Dreamcast no video, only audio... need advice :-o

Last year I bought myself a Dreamcast off of the internets but it didn't seem to work when I plugged it into my TV. The audio worked and Sonic adventure that came with it also booted fine. There was only no way I could get the Dreamcast to display video. The scart cable that came with it didn't look that great anymore so I ordered a brand new one off of eBay but there was no change at all. I thought maybe a clean would help so I took it apart and cleaned it. I have no technical knowledge at all but in my opinion the motherboard looked fine, there were no burned or damaged parts on the board. After some research it still wasn't clear to me what was wrong with my unit. Due to lack of time and knowledge I decided to give up on the Dreamcast. After recently rediscovering the games the Dreamcast has to offer via emulation I really feel the need to fix and play my physical Dreamcast but I have no idea where to begin and what to do... Does anyone know how to trace the problem and find a solution for it? I really appreciate your advice!

Thanks in advance!

 

I've seen two DCs like that - and in both cases, the video DAC was blown. Since it's a custom part, the only place you can find a replacement is from another Dreamcast...

 

And I have seen hundreds of Wiis like that, with the same cause and fix as TriMesh

 

Thanks for your reply! It may sound a little noobish but were can I find the instructions to locate the video DAC and how to replace it? I have a European PAL Dreamcast and here in Europe Dreamcasts are pretty "rare" thus more expensive... Do you think the video DAC from an American or Japanese DC will work? Thanks again!

 

Its IC401 on the motherboard.

Its located at the top below the connectors.

IMG for reference: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Sega-Dreamcast-Motherboard.jpg

I'm guessing the part is same in NTSC/PAL consoles.

 

You should probably simply get a replacement motherboard.

If you can't get a EU motherboard, a NTSC one with custom bios and/or RegionChanger might be better then replacing that IC.

 

i might help you out with this, i got a box full of desoldered parts from slaughtered Dreamcast boards where the SH4 or Holly was faulty. check me a pm