# NTSC console on PAL TV



## MRCL (Sep 17, 2011)

So yesterday I welcomed a Japanese Gamecube in my console family. Its been hardmodded to play US/JAP games using a switch, and with the help of Freeloader also EU games can be played.

Now, the Gamecube being Japanese, it uses NTSC, which is as we know operating at 60hz.
My TV, being European and all, is PAL, so 50hz.

Now I'm aware that just like that it doesn't work (or lead to the dreaded NTSC50). But my TV is also 60hz capable. So in theory, on a hardware level, it should work.

Well it doesn't. I used the standard Gamecube Composite cables, both on the front TV inputs and via SCART adapter on both back slots. Result is a greyscale picture when attempting to play US games. And Mariokart Double Dashs Rainbow Road looks rather not rainbow-ish in grayscale.

A solution to try would be hooking the Gamecube to the TV via S-Video (I have the proper cables). Now my TV doesn't have a native S-Video input, and I don't have an adapter.

Would this one work? Or should I not even bother.

If it wouldn't work, what other steps could one perform without actually getting a new TV?
Note that I use a tube TV for all my old consoles. Also note that I'm aware of the fact that some Gamecube games have the option to select the Hertz value on boot, but some doesn't, and I want to play all games in color, not just some.


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## Mussels (Sep 17, 2011)

it wont work that way. you're changing resolution and refresh rate, so if the TV doesnt support it, no go.


you could try on a HDTV, as they're more likely to support all the standards. you're pretty much SOL if you dont want to replace the TV.


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## MRCL (Sep 17, 2011)

Mussels said:


> it wont work that way. you're changing resolution and refresh rate, so if the TV doesnt support it, no go.
> 
> 
> you could try on a HDTV, as they're more likely to support all the standards. you're pretty much SOL if you dont want to replace the TV.



Yeah but as said my TV supports both 50 and 60hz. Would it still not work?

Yeah I could but that would be my last resort as I'm not to keen about playing non-HD games on a HDTV.


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## Mussels (Sep 17, 2011)

no because you only support ONE of the required features. the resolution change is whats screwing you over here.


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## MRCL (Sep 17, 2011)

So how come the US games on my modded PAL Saturn play just fine? 

This is just too complicated... also it seems that old school TVs aren't around that much anymore, who would've thought.


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## BumbleBee (Sep 17, 2011)

Wii should play your Gamecube imports.


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## MilkyWay (Sep 17, 2011)

If a tv supports 50/60hz it should support 576i and 480i because those are the standards for tv signal. Most tvs in Europe do and did support NTSC and PAL, im pretty sure a tv that supports PAL 60 will support NTSC resolution too. If you can let us know what resolution the Saturn is outputting at 60hz then you will know if your tv supports NTSC or is just outputting PAL 60.

I have a feeling the cable your using is the problem, do you not have any regular AV composite cables to test?

If your really hardcore you can get component cables for the Gamecube i don't think they made PAL games support 480p but some of the PAL Gamecubes do have digital out like mine, NTSC games supported 480p.


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## Mussels (Sep 17, 2011)

MRCL said:


> So how come the US games on my modded PAL Saturn play just fine?
> 
> This is just too complicated... also it seems that old school TVs aren't around that much anymore, who would've thought.



theres variations, like NTSC-J


NTSC and PAL arent the only two, theres also SECAM and variations of pal/NTSC.

this is why HDTV was a big deal, it made the same standards work worldwide.


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## MilkyWay (Sep 17, 2011)

Mussels said:


> theres variations, like NTSC-J
> 
> 
> NTSC and PAL arent the only two, theres also SECAM and variations of pal/NTSC.
> ...



Pretty sure all PAL TVs support SECAM which is French. NTSC-M and NTSC-J have minor differences the resolution and refresh rate is the same though.


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## Mussels (Sep 17, 2011)

yeah but its those minor differences that would be screwing him over, i'm not an expert in what those differences are.


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## MRCL (Sep 17, 2011)

BumbleBee said:


> Wii should play your Gamecube imports.



And my PS2 can play my Ps1 games, yet I play the latter on my PS1 



MilkyWay said:


> If a tv supports 50/60hz it should support 576i and 480i because those are the standards for tv signal. Most tvs in Europe do and did support NTSC and PAL, im pretty sure a tv that supports PAL 60 will support NTSC resolution too. If you can let us know what resolution the Saturn is outputting at 60hz then you will know if your tv supports NTSC or is just outputting PAL 60.
> 
> I have a feeling the cable your using is the problem, do you not have any regular AV composite cables to test?
> 
> If your really hardcore you can get component cables for the Gamecube i don't think they made PAL games support 480p but some of the PAL Gamecubes do have digital out like mine, NTSC games supported 480p.



I found the manual for the TV online, it specificly says it does not support NTSC. So i don't think the cables are an issue. The Saturn is originally a PAL console so I suspect thats why it works.



Mussels said:


> theres variations, like NTSC-J
> 
> 
> NTSC and PAL arent the only two, theres also SECAM and variations of pal/NTSC.
> ...



SECAM is even worse than NTSC. France and Russia use it, and a few other borderline 3rd world countries. 



MilkyWay said:


> Pretty sure all PAL TVs support SECAM which is French. NTSC-M and NTSC-J have minor differences the resolution and refresh rate is the same though.



Yes all PAL TVs support SECAM. 



Mussels said:


> yeah but its those minor differences that would be screwing him over, i'm not an expert in what those differences are.



I think the TV has to handle the different resolutions. PAL has more pixels to work with (an extra 100 lines iirc), and if a TV doesn't handle NTSC resolution, it doesn't know what to do with it.

So far on my HDTV, the Gamecube works flawlessly. And I checked some craigslist sites, seems tube TVs are more scarce than expected. I found one for the price of a loaf of bread, and it specificly handles NTSC.


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## MilkyWay (Sep 17, 2011)

Okay so your Saturn is running in PAL 60 not NTSC that explains why the Gamecube wont display in NTSC. Its a Japanese Gaemcube so you can pick up Japanese component cables but might be expensive so might want to avoid.


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