Old NTSC Toshiba TV with strange RGB input???

[lynchesque]

I was at a local game store today and saw an early 90's toshiba tv with 3 RCA inputs and 1 weird RGB input that I've never seen before:


I googled it and found that hitachi made one as well (same as picture) and that the input can be either digital, analog, or both. Anyone ever try making a cable to hook up a console to one of these? Be nice to have tv around capable of displaying rgb w/o a converter etc. I never knew they made these in the US (outside of computer monitors).

[evildragon]

It's a japanese RGB connector.. Pretty standard there...

[Joe Redifer]

Do they have UHF and VHF in Japan?

[evildragon]

Do they have UHF and VHF in Japan?

Don't know. They don't have much blast processing though.

Even on a US released TV, they might have kept the connector.. I think this connector was "pre-SCART"... As the very first Sony Trinitron CRT had one I believe..

[lynchesque]

The TV is definately a US model, I looked it over thoroughly.

It has LED lights on the front which indicate whether the RGB or RCA inputs are engaged; even has a built in amplifier for adding exterior speakers. It's about a 21" and only $30 so I think I'll pick it up and try to fashion a cable for it from an extra genesis SCART lead that I just received...

...given that I can find a old plug like this somewhere (japan if necessary). I just wish I could know for sure if the RGB connector is indeed ANALOG before I take it home.

[evildragon]

It's without a doubt the Japanese RGB connector, that I know for sure.. Doesn't matter if it's a US model, it can still contain the port as a left over, as most of the circuitry remains the same, just a different black level for NTSC on ours...

I don't know if it's TTL or analog though...

[Rusty Venture]

I wish I had a TV that had RGB.

All I ever ended up getting was a NTSC/PAL multiscan TV.

[Joe Redifer]

I'm quite sure it's an analog connector. You paid premiums for a digital anything back in the day. I guess you'd just need to probe the RGB lines from your Genesis with some loose wires to make a pin configuration diagram.

[evildragon]

http://nfggames.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=2260

Sorry Joe, it's Digital... Lawrence knows best!

[Joe Redifer]

Lawrence doesn't know everything, even if you think he does. He may be right, but why would a digital RGB jack have an H-PHASE and BRIGHT analog adjustments right next to the jack? You could adjust overall brightness with the TV, and digital should have perfect phasing. Like he said himself, there are no standards for an RGB jack in the US, so you can't tell WTF it is just by looking at it.

[evildragon]

(i was being sarcastic.. you know, like how you do)

[Joe Redifer]

Gotcha.

[lynchesque]

I picked up the tv today for $30. It has a really nice/crisp picture for an SDTV; perfect for playing shmups in tate. Numerous dials are located on the side for sharpness, tint, etc; + a "pull on" brightness knob for CATV (cable) & a contrast pull on/ABC knob; I have no idea what this is???

It has three video channels: all are RGB or RCA. An RGB button switches between the two on any input channel when depressed.

The led's on the front indicate whether RGB, ABC, and MSSS are on. Again, I have no idea what ABC or MSSS is.

The Toshiba is a 1987 US Model # CZ2074. Can't find any info or a service manual for it. Nor can I find a proper pinout for the RGB connecter (EIAJ). There are diagrams like this one:



but they are for VTR (video tape recorders) not RGB. I know that this connector transmits RGB on a few old-school computer monitors and on this TV since it specifies it...Tecnec makes a plug for the input:



The popular Sony PVM-2530 also uses this connection, it's specified and has a close-up pick of the connector at the bottom of this page.

Before ordering the plug, I could just try jamming the genesis R, G, B, wires (with some solder on the ends to stiffen them up like pins) into the EIAJ plug on the tv until I get a picture (if it's ANALOG). What other wires do I connect exactly to get RGB??? Just one sync and ground etc? I'm in the dark on this aspect.

[Joe Redifer]

You might need the composite video line for the SYNC. So if you get an unsteady picture, try switching between sync and composite video from the Genesis on that same line. But I'd be doing exactly what you suggest.

[lynchesque]

I'm getting a picture by trying various pin combinations but it varies from pure green to red etc. A couple times I got an an image that looks like the colors are combined right but it's not bright enough and indecipherable.

Can you get a signal in analog RGB by just hooking up one R, G, or B at a time? I can't seem to get an image of any kind without plugging in multiple pins simultaneously. Would I get a picture at all if the input was digital?