Ask general Genesis/MD/Sega CD/32X questions here (for new members)

[Nobi]

wow! thats just what i needed thanks dude!!!

[Nobi]

thanks wobble, i just happend to have one of those laying around its an older model but i think it will still work. now all i need is a monitor cable and ill be jammin in full stereo!!! ive got a big screen tv with huge speakers and awesome stereo its perfect! now all i need is instructions on how to hook up a 32x to my gen 1 and what all cables should i look for when buying one, will my pbc still work after modding my genny for the 32x, how big of a hassle will it be to change the two add ons when i want to play shinobi 1(sms).

[Nobi]

genesis 1 owns!!!!

[Wobble]

do you have the 32x patch cable for the genesis 2? if so i can help you find the right plug and cut the end off it and wire it to a genesis 1 plug. finding a genesis 2 plug is a real pain. if i remember correct you only need the R G B and C-sync lines along with +5v and maybe ground wired up to it to get it working right. ive built a custom RGB to component converter box for my consoles so im fairly familiar with the pinout from the genesis 1, 2 and SNES and would be happy to help you figure out what to wire where and make it all work. feel free to PM me!
-Wobble

[Nobi]

just purchased new 32x off of amazon the seller said it was complete shouldnt it come with gen 1 hook up. i heard you had to mod the plastic around the cartridge port so it would fit right in a model 1 or something along those lines is that true, ive got a genesis model 2 but i prefer to use my model 1 what all do i have to do to hook a 32 x up to it

[Wobble]

you gotta put a new end on the cable unless it has the model 1 adapter for it. how are you with soldering. the model 1 plug is plenty big to easily do with a 15 dollar 30 watt iron you can get at radio shack

[ApolloBoy]

i heard you had to mod the plastic around the cartridge port so it would fit right in a model 1 or something along those lines is that true

No, the 32X without the plastic spacer will fit perfectly on a model 1. You don't have to mod it or anything. Just make sure that you have the model 1 adapter cable and you're set.

[Nobi]

awesome! i think it was the genesis 2 that had to be modified for the power base converter to fit in the cartridge port i got mixed up. did the new 32X come with the gen 1 adapter back when it was released or did it come separate? i hope its included with my purchase. how rare is it?$? id like to try and find one before i perform surgery on my genesis. however modifiying my genesis does intrigue me. wobble have you ever seen a genesis modified for s-video? do you know how to do it? i love s-video on my snes,64 and dreamcast and i have one for my saturn coming in the mail. id like to mod my gen 2 for s video. did they ever sell standard rca av hookups for the saturn caus ive never seen any. ive always had rf on saturn and its all ive ever seen one played through cant wait for the upgrade!

[ApolloBoy]

did the new 32X come with the gen 1 adapter back when it was released or did it come separate?

It was always packed-in with the 32X. And about the S-video mod for your Genesis 2, it depends on what version of the model 2 you have. Generally, if yours was made in China and the RF shield on the bottom doesn't go the entire length of the console, you can mod it for S-video.

[Axl]

Hi guys,

Question: Is there any way to improve on the image quality of my EU Megadrive 2? I live in Europe so I was thinking a scart cable might get me better quality than the standard TV/AV in/out cable that comes with the console.

And is the original cable composite, component or S-video?

Not a big tech-head here, just trying to figure things out

[King Of Chaos]

Right, I'll ask a few questions (that I probably know the answers to) to make sure I'm probably right.

1) What 3.5mm stereo headphone to A/V wire for my model 1 would you guys recommend (link please)?

2) Am I correct to assume a European Megadrive Pro Action Replay will work in a US Genesis due to the PAR not being region locked (because it's not licensed by Sega)?

3) What's the easiest way to find a model 1 extension for the 32X (I assume eBay but they're rare).

[TmEE]

Hi guys,

Question: Is there any way to improve on the image quality of my EU Megadrive 2? I live in Europe so I was thinking a scart cable might get me better quality than the standard TV/AV in/out cable that comes with the console.

And is the original cable composite, component or S-video?

Not a big tech-head here, just trying to figure things out

RGB SCART cable for you all the way, it beats s-vid and component(this one really slightly, but you won't have to spend money on a transcoder to get RGB :P)

Right, I'll ask a few questions (that I probably know the answers to) to make sure I'm probably right.

1) What 3.5mm stereo headphone to A/V wire for my model 1 would you guys recommend (link please)?

2) Am I correct to assume a European Megadrive Pro Action Replay will work in a US Genesis due to the PAR not being region locked (because it's not licensed by Sega)?

3) What's the easiest way to find a model 1 extension for the 32X (I assume eBay but they're rare).

1) Anything shielded
2) PAR is not region locked to my knowledge
3) Getting a 32X with the extension, its cheaper and more available than bare extension cable. ebay, chase the chuckwagon, this forum are your friends

[Devil N]

Hi guys,

Question: Is there any way to improve on the image quality of my EU Megadrive 2? I live in Europe so I was thinking a scart cable might get me better quality than the standard TV/AV in/out cable that comes with the console.

And is the original cable composite, component or S-video?

Not a big tech-head here, just trying to figure things out

What TmEE said. If you live in Europe, there is no excuse to get anything less than RGB SCART. There are plenty of newly fabricated cables for sale (on eBay for example) for about 10 euros on average. You can even make one yourself if you're feeling creative.

The original cable transmits a composite signal, modulated onto RF. That sends the entire video signal over a single wire, giving the worst possible image quality.

One step above composite is S-Video (brightness and color are sent over separate wires), and then come component and RGB. The latter two both use three separate wires for the video signal, the main difference being how the signal is split up. For a games console, RGB gives you the 'purest' signal, because it transmits the image in the same format as 1) the console constructs it and 2) the TV displays it. No conversion steps means no loss in quality, so the best cable.

[King Of Chaos]

3) Getting a 32X with the extension, its cheaper and more available than bare extension cable. ebay, chase the chuckwagon, this forum are your friends

Oh really? I've seen still packaged 32X systems on eBay for like $130.

[Axl]

You can even make one yourself if you're feeling creative.

Creative? Yes. Capable? Hell no!

Is there a way to make out the quality of the scarts on e-bay or am I safe with whichever one I choose? Like country of origin or brand? It's just I heard some people having problems with their scarts bought on e-bay...

Anyways thanks for the reply Tmee and Devil N.