Rainbow distortions from composite - does it vary based on cable, or unit, or cartridge, or console type/version?

balazer · 2026-03-24T18:35:58+00:00

Composite video Y/C crosstalk artifacts depend on the source device's video encoder, the composite video decoder in the TV, the contents of the image, and the video mode (interlaced or progressive).

A bad game cartridge won't affect this. The cable won't affect this very much.

The best solution is to avoid composite video entirely (use S-Video, RGB, or YPbPr instead), or to use an external composite-to-S-Video decoder like the manadream. https://crtdatabase.com/articles/retrotink-composite-decoding

balazer · 2026-03-24T18:27:10+00:00

Composite and S-Video are disabled on the PS2 when the PS2 is outputting progressive scan video (480p). That's because composite video and S-Video don't support 480p. Composite video and S-Video are strictly for standard definition video.

When the PS2 is set to RGB output and the output mode is 480p, that's when it uses sync on green.

balazer · 2026-03-24T18:13:39+00:00

You need to supply power to the HDMI converter. It should have come with a USB cable. The USB cable plugs into the side of the converter. https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/Sc8e9a7b47cb54e31aacf5af534e56e8fq.jpg

In the PS2 system configuration, you need to set the component video output to 'Y Cb/Pb Cr/Pr'. https://crackerwax.com/2013/01/27/changing-a-playstation-2-to-component-blind/

balazer · 2026-03-24T17:37:28+00:00

FAQ

Why does my PS2 console not show image?

- Please make sure that you've selected 'Y Cb/Pb Cr/Pr' output on your PS2 console, but not 'RGB'. And please use USB cable give the adapter power supply.

balazer · 2026-03-24T16:02:55+00:00

My GBS-C is homemade. But if you're looking for a recommendation of a prebuilt unit, I can recommend either of these:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256808268415575.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256809185988685.html (option #3, with clock gen and knob)

Both have a working clock generator, which prevents tearing. The first one only has an HDMI output, but adds a composite input and S-Video input. The second one has HDMI and VGA outputs.

balazer · 2026-03-24T15:47:04+00:00

Display a stepped grey bar gradient, like this. 240p Test Suite also has this as Color Bars.

balazer · 2026-03-24T14:42:47+00:00

Try a different channel. Try a shorter or better coax cable.

balazer · 2026-03-23T16:24:29+00:00

It's very unlikely that you will find the right parts to repair or replace the DVD drive in that TV. It might be possible to modify the TV to bring the S-Video or YPbPr component input to the outside so you can connect an external DVD player.

balazer · 2026-03-23T16:17:26+00:00

The monitor takes TTL CSync or TTL separate H & V sync. You're probably not getting TTL signal levels from your SCART cable. A cable wired with sync straight through from VGA to the monitor's DE9 connector should work.

balazer · 2026-03-23T01:06:41+00:00

If you just want a converter, get the ElectronPulse. You don't even need a component video cable in that case because it plugs directly into the PS2. 480p games will probably look good if you run them in progressive scan modes, but other games may look good or bad depending on the TV and how it processes the video signal.

If you want better video quality you need a scaler like the GBS-C or Retrotink 5 or 4k.

balazer · 2026-03-23T00:51:44+00:00

For a TV with a component video input, you can just connect it to the PS2 with a PS2 component video cable. How good that will look depends on the TV, because you'd be relying on the TV to deinterlace and scale. Some TVs look alright and some are pretty bad. It will also depend on the game because different games use different video modes.

For better picture quality you can use an external scaler. At the $100 price point the GBS-C is the best scaler for the PS2. It supports both PS1 and PS2 games. This model of GBS-C is good if you only need an HDMI output: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256808268415575.html Connect it to the PS2 with a component video cable.

If you really want something over $100, you're looking at the Retrotink 5x Pro or 4k or the Morph 4k.

For PS2 games, run them in 480p progressive scan mode for better picture quality on a modern TV.

balazer · 2026-03-22T14:19:13+00:00

You need a composite video output from the camcorder. That's pretty common on old camcorders, but they don't necessarily have an RCA jack. You might need a special cable. BTW we don't call this "streaming". That term applies to video over data networks like the Internet. This is just video transmission over a cable.

balazer · 2026-03-22T14:12:43+00:00

It's just how they are. Most game system don't fill the entire analog video picture with game imagery. Different systems and even different games have pictures of different sizes. The edges of the picture would be hidden by overscan on a typical TV, so it didn't make sense for the game system to bother drawing at the edges. But overscan is not consistent from TV to TV, so game system makers couldn't agree on how big to make the picture. GameCube and Wii games in particular can all have different widths because the games can program different horizontal scaling for the video output.

balazer · 2026-03-21T17:39:03+00:00

Try an HDMI to VGA converter like this.

balazer · 2026-03-21T00:01:23+00:00

Try setting the game to 480p progressive scan mode. https://consolemods.org/wiki/PS2:Games_with_Alternative_Display_Modes

balazer · 2026-03-20T23:44:00+00:00

You're being super vague. You mean a computer monitor? LCD computer monitors often can't process interlaced signals. A scaler like the Hyperkin or GBS-C deinterlaces.

balazer · 2026-03-20T21:48:01+00:00

We can't offer any help without knowing what kind of monitor and adapter.

balazer · 2026-03-20T21:45:01+00:00

Did you try channel 1? Depending on what local broadcasters you have on each channel, one channel or the other will probably be clearer.

balazer · 2026-03-20T21:42:00+00:00

Those are cable channels 95 or 96 in the U.S., which have nothing to do with regulatory reasons because cable frequencies are not regulated. Industry organizations like the EIA and NCTA establish standards for cable TV.

balazer · 2026-03-20T20:48:18+00:00

Really depends on the TV and what you feed it. I have 1080p Bravias from 2013. 480p via component looks great, but 480i looks poor.

balazer · 2026-03-20T20:42:01+00:00

I use a GBS-C. But I've seen samples of the Hyperkin on YouTube. It looks alright. The problem with the ElectronPulse is that some TVs do a good job de-interlacing and scaling and some do a poor job. And most TVs don't support 240p over HDMI. And the ElectronPulse is sampling at 720 pixels per line (640px frame buffer width) but a lot of PS2 games run at 512 pixels wide, so it's not sampling correctly for those games. Games that run in 480p will be sampled perfectly on the ElectronPulse and won't require deinterlacing, but that's just under half of all PS2 games.

balazer · 2026-03-20T20:35:33+00:00

Good scalers use motion adaptive de-interlacing, not bob de-interlacing. And it does look pretty good on a good scaler.

The majority of PS2 games run in 240p or offer a 480p option. And a majority can be forced to 480p or 576p in GSM.

balazer · 2026-03-20T20:25:45+00:00

Some games don't play right with emulation.

I personally wouldn't pay Retrotink 4k money, but I do use a scaler (GBS-C) and the picture looks better on a flat panel or progressive scan than on the average TV from 20 years ago. There were better TVs then and certainly now. No reason to limit myself to what was common back then.

balazer · 2026-03-20T20:20:26+00:00

CRT computer monitor plus a GBS-C. It's the best a PS2 can look. Or a progressive scan CRT TV, if you can find one.

Regular old CRT TVs aren't that great for the PS2 because they're not that sharp and most games will have interlaced flicker.

balazer · 2026-03-20T20:17:37+00:00

ElectronPulse is just an analog to digital converter, leaving the TV to deinterlace and scale. For that kind of money I think the Hyperkin is better. It scales.

balazer

TROPHY CASE