sinistermoon Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 So I am sure this has been discussed before. But I would just like to know if there is a way to mod a US NTSC 7800 to play Pal 7800 games. I received a copy of Pole Position 2 from a friend in the UK along with the awesome Euro controllers. The contacts/board is clean on the game. When loading the game it shows the Atari screen and then blanks out to a black screen. I do have the US version of Pole Position 2 so it is not like I can't play Pole Position 2. But I think it would be way cool to play Pal games on my US console since I noticed some Pal games are easier to find and are cheaper. So that would rock if anyone has or can link me to any information about this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Some games autodetect PAL or NTSC and adjust their video output and colour selection accordingly. If games don't autodetect the video mode thats when you'll have problems. PAL generates too many video lines for an NTSC TV to display, so it either wont work or will roll. There might also be differences in the playing speed of the game because PAL runs at 50Hz and NTSC runs at 60Hz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinistermoon Posted July 20, 2009 Author Share Posted July 20, 2009 Cool, but I have also tried the console with the Pal Pole Position 2 game on a multi-sync TV from Germany. And I had the same results. It goes to the Atari start up screen and then to black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Dumb question but... Do your NTSC carts in your NTSC 7800 work on the same TV too? Just asking because Germany is PAL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinistermoon Posted July 20, 2009 Author Share Posted July 20, 2009 Dumb question but... Do your NTSC carts in your NTSC 7800 work on the same TV too? Just asking because Germany is PAL. Not a dumb question at all. Yes they do work on that TV. It is a multi-sync tv. It supports Pal and NTSC. I might do a short video and post it here so you all can see what exactly I am doing. In fact, I will do that right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Do you mean the boot screen that you get before every game starts? If so, PAL carts don't need the encryption signature that NTSC carts have. If a cart fails the encryption signature test (performed by the 7800s BIOS) then the console enters 2600 mode. I've just looked at the binary image for a PAL Pole Position and it doesn't have the encryption signature. Therefore its not going to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinistermoon Posted July 20, 2009 Author Share Posted July 20, 2009 Cool so can you suggest a mod for the 7800 to play these games then? I am making the video right now just so we can be sure we are on the same page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 You'll need to change the BIOS. You'll have to remove a chip from within the 7800 and replace it with another. Checkout Eckhard Stolberg's site on how to do it :- http://home.arcor.de/estolberg/tools/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Yes, PAL 7800 games won't work on an NTSC 7800 due to the lack of the authentication signature. You can swap out the NTSC BIOS with a copy of the universal Asteroids BIOS and then they will boot up. Though many games will still have display issues. Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinistermoon Posted July 21, 2009 Author Share Posted July 21, 2009 Yes, PAL 7800 games won't work on an NTSC 7800 due to the lack of the authentication signature. You can swap out the NTSC BIOS with a copy of the universal Asteroids BIOS and then they will boot up. Though many games will still have display issues. Mitch Cool well I guess I don't need to upload the video I made then lol. So where can this "universal Asteroids BIOS" be obtained? And will the games still have display issues when displayed on a monitor that can properly do both 50 and 60hz? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Yes, PAL 7800 games won't work on an NTSC 7800 due to the lack of the authentication signature. You can swap out the NTSC BIOS with a copy of the universal Asteroids BIOS and then they will boot up. Though many games will still have display issues. Mitch Cool well I guess I don't need to upload the video I made then lol. So where can this "universal Asteroids BIOS" be obtained? And will the games still have display issues when displayed on a monitor that can properly do both 50 and 60hz? You can get the BIOS here. The display issues are caused by the 7800 not the display. You could buy a PAL 7800 and it would display correctly on your multi-system monitor. Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinistermoon Posted July 21, 2009 Author Share Posted July 21, 2009 Yes, PAL 7800 games won't work on an NTSC 7800 due to the lack of the authentication signature. You can swap out the NTSC BIOS with a copy of the universal Asteroids BIOS and then they will boot up. Though many games will still have display issues. Mitch Cool well I guess I don't need to upload the video I made then lol. So where can this "universal Asteroids BIOS" be obtained? And will the games still have display issues when displayed on a monitor that can properly do both 50 and 60hz? You can get the BIOS here. The display issues are caused by the 7800 not the display. You could buy a PAL 7800 and it would display correctly on your multi-system monitor. Mitch Ok that is just a file. I have no way to put that on a chip. I was more so hoping you could help me find a chip with the bios you are talking about on it already. Damn, this is all so much easier on a Sega Genesis. Yeah I could buy an euro A7800 but......eh lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 If you are looking for something cheap than just buy an NTSC 7800 Pole Position. They are very common. Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinistermoon Posted July 21, 2009 Author Share Posted July 21, 2009 If you are looking for something cheap than just buy an NTSC 7800 Pole Position. They are very common. Mitch Ok at this point I think you are kinda missing the point of this mod. I have both the pal and ntsc version of Pole Position 2. It's not about just playing that one game. It is about playing ALL pal games. If you can not tell me how to obtain the chip with the bios you suggested then I guess there is really nothing more you can suggest. I thank you for the information but I am still in need of more info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Whats with the attitude? We don't owe you anything. If you can't program the chip then you'll need to ask somebody to do it for you and then post it out to you for some $$. If the original chip in your 7800 isn't in a socket then you'll have to remove it yourself (or get somebody with electronics experience to do it). So... Welcome to retro computing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter_J64bit Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 WOW, I on idea about the universal Asteroids BIOS . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinistermoon Posted July 21, 2009 Author Share Posted July 21, 2009 Whats with the attitude? We don't owe you anything. If you can't program the chip then you'll need to ask somebody to do it for you and then post it out to you for some $$. If the original chip in your 7800 isn't in a socket then you'll have to remove it yourself (or get somebody with electronics experience to do it). So... Welcome to retro computing! I gave no attitude. You don't know me man. I don't like silly assumptions. And right now that is what you and the other dude are doing. Making assumptions and giving obvious options that I could have easily figured for myself(like just buying the NTSC version of Pole Position 2). As far as you know I could be a game programmer or have years of electronics experience(which I do). So instead of talking to me like I am some complete noob you could just tell me what I need in order to achieve this mod. If not, then please do not reply. I don't know if you are just trying to keep your post count up or what but I came here with a question that I hoped to be answered by someone that really knows what they are talking about. No tip toeing around. Just the answer I need and that is it. Maybe if you could have just waited for my video you could have just known what to say or just not have posted anything at all. But for some reason you insisted on posting right away. Like I told the other dude, thank you for whatever information you have given me so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+selgus Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 If you can't program the chip then you'll need to ask somebody to do it for you and then post it out to you for some $. If the original chip in your 7800 isn't in a socket then you'll have to remove it yourself (or get somebody with electronics experience to do it). So... Welcome to retro computing! I was just actually making a DevOS 0.2 7800 tonight. I was also planning on putting in one of the 8bitdomain S-Video A/V mod boards into it (I'm one of the lucky ones that did get one a while back and just never had time to install it). The thing is my A/V mod board is for the rev B 7800, so I am going to have to install it in another one of my 7800's (one with a rev B motherboard). The net of all of this is I will have a rev A NTSC 7800 with a socketed BIOS and a 27c64 eprom/DevOS modded, if someone needed one. The 74HCT32 is also socketed now, as that is how you install the A/V mod. --Selgus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 (edited) @sinistermoon: So much electronics experience and you can't get a file on to an EPROM. Google it! LMAO!!! Edited July 21, 2009 by GroovyBee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinistermoon Posted July 21, 2009 Author Share Posted July 21, 2009 (edited) @sinistermoon: So much electronics experience and you can't get a file on to an EPROM. Google it! LMAO!!! Ok dude. You are a fucking asshole. Really man what are you 12 years old? I would think older people that are playing the 7800 would be more mature. Apparently not. I wanted advise from the experts. Not some asshat like you. Really man, you make the whole Atari scene look bad. Yeah bud I am going to Google the bios on to the chip like magic. Thanks a lot asshole. Edited July 21, 2009 by sinistermoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter_J64bit Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 It's time to run for cover it looks like a flame war is on the way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Mods... best move this to the jag forums ASAP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter_J64bit Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 (edited) Mods... best move this to the jag forums ASAP. D'oh! Edited July 21, 2009 by walter_J64bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinistermoon Posted July 21, 2009 Author Share Posted July 21, 2009 It's time to run for cover it looks like a flame war is on the way! Yeah well I don't want any flame war. I just want answers. And that GroovyBee has found it in his better interest to try and insult my intelligence with his assumptions. He seems to be a pretty established member here and I find it to be an insult to this community that he would be allowed to act the way he is to me. Does he think he is funny? Because really I am not laughing. I apologize for losing my cool but I think if he has nothing to say in regards to the subject they he should simply not post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Thats a very poor apology. You had plenty of information from Mitch and I. We aren't here to hold your hand or spoon feed you. Good luck finding somebody that will help you out now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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