Sony HB-F500 RGB problem

Rookie (20)

21-02-2018, 23:37

I recently got a Sony HB-500 here in Japan. I'm lucky to have the revised model with the RAM moved to Slot-3, so I don't have to worry too much about that. My problem is with the RGB output. When testing it on my TVs, the picture comes out in wavy garbled scrolling, like you'd expect if the sync was wrong or something. The RGB cable I'm testing is new, and appears to be a straight pin to pin connection, with no switched pins (according to Amazon). The HB-F500 has a female RGB 21pin connector instead of a DIN8, so I can't test it with other RGB cables that I know work. Any ideas?
(Note: Composite seems to work fine.)

By sd_snatcher

Prophet (3499)

22-02-2018, 00:29

This cable you got from Amazon: Is it RGB21 or SCART?

By Dr.Wily

Rookie (22)

22-02-2018, 01:05

If it's SCART you need to send 5v on pin 16.

By gdx

Enlighted (5330)

22-02-2018, 01:31

If the HB-F500 is a Japanese model, it's RGB21.
Have you seen this wiki?
https://www.msx.org/wiki/RGB21_connector

By michellybells

Rookie (20)

22-02-2018, 04:56

I've been trying to figure out if it's SCART or not. Amazon has it listed as "21ピン RGB(SCART)" and it's like... which is it? JP21pin or SCART? I'm guessing it must be SCART. So I wonder which pin should have 5v on it that I could swap into 16?

By Grauw

Ascended (10560)

22-02-2018, 07:32

Hmm, SCART is a European connector. Japanese MSX & TV means they must be JP21pin...

By Dr.Wily

Rookie (22)

23-02-2018, 17:03

There 2 types of SCART standards. The japanese one and the french (european). Both carries RGB but the pinout is different. Can you take a photo of the back of your monitor ?

By michellybells

Rookie (20)

01-03-2018, 08:15

So, I went to BEEP in Akihabara and bought what is definitely a JP21 RGB cable. The MSX and the NEC TV are both JP21, as well. After trying it with for sure all JP21 everything, I still had the same problem. I did manage to take apart the cable I bought and Amazon and change the pins around enough to get it working on my Sony Trinitron TV (which uses an RGB to Playstion Multi-AV adapter) but that showed no picture on my NEC TV.

By gdx

Enlighted (5330)

01-03-2018, 08:56

Your monitor seems to be the NEC PC-TV453. It should be work with RGB21. I used this monitor in the past for my MSX but I do not remember if he had a setting to do.

By michellybells

Rookie (20)

07-03-2018, 13:02

Actually this monitor is a PC-TV 354, which is similar to the 453 except it is 2-mode (15/24khz). The RGB works on my Panasonic A1F fine, as well as my other RGB consoles like SNES and modded Famicom. I attempted to move some of the pins around with no luck. One thing I discovered is that the music isn't playing when there's the distorted picture on the screen. However, if you remove pin 11 (AV control signal), the screen goes black but the audio begins playing. I don't understand that. Also, I can verify that the colors are correct (the screenshot I posted is from the opening to Ys III).

By Grauw

Ascended (10560)

07-03-2018, 18:02

Maybe it's running in 24 kHz mode? Does it detect that automatically or maybe based on some input pin?