[PlayStation] A problem with Debugging Station - DTL-H1100

I have a problem.

I have Debugging Station for PlayStation. Model DTL-H1100 (NTSC/J).
All the games in NTSC format plays without any problems but if I play games in PAL they are in b/w (or black and white).

Is that a problem of console or somehow from my side?

 

Thats odd, as its usually the opposite (NTSC plays black and white, PAL is colour)

Try using a RGB scart, Component leads or SVIDEO connector if you are only using composite at the moment

Failing that it could be that your TV doesnt support 50hz output, so try on another TV if you have access to one

Hope that helps!

DD

 

That is not odd for an NTSC console.

As you said, an RGB cable is the way to go though.

 

Console is blue!

 

Well, normally the console should not matter. Since on Playstation its the software that set the video mode (minus the boot sequence).

But yeah, you will probably have better luck with an rgb cable. Its strange so, russia should be using some sort of SECAM, which should be more compatible with pal than ntsc?!

I'm confused.

 

Remember that Debugging Stations are based on the oldest revision of the hardware (though the green one has an updated GPU). These old consoles use a version of the video encoder chip (Sony CXAsomething) which have a filter locked to a particular frequency range depending on whether the console is built for NTSC or PAL. This filter filters out the colourburst from the S-Video and Composite signals in the "wrong" video mode, so you get no colours unless you use a RGB cable.

Newer retail consoles (SCPH-750X and up) and the Net Yaroze have an improved video encoder chip which automatically adjusts the filter to cope with the software selected video mode, so you always get colour as long as your TV supports decoding colour in the selected video standard.

You can mod your debugger (or old retail PSX) with an external crystal so you always get either PAL or NTSC colour (choose whichever isn't filtered away on your particular console), but I wouldn't go around modding such valuable pieces of hardware.

Buying or building a RGB cable is the best option as long as your TV/monitor supports it.

 

Thanks for information.

 

The green ones lock up if you switch to the wrong video standard. I didn't really believe it myself, but I had to switch my caetla to ntsc mode on another console before it work. I originally thought it was it didn't like the cartridge. It happens on more than one green console too.

 

At least my green unit (a DTL-H1201, NTSC-U/C) doesn't completely lock up while in the wrong (ie. PAL) mode. It simply blanks out the video. For example, I hacked (or actually PALPAR.COM and Zapper2k did the hard work for me, since I don't know shit about MIPS asm PSXDOOM's PAL version to run in NTSC mode but the game consists of two binaries -- one which displays the Williams logo STR and one which is the main game executable. So when I ran the hacked PAL PSXDOOM on my DTL-H1201, it displayed a blank screen while the logo animation was playing but the display came back when the game itself started. I didn't have my headphones on so I don't know whether there was any sound during the logo animation, but I can test this later if someone wants to know.

I wonder why this is, because as far as I know all consumer PSXs do support operation in two video modes (even though you may lose colour with the older units). To make game studios buy at least two debuggers at Sony's extortionate prices back then?

 

Interesting, I thought it was odd it would lock up. Maybe something caetla is trying just stops working, like waiting for vblank or something.

Probably they wanted to make sure the games were running in the right mode. While all retail consoles will work in either region, most peoples tv's at the time didn't support both.

 

DTL-H1202 also has this problem...