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Hooking up an NES

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Old 01-31-10 | 08:33 PM
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Hooking up an NES

I'm going through a moment of nostalgia and really want to play some Tecmo Super Bowl. So I went out and bought a copy, but I can't seem to get the system to work on my plasma. Shouldn't I just be able to screw the NES RF thing into the ANT connection on the back of my tv? Am I missing something or is there some kind of device I need?
Old 01-31-10 | 08:41 PM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Seems like that was right, and doesn't your TV have to be on channel 3 or 4?
Old 01-31-10 | 08:41 PM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Did you blow in it?
Old 01-31-10 | 08:43 PM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Lol, yeah I blew in it.
I set the TV to the right channel, but it is just static and says signal is too weak. You can't hear any sounds from the game either.
Old 01-31-10 | 08:50 PM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Does your TV not have composite inputs that you could use?
Old 01-31-10 | 08:51 PM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Originally Posted by Jeremy517
Does your TV not have composite inputs that you could use?
Depending on how old the nintendo is I'm pretty sure IT doesn't
Old 01-31-10 | 08:56 PM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Originally Posted by glassdragon
Depending on how old the nintendo is I'm pretty sure IT doesn't
The NES came with composite cables. The later ones, anyway. The top-loading one did as well.
Old 01-31-10 | 09:39 PM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Originally Posted by Jeremy517
Does your TV not have composite inputs that you could use?
My TV has RCA audio inputs, but not video.
Old 01-31-10 | 09:45 PM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

This thread reminds me of a Cowboy Bebop episode....

Does it work on any other tv in your home?
Old 01-31-10 | 10:01 PM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

It's the only tv I have.
Ok, so I got it to work by plugging the video RCA into the Y composite jack. But the video is incredibly shitty. It's black and white and the screen shakes and it's all fuzzy but it is playable.
But the game is just as fun as I remember it.
Old 01-31-10 | 11:50 PM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Originally Posted by glassdragon
Depending on how old the nintendo is I'm pretty sure IT doesn't
It always had composite outputs in the US, but since his TV doesn't have composite inputs, it is a moot point.
Old 01-31-10 | 11:52 PM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Originally Posted by Maxflier
It's the only tv I have.
Ok, so I got it to work by plugging the video RCA into the Y composite jack. But the video is incredibly shitty. It's black and white and the screen shakes and it's all fuzzy but it is playable.
But the game is just as fun as I remember it.
it's the NES.. Isn't that the way it's supposed to look?

i could have sworn it didn't have composites on it until later. Meh, my memory is going so i am probably wrong
Old 02-01-10 | 08:58 AM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Did you say you tried plugging the yellow cable into the Y connection of the component inputs? Yes, that will give you black and white because you're only connecting the luminance (B&W) portion of the video. The other two cables are for the color.

If the TV really doesn't have a composite input, you could get a composite to s-video adapter: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2. Then just connect an s-video cable from the adapter to the TV. It has s-video, right?
Old 02-01-10 | 09:32 AM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Originally Posted by Maxflier
It's the only tv I have.
Ok, so I got it to work by plugging the video RCA into the Y composite jack. But the video is incredibly shitty. It's black and white and the screen shakes and it's all fuzzy but it is playable.
But the game is just as fun as I remember it.
You mean COMPONENT. Composite is Yellow Red Blue.

Your TV has to have composite outs. What is the model of the TV?
Old 02-01-10 | 10:04 AM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Sorry, component. I always get the two names mixed up.
This is the tv I have: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Insignia...&skuId=9299886

And here is what I have to work with:
Old 02-01-10 | 10:06 AM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Yeah, I've never heard of a TV model that didn't have at least one set of composite connections, even if they are on the side or something.
Old 02-01-10 | 10:07 AM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Originally Posted by Drexl
Did you say you tried plugging the yellow cable into the Y connection of the component inputs? Yes, that will give you black and white because you're only connecting the luminance (B&W) portion of the video. The other two cables are for the color.

If the TV really doesn't have a composite input, you could get a composite to s-video adapter: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2. Then just connect an s-video cable from the adapter to the TV. It has s-video, right?
It's funny, but I tried hooking up everything and that is the one thing that actually kind of worked.
And no, the TV doesn't have S-Video.
Old 02-01-10 | 10:07 AM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Okay, it looks like the AV1 input will accommodate either component or composite (but obviously not both at the same time). You probably need to go into the TV's menu and find the setting that switches it to composite.
Old 02-01-10 | 10:08 AM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Okay, looking at that diagram... did you connect it to the top or bottom set of composite connections?

Edit: Nevermind, Drexl had the same concern I did and posted first.
Old 02-01-10 | 10:13 AM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

I had it connected to the top set of composites.
I did try it on the bottom set, but I didn't unplug the blue and red cables that I already had plugged in there (from my cable box, which uses that set of composites). So maybe if I unplug those and try it again it will work?
Old 02-01-10 | 10:19 AM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

If you can switch AV1 to composite, the red and blue inputs won't be used. The 3 inputs on top are for AV2, so plug in all 3 component cables of the cable box there, and its 2 audio cables.

Note that the NES is mono, so you might only hear sound from the left or right side of the TV. Unless, that is, you either enable a mono setting in the TV menu (if it has such a setting) or get a splitter adapter to split the signal to both channels.
Old 02-01-10 | 10:23 AM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Thanks, I'll give it a try when I go home in a little while.
Old 02-01-10 | 10:59 AM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Looks like it's time for a visit with everyone's FAVORITE Christmas morning must-have: an RF modulator.

EDIT: Christmas morning must-have from 15 yrs ago, that is.

Last edited by reubs82; 02-01-10 at 11:08 AM.
Old 02-01-10 | 12:15 PM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

Speaking of RF, that was the only way to connect a pre-NES system like the Atari 2600. I think you'd need a modded version with a different video output soon, because the RF connection used relied on analog tuners. You have to assume they're dropping those from new sets.
Old 02-01-10 | 01:10 PM
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Re: Hooking up an NES

No dice. All I get is a gray screen and I can't find any way to change the connection to composite in the menus.


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