NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

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Donalbain619
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NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

Post by Donalbain619 » Mon Mar 26, 2012 12:19 pm

I know you guys will automatically think "It's the pin connector, stupid!" However, the problem I have is slightly different. Of course when I first bought the NES the pin connector was messed up. I cleaned with rubbing alcohol and q-tips. I did the same to all my game carts.

I don't think the connector is the problem because I have two of them and they're both clean. I've tested both and the results are the same.

So far I have repeated cleaning 3 times and the problem remains: The audio is perfectly fine, but the video is garbled. What is even wierd is the fact that I can sort of make out what happening on the screen. I can even start a stage in Mega Man 2.

In other world the gameplay and sound is fine, but the video is in trouble.

Thanks for any initial help. Pictures will soon follow.
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gen2fish
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Re: NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

Post by gen2fish » Mon Mar 26, 2012 6:57 pm

It could be your RF switch.

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Re: NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

Post by Donalbain619 » Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:35 pm

I will check that out. Truth be told I have not really removed the board from the case, just the screws and metal shielding so I could swap the connector.
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Re: NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

Post by Donalbain619 » Thu Mar 29, 2012 7:32 pm

Here are some pictures from the select screen from Mega Man 2.

Image
Here you can see the weird thing: You can sort of see what's on the screen. This is the first thing you see, the whites text saying Capcom and what not.

Image
This is when the skyscraper is scrolling up with the text at the bottom. In the year 20XX...

Image
Finally here is when the title comes on screen. It faint because of the lighting in my dorm but there's Mega Man atop the building, hair blowing in the wind.

So there you have it. I've tried it on 2 different connectors, 4 games, and 2 TVs. Nothing has changed. I will continue to work on it. Any advice would help and would be appreciated.
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Re: NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

Post by Metallica Man X » Fri Mar 30, 2012 1:26 am

aaah...pictures help. I have a board that does a very similar effect.

Pretty sure the board itself is shot unfortunately. I tried a bazillion different hookups on mine, and the problem never went away. Wound up scrapping it for another board since it was for my portable commission...
Image
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Re: NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

Post by wallydawg » Fri Mar 30, 2012 2:08 am

I am of no help as when I had a problem like this recently it was "the pin connector, stupid." I just felt the need to post here since the dirty game I had just picked up and didn't bother to clean before trying to play was the also Megaman 2.

Image
This was in the Metal Man stage, you can almost make out what is going on. I went though most of the stage pretending I was playing Megaman 2 on 2600 ;)
Image

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Re: NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

Post by Donalbain619 » Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:25 pm

You're saying the board is messed up for good? Well there's 25 bucks I'll never get back. Is there anything I can do? I'd be okay with at least a working picture. I'm not a video-phile like other people: a little blurriness is okay for me. Am I out of luck?
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Re: NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

Post by TSX420J » Sat Mar 31, 2012 8:42 pm

Donalbain619 wrote:Here are some pictures from the select screen from Mega Man 2.

Here you can see the weird thing: You can sort of see what's on the screen. This is the first thing you see, the whites text saying Capcom and what not.


This is when the skyscraper is scrolling up with the text at the bottom. In the year 20XX...


Finally here is when the title comes on screen. It faint because of the lighting in my dorm but there's Mega Man atop the building, hair blowing in the wind.

So there you have it. I've tried it on 2 different connectors, 4 games, and 2 TVs. Nothing has changed. I will continue to work on it. Any advice would help and would be appreciated.
You know how to read matrix code?? J/K, LOL. Try removing the mobo and the cart connector. Use a eraser to clean the contacts of the mobo where the cart connector attaches. If that does not polish them, use a very fine grit sandpaper like 600 or 800. Make sure the surface of the contacts are super clean. You can also fold the sand paper in half and use it to do the contact pins of the connector (be very gentle and make sure the sand paper does not have a tight fit, you want to feather the contacts rather than grind them, takes longer but reduces the risk of snagging a pin and messing it up). After, wipe the mobo contacts clean with some alcohol and wipe dry (especially if you used an eraser). For the cart connector use a paint brush (like the one to paint a house not a painting) to dust it off and some canned air to blow out any left over particles. Then put it back together and see what happens.

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Re: NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

Post by Donalbain619 » Sun Apr 01, 2012 7:35 pm

TSX420J wrote:
You know how to read matrix code??
Ha ha, almost. I've died and reset so many times on mega Man 2 I know the intro by heart. I will try that technique, never thought of using an eraser before. Thanks for the advice.
I have nothing clever to say here. Sorry.

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Re: NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

Post by TSX420J » Sun Apr 01, 2012 7:50 pm

Donalbain619 wrote:
TSX420J wrote:
You know how to read matrix code??
Ha ha, almost. I've died and reset so many times on mega Man 2 I know the intro by heart. I will try that technique, never thought of using an eraser before. Thanks for the advice.
No problem, good luck!!

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Re: NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

Post by Donalbain619 » Sun Apr 01, 2012 8:39 pm

I tried the eraser thing, and I've got no luck. I'm starting to think it's not the connector. it must be something else? Could it be the RF box? That's where the video stuff is. Maybe I could try the video mod described in Ben's book to replace it.
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Re: NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

Post by TSX420J » Sun Apr 01, 2012 11:52 pm

darn!! that sucks. since you already eliminated the contacts and connector, check the solder joints on all the leads to be sure that none are shorted or maybe need to be reflowed. I dunno what else can cause that. Maybe a bad chip. Check for scrapes on the board too, maybe a trace got cut. Happened to me once, but mine just gave me a gray screen.

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Re: NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

Post by TSX420J » Mon Apr 02, 2012 12:02 am

Donalbain619 wrote: Could it be the RF box? That's where the video stuff is. Maybe I could try the video mod described in Ben's book to replace it.
Try this last since its going to cost money.

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Re: NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

Post by Donalbain619 » Mon Apr 02, 2012 1:13 pm

I think that's my only option. I've tried everything else. If or when I do the mod I'll first simply solder the components to the board without removing the RF box. If that doesn't work I guess I have a nice big paper weight.
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Re: NES Video Problems, but Audio is Good

Post by ProgMetalMan » Wed Apr 04, 2012 3:36 pm

Mario's guide has a good RF mod that costs little-to-nothing (I believe he said that the parts can be found in the RF box).
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