Black screen loading roms
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Hi, I have just set up my RetroPie using the 4.2 base image on my raspberry pi 3 and I am running into trouble loading roms (currently only tried megadrive). I am comfortable that I am using the correct power supply and the sd card is compatible having done some research. Anyway the problem is that when I try to launch any one of the 6 roms I just get a black screen and nothing else. I have tried cycling through the various emulator options for mega drive with no joy and tried a few different resolutions and again no luck. One of the should buttons does bring up yellow text saying something like load state 100%. In terms of connected devices there is a standard keyboard and a PS4 pad. Hope I have covered most of the base information to get some advice. TIA
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also I am 100% this will have already been covered multiple times but the key words I am using seem to be fairly common as I am sure you can all imagine so narrowing down to something the same is proving tricky
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please fill out https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first
please pick a particular example game so you can fill out the entire list.
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@dankcushions sorry I did try to remember and cover most of the answers in my post but failed so copy and pasted this time.
Pi Model or other hardware: (B,)
Power Supply used: (3.5 Amp micro usb)
RetroPie Version Used (4.3 base image from RetroPie.org):
Built From: (as above)
USB Devices connected: standard keyboard
Controller used: PS4
Error messages received: none
Log found in /dev/shm/runcommand.log (if relevant): no errors
Guide used: (RetroPie.org first time setup)
File: (All roms in folder RetroPie/roms/megadrive)
Emulator(I have tried picodrive, Genesis-plus-gx and dgen) -
Additionally have now tried some SNES roms and a new image (motion blue v5 from arcadepunks) with the same result. My instincts tell me this is a display / resolution issue but I can’t see why. The pie is connected to a 1080p monitor capable of the resolutions and refresh rate being asked of it but it still feels that way.
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@ljshooter no one here will be able to help you with that image. Use the one on the retropie website. If you suspect a display issue. Do you have a different tv you can test on?
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@ljshooter Nope, nobody here is gonna help you figure out that crap!
You are just complicating your problem using those awful images.
Run this in the terminal and post the resultstvservice -m CEA
This will tell you what your TV supports and what the preferred resolution is. -
@jonnykesh my monitor is my PC monitor and is capable of 1080p and obviously a lot in between. The thing is the first image I used was from RetroPie.org and was a vanilla RetroPie with nothing added and I got the same result. I will of course run the script tomorrow when I can get back on but I am not entirely sure it is a display option. With a hotkey I can load up Retroarch menus fine after launching a rom (no idea if it helps to know that or not). Retroarch reports it is running at between 58 and 60fps etc so it kind of feels like something is running but if the issue was display only i could have expected sound? If I have got this far is it possible to be a dodgy board?
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@ljshooter Then run
tvservice -m DMTfor monitors. Have you actually bothered to google any of this? -
@jonnykesh I have googled a fair amount but as I stated using terms like ‘black screen’ and ‘roms not loading’ is throwing up so many unrelated posts. This is day 3 if trying to sort before I have asked for help and I do genuinely appreciate all advice. Will let you know what the results are.
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@jonnykesh So I managed to squeeze in a few minutes before leaving the house to test the resolutions as suggested. (typing this so forgive any typos and slightly shorthand) I have tried a lot of resolutions in a random kind of way so I cant say with certainty I have tried all options below but I am 99% certain I tried all the 19201080 options... Anyway thanks to @jonnykesh I can probably be a bit more logical about my testing tonight.
Mode 4: 648480 @ 60hz, clock 25mhz
Mode 6: 648480 @ 75hz, clock 31mhz
Mode 8: 800600 @ 56hz, clock 36mhz
Mode 9: 800600 @ 60hz, clock 40mhz
Mode 10: 800600 @ 72hz, clock 50mhz
mode 11: 800600 @ 49hz, clock 49mhz
Mode 16: 1024768 @ 60hz, clock 65mhz
Mode 17: 1024768 @ 70hz, clock 75mhz
Mode 18: 1024768 @ 75hz, clock 78mhz
Mode 21: 1152864 @ 75hz, clock 108mhz
Mode 28: 1200800 @ 60hz, clock 83mhz
Mode 32: 1200960 @ 60hz, clock 108mhz
Mode 35: 12001024 @ 60hz, clock 108mhz
Mode 36: 12001024 @ 75hz, clock 135mhz
Mode 47: 1440900@ 60hz, clock 106mhz
Mode 58: 16801050 @ 60mhz, clock 146mhz
Mode 82: 19201080 @ 60hz, clock 148mhz
mode 85: 1280*720 @ 60hz, clock 74mhzI know I keep throwing in additional info and I am sorry but might be worth mentioning that when I started this days ago I was working on my main TV and I was getting a black screen after the ES loader screen which at the time I put down to a bad image but it now has me wondering if there really is an underlying issue with the Pie and what it is outputting
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@jonnykesh I have now reverted back to the stock image from RetroPie.org and tired a few of resolutions in my list with the same result. I am at a bit of a loss as to what the issue could be? Perhaps my guess at resolution issues is incorrect.... if anyone can suggest any other possible things to explore to resolve I would be very grateful. TIA
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@ljshooter You are connecting through HDMI correct? Can you try out a different cable? Can you please provide which games and emulator you are trying to use? What file format are your roms? You have tried connecting to a different display?
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@quicksilver @quicksilver thanks for replying so quickly. I have tried a couple of hdmi’s as I have moved from main tv to pc monitor. I think I listed the emulators earlier but it was picodrive, dgen and genesis-plus-gfx. In terms of games it is columns 1 & 3, Alex the kid, castle of illusion, castle Anna and Aladdin. I have now also tried all variants of the SNES9x emulator with the exact same outcome (obviously different roms). I would upload a video to here if it was an option but it wouldn’t show much more than me selecting a rom and then a black screen. As I say the hotkeys button can bring up some what I assume are Retroarch info’s like load state and state slot? I can also bring up the Retroarch options after selecting a rom by using the hotkeys and they display fine
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@ljshooter Which image is this from? I dont think dgen is included by default anymore and has to be installed through optional packages. Did all your roms come from one source?
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@quicksilver dgen was an optional package when the others failed yes (that said I don’t even get as far as a black screen before it shells me back to the list of roms). The image is RetroPie-4.3-rpi2_rpi3.img
All roms did come from one source yes but they do work on other platforms (eg Retroarch on Android as well as on my softmod PSP) -
@quicksilver I think I might just send the pie back and get another... I am at the point of thinking this is a hardware issue
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