Master System 2 question

[Mamba Tabac]

I just bought a modded Master System 2 with a 50hz/60hz switch but it turns out that my tv cannot display a 60hz signal through RF. Are there any SCART leads that work through the Master System, or indeed, any way I can get round this without having to get a new tv?

[Elusive]

I just bought a modded Master System 2 with a 50hz/60hz switch but it turns out that my tv cannot display a 60hz signal through RF. Are there any SCART leads that work through the Master System, or indeed, any way I can get round this without having to get a new tv?

Unless you have a French SMS2 (which uses the Mega Drive 1 AV jack), it won't have anything for video besides an RF jack, and that won't support SCART. You're out of luck, unless you get a Master System 1 (or stick a Master System Converter into a Mega Drive).

[Mamba Tabac]

Dang. I do have a MS converter but it doesnt seem to like me switching to 60hz mode - hence the reason I bought this modded MS in the first place. Thing is - in 60hz mode the sound and picture come up - but the screen just 'rolls'. Do I have any hope whatsoever?

[Elusive]

Dang. I do have a MS converter but it doesnt seem to like me switching to 60hz mode - hence the reason I bought this modded MS in the first place. Thing is - in 60hz mode the sound and picture come up - but the screen just 'rolls'. Do I have any hope whatsoever?

See if your TV's instruction book can help. Are you using a very old TV? Most modern TVs (i.e. those ten years old or less) should support 60Hz video anyway - and if it's a flat-panel, it certainly should.

[Mamba Tabac]

My TV is only 2 years old - Samsung HD 26" - so to say all this hassle suprises me is an understatement

[playgen]

A PAL sms 2 when modded for 60hz will display in PAL60 not NTSC 60hz. So it will display in colour through RF, as long as your TV supports 60hz, which it should since they have for around 10 years. Its NSTC through RF or Composite that UK TV's often have problems with.

[Elusive]

My TV is only 2 years old - Samsung HD 26" - so to say all this hassle suprises me is an understatement
I'd guess it's either a fault with the SMS2's RF jack, or more likely your TV simply being unable to understand outdated input from a fifteen-ish-year-old console. The HD-ready standard has to support PAL and NTSC resolutions, but that probably only covers composite, scart and the HD connections because 'who uses RF any more?'

You're best off chucking the SMS2 then, to be honest. The SMS1 has the AV jack that supports SCART and composite, and it shouldn't be too hard to add a PAL/NTSC switch.

Failing all this, there's always the Master System Converter on top of a fully modded Mega Drive hooked up via SCART option :D


[edit] ^^ Yeah. My Mega Drive only displays in black & white when I use a red-white-yellow composite cable for NTSC video for whatever reason, SCART is the only way to go.

[Mamba Tabac]

Well my tv does support PAL 60 as the PS2 and DC games that support it work fine. It also supports NTSC as my modded MD1 also works fine. Looks like I need to try and find the tv instruction book...

[playgen]

You can Mod a SMSII for full RGB scart, but its a bit of a pain to do. Easier just to get a SMS1 and scart lead for that - its the same type that the Megadrive 1 uses. And its easy enough to put a 60hz switch in, you can't really go wrong with doing it - unlike the smsII where its a pretty fiddly job.

[Mamba Tabac]

Failing all this, there's always the Master System Converter on top of a fully modded Mega Drive hooked up via SCART option :D



My TV doesn't like this method either:(


I'm rather reluctant to ditch this MS since I've just spent £45 on it
Maybe my old tv can cope with it better...

[playgen]

Your TV sounds lame, just noticed you said its a HD one, which is probably the problem since they are primarily made for displaying HD and everything else is more of an afterthought. If you've got a CRT TV use that, the games will look better on it anyway.

Oh and £45 for a 60hz modded SMSII?, I hope its a nice boxed one or you got decent number of games with it.

[Mamba Tabac]

It nice to know that my £600 tv is 'lame' ;)
tbh I was toying with the idea of getting my old tv down from the attic anyway, just for playing these old games since it was an awesome tv.
The only problem, of course - is the extreme lack of space - esp after just buying Rock Band :p

[TmEE]

price doesn't make a TV awesome...

How much a regular SMS2 costs ? 50/60 switch mod on SMS2 is one of the easiest things on this planet

[Mamba Tabac]

Well it is if a) you can be bothered and b) if you have soldering equipment and switches :)

Update: - Right, after much faffing I created a new channel which expects an NTSC 60hz signal and the picture now displays - but I've lost some colour. I'm assuming it's because the 60hz switch just changes the signal to PAL-60?
Anyway, looks like I'm going to have to get my old TV down from the attic now, as I just can't be doing with the snail-pace of 50hz. Sigh.