Newbie here, question about cd32 display.

Hi, this is my first post here, so excuse me if this has already been asked.
I am a CD32 fan from Mexico.
I bought a CD32 some months ago <pal version>, and since i needed a new tv, i decided to buy one of those multi system ones <those that are PAL and NTSC compatible>. But, although i get a complete, well centered image, there is no color, it is completely black and white.
Does anyone here have tried playing their cd32s on this type of tvs, is it normal that they display the image in black and white?
I was wondering if there is some way to mod my console to make it compatible with ntsc tvs, or if there are some software tools to force my cd32 to display a ntsc image, I already know about using an amiga mouse to make it display a ntsc image, but i dont have one and have never seen one.
Hope someone here can help me.
Thanks in advance.

A black&white display means that the tv either doesn't recognize the PAL input and expecting you to set that manually or is not compatible with 50hz (PAL) at all.

I'm from the old world where tvs are PAL and the grass is green. When you connect a NTSC output to an incompatible PAL tv, you get exactly what you describe if you're lucky. If not, you might not even get an image. Should work the same way for you too.

[Amiga1992]

Originally Posted by saturndual32

But, although i get a complete, well centered image, there is no color, it is completely black and white.

Hello mate,

You got pwned with lame latin american PAL systems . What sort of PAL does you TV accept? Probably PAL-M or PAL-N. If your CD32 is european it outputs PAL-B/g/etc, commonly referred to as just PAL, which leads into the incompatibility you mention, getting no color.

Likewise, MAYBE you bought a brazilian CD32, which AFAIK were modded for PAL, but not PAL-B, PAL-N. And your TV takes the real european PAL but your CD32 doesn't.

Having a PAL CD32 is best (most software is euro)but I wouldn't mod it. First off, not for NTSC. Your CD32 can display both systems (sort of) so there's no modding needed, though you can have it default into NTSC (with a complex hack probably), but as i said, this might bring incompatibilities with most PAL games. You shoudl get an Amiga mouse from somewhere, no software will do what you wat, well, I dunno, maybe degrader works, but it might fuck up your games in the process...

Now modding it for the proper PAL (you must first find out what sort of PAL your TV takes and what PAL your CD32 is sending) would probably be a pain in the arse and almost no one is qualified, today , to make this mod in your old hardware. They probably get it fucked and the "solution" will be worse than having it the way it is.


American NTSC CD32s output:
NTSC@60Hz
NTSC@50Hz. Which is sort of the same as PAL-M (NTSC color coding but in a PAL signal and hertz rate) or PAL-N, but not exactly the same.

Euro CD32s output:
PAL@50Hz
PAL@60Hz

So if your CD32 is euro even if you switch to "NTSC" you will sTILL GET A BLACK AND WHITE IMAGE. Do this ad se what happens.


Good luck and post your reports, I'll do my best to help you out.

Venga guero! que no es tan grave!

[icewizard2k5]

get a 1084s

And go blind!

[Amiga1992]

If his country uses NSC most if not all of the 1084s he can get will be NTSC so same shit.

With today's television sets I would advise to purchase a TV that allows RGB connection through SCART.

You are right Akira, my tv seems to be PAL N, so that must be the reason for the black and white image. I guess i am gonna have to look for one of those old Amiga mouse. Or i am gonna have to import a 1084 monitor from Europe, right?.
It took me a while to get a CD32 <its the only one i have seen in Mexico>, and i am not ready to give up on it.
Thanks for the replies guys.

[Amiga1992]

Nope, you can get a PAL-N <-> PAL-B Transcoder for about 50 bucks or something. Go to a pro video store and ask for a PAL-N/PAL-B transcoder, this will solve yoru problem BUT it wont let you switch to 60 Hz mode probably.

Even with an amiga mouse, as I said above, your CD32 would be outputting PAL-B at 60Hz so you will still get NO COLOR.

Get the transcoder, you will hardly ever need NTSC, really. Importing a 1084 from europe is stupid in many ways. 1084s are all mostly dying so there's a huge chance that when you receive it it will die soon. It won't last long. And it will cost you a bloody fortune, which is better spent in purchasing an RGB capable TV set. The transcoder is still MUCH CHEAPER.