5mm Audio) as far as I know, s-video doesn't transfer audio alone, so I figured getting a cable like that should do the trick, I'm going to look into that Atari 2600 mod.

HBCoffin · Post by **HBCoffin** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:35 pm

OK, Atari Mod page didn't help at all. Let's see... Considering the reason they make these chords is to convert s-video outputs into RCA, meaning this chord should work, as far as I know. Now, when I plug it in, you can make out the image ok, but there are lines and it looks like bad reception, I guess there's dots, but it's hard to tell. I think there may be something wrong with the wiring inside the system. Someone told me to switch the y/c wiring? Now on the s-video I know there are y and c ground and then chroma luma. I opened up the system and there are two parts that are soldered together and two more that are separate. Would the parts soldered together be the 2 grnd y/c or the chroma and luma? The other two that aren't soldered have what look like miniature capacitors soldered to them that are wired to these other things and then a wire which travels somewhere. Which is which, and does this even make a difference?