200-240V Asian Saturn & 200-240 Asian Video CD Saturn

Currently trying to locate a game to test the machines. Failed to read an audio CD so I don't know...

How much can I ask once confirmed working?

-- 200-240V Asian Saturn loose, sunfaded

-- 200-240V Asian Video CD Saturn loose, good condition (this is an Asian Saturn with a red "Video CD" at the top of the casing)

 

They should be able to read audio CDs and you can test them with any Japanese game - there wasn't a separate disc region for the Asian version. It might also be worth taking them apart and checking if the flat cables for the CD drive are properly connected, especially if they have modchips (which is highly likely, since most of them were sold in HK).

The "Video CD" unit should have an MPEG card installed, which is a special variant that only came with this model. Superficially it looks identical to the European version (the only visible difference is the the EU version has a "CE" logo on the back and the one shipped with the Video CD console doesn't) - but it supports both PAL and NTSC Video CDs and is the only Sega branded movie card that does.

I really can't help you much with the price - they are quite common in HK since they were sold here, but probably much less so anywhere else.

 

If they are loose units that don't even have the battery cover, then they aren't worth much more than standard JP units, since that is what they are but fitted with 220V power supplies. Also, it is most likely you'll find a buyer in Europe or Australia.

Out of interest do they have MPEG cards installed? I'd be interested in taking a look at those if they do.

 

They are both modchipped and have the battery cover, which I removed when disassembling the units.
Video card was there but I removed it, I was planning on keeping it for my own Saturn unit.

AFAIK, the Video CD is just a marking and the hardware is the same as any normal unit. It simply came bundled with the PAL/NTSC video card you mention. Still nice with that red printing at the top I think. I don't think it was that common, sold in HK and possibly other SE Asian countries, and certainly a boxed unit in good condition is a rare sight nowadays.
(box here)
Sega probably did this model after seeing the Video CD PS1 but there was little point since it was just a bundle with an add-on card... unlike the PS1 which has additional HW inside.

I thought I could ask some extra since they are PAL-ready with the 200V supply. I'll check the connections to make sure it's all good. Hopefully I'll pick up a Saturn game tonight so I can test it.

They are running different BIOS though. the Video CD model (which is made in Japan) seems older, and the bios menus have no sounds. The other unit (made in Indonesia) still says bios 1.01 but has menu sounds and some graphics are different. I think it's newer.

 

The menu sounds can be turned off in the system settings. What graphics are different? It's not impossible that the bios was swapped, or even the whole motherboard, but as far as I know all of those systems should have the JP 1.01 boot rom (MPR-17940).

The Video CD text was indeed just a decal, but the console itself came shipped with a card not unlike the Hi-Saturns.

May I ask if you can disassemble the MPEG card and post a picture of its front, with the IC labels readable? It may be a model I am looking for, if it is I'd be interested in buying it (with or without the console, or if you want to keep a VCD card for your other units, I could trade you another card). Although I have most VCD card models by now, there may be an early Asian card that hasn't been found yet.

 

pretty sure it wasn't a special card but i'll dig it out and show you

i'll post pics of the different graphics too. bios is all japanese i can't read a thing, possibly the sound was turned off yeah

 

You can change the language to English (although, strangely for a product sold in HK, not Chinese) - as Druid said, these are basically white Japanese Saturns with a PAL power supply board installed (which is also why the PSU has a 5 pin connector on it despite the motherboard only having 4 power pins).

Pity you don't have the box - they are a lot harder to find than the console, even here.

 

Hi, any update on this?

 

I need to beat my laziness first

 

Thought you didn't want to contribute here any more?

 

So the vcd model has a dead cdrom and almost broken power pin, not to mention bad controller port (needs a lot of wiggling to make it work), so i swapped all the internals with the other one, and voila, a nice working vcd asian saturn with modchip. The unworking one will be sold locally for a nominal fee, as nonworking/for parts.

Mobo was va13 for the nonworking and va7 for the other, so i sort of cheated and i have now a va7, but such is life