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    retropie on composite tv-out (wrong colors or wrong picture at all) How to config?

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    composite crt tv ntsc\pal config
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    • mituM
      mitu Global Moderator @sirhenrythe5th
      last edited by

      @sirhenrythe5th Most recent PAL region CRT TVs should support NTSC (via RCA, SCART doesn't have an issue). If your TV was made after 2000, then I think it should work over composite.

      Recent version of Pi's firmware support event PAL60 (60fps PAL) - https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/811

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      • I
        IGA @mitu
        last edited by IGA

        @mitu Ok, well. I've waste lot of times to try apply this old configs so thanks. As your said " If you already have your Pi set up for NTSC via composite, they aren't really needed", but i set up for PAL! So i want to find maybe some modern NTSC configs and copy\paste them for PAL configurated Pi to get effect normal configurated emularots....

        or do you suggest just finding another tv? I've already tested 2 crt-TV - same effects - in NTSC - black-white colors, in PAL - lags with scrolling....

        And i did not find totally solution https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/811 thread :((
        I read all threads but after applying this method emu station still show that game runs in 50 hz before it's started.
        Or, maybe do something wrong?
        as i understood, it offers to write in config.txt :
        sdtv_mode=0x22
        start_x=1

        • but i've no effect

        or what else i need to download there? ( i found 5 archives in this thread firmware_c01d7f3, firmware_ef81acd -25 17, firmware_d5117d6, firmware_fa112e1, pal_n. Which included 9 files for boot folder. But i tested them all with 0x22 parameter in config. Maybe it's fo Pi3 too?)

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        • mituM
          mitu Global Moderator
          last edited by

          or do you suggest just finding another tv? I've already tested 2 crt-TV - same effects - in NTSC - black-white colors, in PAL - lags with scrolling....

          You might want to try the PAL version of the games, since they'll run at the correct speed. What TVs (model/vendor) did you try ?

          And i did not find totally solution https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/811 thread :((

          That was just an information tidbit, PAL60 is not usually supported on EU TV sets.

          Post your config.txt, with the configurations you've done for NTSC that produce the black and white image.

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          • I
            IGA @mitu
            last edited by

            @mitu First tv - Orion, second - daewoo 6mhyHlEwNrQ.jpg akFExky02qk.jpg
            And it is not tv issue - as i wrote upper , i've connect thru composite my pal-ps2 console with emulators on it with ntsc-roms and emulators was set as ntsc - all fine....

            And i didn't want use pal-games in 50hz speed. (why?)

            Both of them supported 60HZ. And if somewhere where is some firmware for pi4 i prefer to get it

            Ok, there my config for NTSC:

            # For more options and information see
# http://rpf.io/configtxt
# Some settings may impact device functionality. See link above for details

# uncomment if you get no picture on HDMI for a default "safe" mode
#hdmi_safe=1

# uncomment this if your display has a black border of unused pixels visible
# and your display can output without overscan
disable_overscan=1

# uncomment the following to adjust overscan. Use positive numbers if console
# goes off screen, and negative if there is too much border
#overscan_left=16
#overscan_right=16
#overscan_top=16
#overscan_bottom=16

# uncomment to force a console size. By default it will be display's size minus
# overscan.
#framebuffer_width=1280
#framebuffer_height=720

# uncomment if hdmi display is not detected and composite is being output
#hdmi_force_hotplug=1

# uncomment to force a specific HDMI mode (this will force VGA)
#hdmi_group=2
#hdmi_mode=4

# uncomment to force a HDMI mode rather than DVI. This can make audio work in
# DMT (computer monitor) modes
#hdmi_drive=2

# uncomment to increase signal to HDMI, if you have interference, blanking, or
# no display
#config_hdmi_boost=4

# uncomment for composite PAL
#sdtv_mode=2

#uncomment to overclock the arm. 700 MHz is the default.
#arm_freq=800

# Uncomment some or all of these to enable the optional hardware interfaces
#dtparam=i2c_arm=on
#dtparam=i2s=on
#dtparam=spi=on

# Uncomment this to enable infrared communication.
#dtoverlay=gpio-ir,gpio_pin=17
#dtoverlay=gpio-ir-tx,gpio_pin=18

# Additional overlays and parameters are documented /boot/overlays/README

# Enable audio (loads snd_bcm2835)
dtparam=audio=on

[pi4]
# Enable DRM VC4 V3D driver on top of the dispmanx display stack
dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d
max_framebuffers=2

[all]
#dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d
#overscan_scale=1

enable_tvout=1
sdtv_mode=0
sdtv_aspect=1
audio_pwm_mode=2
            I 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • I
              IGA @IGA
              last edited by

              Update:

              so, i think....
              I have color in my NTSC3.58 - but it's incorrect ( green not green, purple not purple and etc.... cause NTSC3,58 is not true NTSC)
              1DAA4sTVsic.jpg 9VNdE2w2zYo.jpg
              (Maybe my cellphone not shoot in true\sharp color, but Reptile on second photo is blue....)

              So, i think.... maybe i need some patch\fix for ntsc3.58 colors at all ??

              mituM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • mituM
                mitu Global Moderator @IGA
                last edited by

                @iga said in retropie on composite tv-out (wrong colors or wrong picture at all) How to config?:

                So, i think.... maybe i need some patch\fix for ntsc3.58 colors at all ??

                I'm not aware of anything that can correct that.

                I 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • I
                  IGA @mitu
                  last edited by

                  @mitu it's sad :(
                  So i need some modern configs for pal.....

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                  • I
                    IGA @mitu
                    last edited by

                    @mitu Hi
                    can you said me how to change resolution using composite? - I always got 720x480, even if i change it in reropie setup (pi config\display options\resolution) to 640x480 or 800x600. Reboot. But the games still have run in 720x480 and changes never applied....

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                    • mituM
                      mitu Global Moderator
                      last edited by

                      I think the resolution options from raspi-config work when you're using HDMI for video and not composite TV-Out. When using composite, you're using one of the NTSC/PAL resolutions (720x480 for NTSC, 720x576 for PAL).

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                      • I
                        IGA @mitu
                        last edited by

                        @mitu ok, thanks, understood.
                        But why exactly 720 not 640??

                        mituM I 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • mituM
                          mitu Global Moderator @IGA
                          last edited by

                          @iga said in retropie on composite tv-out (wrong colors or wrong picture at all) How to config?:

                          But why exactly 720 not 640??

                          Why would it be 640 ? That's a standard NTSC TV video mode, 640x480 is a VGA/VESA video mode that appeared later on.

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                          • I
                            IGA @IGA
                            last edited by

                            Finally I've found solution for my tv there - tweakvec, and now got true correct colors with this tool.
                            Maybe it will useful for somebody too....

                            B 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • B
                              brentriddell @IGA
                              last edited by

                              @iga how did you get tweakvec to work with your pi4? i think i have almost exactly the same setup and problem as you (pi4 via composite on a crt and NTSC colors are wrong, PAL colors are perfect) ... for me when i try to use tweakvec i get this error on the command line (via SSH using putty):

                              'cowardly refusing to reconfigure VEC while it is not in use, use --force to override'

                              I tried it with --force and it does nothing :(

                              any help would be much appreciated! thanks!

                              I 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • I
                                IGA @brentriddell
                                last edited by IGA

                                @brentriddell to apply it first put the file tweakvec.py into directory home/pi/tweakvec/ on your sd card ( or other storage whre retopie is installed if that).
                                Then you can enter in terminal window on your PC or in retropie console next:

                                sudo python3 /home/pi/tweakvec/tweakvec.py --preset PAL60
                                • you get true colors and pal 60 mode (must be sdtv mode = 1 in config.txt to get 60 Hz in all emulators)

                                But after next reboot you got standard ntsc mode ( with wrong colores), so if you want tweakwec fix always turned on you need write this command in file /opt/retropie/configs/all/autostart.sh It will be run tweakwec automatilly at every retropie start.

                                But in the end i've get right colors but also get "flickering" in some games. So to get flickering off i've used progressive mode ( write sdtv mode = 16 in config.txt)

                                Maybe it was helpfully too ( find my messages in the bottom of thread) https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/issues/811

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