Anyone know why this Sega Saturn looks this way?

Please, PLEASE buy all those Saturns. Rescue them!


Just buy them and flip them here on the forums, they'll have better homes.

 

Exactly. You're very lucky just to have them on sale like that in your neighbourhood!

 

They are HK / Singapore models. Even in HK, they are less common than the Japanese ones, and the "Video CD" variant less common still. You certainly couldn't call them rare, though. Apart from the PSU and labels, they are identical to the Japanese models, with NTSC motherboards and the region set to "Japan". As Druid said, the "Video CD" variant is exactly the same as the regular one except that it came with an MPEG card plugged in.

Top: HK Version "Video CD"
Middle: HK Version
Lower: Japanese


View attachment 7965

 

Ok so an HK model, despite carrying a 220v PSU would still be JP region locked? Are they moddable by the same methods we use for our PAL/NTSC Saturns?

 

Yeah, it's basically just a Japanese machine with a PAL power supply installed and different labels. All the mods work the same way, and you can install a region-free BIOS and 50/60Hz mods in exactly the same way as any other Saturn. You might have to rewire a PAL scart cable, though - some of them (including the official ones, I think) get their mode switch voltage from pin 1 - and on these NTSC motherboards this is composite sync rather than being connected to pin 5 of the PSU. You can either mod the cable or cut the trace going to pin 1 on the A/V out socket and wire it to the 5th pin on the PSU.

 

Thanks for the info. Gonna be on the hunt for one of these next month and it'll be nice to get prepared for what I need etc.

 

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Is this one big enough? All the image hosters seem to shrink the file



OK, here are some individual ones with better lighting:

 

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I came really close to buying a Video CD versions, but didn't know it was just the MPEG card. I have one for my Victora Saturn.

 

Well, to be 100% accurate there is one other difference - which is that the Video CD version says "Video CD" on the drive door. It's just a silk screen, though - and the rest of the part (and all the other case components) are exactly the same as the other Asian / Japanese models.

 

prototype console does not have the silk screened(?) lettering on top of the CD drive cover nor any mould lettering on the bottom plastic housing.
I know coz I have one.

 

You mean Victor Saturn? V-Saturn?

 

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He's just teasing some more! Darned prototype owners!
* Shakes fist at the air * :wink-new:

 

Whilst everyone's feeling the love for Model 1s; it was my birthday a few weeks ago, and I told my wife I'd like a Dreamcast (I sold my last one when we were broke a few years ago). Sure enough the day rolls around and she presents me with this:



I'm totally happy with this, but she loves a surprise, and half hour later she pulls out another big box, you know, big like console boxes used to be in 1995...



Like new launch console, she got it off a guy who is a golf fanatic, he was housebound for a while and his wife bought him this, pretty sure it might have had less than 2 hours of use ever.
Not rare of course, but I was super, super stoked! Of course it's sporting a modchip and a 4-in-1 now and making up for 18 years on inactivity.

 

@Druid II & RetroJunkie : Gomen Gomen

I will bet that cardboard box would be more valuable than what's inside.

 

I have a PAL model 1 that I've hard modded to 60/JP. It also has a 21 pin drive so of course it was easy to install a modchip too.

Specifically made sure I got a model 1 over the model 2. That access LED is just awesome and they generally have a higher quality feel to them IMO.

Eventually I'll get around to getting a JP Grey model - I'm not the biggest fan of the white model 2 machine. Original just looks better.

 

x

 

I don't have a Sega.... but when I do I have a Megadrive II!